*****************DRAFT VERSION*******************
Disclaimer: The characters of Tenchi Muyo belong to AIC and Pioneer LDC.
They are used without permission.
Tenchi Muyo:
Trinity
Part II: The Quiet before
"One love, two girls, three hearts, caught between two worlds."
1,2,3 by ( I forget the group)
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She had spent most of her childhood learning the etiquette, the culture,
and the refinement necessary of a First Princess, but what she really had
needed was a personal trainer. It was moments like these that Aeka almost
envied Ryoko's powers... almost envied. As she raced out of the living
room, vaulting over a small table and up the stairs towards Tenchi's room,
Aeka cursed the precious seconds Ryoko's power of teleportation afforded
her alone with Tenchi.
Cresting the final step, she misjudged slightly in her haste and fell
ungraciously to the floor. She stood quickly, her mind not even
registering the pain in her leg or the spreading area of red on her kimono
sleeve. She hadn't the time. Aeka knew exactly what was going through
Ryoko's head. At this very moment she was probably trying to seduce
Tenchi's heart with some base act of lavisciousness. Pressing herself
against his firm lithesome body despite his protestations. Forcing him to
kiss her from head to toe all over her alabaster skin less he feel the
sting of her whip. His hands running through her long purple locks as
their passion culminated into a never before reached crescendo. His
begging his 'princess' to both stop and continue, until... until...
"RYOKO!"
It was a sweating and flushed Princess Aeka who threw open the door to
Tenchi's room, her chest heaving.
"Ryoko! Get your filthy... Um... Where is Tenchi? Aeka asked looking
around the darkened room, the object of her affection no where in sight.
"He's not here, that's for sure," Ryoko answered in a tired voice. She
floated over to the empty bed and sat on its edge facing toward the window
and away from Aeka.
A little voice in Aeka's head told her she should protest Ryoko's lounging
on Tenchi's bed, but she ignored it for once and instead walked over to
the bed herself and sat on the side opposite Ryoko.
"I guess our efforts were for naught, Lord Tenchi seems to be elsewhere
this evening," Aeka said breaking the silence.
Ryoko remained quiet.
"I imagine we both became a little overly excited after watching that
film..." Aeka continued looking out the still open bedroom door and into
the lonely hallway.
Again, Ryoko made no effort to respond, but clenched her fist in an effort
to reign in her emotions. Why did this have to be so difficult? Why did
her life have to become so complicated? Trapped in the cave, looking at
the young man before her like a child peering through a toy store window,
she had made such wonderful plans. She had only to free herself and
everything would be perfect. Well, she was free... but things were far
from perfect. What did she have to do? What hadn't she done?
"...And acted a bit precipitously, racing up here the way that we did,"
Aeka finished, finally feeling the pain in her arm and leg.
Becoming painfully aware of the silence she was receiving, Aeka turned to
face Ryoko and was surprised by what she saw. Ryoko sat on the edge of the
bed, an act that at any other time would have been cause for great
concern, but now was different. Her knees were propped tightly against her
chest, her arms holding them snuggly in place and her head resting gently
on top as her lonesome gaze wandered the dark night outside the large
picture window of Tenchi's room.
Perhaps it was the emotional state the movie they had shared together had
left them both in, or maybe it was the fatigue brought about by the
lateness of the evening, or it could even be that this was the first time
she had really looked at Ryoko... * really looked *. She was no monster.
Her slumped shoulders and wilted demeanor were the picture of anything but
that of a confident space pirate. No, here was a woman not so different
from herself, sad, lost and alone...
...No difference at all really.
Ryoko felt Aeka's stare upon her and lifted her head around so that she
was facing the First Princess of planet Jurai. Although, Ryoko thought to
herself, Aeka didn't look much like the spoiled brat with a silver spoon
up her ass that Ryoko had always pictured her as. Aeka showed none of her
usual regal bearing. Her kimono was torn at one of the knees and her hair
was frazzled in places, matted with sweat in others. However, it was
Aeka's sullen and watery eyes that held Ryoko's attention. Ryoko could not
help but think that she might as well have been looking in a mirror.
Sisters in so many ways.
They sat there, each one staked out on her own side of Tenchi's bed. Each
one just staring at the other and in so doing, looking at themselves.
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Standing outside the entrance to his grandfather's shrine, Tenchi soon
forgot about the two objects that he had seen dance in the night sky. This
was not a moment he was looking forward to. Not only had he forgotten
about this evening's sword practice, his grandfather always gave him a
hard time whenever he tried to return his art works to their hiding place.
Deciding it would be far easier to face his grandfather's chastisement
than to be discovered by one of the girls and have to explain. Steeling
himself, he took a step and raised a hand to knock on the door.
"You're late, Tenchi. Come in," his grandfather's voice came from inside.
'I hate it when he does that,' Tenchi thought to himself before sliding
open the door.
"Yeah, about that, Grandpa. I'm sor... " was all Tenchi said before
tucking himself into a forward roll and just dodging the bokken strike
that had been directed at his head. Keeping a firm grip on his two
artbooks, he quickly stood and performed a no hand cartwheel to avoid the
follow-up strike aimed at his knees. Returning to his feet once again,
Tenchi quickly scanned the room looking for a means to defend himself. The
fact that one arm was needed to hold his artwork was proving to be a big
hindrance, His grandfather noted his predicament.
