Disclaimer:  None of these characters are mine.  They're property of AIC and
Pioneer.  Don't sue me.
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				Leaving

     Tenchi came down the stairs with a suitcase in each hand.
     "So, you're really going, Tenchi." Katsuhito said, looking up from the
breakfast table.  Sasami, Mihoshi, and Nobiyuki froze.
     "Y-Yes, grandfather." Tenchi stammered, "How did you know?"
     "I knew," Katsuhito replied, "Let's just leave it at that."
     "Tenchi?" Sasami asked, "Where are you going?"
     "I'm going to work for my uncle's shipping company.  You know, get out, see
the world, that kind of thing."
     "Really?" Mihoshi said cheerfully, "That sounds like fun!"  But she frowned
as she poked at her breakfast.
     "When will you be back, Tenchi?" Sasami asked with tears in her eyes.
     Tenchi knelt to look her in the face.  "I don't know, Sasami.  I wish I
could tell you, but I really don't know."  Sasami burst into tears as she hugged
Tenchi.  "I'm sorry, Sasami.  But this is something I have to do.  I would have
told you sooner.  But I wanted my last days here to be happy."
     Mihoshi burst into tears as she ran up to hug Tenchi, too.  Tenchi dropped
his suitcases and hugged them back, tears welling in his eyes, too.  Nobiyuki
just looked ahead in a cold silence.
     Ryoko appeared next to him, hugging his arm. "Hey, Tenchi!  What's with the
suitcases?  Did you plan a romantic getaway trip for us?"
     Ayeka yawned as she came down the stairs and froze as she saw Ryoko holding
Tenchi.  "Leave him alone, Ryoko!"
     "Hey, butt out, princess!" Ryoko retorted.
     "Will you two knock it off!" Tenchi yelled. "This is why I'm leaving in the
first place!"  Ryoko and Ayeka stopped cold.  Slowly, they turned their heads in
unison to look at Tenchi.
     "What?" Ayeka asked.
     "My uncle agreed to let me work for his shipping company.  I'm leaving."
     "What?" Ryoko was stunned. "How could you leave me?"
     Tenchi stared at her. "You just don't get it, do you?" he said. "I'm not
yours, Ryoko, but you won't realize that.  You show me no respect.  You
constantly bug me when I'm doing chores or homework.  You never leave me alone,
even when I'm asleep or in the bathroom!  That's why I have to go."
     "But what about me?" Ayeka asked.
     Tenchi turned to her. "You don't respect me any more than Ryoko does.  You
always feel you have to defend me, like I'm some object incapable of doing it
myself.  I'm not yours either, Ayeka.  I'm no one's, I am my own.  Neither of
you respect me, though, so you can't realize that."
     "But," Ayeka pleaded. "We love you more than anything."
     "I never doubted your love, Ayeka, or yours, Ryoko.  But without respect,
that love is meaningless."
     "We do respect you!" Ryoko cried.
     "Who was it that faked a call from Galaxy Police to get Mihoshi to leave?
Then tried to seal Washu in her lab?  You see me as an object, a possession that
is rightfully yours, and any means to recover me are justified.  If you
respected me, you'd let me come to my own decision."
     "I thought you-" Ryoko trailed off.
     "If I had known you felt that way." Ayeka said coldly.
     Tenchi put his hands on her shoulders and looked into her eyes.  "This 
isn't about me or my feelings, Ayeka.  I do love you, and Ryoko.  That's what 
makes this so hard.  I have to go."
     "But why do you have to go?  If you had told us ealier..." Tenchi cut her
off.
     "And if I told you, you'd suddenly start respecting me?  I don't think so,
Ayeka.  Only two things kept me here: school and a blind hope that somehow you
two would change.  Well, I've graduated, and neither of you have shown any signs
of changing.  I have to go.  When I'm gone, maybe then you'll respect me."
     "It will be a long, cold summer without you Tenchi." Ryoko said.
     "I'm not coming back at the end of the summer." Tenchi said. "I don't know
when I'm coming back.  I might return next year to go to college.  I might not.
I might visit for the holidays.  I might not.  I may never return, I don't 
know."  He hugged each of them and gave them both a kiss on the cheek.  Then,
he picked up his suitcases and headed for the door.  Washu appeared in front of
him.
     "Were you going to leave without even saying good-bye to me?" Washu asked,
a hurt look in her eyes.
     "I was going to come see you, but then...I just had to get out of here.  
I'm sorry, Washu."
     "I'll miss you, Tenchi."  Washu said as she hugged him.
     "I'll miss you, too, Little Washu." Tenchi said, as he returned the hug.
He turned to the others.  "Good bye, everyone.  I'll miss you all.  I hope I'll
return someday.  Please don't hate me for this."
     Ryoko stared as Tenchi picked up his suitcases.  Tenchi had freed her.  He
was the only man who had seen her for a true person, the man who fought Kagato
to free her from his evil grip.  She loved Tenchi.  His very presence made her 
feel wanted, that she wasn't some monster.  But now he was leaving.
     Ayeka held her breath as Tenchi walked to the door.  He had shown her how
to see true beauty, what it was to love and be loved.  She loved Tenchi.  He 
could find beauty and wonder in everything around him.  But now he was leaving.
     Mihoshi sighed as Tenchi opened the door.  Tenchi had been so kind to her.
Giving her a place to stay when her ship had crashed.  Inviting her to return 
whenever she liked.  She had never told him.  She loved Tenchi.  He looked past 
her moments of stupidity and saw her for the kind person she was.  But now he 
was leaving.
     Ryo-Ohki watched silently as Tenchi slid on his shoes.  She didn't 
understand.  Where was Tenchi going?  Why couldn't he stay?  Why did he have to
go?  She loved Tenchi.  She wished that Tenchi was just going to tend the carrot
fields like usual.  But now he was leaving.
     Katsuhito frowned as Tenchi closed the door behind him.  Tenchi was all he
had left of his daughter.  Tenchi had a strong heart, but Katsuhito knew that no
heart could take this.  He had hoped that, somehow, things would have changed
and Tenchi would stay.  But now he was leaving.
     Washu watched through the window as Tenchi walked away.  Tenchi had treated
her like a friend.  He was the only one who didn't put up a fuss when she asked
to be called 'Little Washu.'  She turned to the others.  "I hope you two have
realized what you cost the rest of us.  We all loved Tenchi just as much as you.
We cared about him and respected him.  But you couldn't.  And all of us are 
forced to pay the price.  We all loved Tenchi.  He was a good and caring man.  
But now he's leaving."
     Nobiyuki slowly got up as Tenchi walked past the gate. "Ryoko, Ayeka." he 
said, coldly. "I want you out of this house by this evening.  I don't want to 
see you until I've seen my son again.  I loved Tenchi.  He was my only son, the 
child of my beloved Achika.  But now he's leaving."
     Tenchi sighed as he walked away from his old life.  He wondered if he'd 
ever see them again.  He wondered if he even wanted to.  He wondered what would 
happen to him now.  He was alone, but there was no other way.  Some things just
had to be done.  He loved them all.  They were caring and wonderful people, who
each loved him with a true heart.  But now he was leaving.
     Sasami burst into tears as Tenchi disappeared over the horizon.  He had 
been the brother she never had.  She loved Tenchi. Whether she was upset or 
scared or just wanted to play, Tenchi always had time for her.  But now he had 
left.