Tenchi Muyo! and all characters herein are the property of Pioneer and AIC, save 
those created by the author.  This is a fanfic, is not for profit, and does not 
express the views of Pioneer or AIC.

Requiem for Sakuya


	The summer sun shone down on Tenchi Masaki as he walked down the shrine 
steps.  The day seemed normal enough, but what was a normal day around here any 
way.  It had been two months since Tenchi had returned home from Tokyo, but it 
felt like it had been longer.  Those few short months ago Tenchi felt like any 
other ordinary teenager.  He was in school in Tokyo, had normal friends who did 
not threaten the universe, and even had a normal girlfriend.  Then his world 
came crashing down around him.  Tenchi paused in the steps and looked into the 
cloudy sky and sighed.  The warm face of Sakuya Kumashiro flashed across his 
mind.  He loved her.  Admitted so, even embraced this knowledge with pleasure.  
For once in his short life he was entirely and unabashedly happy.
	Now that love had been taken from him.  Forcibly.  Against his will.  Each 
day that passes the memory of his short time with Sakuya grows dimmer.  And this 
is what breaks his heart more than anything.  Thanks to Yugi's magic no one else 
from his class in Tokyo remembers Sakuya, so it is up to him to keep her memory 
alive.  And this is a task that is becoming more difficult each day.  He knows 
that he has feelings for one of the girls, but he is afraid to explore them.  He 
is afraid to loose her as well.  He curses himself for his indecisiveness, but 
there is a glimmer of hope.  
	Maybe when Yugi wakes up Sakuya will reemerge from her subconscious.  
Maybe his love will return to him.  Until then he will have to manage the best 
he can.  Day by day, how ever long it takes.  The summer heat will soon give way 
to the cool of autumn, and he will return to school in Okayama.  Mihoshi and 
Kiyone will still be patrolling the sol system and Washu will still be busily 
working in her lab.  Ayeka will continue to try and win his heart and Sasami 
will fret over the next months expenses.  
	And Ryoko...  Ryoko will be Ryoko.  Tenchi stopped at the base of the 
shrine steps and looked up into the towering cedar tree.  In its branches sat 
the cyan haired space pirate.  She was reclining against the trunk while she 
watched the clouds pass by.  Tenchi sighed as he watched her.  He had known that 
she had feelings for him, but he did not know how deep they ran until he fell in 
love with Sakuya, and broke her heart.  He could sense that her love for him was 
more than what Ayeka felt for him.  When he looked at Ryoko Tenchi could tell 
that there was something more to her love than infatuation.  She truly loved 
him.  
	And he, he was beginning to feel the same about her.  They had almost 
kissed when Washu had created the new portal that day.  Tenchi flashed back to 
their only date that day in Tokyo.  She had tried so hard to have a good time 
with him.  She truly wanted him to realize her feelings for him.  But as much as 
he hated to admit it now, he needed an understanding ear, not girlfriend.
	Gathering his courage Tenchi called up to the blue haired space pirate.  
"Hey Ryoko, how about helping me up there!"
	"Huh," began Ryoko as she was brought back from her daydream.  "Hey 
Tenchi, what ya doing?"
	"Just taking it easy," he replied.  "How about a hand up there."  Ryoko 
smiled and began to float down from her perch.  She faded out of sight only to 
reappear behind Tenchi.
	"Hold tight," she warned, hugging him.  They began to float up before they 
phased out of sight and phased in above the branch.  No matter how many times 
