The Seventh Moon Gate
By Kalika-Chan
DC: I don't own Tenchi Muyo
A/N: Do people even read the Author's Note? I said to wait for the next chapter….this one took me a while. I haven't been feeling very inspired lately. I still got this done, even if it isn't my best work. Wait for the next chapter, I promise it will be better. By the way, the more I think about this story, it really isn't action/adventure; it's more of a supernatural genre. Or fantasy or….yeah, you get it. I'm sorry this chapter took me so long to write. I haven't been feeling very inspired lately. Thank you to all the people who have reviewed my story! Thank you so much! Reviews matter a lot; it would be easier to understand if you were an author. Remember that the first two chapters are the Prologue.
'-Thinking
"-Speaking
-Chapter 2-
Provoked Feelings
The sun rose high in the sky. Autumn had begun and the crisp, orange leaves fell as they withered and wrinkled. They grew. They died. This was life. The days were still warm and sunny, but the nights had become chilly and dark. Birds sang and owls hooted. Tenchi dragged his feet after him as he headed toward the Shrine. His mind was still full of Ryoko, not really believe Aki and her were that close. She had said she knew a few people, but he thought she meant girlfriends….His backpack wasn't really heavy, but it felt like a million weights on his back. She was just another beautiful girl he had met. How could he feel so strongly for her? Ryoko was probably the most beautiful, but Tenchi liked to think he wasn't a guy to judge girls based on their looks and body. He hardly knew her for a day, and yet, it hurt to see her and Aki together. He imaged him and Ryoko falling in love and they would just hold hands or simply kiss. Tenchi was feeling depressed. A few leaves feel on his shoulder. The petals of the Sakura trees were long gone. He wished Ryoko liked him as much as he liked her. It was like a stupid school-crush, but he couldn't help but feel this way. He dreamed of her. She was always on his mind. Ryoko was enchanting. Tenchi was attracted to her the moment he saw her. He wished he would touch her…. .just to feel her soft skin against his, her wonderful hair in his face…maybe all guys were naturally hentai. Probably worse than his father. He knew he could never hurt Aki because of Ryoko. Aki proved to be one of his best friends, he stuck up for him when he got teased, he helped him with his shrine chores when they were little so they could play longer. Funny thing was, Aki had never mentioned a girlfriend. He was interested in lots of girls, mostly the ones with body. Of course he would go after Ryoko. He wasn't bad looking either, maybe even better than Tenchi himself. He didn't know what kind of guys Ryoko liked. If Ryoko favored guys like Aki, he would have a chance. Maybe they won't ever break up. Maybe they'll get married and invite him to their wedding. Nahh….they wouldn't. He doubted Ryoko and Aki's relationship was going to last more than 6 months, unless it has already been 6 months. Aki wasn't the kind of guy to drop a girl; he stayed with her and broke it to her gently. Tenchi hoped they would break up soon. Seeing them together was torture. And then he would ask Ryoko out. Maybe that wouldn't work either. What if Ryoko didn't like him that way? Then what was with the wink? He had loved that. She looked so cute. Did that mean something? She was such a flirt. Did she like him that way? All these questions filled Tenchi's head. He wanted to see her again. He couldn't stop thinking about her. She was so magical.
Remembering he would extra chores if he was late, Tenchi ran the rest of the way home. It was tiring, but good for track. Ojii-sama Yosho was already there. He stood with a broom and was slowly sweeping the shrine steps. Wordlessly, Tenchi climbed the long flight of steps and took the broom. The two were silent for a while as Tenchi began sweeping. Yosho stood watching. He knew why his grandson was late. He knew a lot of things. He just couldn't tell that to Tenchi. 'What a foolish boy. Don't let your mind wander. Can't you see it? Can't you see whom Ryoko really wants?' Yosho folded his hands and sighed. 'You've got a lot to learn, boy.'
"Pray tell why you were late."
"I'm sorry, Ojii-sama, I-I was sidetracked."
'By Ryoko?', he wanted to say, but instead, "A true man always uses his focus."
"Yes, Ojii-sama. I understand. I'll try not to do it again."
'That's what you say everyday' Yosho sighed again and said, "Do a good-job here." And left, his long robes sweeping the floor.
