Tenchi Muyo Fan Fiction ❯ Cast Seeds ❯ Rocky Ground ( Chapter 3 )

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I do not own Tenchi Muyo! If I did, the travesty that is OVA 3 never would have happened.

Rocky Ground

The creature was staring at Tei'rn. He looked up from trying to puzzle out the newspaper that Yosho had left there that morning to find his gaze caught by a pair of large golden eyes. He rustled the paper, preparing to go back to trying to puzzle out the strange characters of Japan, but the gaze would not release him. He found himself sighing and folding the paper, directing all his attention to the small furry creature sitting on the table.
Though it had been a few weeks since the ones named Ro'ko and Ten'ki returned from their trip to the stars, Tei'rn had found little opportunity to get to know them, or the small creature sitting before him, which seemed to have a great attachment to Za'za'mi. He supposed now would be a good time.
His ear flicked, betraying his interest, and the creature's own ear responded with a twitch of its own. It was cute, he supposed, leaning down further, and it hopped closer, until he felt his eyes crossing at the effort of keeping its gaze. Its name was Ro'oki, he recalled after a moment's thought, and it was female.
He tentatively reached out a hand and lightly touched the short fur on the top of her head, finding it even softer than it looked. He was rewarded with a soft and delighted 'miya'. Encouraged, he continued patting her, moving his hand to the underside of her throat as she offered it to him. He almost jerked his hand back when he felt an odd sort of vibration there, accompanied by a soft rumble. But as nothing further came of it, and she showed no inclination of moving, he assumed that it was a contented sound. It sounded contented, at least, and she hopped closer, closing her eyes, and pressing against his hand with another lazy twitch of her ears.
Tei'rn smiled bemusedly as he felt his own long ears respond.
The soft rumbling sound lulled him, and he found his mind wandering as his long, pale fingers moved to scratch behind the little creature's ears. He often found himself submerged in the memory of his old life in the past few weeks. His silver eyes closed in a slow, deliberate blink, almost as though to dispel the sadness they held.
His thoughts moved, as they did in general, to his sister, the most loved of all of his siblings. She would have adored the creature that now stretched languidly under his hand, offering different places that needed scratching. He smiled slightly, imagining her raptures of delight at anything small and furry. Kist'ry was often bringing small animals, which were quite rare, into the palace, and in most cases her tendency was tolerated, but for one occasion.
Tei'rn recalled it clearly, though he had been very young when the incident had occurred. She had somehow gotten a hold of a small K'tak colt and had smuggled it into her rooms. It had not been long before the smell of the creature had made itself known and had betrayed her indiscretion. On his world, K'tak were food. The round-bodied animals with their short delicate legs and gentle eyes were the main source of meat and were therefore quite valuable in their resource deficient society.
His father had gently but firmly put a stop to it after its scent had become known in the halls surrounding her room. They couldn't afford to keep useless animals, he had said to her as she had cried and pleaded. Tei'rn had listened to the entire exchange from behind the door. He had been only four years old.
Tei'rn knew his father would have given in if he hadn't had a responsibility towards others, which he took very seriously. People starved, and Kit'aks could not be kept in such a useless capacity as serving as a pet, even to the daughter of the leader. The creature had disappeared, and Kist'ry hadn't eaten for days. It had been upsetting for both Tei'rn, who saw her as his mother, and his Father, who hated to make any of them unhappy. But he was the ruler, and sometimes, happiness had to come second.
Tei'rn had helped her care for the colt once or twice, and he had been somewhat sad to see it go. But he admitted to himself now that he hadn't really understood his sister's motives at the time. To him, Kit'ak had been meat, and good meat too. His four year old mind couldn't really follow the transition from living, breathing animal, with its tiny head, round body and short, delicate legs, to Kit'ak roast and the bones that they used as materials for things such as eating utensils. Kist'ry had named it Gom'bi, for the sound it had made.
Now he thought he understood better. She must have been very sad at its loss.
Ryo-ohki yawned cutely, and hopped into his lap. He continued petting her as she curled up and fell asleep.
The time since 'Christmas' had passed had been a time of drastic changes, most of which Tei'rn did not understand at all. The first had been a change in Ai'ka, she had become stiff, distant, not just with him, but with everyone. She seemed not to talk as much, and Tei'rn hadn't seen her smile in many days.
He had moved up to the shrine, in a small room that sat next to Yo'zo's chambers. He hadn't really minded giving up his room to the two returning people, it had been Ten'ki's in the first place, after all. He was, however, feeling a distance awakening between himself and the rest of the residents, with the exception of Ko'ki and Yo'zo. He didn't think it was all to do with the physical parting with the main house so much as with something else.
He didn't really understand what had happened, and no one seemed to want to talk about it. All he had to go on with drawing conclusions was the look in Ai'ka's marvelous eyes. They had hurt her somehow, and he wasn't sure what he could do about that. He had found with some confused alarm that her hurting hurt him, almost physically.
He sighed, his hand still stroking the small furry creature absentmindedly. Aside from Ro'oki, who seemed to like him, he wasn't sure what to think about the newcomers. He wasn't sure what to think about anything anymore it seemed.
There was Ten'ki, who seemed nice in a mild, distant sort of way. Tei'rn really hadn't spoken with him much.
Then there was Ro'ko, who was very strange to him. It was not her coloration, which was common enough on the planet of his birth, it was the strange power she seemed to have. She could move through walls, nearly giving him a heart attack the first time she did it in his presence, and she could fly. Strange indeed. And she had this way of looking at him with an almost speculative air in her feral eyes. She was brash, almost rude, very physical in her arguments and agreements, and she was totally in love with Ten'ki.
Tei'rn could tell now, now that he had experience with the emotion himself. She practically oozed it, hanging over the young man all hours of the day, at meals, at rest. And he returned the feeling wholeheartedly, from what Tei'rn could tell.
But Ai'ka and she didn't seem to get along very well at all. After that first day, when she had claimed a headache and gone to her room, not emerging all day, she and Ro'ko had seemed to have taken up a long-standing custom, or rivalry, he couldn't tell which exactly. And Tei'rn had seen the fantastic temper that Za'za'mi had informed him of.
It was quite spectacular, really. Ai'ka was very strong woman, but not as strong as Ro'ko. He had been a little startled, though, at the visible electricity that had started sparking between the two.
Tei'rn decided he was thinking too much for the moment, and took the little creature in his arms, she was very warm, he noted, standing and gingerly depositing her on a couch cushion.
He stretched, working out the kinks in his back and neck. Other than some small twinges from the injuries caused in the crash he felt perfectly fine, and even healthier - thanks to the rich and plentiful foods - than he had before he had started on his fateful journey. He walked to the door and peered out through the glass. It was a rather nice day; a little cold, but fine with the sunshine and gentle wind. It was just warm enough to have melted the small covering of snow on the ground. This was good.
Tei'rn shrugged on his coat, opened the door and stepped out. He felt like running; today would be a good day to run. He needed to start rebuilding the strength he had lost while in his confined quarters in space, and during his subsequent recovery from the end of the journey. Running would be a good place to start.
Tei'rn, after a moment of thought, bent and slid his feet out of his slippers. Barefoot was best, he reasoned, testing his footing on the deck and finding it sure. He took a few steps, inhaling deeply, then, he ran, leaving his thoughts to trail behind, forgotten for the moment.

