Tenchi Muyo Fan Fiction ❯ Ayeka's attack... and a new villian ❯ Chapter 7

Disclaimer: As per usual it would be useless to sue me only now it's more so since I just replaced my transmission; jeez, I can't believe how expensive that was! Anyways, all the characters except my own belong to Pioneer or anyone they sell `em to.

A/N: All right, in this chapter I'm going to have Washu treat Tenchi and Ayeka and we'll see what else we can do.

Chapter 8-The Treatment

While Tenchi and Ayeka were standing in front of the door to Washu's lab the genius was putting the finishing touches on her `holodeck'. Using the scan she had taken of Tenchi when he'd asked for help with his dream she set up a program that would accurately portray most of what happened during the attack. Washu had decided that it would only cause problems if Tenchi and Ayeka also had to experience the sounds of the attack; fortunately sound from dreams couldn't be recorded, so she didn't have to worry about it. Now all she had to do was scan them to confirm her assumption that they were experiencing extreme levels of stress and explain the procedure to them.

Just as she finished setting up all of her equipment Tenchi and Ayeka arrived.

"Ah good, just in time. If you two would kindly come over here so I can explain the tests I'll be performing..."

Tenchi, having become accustomed to doing so lately, automatically put his arm around Ayeka to support her on the short walk to where Washu indicated. When he caught what he'd done he almost pulled away, but then decided not to when he realized that Ayeka could probably use the help anyway; and besides, he found he enjoyed it even if it did cause himself and Ayeka to blush a little.

When Ayeka found Tenchi's arm around her once again she immediately felt better not only physically but also emotionally. Even if it did make her feel `hot under the collar' she found Tenchi's touch very comforting, she just hoped Washu wouldn't say anything.

Washu did indeed notice what Tenchi did, but decided to keep it to herself so as not to embarrass them; she'd also have to make sure to keep her observation from Ryoko. She also realized that even though the procedure she was about to put them through would bring them even closer, in the end it was probably for the best considering the situation the attack had put them in. She just hoped that the feelings that were apparently between Tenchi and Ayeka were real before the attack even if they hadn't recognized them or admitted them to themselves.

What Washu was really worried about was Ryoko. Although she felt that Tenchi and Ayeka developing a relationship would be good for them she was very worried about what it would do to her daughter. But unless Tenchi found he could romantically love her daughter and Ayeka equally, which Washu found highly unlikely, then she would need to be there for Ryoko as her mother. Coming back to the present situation Washu faced Tenchi and Ayeka.

"All right kiddies, first I'll need to run some tests on you to see if your stress levels are too high, if they are then you'll get to see my latest invention!"

Tenchi and Ayeka both cringed as soon as Washu said that but didn't interrupt her as she proceeded to show them her `latest invention'.

"What we have here is what I call a holodeck, it's just like the one on that American show Star Trek. It recreates whatever I program it to flawlessly as if the holograms were real objects. Using the scans I took of your dream, Tenchi, I've programmed what I think is an accurate representation of the attack, meaning basically that I used your dream and both of you will be able to go anywhere in it while it plays out. For your treatment you'll both have to be in the holodeck and re-experience the attack; the sounds of the attack weren't recreated in your dream, so you'll be spared that part of the experience. After you're done in the holodeck you'll both need to talk about your feelings concerning the attack and then discuss them with me. I think that one session should be enough if you even need that considering how well you seem to have taken it so far. Now, let's get started on the initial test."

After listening to Washu's lengthy explanation Tenchi and Ayeka slowly absorbed all that she had said and considered what they would be going through. Re-experiencing the attack wouldn't be easy, but they both found the idea of sharing their thoughts about it somehow comforting. The only other thing that made them very nervous was talking to Washu afterwards and the initial stress test.

Washu directed the pair to a set of plain looking chairs; apparently Tenchi wouldn't have to strip to be tested for once. Once Tenchi and Ayeka were settled in their chairs Washu began running scans on their stress levels. As expected, they had an almost equal amount of high stress, though Ayeka's levels were slightly higher. Once the scan was completed Washu determined that one session would indeed be more than enough to bring the stress back to manageable levels.

"Okay, I'm done with the scans. As I expected your stress levels are fairly high, but one session should be enough to bring them back to normal levels. I'll give you a minute or two to prepare yourselves to enter the holodeck."

