Tenchi thought back to his family...and the night they all got slaughtered. He was about six years old at the time and it's his elder sister-Tennyo's wedding. Coincidentally, the wedding day was also the Autumn festival. He went to find his mother, Kiyone Masaki.
" Where's Tennyo, mom?" Tenchi asked as he arrived to where his mother was sitting.
" She's in her room, come on, let's go find her," Kiyone Masaki said as she walked him to Tennyo's room. There, she knocked on the door and Tennyo told them to come in. She was sewing.
" What are you doing?" Kiyone asked as she examined the piece of clothing.
" I'm sewing some clothes for Tenchi. You know how he grows out of his clothes quickly, mom. I'm going to be gone in two days but I want to make some for him while I'm still here."
" Thanks, Tennyo!" Tenchi said as he examined the piece of clothing, " I love it!"
Suddenly, screaming was heard from out side. Kiyone ran out and saw thieves invading their party, killing everyone in sight.
" Tennyo! Bring your brother to safety!" Kiyone ordered.
Tennyo ushered Tenchi into the kitchen. The last he saw of his mother was when she brought out an energy sword to fight the thieves.
Tennyo helped Tenchi climb into a big cauldron.
" Whatever you do, Tenchi, don't come out of this cauldron. It's dangerous out there."
Tenchi nodded. His sister gave him a final stare and rushed outside to help her family. Tenchi peeked out from beneath the cauldron's cover. Although his family was fighting hard, they were losing. Most of his family was already killed. He stared wide-eyed as his mother and sister got beheaded by the thieves. His hands clenched into fists and he was shaking violently. He listened to his sister though, and stayed put inside the cauldron.
I promise I'll get revenge for you, mother, sister.
" I have no idea they'll do something like that...I mean, I knew they were thieves to start off with but barging into the middle of a party and...I'm so sorry, Tenchi..."
" They all deserve to die. Every single one of them."
" But what about my fourteenth uncle? He was just a runner for them. He never even killed an ant in his whole entire life...why him too? What have he done?" Aeka was visibly shaking now. She wasn't shaking because of fear though, she was shaking because she was mad.
" Then he could only blame himself for being a Masaki Jurai."
" Then why don't you kill me too? I'm a Masaki Jurai!"
" Don't think I don't dare!" Tenchi yelled as he turned around to face her. He raised his sword at her neck, but all Aeka did was close her eyes and wait for the blow. It never came. Tenchi had lowered his sword after a few minutes, " Go. Go back home. I never want to see you again."
" I don't want to be with a murderer either." Aeka said as she ran off, wiping her tears away. She had just decided that he wasn't such a bad person afterall when he showed his evil side again. She had even considered for a split second that she might be able to be with him and the two families won't be involved in such a deep grudge. Apperently, she was wrong.
Tenchi walked back into his house and found a newly-sewn shirt lying there on the table. He remembered a few days ago, he saw Aeka hiding something from him behind her back. He grabbed it and thought for a while...then ran off to the direction where Aeka had gone.
It was raining and Aeka fell, face down onto the wet ground of the forest. She sat up and punched the ground a few times. There was footsteps coming towards her now and she quickly got up to run again. Tenchi was standing behind her, soaking wet while still holding the shirt she had sewn.
" Aeka! Stop!"
Aeka stopped for a split second.
" Why did you sew this?"
She didn't answer. All she did was stare around, not sure of what she should do.
" Let's go back to the cottage...together."
After a moment of silence, Aeka said, " I don't want to."
Tenchi was close to her now. " Why?"
" I promised myself that if I ever see you again, I'll kill myself. I don't want to die. I want to be able to see you again," Aeka said as she spun around and hugged Tenchi. She was crying on his shoulder and whispered into his ears," I want to be able to see you again..."
Tenchi hugged her back. They stood there, embracing each other in the rainy, dark forest. None of them were afraid though, because they have each other. They have found their other half.
" Where are we going, Tenchi?" Aeka asked. They were walking along a lighted path. It was morning and the sunlight was streaming in between the tree leaves.
" I'll escort you back. Then..."
" You won't kill my father and mother, would you?"
" I can only promise you that I won't kill any of the children or women. As for your father and uncles...we'll see."
" Promise you won't barge in and kill them."
" I promise."
They were near a rest station and Tenchi motioned for Aeka to sit down. She sat and wiped off the sweat from Tenchi's forehead with her handkerchief. Suddenly, a woman stood before them. Tenchi seemed a little alarmed, but Aeka was puzzled.
" So that's where you've been all along...playing husbands and wife with this filthy woman..." The cyan-haired woman said.
" She's a Masaki Jurai...you know the grudge I have against them," Tenchi said.
" Then in that case..." the woman said as she took Aeka from her seat and pointed a sword at her neck, " I'll finish her off for you."
" Ryoko..." Tenchi cried out in alarm.
" What? Your heart hurts because I'm about to kill your lover?"
" She's not. I hate her with all my heart."
" Ye-yeah. I hate him too. Why are you dragging me in this...you...Souja!" Aeka stammered. Ryoko was not convinced.
" Then I would happily kill her for you, Tenchi," Ryoko said as she pointed her sword a little closer to Aeka's neck. Tenchi just smiled coldly and shrugged. Ryoko pondered for a moment and Tenchi knocked away Ryoko's sword. He pointed his own at her as he wrapped his arm around Aeka and led her to a safe spot away from Ryoko.
" I haven't forgotten our promise Ryoko..."
" You have. And I'm not happy about it. I gave you everything, Tenchi. I even betrayed our organization...but now...you'll regret it. Tenchi. I promise you'll regret it." With that, Ryoko stomped away.
" Who...was that, Tenchi?" Aeka asked.