Tenchi stopped what he was doing and stared after his Ojii-sama. Had he just gotten away with it? Ojii-sama hadn't assigned him any chores. Yet. Perhaps he knew. Ojii-sama was very spiritual. He knew a lot of things without knowing them. Tenchi shook his head. He went back to work. Despite Mr. Yu's concern that day, he still gave a lot of homework. Tenchi was a guy went to school without complaint. He knew one day he would need to go to a good collage and get a job. Tenchi didn't take life that seriously. He didn't really have a major religion like Christianity, he was Shinto. Maybe Shinto was the right religion, maybe Christianity, but to him, religion was a just a way of explaining how things happen. Life was short, why did it matter? Now it did. He had met Ryoko. He sighed. He had really no chance with Ryoko. The floor was already shiny, but he didn't feel like stopping. He didn't feel like doing anything. (A/N: I am not feeling very inspired at this moment. This is really how I feel.)
"Tenchi!"
***************************
A slim black Firebird rolled past a dark house. It glistened in the night and quiet roars came from the engine. A couple streetlights were lit and they provided enough light to see. The car's passagers were laughing and talking. Two figures could be seen, Daito Aki and Hakubi Ryoko. As the car stopped, Ryoko stepped out, said good night, and walked into the house. The lights were on at her house. Aki waited outside. A few seconds later, he saw Ryoko wave to him through her window upstairs and he left with a grin.
***************************
Ryoko flopped down on her bed and sighed deeply. She hugged her jacket tightly and buried her face in it. With her right foot, she flipped the switch and her stereo came on. She laid there for a minute in pure bliss, thinking of the boy she had met that day. Aki would be waiting for her. Ryoko sighed and got up. She walked slowly to the window, stretching along the way. Pulling open a soft blue curtain, she spotted the black car parked next to the sidewalk right outside her door. She lifted a hand and waved to Aki as he drove away. Heat sprouted on her neck as she saw him grin at her. What was she feeling? Ryoko felt as if she was lying, lying to herself, to Aki. She met him almost a month ago. He was a skater. Moving was difficult for her. Ryoko had found out her parents were transferring that day. They were only moving to a nearby city, but that meant she would have to change schools, forget her friends, forget the Moon Garden. Aki spotted her instantly, grinning and walking over to her side. Ryoko was sitting on a park bench, listening to little kids play and laugh and the birds sing. She wished everything was this peaceful. Not everything would last. Quite surprising, Aki's voice startled her. They had started talking. He went to Yokohama High, the school she was transferring to. 'What luck' she had thought. She had to go, she knew that. Aki grabbed her hand before she even had a chance to get up, asking for her number. Ryoko hadn't really wanted to go out with him, but when he called her that night, she accepted. Give others a chance, even is you don't think so, Ryoko had grow up learning that from her mom. So she gave him a chance, they've been going out for a month. What did she feel for him? He was good-looking, never mind that, but he wasn't –him-, the one. Through their somewhat pleasant conversations and nights holding hands, she hadn't really gotten to know him. Yet, she couldn't say she was attracted to him, she was. Ryoko liked him, a lot, but it was more like a fling than a real relationship. Something that she can't explain and can't even begin to understand. Meeting Tenchi was….more. What was Tenchi to her?
"Yoko, who's Tenchi?" Ryoko spun around to see her mom standing in her doorway. Washu.
"Huh? What do you mean? Tenchi is this guy at school. Why?" Ryoko panicked. What did her mom know about Tenchi? She might be reading her mind again. Washu was her only family, her father left when she was born; her brother was taken to Haven, executed for trying to take over the Moon Garden.
"I meant, who is he. He's related to Lord Yosho." Washu crossed her arms and leaned against the doorway. "There something you have to see."
***************************
Tenchi turned around to see Sakuya, an old friend he had met in Tokyo last year. He saw her lift her hand and wave. He waved back, walking towards her as she did. Sakuya hugged him and said her greetings. He answered them without much thought. Sakuya still lived in Tokyo, but once in a while, she would come to Okayama to visit him and her family.
"I haven't seen you for a while." Sakuya said, grinning.