"So... what exactly did you find so pressing that you could write off your
old grandpa?" Katsuhito asked with a forward thrust of bokken directed
toward Tenchi's chest.
With his foot, Tenchi flipped a small table over onto its side, blocking
the bokken strike. Smiling at the maneuver he answered," It's nothing like
that. I... I just got distracted and lost track of time."
"Is this what distracted you?" Katsuhito asked holding up his grandson's
two art pads.
Tenchi looked at his grandfather, down at his empty hand, and then back at
his grandfather. "Grandpa, when did you...."
Katsuhito ignored his grandson's question. Instead he straightened the
knocked over table and retrieved a tray and tea set, which he had put in a
safe place earlier. Sitting down he motioned for Tenchi to do the same.
"Tenchi," he said pouring himself and Tenchi a cup of tea. "Your training
is not something you can casually neglect. You've been missing practice
off and on for several weeks with varying excuses." He paused, taking a
sip from his cup. "This will be the last time." He eyed his grandson over
his raised teacup.
Tenchi sighed and nodded his acquiesce.
Katsuhito nodded also and took another sip from his cup. Tenchi's tea
remained untouched.
"Your old grandpa is not completely out of touch. I realize young men such
as yourself have other pursuits and that swordsmanship is not all life
holds or respects," Katsuhito finished with a smile. He put his tea down
and picked up one of the art pads. Casually, he examined the many pieces
within. Some were pencil sketches; others were done in charcoal or pen.
There were even one or two paintings. Katsuhito would linger on some
pieces longer than others, his expression never changing from that of
passive interest. Tenchi watched him with growing trepidation.
Finally, Katsuhito reached the last work in the book, the charcoal
portrait of Aeka that Tenchi had just finished. He looked at for what
Tenchi felt was an eternity.
"Needs work," was all the comment he made before setting the open book
down. He then picked up the other book and gave it similar scrutiny. All
the while he was looking at the two books, Katsuhito tried to hide the
growing pride he felt inside. It was a task that was becoming increasingly
difficult each day. Tenchi had inherited his father's gift for painting.
Tenchi's skill with the sword had also improved greatly, despite what he
had said earlier about missed practices. The time was approaching when the
legendary swordsman, Yosho, would have no stances left to show his
prot�g�, no sword patterns left to teach. The rest of Tenchi's education
would have to be left up to experience, not always a kind master but a
necessary one if Tenchi was going to reach his potential. One day, maybe
not tomorrow, probably not very soon, but one day, the legendary Yosho
would lose. Katsuhito was very much looking forward to that day. A small
proud smile broke through his stoic veneer.
"So, which one?" Katsuhito asked.
"Huh?" Tenchi answered startled. He had been looking at Aeka's portrait,
which lay on the table.
Katsuhito's smile broadened and he placed the pad in his hands down next
to other. With a sweep of his hand, he indicated the two portraits. One
was the charcoal sketch of Aeka, the other a pencil sketch of Ryoko
sleeping on the family couch.
"Which one do you like better, this one?" he pointed to the picture of
Aeka. "Or, this one?" Meaning Ryoko.
"I don't known," replied turning his gaze away from the two pictures and
his grandfather.
Katsuhito let his disappointment show in the form of a frown. There was
one area that Tenchi was sorely lacking. It showed in his swordplay and it
was evident now.
"You must have some opinion," Katsuhito said refilling his cup.
Tenchi let out a protracted sigh, wanting to talk to someone but not sure
what to say. In the end, he suffered in silence.
"...After all, they're yours.'
Tenchi visibly relaxed. "Oh, you were talking about the portraits," he
said under his breath.
Unfortunately, it was loud enough for Katsuhito to hear.
"Was I now?" he asked with raised eyebrow.
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"I'm tired."
"Well, it has been a long day."
"No, I don't mean physically tired... there is that too, of course, but my
heart, my heart is tired, Ryoko."
The two were still in Tenchi's darkened room, laying a top his bed,
looking at the ceiling. Ryoko lay pointing towards the doorway, Aeka in
the opposite direction. Both of their heads resting in the middle,
centimeters apart.
Ryoko turned her head, looking questioningly at Aeka. "Your heart?"
Aeka looked at Ryoko for a moment and then returned her gaze to the
ceiling. For a time silence once again reigned in the room.
"I'm tired too," Ryoko finally admitted. "But..."
"But" Aeka agreed nodding her head, maintaining her vigil of the ceiling.
Silence
"I just want to know..." one began, "...do I have a chance." The other
listened intently. "Am I in his heart at all?"
"I want to know... I *have* to know..."
'I have to know...'
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C&C Appreciated.
I'm about fifteen pages into People's Prince part V, maybe ten more to go.
Putting on Heirs part 1 is being rewritten and may be out shortly,
depending on how much I want to put in chapter 1. It's currently fifteen
pages also, but maybe a lot bigger.
Obsessions part 1 is also being rewritten.
Queen of Souls part 2 is being thought about.
Balance of Power part 2 is coming along nicely.
One or two more things are stewing in the pot.
Damien
damien_searight@msn.com
ICQ: 24113246
"Wait! Wait!" Megami shouted frantically and clutched Tenchi fearfully.
"Does that mean we can't have sex anymore!"
Ryoko and Aeka fainted dead away.
The Megami
The People's Prince Part 5 (or maybe 6)