Disclaimer:
I do not own any of these Tenchi Muyo! characters,
they are copyrighted by AIC and Pioneer.  This fic
is for entertainment value only, not for profit.  So
please don't sue me, I'm broke.

"I'll be in your dreams
In your memories and thoughts
You will see me and soon you will remember, too
I need you, you see
Please come back to me
My heart is breaking for you, so far away
...my heart is dying for you, so far away"
~Heather

*For a Princess*
A Tenchi Muyo! epic fanfic by
Heather B. Kytes

5: Come Back to Me

It was hard to believe, but two years had passed since
Ryoko's disappearance.  Two endless, painful years of
having hope of finding Ryoko and then being
disappointed day after day.
        Tenchi couldn't hope anymore.  It hurt too much.
        The December sky was dark and filled with stars.
Another Christmas had come and gone without mention.
His family and friends knew better than to bring up
the holiday to him.  Until the day he died, he would
view Christmas as the day he lost everything that was
important to him. . .
        Ryoko.
        Tenchi sat on the porch, resting his chin on his
hand and gazing up at the canvas of sky above him.
Things had changed a lot in those two years . . .
        Gary had gone back to Destiny after Ryoko's
disappearance and was currently searching for a bride
to sit with him as queen of Destiny.
        Aeka and Sasami had returned to Jurai for a year,
only to come back to Earth on vacation.  They were
currently staying at the Masaki house, and Aeka had a
three month time limit to find a suitable husband before
her father arranged a marriage.
        Kiyone and Mihoshi had received their promotion
and were out in space, trailing murder and other
criminal offenses.  They were doing great, and they
even visited Tenchi and the others on their days off.
        Washu had been reclusive, spending most of her
time in her lab.  At Tenchi's request, she'd tried for
a year to track down Ryoko and her kidnappers, but had
finally exhausted all her equipment, and gave up.
        Tenchi wasn't angry.  He was too tired, too dead,
to be angry.  She'd tried her best.  They all had.
        Ryoko was gone.  Gone forever.
        A cascade of meteors shot across the sky.  Aeka,
Sasami, Mihoshi, and Kiyone joined him on the porch,
watching the show in the sky with hushed awe.  "A
meteor shower," Aeka said under her breath.  "How
beautiful."
        Tenchi stared at the floor.  Only one good thing
had ever come to him from the sky.  Ryoko.
        Aeka noticed his silence and looked at him, love
and pain evident in her amethyst eyes.  The bracelet
sparkled around her wrist.  "Tenchi," she murmured.
        He turned his head away from her.  The locket
sparkled around his neck.  "Not now, Aeka," he
replied.  "Not now."
        "More like not ever!" Aeka exclaimed.  Seething
pain flashed in her eyes.  "I want to help you,
Tenchi!  We all do!  You won't let us!"
        "What can you do?" Tenchi shouted, leaping to
his feet.  The others stepped back from him.  Sasami
and Ryo-Oh-Ki both whined in fear.  "Can you bring
her back?  Huh?  Can you bring Ryoko back to me?"
        Aeka's eye twitched.  She stared at the floor,
a shadow falling over her eyes.  Tears dripped down
onto the wooden deck.  "No, Tenchi, I can't," she
said quietly, regally.
        Tenchi shook his head, his entire body trembling
with intense emotions.  "You can't help me, then," he
said, finally.
        Mihoshi and Kiyone went back inside, Aeka
followed shortly after them.  Sasami hung back, and
after a second's hesitation, she hugged Tenchi tightly.
"I'm sorry, Tenchi," she said tearfully.
        Tenchi returned the hug, but it was an empty
gesture.  There was no feeling behind it.  He had no
feeling anymore.  His every sacred emotion was locked
inside a pair of golden eyes he would never see again.
        "Oh, Tenchi," Sasami whispered sadly, breaking
away from him and running back into the house.
        Tenchi reached down and picked up Ryo-Oh-Ki,
the last link, it seemed, he had to Ryoko.  He pressed
his forehead to the cabbit's and let tears roll down
his face.  "My Ryoko," he said, repeating the prayer
he'd said since the day she'd left,  "Come back to
me."

