Ayeka never heard the arrival of Mai-Lyn's ship, as she was too busy
preparing to make her departure the following morning.  Each article she
de-materialized into her luggage felt like a stone settling on her heart,
the weight growing heavier and more painful with each passing moment.
Finishing her clothing, she went about gathering her final belongings,
finding a small photo album of Sasami's beneath her bed.  She sat on the
edge and opened it hesitantly, dreading the pictures of Tenchi and herself
that she knew were inside.
     The album was surprisingly empty, however, save for a group photo, a
picture of Ryo-Ohki, and a small piece of paper that had a recipe written on
it.  Ayeka smiled softly and closed the book, then placed it on Sasami's
bed.  She went over to the window and looked out at the stars, thinking
about the lonely journey she would be making with only her guardians for
company.  She closed her eyes and sighed, trying not to think about being
alone again.
     As she stood, a faint melody came to her ears from outside that brought
her out of her thoughts.  The song was written long ago by an unnamed
Juraian nobleman, an incredibly difficult piece that had left Ayeka's
fingers sore for two days after she had attempted to play it.  She listened
and concentrated, thinking for a moment that it was only a trick of her
imagination.  She opened the window, hearing the music clearly at last, and
realizing that it was indeed being played by someone in the household.
     Ayeka hurried out of her room and went downstairs, looking over
fleetingly at Tenchi and the others as they watched a movie.  She thought
momentarily about asking them if they had heard it too, but decided not to
disturb them.  She tried not to think about Tenchi's arm around Ryoko's
shoulder as she went through the kitchen and out the sliding glass doors
that led to the dock.  There was a slight chill to the air, and Ayeka, who
had been in her warm bed all evening, held herself and shivered as she
looked about for the source of the music.
     "Hello?" she called out, going down the stone steps that led into the
surrounding forest.  The music grew closer, and Ayeka's curiousity began to
grow.  At last she reached a spot where the sound was very close to her, and
she looked around for it in confusion and slight fear.  Then, beside a tree,
she saw who was making the music, and stared in shock at them.
     "Mai-Lyn?" said Ayeka.  "What..what are you doing here?"  Mai-Lyn
stopped playing and looked up at her, smiling.  Ayeka walked closer to her
and sat at her feet, not believing that her friend was here on Earth.
Mai-Lyn sat her instrument aside and took Ayeka's hands in hers, looking at
her tenderly.
     "Sasami sent me a message, Ayeka.  I was surprised that you didn't send
it yourself, but it matters not.  You didn't forget that I'm always here for
you, did you?  I want to know when you're hurting, Ayeka, so I can help
you."
     Ayeka looked down, beginning to cry.  "Sasami..I..Mai-Lyn, I..I didn't
want to bother you."
     Mai-Lyn pulled her close and hugged her tightly at that.  "Shh...you're
never a bother, Ayeka.  I'm just glad that I received her message so
quickly, and that your father sent me to entertain those plutocrats near
Alpha Centauri.  It's a quick jaunt from there to here.  But distance isn't
important to me.  You are."
     Ayeka sniffled and looked up at her, smiling a little.  "You're
important to me too, Mai-Lyn."  She sat beside her friend and sighed,
looking at her feet.  "Mai-Lyn...where did I go wrong?  Am I just not
beautiful enough to suit him?  Did I say the wrong things..was I too bold,
or not bold enough?  Why..why won't he love me?  And why did he choose Ryoko
after all this time?  He seemed so disinterested in both of us...it's
confusing that it happened this way.  What did I do that was so wrong...to
deserve this?"
     Mai-Lyn laid a hand on her leg gently and smiled.  "Ayeka, I looked
long and hard at Tenchi and Ryoko when I arrived, and I can honestly say
that they didn't do anything premeditated to hurt you.  Love is usually
something that just happens between two people..it's not something that can
be easily explained.  Sometimes a man and a woman get into the right
situation at the right time, amd love overrides whatever fears or prejudices
they may have had before.  Sometimes people don't know that they were meant
to be until the very last moment."
     Ayeka looked over at Mai-Lyn and scowled, feeling tears about to build
again.  "So you're all for them being together, are you?  What about what
I'm feeling?  What about my broken heart, Mai-Lyn?  I thought you were my
friend, but it sounds to me that you're only seeing their side of the
situation!"