Neither of the two was really sure how to `prepare' to face that horrible event, so they just relaxed in their chairs and tried to focus themselves. Tenchi had a slight edge since Katsuhito had been teaching him basic meditation techniques recently, though not by much because Ayeka had had to learn similar techniques in her royal training. All too soon it was time to enter the holodeck.

"Okay, are you two ready?" Both nodded their heads in the affirmative. "Good, let's get this over with then."

Washu led them both to her invention and ushered them inside. After telling them that the simulation would begin soon after she sealed the door she left the unit and started the program. She decided to give them some privacy so she didn't turn on any visual monitors, though she made sure to keep an eye on their vital stats.

Inside the holodeck Tenchi and Ayeka observed the beginning of Tenchi's dream; they were behind the dream Tenchi as he waited behind a bush and the dream Ayeka was still a fair ways down the stairs. As they waited for the dream Ayeka to approach and be attacked the real Ayeka was beginning to tremble. Though she remembered little of the attack herself, from what she knew of the attack from Tenchi and her own imagination Ayeka was starting to get very scared.

Tenchi was starting to get a little scared himself, although he'd become somewhat used to seeing this he hadn't had the stress of Ayeka actually being there with him in his dreams. As he was worrying about his own fears Tenchi felt Ayeka beginning to tremble at his side. Cursing himself for his petty worries for himself Tenchi tried to think of a way to help Ayeka. Remembering that she had quickly relaxed when he hugged her this morning and a few days ago in the lab he decided to try that again. As he brought Ayeka into a full hug he whispered soothing words to her.

"It's okay Ayeka… this is in the past… this isn't real, you don't need to be afraid."

As Tenchi held her and tried to sooth her Ayeka began to calm down. Being back in his embrace would usually be nearly intoxicating for her, but for now she merely came back to her senses. Even though she was enjoying being so close to Tenchi at the moment she decided to pull away because she noticed her dream self was nearly to the ambush and she knew she needed to watch this.

Tenchi was a little surprised when Ayeka pulled out of his hug, and a little… disappointed? That was new, he'd never been disappointed when he got out of Ryoko's hugs, it must have something to do with the fact that he'd been the one to start the hug with Ayeka. He dismissed his thoughts concerning the hug when he realized the reason Ayeka had pulled away; the dream Ayeka was nearly to the point where she would be ambushed. As he watched the soon to be sprung ambush some of Tenchi's fear came back to him. He forced himself to watch as his other self sprang from the bushes and used his boken to stun Ayeka and then bound her hands and feet after he'd knocked her out. By the time his other self was dragging her to the practice area Tenchi and Ayeka were both on the verge of sobbing and had subconsciously sought each other out in a hug for comfort.

When they both finally calmed down they realized that their other selves were gone and that they were rather close to one another at the moment. They quickly pulled away and blushed until they realized that they should be at the practice area. They hurried to the clearing but they were only in time to see Tenchi heading back to the stairs with a completely blank look on his face. Neither one of them was particularly disappointed to have missed the attack itself and hoped Washu wouldn't make them go through it again. Once the other Tenchi was out of sight the program ended and Washu opened the door.

As the door swung open Washu saw that both Tenchi and Ayeka had clearly been crying, but she could also tell that they were much calmer. She didn't need to run any tests to know that their stress levels would probably be coming into normal ranges again, especially if they spent more time together to heal. Once the pair noticed her Washu gestured them out the door and summoned up a classic psychiatry office with a leather couch and all. Once the two took a seat on the couch Washu began her session.

"Since you both seem calmer now I assume that my experiment worked?"

"I believe so Miss… I mean LITTLE Washu. Although I still worry about other things, the attack isn't the most pressing thought I have right now."

"Good, good, and you Tenchi?"

"I feel a lot better too little Washu, thank you very much for helping us through this."

"Like I said before, this was no big deal and besides, I gotta pay my rent somehow don't I?"

"I won't argue with you Washu, but you know you don't have to repay us for anything."

"All right, lets not get into that again. Anyways, I'd like to run some more scans on the baby, if that's all right with you Ayeka?"

"If you wish little Washu."

"All right! Let's get started then."

Washu led Ayeka over to an examination table as Tenchi followed. After getting Ayeka to lie down on the table Washu set up her equipment. While Washu was getting ready for the scan Tenchi dragged a nearby chair to Ayeka's side.