they did that Tenchi never could shake the tingling feeling he felt all over.
	"Thanks," he offered, receiving a blushed smile in response.
	"You've been thinking about her again, haven't you Tenchi?" said Ryoko, 
reading the melancholy look on his face perfectly.  "And don't say no, you're a 
horrible liar."
	"You're the second person to tell me that," he confessed leaning back 
against the tree trunk.  "It all seems like a dream now.  I just wonder if what 
I felt was part of Yugi's magic.  Everything was so real."
	"It was real Tenchi," confided Ryoko.  "Love can never be fabricated.  It 
comes from inside each of us.  All Yugi did was to uncover it within you."  
Tenchi was amazed that she could talk to him about this, considering her 
feelings for him.  
	"You're quite the philosopher Ryoko," said Tenchi playfully.  "When did 
you gain this talent?"
	"I can just identify with what you're going through," she said sadly.  "I 
too know how it feels to loose someone you love."  This caught Tenchi off guard, 
completely.
	"What do you mean?" he asked.  He knew that she had been heartbroken over 
him, but not to what extent.  
	"When I saw you and Sakuya kiss that night at the school festival," she 
began choking back the tears, "everything I held dear came crashing down.  At 
first I was just playing with you when I arrived on this planet, but as time 
went on I truly fell in love with you Tenchi Masaki.  And when I saw you in her 
arms I felt like a part of me died that night."  Her tears were flowing freely 
now, a fact that she hated.  Ryoko hated any kind of display of emotions, but at 
times it just could not be helped.
	"All at once I loved and hated you.  I just wanted to know how you could 
play with my heart like that, how?" she cried.  Tenchi was shocked to learn the 
full extent of her heartbreak.  
	"I never knew," he began.
	"How could you?" she asked.  "I never seriously told you, because I 
thought that there was no real competition for your heart."  That had been true.  
Even though Ayeka has always been kind and loving towards him, Tenchi has never 
returned her feelings for him.  He felt his heart sink even more with Ryoko's 
new revelation.  He just did not know what to say to her.
	"My Tenchi," she began wiping her eyes, "I love you, and I always will 
love you.  But now is not the time for that."  Tenchi started to say something 
to her, but she cut him off.  "We are both still hurting, and coming together 
now would only make matters worse, do you agree?"
	Tenchi reluctantly nodded.
	"When the time is right, I will be there for you.  I realize that now, 
it's the same feeling that brought me back and saved me from Hotsuma.  Did I 
ever tell you how you saved me from him?" she asked.  Tenchi silently shook his 
head.
	"I was planning on coming back to earth, when I remembered something.  I 
left the ship to go get it when Hotsuma destroyed it.  If I had not remembered 
this I would have died on that chunk of ice."  She produced a piece of paper 
with a bent corned and a little bit of soot on it.  Tenchi took it from her and 
starred at it.  
	"You remember when we took that, don't you?"  Once again he nodded.  "That 
picture saved my life."  She took it back from him and carefully creased it down 
the middle. 
	"Here keep this," she said tearing off the bottom half.  "Remember me 
always."
	"What do you mean?" he asked, feeling very befuddled. 
	"You need some time to yourself now you sort things out, and I would only 
be in the way.  At least you know how I truly feel.  I'll be in touch."  With 
that Ryoko floated away and phased out of sight.  Tenchi sat there for a moment 
before he could form a single word.  And that word was:
	"Ryoko."


