This is a fanfic, and is done for fun, not profit.
The Alchemy
-of-
Love
Chapter Ten
By William Nichols
Ayeka paced the hall outside of Ryoko's room. It had been several hours since Tenchi had gone in to comfort her distraught friend, but Ayeka couldn't help but worry. She had heard Ryoko confess her love to Tenchi, but it was Tenchi's response that troubled her the most. His simple: "I know…" spoke volumes in its simplicity.
It was just as committal as it was noncommittal.
It was a return of affection, just as it was a rejection of said affection.
Then again, it simply was what it was. Tenchi knew that Ryoko loved him.
"But does he know that I love him?" Ayeka whimpered as she paced. Her tears returned for the second time this hour as her mind drifted to the possibilities of what Tenchi and Ryoko could be doing… Tears slipped from between Ayeka's tightly clenched eyes as the imagined image of Tenchi and Ryoko consummating their feelings poured through her mind. She took a tentative step towards the bedroom door, but withdrew her hand inches from the doorknob.
No! Ayeka screamed mentally. Tenchi would not do such a thing! He would not decide so suddenly…would he? What if he has been holding his true feelings back all this time? What if…what if…he does not love…me? Ayeka shook her head to ward off such thoughts.
Tenchi loves us all equally, at least, she mused as the old grandfather clock in the front hallway chimed its lonely sentry. I know that I love him, and I would do anything to express that, well anything within the morals of a princess…
There you go again, a nasty little voice in Ayeka's head retorted. Thinking like a princess again.
Well, I am a princess after all, Ayeka defended.
But not on earth. There is no royalty here, except for figureheads who hold no real power other than the symbolic duties, which you dread anyway. They have no power in earth government, and what will you do if Jurai goes the same route? Can you be a princess with no empire to rule? No empire or royalty can last forever. It is inevitable.
That may be…
The bottom line is this: Tenchi does not want a princess. He wants someone as down to earth, so to speak, as he is. Think about it: do you honestly believe that he will live this little island on this planet in the galactic boonies just to become emperor? Ayeka chewed her bottom lip as she searched her soul for the answer. Come on, you already know the answer.
But if he did, if he did come to Jurai he could have both me and Ryoko, and we could be happy forever…Ayeka weakly defended. I would even let Ryoko be the first wife…
Talk about the load of implausible, sentimental fluff! the nasty little voice shot back. If he wanted to be emperor, don't you think he would have jumped at the offer by now? Ayeka choked back another wave of tears as her inner demons toyed with her insecurities. All Tenchi wants is to live with someone who accepts him as he is, not who they want him to be.
What did you say? Ayeka demanded of her conscience.
I said all he wants is someone who will accept him as he is.
"What a fool I am," Ayeka moaned quietly. All this time I have been trying to force my view onto Tenchi; make him into who I wanted him to be. Ever since I found out he was of royal blood I have dreamed of the day he would take the throne by my side. I was infatuated for a while, but I truly do love him, as I have loved no other. But I have been selfish, even in this latest scheme. I have forced my views on both him and Ryoko. All to fit my view…
Now do you understand? her conscience asked.
"Yes," Ayeka whispered. I love Tenchi, but I cannot force my views onto him.
And if he wishes to remain on earth?
I will stay by his side, Ayeka answered herself, Jurai be damned.
That's quite a turn around…And if he does not reciprocate your feelings?
I will be happy for him, whether he falls in love with me, Ryoko, or anyone else. That is what true love really is. True love is selfless, and my love for Tenchi is true, whether he returns it in the way I want or not.
You have faith in the lad, her conscience responded.
"Yes, I have faith in Tenchi," she whispered to her self. "And I know he will be true to his heart." Ayeka looked up to the click of Ryoko's door sliding shut. Tenchi sighed as he walked out of the shadow that darkened that end of he hall.
"Oh, Ayeka," he said with a bit of surprise as he came into the light. "You haven't been out here the entire time? Have you?"
Ayeka nodded. "I was worried about you and Ryoko," she said timidly. "I just couldn't go back to bed without knowing if she was alright." Well, there is a kernel of truth in that statement…
"Walk with me," Tenchi said as he slid his arm around Ayeka's.
"How is she?" Ayeka asked, not masking her concern.
