The Memory of Trees

by Beagle-san

The Royal Trees have witnessed many events. Now they witness an introspective tale told from first person P.O.V. of a decision on a sleepless night.

The Memory of Trees

Part One: Moonlight Dreams - Hope Has a Place in A Lover's Heart

Tenchi Muyo! is the property of AIC and Pioneer LDC. The lyrics to "Hope Has a Place", are by Enya, written by Roma Ryan, and copyrighted by EMI Songs Ltd., and Reprise Records, a Time Warner Company (presumably now an AOL Time Warner Company). For more about Enya, please visit either www.enya.com or www.enyamusic.com. No compensation has been, or ever will be received for this fic. The writing is the property of the author, and may not be used without permission.

I'd like to thank all of my pre-readers: Entry Plug, Sethra, Kale- chib-ki, Cap Twister, Blaque Talon, Zelgabunny, Horosha, Dann, AekasKight, and Infinite Mike for their input and feedback, which has been both honest and helpful. Also, a big thanks to Lesell Charis for her comments about this tale.

The Memory of Trees

Part One: Moonlight Dreams - Hope Has a Place in a Lover's Heart

By Beagle-san

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One look at love and you may see it weaves a web over mystery, all ravelled threads can rend apart for hope has a place in the lover's heart. Hope has a place in a lover's heart.

Whispering world, A sigh of sighs, The ebb and the flow of the ocean tides, One breath, one word may end or start a hope in a place of the lover's heart. Hope has a place in a lover's heart.

Look to love you may dream, and if it should leave then give it wings. But if such a love is meant to be; Hope is home, and the heart is free.

Under the heavens we journey far, on roads of life we're the wanderers, So let love rise, So let love depart, Let hope have a place in the lover's heart. Hope has a place in a lover's heart.

Look to love and you may dream, and if it should leave then give it wings. But if such a love is meant to be; Hope is home, and the heart is free.

Hope is home, and the heart is free.

"Hope Has A Place" By Enya, from "The Memory of Trees"

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The dream comes to me again, as it has arrived with increasing frequency in the past months. As always I'm by myself, alone, but I don't realize that my life is empty. I'm living in a world without color, knowing black, white and shades of grey. And nothing else. It's like only knowing about grass, but you've never seen a flower. It's like living your life without knowing love.

Suddenly, like flowers blooming for the first time in the desert, the colors of love explode into my life. My world is no longer grey, but is filled with the colors of wonderful flowers. Flowers of cyan, violet, blue, brown, yellow, and red. The flowers are named Ryoko, Aeka, Sasami, Ryo-Ohki, Mihoshi, and Washu; and their blossoms have filled my world with the color of love. I had been living my entire life in black and white, only now that my life is awash with these marvelous sensations of color, which have entered my world, do I realize what I've been missing. I can never go back to how I was before they arrived in my life.

But the dream doesn't end with the experience of my finding colors and flowers in a previously grey world. The fear begins. Fear that I will lose the bright new colors in my world. Fear that I am a blind man who has learned to see, but that I don't realize that I'm also deaf, dumb and have no sense of taste. Fear that I will lose everything I have gained by risking all on the chance of something even more wonderful. Fear that my taking that risk will crush the other flowers in my life. Fear that not taking that risk will cause this beautiful new garden I have found to wilt from a drought of the water of love. Fear that not taking that risk will cause me to lose something precious beyond words.

And so what began as a wonderful dream changes into a nightmare, with everything spiraling out of control, until I have nothing left except fear and an overwhelming sense of loss.

I wake with a start; the nightmare fading. My heart is pounding, and I can feel the sweat seep from every pore of my body. But this is now familiar territory for me, this nightmare and I. We've become far too well acquainted over the last few months, so the memory doesn't fade like an ordinary nightmare. Wide awake, I get out of bed. The warm June air flows through the crack I'd left in the window. I sigh and turn to look at my clock radio. 1:02 a.m. Damn.

I'm wide awake, and it's less than 5 hours till I need to get up. The sweat covering my body, a parting gift from Ms. Nightmare, reminds me that I need to cool off. I decide to head downstairs to the kitchen. I need a drink of water to chase away the heat provided courtesy of Ms. Nightmare. Later, after I cool down, I'll heat up some tea if I don't get sleepy. I need to do something, anything to avoid meeting the nightmare again. I need to avoid anything to do with Ms. Nightmare.

I try to quietly make my way downstairs. I hear snoring wafting down from the rafters as I pass into the kitchen. Well, Ryoko is certainly asleep, I think with affection. Ryoko's gentle snoring had been the only sound I'd heard on my way to the kitchen. I'd heard nothing from the room Aeka and Sasami share, which was a good sign.

Last week I'd woken up from the nightmare to hear Aeka soothing a frightened Sasami back to sleep. With Sasami's dreams you can never tell if what has awoken the younger princess from Jurai is just a child's nightmare or if there's a deeper meaning to the little princess' dream. That night Aeka had hummed a hauntingly beautiful lullaby till her little sister had fallen asleep. I went to sleep with Aeka's melody still echoing in my ears, listening to the soothing rhythm of a song which was born untold years ago on a planet I've never seen. Aeka's humming had worked for Sasami from what I heard at breakfast the following morning. The lullaby worked for me as well; Ms. Nightmare didn't make a return engagement that night, as she does all too often. I'm glad I'm the only one up tonight. We all need our rest, because it's going to be a long day.

As I enter the kitchen, I stop as I reach for the light switch. There's no need to turn on the light. Moonlight is streaming in through the window, illuminating the kitchen with a soft and luxurious glow. I pour my glass of water from out of the faucet at the sink. Taking a deep sip, I savor the cool sensation spreading through my body, chasing away the last remnants of heat left behind by Ms. Nightmare. Looking out through the kitchen window, I marvel at what I see. It's bright outside, with a full moon bathing the world in gentle, magical light. The moonlight is so bright it's casting shadows. Shadows by moonlight are so vastly different from those cast by the light of day that I can't help but believe that there is something magical, mysterious and special in the night air.

Since I've been a child, the rare, magical light, cast by the brightest of full moons, has always fascinated me. When I spent summer vacations helping grandfather at the shrine, I had often slipped out to explore the woods, hoping to find some hidden magic. I smile to myself. Maybe if I stretch my legs a bit, I'll be ready for some more sleep. I'll need all the sleep I can get to make it through the festival tomorrow, no, the festival *today*.

The festival. Think about the festival. Think about anything but the nightmare. And most important of all: avoid thinking of the significance of Ms. Nightmare's visits.

I grab a pocket flashlight, just in case, and I quietly put on my sandals. I leave the house and head out into the woods. The flashlight might have been overkill, since I have no trouble seeing to make my way through the trees, the path easy to follow in the light cast by moonbeams. The festival at the shrine will be a big event and will keep everyone in the house busy till late in the evening. Still, it will be fun. It had better be, considering the work that has already been put into the festival by everyone. All of the girls have pitched in and helped prepare for the festival, some more than others. I chuckle.

Actually, some more than one. As usual, Ryoko had shown her typical aversion to hard work. She had, of course, helped but kept disappearing after she'd do only one job. This had not seemed to bother most of the girls, except Aeka of course. Although now that I think about it, Washu hadn't seemed too pleased with Ryoko either, although she was not as obvious, or vocal, as Aeka. Ryoko can certainly do amazing work when she is serious about a project; the floating onsen is ample proof of the fun- loving pirate's capable craftsmanship. I grin silently into the night. The problem is finding a project that she deems worthy enough for her undivided attention.