Sasami stared into her mirror, considering. The headpiece that Tei'rn had given her lay on the dresser, waiting. It really was quite perfect, and she was impressed that Tei'rn had known her so well in crafting it. It even had a small section that was open, framing the goddess marks on her forehead in a heart shape. The thing she was pondering was her hair. At the moment that was the most important thought she would allow in her mind. Otherwise, she would just get herself upset again.
Pigtails just didn't go with the beauty and sophistication of the piece. When she wore it with her pigtails she looked like a child playing at being a grown-up, wearing her mother's jewelry.
Sasami reached up and slowly undid her pigtails, then she sat at her dressing table and brushed out her hair, very slowly and carefully. When she was done, she found her hands moving automatically, binding her hair in two low tails, just below her shoulders. She admired the effect, and saw Tsunami in her reflection, albeit a younger version.
She sighed, and picked up the headpiece, settling it across her forehead and fastening it securely in her hair. When she looked up again, she was again Sasami. She smiled suddenly, a brilliant, joyous smile.
For now, she was still Sasami.

Ryoko floated above the slush covered ground, watching her husband examine the carrot fields, now fallow for the winter. Her husband. Even now, after almost a year of marriage, that thought still surprised and pleased her to the point of near giddiness. That she was Tenchi's wife now filled her with a joy unsurpassed by any other feeling she had ever known. Their trips through the stars had not diminished it one bit, but rather polished it to mirror brightness.
Tenchi loved her, he had married her, and she was his wife. She couldn't contain the giggle that escaped her lips. Tenchi turned and smiled at her, then made his way back over the muddy furrows to her. She closed the distance by phasing behind him and wrapping her arms around his shoulders, kissing his neck. She thought it endearingly charming the way he still blushed and chuckled nervously whenever she did that.
They started back towards the house, and paused when they saw a silver blur dashing away from it, bounding in long strides over the damp earth.
"Was that...Tern?" Tenchi mused.
"I think so. He's pretty fast." Ryoko commented half-approvingly.
The two of them had been surprised to find the stranger sitting in their living room when they had returned at Christmas. And they had been equally surprised when they heard the story of how he had gotten there. On top of that was the obvious regard in which he held the elder princess.
Ayeka. They had been terrible to her, and they both knew it. They perhaps would not have stayed away as long as they had if they hadn't realized it, almost before they had left the atmosphere of the Earth behind them. At first they had been so deliriously happy that they hadn't spared a thought for her. Selfish and cruel. Then, they didn't know how they would ever be able to make amends for their actions.
There was one obvious way, allow Ayeka to marry Tenchi as well. Ryoko unconsciously tightened her grip on Tenchi's neck. He choked and she quickly loosed it. Ryoko's mouth tightened instead.
Even after their many months away, they hadn't been able to come up with a way to atone that would be acceptable to both parties. So they had shown up, and Ayeka... It was worse than the time they had first all come to live in the same house together, worse because they knew that they were to blame, wholly, for her distress.
Still, Ayeka marrying Tenchi. It was unthinkable, but the problem was convincing Ayeka of that as well.
Tenchi paused at the doors.
"What's the matter?" Ryoko asked.
"Don't you know?" He asked her quietly, caressing her cheek.
She sighed heavily, her golden eyes downcast, "Yes, I know."

They were coming back to the house now, she saw from where she sat at her window, her head resting against the sill. Tenchi and Ryoko were entering the house, removing their shoes, with Ryoko perhaps using Tenchi's shoulder for support. And now she would offer to make him tea, and he would laugh nervously and say he would do it himself. He was so considerate.
They would sit at the breakfast table, waiting for Sasami to finish her cooking. They would lean close to each other, hold each other's hands. They would whisper and laugh about things that only the two of them could share.
Only the two of them.
Unacceptable.