" A woman I knew. She gave me this sword and taught me how to fight like this...even a treasure map..."
" Treasure map?"
" I'll tell you everything...let's start at the beginning..."
I had to find the treasure map which my master had previously informed me of before he died, it was in the possession of his lover. I knew I had to get the map and the three treasures of the organization of which my master was so cruelly thrown out of.
Ryoko was relaxing in the springs. She was chosen as the next successor of 'the organization'. Honestly, she would much rather live a carefree life without all the restraints of being a leader. She did not like that at all. hmm...Maybe I should retire early...and find the love of my life...how does it feel to love someone...? Maybe...just maybe...I'll fall in love one day...with a strong and trustworthy man who will love me more than anything in this world...I would give up anything for him, he'll be grateful and then we'll get married...Get a few kids...Live happily ever after...
BANG!
Ryoko bolted up from the bath. The secondary successor of the organization rushed in.
"What's happening?" she demanded.
"There's an intruder. Our master told me to tell you to stay here. Don't move." The girl said as she left quickly again.
"Yeah right...like I'm going to listen to you. Who do you think you are? Ordering me around..." Ryoko muttered as she took up a towel and wrapped herself up in it, grabbed a sword and let immediately to fight the intruder.
Everything was in a chaos outside. Everyone were rushing around trying to find the intruder. Ryoko easily slipped by unnoticed by anyone. Her keen eyes scanned the main hall and saw a shadow behind one of the curtains.
"There he is!" Ryoko cried and threw her sword at the shadow. A hand shot out and caught the sword. Ryoko narrowed her eyes into a glare. No one should be able to do that... "Who are you? Show yourself if you're a man!"
"Your skills are certainly legendary, demon Ryoko," Tenchi said as he walked out from behind the curtain, holding her sword.
"Don't you dare touch my sword with your filthy hands!" Ryoko cried as she launched another series of attack on him. Tenchi dodged all her punch and kicks. He even managed to best Ryoko a few times.
"Who are you...?" Ryoko asked cautiously. Whoever this is...she does not like him at all. Suddenly, an older woman walked out. She was the lover of Tenchi's master. She knew his techniques well.
"Ryoko, get some clothes on and come back later. As for you..." the old lady turned towards Tenchi. "Why are you here? What does he want?"
"My master and I would like the treasure map back, plus the book of swordfight which he rightfully deserves before he was kicked out," Tenchi stated.
"What treasure map? What master? You mean our sacred offering place and that huge and ugly snake-like statue with that piece of paper in its mouth and..." Ryoko started.
"Ryoko!" Her master yelled. She quieted down for a while. "You, decendant of Shohei, I will only give you the map and the book if and only if you can defeat Ryoko in a match."
"Deal." Tenchi said, sure that he is going to win.
"Don't I get a say in this?"
"I'll deal with your disobedience later, Ryoko."
"Fine! Just decide every single thing by yourself then!" She said as she stomped out of the room.
The match is set. They must dive down into a pond and try to get a flag situated inside an underwater cave. Of course, they may resort to violence to beat up the other contestant if they so wish.
"Ready whenever you are, boy," Ryoko said confidently.
"I'm ready," Tenchi answered and smiled.
They both dived down at the same time. Tenchi immediately set out for the flag and Ryoko tried to stop him. She pushed him out of the way and sped up her swimming. He dragged her back by the legs while she kicked his hands off. Tenchi seems to find this whole affair really interesting. Ryoko is currently mad at the fact that she just does not seem to be able to get any closer to the flag than Tenchi. She was getting frustrated and now death-wishes him. In fact she is so caught up by these thoughts that she forgot to take a breath of air. Tenchi surpassed her and she tried to grab him back, but slowly started to grow weak from the lack of air. She tried hard to swim back to the surface, but it seem to drift further and further away...
Am I going to die like this?...just because I forgot to take that stupid breath of air! Ryoko thought angrily. She was afraid...but more angry than anything else. How can she lose to him like this? If only someone will come and save her so she can beat the hell out of this guy later...
Tenchi swam to her. He held the flag in his hands but he embraced her. He pressed his lips against hers and forced some air into her lungs. Ryoko could breath again. However, it was the first time in her whole entire life she has ever experienced this warm feeling. She slowly closed her eyes, savoring that unintended underwater kiss. Tenchi let go of her as soon as he saw she was awake and they both swam back to the surface together.
They came out of the water and Ryoko went back to her master.
"I lost..." Ryoko said softly.
"Are you ok? You haven't came up for a breath of air at all. And your cheeks are so red..." one of her friends commented.
"I'm fine, I'm fine." Ryoko replied as she continued to stare at Tenchi. He looked back for a while and she quickly looked down. She couldn't control it. She knew her face was red and she is blushing. Don't tell me...I...love him? The more she think of it, the more she is certain she now loves Tenchi Masaki, the only man to have ever touched her heart.
"The book and the map are in the sacred grounds. You may go in." Her master told Tenchi.
"Thank..."
"Do not thank me yet. There are millions of poisonous snakes in the sacred grounds. You must defeat them in order to advance to the statue. You will not survive. No one ever has," the old woman said. The truth was, she was getting kind of tired of all this fighting. She wants a rest too. Too bad she is a leader and she must do what she is suppose to.
"I will get through." Tenchi said.
And if he doesn't...I will help him. Ryoko thought quietly. She has found the love of her life. She is not going to let him get into any kind of danger if she can prevent it...all because... I love him...I know I do...
A/N
Oki...relatively long chapter compared to my other ones. Next up: Tenchi and Ryoko's relationship develops. Aeka and Tenchi return to the house of the Masaki Jurais. How will her uncles and father take the news? Death! you have been warned