Poetry-Freak: Well, obviously if you're reading this I caught your attention!!! That's good, right??? *Laughs nervously* This chapter is a like a flashback, but I put it in third person so you could understand what happened better, because if left some things out, it would be confusing. Hmm, who should do the disclaimer this time??? I know!
*Neal walks in, wondering how the heck he got here*
Neal: poetry-freak does NOT own the tenchi series, some guy in Japan does. She doesn't own me either, Ms. Tamora Pierce does. All she owns is the plot, and suing her isn't worth it, she's poor!
Poetry-Freak: *hides $250* Yeah, that's right, I'm broke!!! *laughs nervously*
Raindrops
~By Poetry-Freak
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Chapter 1: Scars of the Past
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At first, Lord Yukionjo (a/n: crummy, but I made it up, and I'm bad with names), seemed like he'd be a good teacher, kind, but strict. After awhile the punishments grew harsher. He might hit her with something, or yell at her. She would try to fight back by skipping his class, or doing everything right so he couldn't find fault with her, or anything else she could think of, but nothing seemed to work, and her clothes hid the scars quite well.
One day, everything changed. She had in hidden in the Tree Room (a/n: I dunno what it's called, but it's that room with all the Jurai Trees, the one where Sasami and Tsunami were binded, okay?); it was the only place he didn't have access to. She ran blindly from tree to tree, until she reached the Tsunami tree (a/n: or whatever it's called), and collapsed, tears silently spilling over.
"Please, Tsunami, help me…" she whispered.
She was bleeding on her arms and her back, courtesy of the latest beating, but no one would notice, even though her arms were scars upon scars, along with her back, because of her dark purple robes that hid even the blood. Her last conscious thought was that her vision seemed awfully fuzzy and dark…
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"NO! I couldn't do that, and I won't!!!" a quiet voice, filled with fury stated, firmly.
"It's your DUTY Yosho!!!" another voice shouted back.
'Duty is doing what's expected of me, and for me, that's leaving!" the voice, now revealed as Yosho, retorted, storming out of the room, heading towards the royal tree rooms.
'I can't believe he wants me to marry her! I can't take the throne, it'll cause a civil war! Besides, she deserves to know what it's like to love, and to be loved.' His thoughts trailed off as he entered the room, but the moment he set his foot down, he knew something was wrong. He slowly scanned the floor, and, finally, he spotted something-a droplet of blood, smaller than a drop of water, but still, it was there. Then he saw another, and another! Following them from tree to tree, he finally reached the Tsunami tree, the drops ended there, but the blood didn't end with it; the bits of blood were larger now, closer together. A glint of purple caught his eye. Looking for it, he spotted a small girl, with long purple hair, curled up under the Tsunami tree, surrounded by blood. A moment later, he realized this unconscious girl was Ayeka.
"How could this happen? She's done nothing wrong! How???" He quietly restored her energy, worry looked as though it would remain on his face permanently. Trying to wake her up, he yelled out,
"Ayeka! Ayeka! Please, wake up!!!"
A lone tear trickled down his face, what if's racing through his mind. Finally, she stirred, opening her ruby eyes. When she was fully awake, she told him everything all at once, how nice Lord Yukionjo had acted in the beginning, then how he beat her, how she tried everything she could think of to fight back, and how everything she tried fail…
~*~*~*~
(end the semi-flashback)
Though that had been so long ago, her arms and back still had the scars, not as easy to see, but easily seen if she showed them to someone, which she hadn't. Maybe it was because it had always seemed that nobody ever really cared about her then, save Yosho, but then again, he was her brother, and brothers were supposed to care, weren't they? Sure the teacher had been imprisoned, but that wouldn't erase the scars. As the raindrops fell steadily, more memories came back…
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She remembered that last day. She had been walking in the gardens, excitement about her tree, Ryu-oh, concealed, but her eyes still held a sparkle of happiness. The flowers had just been watered, and the petals had little droplets on them, giving them an extra sparkle. The ground had rumbled, causing her to lose her balance and fall. But the ground never rumbled, was this what everyone meant when they said that the sky turned dark and the earth would shake when Jurai was under attack? Picking herself up, she raced back home, to her tree, to try and help.