Time passed, and Yosho could see changes in Tei'rn. He spent very little time down at the main house now, instead trekking restlessly and constantly over the surrounding countryside, often at a near run, or an all out one, which was extremely fast. Sometimes he would leave early in the morning, before the sun even rose, and return late at night, when the stars were very firmly placed in the inky firmament.
Yosho thought he knew the reason why. The reason perhaps didn't. But then, maybe she did at that.
He had witnessed it firsthand a couple of times. She was pushing him away, reinforcing walls that Yosho had thought were crumbling under the onslaught of the creeper vines that were twining around them, all unconsciously planted by the young man with the peculiarly colored hair and gentle ways.
A few days ago, Yosho had been sitting at the table reading the newspaper when he heard Tei'rn ask Ayeka if she wished to take a walk with him. She had sounded delighted to answer yes, and then she asked Tenchi to come along as well. Yosho could almost hear the young man's pale face fall slightly, could see in his mind's eye the disappointment in those silvery eyes.
Before that, he had been walking past the garden with his wife, when he heard Tei'rn start to play, as he customarily did when Ayeka came out to work in the garden. Now that spring had arrived, there was much to do, and he had begun to help out.
He had heard his sister laugh happily as she regarded the first snowdrops poking their heads out from the dark earth. As they had watched and listened, Tei'rn played a gentle, coaxing song and the flowers shyly bloomed before him.
Perhaps Tei'rn hadn't caught the look in Ayeka's eyes in the momentary glance she gave the handsome young man, the wonder. Yosho did, but a moment later it was gone, and Ayeka said she simply MUST show Lord Tenchi the new flowers.
She had left Tei'rn standing alone in the garden, the tiny blooms flourishing almost lovingly around his feet. His eyes shone, too brightly, before he had closed them with a shake of his head. He had turned then, his shoulders stiff, tucking his flute into his shirt as he left the garden behind.
"It hurts to watch this." Kyokki had said, her eyes glistening softly.
He had replied, catching and squeezing her hand. "It's not really a matter that we should involve ourselves in, however we may want to. They have to work it out for themselves."
"But it's hurting him, hurting them both, so much, I can hear it in the music." She wiped the moisture that had accumulated in the corners of her eyes away with her free hand. "It's affecting the music."
Spring was colder for a few days following this incident.
And if this was what was happening when he was around to witness it, Yosho thought bleakly, watching Tei'rn approach the shrine from the porch on his office, he did not wish to imagine what was occurring when he was not present. He would not become involved, though. He could only make matters worse, as much as he hated to admit this fact.
The atmosphere that their estrangement was creating could be felt palpably in the people who knew them well. Sasami was feeling it the most, Yosho could tell. He wondered if it was an offshoot of what Tsunami was feeling as well. He couldn't be sure, not knowing what the goddess' intentions had been. He didn't think this was it, he truly didn't.
And also, his wife was showing the effects of the tension that now filled their home, particularly when Tei'rn and Ayeka were in the same room. He would see her watching them, watching Tei'rn's confused and lost eyes as they followed Ayeka around the room. Watching Ayeka as she practically fawned over Tenchi.
Kyokki had a soft heart, and her empathic talent leant her understanding that she perhaps wished she could shed at times like those.
At night, as they lay together, he would sometimes hear her weeping in the darkness of their room, her shoulders shaking as he held her closely to him, trying to impart his support and love. He hated that they were making her feel that way. She would turn and cling to him, pressing her damp face against his chest as he murmured words of comfort, smoothing her hair with a gentle hand.
Yosho sighed, turning and walking into his office, settling down at the table. He stared out the window for a long moment, then bent his head, resting it in one hand. Love made people do strange things, he thought, stupid things, grand things, awful things, hurtful things, wonderful things...
Tei'rn scratched at the door, and Yosho straightened, banishing his thoughts to a far corner of his mind. "Come in."
Tei'rn entered, his face assuming a smile that Yosho found was painful to watch.
"Good morning, Yo'zo." Tei'rn said quietly as he sat across from the dark haired man. "I have question..." He paused, thoughtfully staring at the table. "Would Yo'zo tell me about..." He blushed slightly. "Mating customs? Tei'rn thought... He is afraid he does not understand how they work here."
Yosho's mind reeled in terror, though his face did nothing to reflect it. 'Oh, sweet, obnoxious, meddling Tsunami, this will not go well at all, not at all...'