"Are you okay Ayeka? That was quite a lot for either of us to go through just now."

"Yes Tenchi, I think I'll be fine, but thank you for your concern."

"Enough chit chat you two, it's time to start my scan."

Tenchi stood up and moved away from the bed so Washu could proceed with her scan. Since this was a simpler scan than the one for the DNA test Washu was able to use a handheld scanner on Ayeka, making the procedure much quicker. Once she was done, Washu's scan had revealed what she had expected for the most part. There was; however, something very odd about the baby's DNA. In the past several hours some of the DNA had apparently developed additional connections between each chromosome. Washu had never seen anything like this before, not even in Tenchi, and had no idea what it portended for the baby, but it did seem to prove that there was something very special about a baby from these two. Not wanting to worry Ayeka or Tenchi, she decided not to mention anything about it until she could figure out what was happening.

"Is there something wrong Little Washu, you seem distracted."

"No, no, nothing's wrong Ayeka. I just noticed something similar to a unique part of Tenchi's DNA, it's probably an indication of being able to create the Light Hawk Wings, that's all. Now, I'm done with all my tests for now, so you can leave if you wish."

"Okay, thank you very much for your help today Little Washu."

"You're welcome, now if you'll excuse me I need to attend to a few experiments."

As Washu left for another part of her lab, Tenchi helped Ayeka off the examination table and lead her to the exit. By now it was almost midnight so they both headed to his room to get some sleep. When they arrived Sasami was already asleep in a futon and had apparently set up another, as there was an empty one beside her. Tenchi had a strange compulsion to stay with Ayeka even during sleep, but thought better of it as he still hadn't had a chance to sort out his feelings and he also knew that Ryoko had a tendency to check on him during the night. Instead of dealing with it, Tenchi simply ignored his thoughts and guided Ayeka to the bed then took the other futon on the floor.

While laying down trying to sleep Tenchi kept remembering different times he'd shared with Ayeka and Ryoko. He remembered the first time he'd seen Ayeka, when Sasami had asked him to get her headpiece, then there was the time at the onsen when she finally worked up the nerve to enter the pool and Ryoko had pulled her towel off, he remembered when she had tried to shield Mihoshi, herself, and him from a black hole before he'd somehow engaged his Light Hawk Wings and managed to save them, then was the time when she'd confronted her father and refused to go home, and though she hadn't been able to say it, he knew it was because she loved him. For Ryoko he remembered the first time he had laid eyes on her when she was a mummy in the cave and the following meeting when she'd blown up his school, he also remembered the time she'd been captured by Clay and he hadn't even realized it until he was on his way to rescue her, he remembered when he held Zero just before she and Ryoko merged and how delicate the fearsome space pirate had seemed, he even remembered with a certain fondness the short time after Ryoko had merged with Zero and had actually acted shy around him for awhile.

With all of these memories going through his head Tenchi was not able to get any sleep. After laying there without any hint of tiredness Tenchi decided that he needed a walk for some time to think alone and finally get this mess sorted out. After he finally managed to sneak out of the house without waking anyone Tenchi found himself unsure of where to go, his usual thinking places now seemed to be a special place for the very girls he was thinking about and he wanted a place to think without being overly reminded of either one.

Finally, after some deliberation, Tenchi decided to visit the place of the first woman he had ever loved. As Tenchi went off on his hike to his mother's grave he lost himself in the memories of before his mother had died. He remembered how she had always been there for him whenever he needed her and how perfect that time had been, especially compared to the years following her death. Even now that the girls were here Tenchi still didn't feel at harmony like he had when his mother was alive, though it was certainly much better now than when it was just him and his father, alone.

Tenchi came back to his senses and realized that he was already at his mother's gravesite and was hit with a sudden sense of shame; it had been quite awhile since he had visited his mother as he only came on the anniversary of her death. Tenchi had always had the excuse that it was a several hour car trip and he couldn't drive before, but that was before the girls had come and moved his house. Ever since they'd lived closer to the shrine he'd still only come once, on the anniversary of her death, and there was no excuse for that anymore.

