Disclaimer: Greetings fellow Tenchi fans! As you most certainly know, I don't own any of the characters, the merchandise, the movies, the series, or even a small stock in the Pioneer and AIC companies. So therefore, this story is being used without their consent, and with the knowledge that I do not own any of the characters. So just don't sue me for that, okay? Read this instead. It would be much appreciated. Don't forget the C&C! Author's Notes: Hi people. The_Entry_Plug here. As some of you may know, I am actually a hardcore Ryoko fan. But recently, it came to my attention that many of us so-called Ryoko fans constantly bash Aeka, for no reason other than that she is Ryoko's rival. Frankly, I am disgusted. Aeka is an incredible character, and the treatment of her annoys me. So I wrote this fic in response to that. I know there are other Aeka and Tenchi fics out there, but this one is coming straight from the mind of a Ryoko lover. So, I hope all you Aeka fans out there like this one. And all you fellow Ryoko fans stop bashing this wonderful Princess. One last thing...This takes place in the OVA series. Music: When I write, I usually let music dictate a scene, or even a fic. Music is the language of the soul, they say. This *entire fic* was inspired by a piece by Bach...well, read the title. You'll know which one. Anyway, if you enjoy listening to music while reading, I have a couple suggestions that coincide with this fic quite well. Listening to basically anything off of the Rurouni Kenshin OAV soundtrack is not a bad idea, because that style of music fits this fic perfectly. Well...enough already! Let's get on with the fic! ********** JESUS BLEIBET MEINE FREUDE Aeka and Tenchi ********** Alone...always...always so alone. Is that what life is? To always be alone? I don't want that. I want...others. I don't want to be alone. But...I don't want to be controlled...I just want their company...their respect...their love. All I want is to live with others. I cannot live by myself. I don't want to be alone. I want to be loved. Why can't I find that love? Why do I have to be alone? People always tell me what to believe...what to do. They always perpetuate their views, goals and hopes onto me, no matter what I want. They tell me to be strong. They tell me that I have to protect everyone, no matter what *I* want. And then... ...and then they abandon me. They use me as a means to an end to achieve happiness for themselves, and they don't care what happens to me. All I am is a tool, not a person. A title, not a human. A leader, not a being. A Princess...not a woman. I always have to choose duty over everything. Always. And I have no regrets. I feel that at least...if I let others *use* me in this manner...at least they will be happy. And if I cannot be happy, the least I can do is make others happy. Maybe I could find happiness in seeing others be happy. But I never had a reason to ever even *be* happy. Until now. It's...because of him. Him. He. That boy. That man. That one being...who showed me that I was a person, I was a human, I was a being...and that I am a woman. That boy, who has given me so little, yet I treasure what he has given me more than anything I have ever received in my entire life. That man, who has taught me more about being alive than I ever learned before. He taught me... ...that to be alive, I have to live. So selflessly he gave me this, and he asked for nothing in return. So selflessly he taught me how to live, and he didn't desire to use me. So selflessly he created a new life for me, one where I could be happy... ...and he didn't abandon me. And that boy, that man, is Tenchi. Tenchi Masaki. Tenchi, Tenchi, Tenchi. That name...it is like a whispering thought echoing wordlessly through my head. A beautiful name, named after a beautiful person. A name that speaks of a boy who is so simple, so different, so carefree. So wonderful. I love you, Tenchi Masaki. More than I could possibly even hope to express through these simple words. I, Aeka Jurai, love Tenchi Masaki. Aeka smiled gently, as she put the pen away. She stared at her writing in deep thought, hoping that it showed everything she wanted it to. For a long time, she had wanted to tell him these things. For a long, long time. But she never could. So, she did the next best thing. She wrote it down. Aeka gently folded the paper in half, and then once again, and then gently tucked the white paper into a white envelope. Folding the end into the envelope, she held it fast with a heart shaped sticker. She giggled to herself as she put it there. She never would have put something so easy, so quaint, or so simple onto a letter before. And that was exactly why it was perfect. Aeka sighed slightly as she stood up from the chair at her desk. She'd never worked up the nerve to tell Tenchi these things before. Everytime she'd try, her own feelings would catch themselves. She knew that she couldn't. The life Tenchi had shown her would battle with the life she'd always known. And neither side ever won. And then, there was that other...woman. Aeka gently tucked the chair under the desk, and clicked the light off as she thought about her relationship with Ryoko. A