        "Your highness, the esteemed Roderick, member
of your highest council, wishes to address you."
Gary's younger brother, Kalan, said, bowing at the
foot of Gary's towering golden throne.  His red eyes
looked at his brother as he slowly lifted his head, a
slight smirk on his face.  "Shall I let him in?"
        "Of course," Gary sighed, waving his hand in
the general direction of the door.  Still smirking,
Kalan moved to the door and hauled it open.  Roderick
entered, decked out in the traditional flowing robes
of someone in his high position.  Kalan exited and
shut the door behind him.
        "State your business," Gary said coldly, not
caring that he was talking to someone several years
his elder.  Roderick's blue eyes frosted over, but
he kept his tone cordial.
        "King Gary, our search for a suitable bride
for you is going well.  We've received several
offers from different planets in the area."
        "I'm not forming an alliance with anyone,"
Gary snapped.  "Destiny stands on its own, and I want
to keep it that way.  We don't need anyone's help."
        "Yes, of course," Roderick said quickly.  The
frost in his eyes was replaced with fear.  Everyone
had expected Gary to be a kind ruler, but he'd
returned to Destiny as cold and emotionless as a
statue made of ice.  His father had been pleased at
the change and had appointed him as the new king
right away.
        Gary stared straight ahead blankly.  He was
thinking about the emptiness in his heart, and
his hand instinctively reached for the silver
necklace around his neck, gripping it tightly.
        "We don't have limitless options, your
highness," Roderick continued.  "You must choose
a bride."
        "I know that!" Gary snapped.  He glared down
at Roderick, and was pleased to see the man cower.
"I'll choose when I'm good and ready.  Don't even
concern yourself with it!"
        "Your father has ordered me to," Roderick
replied.
        Gary scoffed.  "My *father* is nearly dead.
I'm your king now.  You obey my orders only."
        Part of Gary was shocked at how cold he was
being, the part that Ryoko had brought out with
her affection, but another, bigger, uncaring part
of Gary took everything in stride.  Why should he
care about anything, or anyone?  Caring only led to
hurt.
        "Oh, and take a memo to my brother.  I'm
going out today," Gary said.
        Roderick was surprised.  "To where, your
highness?"
        Gary glared at him.  "I'm going to pawn this
necklace."  He ripped the silver necklace from
around his neck, shoving it in his inner jacket
pocket.
        "You won't get much," Roderick said.  "Why
bother?"
        "The symbolism," Gary said.  "This necklace
represents who I was.  It represents betrayal."
Gary forced his tears, his feelings back, keeping
up his uncaring shield.  He couldn't let him
emotions control him anymore.  "I'm not hocking
it for the money's worth, I'm hocking it for my
sanity."
        Roderick nodded, not understanding.  How
could he understand?  "Well, why not have a
servant do it?"
        "What, are my legs missing?" Gary snapped.
He stood.  "The hell with Kalan, I'm going."
He descended the throne and brushed past
Roderick, who hastily bowed as Gary made his
exit.
        *This is it* Gary thought as he made his
way out of the castle.  His brown eyes were full
of steely determination.  *This time you're out
of my life, Ryoko.  For good.*

