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

     Ayeka slowly disengaged herself from Tenchi's arms, careful not to wake
him.  It had been a magical night.  Tenchi was gentle, yet strong at the same
time.  Ayeka sighed to herself.  Things would never be the same.
     As she pulled her kimono on, she thought about Ryoko.  She didn't look
forward to telling her, but she owed her that much.  'Funny,' she thought to 
herself, 'I would have thought I'd be gloating over it, but I'm not.  I don't
have to.  Tenchi is mine, and that's all that matters to me.'  That thought
stuck in her head.  Tenchi was hers.  Tenchi would probably propose to her and
they'd be married, then they'd return to Jurai and take their place in the 
Juraian court.
     She had been away from court for so long.  In some ways, she missed it, in
other ways, she didn't.  She thought of herself standing in court, Tenchi at
her side.  He probably would be bored out of his mind at all the ceremonies.
She knew she was often enough.  She didn't look forward to the level of
pettiness that was present at the court.  But if Tenchi was with her, she could
withstand anything.
     But could Tenchi?
     The thought had just popped into her head.  Tenchi would hate all the fancy
balls and such.  And while she was sure Tenchi had the patience to put up with
all the formalities and endless ceremonies, it would be torture for him.
     She sighed.  Tenchi was an honest, simple man.  He just didn't belong in
the Juraian Court.  Ayeka realized she couldn't bring Tenchi to Jurai.  If she
wanted to be with him, she'd have to stay on Earth.
     But could she do that?  While she hated some parts of her life as the First
Princess of Jurai, it gave her chances to make a difference, to improve things
and make people happy.  She didn't like the idea of giving that up.
     First Princess of Jurai.  That title held a lot of responsibilities within
it.  Responsibilities she had been overlooking.  She had duties and tasks she
had to perform, and while she was sure they could be taken care of without her,
she couldn't turn her back on them indefinitely.  She wouldn't be able to live
with herself.  She had to return to Jurai.
     But what about Tenchi?
     But what about Jurai?
     But what about herself?
     She wanted to scream out at the injustice of it, but she didn't.  It didn't
seem fair.  No matter where she went, she couldn't be happy.  If she dragged
Tenchi to Jurai, he'd be miserable, and so would she for doing this to him.  If
she stayed here, she'd never be able to forget the people she had sworn to serve
as First Princess of Jurai.  She'd be miserable, and Tenchi would be upset,
because all he wanted was for everybody to be happy.  If she returned to Jurai
alone, she'd be without Tenchi.  She'd have to face the court and the noblemen
all by herself, without Tenchi, because he'd be on earth, happily going on with
his life.
     And that was her answer.
     Ayeka slid the door to Ryoko's room open.  Ryoko sat up and looked at her.
     "I'm glad you're awake," Ayeka said, "We have to talk."
     Ryoko stared at her face in the pale moonlight.  "It's over, isn't it?" she
asked, tentatively.  Ayeka nodded.  Ryoko turned away and looked out the window.
"Then I don't see what we have to talk about, Princess.  Unless you wanted to
gloat.  And I don't feel like hearing it, so bug off."  Ayeka sighed and sat 
down next to Ryoko, and stared at the moon with her.
     "Ryoko," Ayeka said after a moment of silence, "What is it you want?"
     Ryoko glared at her. "I think you know what I want, because you have it."
Ayeka returned the glare.  Finally, Ryoko relented.  "I want Tenchi.  You know
that.  Why won't you leave me alone."
     "Why do you want Tenchi?" Ayeka asked.  "Please, Ryoko, I know this is hard
for you, but I must know."
     "How could you have any idea how hard this is?" Ryoko snapped, angrily.  
"How could you have any idea how I feel?  You won!  Tenchi is yours.  But that's
not enough for you, is it?  You have to come gloat over me.  You have to remind
me exactly who and what I am.  A demon who cannot be loved, cursed with the
ability to love others.  Doomed to a life of miserable loneliness."  The anger
faded from her.  She looked at Ayeka with tears in her eyes.  "Why do I want
Tenchi?  Because I love him!  I want to be with him!  I want to make sure he's 
always happy!  That he never has to shed a single tear!  That his days are
filled with laughter and sunshine!  I want him to smile, and to never stop
smiling!"
     "I do know how you feel, Ryoko, despite what you think.  Because Tenchi
can't be mine.  I have been walking down a path waiting to find the crossroads
that leads to something better, not realizing that the path is a dead end.  It
is a fairy tale, where everybody lives unhappily ever after."