"Me neither. Things have been busy, especially senior year." Tenchi stuck his hands in his pockets and rocked back and forth on his feet. He was glad to see her, he really was, she was a close friend, but he wasn't in the mood to catch up. Tenchi had a lot on his mind and he could have told Sakuya about it, but he didn't think she would understand.
"Aww….you poor thing. Well, my senior year has been going pretty good. Except for Mrs. Saachi. She's giving us extra homework, on top of our final exams. I wish we had more time. And my mom, but that's a different matter." Tenchi saw her look down, pawing her feet in the dirt. He thought he heard a sniff. The boy put a hand on his friend's shoulder.
"Hey, it's alright. She'll live. I promise. She's not going to leave you." He gave her shoulder a gentle squeeze. Sakuya looked up at him. There were traces of tears in her eyes, but none dared to fall out. Her mom had cancer. For over a year, she had been sick. She was always at the hospital, with hardly any time to see her family. Leukemia had caused her to lose her hair, put her in a wheelchair, and go through months of painful chemotherapy. Sakuya and her mom had been very close.
"I'm fine. I know she'll pull through. She's strong, but it hurts. The doctors saying she hasn't been improving or weakening, so she still has a chance."
"We're all praying for her."
"I know, I know. I pray too."
"You shouldn't worry yourself too much, it's bad for your health."
"Yeah, mom tells me that. She's not worried at all. She says it's her destiny, whatever happens. Tenchi?"
"Yeah?"
"Do you believe everything happens for a reason?"
"Well, I guess. I mean, there has to be some purpose in the Universe, right?"
"Yeah, but I meant, why did my mom have to be sick? For what reason did this happen?"
"I don't know Sakuya, I don't know. But you'll find out."
"And…."
"Yeah?"
"Do you believe in fate? Or luck?"
"Why do you ask? You don't believe in it."
"I know, but just because I don't believe in it doesn't mean it isn't true. Is fate real?"
"I don't have the answer to that, but you can ask Ojii-sama. He's wise, almost too wise. I use to think he knows everything in the world when I was little. He always had an answer to everything, whether I understood it or not."
"Ok. Thanks, Tenchi. Thanks a lot."
"You know it Sakuya." He said softly. He might have given her a real answer if he was thinking.
***************************
Ryoko stretched her neck above the many people crowded in the high school hallway. She was looking for him. Tenchi, not Aki. The blue-haired beauty squinted her eyes, craning her neck this way and that. She was pretty tall, but it was still hard to see over people's heads. She even stood on tiptoe to add more height.
Ryoko signed, hugging her books to her chest. 8:17. Three minutes until homeroom started and she would be late for class. Aki would be looking for her. Ryoko turned around. Maybe Tenchi was in another hallway. Her eyebrows furrowed and she looked up, staring at the little holes in the ceiling. Did anyone every count then when they were as bored as she was? There really was no pattern to them; they were punched in randomly, one hole after another. A fly buzzed around her ear. She feebly waved it away, leaning against the wall with her back to it. Ryoko lifted her head again. Suddenly, she spotted her goal. Little fangs peeked out as she grinned. Tenchi was right there, talking to a girl in her math class, Sakuya, that was her name. Tenchi said something and she laughed. Ryoko watched as he laughed with her. A tiny wave a jealousy spread through her like wild fire. She walked slowly towards them. Her eyes were fixed on him. She wasn't even blinking.
A hand grabbed her and shook her out of her little trance. Ryoko was about to swat the hand off when she realized who it was. Aki. He turned her toward him and smiled. She felt bad.
"Hey." He said, giving her a small kiss on the cheek. "I was looking for you." He took her hand and walked her to homeroom as they talked.
"Oh yeah. I got here late. I was looking for Kaoru. She said she wanted to talk to me." It felt weird, lying to her boyfriend. Ryoko spoke easily, as if she had practice lying her whole life. Aki was totally trustworthy, but she couldn't bring herself to tell him. He might be a little upset with her. He was good to her. Ryoko looked back. Sakuya and Tenchi were gone. She signed, turning around. She would have to find him later.
***************************
He was in love. That he could think about. Seventh hour again, they were checking homework from last night. Tenchi had found time to do it last night, though he doubted he did well. A single word took his breath away. Ryoko.
