Prolouge
Three Things Remain
I couldn't believe it. I truly didn't believe it. I, Aeka, Princess of Jurai, was not hearing what I was hearing.
And yet, Tenchi still said it.
"Aeka, I really don't want to hurt your feelings, but… I don't love you. I really like you, just like I like all of you girls. But I'll never love you, or Ryoko, or any of them. It's time this stupid game ended." He shuffled his feet for a moment, then turned back to me. "I'm very sorry to hurt you. But I can't live my life with the two of you constantly demanding my love. When I fall in love, I don't want it to be the result of begging and fighting. I want it to be special."
I was standing on the stone steps, where we had been together so many times. I had swept and scrubbed these steps, stood on these steps to watch the sunsets, run up these steps to follow Tenchi, even shed blood on these steps when Ryoko and I got into one of our worse fights. But I had never, ever heard news like this on these steps. I had never had my feelings hurt, my heart dashed to the cold ground. Not like this.
No one else was with Tenchi and I. Alone I had to deal with this news. I was completely alone with the hurt.
And yet, I knew Tenchi had said the same thing to everyone else in our little house. He had told them all that the game had ended. He wasn't going to fall in love with any of us, although we would be good friends yet. To say Ryoko had been angry would be a grievous understatement. She had raged, and in her rage accidently programmed Washuu's latest telepathic robot invention to try and kill Tenchi. In the excitement over all of that, I hadn't even thought to ask why Ryoko was acting that way towards him. Cold. Aloof. Angry and vengeful. I had hoped she had given up on him, and left him for me.
I looked into his golden-brown eyes for a moment. Did he really mean this? Did he really not want me?
Of course he did.
In a split second, my life was spread out before me.
Tenchi did not love me. He never would love me. No matter how hard I tried.
What was left for my life?
I saw the options immediately. I could burst into tears, and leave Earth forever.
But I couldn't leave Sasami alone on Earth.
I could burst into tears, and hate Tenchi for the rest of my life.
But I could never hate him.
I could burst into tears and hope that he would take it back.
But he wouldn't.
I could burst into tears and throw myself off a cliff.
But then I wouldn't ever see Tenchi again.
What was left for me?
It took all of my Juraian Royal Training, but I turned my back to him.
"Oh, I knew that, Tenchi. You didn't hurt my feelings. I knew that we would never be together." I blinked twice, to get the tears from my eyes, then turned and smiled gently at him. "I was just about to tell you the same thing." What a lie. "I want to apologize for the way I've been flirting with you. I know it was wrong, when I didn't love you, and I'm very sorry. But I'm glad you understand." I turned back to face him, a big smile on my face.
He stared at me like he didn't believe me.
"I mean it," I said. I hoped I sounded convincing. He stared me in the eyes for a moment, and I almost couldn't bear to hold his gaze. But I did. And that's what kept him from saying anything more.
"Alright, if you say so." He didn't sound happy, but he left it at that. There was an uncomfortable silence. "So, would you like to come with me when Sasami,
Mihoshi and I go hiking later today?"
The last thing I wanted to do was to have to face Tenchi for the next few hours.
But then again, if I said no, he'd know something was wrong.
"Sure!" I tried to sound, ugh, perky.
That did it. I think he was convinced.
"Alright, let's go back to the house and get packing." He turned away.
I sighed in relief. Knowing that I still loved him, knowing that it was killing me to be with him, all that would merely drive him away. I didn't want him to feel sorry, or guilty. I wanted him to be happy.
After all, that's what true love is, isn't it?
Three Things Remain
I couldn't believe it. I truly didn't believe it. I, Aeka, Princess of Jurai, was not hearing what I was hearing.
And yet, Tenchi still said it.
"Aeka, I really don't want to hurt your feelings, but… I don't love you. I really like you, just like I like all of you girls. But I'll never love you, or Ryoko, or any of them. It's time this stupid game ended." He shuffled his feet for a moment, then turned back to me. "I'm very sorry to hurt you. But I can't live my life with the two of you constantly demanding my love. When I fall in love, I don't want it to be the result of begging and fighting. I want it to be special."
I was standing on the stone steps, where we had been together so many times. I had swept and scrubbed these steps, stood on these steps to watch the sunsets, run up these steps to follow Tenchi, even shed blood on these steps when Ryoko and I got into one of our worse fights. But I had never, ever heard news like this on these steps. I had never had my feelings hurt, my heart dashed to the cold ground. Not like this.
No one else was with Tenchi and I. Alone I had to deal with this news. I was completely alone with the hurt.
And yet, I knew Tenchi had said the same thing to everyone else in our little house. He had told them all that the game had ended. He wasn't going to fall in love with any of us, although we would be good friends yet. To say Ryoko had been angry would be a grievous understatement. She had raged, and in her rage accidently programmed Washuu's latest telepathic robot invention to try and kill Tenchi. In the excitement over all of that, I hadn't even thought to ask why Ryoko was acting that way towards him. Cold. Aloof. Angry and vengeful. I had hoped she had given up on him, and left him for me.
I looked into his golden-brown eyes for a moment. Did he really mean this? Did he really not want me?
Of course he did.
In a split second, my life was spread out before me.
Tenchi did not love me. He never would love me. No matter how hard I tried.
What was left for my life?
I saw the options immediately. I could burst into tears, and leave Earth forever.
But I couldn't leave Sasami alone on Earth.
I could burst into tears, and hate Tenchi for the rest of my life.
But I could never hate him.
I could burst into tears and hope that he would take it back.
But he wouldn't.
I could burst into tears and throw myself off a cliff.
But then I wouldn't ever see Tenchi again.
What was left for me?
It took all of my Juraian Royal Training, but I turned my back to him.
"Oh, I knew that, Tenchi. You didn't hurt my feelings. I knew that we would never be together." I blinked twice, to get the tears from my eyes, then turned and smiled gently at him. "I was just about to tell you the same thing." What a lie. "I want to apologize for the way I've been flirting with you. I know it was wrong, when I didn't love you, and I'm very sorry. But I'm glad you understand." I turned back to face him, a big smile on my face.
He stared at me like he didn't believe me.
"I mean it," I said. I hoped I sounded convincing. He stared me in the eyes for a moment, and I almost couldn't bear to hold his gaze. But I did. And that's what kept him from saying anything more.
"Alright, if you say so." He didn't sound happy, but he left it at that. There was an uncomfortable silence. "So, would you like to come with me when Sasami,
Mihoshi and I go hiking later today?"
The last thing I wanted to do was to have to face Tenchi for the next few hours.
But then again, if I said no, he'd know something was wrong.
"Sure!" I tried to sound, ugh, perky.
That did it. I think he was convinced.
"Alright, let's go back to the house and get packing." He turned away.
I sighed in relief. Knowing that I still loved him, knowing that it was killing me to be with him, all that would merely drive him away. I didn't want him to feel sorry, or guilty. I wanted him to be happy.
After all, that's what true love is, isn't it?