     Mai-Lyn shook her head and took Ayeka's hand again.  "I am your friend,
Ayeka, and I do care about you.  But I've been around a long time, and I
know by looking in a couple's eyes when they're in love with one another,
and they are, Ayeka.  I'm trying to see their side of love as well as yours,
but please...don't ever think that I don't care about how you're feeling.  I
love you just like I would a daughter, Ayeka.  I'm just trying to show you
how things are.  Please understand."
     Ayeka looked away, silent for a long time.  Above their heads a falling
star blazed through the night sky, its destination unknown.  She chuckled
bitterly and laid her head back, closing her eyes.  Mai-Lyn ran her thumb
over Ayeka's hand, happy that she did not pull it away.
     "I remember when I would lay out in the fields on Jurai and watch the
stars, Mai-Lyn", said Ayeka at last.  "I remember feeling so very, very
lonely, and wishing on falling stars like that one for a love of my own.
I'd go to those awful balls that father would arrange to introduce me to
eligible suitors, and I remember being paraded about like a prize brood mare
before all of those men, most of whom were old enough to have been my
father."
     She sighed again, then continued.  "I just got so tired of pretending
to smile and laugh all the time, Mai-Lyn.  And I fell in love with Tenchi
because I never had to be fake with him.  The laughter, the
smiles...heh...the tears.."  Ayeka began to cry again at that.  "All of
those...Tenchi made them real.  And I fell so hard for him."
     Mai-Lyn put her arms around Ayeka and let her cry against her chest,
stroking her hair gently and kissing her head.  She rocked her until the
sobs lessened, then died completely.  They sat and listened to the sounds of
the soft breeze through the leaves, the songs of the crickets on the night
air.  They sat and were quiet for a long while.  Mai-Lyn looked at Ayeka at
last, and gave her a warm hug.
     "I can't say I know what it's like to be paraded around like a brood
mare in front of fat, balding old men Ayeka, but you have my sympathies"
said Mai-Lyn, trying to get Ayeka to smile.  She did at last, and then
laughed softly despite her tears.  Ayeka sat up and wiped her tears away,
then looked at her friend and smiled.
     "It's a unique experience, believe me" said Ayeka.  "All of the
eligible men on Jurai either have one foot in the grave or one in the
cradle.  Mother always said that there was a collective flood of tears from
the women when my brother left Jurai.  I did a lot of crying myself."
     "As did I" said Mai-Lyn, shyly.  Ayeka blinked and stared, then laughed
out loud and leaned forward to press her further.  "Really?  And why didn't
you ever tell me about this?"  Mai-Lyn looked at her and smiled softly, then
told her all about their romance all those centuries ago on Jurai.  Ayeka
listened attentively, saddened as her heart went out to her friend.  But a
part of her was strengthened by her tale, and she began to feel, at least in
part, that she might heal one day as well.
     "You can imagine what was going through my heart when I saw him again
today, Ayeka" said Mai-Lyn, chuckling.  "You think you've put those old
feelings away for good, but then...you see them again and there you are,
your heart feeling like it's going to fly straight out of your chest.  I
think a part of you always keeps a torch burning for someone you loved, no
matter how much time has passed."
     Ayeka thought about that and nodded, knowing that she would always love
Tenchi, no matter how much time would pass between them.  Mai-Lyn looked at
her and took her hand, smiling as she did so.  "I'm telling you this as a
friend, Ayeka, so please believe me when I say that time will heal the hurt
you have in your heart.  And one day, someone will come along who will make
you forget all about the pain you've endured, and you'll never have to be
lonely again."
     Ateka nodded after a while, then gave her friend a long hug.  They
walked back together at last, and went up the stone steps that led to the
Masaki household.  Ayeka looked over at her friend and smiled, glancing at
her baliset as she did so.
     "You could have come up to my room and talked to me, if you wanted to"
said Ayeka.  "I hope I've never given you the impression that my private
quarters are off limits to you."
     Mai-Lyn squeezed her hand gently.  "I could have, yes.  But you needed
to be encouraged to come outside of them, Ayeka.  Life is far too short to
spend it in misery, my friend.  You have to learn to hear the music again."
     Ayeka knew that her friend was right.  And while she would continue to
hurt for a long time after, she vowed to be strong and learn to live her
life again.  There were other songs to be found in her heart, after all.