Mihoshi had, naturally, cheerfully and efficiently done her job, although there had been the occasional accident. Mihoshi can often be found taking a nap with Ryoko, but once the blonde Galaxy Police officer sets out to do a job, she usually does it quite well.

Sasami and Ryo-Ohki had also helped out with the decorations....

Oh, who am I trying to kid! Here I am thinking about the decorations, when I know that what I need to do is actually make a decision.

You do understand the nightmare, don't you?

I hear a small voice asking that question from deep inside of my soul. Is it my conscious? The nagging voice of doubt? Or is it guilt speaking to me, reprimanding me for avoiding what I know needs to be done?

I'm a part of you that you've hid from yourself for too long. What part of Tenchi Masaki is speaking to you doesn't matter if you are willing to listen. The nightmare, Tenchi. You do understand it?

Well, it wasn't that difficult to figure it out after the first 4 times, and I've had the same damn dream several nights a week or so for the past month or two.

Face it, you didn't realize how empty your life was until the girls entered your world.

I sigh. I stop and look around. Perhaps I've found the magic that hides in a full moon's shadows. I lost Mother when I was very young. Grandmother had also died when I was still young. It had only been Dad and I, as he never remarried. He and mother had hoped to have a big family. Instead, it was just the two of us living together in the big house that Dad had designed and built. Fate took Mother at such a young age, and our home had remained empty of women. Dad's female relatives had tried to help; however, they had their own families to care for, and they had been unable to fill the void in our lives. It's funny, but looking back, I don't understand how come I didn't realize the enormous canyon that existed in my life....

Before the girls came, you mean.

Yeah. Even when I was away from the house on vacation, I'd only be here at the shrine, alone with Grandfather, instead of being home alone with Dad.

So you admit that Lady Funaho was right, that you were lonely before the girls came into your life?

I sigh. Of course I was lonely! I....I...I just didn't know it. But when Lady Funaho asked "How do you feel now?" what did you say to her?

Anger builds inside of me, anger at myself. I said that it was crowded! It was stupid to joke like that, I know, and I wish that I could take it back, even if it is true. I haven't had a moment's peace since the girls started showing up on our doorstep; yet I've never been so happy.

I duck under a tree branch as I wind my way through the woods. It's still so bright that I don't need to use my flashlight. I stop and gaze back down the trail, watching the shadows caused by the moonlight. The only sounds are those of nature at night. The sound as the wind caresses the leaves and branches; the sound of crickets and cicadas; the sound made by an owl in the distance. I pay attention to none of these nocturnal voices, focused on an inward voice that won't shut up.

But you never answered Funaho when she asked if you would miss them if they left, did you?

Washu had arrived with what I can still only think of as suspicious timing, just in time to prevent the conversation from going further. I still wonder about Lady Funaho's questions. Would I miss the girls if they left? Would I have gone with Aeka and Sasami back to Jurai? That little voice keeps battering away at me.

Gee, Tenchi, why do you think you've been having these dreams? Funaho's questions made you consider the heart of the matter: do you want the girls to stay, or do you want to be alone again?

Of course I want them to stay. I don't want to be alone again. They've brought love into my life, given me joy. They've been the big sister, little sister, aunt, and even mother I never had all rolled up into five wonderful girls.

You left out the most important female relative of all: a wife.

I...., I, know. Damn that voice. Damn myself for a coward!

What about true love, Tenchi. Are you in love?

Love? I love all the girls. But if I make a choice I run such an enormous risk...

So that's it. You're afraid if you make a choice, you risk losing the friends, no, the family you've come to love.

Yes. I feel empty inside. The thought of losing any of them terrifies me more than I've been willing to admit to myself. Except for this part of me that refuses to be quiet tonight.

But, if you don't try for true love, you know you'll regret it.

But if I choose, the others might leave.

Oh, sure. Choose Ryoko, and Aeka might leave. Aeka leaves, and it's hard to see Misaki and the other members of Jurai's royal family allowing Sasami to stay. With both princesses gone, Mihoshi's main reason for being assigned to Earth ends and so she might be reassigned.

Of course if you choose Aeka, Ryoko might leave, and if Ryoko leaves, she'll take Ryo-Ohki. If her daughter leaves, Washu might also go away. Yeah, you're screwed no matter what you do.

But if you are able to make a choice, but don't, you're only going to hurt yourself and the girls. And you know it.

But things are so nice! I almost wish they could stay like this forever.

That's not possible. Life is always changing. You admit this yourself when you say that you "almost" wish things can remain the same.

I didn't realize how empty I was until the girls came. One day it was just Dad and me, the next I had Ryoko, Aeka and Sasami living there as well. Ryo-Ohki showed up the next week, causing our fields to quickly be converted to grow carrots. Then Mihoshi popped in, and was followed by Washu. I told Lady Funaho that the house was too crowded now when she asked me how I felt, but in truth, now the house feels just right. It's not empty anymore.

You or the house?

Huh? What were my exact words....

You said you didn't realize "how empty *I* was until the girls came." So what feels right, you or the house?

I...., ah, I guess both. I wryly smile. Although some peace and quiet would be nice from time to time.

I stop on a small ridge. The whole valley is bathed in the glow of full moonlight. Whether it is the walking, the mental conversation with a very stubborn part of myself or some magic in the moonlight, I'm totally awake. Sighing, I doubt that I'm ever going to get back to sleep tonight. But the moonlight is too beautiful to go back to the house and so I walk deeper into the woods. I'm alone with nature, and a part of myself that is more awake than I am.

But you *know* that what you have isn't enough? If everything is so perfect, why are you having the nightmares? You know the reason. Life is not about standing still. Life is about growth and change. When we stop growing, when we stop changing, that is when death comes. If you are in love and don't admit it to yourself, you will die.

Die? That's ridiculous!

Is it? If you deny your love, how will it feel every time you see her, knowing what you are missing, knowing that your heart has never been fulfilled? How will it feel knowing that you are denying her a chance at fulfillment and love? How will it feel seeing the other girls, knowing that you are denying yourself a chance at true love in the hope that you won't hurt them? You'll wither Tenchi, wither on the vine. And so will they. Do you think they won't realize it? Do you think they won't figure out that you're avoiding a choice so that you won't hurt them? They'll hate themselves for causing your unhappiness. You'll hate yourself for causing their unhappiness.

Think about your nightmare, Tenchi. You've had it visit often enough that you've given it a name - *Ms.* Nightmare. Not "Mr." Nightmare, but "Ms." Nightmare. You know that your dream involves losing the love of the girls. You know that it involves losing the love of one girl in particular.

Tenchi, you're inviting yourself for a cycle of hate, sadness and tragedy if you *don't* choose. It's one thing if you don't really love one of them, but to deny your love when you *can* make a choice, that just violates nature.

I ponder this, barely conscious of moving a branch out of my way as I walk along a winding forest trail. Am I in love? I know that I love all of the girls. Am I truly *in* love as well?

I'm finally getting through to you. Of course you're in love, baka! Oh, don't get me wrong, you've buried it so deep because of your fear of hurting them and hurting yourself if you are rejected, but you're in love, and you know it. Look deep inside of your most inner self, Tenchi, and you'll discover that you've long since made your choice. You've just been too afraid to admit to yourself who you truly love. Unlock that hidden place in your heart and you'll discover what you've been looking for...

How?

Break down the walls surrounding your heart. Dive in, don't look back, and keep going till you've found your answer.

Break them down? But ...

