TENCHI - FINAL DECISIONS
The fall sun was setting behind Tenchi, illuminating the valley before him. The orange and red of the trees was accentuated by the red of the sun. Over the mountains in front of him the full moon was rising in all of it's brightness. Tenchi loved to sit on this rocky overlook of the valley near the shrine. It was peaceful, and he came here to meditate at the end of the day. But tonight was to be special, and he feared deep down what the consequences of his decisions would be for the family.
As he raised his face to the moon, a pair of arms wrapped around his neck, and a kiss on his cheek followed.
"Good evening, Tenchi, my love!"
"Ryoko. Found me that easily did you?" He reached up and took one of the resident space pirate's hands in his, and gave a kiss to her cheek. "Sit down here with me. Isn't this a beautiful evening, and so quiet?"
"Tenchi, you have something on your mind don't you? After seven years you aren't going to slip that comment past me. Come on, what is it?" She leaned her head on his shoulder, and shut her eyes, giving his hand a gentle squeeze. She missed seeing the smile he gave to her.
"Ryoko, I never have been able to get anything past you have I?" He gave a half laugh. "I've been thinking about our family. For years I have refused to give a decision on which of you girls I would ask to be my wife. I think I've been afraid of losing everyone if I did make a decision. And to lose you all would hurt me more than my indecision."
Ryoko touched his lips with her finger to stop him from going further. A tear rolled down her cheek.
"Tenchi, I think you have made your decision about us, haven't you? And it isn't me that you want, is it? I just hope it isn't prissy pants princess you have chosen."
Tenchi held her hand to keep her near him.
"Yes, Ryoko, I have made a decision. Actually I have made two decisions. One concerning the person I wish to marry, and the other about our family."
Behind Tenchi and Ryoko a twig broke, and quiet footsteps came along the path.
"Lord Tenchi, I knew you would be up here. And with that pirate person even!" Ayeka glared at the family pirate. " Why are you leaning on my Tenchi's shoulder?"
With a sniff Ryoko held more tightly to Tenchi.
Tenchi turned his head to look at the Crown Princess. "Just the person I needed to be here. Sit with us Ayeka. I've been talking with Ryoko about the family, and you do need to be with us right now."
Her face showed a little surprise. "The family, Lord Tenchi? What about the family? Are you finally going to admit that it's me that you want to stay with, and not that space pirate?" She had a self satisfied smile.
Ryoko looked past Tenchi with a tear dampened face. "Shut up, Ayeka, and let Tenchi talk! You may learn something."
Tenchi reached over to the kneeling Ayeka and took her hand, giving her a kiss on her cheek as he did so. She looked over at the softly crying Ryoko, and held on to Tenchi's hand with both of her hands. Her smile became uncertain.
"I was just telling Ryoko how you two are like the sun to me. You've brought brightness to my life, and to the family we've gathered together. I don't want to replace anything that has gone before, everything that you two have brought to me and the family.
"But years ago when I had Sakuya with me, she taught me something else. She showed me a quiet love, quiet like the night. Something I had not had experienced before. Before she left, she had lost any control that Yugi had over her. Just a few moments before she released me so I could return to my true world, she told me that her memories were in my heart, and touched me there.
"She was right, she had put her memory in my heart, and it left me feeling incomplete. I have finally realized what I need to make me and my life whole. It has taken so long because I did not want to destroy all that we had built together. But the time has come for a decision.
" What I need for you both to understand is that I do not want you to leave our home. Not now, not ever. This is your home because you both helped build it to what it has become. Just as Mihoshi and Kiyone, and Sasami have contributed to the whole of the family, so have both of you. Will you promise me that you will stay? Ryoko? Ayeka?"
Ayeka had tears rolling down her cheeks, just as Ryoko had earlier.
"Lord Tenchi, I don't know if I can. I don't know if I can see another woman take my place, I just don't know!"