To be continued
A/N: Yes, I know, it's short. Well, this is the end of the Prologue. Now it's the real story. ^^
By Kalika-Chan
DC: I don't own Tenchi Muyo
A/N: Do people even read the Author's Note? I said to wait for the next chapter….this one took me a while. I haven't been feeling very inspired lately. I still got this done, even if it isn't my best work. Wait for the next chapter, I promise it will be better. By the way, the more I think about this story, it really isn't action/adventure; it's more of a supernatural genre. Or fantasy or….yeah, you get it. I'm sorry this chapter took me so long to write. I haven't been feeling very inspired lately. Thank you to all the people who have reviewed my story! Thank you so much! Reviews matter a lot; it would be easier to understand if you were an author. Remember that the first two chapters are the Prologue.
'-Thinking
"-Speaking
-Chapter 2-
Provoked Feelings
The sun rose high in the sky. Autumn had begun and the crisp, orange leaves fell as they withered and wrinkled. They grew. They died. This was life. The days were still warm and sunny, but the nights had become chilly and dark. Birds sang and owls hooted. Tenchi dragged his feet after him as he headed toward the Shrine. His mind was still full of Ryoko, not really believe Aki and her were that close. She had said she knew a few people, but he thought she meant girlfriends….His backpack wasn't really heavy, but it felt like a million weights on his back. She was just another beautiful girl he had met. How could he feel so strongly for her? Ryoko was probably the most beautiful, but Tenchi liked to think he wasn't a guy to judge girls based on their looks and body. He hardly knew her for a day, and yet, it hurt to see her and Aki together. He imaged him and Ryoko falling in love and they would just hold hands or simply kiss. Tenchi was feeling depressed. A few leaves feel on his shoulder. The petals of the Sakura trees were long gone. He wished Ryoko liked him as much as he liked her. It was like a stupid school-crush, but he couldn't help but feel this way. He dreamed of her. She was always on his mind. Ryoko was enchanting. Tenchi was attracted to her the moment he saw her. He wished he would touch her…. .just to feel her soft skin against his, her wonderful hair in his face…maybe all guys were naturally hentai. Probably worse than his father. He knew he could never hurt Aki because of Ryoko. Aki proved to be one of his best friends, he stuck up for him when he got teased, he helped him with his shrine chores when they were little so they could play longer. Funny thing was, Aki had never mentioned a girlfriend. He was interested in lots of girls, mostly the ones with body. Of course he would go after Ryoko. He wasn't bad looking either, maybe even better than Tenchi himself. He didn't know what kind of guys Ryoko liked. If Ryoko favored guys like Aki, he would have a chance. Maybe they won't ever break up. Maybe they'll get married and invite him to their wedding. Nahh….they wouldn't. He doubted Ryoko and Aki's relationship was going to last more than 6 months, unless it has already been 6 months. Aki wasn't the kind of guy to drop a girl; he stayed with her and broke it to her gently. Tenchi hoped they would break up soon. Seeing them together was torture. And then he would ask Ryoko out. Maybe that wouldn't work either. What if Ryoko didn't like him that way? Then what was with the wink? He had loved that. She looked so cute. Did that mean something? She was such a flirt. Did she like him that way? All these questions filled Tenchi's head. He wanted to see her again. He couldn't stop thinking about her. She was so magical.
Remembering he would extra chores if he was late, Tenchi ran the rest of the way home. It was tiring, but good for track. Ojii-sama Yosho was already there. He stood with a broom and was slowly sweeping the shrine steps. Wordlessly, Tenchi climbed the long flight of steps and took the broom. The two were silent for a while as Tenchi began sweeping. Yosho stood watching. He knew why his grandson was late. He knew a lot of things. He just couldn't tell that to Tenchi. 'What a foolish boy. Don't let your mind wander. Can't you see it? Can't you see whom Ryoko really wants?' Yosho folded his hands and sighed. 'You've got a lot to learn, boy.'
"Pray tell why you were late."
"I'm sorry, Ojii-sama, I-I was sidetracked."
'By Ryoko?', he wanted to say, but instead, "A true man always uses his focus."
"Yes, Ojii-sama. I understand. I'll try not to do it again."
'That's what you say everyday' Yosho sighed again and said, "Do a good-job here." And left, his long robes sweeping the floor.