strange, strange relationship indeed. At one moment, it was as fierce of a relationship as one with any enemy. At another...it almost seemed as though they were...friends...in a fashion. Aeka slid the door to her and Sasami's room open gently. She quietly glanced about the hallway to see if anyone was there, and was partly relieved to find that it was empty. She didn't want her letter to be seen by anyone other than Tenchi. Aeka walked briskly, calmly, and yet commandingly down the hall towards the steps. The sounds of light laughter and conversation lofted up from the rooms down below. Aeka tucked the letter into the folds of her kimono as she descended the steps to the ground floor. "What is this, jiichan?" Tenchi asked. Tenchi was sitting in the shrine with his grandfather, their training for the day had come to and end. It was a slightly cloudy autumn day, the air about the Masaki residence was chilly. Not really all that cold, but one could certainly feel the difference without a jacket. Tenchi accepted the wrapped parcel his grandfather handed to him from across his table inside the shrine. He took it gingerly, looking back at the older Jurain with a certain degree of curiosity. The man's face held it's normal stern, emotionless demeaner. "That...was your mother's. I think that she wanted you to have it, boy." he spoke. Tenchi scratched his head. "What is it?" Katsuhito closed his eyes, and crossed his arms. "A gift." "Why are you giving this to me now?" he asked. Katsuhito took in a deep breath, and exhaled. "I thought that maybe now, that you have grown enough, it would be time for you to have this." Tenchi cocked an eyebrow. "Grown enough?" Katsuhito nodded. "Indeed. Open it when you are in private, Tenchi." He then smiled. "Now don't let this go to your head, boy. You still have a lot to learn." "Come on, jiichan!" Tenchi protested. Katsuhito's expression returned to a solemn one. "Tenchi." Tenchi blinked. "Yes?" Katsuhito opened his eyes, their wisdom and knowledge staring right back at Tenchi. "I pray that you one day soon respect what that gift is for." Tenchi nodded slowly, not really understanding. He stood up slowly. "Well, I'm going back to the house, jiichan." he said, as he walked over to the door. He slid it open, and closed it quietly behind him. Katsuhito sat in silence for a few moments after the boy had left. "I hope that you fully realize how important you are, Tenchi." he said to himself. Aeka walked into the kitchen to see Washu and Sasami sitting at the table, playing a game of Japanese chess. Aeka walked in quietly, scanning the room, but not finding Tenchi anywhere in it. Sasami turned from the game. "Hi, Aeka! Where have you been?" Aeka blushed. "Ummm...nowhere, Sasami. I was just in our room." Washu smiled as she looked at the crimson coloring in Aeka's face. "Hmmm... something to do with Tenchi, obviously." Aeka's blush deepened, and Washu cackled to herself, returning to the game. Aeka shook her head, grabbing firm control over her emotions again. "Excuse me Washu-san, but would you know where I *could* find Tenchi-sama?" Washu sighed at the lack of use of her prefered title, but let it slide. "No idea, Aeka. Sorry." Washu moved a piece on the board. "Check, Sasami." "Wha?!" Sasami cried as she returned her gaze to the board. The two of them returned to their game as if Aeka wasn't even there. Aeka sighed, and silently excused herself from the room. She walked into the living room, to find it empty. She blinked when she heard a slight noise coming from... ...the roof? She looked up, and rolled her eyes. Ryoko was perched on her beam, with her hands behind her head, snoring. Aeka blinked when she came to another realization. Silently giggling to herself at her discovery, she renewed her efforts to find Tenchi. Aeka took a quick glance over at the clock on the wall. Aeka walked over to the doorway, and prepared to make her way outside. She slid the door open, and shivered. It was cold. She shook her head. Filled with a new sense of urgency to give the letter to Tenchi, she began to make her way out of the house, and into the chilly autumn late afternoon. She took a look up the stone stairs which lead up to the shrine. She sighed. she thought. She threw on a determined look. Walking briskly into the chill, she set out for the shrine. Tenchi strolled away from the shrine, and towards the steps, thinking as he did, not really paying attention as to where he was going. he thought. He adapted a stern look as his thoughts deepened. Tenchi walked and walked, not really realizing that he wasn't going down the steps anymore. He had trailed off into the woods, towards the cliffside that overlooked the mountains. The package was still held tightly, yet gingerly in his hands. It was wrapped with a simple brown paper. The paper was fairly thick, and although it was still in fairly good condition, it was evident by it's scent and feel that the paper was quite old. A simple brown thread was wound around the package, holding it tight. Tenchi blinked as he realized that he had walked all the way to the cliff. He shook his head. A cool breeze fluttered through the air, and through the loose training gi he