        "I'm going to the store, Jasmine!  We're
all out of food!" Rielle called out, peeking in
the kitchen for any sign of her older housemate.
She saw Jasmine's head bent over a newspaper,
and she smiled, knowing the woman hadn't heard
her.
        Rielle snuck up behind her unsuspecting
friend and grasped her shoulders, shouting in her
ear, "Boo!"
        Jasmine nearly jumped out of her seat.  She
turned around and glared at Rielle, then laughed
happily.  "You got me, Rielle, but I'll get you
back."
        Rielle smiled as she looked at Jasmine's
sparkling green eyes.  They were not the eyes of
a forty five year old woman, but of a child.
They were somewhat familiar . . . but Rielle
had no idea where she'd seen them before.
        She had amnesia.
        She couldn't remember anything of her life
except the past month here on Destiny.
"Jasmine, I'm going to the store," Rielle
repeated.  She draped her arms over Jasmine's
shoulders in a semi-hug.  "Do you want me to
get you anything special?"
        Jasmine shook her head.  Her long, light
pink hair brushed against Rielle's cheek,
tickling her nerves slightly.  "You just come
back before dinner, all right?"
        "We won't have a dinner if I don't hurry,"
Rielle replied, letting go of Jasmine and
walking to the table.  She picked up the keys
to the car, then remembered that her driver's
license needed to be renewed.  "Jas, did you
send off the renewal form for my driver's
license?" she asked.
        "They need your license," Jasmine replied.
"Put it on the table, and I'll mail it off."
        Rielle reached into her pocket and pulled
out the small license.  She looked at it, at her
picture.  Her full name: Gabrielle Flora.  Age: 19.
Everything on the card matched her, including her
size and weight.  It had been the only
identification Jasmine had found when she'd
discovered Rielle lying unconscious on her
doorstep.
        *It has to be me* Rielle thought, shaking
the uneasy feeling aside.  She couldn't ignore
her gut feeling though, that, somehow, some part
of it was wrong.
        She didn't. . . think her name was Gabrielle.
She felt like it was something else.
        *Maybe it was* she thought, placing the
license on the table and exiting the house.  *But
right <now> it's  Gabrielle.  And it's gonna stay
that way.*
        A month, and Rielle had had no flashes of
memory at all.  She figured it was total, permanent
amnesia.
        But she always wondered about her former
life.  What it might have been like, who her
friends had been, her loves. . .
        Rielle's thoughts turned to thoughts of
college as she walked.  She'd started classes a
week ago, but she was already excelling in every
course she took.  She seemed to have an affinity
for everything.  Her professors were impressed.
She didn't really care what they thought.
        She cared about Tealik.
        He was a boy in her class, very friendly and
handsome, with short black, slightly spiky hair and
warm brown eyes.  He had an innocent, school boy
charm about him, and Rielle had been smitten at
first sight.
        He seemed familiar.
        So did Alina, the girl competing with Rielle
for Tealik's affections.  The girl, with all her
money and influence, seemed to think she was a
princess or something.
        Rielle's upper lip curled into a sneer.  *That
wanna-be princess Alina doesn't stand a chance* she
thought.  *She should go try to court King Gary.
Tealik deserves a real woman.*
        Of course, Tealik didn't seem to favor either
of them yet.  He was overwhelmed by the whole thing.
        Rielle reached the store and walked inside.
She went straight to the fruit counter and selected
the best and ripest fruits she could find.
        That's when she realized she'd forgotten to
bring money.  "Oh no!" she exclaimed.  "Now I have
to back and get it."
        The store's owner, a bored-looking middle
aged man, looked up at her and asked, "Are you all
right, miss?"
        Rielle smiled apologetically at him.  "I seem
to have forgotten my money.  I'm going to have to
come back."
        The owner shook his head.  "I'm sorry, ma'am,
we're closing in ten minutes.  I doubt you can make
it back here in time, unless you live close by."
        "It's a thirty minute walk," Rielle said
miserably.  She bit her lower lip.  She'd
forgotten that all the stores on Destiny closed
early on the weekends.
        "I'm sorry," the owner repeated.  He waited
for her to leave.
        Rielle exited the store, staring at the
ground.  "Me too," she murmured.  Her stomach
growled.  There was absolutely *no food* back at
home.  Not even one cracker.  She hadn't eaten
since yesterday's meager dinner of soup.  How was
she going to survive this?
        *Steal it* a voice in the back of Rielle's
mind whispered. Rielle was surprised.  *What?*
she thought.  *Where did that crazy idea come from?*
        She walked forward, not watching where she
was going, and bumped into something hard.
        "Ouch!" she heard a deep male voice call out.
        Not something.  Someone.
        "I'm sorry," she said quickly, almost afraid
to look up.  She did, and her mouth dropped open in
shock.
        She'd bumped into King Gary!