Tei'rn stood, a tall figure of utter stillness, in a small clearing not far from the shrine. In a distant way he was aware of Yosho sitting on a stone not far away, much in the same fashion as he was aware of the small stream that flowed just out of sight, the insects crawling in the mulch that covered the forest floor, the particles of air that shifted as the wind blew through his bound hair. The beating of his own heart, however, was the thing foremost in his consciousness.
He focused on it, entirely. Nothing else existed, the dim awareness of exterior matters faded away into a mere shadow, completely buried beneath the pump and flow of that organ.
'Ai'ka. A vain wish.'
The thought shattered his concentration, and the world returned to bright clarity around him. Tei'rn muttered a few curses in his own tongue before breathing deeply and beginning again. Slowly, slowly, he brought the sensation back, listening to the flow of blood within his body, into his heart, in one chamber and out another, in a steady rhythm.
He willed it to slow, to pump more each beat, to allow his mind to adjust the flexing of the muscle. The thudding became slower, but stronger, his body adjusting automatically, as it had been trained to do so long ago. He could hear it now, a strong beat thudding in his ears.
'Slow' he thought again, and the sound became deeper. He could feel his consciousness expanding again, spreading in a circle from where he stood, planted firmly on the earth, his hands at his sides, his fists opening and closing in time to that pulsing. He could see now, though his eyes were closed, everything seeming to be a grid-like representation of its original form, different colors according to its nature.
Yosho was a strong violet color, the aura surrounding his form pulsing in time to his own heart beating. The trees were green, and he could feel their life, slow and deep. His mind spread out further, but he stopped it short of the house in the valley, not letting himself think of the motivation behind it. Doing so would make him lose his concentration once again.
His body pulsed in time with each slow, strong beat of his heart. He focused inward again, feeling his lungs expanding, each breath deeper than the one before, each exhalation longer. He let himself be aware of each part of his body, feeling how the whole worked together. He examined the marks that his injuries had left on his flesh and bone, adjusting himself accordingly to each weakness and strength he found there.
He slowly reversed the process, but while his heart approached its normal speed, his expanded awareness was retained. When Tei'rn finally brought his heart back to its accustomed rhythm, he felt stronger, healthier, able. His preparations were complete.
He opened his eyes slowly, and focused on Yosho. His vision was more acute than it had been before beginning the process.
"It has been a long time since Tei'rn used the Oi'teku. In best warriors of my planet, it takes fraction of seconds to do whole preparation." He told the man, who had watched the whole thing with interest. "As Tei'rn had told Yo'zo, self-awareness of scale, makes sharper the... Hold a moment."
Tei'rn reached into his shirt and pulled out a small mechanical device, which he fitted on his ear. The translator had been a gift from Mihoshi on that fateful Christmas. Tei'rn really didn't like using it, feeling, somehow, that it was like taking a shortcut. He did, however, find that on the occasions that arose when he needed to be understood clearly it was very useful.
"As I was saying," He continued, speaking in his native tongue, but knowing that Yosho was hearing it in Japanese, "When the process is complete, not only is one blessed with an almost supernatural awareness of one's own weaknesses, strengths and movements, one is also aware of those surrounding him. When we use this exercise, we are almost able to see the move that will be made by our opponent before they make it."
"It's an interesting principle." Yosho replied.
"Some of us did not need this, the seers, though most took other vocations, were often the best warriors. They were ALWAYS so aware."
'A distraction,' he thought sadly, 'until he came back.'
He forced his mind back into what he was doing. He walked over and picked up a bo, turning it in his hands, knowing, because of his people's special meditation technique, where its strengths and weaknesses were, where the balance was best, how he could adjust from the staffs of metal, bone and plastic that he had used on his home world.
'I still love her.' The thought flickered across his mind as he began the first form, twirling the bo in his long, slender hands, his feet starting to move in an automatic pattern that was almost a dance. As he spun, the tears in his eyes caught the light, and sparkled.

Any gawkiness or hesitancy that Tei'rn displayed in his regular movements vanished when he began working in the arts that he had learned on the planet of his birth. Several weeks after his first demonstration to Yosho, he and Aidar were working side by side, their grace reflecting from one to the other as they worked through the exercises that Tei'rn was teaching the pale Kellian.
Kyokki watched them, sitting cross-legged on the ground, her chin resting on one slim hand.
Tei'rn had flung himself back into his training with a ferocity that was almost startling to her. She recalled him as always a reluctant, hesitant student of the arts, though he eventually became proficient at them. She was fairly sure, by her observations, that it was a way for him to take his mind off of his problems with Ayeka, which had escalated.
Ayeka had moved on to treating him with polite disinterest, which both infuriated and saddened the fire goddess. The empathy that she retained from her other form told her differently, told her of the constant struggle that Ayeka was putting herself through, not being able to let herself let go of Tenchi, yet loving another.
And dear Tei'rn, he was so confused, and upset, it was difficult for her to bear his distress. He, unlike Ayeka, knew what he was feeling, and that made it all the harder. He loved her, with all of his being, he wanted to be with her, hear her laugh, see her smile.
Kyokki sighed painfully. He wanted her to love him back. But Kyokki could also feel his resignation, and knew that if it came to it, he would forever hold that love to himself, and cherish it.
It made her want to weep and scream at the same time.
Tei'rn was stopping now, smiling at Aidar as he grabbed a towel from the ground and mopped off his face and chest. It was quite a warm day, and with the noonday sun, the two of them had ended up shedding their shirts, Aidar revealing his smooth torso and Tei'rn his scars. He had built up quite a physique, she mused, since his first days when he was painfully emaciated, now she could see lean muscles rippling under his pale skin as he moved.
The two of them took a few swallows of water, then walked over to where Kyokki sat. She, knowing the routine quite well by now, moved to pick up the bokken that had lain beside her, and handed them to the two men.
Aidar winked at her as he turned back, and she stuck out her tongue at his retreating back. Aidar was more than the impassive man who spoke little and showed next to nothing on his face. His mind was quick and well tuned, he was graceful and kind, and he did like Mihoshi. Perhaps it would turn into more, she was unsure, even more so now after the few months that had passed and produced a split between Ayeka and Tei'rn. But then, he had always been unpredictable, almost to a greater extent than she herself.
The two men faced each other on the smooth grass, and Kyokki watched interestedly, the forms were fascinating to observe.

Tenchi wandered up into the foothills, simply to get away. He needed a respite from the tension that seemed to grow every day. He had tried talking to Ayeka, to tell her why they had done what they had done, how he had realized he loved Ryoko. She had simply smiled at him, patted his hand and made him some tea.
He didn't know what else he could do. He cared for Ayeka, quite deeply, but it just wasn't the kind of affection she seemed to want. Unfortunately, she seemed determined that she could change his mind, that she could make the type of love that she wanted between them to grow despite what he had told her.
Maybe she was right, but he doubted it. He just didn't have the heart to tell her that. Maybe if she and Ryoko talked... He shuddered, not a good idea. Explosion was a very likely result to when the two of them were in one room together. Tenchi sighed and kept walking.
It was not long after when he came upon the small clearing where Aidar and Tei'rn had been working. Aidar didn't seem to notice him standing there, but as Tenchi watched, Tei'rn looked over at him.
Tenchi had perhaps expected anger in the young man, fury that the woman he so obviously loved had chosen another upon which to lavish her abundant affection, but that was not what he saw when Tei'rn looked at him. Instead, he saw a sadness, a sorrow that radiated from deep within him, showing through his eyes. Then he smiled, which, coupled with his eyes, was something heart-breaking to behold.
Tenchi quickly turned away. And came face to face with Kyokki, who had been standing behind him, watching. Her face was blank, but as he walked past, she laid her hand on his arm, and he thought he heard her sigh.