Suddenly though, Tenchi felt an unexpected sense of comfort, as though his mother didn't want him to feel badly. Startled, Tenchi forgot about the shame for the moment and paid proper respect to his mother's grave marker. Once he was done, Tenchi remembered the reason he had come here, to finally make a decision. At first, he wasn't sure how to start this, how to actually make a decision that he'd put off for so long that the mere thought of contemplating it was a difficult task all its own. Then he realized that the one time he could have, he hadn't told his mother about his new living situation, so he decided it was time to explain everything first.

"Hi mom, I don't know if you can hear me, but I hope you can. I'm sorry I haven't visited more often, I guess I've been busy and besides that, whenever I think about you it makes me sad. A lot has changed in the last year or so. Now get ready for a really big shock, I found out that aliens really do exist, though I don't know about any green guys, actually the ones I've met all seem quite human. You see, these aliens I've met moved the house to the shrine and they're all living with us now. I don't want you to get the wrong idea or anything, but they're all girls too. Since they arrived our house has been much livelier, to say the least, I guess it was a good thing that they came. I guess you'd like to know about them, huh?

Well, let's see, first there's Washu. She's kind of weird, she calls herself the `Greatest Scientific Genius in the Universe' and I've seen no reason not to believe her. She looks like a twelve year old, but I've seen her as an adult before and she had a baby a long time ago too, but she pretty much stays in her child form most of the time. She's also the mother of Ryoko, one of the other girls staying at the house, though they don't act much like mother or daughter most of the time.

The next girl is Mihoshi. She's a police officer, but on a galactic scale of course. She's a bit clumsy and manages to annoy Washu every time she visit's her lab because she usually breaks something. She is also one of the luckiest people I've met too, even though she is quite clumsy, I've seen her `accidentally' do things that can only be explained as blind luck or a miracle.

One of the more unusual girls, for this crowd anyway, is Ryo-Ohki. She's actually a spaceship that can turn into a girl or this animal called a cabbit. She got her humanoid form when she absorbed something Washu was experimenting on called Masu. She's kinda like the pet and little sister I never had.

Speaking of little sisters, there's also a little girl here named Sasami. She may only be eleven or twelve, but I swear she is the best cook on this entire planet, every night she makes meals that could easily rival those served at a five star restaurant, I'm almost afraid to eat out because it would probably be pretty disappointing now. Although she seems like the most normal person here she is actually merged with a goddess! I don't understand the circumstances of how or why it happened, but it makes her quite unique.

Sasami has a sister named Ayeka, who is my age, well, sort of. You see, when she arrived she was looking for Yosho, you know, the samurai in grandpa's legends about the demon cave. Anyways, I guess she was in stasis for seven hundred years while she was looking for him and she came here because of Ryoko's release. Ayeka is the first princess of a planet called Jurai and for the most part she acts exactly as you'd expect her to, it's just that she seems to lose her temper whenever Ryoko teases her and that's led to some extraordinary fights. I was really surprised a few months ago when her parents came and she refused to go home because she wanted to stay here; can you believe a princess would actually want to stay here when she could go back to her palace where she grew up? That reminds me, do you remember how I said she was looking for Yosho? Well, we found out that grandpa is Yosho! I couldn't believe it when I found out, but I guess we're part alien. I'm still not sure what to think about it, but it has proven to be a good thing in the past; I've had to fight some pretty bad guys and both times I was able to use these things called the Light Hawk Wings that I have because of our alien heritage.

I guess I better tell you about the last girl now. Her name is Ryoko and you'll never guess where I met her; she was the demon in the demon's cave. Now don't get me wrong, she does have weird powers like teleportation and firing energy balls and stuff, but she's no demon, at least not anymore. You see, grandpa never told us the whole story about his fight with Ryoko, he had to fight her because she was being mind controlled into doing horrendous things and the only way to free her was to lock her up in the cave for a few centuries; now that she's come out I guess she's what passes for normal for someone that went through all that she did.

Well, now that I've told you about the girls I guess I should tell you why I came tonight. Remember Ayeka and Ryoko? Well, the main reason they fight so much is because they both love me and they have other reasons for hating each other too. Now don't get me wrong, I don't think this is a `cool' situation, where I can have my pick or something, I think you know me better than that. I'm not really sure which of them I love if either and I guess I don't want to choose because I know the other one will be hurt. I've known about both of their feelings for awhile now and I have been putting off any serious consideration about them for even longer, the reason I'm here is because making a choice soon is that much more important now.