"Miss priss is right Tenchi. How can I see someone else in your arms and not want to destroy them! Ayeka and I have done that enough to each other. I don't know either, Tenchi. I don't know if I can do that."
Tenchi held both of the girls as well as he could. He had thought this would be their reaction. Hegave a little smile.
"Of course something could change you know. I haven't asked the other person involved yet if she will have me as a husband. There is the chance she will say no."
Both heads lifted up from Tenchi's damp sleeves.
"Tenchi, you haven't said who this hussy is. Don't we know her yet? Do I get to meet her first?" A ball of chi lightning began to appear in Ryoko's hands.
"That's right Lord Tenchi, who is this home wrecker? We might not approve of her you know!" Juraian power began forming around Ayeka's head.
"All right you two! Now let's calm down, I want this overlook to still be here another day. You'll both get to meet her I promise, now stop the power buildup! Besides we're late for dinner, so let's go down to the house."
Tenchi held a hand of each girl as they all went down the moon lit path. The entire walk both were muttering what terrible things each would inflict on this new, unknown, Tenchi stealer. United in a single purpose the girls were held back by Tenchi's strong arms. The last flight of shrine stairs was before the trio, when a familiar figure came up toward them.
"Tenchi, Ayeka, Ryoko! I've been holding dinner for the longest time! Everyone is waiting for you to hurry up and come."
Sasami, now grown into a beautiful young woman, the two ponytails long gone for a single plait down her back. Ryo-Ohki sat on her shoulder, and gave a small "meow." Sasami's smile shone in the soft moon light.
"Sasami, get out of the way, we're not hungry! Tenchi has been telling Ayeka and me that he has chosen someone as a wife! We want to meet this person, and see if she can stand up to us."
Tenchi held tight to the two girls, managing to hold them back. "Ryoko, stop that. Ayeka, I said not to use that Juraian power. Both of you settle down!"
A look of surprise passed over Sasami's face. "Tenchi, it's true? You have chosen someone, and it's not Ayeka or Ryoko?"
Tenchi smiled at the grown up Sasami.
"That's right, Sasami, I have chosen the one I want. But I have not asked her if she would have me yet. What do you think about that?"
A look of concern passed over Sasami's face.
"Well, I suppose we have enough to have one more for dinner. But I didn't really budget for any extra, and you know how Mihoshi eats."
Letting go of the two angry girls, Tenchi reached out to Sasami and held her by the shoulders. His smile grew bigger with each second.
"I don't really think an extra plate is necessary tonight. I was wanting to know what you thought about my not asking the girl yet."
"Oh! Well, I would think that the girl would be silly not to say yes. I can't see Ryoko or Ayeka saying 'no'." A "meow" punctuated Sasami's statement.
Standing beside Tenchi, Ryoko and Ayeka looked at his face, and then at Sasami. And then looked back at Tenchi again. Looking at each other with their mouths open they shook their heads. Had they been that blind all this time?
Tenchi let go of sasami's shoulders and took her hands in his. "So if I were to ask you, 'Sasami would you marry me,' you would say yes, because it would be silly not to?"
"Of course, Tenchi! Why I'd say yes immediately, just like Ayeka or Ryoko would. Y-E-S, yes."
A frown crossed Sasami's face, followed by a shy smile.
"Tenchi, did I just tell you that I would be your wife?"
Looking at Ryoko and Ayeka, Tenchi gave his biggest grin.
"Sounds to me like she did, didn't it?"
The look on the faces of the prissy princess and the pesky pirate were somewhere between surprise, happiness and murder.
"Ayeka! This is all your fault! If you hadn't chased Washu and me, I would have had Tenchi all to myself!" Balls of chi lightning began forming.
"My fault! If you hadn't stolen the Juraian power crystal, I wouldn't have been following you!" Juraian power formed around the princess.
"Sasami, let's go home to dinner. I think they'll be here for a bit."
The happy couple continued hand in hand down the shrine steps, while behind them on the steps, what appeared to be a cross between a typhoon and thunder storm lit the night.