Later that day, Tei'rn sat in the onsen, allowing the water to soak away the aches and pains in his flesh, wishing it could do the same for his heart. Still, it was a most soothing place to be, with the softly rushing water, and the greenery surrounding him. He settled himself more comfortably against the side of the pool, his arms stretched out along the wooden deck, and he allowed himself to remember.
He thought of that first time that Ayeka had brought him there, and let his mind dwell on the past rather than to think about the present. He closed his eyes at the sudden pain that filled him, as the present flooded back. He didn't know what to do... he didn't know what to do...

Several weeks later found Tenchi and Tei'rn facing each other across the small field. Neither was sure whose idea this had been, but they had somehow ended up here, in the early morning mists, with Yosho looking on, again from a stone at the edge of the field. Tenchi thought it was the suggestion his grandfather had made, as he had been having tea with him, expressing his wish to see how Tei'rn's fighting style would look in action against Juraian.
Maybe Tei'rn had heard in passing. But when he had approached the field in the early morning, taking a walk to work out his troubled mind, he had somehow found himself with bokken in hand, in the middle of the field.
Tei'rn's expression was blank, his eyes intent, the bokken shifting in his hands. Tenchi looked at his grandfather once, then turned his attention back to the match, watching for any signs of movement from the other man. Tei'rn's ear twitched slightly, but the rest of him stood stone still as Tenchi made his opening move, his bokken raised quickly and slashing in at Tei'rn's left side.
Tei'rn slid away, as though he were nothing more than water and air, taken form, his weapon swinging at Tenchi's neck. Tenchi twisted quickly to block his answering swing, bringing his bokken up quickly to protect his throat. Tei'rn's weapon met his own with a solid thwack and he moved into a defensive position, backing away a few steps, his face intent. Tenchi followed his movements, stepping into a turn and swinging again, Tei'rn met it and turned it away, following through Tenchi's action to keep the two of them face to face, his own features still impassive.
Then Tenchi got serious.

Ayeka hadn't made her way to this spot in a long while. She had thought she had left it behind her when she had said good-bye finally to her memories of Tenchi. But now, she was embracing them again, now that he had returned. And so she walked, her shoes making soft pats on the spring grasses, tracing her path back through the trees, lost in her thoughts.
This was the place where she had stood after putting the past behind her, she thought as she stood on the windswept hilltop. This was the place that she had first caught sight of the falling ship that contained Tei'rn.
She winced slightly, then wondered why her heart had suddenly given a pained twinge. She swept her hair out of her face, looking down. And just over there was the scar his ship had left upon the mountain. There was another painful twinge, and she placed her hand on her chest, frowning.
She shook her head, sighing, wondering where Tenchi was as she moved down the hillside.
She had given him up, or so she had thought, but when she had seen him again, she knew that it wasn't that simple. He loved her, she knew that, he just wouldn't admit it. She had to make him admit it, she couldn't have been wrong about it.
And she still loved him, the gentleness of his hands, ( hands long-fingered and palely graceful as they moved), his eyes, (eyes shining like quicksilver), his soft voice, (a voice musical in its hesitancy), his smile...HIS smile... No, she thought, shaking her head. Why was she thinking of Tei'rn? She loved Tenchi, Tenchi.
Tei'rn was constantly invading her thoughts, distracting her, making her heart twinge. But no, she loved Tenchi, and that was the end of it.
That decided, she picked up her pace, her resolution adding firmness to her footfalls. And now, her mind uncluttered by troubled thoughts, she found herself hearing sounds in a clearing nearby, the clatter of wood meeting and being thrust away, the grunts of exertion.
She walked softly and curiously over, concealing herself partly behind a tree and leaning upon as she peered around to see what was happening. Her eyes wide, she watched as Tenchi and Tei'rn battered at each other with bokken, their motions carrying them from one side of the field to the other, then back again, once or twice coming very close to her hiding place.

Yosho watched, his dark violet eyes measuring as swing met block and counter-swing. The two of them seemed pretty evenly matched, even though it was somewhat difficult to tell judging by the differences in the styles they used. Tei'rn moved like quicksilver, depending on his heightened awareness to seek where Tenchi would strike next, and if necessary he slid away, malleable as the wind. Tenchi was in constant motion, and he was quite holding his own and more.
Yosho was impressed, the boy had been studying with his wife while they were gone, it seemed. One last burst of movement, and a hard thwack of wood meeting flesh resounded through the clearing.
He heard a small cry in the woods and turned his head to see a flash of purple hair amongst the branches of the trees. Ayeka was watching. He wondered what she was thinking, observing the two men who were pulling her heart in different directions, even if she wasn't fully aware of it.
Tei'rn was gasping slightly, the heavy strike on his ribs slowing him considerably as he met Tenchi's next strike, and the next and the next, his movements lacking his earlier alacrity, his face stiff with concentration. He managed to get one blow in, on Tenchi's shoulder, before Tenchi took his legs out from under him with a low swipe and stopped, the point of his bokken resting at the pale man's neck, his foot on the arm with which Tei'rn was still clutching his.
"You alright?" Tenchi asked the other man quietly, withdrawing his weapon and stepping back, offering his hand to help Tei'rn up. Tei'rn stared at the proffered hand for a long moment before taking it, and hoisting himself up.
"Yes," he said finally, his eyes averted. "I thank you for the lesson, and may we never meet on field of battle." He told the dark haired young man formally.
"Er...yeah..." Tenchi replied.
Tei'rn looked at him, and he smiled. Then he turned, and walked away.
Tenchi watched him go, with an uneasy feeling that he was missing something.

Ayeka shakily removed the hands that had clasped themselves over her mouth, holding in the cry of 'Don't hurt him!' that had nearly escaped her. She watched Tei'rn walk away, her thoughts once again cluttered and troubled.

