Rain Child: *sobs* I can't believe we're at the end of this story!!!!! *Sniffle* it seems like just a few days ago, I was starting on a brand new notebook, filling the pages with the sorrows of a heavily bashed Tenchi character (don't get onto me about that, Ayeka is rather often bashed, whereas I don't see Ryoko getting bashed) onto paper. Two notebooks later, this story reaches its end…I'll be thanking all the wonderful reviewers later! *Sniff* Sasami, you do the disclaimer…*runs off to cry*
Sasami: -_-; Rain Child doesn't own us, or anything else except the plot, her trio of characters, and the world Ayeka took refuge on. She would asks that I beg you guys to all review Hello, Good-Bye, because it saddens her to have no reviews (the one where she flamed herself doesn't count!). So…umm…read it!!!
Rain Child: *reappears* SAPPINESS AHEAD, but not much!
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Raindrops
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Chapter 9: The Final Steps of the Heart and Soul
Sasami beamed happily as she carried in lunch to everyone. They all looked at peace with themselves, grudges gone. Sure, since they found Ayeka and her new friends, it had been a happy vacation, but something hadn't seemed quite right. Now, whatever it was was gone. Ayeka motioned for her to sit by her as Sasami set the food down, grinning happily. Chiming, as tradition**, in unison,
"Let's eat!"
Smiling, everyone served himself or herself contentedly. Happy conversation drifted around the table, like the wonderful smells of Sasami's cooking. However, four of them were quieter than the rest.
Ayeka's stomach complained at the lack of food intake, but her throat had seemingly fused shut to block away all the food. The purple-haired Jurain princess absently pushed around the food on her plate with the wooden chopsticks. What exactly had happened back there? Ayeka felt as if her memory was randomly blipping. She remembered Kiyoto giving her a rose, and Tenchi. Tenchi…she sighed inwardly. She'd been daydreaming again, yes, now it came back.
'Kiyoto…how could this happen?' she wondered.
Ayeka looked down at her plate blankly as a salty droplet of guilt hit the rice, being absorbed instantly, leaving no trace of her guilt.
The Jurain princess stood suddenly, her head down, keeping her eyes hidden. She murmured quietly that she wished to be excused, before hurrying upstairs. Tenchi looked after, his expression torn. He mumbled an apology and went upstairs after her.
A pause ensued before Ryoko and Kiyoto simultaneously stood, turning red, before leaving as well. Katsuhito and Washu just smiled knowingly, as the others looked toward the eldest of their rather large 'family' with confusion.
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Ayeka stood before her mirror, her face blank and empty, just like it had been back home, at Jurai. The mask she had carefully reconstructed around them all. No one had known how frightened she had been when Tenchi arrived. She'd put her mask up again, only to have it crumbling once again, just like Earth. The former first princess of Jurai sometimes found herself wondering if Tenchi could read her mind when he gazed upon her seriously with his warm, chocolate-brown eyes.
The purple-haired young woman's hurt and pained side desired to see his heart broken just as hers had, shattering loudly, like china. No one but her had heard her heart shatter upon the table when he and Ryoko announced their engagement. Her breaking heart echoing in her ears as she remained blank-faced, pretending to be happy for them as she heard them all laugh at her broken heart, broken like the teacup she'd dropped. She'd left them, barely able to fly her ship, trying to keep herself sane, nearly killing herself multiple times. And now, just as the broken princess had finally begun to piece together her battered and torn heart, everyone had come back, looking for her.
"Hey, you okay?"
Ayeka let out of breath of relief, as his voice never used her name. Surely she wouldn't be left in pieces like last time! A flash of relief drifted over her face as she turned from the mirror, responding in a quiet voice,
"I'm quite alright, Lord Tenchi."
"Please, just Tenchi."
"Oh, all right…" she paused, smiling faintly, "…Tenchi…"
He grinned as well, the grin fading as his face betrayed nervous determinedness. He began, trying, and failing to keep a little bit of that nervousness out of his voice,
"Well, f-five years ago, you, well, said you…loved me…five years ago, err…I was…infatuated, I suppose, with Ryoko. About a year later on, I realized I had been wrong about my heart, as our fighting began. Now, I think I've finally…been able to figure myself out. I think I'm sure, or at least after today…"
"T-Tenchi?"
