Tenchi Muyo Fan Fiction ❯ The Nigh ❯ The Unwelcome Guest ( Chapter 3 )

Aeka woke to find her surroundings changed. She was no longer in the cave. Instead she was inside of a traditionally furnished room. She sat up and surveyed her new surroundings. The full extent of what happened had not hit her yet. She tried to figure out what had happen, but she quickly realized that she could not remember anything. It was harsh since not only had the occurrence that she just under went been forgotten, but also everything else. She could not remember where she came from, why she was there, or what she was. The only thing she could remember was her name. Dismay overwhelmed her as she clutched herself for reassurance. Emotions boiled over as tears began to swell up inside of her eyes. Her prelude of weeping was interrupted by the sound of someone walking toward her direction.

"Ah, so you're finally awake. Hello, I am Lord Katsuhito; I've been very worried about you. It's been 3 days now since we've found you near the shrine. The closest hospital is very far away. I was not sure of your condition, so I brought you here. I was afraid that the long trip would wear down on you too much. It does my old heart well to see you've recuperated. May I ask your name?"

Aeka was a little shocked by the old man's presence. At first she didn't say anything. She was curled in a semi-ball on the floor. Her hands clutched at the cover that was placed atop her. She didn't know how to accept what was happening. Lord Katsuhito could see the young lady was still in a state of shock. He did not want to tax her too far, so he decided to leave her now and return later. Before he left, he spoke out again.

"You've slept the better half of the day. It should be time for lunch. My grandson caught some fish that we can eat. I hope you like them with sautéed vegetables? I picked the cabbage and celery this morning from my garden. Feel free to rest some more. It should take me a little while to get everything ready."

"Aeka…"

"What?"

"I know my name is Aeka. It's the only thing I can really remember. I don't know anything else about who I am or what I'm doing here."

"Well, at least you have something we can work with. As long as you need help, I will be more than happy to supply it. For the time being, just try not to over exert yourself. I'm going to prepare lunch now."

With that said, Lord Katsuhito gave her a smile and turned out of the room. Aeka was less tensed, but she was still somewhat distraught. She laid back down on the floor and pulled the cover up to her neck. The quiet pause of the room settled her some, as she mentally came to grips with her current situation.

After a little while Lord Katsuhito returned to find Aeka kneeling in the center of the room. The cover was folded neatly and placed to her side. Upon his entry, Aeka bent forward and placed her head atop her hands on the floor. It was a sign of respect and gratitude that Lord Katsuhito felt was unnecessary. He walked over and helped her to her feet. As he did Aeka said, "I want to properly thank you for taking care of me." To which he replied, "Such deeds do not require praise. It is the least that I can do and is expected of any man." The two fully stood and began to walk out of the room.

Aeka walked slowly behind the old man. While they walked, Lord Katsuhito struck up a conversation when he asked Aeka a question about the clothes she was wearing. Aeka blushed as she realized that she was wearing a royal kimono. She hadn't thought about how fancy her appearance must have looked. She tried to think up something quick to say. With little thought on an explanation she sighed and told him she was unsure about her clothing. However, he caught her off guard when he replied that it looked similar to the one that his daughter wore on her wedding day. Aeka was struck with puzzlement as she paused her for a second, but she quickly regain her train of thought and sped up to rejoin the old man as he entered a room to his right.

The two kneeled before a floor table and began to eat. Aeka poked at her food for a second, as she tried to decide what to eat first. Lord Katsuhito noticed that she wasn't eating. He asked if there was something wrong with his cooking, but Aeka replied that it all look so nice that she didn't know where to start. The old man smiled at the compliment to his cooking and returned to his own plate. The room was silent as they ate. They finished together and placed their plates atop one another. Lord Katsuhito stood up and led Aeka to the entrance of the house. While they walked, Lord Katsuhito broke the air of silence once again, when he asked her if she would like to see the shrine. Aeka didn't reply. She looked at him and blushed again as she remembered that she was practically trespassing on his property. When they exited the house they went down a path and reached the stairs leading to the shrine. The two of them continued onward and reach the foot of a large stairway. The entire time, Lord Katsuhito hummed to himself. While Aeka's thoughts focused on trying to remember anything about herself, but her concentration was broken every so often to enjoy the scenery. The cherry trees that stood above them seem to dance as a gentle wind blew their leaves back and forth. Rays of light would brake through the canopy and shine down upon her face, while cherry blossom leaves slowly traveled down on gusts of wind. An occasional one would float down in front of her or land on he face. All of these things grabbed her attention and for a minute moment that caused her to feel a sense of peace.

The two reached the top and entered the shrine. The second room from the entrance was setup for tea ceremonies. Aeka knew where the guest position was, so she kneeled there and waited for Lord Katsuhito to return with the tea. After a minute or two, he entered with a traditional tea pot and two matching saucer cups. Each was filled with tealeaves. He placed one in front of Aeka and one across from her. Yosho picked up a separate dish, containing honey, from the table and poured it into both cups. Then he poured the hot contents of the teapot into her cup first then his. The old man put the pot down and kneeled in his position on the floor. Aeka leaned over and picked up her cup. She swirled it a little then lowered her head down to it. The aroma was nice as she blew on it to cool the surface down. Then she took her first sip. At this time, Lord Katsuhito had joined in. Aeka leaned back up and looked at the old man. She was curious about his kindness, and about how she ended up in his care in the first place. She placed her saucer down and spoke.

"Lord Katsuhito. Are you the only one here at the shrine? Forgive me for asking, but this seems to be quite a bit of work and responsibility for one individual to have."