wore. He shivered, as he stared out over the cliffside. He silently marveled at all the colors of the trees, red, yellow, orange, all so beautiful. All so entrancing. All dying. Tenchi sat down as he continued to look over the cliff. His mind wandered back to the package. he thought. He shook his head, slaying the thought almost as immediatly as it had surfaced. His curiosity was far too strong to wait. Plus, his grandfather had told him to open it in private, and that's what he was in right now. No one but him, the grass, and the dying leaves. Tenchi smiled once, as he began to slowly weave the thread off of the brown package. Aeka finally cleared the last step of the shrine, disappointed to find that there was no one there. She sighed, and absently rubbed the envelope between her fingers inside her kimono. The breeze blew quietly at her, chilling her at the touch. She shivered and walked briskly over to the shrine office. Dead, fallen leaves flew past her feet as the wind carried them away, scattering the brilliantly colored foliage about. Aeka walked up the 3 wooden steps of the shrine, and walked to the door. Her emotions were now completely assaulting all of her senses. An onslaught of mental feedback of all the possible outcomes of her actions were straining her not only mentally, but physically as well. The pit in her stomach was growing, and was becoming almost painful. Her knees and forearms were shaking, no matter how much she tried and willed them not to. Her teeth were beginning to chatter. She was afraid. Afraid, not of being rejected, not of not being able to find him, but of not knowing. That was the worst part of it all. It was never like this before. Before, when everyone would bow to her. She didn't need to be afraid of not knowing, because everything would *always* go her way. And if it didn't, everyone would see to it that it did. It was that simple. And Aeka wasn't so sure that she liked that. Nervously, she raised a timid hand to the wooden edges of the door, and knocked gently twice. "Yes? What is it, Aeka?" Katsuhito's voice could be heard coming from the other side. She took in a deep breath. "Ummm...I am here to see Tenchi, brother." she spoke without opening the door. "Tenchi just left, Aeka. You just missed him." he replied. Aeka frowned in thought. Still puzzled, she thanked her brother, and turned from the door, and made her way back down the steps. Tenchi removed the string off of the wrapping, and proceeded to gently pulling the brown wrapping off of the package. He was very gentle, making sure that he only tore at the edges. He didn't want to risk damaging whatever was inside the package. Finally, enough of the wrapping had been removed, so he put his hand inside, and gently grasped whatever was inside. His hand wrapped around what felt to be wood, but also glass. He nodded. he confirmed mentally. He slowly pulled the picture frame out of the wrapping, with the backside facing him. He set the wrapping down beside him, and then slowly turned the picture over. As he did, a small envelope fell off of the picture and onto the ground. He barely noticed, as he stared at the picture inside the frame. It was him, his mom, and his dad. All he could do to respond was to smile gently as he looked at the picture. His mom was holding him in her arms as a baby, and Nobuyuki had his arm draped over his mother's shoulders. "Mom..." Tenchi said absently. The breeze blew again, and the envelope began to stir in his lap. He noticed it in his peripheral vision, and looked down at it. He gently set the picture down on top of the wrapping, so it wouldn't blow away. He picked up the envelope, and turned it over. On the front, in the middle, was the name "Tenchi". Tenchi blinked, as he recognized the handwriting, but he couldn't put his finger on who's it was. Shrugging to himself, he began to open the letter. His finger was inserted in the back, as he slowly tugged it across, ripping the paper which was obviously quite old. As he successfully tore open the envelope, he pulled out a folded sheet of paper. He set the envelope down in his lap, and unfolded the paper, to see what was on it. He blinked, as he recognized the writing finally. "Mom..." he repeated, this time, sadly. Slowly, he began to read. Tenchi? How are you? I'll bet you've grown into a healthy young man, haven't you? I hope that your grandfather gave you this at the right time. My son, Tenchi. If only you could know how much I wish I was there with you, right now. I love you, Tenchi. Never forget that. Your father does, too. Although he probably doesn't say it very often. Don't worry, he never told me very often, either. But I could see it, and it was enough for me. I'll bet that you can see it too, ne Tenchi? I know you'll grow into a very great man, Tenchi. You'll make me proud, no matter what you do. Because you are my son, and I love you. Remember, it's always a good idea to be yourself, Tenchi. Never deny yourself, and always prove to yourself who you are. Never, never give up. I say this, because I know that it will be hard for you. And I wish I was there to make it easier. But, we'll meet again, Tenchi. I know we will. We may be seperated