Broken walls can be repaired. Sometimes walls can be broken through and replaced by passageways. Do it, Tenchi. You know you must do this.

I know the voice is right. I know that *I'm* right. If I can't face the truth, I do everyone a disservice. I examine my options. The status quo can continue, and the girls will continue to be hurt. If the status quo continues, I will continue to have nightmares and I will continue to be hurt. Or, I can look deep inside of myself and settle this once and for all. There will be pain for all involved, but there will also be love. There will be pain for one in particular, but there will be a possibility of healing.

I truly have no choice. I once said I would die rather than forsake any of the girls. If I'm not honest with myself and with them, that will forsake them more than living a lie. What began as a walk in the woods has turned into a leap into my own personal abyss. And so I step off the edge, plunging into myself to face the heart of nightmares, and perhaps find salvation. As I fall, I see my Father and Grandfather, but there are already well worn passages through my love for Dad and Grandpa.

Further on I run into my first obstacle. Ryo-Ohki. I am assailed by thoughts of the little cabbit. I see again Ryo-Ohki cracking out of her shell and when I gave the little cabbit her first carrot in the cabin with Aeka. I watch her transform for the first time into a spacecraft so that we can go rescue Ryoko. Again, I see her as she absorbed the MASU, and watch her transform into a cabbit girl. The little cabbit has a special place in my heart, but Ryo-Ohki is only an outer wall of my heart. I'll always love you, Ryo-Ohki, I realize as I bore through the wall erected by the furry little cabbit, but I *know* I'm not in love with you.

The next wall is harder, much harder. Sasami . . . although sometimes the wall looks a little like Tsunami as well. I see images of Sasami laughing at play, twin blue pony tails flying behind her as she chases after Ryo-Ohki. Cooking, of course, as I watch Sasami prepare dishes of pure delight which are amazing from someone so young. I witness her instructing me to steal Aeka's headpiece, and watch her get carrots for Ryo-Ohki. I am washed over by the vision of those sparkling pink eyes full of mischief. I remember comforting her after a nightmare. I again watch her tearful confession to Aeka, and feel the little girl sob with relief in my arms when she knew that Aeka and I still loved her. I realize that Tsunami is Sasami's future.

Sasami, you are the little sister I've always wanted. I never knew that I wanted a little sister until you came, and I can't imagine a world without you. You will grow into a beautiful woman one day. But, no matter how much you may change, some part of me will always see you as my little sister. I love you so much! But, I could never be *in* love with my little sister. I sweep past Sasami, carefully reorganizing the wall of her love into a gateway that I will be able to pass through...if she is still here when this is over.

Right behind Sasami is another wall, a wall of laughter and joy, innocence and courage, duty and luck. Mihoshi. The beautiful blonde Galaxy Police Officer's image hugs me. I can see Mihoshi falling from the sky, so beautiful, almost like an angel. I see Mihoshi standing up to Kagato at the Funaho tree, and Mihoshi helping Sasami in the kitchen. I see her watching cartoons with Sasami, and soap operas with Aeka, Ryoko and Washu. I watch Mihoshi help at the shrine, head out on patrol, and, as always, managing to interrupt and disrupt Washu's experiments, especially the scientist's "sample" taking attempts. I watch as she finds the unlocatable ship of Dr. Clay. I smile as I watch her cause messes, break things, but time after time, Mihoshi comes through whenever she is needed.

Mihoshi, your heart is full of honor and sweetness. You are in so many ways a true innocent, yet you are unstinting in your duty as a Galaxy Police Officer. I love you, but as a friend, yes, even as a sister, just not as a lover. I move past the dedicated Galaxy Police Officer, and head towards the next wall.

The next wall is easy to see. Scientific instruments sprout from it, and it is emblazoned with mile high Neon graffiti: *The Greatest Scientific Genius in the Universe!* Washu. I burst into the wall and am assaulted by images of the red-haired diminutive scientist. Peter Pan with a doctorate. Make that a wall covered with doctorates. Washu asking me if I'd like to be her guinea pig; trapping me in her lab; watching her take such gentle care of baby Taro; having Washu tell me about how she had lost her baby so many millennia ago; my shock when Washu transformed into an adult before my eyes for the first time; understanding that Washu had the wisdom to realize that Sasami needed to confess the secret of Tsunami to Aeka first, so that the little princess would realize that she was still loved by her big sister; and I see her try to mother Ryoko.

Washu-chan, I do love you, but to me you're more a mother than a girlfriend. You've shown great wisdom; you look young, but you've often been the true adult of the girls, acting as a mother not only for Ryoko, but also for Aeka, Mihoshi and Sasami. My love for you is deep, but I've not fallen in love with you. I continue past the greatest scientific genius in the universe, and stop to see the last wall.

Last wall! There are two last walls, intertwined, yet separate. Ryoko and Aeka. The walls twist about themselves so much, it's impossible to tell which is the inner and which is the outer wall. I've always known it would come down to these two combatants for my heart. I stare at the walls, hypnotized by the twists and turns of the twin walls. First Ryoko, then Aeka. Aeka, then Ryoko. I know that the other barriers I've built around my heart and soul have been child's play compared to what it will take to break through this fortress.

I...., I could go back. I know this will hurt, not just me, but one of them. The only thing worse than the pain I suffer in making this choice will be that the pain of the woman I don't choose will be greater than what I'll endure. Looking back at the corridor I've built to this place around my heart, I know that it would be so easy just to go back. Things change, maybe this is a choice I'll never have to make. But, even though it is distant, I hear a small voice in my mind, a rebellious part of me that has refused to be quieted.

Turn back and you'll regret it. You remember how happy your mother and father were. You know that your father is the way he is because he never recovered from losing her. Love like that is precious and losing it can hurt, but do you really want to deny yourself the joy and happiness you've witnessed between a husband and wife? You know you want it; you know you need it. Turn back and you'll hate yourself for not having the courage to make this decision. Turn back and you'll hate Aeka and Ryoko for preventing you from taking this chance.

But the pain I will cause ...

The day you were born, you experienced pain. Without the pain of taking that first breath, the pain of opening your eyes to the searing sensation of light, without the pain of opening your mouth to cry out your existence to the universe, there would be no life. We all enter this world in pain. Pain is a part of life. It's good that you try to avoid inflicting pain, but you must accept that no one can go through life without pain.

Tenchi, you know that you have to go forward.

Yes. I know.

With a last look backward at the paths I've secured in my heart leading to Ryo-Ohki, Sasami, Mihoshi, and Washu, I take a breath of the sweet night air, and prepare to face my last two questions. I'm sure of my heart when it comes to the four I've examined; now I need to face the challenge I've been avoiding for far too long.

I resume forward toward this last barrier around my soul. Coming into the two walls, I am wrapped up by them, and my senses are overwhelmed. I witness everything once again: resurrecting Ryoko; seeing Aeka as she lay sleeping holding the Tenchi-ken; trying to escape from the wrath of the demon space pirate as she destroyed my school while trying to kill me; running from Azaka and Kamidake as they tried to carry out Aeka's orders for my death; Ryoko's laughter; the space pirate's cave; Aeka's sweet smile; the revelation Aeka and I shared at the Funaho tree; Ryoko and Aeka fighting; Ryoko in a towering fit of rage; Aeka's fiery temper coming to the fore; Ryoko begging Kagato to spare my life; Grandfather declaring that Aeka and I were perfect for each other; Aeka caring for Sasami; Ryoko in my mother's kimono.