"No my dear. The responsibility is not a burden. However, I do have some help maintaining the shrine. My grandson Tenchi does most of the chores here. He should be out in the fields about now. I believe he was going to plant some sweet potatoes today."

"Ah… so he's a farmer?"

"Heh… farming is just one of the thing that he finds time to do. I think you may have a few things common. That's why I hoped the two of you would get a chance to meet before you left."

"Oh, I see. Lord Katsuhito please forgive me, but I'm afraid that I must be leaving soon. I thank you for your kindness, but I can not infringe on you any longer."

"There is no need for you to feel that way. Until you get your memory back, I insist that you stay here with us. It would be rude to deny my hospitality. I'm sure you just need a little more time here, and I believe that you could find your identity with the help of my grandson. He should be up from the fields shortly. In fact I think I may hear him now."

Lord Katsuhito stood up and walked over to the door. He smiled as he saw the familiar top of the young man in question ascending up the stairs. He waved Aeka over to look. She reluctantly stood up and walked over. Her eye caught the image of a young man dressed in farm hand clothes and dirty smudges on his arms and face. He looked very commonly, but he had an air of wonderment that surrounded him. Lord Katsuhito stepped back and kneeled at his position on the floor.

The young man reached the door to the shrine and meet eye to eye with the young lady. He didn't speak at first. Neither did she. The two just stood there and looked at one another, each observing the detail of the other to the fullest. Then their focuses were broken when Tenchi glanced away toward his grandfather and spoke, "Good. She's finally awake. She should be able to leave now." Aeka was surprised by his words. He seemed cold and uncaring. She drew back from him. Lord Katsuhito frowned at his grandson's conduct, but he did not lash back at him. Instead he cleared his throat and glanced hard at him. "Now that's no way to speak to Ms. Aeka. She is a guest in our home, and has lost all of her memories. We will do our best to help her restore her past. Until then, we will show her our utmost respect," said the now forward old man. Tenchi did not show any response to the words. His focus was on Lord Katsuhito, but he slowly turned away and faced Aeka.

Tenchi put down the farming equipment he was holding and slightly bowed as he declared his name in an introductory greeting. Aeka brought both of her hands to her waist and did the same. Tenchi slowly raised his head so that he could get another good look at the young lady. He tried not to show any signs of anger, but Aeka could tell he did not want her around. Tenchi returned to his upright position and looked back once more at Lord Katsuhito. He then decided to leave the two of them to their tea. Aeka face exposed her disappointment. She was more uncertain of staying with them now. She was about to once again tell Lord Katsuhito that it may be best that she leave, but before she could she heard him sigh loudly.

"I'll never understand that boy. Please forgive him Ms. Aeka, his words are not well thought out. Neither do they correctly express his true actions. While you were unconscious he helped nurse you back to health even more than I. For the first two nights he stayed by your side."

"He did?"

"Yes. I had to make him leave your bedside on the third day. He had not left you once before that."

Aeke blushed for a second then wondered why someone that had been so unkind to her just now could have been so kind and caring before then. Her interest had been sparked in the young man. She felt that it might be helpful if she went to him and thanked him for watching over here. She rose from the ground and began to walk out of the door after him. As she existed the entrance, she saw him just about to enter a nearby shed. As she looked over at him she noticed something in the distance behind him. It appeared to be an opening. At that moment, a rush of partial memories flashed through her head. The image of the mummified figure burned itself in. Aeka felt her body go limp. Her legs gave way and she toppled the short distance of the elevated stoop entrance to the base ground. Tenchi threw down his farming equipment and ran to her aid. Lord Katsuhito noticed her fall too and went to her aid also. When he got to her, Tenchi had already reached her. The young man tried to help Aeka to her feet, but she quickly toppled back onto him when she tried to apply some weight to her bruised ankle. Lord Katsuhito immediately ordered Tenchi to carry Aeka back to the house. Tenchi reluctantly agreed.

Aeka wrapped her arms around the back of Tenchi neck, as he hoisted her up on his back to carry her. He insured that she was comfortable, and then began to make his way back to the house. For the moment it was if they were old friends from childhood. After they reached the bottom of the stairway, Aeka spoke to him.

"Thank you."

"For what?"

"For taking care of me. You and your grandfather have been so kind. I will forever be in your debt."

"Don't mention it. So, you lost your memory?"

"Yes, I can not remember anything beyond my name."

"It's probably to the best."

"Excuse me?"

"You have nothing to lose. At the moment, everything that surrounds you is a new possibility. You have no responsibilities weighing you down. You can go where you want, do what you want, and no one dictates your life."

Aeka thought about what he just said. His words did ring true, but she still had an emptiness that she felt. The world was a new place based on her condition, but she could not feel peace with the knowledge that she lost her past life to acquire this one. She tightened her grip around Tenchi's neck, and he repositioned her on his back. Aeka thought about the things she saw when she looked at the cave and decided to ask Tenchi about it. He quickly responded.

"Don't go there. It's a dangerous place. It's dark, damp, and could cave in. On top of that, there is a legend that tells that the cave is cursed. It's best that you avoid it at all cost."

Aeka tried not to show any interest to his warning. At the moment she just rested her head on the back of his neck and reflected on the images she saw. Tenchi carried her back to the house. When he got there she had already dozed off. He made and effort not to wake her, as he laid her on the floor and placed a cover over her. The young man stepped away from her, but as he did, he fixed his sight on her face. He harshly turned his head away. His mind was in turmoil over the young girl. Tenchi knew that he had to stay away from her. For his sake, and hers...