It was not long after this incident that they found that the presence of Tei'rn had finally been discovered by the planet of Jurai, and, more specifically, by the king himself.
Tei'rn was sitting on the deck of the main house, his wind-player in his hands, quietly playing his fingers over the carvings on the surface. The song he was playing had a distinctly melancholy air to it, and even the cheerful chirping of the evening crickets fell silent before its muted sadness.
In that unnatural stillness, the roar that began to sound from the darkening sky became clearly audible. He looked up, and saw what appeared to be a ship, which seemed to be made mostly out of wood. Tei'rn's mind reeled at the thought of a tree large enough to contribute such a huge, seamless outer hull. The ship stopped in its descent just as he heard the door behind him quickly slide open.
Soft footsteps hurriedly took a few steps forward, then stopped abruptly beside him. He looked up and saw Sasami, who was staring at the ship with a peculiar look on her face.
"Za'za'mi, who is it?" Tei'rn asked her.
The young princess looked down at him, her face briefly blank, before she answered. "It looks like my father's personal ship." She went on, almost to herself, "Did he come on his own, are mommy and mother Funako here too? Why didn't he come on the royal ship?"
"Is something, wrong, Za'za'mi?" Tei'rn stood hurriedly, bending to look into her eyes. He saw something fearful there. Why should she fear meeting her father? He would give much to be able to see his father one more time. Impossible, of course, he thought with a blunt cut of grief.
"I don't know, Tei'rn." She replied. "And that worries me. Brother Yosho didn't tell him you were here, so I have to wonder if he found out or not."
"He is here because of me?" He asked, startled.
"Maybe."
A moment later, the rest of the household had rushed to the deck, waiting to greet their visitor. And Tei'rn, standing between Ayeka and Kyokki, found himself holding his breath in trepidation. All too soon he noticed a shimmering in the air near the end of the dock, and the form of a tall man became evident in that shimmer, becoming solid in a matter of seconds.
He was a formidable looking man, with a long beard and hair the color of Ayeka's. An air of authority surrounded him, issuing, it seemed to the pale young man, from his stern face and dark violet eyes. Looking at him, Tei'rn could see he was a man used to giving commands, and equally used to having those commands carried out with alacrity.
Tei'rn lifted his chin, knowing this type, and knowing how they thought. Any sign of weakness and they would crush you under their heel without thinking twice about it. The gaze the man turned on him was cool and calculating. The stare intensified, and Tei'rn felt a lofty expression forming automatically on his face, one that he hadn't worn in many years.
"You are the one called Tei'rn." It wasn't precisely a question.
He drew himself up, aware of the other's eyes upon him. Speaking carefully, aware that every word would be weighed equally so, he replied, "Yes, I am Bo'sai Tei'rn Ked'chami'coda To Med'iya Chandir." It was the first time in a long time that he had said his given name and titles in their entirety, but he felt that formality was called for in this situation. The words had the taste of things lost, he thought.
He caught Ayeka looking at him at the corner of his vision, her brow furrowed, and he avoided her eyes.
"You are late of Seta'ka."
Tei'rn nodded. "I am the only one remaining of that place."
Azusa drew himself up. "I am Azusa, king of Jurai."
Tei'rn bowed his head slightly in acknowledgement of his rank, "Cho, Azu'za." He said, saluting. "May peace follow your footsteps." Tei'rn suddenly felt disoriented, as though he were abruptly in another time and place.
Azusa's eyes narrowed, and Tei'rn thought that perhaps he had not addressed him properly. Tei'rn felt his ears twitching irritably, and grew a bit more disconcerted when Azusa's eyes turned to them as though he disapproved of their size, shape, or movement.
This was Ai'ka's father, he reminded himself sharply, and Tei'rn did not know how such things worked on Jurai, but on Seta'ka, getting along well with the parent's of one's mate was a beneficial thing. A feeling of defeat washed over him. Of course, why should he care what her father thought, she didn't love him.
Finally, Azusa cleared his throat. "I have come here with an offer from the Science Academy, which has historically been closely linked with Jurai. We have a considerable lack of information on your destroyed planet, and in furtherance of our studies we are offering you a place at the Academy so we can study your culture with firsthand information."
Tei'rn stared at him, unable to keep the incredulity off of his face. He turned his gaze to the others, and found most looking skeptically at the king of Jurai, all but Ayeka, who was looking back at Tei'rn with an odd expression on her face.
Finally, Yosho stepped forward, clearing his throat in a manner much like his father's. "Father, would you join us for tea? I do not think this is a matter that can be decided immediately."
Azusa practically glared at his son, then nodded, following him with a stately tread as Yosho led the way into the house.
Tei'rn stayed where he stood for a few long minutes, his hands curled into fists as he stared off across the softly rippling waters of the lake. Leave Earth? He wondered, looking down at his feet, if he could do that. He had grown to hold this place and these people close to his heart, and the thought of leaving made him feel somehow empty.
But, perhaps it would be better if he did leave. He had accepted that Ayeka could choose Tenchi over him, he had tested and found him worthy in his own way. Tenchi perhaps was not aware of it, but in Tei'rn's own thoughts he had already conceded defeat.
If Ayeka didn't want him, that was the way it was, one could not force love. He would always love her, but he wanted her to be happy. If she was happy with Tenchi, Tei'rn would not stand in the way of it, her joy took precedence over all else. And if he left, he wouldn't have to deal with the continual reminder of her choice every day that he saw her smiling face look at Tenchi rather than himself.
But if he stayed, there was still a chance that the two of them could be together. There was a chance that she could love him back. Then he would not lose her lovely eyes, eyes that shone like the twin suns over his lost home.
He turned, and found Ayeka standing there, watching him.
His eyes widened in a flash of shocked silver, and he searched for something to say. "You...did not want tea?" He said, finding the phrase lame the moment it left his mouth.
She shook her head, her glorious ruby eyes still fastened upon his face.
He found himself growing nervous under her stare, a nervousness that had not even made itself known as he had faced the ominous figure of the king of Jurai. He felt overwhelmed with love for her, but that was tinged with despair, as though there was something in her face that made him feel like he was about to lose all hope. A moment later, it all came crashing down.
"You should go." She told him. He stared at her wordlessly as she broke off eye contact, turning halfway towards the house as though looking into his eyes were something unbearable. "It is a great opportunity, and you should go. You'll like it there, I think." He continued to stare at her, his words gone. "I think you should go."
If Ayeka had been looking into his eyes at that moment she would have seen something, something that had tenaciously refused to be quenched through the destruction of a world, and the experience of being cast homeless through the stars, give one last feeble flicker, and die.
"I see." Tei'rn said behind her, his voice incredibly heavy. "If...you think this is good..." She did not turn around. "If this is what you want..."
She nodded, not looking at him.
"I see." He said again. "Cho...Ai'ka."
Ayeka heard the sound of his footsteps walking away across the deck, coming faster and faster as they retreated, and when she finally looked back, he was gone.