now, but one day, we'll see each other again. I'm looking forward to it! I hope that we can meet, and you can show off your wonderful girl to me! You're probably blushing, aren't you? You're just like your father. You will meet someone, Tenchi. And please, please, make them happy. I know you can. Don't ever look down on yourself or others. Don't ever lose faith in yourself. Don't ever, ever forget that...I love you, Tenchi. Love, Mom. Tenchi finished the note, and he never even realized that his face was streaming with tears. He continued to stare at the note for minutes after he had completed reading it. His tears were splashing onto the page, but he made no effort to move the page, or stop the tears. Finally, he moved the paper next to him, and looked out over the cliffside once again. He sat breathing heavily for a few seconds, until finally, he moaned, "Moooooooommmmmm.....", and he collapsed his face into his knees, and began to weep. Aeka was walking slowly down the steps, somewhat depressed that she was unable to find Tenchi, when she was interrupted by a soft sound eminating from the woods. At first, she paid it no mind, and continued to walk down the stone steps. Eventually, she heard it a little better, and managed to distinguish it from the normal autumn noises. Someone was crying. Curious, Aeka began to follow the source of the weeping, going wherever her feet and the sound took her. She was walking down a path, and the sound was getting louder. The breeze bit at her again, but this time she paid it no mind. She slowly stumbled through the woods, and came upon the source of the crying. There sat Tenchi, his face buried in his knees, weeping next to the cliff. Aeka gasped slightly. "Tenchi...?" she inquired. Tenchi's sobs stopped, and he turned to the source of the voice slowly. His eyes were red, and his face was lined with tears. "A...Aeka-san?" he said, his voice somewhat nasally from the crying. "What are you doing here?" Aeka took a timid step towards him. "I was looking for you, Tenchi. Are you alright?" Tenchi took a deep breath. "I'm okay, Aeka. Thanks. You didn't need to come all the way out here for me." Aeka walked over to him, and sat down next to him, looking into his bloodshot eyes. "But I *wanted* to, Tenchi." she assured him. Tenchi was desperately trying to fight back the tears still, and he was losing ground quickly. And Aeka could tell. Tenchi turned his gaze back to the cliff, but Aeka never took her eyes off of Tenchi's face for an instant. Several moments passed like this, and Tenchi was struggling to breathe, trying desperately to refrain from crying when someone else was with him. Aeka was hurt. Deeply. Hurt that he felt ashamed to cry in front of her. Hurt that he was hurting. Hurt that she really didn't know why, or what to do about it. Again, it was the not knowing. Aeka remembered her letter. She knew it wasn't the time to give it to him, but she remembered the bravery she needed to write it and give it to him. She needed that bravery now. Aeka took a deep breath, and slowly reached out, and put a comforting hand on Tenchi's shoulder. Tenchi looked back over to her. "It's okay, Tenchi. If you want to cry, then cry." she assured him. Tenchi said nothing, but just stared at Aeka. Aeka knew that he was fighting desperately to keep himself from crying, so, emboldened a little by her own bravery and desire to help, she acted. Aeka moved closer to Tenchi, wrapped a gentle arm over his shoulder, and pulled him closer to her. Tenchi resisted for a second, but found that he wanted so desperately to lean into the embrace of another, so he simply let Aeka guide him to her. Aeka hugged him tightly, and whispered in his ear, "It's okay to cry, Tenchi." And he did. Tenchi wrapped his arms around Aeka, overflowing with a sense of warmness from the proximity of her body, and wept into her shoulder. Aeka held him as tight as she could to her shoulder, letting him cry. "It's okay, Tenchi. It's okay." she whispered. Aeka was starting to feel Tenchi's pain, and her eyes began to water. Aeka began to blink back tears, trying to be strong for Tenchi. After all, he had been strong for her for so many times. Minutes passed as Tenchi sobbed into Aeka's shoulder. Aeka was gently rubbing Tenchi's back with one hand, and holding his head to her shoulder with the other, while whispering assurances into his ear all the while. Eventually, Tenchi's sobbing slowly, and he slowly extracted himself from her embrace. He wiped at his eyes. "Th...thank you...so much, Aeka-san." he said, sniffing. Aeka nodded. "It was no problem, Tenchi-sama." She took his hand. "Are you alright now? What was the matter?" Tenchi sighed. "I think I'm okay now, Aeka. It was just something from a while ago, that's all." He wiped his eyes some more. "It's nothing for you to be concerned about." Aeka shook her head. "No Tenchi, you were hurting. That is most certainly something to be concerned about." Tenchi smiled sadly back at her. He hadn't noticed yet that she was still holding his hand. Either that, or he just made no move to tell her, or extract it. Tenchi turned his gaze back over to the valley, and Aeka soon followed. The two of them