"I-I've learned a lot over these years. I know what love feels like, and what it's like to break a heart, and have my own broken. I-I would like to offer you the pieces, that is, if you'll take a broken heart, Tsunami knows you deserve a whole one."
"Tenchi, I--"
She sunk to the floor, head in her hands. Through muffled sobs, Tenchi heard her broken words,
"You don't, you can't. I, I'm not good enough. I, you don't know what I almost did. I waited so long to hear those words…so long, will you, could you say them, just once, even if you don't mean them?"
The half-Jurain boy knelt down beside her, holding her gently, stroking her head as he whispered to her, healing both his heart and hers.
"I…I love you."
"I love you, Tenchi," She whispered, holding him tight.
The half-Jurain kissed her forehead lightly, as she rested on his shoulder. Remembering how drained he had felt upon telling Ryoko***, he was surprised at how complete he felt this time. Sighing contentedly, he leaned against the door, feeling as though things might finally go right.
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Ryoko lay back against the warm roof tiles, sipping a small dish of sake, her thoughts swirling about dizzily: Kiyoto, Tenchi, Tenchi and a broken Ayeka, Washu, a grown up Sasami/Tsunami, Kiyoto's somber grin. Such a whirlwind of thought didn't usually trouble her so! Not long ago, heck, just a week ago, she would have claimed she still loved Tenchi! Were all women this fickle?? ****
Sighing, she closed her eyes, but not for long as the sound of a familiar voice reached her ear. The former space-pirate sat up abruptly, hearing Kiyoto climb up.
"Ryoko? Are you up here?"
"Yeah."
"Mind if I join you?"
"Nope, come on up. You want so sake?"
"Sure. Some sake could do me good about now."
With a small grunt of effort, the green-eyed Lluvian pulled himself up, plopping down beside her, accepting the spare dish, now full with sake. He took a sip, commenting,
"Nice spot you've got here. I bet the sunset's real pretty up here."
"It is."
Green clashed with gold, words no longer necessary. Finishing off the sake, Kiyoto put his arm around Ryoko, who tensed a little, before relaxing, both gazing as this planet's bluish-gold sun set slowly, casting brilliance upon everything in view, letting each heal their wounds.
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Yuki worried about Ayeka and Tenchi. The two of them had been up there for a little while now, and no sound carried downstairs at all. She walked over to Nazumi, lowering her voice so as not to be noticed, whispering,
"Come on. Let's go see what Ayeka and Tenchi are up to."
He nodded his head, a flash of curiosity crossing over his pale blue eyes. Intertwining his hand with Yuki's, they went upstairs, stopping at Ayeka's door. Silence. Yuki opened the door, a sudden OW! Coming from Tenchi. Yuki peeped in, spying Tenchi and Ayeka leaning against the door.
"Yes, Yuki?" was Ayeka's calm statement, for it really wasn't a question.
"I see the little scheme your little sister hooked me into doing did help you both."
"As I recall, it took you and Nazu quite awhile to admit it yourself."
All four now had red-tinted faces. Struggling against laughter, Nazumi remarked dryly,
"Just don't tell Kiyoto. You know how clean his remarks would be if he had found you."
They all burst out laughing, earning questioning shouts from Washu.
'You were right Tsunami, the final few steps have been crossed…' Sasami remarked silently, smiling happily.
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Tenchi lay in bed that night, tossing and turning, insomnia attacking him. He knew why. He missed his home. Lluvia was great and all, but he missed Earth a lot more than he'd thought he would. He wondered why it was Ayeka and Sasami never missed Jurai, or if they did, how did they deal with it? Yes, it was time to go home, he decided. Smiling at the highly anticipated thought of going home, Tenchi smiled, drifting into pleasant sleep.
~*Dream Clip*~
Finally back at the Masaki home, along with three new people, they all boarded off the ship, currently hovering over the lake, bringing their things into the Masaki home, all being welcomed by Tenchi's father. Tenchi and Ayeka stood on the porch, hands intertwined, as rain fell from the sunny sky. Ayeka commented happily,
"Tenchi, it's raining…"
"Yeah, I suppose it is, isn't it?"
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Rain Child: T.T it's…done…I'm so…HAPPY!!! Now I can start on the sequel!!!!! There are reasons behind the odd things, you'll see!!! And you thought you'd seen the last of my fanfics! Ha! This is only Book I in the Droplet Trilogy!!!
