VIII: A New Need

Together, Ayeka and Tenchi went outside so they could talk in private. The weather was warm but not overbearingly hot, and since it was near the end of spring, it looked like the wonderful temperature would only get better. There was not even the faintest feeling of chill in the air, so in fact it was a very good idea to go outside.

Ayeka strolled second, following Tenchi to the secluded place. She had a lot of things on her mind, and of course, Ryoko was just one of them. Ayeka genuinely loved her one-time rival, for in her she saw a dear and noble friend, one who would always be there for her even if there was not a soul left in the universe. Sure, Ryoko could be a pain sometimes, but Ayeka had to admit that she was often a heel as well. Besides, Ayeka was incredibly jealous of Ryoko, in a good sense, and secretly wished for the other woman's existence.

And when Ayeka found out that Ryoko was incredibly jealous of her… well, it sent Ayeka off the deep end. Never could she have imagined that the former space pirate had ever wanted that sort of life, but she could understand what Ryoko was talking about. After all, who wouldn't want to be pampered and spoiled all the time, and who wouldn't like to have all that riches and power at their fingertips?? It made sense, then, for Ryoko to be jealous, just as it made sense for Ayeka to be jealous of Ryoko's freedom and her wild nature.

So, of course the two of them were now the best of friends, and by this point in time, the Masaki house residents were finally getting used to such a concept. Ayeka and Ryoko really made a wonderful duo, and it was a wonder they never tried their hands at friendship earlier. Better now than later, said Tenchi with his usual innocent smile.

They finally came to a nice level rock, which would be their conversation spot. It was situated directly beneath a shady tree, so the two could've sat there for hours and would've never been affected by the sun. It was a great place to talk, so it was perfect for Ayeka, who had a lot of things to tell Tenchi. Her stomach did flips as they both sat down--she was just not used to this yet, though in time she hoped to get better.

"It certainly is a nice day out!" exclaimed Tenchi. Ayeka smiled in agreement. The dear young man could always find ways to ease the tension, and his simple comment made the princess feel a degree or two better.

"Yes," she said, "it is perfect." A pause. Ayeka took in a deep breath, and tried to calm her still-active nerves. She kind of felt a little queasy about telling Tenchi so much, but it would be best to just let it all out, and go from there.

"Lord Tenchi--"

"You had something you--" Another pause, and they shared a weak smile. "Sorry. Go ahead."

"Thank you. Well, I, ahh…" Here goes nothing, murmured the princess to herself, and she prepared to bare her soul.

"…Lord Tenchi, if it does not bother you much, I would like to talk to you about marriage." Predictably, he made a face and grew nervous. "Now don't you give me that look, I'm serious. Of course, I won't really suggest anything, I'm just saying that I would like to speak to you about this." A pause.

"…Oh. Well, ah, go ahead, I guess." Ayeka had to smile at Tenchi's uncertainty. The poor boy was just a little too simple and innocent for his own good, and Ayeka loved that part of him very much.

"Yes, I shall. Anyway, it has become obvious to me that… ahh, you may still be tied up as to which of us you would like to, ahh… well, you know."

"Huh? What're you talking about?" Ayeka grunted and mentally berated herself for suggesting so much in such a short amount of time.

"…I, uh, that is to say, uhh… I, well, uhh…"

"Go on, it's okay," he assured her. Ayeka took another deep breath, and indeed found it harder than she expected to express herself. Still, she had to do this--if not for herself, then for Ryoko.

"…What I am trying to say…" she said with queenly deliberation, "is that it has become apparent that you will most likely end up marrying either myself or Miss Ryoko." Tenchi swallowed and made another face, but since Ayeka had her eyes closed, she didn't see it. "I know that we are all a little young to be thinking about it, but just hear me out.

"Lord Tenchi, in the past, I would have become quite disgusted if I saw you engaging in lewd acts with Miss Ryoko. I now realize that most of those scenarios were brought on by her, but that is beside the point. What I am trying to say is that… well, I love both of you very much, and… if it came down to it… I honestly wouldn't mind it if you chose her over me." Ayeka swallowed, and slowly opened her eyes to see if Tenchi's reaction was civil or not.

His face was frozen in amazement.

"Sorry," she muttered. "Was that too much information at once? Sorry…"

Silence was her only response. She took another deep breath, and decided just to plow on forward, instead of waiting to hear him out.