Image after image rams into me as I immerse myself deeper and deeper into the walls. Finally, with a gasp, I'm through.

If you fight yourself, can you win? Somehow, I think I have. Feelings and dreams I'd kept hidden for so long are finally back where they belong. I hadn't known love until the girls came into my home. I haven't known harmony . . . until now.

I open my eyes. I've been concentrating on my heart so much that I hadn't realized my eyes were shut. The moon is still bright and full, its reflection glistening on the water surrounding the Funaho tree. I guess my feet knew where I needed to go all along. I don't even remember walking here. Yet here I am, right at the stepping stones leading to the tiny islet surrounding the Holy Tree of Masaki Shrine. Strings dangle from the great tree, hung in anticipation of the festival later today. People write down their prayers and tie them to the strings hanging from Funaho. I had been here earlier with the girls, tying the strings to the branches to avoid any possible damage to Funaho. My feet truly indeed knew what they were doing when they brought me here to Funaho. I cross over the stepping stones to the great tree.

Placing a hand on the Holy Tree of the Masaki Shrine, I turn to gaze at the moonlight which is casting shadows on the water. The moonlight is mingling with reflections cast by the fireflies flitting around the sacred tree. For me, there have always been two special places at the family shrine. The first is the cave. It was always just "the cave" when I was growing up. Now, I don't believe I can ever think of it as anything other than "Ryoko's cave."

Ryoko's cave had been my favorite place growing up. What kid could resist the idea of a haunted cave with a demon inside? But there had also been something special about the Holy Tree when I was growing up. I'd spent far more time at Ryoko's cave, but there's always been a reverential place in my heart for this magical tree. Ryoko's cave had been for play; the tree for more contemplative matters. I remember when I was little, I told grandpa that the Holy Tree somehow *felt* different than other trees.

He then smiled at me and said, "Tenchi, there is a reason it is a Holy Tree. It *is* different than the other trees."

When I was a child I always felt comforted here. Now I know why. When I found out that the tree was actually Yosho's ship, Aeka had explained to me that Funaho tree had almost certainly sensed my Juraian blood. Grandfather confirmed this after Kagato had exposed his true identity, telling me that my mother had felt the same way about the Funaho tree.

Just standing against Funaho, I immediately feel a sense of peace come over me. There is a truly comfortable nook on the other side of the broad tree which would be perfect to curl up in and relax....

No, I'd better just stay on this side. If I go lie down there, I'll probably fall asleep. I need sleep, but I'd rather do that in my own bed. I smile wearily. Halfway through this walk by moonlight and I was wide awake. But after fighting through my own heart, and with the satisfaction of finally reaching a decision, I can finally feel sleep beckoning.

Leaning back against Funaho, I enjoy the sense of relaxation and comfort flowing into me from the Juraian tree. I look at the beautiful leaves which seem to shimmer in the moonlight as the breeze brushes them back and forth amongst the strings which dangle down from Funaho's branches.. This time tomorrow, Funaho will look very different. It'll be covered in prayers hanging down from it, instead of just empty strands of string like it is tonight.

Glancing up, I realize that Funaho doesn't just have string hanging from its branches. Hanging alone, at least for now, a single prayer is swaying in the gentle breeze. I wonder: whose prayer could it be? When I checked back here and at the shrine after dinner, I know that it had not been hung. Well, it's not my business, and it'll have a lot of company later today.

Suddenly, I can hear the rustle of the wind through Funaho's branches and leaves increase, announcing that the wind has picked up. Watching the fireflies dance about in the strengthening breeze, I see something white move out of the corner of my eye. When I glance back up at the prayer, I realized that it is sliding down the string, heading towards the pond.

I've got to catch it! I grab frantically for the prayer, and barely manage to snatch it in midair, just inches from the water. But in diving to grab the prayer, I'm now badly off balance. Wind-milling my arms about frantically, I try to stop myself from falling into the pond. I violently throw myself backwards, landing on my seat with my back against Funaho, the prayer fluttering open onto my lap.

Whew! That was close. I relish being able to breathe a sigh of relief. I look at the prayer, a disorganized mess in my lap. Now to get the prayer back where it belongs. Picking it up, I barely start to re-fold the prayer when I stop, stunned by what is in front of me.

When I was a boy, I had always been praised by my elders for having good manners. Even my own grandfather refers to me as "the serious type." I've always respected the privacy of others. I've criticized Dad's attempts at peeking. In short, I'm not the type of person to eavesdrop or peek. I'm certainly not the type of person who would read someone else's mail, to say nothing of someone else's prayer!

But here it is in front of me; the unmistakably graceful handwriting of Aeka. It is her prayer. Mesmerized, I slump back against Funaho. I can't help myself. I might be the serious type, but I'm not immune to curiosity. After all, I did sneak into Ryoko's cave, and I did try to eavesdrop when my great-grandmother came on her first visit. And now curiosity has captured me once again. I've been snared by the first words. I can't help but read what the moonlight reveals to me.

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My prayer from Aeka Jurai Masaki,

My prayer for is for a dream to be fulfilled; for a gift to be granted to myself and to those I love.

I have so much for which to be thankful, and yet I desire more. I pray in gratitude for the gifts I have received since arriving here on Earth. I pray for those I love, both here and far away in the heavens, that they all are safe, healthy, well, and happy.

I pray for Mother and Father, and Auntie Funaho. I pray that Mother will one day treat me as an adult. I pray that Father will allow me to follow my heart. I pray that I will continue to learn more of Auntie Funaho's home world. I also pray for the people of Jurai; they are never far from my heart, but I pray that they will allow me to have a private place of my own in this heart of mine.

I pray in gratitude for finding Yosho. Protect him always, Kami- sama. There will always be a special place in my heart for Yosho. I came here out of love for him, and my heart rejoices that he is safe and happy here on Earth.

I pray for Sasami, that her joy of life will never diminish with age. I am humbled by learning what she will become, and relieved that she no longer has the burden of keeping this secret locked in her soul...no matter how much I wish that she doesn't become quite as pretty as Tsunami when she grows up.

I pray for Washu, in gratitude for her help in restoring my Ryu-Oh. I pray that she will become the mother she wants to be.

I pray for Mihoshi, for her bravery and dedication to justice. I pray in gratitude for her friendship to myself and Sasami, and for her ability to bring smiles to all our faces.

I pray for forgiveness for those times when I've lost my temper with her.

I pray for Nobuyuki, in gratitude for the shelter he has provided us, and for the son he has let us all know. I pray that somehow he finds healing for the blow he suffered when he lost Tenchi's mother. He has never recovered from that loss. Please let him find the peace and happiness he deserves.

I pray in gratitude for this planet and the lessons I have learned because of this wonderful globe of blue and green. I came to Earth looking for my lost love, Yosho, and the pirate who had ravaged my world.

I found the pirate demon, and learned that she had been under the control of another.

I found Yosho, and discovered that he had never loved me as a fiancee, but only as a sister.

My gratitude to this world is immense, for on this planet I have found the true meaning of love. When I arrived I thought I had been truly in love with Yosho, that there had been no greater love for a man than the way my heart burned for Yosho. Ryoko, far too often, calls me a little girl, and I suppose that when I arrived on Earth, in a way I still was a little girl.

I had been betrothed to Yosho when I was 4 years old. Even before then, I remember that he was my hero. But I grew up *knowing* that I was going to marry Yosho. I grew up *knowing* that I loved Yosho. But if a person grows up knowing that you're in love with someone, you grow up never having fallen in love. I now realize I was in love with a dream.