Unfortunately, this next piece of shocking news is something I'm ashamed of, even if it wasn't something I could have stopped. Two weeks ago Ayeka was attacked and raped and she is now pregnant. That is bad enough on it's own, but I found more shocking news a week after the attack. After Washu ran some scans on me she found out that someone had mind controlled me and I was Ayeka's attacker. Now you see the situation I'm in; I'm still not sure of my choice, but if I don't choose soon then Ayeka will be forced to go back to Jurai as this would not be the place to raise her… our baby if I don't love her in that way. I feel obligated to marry her, but neither of us wants to marry unless we both love each other fully.

Please mother, I need help, I don't know what to do."

"Meditation would be the best way to organize your thoughts and your heart, Tenchi."

Startled, Tenchi turned around to find his grandfather several feet behind him.

"What are you doing here so late?"

"I visit her grave nearly every night Tenchi, I'm simply late in doing so today."

Tenchi felt shame begin to well up in him again, but somehow managed to push it down.

"I was quite serious Tenchi, I think it is time for you to come to peace with yourself and realize who, if any, of the girls you are in love with. I know that you have tried to keep them all from pain, and in doing so you have likely buried any strong feelings you may have for any of them, but it is crucial that you resolve your heart now. If you do not, you will inflict far more pain on Ayeka than by simply rejecting her because she would never know what you felt for her before she was forced to leave. You do realize that she'll have to return to Jurai once my father learns of the attack, do you not? The only way she could stay is if she renounced her throne, and as much as she may love you, I don't think she would do that unless she knew for a fact that you were in love with her."

Although Tenchi had briefly thought about Ayeka returning to Jurai, his grandfather had made some very good points he hadn't thought of before. If he waited until after Ayeka left to choose and never saw her again that would not only leave him feeling he had left something undone, it would also hurt her even more. Even if he choose Ryoko after that she would probably be hurt too because she would never know if she had been chosen only because the only other obvious choice had been taken away. His grandfather was right, he needed to make his decision soon, maybe even tonight if possible, and it was only a matter of getting in the right state of mind.

"You're right grandfather, I don't wish to cause anyone pain, and though making a decision will hurt someone, it won't hurt nearly as much as waiting too long to make a decision. Please, can you help me find the right state of mind so that I may meditate on this?"

"Yes Tenchi. It's about time you did this. Come, we'll do this in the shrine so that you won't be distracted by being outside as I suspect this will take several hours at least."

Katsuhito led Tenchi to the shrine and settled him in to prepare to meditate. As he watched Tenchi begin the techniques he'd been taught to begin meditation Katsuhito considered the implications once Tenchi was done. Tomorrow may well be a truly joyous day for some while it would be the darkest of days for others. He had no idea which, if any, of the girls Tenchi was possibly in love with, but he truly wished that it could be his sister. As much pain as Ryoko had been through in her life, it would be as nothing compared to his sister being rejected again, especially now that she was with child. If she had to return to Jurai by herself she would be shunned by everyone despite the fact that she'd been raped instead of having the child by her own choice. The only reason their father wouldn't have an abortion done is because it was illegal, and besides, he seriously doubted his mothers would allow it. Of course, their father would have no problem putting a death warrant on Tenchi's head though. If his grandson wasn't in love with Ayeka he would stand by his choice, but he would be immensely sorry about it for all the pain and suffering it would cause for all parties involved. There was also the fact that even if Tenchi loved someone else, it wouldn't be easy for him to have Ayeka taken away and probably never even be able to see their child.

As Tenchi's mind began to clear so that his meditation could begin he held onto one thought for as long as he could; that he needed to make a decision now. Once his mind was completely cleared Tenchi came to feel a kind of peaceful harmony and felt himself falling deeper into… well, himself. Unexpectedly he came to a sudden halt and saw his mother, father, and grandfather. For some reason Tenchi still felt the same peace and harmony, but also a sense of needing to do something. Then, he noticed a door with Sasami's image on it. After seeing this he noticed that his mother, father, and grandfather were all standing outside doors with their pictures on them.

Tenchi came to realize that this must be his minds way of showing him how to sort things out and approached Sasami's door. First, he simply tried opening it, but it was, of course, locked. Tenchi decided that he the key must be his true feelings for Sasami. He thought about every memory he had of her; when she released him on Ayeka's ship, when she made the family's first meal from her, when she finally convinced Ayeka to come down and participate in the family, when she confronted him about seeing Ayeka in the nude at the onsen, her revelation to Ayeka that she'd someday merge with Tsunami, and when she too had refused to return to Jurai. Contemplating all his memories of her Tenchi realized that he cared a great deal for Sasami, but only as a big brother to a little sister. Upon this revelation Sasami's door opened and she stepped out. It was time to open the next door.