"She had a really bad nightmare," Tenchi elaborated. "And it shook her up pretty badly."
"I see," Ayeka said calmly, fighting off a Tenchi-esque blush. The simple presence of Tenchi and his arm intertwined with hers abated many of earlier misgivings. He is so kind and caring… Ayeka smiled inwardly as they descended the staircase. "Is Ryoko alright for the night?"
"I believe so," Tenchi said as the stepped off the small landing at the bottom of the stairs and headed towards the kitchen. "I just hope it was not a premonition of sorts."
"Why do you say that Tenchi?" Ayeka asked. One more thing to threaten Lord Tenchi… Ayeka pulled up a stool to the small island counter as Tenchi took two glasses from the cabinet and the carton of milk from the refrigerator. After checking the date on the milk, he poured two glasses.
"Because I had nearly an identical dream," Tenchi said as he handed Ayeka one of the glasses. "Except in mine it was me that was killed while you two watched," he said taking a gulp of the milk. "Then I heard Ryoko call my name." Ayeka stopped mid-drink. "Are you okay?" Tenchi asked as Ayeka shakily set the glass back down.
"You heard her call your name?" she asked timidly. That is odd… "Her room is next to mine, and I did not hear her," Ayeka said quietly
"I guess I just imagined it," Tenchi said as he took another swig from his glass. "Or you were sound asleep. What woke you? When I stumbled down the stairs?"
"Yes."
"See, you were just worn out from our night out and sound asleep," Tenchi tried to comfort. "Nothing to worry about."
"Must have been," Ayeka said. I cannot jump to conclusions…
"Ayeka?" Tenchi asked as Ayeka continued to stare off into space.
"I'm sorry," Ayeka apologized, returned to this reality. "I was just thinking about Ryoko's dream and what it could mean."
"I wouldn't place too much stock into it," Tenchi said as he placed his and Ayeka's empty glasses into the sink. "But if it was anything like mine, then it was pretty frightening," Tenchi continued.
Ayeka watched Tenchi closely as he rinsed the glasses and walked around the counter. "I don't think I can sleep at the moment," she said quietly. "Will you please sit with me, Lord Tenchi?"
"Of course I will Ayeka." Without another word the two made their way to the overstuffed sofa in the living room. Tenchi clicked on a lamp on one of the end tables, its soft light casting a warm glow to the situation.
"Tenchi," Ayeka began after a strained moment of silence.
Tenchi blinked a time two, trying to read the expression on Ayeka's face. "Yes Ayeka?"
"I wish to apologize to you," she said meekly, trying her best to hold back her tears.
"Apologize for what?" Tenchi asked, somewhat perplexed. "What's the matter Ayeka?" he inquired as the princess began to sob quietly. "Ayeka," Tenchi soothed, wrapping his arms around her, "Please tell me: what's wrong?"
"I'm sorry," Ayeka mumbled with a sniffle. "I'm sorry for forcing my ideals and views onto you and Ryoko…" Tenchi honestly did not know what to say in response to emotional plea. All he knew to do was to hold the distraught Ayeka. As he did so, he noticed something. His usual self-defense mechanisms were not flaring up. He was not worried about Ryoko flying in and trying to pull him away from Ayeka. Then he noticed something else: those same barriers were not present when Ryoko was in his arms. All Tenchi knew for certain, was that something had changed, and he hoped it would be for the better.
"Tenchi?" Ayeka asked quietly as she felt his embrace tighten.
"It's alright Ayeka," Tenchi said. "I'm not upset." Why do these girls get worked up over me, just a plain and simple Shinto priest-in-training?
"I heard Ryoko," Ayeka said, drying her eyes with a quick wipe on the hem of her gown. "You do know," she said as Tenchi tried to mask the look on his face. She really did not know how to read it, but the expression almost came across as fright. He thinks I'm going to start a fight over Ryoko saying the simple truth…have we really fought that much? "Don't worry," Ayeka continued, taking Tenchi's hand in hers. "I'm not mad that she loves you, or that you know she loves you. But know this as well Tenchi: I love you, just as she does."