Earth has taught me what love truly means. If I truly loved Yosho, I do not believe I could have lived with Katsuhito for months without realizing he was Yosho. I thought that an expectation was love. I have discovered that my love for Yosho was little more than a 4 year-old's crush grown large.

I still love Yosho, but not as I once thought I did. Now I see him as the brother he truly is and always has been for me. My love has not changed because of his age. My love for Yosho has had its illusions stripped away, showing me that I was wrong. For I have fallen in love, and my love for Yosho has been shown to be little more than a firecracker compared to the star bursts which shower the night sky during Startica. But it is for this love that I pray, and my prayer is for courage.

Courage. I once thought I had a sufficiency of that quality. I had stood alone against Ryoko in the fullness of her power on Jurai when I was but 14 years of age. I tracked Yosho and hunted Ryoko across 700 years of time and stars. I have gone after Kagato and Dr. Clay. I threw myself between Tenchi and Zero. Some would say all this is courage.

Perhaps. But it is also duty. It is my duty as a princess to protect others. I have always had duty and responsibility to stiffen my back, to ease the terror in my heart. But there is no duty or responsibility to others to tell someone that you love them.

That is the courage that I pray for: the courage to tell Tenchi that I love him.

But I am so afraid!

There is no duty or responsibility to others to strengthen me, only the selfishness of personal love. Things are so nice here, as they are right now. Just being with him sometimes feels like it is enough. The joy I get from just doing simple things is immense: to help him clean the shrine, do laundry, help Sasami in the kitchen, sew buttons, and mend his shirts. I love the happiness I have in the rare chance to be alone with him, just the two of us, before Ryoko inevitably comes along.

For that is the problem: Ryoko. She also quests for his heart. I call her demon woman and we fight, but things have changed between us since Kagato. I had hated Ryoko ever since facing her in the attack on Jurai.

She defiled my home, my world, destroying places that I loved, and inflicting countless suffering on my people.

She cost me Yosho.

She humiliated me by making me lose control of my emotions during our battle on Jurai, a loss of control which nearly destroyed Ryu-Oh, a loss of control that badly damaged the palace.

But now I realize that she was not acting of her own free will. She cost me Yosho, but without Ryoko, I would never have found the true meaning of love. She cost me the control of my emotions, but has made me face my feelings with an honesty I did not realize I lacked. Do I have the courage to face losing Tenchi to her?

If I don't tell Tenchi of my love, I will not lose, at least not for a while longer. I can continue to wait for Tenchi to make up his mind, hoping that he will realize my feelings and that he will announce his love to me. Until he makes up his mind, things will continue as they have since we arrived, and that I can only describe as wonderful!

But what if he chooses another, chooses Ryoko? I went through agony when I thought Yosho was gone forever. I know it will be worse, oh so much worse, if I were to lose Tenchi. But the one thing I know for certain is that what would be worst of all is if he were to choose another without knowing how I feel.

I love Tenchi, with all my heart, with all my soul, with every ounce of my being! My love only continues to grow. How I long to tell him these words! But fear rises inside of me like an overwhelming flood every time I try to tell him how much I love him.

It hurts so much not to be able to tell him of my true feelings. Every time I try I can't help but remember:

I told Yosho of my love, and expected to marry him for more than three quarters of my life.

He left me.

When I finally discovered the truth about Yosho, he declared that Tenchi and I were perfect for each other.

And Tenchi left me to rescue Ryoko.

I realize that he only had one choice on that matter, and I am not proud of what I said about Ryoko. But what terrifies me is that he nearly died!

I went with Tenchi, and, of course, Mihoshi, because I couldn't bear to be left behind, again, by one I loved. My reward was to watch Ryu-Oh explode, while Tenchi was still inside, and to feel a part of me that had just begun to live, die.

All of a sudden things became serious between us and he almost perished. For all I know he did die. None of us have had the courage to ask Tsunami. I am not sure I want to hear the answer, but the answer truly doesn't matter, because Tenchi is here and alive

But I pray for the courage to overcome my fear that something will happen if I tell him how I truly feel.

I pray for the courage to tell him how truly happy I am here on Earth.

I pray for the courage to make him understand that I would gladly live here on Earth if that is what he wants. I never thought I would find a planet that equaled Jurai in beauty. Here I have found such a world. But it is not the beauty of this world that draws me. There is a saying here on Earth, "Home is where the heart is." Tenchi is my heart. Wherever he lives is my true home.

I remember how astonished everyone was when that pompous fool Seiryo, denounced the home in which we all live. After all, this house is more than 6 times larger than the average dwelling here in Japan, and would be considered a large home even in a country like the United States, where land is readily available.

Yet, in a way, Seiryo had a point. My quarters in the royal place would not only dwarf this house, they would dwarf this valley. My personal quarters are now shared with my sister, and consist of a single room that is less than twice as large as my bed on board Ryu-Oh.

I would trade all of my possessions to keep the happiness I've found in that modest bedroom in Tenchi's home.

I pray for the courage to face his decision should he chose another. The memory of the pain I went through when I first arrived here on Earth, thinking that Yosho was dead, still haunts my heart. Now I know that my love for Yosho was a mere shadow compared to the love this planet has revealed to me. If he should chose another, I know that what I experienced before will pale in comparison to the heartache I will undergo.

For that is the crux, to risk agony for the hope of bliss. To stay where I am, happy, but forever wondering: what might I have gained if I had taken a chance? To stay where I am with the certain yet distant knowledge that someday things *will* change. Is it fair to myself, to Ryoko, to Tenchi, to leave things as they are until there is no choice but for something, for someone, to break? I know it will end.

But I'm afraid.

Afraid of an unknown future. Happiness or heartache? There is only one way to find out, but oh, the risk!

I pray for the courage to face my fears and conquer them. I pray for courage in others. I pray that Tenchi will have the courage to make this decision when he is ready. I pray that Ryoko has the courage to face his decision, whether she needs the courage to face heartbreak, or the courage to face the responsibilities of marriage. I pray for us all, but I know someone will be hurt. My heart was badly injured over Yosho. I would not wish that pain on anyone.

When I first saw you, Funaho, Tenchi told me that wishes made under your branches in full moonlight could come true. This is as much a wish as it is a prayer. Oh please, grant me the courage I need! Let my fear end! Let me be able to say, "Tenchi, I love you!"

Aeka

********************************************

I'm trembling as I finish reading Aeka's words. I'm ashamed of myself. I've violated Aeka; I've taken something private and personal from her. These were words which she never intended for anyone to read. I just couldn't stop reading. No matter how much I tried, her writing captured me, forcing me to read the private thoughts of one of my friends. But as strong as my remorse is for reading what I should not have, I can't help but be touched by what I've just read. And, yes, part of me is glad I read Aeka's dreams.

Aeka and I are both alike in that we've kept our hearts close to ourselves. A week after she landed, Aeka showed me her heart in her desperate misery over losing Yosho, a man who we both, at the time, thought was a distant ancestor of mine. Since that day, I've had few glimpses into the depths of her soul. Aeka has hidden behind the walls she has built, the same as I've hidden behind my own fortress. If my shame is the price I have to pay for reading what she wrote, it is a price I'm prepared to pay. But the price I'll have to pay is higher, for I have harmed Aeka.

I can feel the texture of the pages in my hands. The pages don't have the uniform feel that newly written paper should possess. The bright moonlight made reading easy, but I don't need the moonlight to know that tear drops have fallen on the pages of this prayer for courage.