     Ryoko turned away.  "What are you talking about?  How could you possibly be
unhappy?  You have Tenchi, and that's all that matters."
     "No," Ayeka countered, "What matters is that Tenchi is happy.  Isn't that
what you truly want?  For Tenchi to smile, and never stop smiling?"
     "So you want me to accept this?  Because you make Tenchi happy?  Well I
can't do that, because I know I can make Tenchi happy.  I would do everything I
could to make sure.  But I can't trust you with that.  I will never be sure that
you won't, in some moment of pride, strike him down and destroy the man I love.
I can never accept your union with Tenchi, unless you can offer me proof that
you love him with a love as true and pure as mine."  Tears rolled unchecked down
her cheeks.  Ayeka put a hand on her shoulder.
     "Just as I could never trust you with Tenchi's heart, until just now."
     Ryoko turned to look at the princess, her eyes filled with sorrow, yet a
glimmer of hope lay within them.  "What... What do you mean by that?"
     Ayeka looked down at her hands.  "I... I can't be with Tenchi.  If I took
him to Jurai, he'd be miserable.  If I left the court of Jurai, I'd never be
able to forget the promises I had made as a princess, the promises I would have
to abandon.  I'd be miserable, and I'd make Tenchi unhappy, too.  My only choice
is to return to Jurai... without Tenchi.  It is the only way he'll be happy.
And that's all that really matters, isn't it, Ryoko?  I had to be sure that I
was leaving Tenchi in good hands.  I had to be sure I could trust you to make
Tenchi as happy as possible, just as I would, were there some way for me to
stay."
     "Do you really think I can accept this?  You're just giving me Tenchi.  How
could I go on, knowing that he loves you, and he's only with me because you gave
him to me?  Now I can't even win him back."
     "Ryoko."  Ryoko turned away.  "Ryoko, listen to me.  If Tenchi loved one of
us more than the other, do you really think things would have dragged on this
long?  Tenchi doesn't love me more.  He might think he does, after what happened
tonight, but we just got caught up in the passion of the moment.  I have thought
about it, and it doesn't mean anything.  Weren't you the one who offered to let
me sleep with him first?  Well, I've accepted your offer.  He's all yours, now."
     They sat there a while, watching the moon move through the sky.  Finally,
Ryoko turned to Ayeka.  "So what are you going to do?" she asked.
     "I have to go, tonight.  If I see Tenchi again, I'll never leave.  And that
would destroy us all.  Come with me, Ryoko.  This is hard enough as it is.  I
need someone to see me off."
     The two of them walked out of the house and into the still, silence of the
night.  They kept walking until they reached Ryo-Oh, now a strong young tree.
     "Is it ready?"  Ryoko asked.  "It's still kinda small, princess."
     "It might be a bit early, but Ryo-Oh can manage."
     "What about Sasami?  Are you going to leave her here?"
     "I couldn't take Sasami with me.  She loves it here too much.  She doesn't
have the responsibilities I have.  She has the liberty to stay.  Look after her
for me, will you?
     "I can't believe you're actually, leaving, Ayeka.  As much as I hate to
admit it, things won't be nearly as much fun without you."
     "I, too, will miss our quarrels.  Tell everyone I love them, and I'll think
about them always."
     "I will, Ayeka."  Ryoko said, a tear rolling down her cheek.
     "Ryoko," Ayeka said, crying freely as well, "Promise me one thing.  Go
slow.  It may take Tenchi time to realize he loves you as much as he loved me,
but he does, and he'll know it soon enough.  I just hope he doesn't forget about
me."
     "Ayeka.  He won't forget you.  None of us will ever forget you.  You were a
good friend to me, Ayeka, for an upstart princess.  Good-bye."
     "As you were, as well, for an evil pirate.  Farewell, Ryoko.  Perhaps, some
day, we'll meet again."  Ayeka turned to the Ryo-Oh.  Light surrounded it and it
rose into the air.  Slowly, the ship formed around it, each piece forming in
turn, until soon a spaceship hovered above them.  A beam of light engulfed
Ayeka, and she was teleported on board.
     Ryoko watched as the Ryo-Oh flew off into the star-filled sky.  She wept
openly, now.  "Take care of yourself, Princess," she called out.  Then, with a
sigh, she turned to walk back into the house.