"Well, anyway, I just wanted to say that. I must also confess that Ryoko shares the same ideas that I do--that is to say that she would not mind at all if you chose me over her. I, ah… I guess I can attest this new attitude of ours to our new friendship. We've, ahh, become quite close in the past few years, and…… well……… ohh, I'm no good at this!" Letting out a sigh, Ayeka rose to leave, but was stopped when Tenchi took hold of her wrist.

"No… stay for awhile…" he said. Ayeka gazed back down at the man she loved, into his sweet brown eyes, sighed, and obeyed the request of a common boy. Slowly, carefully, Tenchi placed his hand on hers, and silently coaxed her into continuing.

"There is not much else I have to say," she admitted. "I am a princess of Jurai, and you are the grandson of Yosho. If we marry, then it would be a blessing for our land. Jurai would most definitely go through a peaceful era with both of us on the throne, and I know that people everywhere would prosper because of our union.

"But on the other hand, if you marry Ryoko, I am sure that you will also be very happy with her. You would never cease to have a life full of wonder and excitement, and I am sure that I would be able to find another who would be competent enough to rule alongside with."

"I see," he said. Ayeka smiled at his brief response. Tenchi wasn't much of a talker, but he sure knew how to listen. Ayeka was starting to like pouring her feelings out, and since Tenchi allowed her the time to say what she wanted, and the patience to endure it all, it made all pretenses of nervousness and uncertainty vanish away.

"…Miss Ayeka?"

"Yes?"

"Correct me if I'm wrong," he said, "but is it true that on Jurai, a man may have two wives?" Ayeka blushed and even smiled a little as she heard Tenchi mention such a thing, and couldn't help but wonder how long he had been thinking about that.

"Technically, it is," she said. "My father is probably the best example out of them all. But Tenchi, that's usually in effect when there are alliances and mergers to consider. A nobleman of Jurai does not usually wed out of love, but out of duty. If he does take a wife, it's usually because there's one power or another that wishes to form an alliance, thus creating an arranged marriage. Sometimes, there will be two important powers to consider, but these cases are much more rare than the first."

"…So what you're saying… is that… if… you and I…"

"I am not suggesting anything," she said with a faint smile. "I am just saying that if a Jurai nobleman, or noblewoman, marries somebody of high status, then it does the entire kingdom good. And… ahh, do not take this the wrong way, but you are descended from a man of high status."

"So it would--"

"Again," said Ayea with a smile, "I am not suggesting anything." The two paused in their conversation, and stared ahead so they could absorb the information they had said and heard. The basics of Ayeka's soliloquy was that a noble's life was usually based on other people's decisions. Arranged marriages were the norm, and love was almost nonexistent in wedding vows. Since Ayeka was princess, she would most likely marry somebody of high status, which Tenchi fitted quite well. On the other hand, Tenchi could marry whoever he chose, so in fact the whole choice might've been his--if another Jurai noble didn't interfere.

The odds of him marrying both Ayeka and Ryoko were next-to-impossible.

"…I think I understand what you're saying," said Tenchi in a soft voice. "…But, you're also right. It's a little too early to be thinking about such things. I'm still just a young boy, with problems and worries all of my own. Right now I'm still going through life, but I promise…… one day, sometime in the future, I'll consider your deal… okay?" He smiled and chucked Ayeka's chin, and she tried her best to smile back. Tenchi leaned forward and kissed her cheek, and offered to walk her back to the house.

Processing… please wait… processing… please wait…

Washu moaned out slightly, resting her head in her arms. She was trying to get some sleep, and since her computer was still active, she didn't want to leave her post for anything. Sasami had been kind enough to leave her a boxed lunch, and since there was a built-in bathroom in the lab, Washu never really had to leave at all. This was okay, though--her research often took precedence over her outside life.

Suddenly, the computer bleeped to life, and several strangely-written phrases popped up on the terminal. The sound of the computer coughing to life woke Washu up, and she muttered and smacked her lips in a weary daze. Suddenly, her emerald eyes read the words on the screen, and slowly widened as the words processed in her mind. She shivered uncontrollably, and froze right in her seat.

A tear streaked down her face as she realized what she was looking at.

"Oh dear God…" she hissed, her voice almost dead from the shock. "What… what is this? It… it can't possibly be…!! No… NO!!!!"

Next chapter: Washu seems to have found something really terrifying… but our favorite mad genius just might have to put things on hold for awhile! In the next chapter, Ryoko and Nagi spend some much-needed sister time together! After all, they haven't seen each other in years! Next chapter: "No Need for Adjusting!". It's unquestionably entertaining!