Tenchi stopped what he was doing and stared after his Ojii-sama. Had he just gotten away with it? Ojii-sama hadn't assigned him any chores. Yet. Perhaps he knew. Ojii-sama was very spiritual. He knew a lot of things without knowing them. Tenchi shook his head. He went back to work. Despite Mr. Yu's concern that day, he still gave a lot of homework. Tenchi was a guy went to school without complaint. He knew one day he would need to go to a good collage and get a job. Tenchi didn't take life that seriously. He didn't really have a major religion like Christianity, he was Shinto. Maybe Shinto was the right religion, maybe Christianity, but to him, religion was a just a way of explaining how things happen. Life was short, why did it matter? Now it did. He had met Ryoko. He sighed. He had really no chance with Ryoko. The floor was already shiny, but he didn't feel like stopping. He didn't feel like doing anything. (A/N: I am not feeling very inspired at this moment. This is really how I feel.)
"Tenchi!"
***************************
A slim black Firebird rolled past a dark house. It glistened in the night and quiet roars came from the engine. A couple streetlights were lit and they provided enough light to see. The car's passagers were laughing and talking. Two figures could be seen, Daito Aki and Hakubi Ryoko. As the car stopped, Ryoko stepped out, said good night, and walked into the house. The lights were on at her house. Aki waited outside. A few seconds later, he saw Ryoko wave to him through her window upstairs and he left with a grin.
***************************
Ryoko flopped down on her bed and sighed deeply. She hugged her jacket tightly and buried her face in it. With her right foot, she flipped the switch and her stereo came on. She laid there for a minute in pure bliss, thinking of the boy she had met that day. Aki would be waiting for her. Ryoko sighed and got up. She walked slowly to the window, stretching along the way. Pulling open a soft blue curtain, she spotted the black car parked next to the sidewalk right outside her door. She lifted a hand and waved to Aki as he drove away. Heat sprouted on her neck as she saw him grin at her. What was she feeling? Ryoko felt as if she was lying, lying to herself, to Aki. She met him almost a month ago. He was a skater. Moving was difficult for her. Ryoko had found out her parents were transferring that day. They were only moving to a nearby city, but that meant she would have to change schools, forget her friends, forget the Moon Garden. Aki spotted her instantly, grinning and walking over to her side. Ryoko was sitting on a park bench, listening to little kids play and laugh and the birds sing. She wished everything was this peaceful. Not everything would last. Quite surprising, Aki's voice startled her. They had started talking. He went to Yokohama High, the school she was transferring to. 'What luck' she had thought. She had to go, she knew that. Aki grabbed her hand before she even had a chance to get up, asking for her number. Ryoko hadn't really wanted to go out with him, but when he called her that night, she accepted. Give others a chance, even is you don't think so, Ryoko had grow up learning that from her mom. So she gave him a chance, they've been going out for a month. What did she feel for him? He was good-looking, never mind that, but he wasn't –him-, the one. Through their somewhat pleasant conversations and nights holding hands, she hadn't really gotten to know him. Yet, she couldn't say she was attracted to him, she was. Ryoko liked him, a lot, but it was more like a fling than a real relationship. Something that she can't explain and can't even begin to understand. Meeting Tenchi was….more. What was Tenchi to her?
"Yoko, who's Tenchi?" Ryoko spun around to see her mom standing in her doorway. Washu.
"Huh? What do you mean? Tenchi is this guy at school. Why?" Ryoko panicked. What did her mom know about Tenchi? She might be reading her mind again. Washu was her only family, her father left when she was born; her brother was taken to Haven, executed for trying to take over the Moon Garden.
"I meant, who is he. He's related to Lord Yosho." Washu crossed her arms and leaned against the doorway. "There something you have to see."
***************************
Tenchi turned around to see Sakuya, an old friend he had met in Tokyo last year. He saw her lift her hand and wave. He waved back, walking towards her as she did. Sakuya hugged him and said her greetings. He answered them without much thought. Sakuya still lived in Tokyo, but once in a while, she would come to Okayama to visit him and her family.
"I haven't seen you for a while." Sakuya said, grinning.