stared over the valley for a long time before any one of them spoke. Tenchi smirked to himself. "You know, it's funny." Aeka turned to him. "What is, Tenchi?" Tenchi sat for a few moments before responding. "It's funny. I...I'm lonely." Aeka blinked. "Lonely?" "Yeah, lonely. Can you believe that? We have 9 people living in our house, and I'm lonely as hell." he confessed. Aeka squeezed his hand reassuringly. "...I...that is...we are all here for you, Tenchi." Tenchi smiled. "I know that. But that's what's funny about it." "What do you mean?" He sighed. "I know everyone's there for me. I know everyone wants to talk to me, and I know everyone looks out for me. But I'm still lonely." He closed his eyes. "I've never felt so...empty, Aeka. It's strange. For a long, long time, it was me, dad, and jiichan. And I never really thought about it." He faced her. "And then everyone came, and I realized just how lonely I am." Aeka shuffled a little closer to him. "But, we are here to keep you company, Tenchi." "Yeah." he said, returning his gaze to the mountains. "But...I can't seem to find the kind of comfort that I want." "What do you mean?" He sighed. "I want company. I need it. I want a mother, Aeka. I want to be loved. More than *anything*...and...and..." tears began to well back up in his eyes, as he turned to face her again. "...I know it's right there, but I can't feel it!" Aeka blinked, as tears started to form in her eyes. "Tenchi-sama..." "I don't understand why...I can't feel it...maybe I'm just not fit to fall in love. I *hate* it. I...I've never felt so alone, now since there are so many people." Aeka looked at Tenchi right in the eyes. "Tenchi..." He looked her right in the eyes. "I...I..." He blinked. "What...?" he whispered. "I...I love you, Tenchi." Aeka said, her voice stuttering somewhat. Tenchi said nothing, his tears stopped, and his lip began to quiver. Aeka started to move towards him slowly, and he made no effort to mave away. She felt it. She felt his loneliness. She felt it, because it was the same as hers. She never wanted to be alone. And neither did he. She wanted to be loved. And so did he. They *needed* to be loved. Aeka moved closer to Tenchi, and lightly brushed her lips against his. She pulled back slightly at the contact, not sure if he really wanted it. As she saw he made no movement whatsoever, she looked at his eyes, and saw the longing. She moved forward again, and pressed her lips against his. She felt warm. Warmer than she had ever dreamed possible. Tenchi did as well, and he *craved* more. Tenchi responded by kissing back passionately, as if they only had these few last moments to be together, until they would be ripped away forever. At first, it surprised Aeka. He almost overwhelmed her with his desire for her warmth...her love. But soon she felt that same desire, that same craving, and began responding in kind. At first, it was much less. But then, she matched up to his passion, his desire, his *need*. She felt as though a golden ball of light had begun to melt all over her body, and was beginning to purify everything that she hated about herself. That loneliness. That abandonment. That craving. The craving to be loved. All of that. Everything that she had ever feared, and ever felt as though she couldn't understand how to face it... ...it was gone. And now... ...they weren't lonely anymore. THE END ENDING THEME: "Quiet Life", from the Rurouni Kenshin OVA Soundtrack. Author's Notes: Hey, there. Thought I'd make this a one shot fic. Like I said, normally I like to do a Ryoko-Tenchi, but I felt as though Aeka deserved a perfectly good chance, since she's just as good for Tenchi as Ryoko is. Well, anyway...yeah. C&C is appreciated. If you're wondering about the song, I'll explain it to you. The song "Jesus bleibet meine freude", (can be found on the 'End of Evangelion' soundtrack, FYI) is a beautiful piece by Bach. I was listening to it one day, when I was at the AFC, and I happened to come across a signiture in the guestbook, which bashed Aeka, and said that Ryoko was the only one for Tenchi. Now...this is at the AFC, people! Number one, no one there is going to take you seriously, so you're just wasting your time. Secondly, I got disgusted. I'm as of a hardcore worshipper of Ryoko as they come, but come on people! THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH AEKA!! And third, I got inspired to write this fic, so I guess I owe that guy a *little* credit. Heh. Anyway, I guess I'll say it once more. Liking one character doesn't mean you have to hate another! Yeesh! Heh heh heh, Later. Oh, and one last thing. (Shameless plug imminent) An epic I've been working on, called "June Mermaid", should be out soon. (Shameless plug complete) Look for it! Last Point (Seriously this time!): For those of you curious, the title is german, and it translates to (roughly), 'Jesus, the joy of man's desiring'. That's not *completely* accurate, but it's something like that. And yes, there is a reason I chose that title other than the song. (If I have to tell you why after reading the fic...(shakes fist at moniter)...anyway, take care, and keep watching Tenchi!) email: bhoffer7@home.com The_Entry_Plug