I am touching Aeka's tears. *I* made her cry! I have to end the pain I'm causing both of them. I straighten myself, stand up and lay a hand on the Holy Tree of Masaki Shrine.

Hello, Funaho. Thank you for what you've shown me tonight.

I feel a brief pulse flash through me emanating from deep within the great tree. What I feel in my mind goes beyond words, and can be only sensed. I sense love, amusement and a sense of welcome from the great tree. For some reason, the strongest sensation I get is that Funaho is in on a joke about which I'm still oblivious.

When I decided to go walk in the moonlight, I never imagined that I would find this much magic. But I really need to get back to bed. I don't know whether I can sleep tonight, since I have so much to think about, but I need to try to get some sleep. The good news is I can now do my thinking in bed, something I wouldn't have been able to do without this moonlight walk. I know that Ms. Nightmare has gone away for good. I just hope that there isn't a replacement waiting in the wings.

If I'm going to go to bed, I need to put Aeka's prayer back where it belongs. I calm myself and look up at the line of string from which Aeka's prayer had hung from. But as I reach up to re-loop the string around Funaho's lower branches, a sudden breeze whips the strand away from my grasp, forcing me to chase after the swinging cord. As I round the tree's broad trunk, I notice that more and more of the string is loosening. Great. I'm going to have to re-tie this in the morning if it gets much worse .......

I come to a stop which is as sudden as it is stunned. Lying nestled in a nook of Funaho's trunk and roots is Aeka, sound asleep. She's beautiful, her hair glistening with an unearthly sheen in the moonlight. I instantly think back to the first time I saw Aeka. She was asleep in her bed on her tree-ship, Ryu-Oh. On that night she was wearing the same lavender sleeveless sleep outfit that she has on tonight. She was beautiful then. But to me, Aeka has never been more beautiful than at this moment, asleep in the arms of a magical tree, her violet hair shimmering with moonlight, uncounted light years away from the world of her birth.

Before I can recover my senses further, the unwinding twine comes to rest on the sleeping Aeka, waking her up as it trails over her.

The string causes Aeka to open her eyes. She blinks and then sits up, startled out of her sleep to see me standing over her.

"T-Tenchi? What are you doing here...."

Aeka starts to speak, her eyes locked on mine, when she broadens her gaze to realize what I am holding open in my hands. Her prayer. Her wishes. Her private hopes and dreams. I can feel my mouth moving, but not a sound departs my lips.

Aeka begins to tremble and quake, and with a sudden, sobbing wail, she springs away, fleeing from me. Finally, I'm no longer frozen. I spin around and head the opposite direction from Aeka. If the cave has been Ryoko's special place, Funaho has been Aeka's special place. But I know the great tree backwards and forwards. Tucking the prayer into my waistband, I run as fast as I can manage without tripping on the great tree's roots. The stepping stones. I know that I have a shorter and easier distance to reach them than Aeka, and if I can just beat her there...

Aeka rounds Funaho, tears streaming down her face. But I've just managed to beat her to the stepping stones. Sobbing blindly, the princess tries to rush past me. I don't let her. As gently and carefully as possible, I push her away from her path of flight so that her back is against Funaho, and my arms are on either side of her. Aeka has nowhere to run. Things have gone too far to not let this matter be resolved. I owe her that for the pain I have caused her.

"Aeka, please stop crying," I tell her in the hope that the tears which have started rolling down my face will also listen and obey. The lump in my throat has to be at least twice as large as the shrine.

"L-Lord Tenchi, p-please let me go. I..., I promise that I will not bother you again." Aeka has not listened to me. Tears continue to roll down her face, and there is an unmistakable sob in her voice.

This hurts too much. All I'm doing is causing her further pain. The least I can do for this girl from another world is to end my own stupidity. I slump down onto my knees, still keeping my arms locked against Funaho.

"Aeka, please accept my most humble apology. I never meant to read what you wrote, it's just that it was coming loose from where it was hanging and I had to catch it before it fell in the water, and...." Even *I* know how lame this all sounds. Time to change tactics. The tears have slowed but they still haven't stopped from either of us. Her tears are like daggers in my soul.

"Aeka, I never meant to read it, but the reason I came out here tonight was that I had a nightmare and I couldn't get back to sleep. I've had this same nightmare with increasing frequency for the past couple of months. Last week, your lullaby to Sasami helped me get back to sleep from the same nightmare I had tonight." Aeka finally looks at me. Her eyes are filled with sorrow, but I can see that there is a question in her crimson eyes.

"Lord Tenchi, a nightmare?" She pauses, gulps, and asks, "What was your nightmare?"

"My nightmare was about losing all of you, losing my family, losing it all because of my own selfishness." I'm looking in her eyes as I answer, and I can see that my answer has caused her to at last stop weeping. Her crimson eyes are still uncertain, and are still asking me a question.

"In my dream, Aeka, my selfishness was to fall in love with one of you. I love all of you so much. I love all that you, Sasami, Ryoko, Washu, Mihoshi and Ryo-Ohki have brought into my life. My fear has been that if I fell in love with one of you, I might lose all of you." I can see that her tears have finally stopped.

"Aeka, I can never take back from my mind the words you wrote which I read tonight," I quietly tell her. "But one thing I do know is that I've never met anyone who possesses more courage than you, Aeka."

Aeka gives a small gasp, her facer turning a remarkably dark blush. Her hands fly in front of her mouth. For the first time since she tried to flee, sorrow no longer dominates her eyes. Sorrow is still there, held in reserve in case it needs to re-emerge. What rules Aeka's visage now is hope.

I move my hands from their contact with Funaho, and reach into my waistband, offering her the prayer she wrote. "Aeka, I'm no longer afraid. But, I think there's something in this that you want to tell me, isn't there?

Aeka is shuddering as she takes the prayer into her arms and hugs it to her chest before she tucks the prayer away into a pocket of her sleep outfit. I can see that fear is warring with hope in her eyes, with sorrow prepared to wash both away in a flood of tears.

"I-I..., L-Lord Tenchi...." Aeka takes a deep breath, looks up at the moon visible through Funaho's branches, and then looks back down at me, looking deep in my eyes. In those eyes I see a calm, like the eye of a typhoon, surrounded by a maelstrom of fear, sorrow, regret, hope and tears.

"Tenchi," Aeka's voice has a slight quiver and is so quiet that a person two stepping stones away wouldn't hear it. But to me, every word strikes with the clarion force of an army of angels.

"Tenchi, I love you."

She said it. She finally did it. She smiles at me. Her smile is a trembling thing of beauty, ready to shrivel if the hurricane surrounding her inner calm can vanquish the courage that made her finally voice what she has been longing to say to me. But there will be more rough weather before this storm is over. Aeka doesn't yet know that there will be more storms on the horizon, storms which might still dash her dreams.

Aeka sighs in relief, and raises her hands to her cheeks. I had thought she had been blushing before, but the bright moonlight shows that her face is darker now than I've ever seen her. Aeka wipes tears from her face and laughs quietly. There is no humor or joy in her laugh. Her laughter holds only one emotion: relief.

"Tenchi, do you know how long I have desired and dreamed to say those words?" Her smile is sad and small, ready to retreat in an instant. "I think I have loved you since the day you carried me to the cabin. You were so kind and compassionate. You did everything that you could to ease my pain and to comfort me in my despair. You were such a proper gentleman, that you did not even complain when you went out to wait in the rain while I undressed."