When he came to the next door it had Mihoshi's image on it. Of course, it too was locked. Tenchi brought up every memory of her that he could. There was the time she'd arrived and fallen perfectly into his arms before the plummeted to the ground, then he remembered her perfect timing when Washu had tried to extract a `sample' from him and Mihoshi had interrupted, then there was the time she'd accidentally found clay's ship and was shot down, and finally the time she'd told everyone a story about one of her biggest cases, the Ultra Energy Matter theft. Thinking over all these memories Tenchi realized that though he did love Mihoshi, it was only as a sister. Mihoshi's door soon opened to reveal her and Tenchi knew it was time to move on.

The next person's door he needed to unlock was Ryo-Ohki's. His memories of her were both amusing and heart warming. His first memory, of course, was when she hatched. He also remembered the time she'd scared Ayeka at the cabin as a fond memory. Perhaps the most profound memory of her was when he witnessed her absorb the Masu and take humanoid form. It took little deliberation for Tenchi to realize that while he was fond of Ryo-Ohki, he thought of her as more of a pet/friend than anything else. Thankful for the ease of opening this door, Tenchi moved on.

The door Tenchi came upon had an image of Washu doing a peace sign with the title `Greatest Scientific Genius of the Universe' over it. Not at all surprised, Tenchi moved on to his memories of her. His first memory of her was when she'd asked him to be her guinea pig on the Soja. Perhaps the fondest memory he had of her was when he'd asked her about being a mother and she'd poured her heart out to him about the loss of her husband and her own son. He also had a somewhat scary memory of when she'd first examined him and had tried to get a sperm sample that Mihoshi had thankfully interrupted. He also remembered the one time he'd seen her as an adult with a sense of humor and terror, the humor for how she'd teased Ayeka and Ryoko, the terror from how serious she'd seemed about bearing his child. Tenchi came to the realization that while he did love Washu, it was similar to the love he had held towards his mother, not like what he would feel for a potential lover.

Tenchi's next and last stop, to his mild surprise, was a double door featuring both Ayeka and Ryoko. Tenchi knew this would be the hardest door to unlock, but it was also the main reason he'd first embarked on this journey of his soul. The memories began to flood into him, the first time he'd seen Ryoko at his school, the first time he'd seen Ayeka when she was sleeping, just after he met Ryoko and she'd blown up his school trying to kill him, when Ayeka had ordered her guardians to kill him for trespassing in her bedchamber, Ryoko's constant teasing of himself and Ayeka, Ayeka's hot temper rising to the bait of Ryoko's teasing, Ryoko ripping his mother's kimono and his anger at that, Ayeka slapping him over a misunderstanding the day Ryo-Ohki hatched, reconciling with Ryoko after she tried sewing the sleeves of the kimono back on, the time he'd spent with Ayeka after she'd hurt her ankle, seeing Ryoko taken away by Kagato, the worry he'd felt when Tsunami had told him about Ryu-Oh's key being on Kagato's ship, the awkwardness after the girls had read the romance comics Sasami had suggested and all their following antics, the pleasure of giving Ayeka Ryu-Oh's seed, Ryoko's antics trying to get into the bathroom the same morning, the admiration he'd felt over the concern Ayeka showed for her barely grown tree when she thought Ryo-Oki was trying to dig it up, how Ryoko actually didn't act tough and strong during grandfather's ghost story at the onsen, seeing Ayeka reaffirm her love for her sister when she found out about the merging of Sasami and Tsunami, the fear that something was wrong with Ryoko when Clay first took her, seeing Ayeka try to defend him against Zero after she'd been revealed, consciously realizing Ryoko had been kidnapped once they were on their way to Clay, the short time Ayeka used her force field to protect him, herself and Mihoshi from a black hole, holding Zero in his arms just before she merged with Ryoko, the arrival of Ayeka's parents and the eagerness she'd shown in her haste to see her mother, hearing about how Misaki had treated Ryoko after learning that she wasn't Sasami, Ayeka's timid but heartfelt response to her father's demand that she return to Jurai. Ryoko encouraging him to fight Seiryou after she destroyed her bill for the destruction of Jurai. After the attack, the first time he'd every really had a chance to hold Ayeka, Ryoko's rage about his allowing Ayeka to sleep in his room, how easily Ayeka had forgiven him for the attack without even knowing his feelings, having to comfort Ryoko by the cave the same night, how much he enjoyed being in Ayeka's presence and some of the thoughts of what he'd like to do with her… Soon the barrage of memories slowed, and then stopped. There was much to consider and think about; how his own life would soon change and what he wanted to do with it, the consequences of this choice for the rest of the household, what to do about his baby with Ayeka, and many more things. Tenchi spent several hours at least doing all this for just this one door, but eventually he came to terms with himself and realized which one of the girls he loved as a sister and the one he was in love with.