Fear raced through when she saw the villain, the space pirate Ryoko. Her mind told her to run, but she stayed, trying to fight back, but it was no use. Yosho was already engaged in battle, and all she could do was watch, while the rumbling planet rattled (a/n: I'm a poet and I know it, I am! ^_^). She led him farther and farther away from his beloved home, and all Ayeka could do was watch.
Weeks passed, and Ayeka once again was alone, Sasami was much too young to understand.
~*~*~*~
(end flashback)
She knew now Ryoko had been under Kagato's control, and had forgiven her a long time ago, but still, it hurt so very much just to look at her, for fear the memories would come back, as they did now. Months later, Ayeka had left to follow her brother, Sasami too, unknown to Ayeka. Contrary to many people's beliefs, she did love Yosho, but only as a sister to a brother, simple admiration, nothing more. She didn't want to be alone again.
What she had found was Tenchi, someone she did love, but she also found Ryoko, trying to win Tenchi's love. She hated watching Ryoko try and convince Tenchi that she (Ayeka), wasn't worth knowing, that she was a stuck-up princess brat, and other things she'd rather not recall. (a/n: now don't get me wrong, I'm not saying Ayeka was perfect, though I do think it seems that 90% of the time Ryoko does start the fight, but Ayeka has said cruel things too, just keep reading before you flame) She didn't think she was perfect either, she'd said a few things she regretted as well. That's why, during the past few weeks she'd tried so hard not to fight, just to show Tenchi that she didn't like fighting.
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The morning had appeared to begin like any other morning-everyone woke up, and just before breakfast a fight would break out, then breakfast, then the day would officially begin, but not today. Ayeka had walked downstairs, getting the usual, somewhat stiff 'good morning,' and Ryoko had given the usual comment of
"Morning Princess. Please be sure to stay clear today, Tenchi and I have declared our undying love for each other."
Everyone cringed for impact of the fight, but it didn't come. Ayeka merely said good morning, and left the house, holding back the tears from all the aloofness of her companions. She heard laughing from inside, they must have thought she believed Ryoko, yeah right. And sure enough, Tenchi came out, and asked,
"You didn't believe Ryoko did you?"
"No, Lord Tenchi, she does that every morning, why would I believe it when it is the 654 time she's said it?"
"Oh, so she's said it before?"
"Yes, Lord Tenchi, she has."
"Why didn't you start a fight today like every other day?"
'So, he believes her when she blames me, hmm? I always wondered why he takes her side.'
"I don't start them Lord Tenchi, I just usually let her taunts get the better of me. I just decided it's not worth the trouble."
"That's umm, great, Miss Ayeka."
"Just Ayeka please."
"Umm, alright. Well, I've got to go work in the fields, bye."
"Good-bye Lord Tenchi."
~*~*~*~
It was hard to believe that had only been a week before. The entire house had waited for the fights, but they never came, Ayeka merely would leave the house, listening to the laughter inside, fighting back the tears day by day, hour upon hour. After all this time, she was still unaccepted, the one they ostracized. Even Ryoko had earned a spot in everyone's hearts. That had hurt so bad, but before today she never noticed, she had pushed it out of her mind, and played the part they expected, the princess.
Maybe, just maybe, that was the answer. She'd played her part so well, it fit so easily, that no one ever realized there could be something underneath, like they knew Ryoko wasn't really as tough as she acted, but they never knew Ayeka was weak too. Upon thought, she realized that she wasn't even sure how to be herself anymore.
'What's wrong with me? Or, actually, what was wrong with me?'
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(change POV to first person)
Maybe ending it all would fix this, but isn't that the coward's way out? Maybe I could destroy them, they've certainly caused me enough pain, but could I really bring myself to do it? No, that's crazy, I couldn't kill them. Maybe I could go home? No, I can't, I gave up the crown for him. I suppose I could pretend not to care, or go somewhere else…maybe…
(back to regular POV)
Her thoughts were interrupted suddenly, by a familiar voice. She had half-hoped never to hear it again, and half-hoped to never stop hearing it.
"Ayeka?"
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Well, that's the first chapter. Sorry it's a cliffhanger, but if I typed any more of it, this would be one heck of a long chapter! I need 7 reviews before I update, which I promise I will, I already have the next three chapters in my notebook. Read before you flame is my request! Remember, 7 reviews!
Until next time,
poetry-freak
A.K.A.: Aimeemegami
aaka: pandemonium
aaaka: The Rainchild