"When Ryo-Ohki scared me in the cabin, you came in to protect me. You knew I was scared and you held me in your arms. When I was in your arms, I had never felt so safe in all my life. I have never felt that safe with anyone before or since that time, not when I was with Yosho, not even when my Mother, Auntie Funaho or my Father would hold me when I was a child."

She reaches out and lays a hand on my cheek. I can feel that her hand is still sticky from the tears she's wiped off her face, but I don't really care. I'm too aware of the warmth of her hand as she touches my face. My heart beats faster and my breath quickens.

"Tenchi, I have dreamt of you as a prince on Jurai, but I would trade that dream to be with you here on Earth." Overcome with emotion, the tears that have been brimming in her eyes, slowly trickle down her face. She wipes her face again. "Tenchi, I would never force you to do something you did not want. My home will ever be where your heart is, because I have surrendered my heart to you."

"The day I knew that I loved you was when Kagato arrived. It wasn't when Yosho said we were perfect for each other. Oh, I loved you then, long before that in fact, please do not misunderstand me, but the true depth of my love was not revealed to me until Kagato destroyed Ryu-Oh, with you inside." Aeka's eyes reflect a deep seated fear, different from the fear that she had in her eyes just moments ago, but fear nonetheless.

"I thought I lost you then. The pain was so great, so much more than any pain I had ever felt for losing Yosho, that I almost could not bear the horror and terror of that moment." I can see in her eyes a reflection of that moment and what it had cost the princess. I know enough to see that my glimpse of her emotions only shows the tip of the iceberg

"Tenchi, I love you. What more can I say? Do I need to tell you that I am prepared to give up my throne for you? That I am willing to abdicate my responsibilities if that is the price of your love? I-I don't know of anything else that I can say to you to show my love for you. I...."

Aeka's trails off as a tremble enters her voice. I look in her face and eyes and see that the calm has gone, and the fear is back in full force.

What I'm going to tell her is going to cause her more pain and more fear. But I have to make her understand. I'm afraid that if I sugarcoat this, it will be worse for all of us in the long run. Aeka needs to understand the true depth of my feelings for Ryoko.

"Aeka, I told you that I couldn't sleep because of a nightmare that has been bothering me. When I went to get some water, I couldn't help but notice how beautiful the moonlight is tonight. So I decided to take a walk, trying to clear my head of the nightmare." I pause, choosing my next words with as much care as I can muster. This is going to hurt...

"Aeka, during that walk I realized that I'd been so afraid of losing what I have that I had been too frightened to realize whether I was in love. So I looked deep inside of myself to find out whether I was in love. And I found that there is one girl here who I am in love with." Now comes the hard part. I've decided on my course of action, and although I know what I'm doing is right, I know that I'm still going to screw this up and hurt her more than necessary. I stand up and once again place my hands against Funaho on either side of Aeka. Aeka *will* hear me out, whether or not she likes it.

"Aeka, I discovered the truth of my love for all of you. I love all of you and I'm grateful beyond words for what you have all brought into my life. But although I love all of you, there were only two true contestants racing for my heart, you and Ryoko." I sigh, and pay close attention to her. I just know she's going to try to bolt. I tell myself again that this for the best. I'm not sure of this anymore, but I'm set on this course, and so I proceed forward, knowing that things are going to get worse before they get better.

"Aeka, I love Ryoko." Her face instantly flashes to a shocking pale, Aeka's tears and sobs return in full force, as if she has been expecting those dreaded words. Suddenly, she pushes my right arm, spinning me as she tries to dash to freedom. I grab her as gently as I can, completing the spin, and I wrap my arms around her and softly push her back against Funaho. In hindsight, I realize that placing my arms on either side of her, instead of holding her, had added to my growing list of errors. This time, I won't let go until I've said what I need to say. I can feel her pounding heart as her body shudders from her sobs.

"Aeka, please don't cry. I don't want to hurt any of you, least of all you, but you have to understand," I tell the sobbing girl as my own tears stream down my face to mingle with her own tears.

"Ryoko has been a part of my life for so long in ways that even I don't understand. I will always love her. I now know that she has watched me since I was a child. She is a part of me in some strange way, that I don't fully understand, but I never want to be without that love." I hope I've made my point to Aeka. Now for phase two.

"But Aeka, although I love Ryoko, I'm not*in* love with her." Aeka's face suddenly pops up, her shudders subsiding. She looks in my eyes and I can see that the hope has returned, stronger than ever, finally starting to win in the battle against despair.

"T-Ten-Tenchi?" I smile down at Aeka in response to her astonished and questioning gaze.

"Aeka, when I looked in my heart, I found a girl who wanted love so much that she searched through the stars for her love for 700 years. I found a girl who is kind and gentle, but will stand up for what she believes to be right and just. I found a girl who is thoughtful and respects me. I found a girl who loves and takes care of her little sister. I found a girl who values duty and responsibility. I found a girl who sent her guardians to safeguard me when we went after Kagato. I found a girl who put herself between me and Zero, trying to protect me from a threat I didn't yet understand, even knowing that she couldn't compete with that level of power. I found a girl who wanted to stay with me so much that she defied her own father for my sake so that she could stay in my home." Aeka is blushing again. It looks much better than the shade of white she had when she heard that I loved Ryoko.

"Aeka, you opened your heart to me on that day in the cabin. Since that day, I've always known that beneath the wardrobe of a princess, beats the heart of girl who loves and wants to be loved in return." Tears are streaming down her face again, but there is an important difference from before.

There had been a fight a few months back, causing Sasami to cry. Washu had given an entire lecture on the saline content of tears. By the time Washu was finished, Sasami was laughing, which had been the intention, from the start, of the greatest scientific genius in the universe.

What is a tear? It's just saline moisture secreted from a tear duct. Look under a microscope in Washu's lab, and you can't tell one tear from another. But looking at Aeka, I can see that there's a vast difference between her earlier tears of sorrow and the tears of joy that now trace their way along the curve of her face. Tears of joy which shimmer and sparkle in the moonlight, tears which are so different than her earlier tears of sorrow which seemed to darken the night. Then again, maybe it's Aeka who's radiant now, where she had been dark before.

I hold her in my arms, never wanting to let go. I'm a bit surprised when she pushes me gently away, looks at me, wipes her face of tears, smiles, and slaps me in the face.

Alright, I'm stunned. I must look like a fish from the marketplace gaping at Aeka, a shocked expression on my face. Aeka looks amused, surprised with herself, and a bit regretful. How do women do that? They'll put a dozen different expressions on their faces in the time it takes to draw a single breath. I literally don't know what hit me.

Aeka looks at me. "That was for not trusting me, Tenchi."

The princess befuddles me further by suddenly hugging me, and then going up on her toes and kissing me. I don't want her to stop. I've wanted to do this for so long, even without truly realizing this desire, but she quickly pulls back from my lips, leaving me tingling and weak in the knees.

Aeka nestles in my arms. I can hear her panting from the kiss.

"That was for trying to do the right thing," she whispers in my ear.

"You did not trust me. You were afraid I would hurt Ryoko now that you have made your choice. You wanted me to know how it will feel to be in her shoes, did you not, my Tenchi?"

She's right, of course. I hold Aeka tighter. "I...I-I'm sorry, Princess.

"No, Tenchi. I do not desire for you to call me Princess. I do not wish that there ever be the barrier of a title between us." She says it with such quiet determination that I can't bear to tell her that in my heart she will always be *my* Princess.

My father has given me advice over the years on how to deal with women, nearly all of it unwanted, and some of which I feel certain would result in a prison sentence. But I've always remembered a piece of advice he gave me.