Finally truly at peace with himself for the first time since his mother had died, Tenchi came out of his meditation. The first thing he noticed was that it was quite bright outside, so he must have been at this for several hours at least. Looking around the shrine he saw his grandfather asleep on a futon, but he also noticed something else about him. He'd never noticed it before, but his grandfather seemed to have a lightly glowing outline about his body. Before he investigated further into this phenomenon, Tenchi remembered that he had much to do today and headed back to the house. When he got back he was pleased to see that it was only five in the morning; not even Sasami was up yet, so he would be able to get at least a few hours of sleep yet.

When Tenchi arrived at his room, he was surprised to find that Sasami was gone. Immediately concern welled up within him and he was just about to begin searching the house when he heard someone finishing up in the bathroom. After waiting another minute or so Sasami walked into his room.

"Good morning Sasami, I hope I didn't wake you when I came back, did I?"

"Oh, Tenchi, you're back. No, you didn't wake me, I woke up a while ago and couldn't get back to sleep so I was getting ready to start breakfast. Where were you last night, I was worried when you weren't her when I woke up."

"I had a little trouble sleeping so I took a walk and ended up meditating for several hours. I really should get some rest myself now that I'm actually tired. I'll probably miss breakfast, but wake me for lunch if I'm still sleeping then, okay?"

"Sure Tenchi, I'll make sure Ryoko doesn't come in to try to wake you up too."

"Thanks Sasami, goodnight or morning."

"Goodnight Tenchi."

Now that Sasami had left the room and he didn't have to worry about Ryoko, Tenchi considered his thoughts from just before bedtime last night. Now that he'd sorted his feelings out and knew how he felt about both girls, he had no problem following through with those thoughts and as an added bonus, since he hadn't talked to Ryoko yet, he didn't have to worry about hurting her this morning since Sasami had promised to take care of her so he could sleep. Keeping all this in mind Tenchi slipped into his bed behind Ayeka and embraced her as she slept. He could swear he heard her sigh contentedly, but soon stopped thinking very much as he finally gave in and fell asleep.

Ayeka had been having a disturbing dream for most of the night. She'd dreamt that she was at Tenchi and Ryoko's wedding and when the time came for any objections to be heard she'd risen to tell Tenchi that she loved him. His response was to look at her sadly before turning back to Ryoko and affirming his marriage to Ryoko with a passionate kiss. This had been a recurring dream for her for quite some time now and though she was used to it, it still saddened her more every time she experienced it. As the dream started over this time though, something seemed different. Then she realized that she and Ryoko had switched places, now, she was Tenchi's bride while Ryoko sat with the guests. As with other incarnations of this dream, when the time came to voice objections, one was raised, but this time it was Ryoko being turned down by Tenchi after she confessed her love to him. When she kissed Tenchi to affirm their marriage she felt that this was different than a normal dream somehow, the kiss somehow seemed more real than it should have. Then, to her surprise, the dream Tenchi began to say things she'd always hoped the real one would say, but not in a way she'd ever dreamed before. He spoke of his sorrow for having to wait so long to tell her this, and how he hoped she would treat Ryoko kindly when she found out, he even told her how he didn't regret that she was pregnant with his child, only the way in which it had been conceived. Ayeka was overwhelmed, never before had she dreamed of Tenchi saying more than simply that he loved her, let alone all these explanations for recent events. Finally though, this beautiful dream had to end and Ayeka had to wake up to the real world and the real, undecided, Tenchi.