Tenchi sighed deeply as Ayeka watched his face for the slightest hint of where, and or if his heart lay. All he really knew that on this night, any doubts he may have had about the sincerity of either Ayeka or Ryoko's claim to love him, vanished. This only left Tenchi Masaki with one burning question: which one did he love?
And to that, he still had no clear answer.
The long silence that followed Ayeka's confession only gave voice back to her inner demons from earlier. He does know I love him? Doesn't he? she cried to herself, as Tenchi's expression stayed unreadable. Tsunami please…
Finally Tenchi's soft smile sent her dark clouds away. "I know," he told her, just as he had Ryoko. And he meant it. He knew she loved him, and he loved her, just as he did Ryoko, but he did not know to what extent.
To Ayeka those two words held a fountain of light. He knew she loved him. Her smile returned as the implications of this dawned on her. Now it was only a matter of time before he would follow his heart, and which ever direction that may be, she would support him. "Thank you," Ayeka said sincerely, as she rested her head on Tenchi's shoulder. "Thank you…Tenchi."
Tenchi was touched by Ayeka's simple return. But something else touched him as well. She did not call me Lord Tenchi, he thought. Never really liked that anyway, he joked to himself. Maybe one day soon I can straighten this mess out…
As Tenchi's mused to himself, Ayeka's soft voice returned him to this plain of consciousness. "Can you love the both of us?" she had asked quietly, with almost a tremor of fear in her voice.
This had taken Tenchi completely by surprise. His first instinct was to say the same tired line that he already loved them both, which was true to an extent. But that was not what she had just asked him. Ayeka had just asked him if his heart was big enough to share the love of two women, for all eternity. Shaking a quick hentai thought from his mind that garnered some of the more explicit possibilities of the situation, Tenchi honestly pondered the matter.
On Jurai he knew the practice of polygamy was an accepted practice by both men and women. But here on earth it was frowned upon, except in certain backward regions that had not advanced into the modern era. The thought of sharing his love equally between Ayeka and Ryoko was not totally an affront to his code of morals. It would be the quick and easy way out of this accursed love triangle that they had gotten themselves into. But also, there was the nagging doubt that maybe one would seek favoritism over the other, and the endless cycle of fighting that had subsided somewhat over the past few weeks, would become even more intense.
Then there was the whole mess with Jurai. Tenchi knew in his heart he was no prince. He could not, would not accept the throne of Jurai, even if the entire Jurai navy came to drag him back, or even if Azusa himself came and begged him to be his heir. Not even a direct order from the emperor in Tokyo could change his position on this matter. Added into the mix that he was not exactly tops on Azusa's favorites list, and the matter was practically sealed. The emperor would choose his successor to his own accord, and the chances of it being Tenchi was about as slim as parliament balancing this year's budget.
All in all, the matter simply boiled down to Tenchi. He had to be the one to accept both of their loves. And it would his decision to make, no matter what external pressures were applied to him. Such a decision would be for all of time, and it was not one to made or taken lightly. Tenchi knew full well that any decision he made regarding his heart would be final; there could be no reneging or looking back.
"Are you asking what I think you are?" Tenchi finally managed to get out, knowing full well exactly what Ayeka had asked of him.
"Yes," Ayeka replied. "Can you love me and Ryoko as your wives?"
Tenchi closed his eyes and sighed inwardly, drawing upon whatever inner strength that he may have left. "I…" he began, his voice faltering, "I, I really don't know…" he finally admitted. "That is a very serious and complex matter," Tenchi sighed. "And to be honest with you, I have never considered it before Ayeka."
"I see," Ayeka sighed, somewhat crestfallen. It was not a rejection, but it was not an acceptance either.
"I still do not know where my heart lies Ayeka," Tenchi said softly. "I…I need more time," he finally said, looking for the right words, which seemed not to exist.
"I understand," Ayeka said, taking his hand in hers. "And Tenchi, I will support you what ever your heart chooses."
"Thank you," Tenchi breathed as Ayeka leaned her head in his shoulder. "Thank you…" he whispered again as Ayeka quietly nodded off. Tenchi allowed a small smile to creep across his face as he made himself as comfortable as possibly, while not trying to wake Ayeka. Soon sleep claimed him again as well. And it would be there together on that overstuffed sofa that the morning rays of the sun would find the sleeping princes and princess.
To be continued…