"Son," Dad said, "There may come a time in your relationship with a woman where you don't know what to say to her or when words are totally inadequate. That's when the time has come to stop talking and start acting. When in doubt, kiss her."

And so, I bend down and practice what my father preached. When we finally break, both of us panting, our hearts racing, I look into shining eyes of crimson which now sparkle with joy, eyes which have seen worlds beyond my vision, and I know that it is true: actions speak louder than words.

But there is still something left for me to do, an act that needs performance, a sentence I'd left unuttered. Even the most passionate of kisses, no matter how wonderful, no matter how long, finally comes to an end. Holding her in my arms, I look into Aeka's eyes, and finally say what *I've* needed to say.

"Aeka, I love you. I am in love with you, and only you. You tell me that you've surrendered your heart to me, but I've lost my heart to you." The bliss in her face, her look of sheer unadulterated happiness touches my soul, caressing my heart with her joy, making me feel complete in a way I've never been before in my life. I'd never thought happiness could actually be felt from another person. Seen, yes; appreciated, yes; but never felt. I revel in the wonder of the experience, knowing that it will not be the last time I feel her happiness inside my heart.

There's much more, of course, images and emotions that flooded over me earlier when I opened my eyes to realize that I had arrived at The Holy Tree of Masaki Shrine. Aeka returning with Sasami from my aunt's, the women laughing at a joke about which I'm still clueless; Aeka draining her power to try and save Mihoshi and myself from the black hole on Dr. Clay's ship; her bemused smile on board Ryo-Ohki when I finally realized what she and Washu had already figured out - that Ryoko was still alive; Aeka's refusal to look at me as I held a dying Zero, giving us privacy and also not looking because it hurt Aeka too much; Aeka as she extended her unconditional love and acceptance to Sasami after we learned the truth about Tsunami; Aeka happily cleaning the shrine; and, yes, Aeka at the onsen, on that memorable first visit, along with an untold number of other images, memories and feelings that I've come to realize about Aeka.

The night which seemed so late when I woke up, a lifetime ago, now seems remarkably young. There's time for many things, for kisses and holding hands, for two souls to adjust to becoming one, and for talking of the future. Embraced by Funaho's limbs, Aeka and I begin our future, together.

I wake with a start, having nearly dozed off. Again. Aeka lies nestled in my arms, her head on my chest. I feel the even, warm, steady rise of her chest and the quiet sound of her breath as sleep has finally taken her. We lie where I first found her on this moon lite night, kept safe in the bosom of a tree that once traveled the stars, and yet is the place where I finally realized my love.

We've talked of many things tonight, just holding each other in the moonlight, watching the fireflies dance and flitter. Ryoko has come up constantly in our conversations. The task of obtaining permission for marriage from her father. What to do with our lives. And a million other things, great and small.

But there will be time enough for these matters. Now, as I feel the welcome embrace of sleep take me, as my eyes close on a vision of fireflies and moonbeams, I go to sleep in the arms of a Holy Tree, knowing that all that matters is the beloved girl who is asleep in my arms.

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Author's Notes - For those who are interested in such rambling diatribes.

This fic was inspired by two sources. The first source was a brief scene from the third episode of the OVA series. As such, it is an OVA fic. As to the scene in question...

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From OVA Episode 3, "Hello Ryo-Ohki!" (Subtitled version)

(Tenchi and Aeka have left the cabin. He is carrying the injured princess on his back, while Ryo-Ohki is following along with a treasure trove of carrots.)

TENCHI: Would you like to go see Ryoko's cave? We might just find a clue about your brother.

AEKA: Well, (Sees a large tree dominating the forest in the small valley below), what is that?

TENCHI: Oh, that's the holy tree of the Masaki shrine. There are miracle stories about it. They say that if you make a wish on a full moon it will come true...

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The second source was a winter night where moonlight spilled out of the sky, casting shadows and sending out moonbeams so bright that you could read by the light of the silvery moon, to use a well turned phrase.

This fic is meant to be a multi-chapter introspective look at what might happen upon Tenchi finally making a choice. It is the first piece of writing that I attempted which was set in the world of Tenchi Muyo, although it ended up not being the first project that I would complete.

Life began on this fic in January of 2001, and work proceeded at a reasonable pace for the next few months, which was noted mostly by re- starting the fic half-way through to change from a 3rd person perspective to a 1st person voice. Whether that was a wise move, I leave up to the reader, although I'm convinced it was the correct decision...even though I said I'd leave that decision up to you. ^_^

Several other projects took precedence over this fic, most notably my wife's third pregnancy, which resulted in the birth of our first child in January of 2002, plus the continued raising of said child, more than a year after the start of this fic, which had been languishing in the confines of my computer.

So, this fic finally sees the light of day after about two years in the making, most of which time was spent on other matters, including that thing known as life. I don't intend to give the impression or conceit that I've been slaving away non-stop, agonizing over each participle and pronoun, because I haven't. I only include this digression so that others can take it as an example of how life can toss delay of game penalties at a writer, for whatever that's worth.

As a fic which concludes its first part with a pairing that is not the most popular in Tenchi ficdom, I have but this to say to those whose sole criticism is that I've dared to pair off Tenchi with Aeka: So what? ^_^

I like this pairing...if you don't, that's your prerogative. Having been with one woman for 12 years, married for the last 8 of those years, and counting, I actually have some real-world experience as to what it takes to have a successful relationship.

If your favorite pairing is Tenchi and Ryoko, Tenchi and Mihoshi, Tenchi and Sakuya, or even Tenchi and Amagasaki, more power to you. But until the day finally comes, if ever, that Mr. Kajishima shows us the choice he will have Tenchi make, speculation of numerous possible pairing potentiality in fic form should be allowed to flourish. Of course, after the choice is made, various authors will no doubt speculate in fic form as to what the *correct* choice should have been. ^_^

A few other points of interest:

Aeka Jurai Masaki. The family name of Aeka and Sasami is indeed Masaki; Jurai is added to designate membership within the royal family. Yosho didn't change his family name; the Masaki shrine's name traces back to Jurai. Aeka is often designated as Aeka Jurai, but I've decided to go with the original name.

Aeka vs. Ayeka. Both are correct; Aeka is how the Japanese spell the name of the princess, as can be seen from numerous official artwork from AIC, as well as from her "mugshot" in Tenchi Universe. Ayeka is also correct, the "y" having been added to all of the subtitled versions of each Tenchi continuity. My understanding is that the "y" was added to serve as a pronunciation clue for us uncivilized Westerners. My preference for Aeka is due to: a) I like the simple elegance of it compared to Ayeka, and b) it's easier to type a four letter word than a five letter word. ^_^

As to the festival itself, it is going to be a pure invention of mine, but will be based upon a number of Japanese festivals. More on that subject will be revealed as the story unfolds.

One other thing, which I feel that I should note without giving too much away is that certain perceptions of characters will have a bearing in future chapters, provided I ever get around to finishing them. So, no, that wasn't an enormous continuity error on my part; that was foreshadowing. I hope. ^_^;;;

Speaking of errors, for some reason I've had a devil of a time formatting poetry on ff.net, so if "Hope Has a Place" is formatted differently this time than the liner notes from "The Memory of Trees" I've given it the old college try.

As always, thank you dear reader, for bearing with me.

C&C is always welcome if it is well reasoned and thought provoking, and can be sent to me at: beagle_san@hotmail.com.

Chapter 2, which will be from Aeka's perspective, will hopefully be out sometime before my son reaches voting age. ^_^