When Ayeka began to become consciously aware of herself as she woke she felt warmer than usual. She dismissed this simply as a side effect of her lovely dream as she tried to rise to check the time. To her surprise, Ayeka found she wasn't able to get up very far and found that something was holding her down by the waist. She looked down to see if she had really already gained so much weight that it was already this difficult to rise and was met with quite a pleasant surprise. What was holding her down was Tenchi! Before she completely lost herself to happiness Ayeka reminded herself that this could possibly just be an innocent gesture of kindness, it might not mean anything at all. Ayeka decided to just stay still and enjoy this until Tenchi woke up on his own. The longer she waited the happier Ayeka got, but at the same time, the more she kept telling herself that this didn't mean anything. After an hour of this Ayeka wondered why Tenchi was still asleep, but still didn't want to disturb hi either. As her thoughts began to drift Ayeka found herself getting more comfortable and sleepy again. Eventually, she fell back asleep. To her surprise, when Ayeka finally fell asleep, she found Tenchi waiting for her in a dark void.

"Where have you been Ayeka, I missed you."

"Tenchi? What do you mean?"

"Oh, you haven't figured it out yet? It took me a while to figure it out myself though, so I guess I can forgive you."

Ayeka was overwhelmed. The way Tenchi was acting it was as if he were the real Tenchi, only he was somehow in her dreams, but that wasn't possible, was it?

"Tenchi, what is it I haven't figured out yet?"

"Well, I don't know how it happened or how it's even possible, but somehow when I went to sleep I came into your dream."

Ayeka's heart began to beat wildly. The implications of what he'd said made her want to soar, which, since she was in a dream, she was soon doing over the beautiful landscape of Jurai. If Tenchi had really been aware of what he was doing, then he had willing gone through with the new version of her dream and this only made Ayeka happier the more she thought about it.

"Hey, Ayeka! Wait up, I'm having trouble keeping up with you!"

Feeling playful, Ayeka went even faster and decided to tease Tenchi a little.

"You'll have to catch me if you want me to stop Tenchi!"

Tenchi had never seen this playful side of Ayeka before, but he liked it. He rose to the challenge and was soon slowly gaining on her. When he got close every once in awhile she would slow down and let him catch up before speeding off again until he was finally able to tackle her and bring them to a soft landing in a beautiful garden. Tenchi just held Ayeka for a while, neither of them moving, or wanting to for that matter. Even if this was just a dream, it was one he was sharing with her and it made him feel complete for the first time in a very long time. Finally, Tenchi grew impatient and pulled Ayeka up to sit along side him while they embraced. After awhile more like this Tenchi decided it was time to clear everything up.

"Ayeka, I still don't know how this is possible, but I'm very happy that it's happening nonetheless."

"It makes me very happy too Tenchi."

"Last night, after a lot of thought and meditation, I've finally come to the answer to your question from yesterday morning. I love everyone here, including Ryoko, but it's you that I'm in love with Ayeka. I still want to marry you, but not only out of obligation for the baby, but because of the love I hold for you."

As happy as she was already, Ayeka somehow became happier at hearing Tenchi's confession of his heart. Now she knew that no matter what her future might hold that she would be able to be happy no matter what. The only thing she was worried about was Ryoko.

"I love you too Tenchi, I have for a very long time as I told you yesterday, I can't tell you how happy you've made me."

"You don't need to, somehow, I can feel it, I guess it's a side effect of sharing this dream. By the way, do you know how this is possible, have you ever heard of anything like this happening before?"

"In real life, no. But there are ancient legends that speak of soul mates being able to share dreams if they are touching one another. It's not happened for a very long time, but I guess this means that we really were meant to be together."

"It certainly feels that way. But that brings up another problem, what are we going to do about Ryoko now?"

"I don't know, I suppose we'll have to figure that out when we wake up."

Tenchi, realizing that Ayeka was right and wanting to enjoy this dream world for as long as possible, decided to put the thought of Ryoko out of his mind for now so he could enjoy his time with Ayeka here.

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A/N: Well, that's the end of my longest chapter to date, I hope you enjoyed it. If you're upset about the ending, I warned you at the beginning that this would be a Tenchi/Ayeka fic. I have a lot more in store for everyone, so, despite the long wait between updates, please stay with me. Oh, and thanks to the person that asked me to update a few days ago, it really helped me get going on this again, you know who you are.