Chapter 2: Awake and Dreaming - Take a photograph.
It will be the last.
Not a dollar or a crowd could ever keep me here.
I don't have a past.
I just have a chance.
Not a family or honest plea remains to say:
Rain, Rain go away, come again some other day... All the world is waiting for the sun-
Tenchi's body went rigid, his breathing became irregular as his mind began to register the unmistakable warmth that was her hand as it entwined itself with his. Suddenly he was afraid to turn around. Afraid that if he did, she would just disappear. Ripped from him for a second time. It was too much to hope for, too much to take in. It wasn't possible.
Then she spoke again.
"Tenchi..." Her voice was uncertain, but filled with longing.
Finally, Tenchi turned.
There she stood, as radiantly beautiful as ever. Alabaster skin contrasting deeply with raven black hair, eyes like emerald pools, full of warmth and acceptance but shadowed with uncertainty. Even her simple outfit of a black long-sleeved sweater and pants seemed to be spun of the finest heavenly silks to Tenchi as he stared intently, as if afraid taking his eyes off of her would this dream.
The two stared at each other for what seemed an eternity as Tenchi's breath began to slow and even out, his mind began working once more and he found he could breathe her perfect name.
"Sakuya."
The distance between them was closed on unspoken accord as Tenchi suddenly burst into the first real smile he had given to anyone in 4 years. Wasting no time he grasped her by the waist with both hands bringing her face up to his and sealing his lips with hers. Sakuya reacted immediately, giving a brilliant smile of her own before throwing her arms around Tenchi's neck and returning the kiss in kind.
For both it was as if the rest of the world were melting away, touch, sight, smell and sound; all these senses filled with nothing but each other, all that mattered was now, all that really existed was the other. An eternity consisting of but a few seconds passed this way, both unwilling to relent as they pressed flush against each other, pouring every lonely night, every ounce of regret into their kiss. But finally the need for oxygen by the human body won out, and they parted for air.
Tenchi looked down into Sakuya's eyes in wonder as they regained their breath.
"You're... really here." he breathed.
Sakuya just smiled and traced his lips with one of her fingers before laying her head against his chest, content just to listen to his heartbeat.
"Of course I'm here silly." she murmured, nuzzling him.
"But... you're not staying." It wasn't really so much a question as a statement. Tenchi knew that what they had wouldn't last, and that Yugi couldn't project her shadow forever.
Sakuya sighed a bit before looking up at him through pained eyes.
"Just... hold me for a while, ok?"
Tenchi bent down slightly to tenderly kiss her forehead, bringing her down with him as he sat down on the old shrine steps. Their embrace deepened, and they spent the rest of the day that way holding on to each other as if afraid the world might just slip away at any moment, watching the last rays of the sun as the shadows of early evening pushed them away. Twilight gloom had settled deeply within the loosely knit trees of the forest where a small stream ran steadily through, the waters lapping lightly at the basket holding a large, ripe watermelon. Sasami sat here. Or rather, what was now Sasami. The transformation into Tsunami was taking place, slowly but surely she was beginning to develop into the woman she had seen in her reflection at the old bath house. It didn't scare her, no, Tsunami had always been a part of her to some extent, she was simply becoming more a part of the being that was both Tsunami and Sasami. But it did make her sad to know that nobody really noticed, they were too busy or depressed to pay any attention to her current state. She was just the chef of the house, no more no less.
A sigh escaped her lips as her gaze fixed itself on the waters of the stream as they pushed inexorably upon the fruit suspended in it. Slowly she felt her eyelids begin to droop as a calm, relaxation overtook her body.
The sudden breaking of a twig behind her snapped her out of her reverie, swinging her head around to confirm the source of the sound she gasped.
"Hello Sasami." The cockpit was pitch dark, only a single point of illumination -a viewing screen- was visible.
"I've arrived." A voice from within the cockpit.
"Good. Your next target is this girl." Another voice, this one coming from the comm screen.
"Acknowledged. What is the name?" The voice seemed distant... robotic.
"Princess Sasami of the Jurai royal family."
If anyone else had been paying attention to this conversation, they would have noticed the almost imperceptible pause before the voice in the cockpit spoke again.