The house was dark, and Tei'rn fumbled his way along the wall, his feet feeling as heavy as his heart. He had returned to accept the King's proposal, ignoring the shocked looks of those who had kept him since he had fallen into their laps, then had left the house again after learning that they would be leaving in the morning. And now, as was his tradition, he was going to make his final farewell.
He found the door to Ayeka's bedroom and paused there a moment, his head pressed against the cool wood. He didn't really want to leave, but Ayeka had made it clear that he was not welcome anymore.
In Tei'rn's culture there was such a thing as a right of hospitality. When it was withdrawn there were no hard feelings on either side. It was understood that the one who had given the hospitality knew best when it was time to withdraw it, and the one who had accepted it needed to move on. It was understood and no one questioned it, just as he did not.
She had told him to go, and though he longed with all his heart that he could stay, it was her right. She didn't want him, and he had to accept that.
So why did he feel so cold, so lost, as though the darkness, like that which filled the hall in which he was standing, had filled him as well? Before, he had always harbored some hope, retained some happiness, even with all he had suffered and lost. It was gone now. It was gone, taken by the only one who could bring it back.
Tei'rn straightened, scrubbing his hands over his damp face, and hesitantly opened the door to Ayeka's room. He peered around the doorframe, seeing the sleeping figures of Ayeka and her sister outlined in the dark room. He had never been in this room before, it was not his place, but this was the one time that it was allowed, at least in his mind. His heart hurt as he walked softly into the room, kneeling beside Ayeka's futon.
It was time to say goodbye.
He watched her sleep for what seemed to be a long time, her blankets rising and falling with her sleeping breath, her face relaxed in slumber, her glorious eyes closed, cutting him off from that reminder of the suns of his home world. She turned slightly in her sleep, a lock of her dark hair falling across her cheek and he reached out his hand, smoothing it gently back. His hand lingered, and the spell of his reverie was broken.
"Ai'ka," Tei'rn said softly, then he had to stop for a moment, swallowing hard. "Ai'ka," He continued. "On my planet, when one who loves another must leave, to go to war or on a long journey, they do not say their goodbyes when they may feel restrained by reactions, but when they can speak freely." He unconsciously spoke in his native tongue, perhaps because he could only freely express himself that way. "I have made a good-bye like this only once before, to my sister, who was like my mother. Now, this is different, I do not love you like a mother, Ai'ka."
He whispered, "No, not like that. Since the moment I first saw you, Ai'ka, when the goddess guided my spirit to you in my dream, I have found a feeling for you, Ai'ka, that I never had for any other woman. It grew as you cared for me, and taught me of your world. I was not lost when I was with you. You allowed me to grieve, and to laugh."
Ayeka moved again, frowning slightly, and her hand emerged from beneath her blankets. Tei'rn took it gently in his, stroking his fingers lightly across her soft palm. "I grew with you there to nurture me, Ai'ka, and I love you for that." He paused, then decided to leave off of topics that hurt too much, instead focusing on happier times. "Your home is rich, Ai'ka, as is your affection. I hope that you were fond of me, and that my impression that you were was not misplaced. If so, it is my fault entirely."
Tei'rn felt his jaw clench, and his eyes burn. "You gave me back what I had lost, Ai'ka, love, a home, a family, a place to belong, if only for a while. I thank you for that. Peace be upon you, Ai'ka."
He released her hand, laying it gently back upon the coverlet, and rocked back on his heels, filling his eyes with her. Her face was turned towards him, and the rising moon, which could be seen outside the window, outlined her figure, giving her a subtle glow.
He hesitated, then leaned forward and brushed his lips across hers. Then he pulled back slightly and whispered in her ear. The same words in two languages, "I love you, Ai'ka. Ai'ka mi'consta ha."
The words were a caress, and in her sleep, Ai'ka smiled. Tei'rn did not see this, though, his eyes had closed with the pain of knowing that this would be the only time he could say those words to her.
He rose quietly, then turned and looked back, smiling sadly at Sasami's sleeping back. "Cho, Za'za'mi." he whispered; then he left the room. He had made his farewells.
The door shut behind him, and Sasami opened her eyes, their liquid-filled depths shimmering in the darkness. How had this happened, she thought.
Meanwhile, Ayeka, caught in the depths of a glorious dream that she would promptly forget about upon opening her eyes in the morning, shifted again, and her other hand emerged from beneath the blankets, a hand bearing a beautiful ring that looked formed by the Earth itself.