        Gary stared at the girl, his own jaw slack.
"Ryoko?" he asked.  *Has she really come back to me?*
he wondered.
        The girl blinked, no recognition flashing in
her golden eyes.  "My name is Ri--uh--Gabrielle,"
she said shakily.  "I'm terribly sorry, your
highness."  She moved to bow, but Gary put his
hands on her shoulders, stopping her.
        "Ryoko," he repeated, his brown eyes studying
her face.  Her cyan hair was longer, more brushed
out, but still spiky, and those golden eyes were
mirrors of his Ryoko's sunset eyes.  Her face was
more--innocent--but it was still Ryoko.  It had to
be her.  His heart was screaming it.
        "You have the wrong girl.  I'm sorry," the
girl said again, looking uncomfortable at Gary's
attention.  She sat there, waiting for Gary to let
her go.
        Gary saw a flash at the girl's neck.  He
reached out, and the girl gasped as he pulled the
silver chain from under her sweater, staring at
the half-heart hanging from the chain.
        "Your highness," she said nervously.
        Gary reached into his pocket and pulled the
broken necklace out.  He fit his heart to the one
on the girl's chain.  A perfect fit.
        "Amazing," the girl gasped.
        "It's you," Gary whispered.  He looked into
her eyes.  "But you're different."
        The girl blinked.  "I--well, your highness
must pardon me.  I have amnesia."
        Gary was reeling.  This proved that the girl
was indeed Ryoko, at least he was 99% sure it was.
But amnesia?  That meant she didn't know she was
Ryoko.  She thought her name was--
        "What was your name again?" Gary demanded.
        "Gabrielle," the girl said, not meeting
Gary's eyes out of respect for her king.  "My
mother--I mean, my friend Jasmine calls me
Rielle, as do the kids at the college."
        "Rielle," Gary said.  "If you have amnesia,
how do you know your name?"
        "When Jasmine found me, I had a driver's
license in my pocket.  Gabrielle Flora was the
name on it, with my picture."  Rielle shrugged,
then looked down at the necklaces.  "This necklace
was the only jewelry I had on when Jasmine found
me."  She blushed slightly.  "I don't know where
it's from or who my best friend is, but I've
never taken it off."
        Sharp, stabbing pains entered Gary's heart.
*Even not knowing, she wore the necklace, the
symbol of our bond* he thought guiltily,
staring at the broken chain of his half.  He
let go of her necklace and stood.  "What are you
doing out here?"
        "Getting food," Rielle replied.  She took
the opportunity to kneel at Gary's feet, bowing
her head.  "Please excuse the disrespect of my
not bowing sooner, your highness."
        Gary felt embarrassed.  "That's enough," he
said, grabbing her arm and hauling her to her
feet.  "If you're getting food, where are the bags?"
        Rielle stared at the ground.  "I forgot my
money."  She sighed.  "And the store will close
before I have a chance to go back to the house and
get it."
        "You can get food at the castle," Gary said
generously.
        Rielle looked shocked.  "I couldn't, your
highness."
        "Call me Gary," Gary said, hating the royal
title all of a sudden.  What did he need to be
elevated for?  He was just like everyone else.
"And I insist you come to the castle.  I can't
have anyone in my town starve."
        "Then you'll have to invite a lot of people
to your castle," Rielle replied.  She gestured
across the street at some homeless people
sleeping in boxes.  "Why don't you invite them,
too?"
        Gary sighed.  Since when was Ryoko a Good
Samaritan?  "Please, Rielle.  I think I may know
your past.  I could help you get your memories
back."
        Rielle looked intrigued, despite herself.
"O-okay," she finally assented.
        Gary wanted to hug her, but held off, instead
grabbing her hand and leading her back to the
castle.
        *This has to be Ryoko* Gary thought, his
heart clinging to the hope.  He really believed
it was her, but there was a little spot of doubt,
deep inside.  He briefly wondered if he should
inform Tenchi about this.
        *No way* a voice inside him said quickly.
*If it's Ryoko, this is your chance to get her
to yourself.  She doesn't even remember Tenchi.
Her love is yours for the taking.*
        It was selfish.  It was evil.  But Gary did
it.
        He didn't tell Tenchi.

        Tenchi awoke as chilly as a corpse.  He'd
fallen asleep on the porch swing.  He couldn't
find the will to go inside and sat there, freezing.
        "Here, Tenchi," Aeka said.  She held out a
blanket, and when Tenchi didn't take it, wrapped
it around him.  "Don't freeze to death."
        "Remind me why I should live," Tenchi shot
back.  "I sure as hell can't find a reason."
        Aeka started crying.  Tenchi didn't care.
He stared off at the barren trees ahead, waiting
for Aeka to go away.
        No such luck.  "Tenchi, you have to forget
Ryoko," she sobbed.
        "I can't," Tenchi said truthfully.  He didn't
*want* to forget her, or the happiness she'd
brought to his life.  He just wanted her back.
That was all.
        "Please, Tenchi.  She's not coming back.
She's not!"  Aeka was crying freaking rivers of
tears.  Tenchi felt a slight twinge of pity, but
nothing big enough to make him want to comfort her.
        Tenchi sat silently as Aeka continued.  "I--
I love you so much, Tenchi!  I would try to make
you happy, I promise I would do my best.  Just
please, please marry me, Tenchi!  Please be my
husband."
        "I'll never love you," Tenchi said coldly.
He gazed into her pools of endless tears.  "Do you
understand this?"
        Aeka nodded furiously.  "I know you don't
love me right now--"
        "I will NEVER love you even half as much as
I love Ryoko.  Do you understand?" Tenchi repeated
harshly.
        Aeka seemed to deflate a little, then slowly
nodded.
        Tenchi shrugged.  "Fine.  Then I'll marry you."

End of 5

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