"Me neither. Things have been busy, especially senior year." Tenchi stuck his hands in his pockets and rocked back and forth on his feet. He was glad to see her, he really was, she was a close friend, but he wasn't in the mood to catch up. Tenchi had a lot on his mind and he could have told Sakuya about it, but he didn't think she would understand.
"Aww….you poor thing. Well, my senior year has been going pretty good. Except for Mrs. Saachi. She's giving us extra homework, on top of our final exams. I wish we had more time. And my mom, but that's a different matter." Tenchi saw her look down, pawing her feet in the dirt. He thought he heard a sniff. The boy put a hand on his friend's shoulder.
"Hey, it's alright. She'll live. I promise. She's not going to leave you." He gave her shoulder a gentle squeeze. Sakuya looked up at him. There were traces of tears in her eyes, but none dared to fall out. Her mom had cancer. For over a year, she had been sick. She was always at the hospital, with hardly any time to see her family. Leukemia had caused her to lose her hair, put her in a wheelchair, and go through months of painful chemotherapy. Sakuya and her mom had been very close.
"I'm fine. I know she'll pull through. She's strong, but it hurts. The doctors saying she hasn't been improving or weakening, so she still has a chance."
"We're all praying for her."
"I know, I know. I pray too."
"You shouldn't worry yourself too much, it's bad for your health."
"Yeah, mom tells me that. She's not worried at all. She says it's her destiny, whatever happens. Tenchi?"
"Yeah?"
"Do you believe everything happens for a reason?"
"Well, I guess. I mean, there has to be some purpose in the Universe, right?"
"Yeah, but I meant, why did my mom have to be sick? For what reason did this happen?"
"I don't know Sakuya, I don't know. But you'll find out."
"And…."
"Yeah?"
"Do you believe in fate? Or luck?"
"Why do you ask? You don't believe in it."
"I know, but just because I don't believe in it doesn't mean it isn't true. Is fate real?"
"I don't have the answer to that, but you can ask Ojii-sama. He's wise, almost too wise. I use to think he knows everything in the world when I was little. He always had an answer to everything, whether I understood it or not."
"Ok. Thanks, Tenchi. Thanks a lot."
"You know it Sakuya." He said softly. He might have given her a real answer if he was thinking.
***************************
Ryoko stretched her neck above the many people crowded in the high school hallway. She was looking for him. Tenchi, not Aki. The blue-haired beauty squinted her eyes, craning her neck this way and that. She was pretty tall, but it was still hard to see over people's heads. She even stood on tiptoe to add more height.
Ryoko signed, hugging her books to her chest. 8:17. Three minutes until homeroom started and she would be late for class. Aki would be looking for her. Ryoko turned around. Maybe Tenchi was in another hallway. Her eyebrows furrowed and she looked up, staring at the little holes in the ceiling. Did anyone every count then when they were as bored as she was? There really was no pattern to them; they were punched in randomly, one hole after another. A fly buzzed around her ear. She feebly waved it away, leaning against the wall with her back to it. Ryoko lifted her head again. Suddenly, she spotted her goal. Little fangs peeked out as she grinned. Tenchi was right there, talking to a girl in her math class, Sakuya, that was her name. Tenchi said something and she laughed. Ryoko watched as he laughed with her. A tiny wave a jealousy spread through her like wild fire. She walked slowly towards them. Her eyes were fixed on him. She wasn't even blinking.
A hand grabbed her and shook her out of her little trance. Ryoko was about to swat the hand off when she realized who it was. Aki. He turned her toward him and smiled. She felt bad.
"Hey." He said, giving her a small kiss on the cheek. "I was looking for you." He took her hand and walked her to homeroom as they talked.
"Oh yeah. I got here late. I was looking for Kaoru. She said she wanted to talk to me." It felt weird, lying to her boyfriend. Ryoko spoke easily, as if she had practice lying her whole life. Aki was totally trustworthy, but she couldn't bring herself to tell him. He might be a little upset with her. He was good to her. Ryoko looked back. Sakuya and Tenchi were gone. She signed, turning around. She would have to find him later.
***************************
He was in love. That he could think about. Seventh hour again, they were checking homework from last night. Tenchi had found time to do it last night, though he doubted he did well. A single word took his breath away. Ryoko.
To be continued
A/N: Yes, I know, it's short. Well, this is the end of the Prologue. Now it's the real story. ^^