The next morning dawned bright and beautiful, the low-lying clouds reflecting soft pinks and golds upon themselves and upon the mountains. The lake shimmered like a gigantic opal as Tei'rn stood in the mountains, looking down. He raised his hands palm-up, staring at the sky, then brought one to his lips and touched it to his heart.
"Good-bye." He said softly to the earth that had received him.

Azusa waited impatiently at the end of the dock. He was eager to be off, and the man was making him wait. He hated waiting. Ayeka stood beside him, looking pensive, and vaguely unhappy.
He glanced at her and saw her look at him piercingly, then away. "I contacted mother." She said abruptly, "And she's very much looking forward to meeting Tei'rn."
Azusa decided not to respond to the hidden threat and warning in her words, just grunting to let her know that he heard her. "That boy had better show up soon." He said, after a minute had trudged by.
As though the words had summoned him, Tei'rn appeared at the edge of the lake, his hair, like abalone nacre, catching fire in the light of the rising sun, a small pack of his belongings slung across his back. He passed by the group that were standing on the porch of the house, nodding and smiling at each person he had gotten to know over the course of his time there, and walked to where Azusa and Ayeka were waiting.
"Let's go." Azusa said when the young man reached him. Tei'rn nodded.
"Goodbye, Tei'rn, I hope you'll be happy at the University." Ayeka added. Tei'rn glanced at her briefly, then looked away, nodding. Ayeka was taken aback, but Azusa was secretly satisfied. He had hoped that it would not be difficult to get him away from his daughter, and it had proved even easier than he had expected.
Ayeka moved away from the two, and in the glowing light of the transporter a moment later, Tei'rn had gone.
Ayeka went back to the porch, conscious that everyone was looking at her, but not knowing why. "Well, how about breakfast?" She asked. None of them moved. "What is it?"
"What did you say to him?"
"Sasami?"
Her sister had moved from the back of the group, her face, Ayeka now saw, was devastated, contorted with tears. "WHAT DID YOU SAY TO HIM?" She demanded, her voice hoarse.
"I...said goodbye..." Ayeka said, alarmed.
"Not right now, last night!"
Ayeka stared at her, wondering what was wrong, why she looked so angry. "I told him he should go."
"You..." Sasami stared at her as though she had never seen her before. "You...didn't!"
"I don't understand, it was a great opportunity for him." Ayeka backed up a few steps under her little sister's wrath, it reminded her uncomfortably of the wrath of the goddess. "He'll be happy there."
"No, he won't! He won't be happy, and it's ALL YOUR FAULT!" Sasami burst out in a freshet of tears.
Now Ayeka was getting angry. "How is it my fault? All he was doing here was eating and sleeping, he couldn't even get a job; he was a burden on Noboyuki's hospitality." She wondered why the words tasted so sour as she said them.
"He wasn't." Noboyuki murmured so quietly that she didn't even hear.
"It's better with him gone." Ayeka finished.
Sasami looked at her, her face pale and marked with the track of tears. A few quick steps closer and her arm lifted, slapping Ayeka across the face. Ayeka's hand flew up to her cheek as she stared at her sister in surprise. "How dare you call him a burden?" She said, her voice dreadfully quiet. "How could you be so blind, so cruel? I kept quiet and didn't interfere because I thought eventually you would see, but now I know I was wrong. Sister, I don't like you very much right now." Then her face contorted again, and she whirled, running into the house.
Kyokki, her face grave, followed after her. She reached the girl's room and heard her sobbing inside, "Sasami?" She said softly before entering without waiting for an answer. She found Sasami weeping on her futon, and she quickly knelt beside her, taking her in her arms. "You couldn't have known, cousin. Maybe things will work out." She murmured, rocking the young goddess in her arms.
"How can they?" The girl who would be Tsunami demanded. "It's all ruined."
"Some things are beyond our control," Kyokki murmured, smoothing her hair, "But we are not the highest authority. Cousin, if they are meant to be together, as you seem to think they are, they will be together, no matter what we do. And if not..."

Down below, Ayeka stood where Sasami had left her, her eyes stricken, and her hand pressed to her red cheek. She turned and looked at the spot where her father's ship had been. Why hadn't he said goodbye?


The small ship skated through space, its pilot half-drowsing at the controls. She had programmed the course, and since the ship was of her design she didn't have to worry about malfunctions. That only crossed her mind when Mihoshi was around.

The proximity alarms went off, and she came completely awake, scanning the screens that popped up. A Jurai ship, she saw, the personal ship of the King of Jurai if she wasn't mistaken...and she was never mistaken. It was heading away from her destination, she noticed, and she knew that they had already made good on their intention of offering a place to the survivor, if there was one, at the Academy. It was unfortunate, she thought, that she hadn't disembarked earlier.
She was eager to get back, though, she thought as she shifted in the comfortable chair, it had been a while. But the project she had been assigned to had been so engrossing that she couldn't possibly have left before. But when they had discovered the ion trail of a small craft heading away from the planet, she became eager to leave, particularly when she had discovered where it was heading.
There had been no variations in the course she was following, and she suspected that it was not a mere accident that it was leading to where it was. She looked up through the view-screen and saw the growing blue light of the third planet circling an unremarkable yellow sun began to fill her view.
She would find out soon enough if her suspicions were correct, and if indeed a treasure had landed on the Earth, a treasure that perhaps only she and a few select others knew the true worth of.

End of Section Three
A/N: Well, this section took me a while, ne? Sorry to all of you that waited. And thank you, thank you, thank you to all of you that are actually reading this new section after the long wait. It's my own procrastination that is to blame, really. I had most of this section written MONTHS ago, and I just couldn't get myself to finish it. But...as you can see, I finished it with the help of my #Tenchiff betas, Jocko (The Plushie Provider) Evil_Pii (The Fencing Master), and Hounder (Erm...The One of the Wandering Hands)...thanks luvs! ^_~
Now to write the next, and hopefully last section. I'll try not to leave you guys hanging for to long.