"Objectives clear. Proceeding."
It will be the last.
Not a dollar or a crowd could ever keep me here.
I don't have a past.
I just have a chance.
Not a family or honest plea remains to say:
Rain, Rain go away, come again some other day... All the world is waiting for the sun-
Tenchi's body went rigid, his breathing became irregular as his mind began to register the unmistakable warmth that was her hand as it entwined itself with his. Suddenly he was afraid to turn around. Afraid that if he did, she would just disappear. Ripped from him for a second time. It was too much to hope for, too much to take in. It wasn't possible.
Then she spoke again.
"Tenchi..." Her voice was uncertain, but filled with longing.
Finally, Tenchi turned.
There she stood, as radiantly beautiful as ever. Alabaster skin contrasting deeply with raven black hair, eyes like emerald pools, full of warmth and acceptance but shadowed with uncertainty. Even her simple outfit of a black long-sleeved sweater and pants seemed to be spun of the finest heavenly silks to Tenchi as he stared intently, as if afraid taking his eyes off of her would this dream.
The two stared at each other for what seemed an eternity as Tenchi's breath began to slow and even out, his mind began working once more and he found he could breathe her perfect name.
"Sakuya."
The distance between them was closed on unspoken accord as Tenchi suddenly burst into the first real smile he had given to anyone in 4 years. Wasting no time he grasped her by the waist with both hands bringing her face up to his and sealing his lips with hers. Sakuya reacted immediately, giving a brilliant smile of her own before throwing her arms around Tenchi's neck and returning the kiss in kind.
For both it was as if the rest of the world were melting away, touch, sight, smell and sound; all these senses filled with nothing but each other, all that mattered was now, all that really existed was the other. An eternity consisting of but a few seconds passed this way, both unwilling to relent as they pressed flush against each other, pouring every lonely night, every ounce of regret into their kiss. But finally the need for oxygen by the human body won out, and they parted for air.
Tenchi looked down into Sakuya's eyes in wonder as they regained their breath.
"You're... really here." he breathed.
Sakuya just smiled and traced his lips with one of her fingers before laying her head against his chest, content just to listen to his heartbeat.
"Of course I'm here silly." she murmured, nuzzling him.
"But... you're not staying." It wasn't really so much a question as a statement. Tenchi knew that what they had wouldn't last, and that Yugi couldn't project her shadow forever.
Sakuya sighed a bit before looking up at him through pained eyes.
"Just... hold me for a while, ok?"
Tenchi bent down slightly to tenderly kiss her forehead, bringing her down with him as he sat down on the old shrine steps. Their embrace deepened, and they spent the rest of the day that way holding on to each other as if afraid the world might just slip away at any moment, watching the last rays of the sun as the shadows of early evening pushed them away. Twilight gloom had settled deeply within the loosely knit trees of the forest where a small stream ran steadily through, the waters lapping lightly at the basket holding a large, ripe watermelon. Sasami sat here. Or rather, what was now Sasami. The transformation into Tsunami was taking place, slowly but surely she was beginning to develop into the woman she had seen in her reflection at the old bath house. It didn't scare her, no, Tsunami had always been a part of her to some extent, she was simply becoming more a part of the being that was both Tsunami and Sasami. But it did make her sad to know that nobody really noticed, they were too busy or depressed to pay any attention to her current state. She was just the chef of the house, no more no less.
A sigh escaped her lips as her gaze fixed itself on the waters of the stream as they pushed inexorably upon the fruit suspended in it. Slowly she felt her eyelids begin to droop as a calm, relaxation overtook her body.
The sudden breaking of a twig behind her snapped her out of her reverie, swinging her head around to confirm the source of the sound she gasped.
"Hello Sasami." The cockpit was pitch dark, only a single point of illumination -a viewing screen- was visible.
"I've arrived." A voice from within the cockpit.
"Good. Your next target is this girl." Another voice, this one coming from the comm screen.
"Acknowledged. What is the name?" The voice seemed distant... robotic.
"Princess Sasami of the Jurai royal family."
If anyone else had been paying attention to this conversation, they would have noticed the almost imperceptible pause before the voice in the cockpit spoke again.
"Objectives clear. Proceeding."