	It was several hours before Tenchi came down out of that cedar tree.  When 
he did he meandered back to the shrine cave.  Therein lay Yugi, in Washu's sleep 
chamber.  In the past two months she had matured a bit.  She had grown taller 
and her appearance looked at least a couple years older.  Washu figured that she 
might wake herself up in two years or so.  Tenchi sighed.  Why did things have 
to be so complicated?  He could have Ryoko here and now, but she has left again.  
She did not say it explicitly but Tenchi knew it deep down.  She was gone.  And 
he held onto the slight hope that Sakuya could remerge, however slight it might 
be.
	Finally he deiced to go back to the house.  When he got there is 
suspicions were confirmed.  Everyone was sitting around the living room looking 
rather glum.
	"Oh Tenchi," cried Sasami.  "Ryoko's gone!"  Tenchi nodded and sighed 
heavily.
	"I know," he said, feeling the torn photograph in his pocket.
	"Well I say good riddance," chimed Ayeka trying to put on an air of 
confidence.  She was going to say something else, but the look on Tenchi's face 
stopped her.  She had seen that look all too often here lately.
	"I'm sorry Lord Tenchi," she whimpered.  Everyone watched in strained 
silence as he quietly walked up the stairs and slid the door to his room shut 
behind him.

	A few days later Ayeka caught Tenchi sitting out by the lake.  At first 
she was going to pass on by, but deep down she knew she had to confront him.
	"Lord Tenchi," she began sitting down beside him.  "I need to ask you 
something."  She was trembling as Tenchi turned to her.
	"What is it Lady Ayeka?"  His soft smile hid the deep-rooted pain inside 
him, and Ayeka knew it.
	"Tenchi, what are your true feelings towards me?"  Tenchi knew this day 
would come and he had been trying to come up with a pain less answer.  Truth is 
there is no painless answer, only one that is less painful.
	"Ayeka," he began softly.  "I do love you."
	"But not as you do Sakuya and Ryoko," she interjected, tears streaking her 
face.
	"That's right.  I never wanted to hurt you, but it seems like we are all 
hurting now days."  He placed his elbows on his knees and cradled is forehead 
with his hands.  "For some strange reason it seems that all I can do is hurt 
people: you, Ryoko, everyone.  I just don't know any more," he sobbed.  
	Ayeka sighed deeply.  Her fears had been answered but she knew that Tenchi 
was in pain as well.  "I will do what ever I can to help Lord Tenchi," she 
comforted.
	"Thank you Ayeka.  Thank you." 



	Over the next two years the Masaki family split up once again.  This time 
it was not due to any evil machinations or plot to destroy the universe.  Every 
one just went their separate ways.  
	Ayeka returned to Jurai to take her place within the royal family.  
	Kiyone and Mihoshi were assigned a new patrol route and dropped by the Sol 
System on occasion, mainly so Mihoshi could pick up her tapes of 'Space Police 
Policeman'.
	Washu kept the dimension tunnel connected to her lab and popped in time to 
time.
	Sasami was the only family member to stay on earth with Tenchi.  She 
wanted to be there when Yugi woke.
	Ryoko had not been heard from since she left that summer day.  That had 
been two years ago.  The only sign of her was she returned the goods she stole 
from her space pirate days.  After that she faded into oblivion. Not a day went 
by that Tenchi did not think of her, or curse himself for letting her go.


	Finally on a cool spring day Yugi woke up from her self-imposed 
hibernation.  She had grown during her sleep and now mirrored Sasami in age and 
stature.  
	"Sasami," she whispered as she stepped from the sleep chamber.  "It's so 
good to see you again."  Sasami ran to her and hugged her.  She had so much she 
wanted to tell her.  So many things had happened while she was asleep.  Slowly 
Tenchi emerged from the shadows of the cave.  He had to know if Sakuya's 
personality had come back, or if his self-imposed torture had been for naught.
	"Walk with me," asked Yugi, motioning for Sasami to give her and Tenchi 
some space.  Tenchi followed her out of the cave.  Yugi squinted as the 
afternoon sun played across her face.
	"I know you have been waiting for me," she began.
	"That's right."  Yugi turned to Tenchi as he took a knee, coming down to 
her eye level.  "Do you share Sakuya's feelings?  Please tell me."  Yugi sighed 
and closed her eyes.
	"I am sorry Lord Tenchi.  Sakuya was merely a reflection, nothing more.  I 
do not share her feelings."  Tenchi began to sob as Yugi confirmed his worst 
fears.
	"It was cruel of me to play with your emotions as I did.  Please forgive 
me."  Tenchi just continued to cry as Yugi noticed Sasami come out of the cave.  
She could guess the answer to Tenchi's question and just sighed.
	"Lord Tenchi," continued Yugi.  "There is one out there who is waiting for 
you."
	"Ryoko?" came the tearful voice.
	"Yes.  She still loves you.  She just cannot bring herself to come back 
here.  She is afraid of what she might find."
	"Where is she?"
	"Far away, but I can take you there."  Tenchi nodded as they were 
enveloped in a white light.


	Across the galaxy a lonely soul sat in a run down tavern.  She used to 
come here to drown her sorrows, but lately all she could do is cry.  She knew 
that it had been two years since she left the only person she ever loved.  She 
knew as well what would happen at the end of those two years, and she was 
terrified to find out what did.  
	As she starred at he drink a cloaked figure approached the bar. 
	"Come here often?" he asked.
	"Listen that has to be the oldest pick up lines in the book," quipped 
Ryoko, not amused.
	"I just thought you might want some company," the person said, removing 
his cloak.
	"Listen," growled Ryoko, "Just leave me..." She stopped mid-sentence as 
she saw the dark brown eyes and gentle smile of Tenchi sitting next to her.
	"Tenchi?" she whispered.
	"Its me," he said.  "Ryoko, can you ever forgive me?"  She sat there for a 
moment before she really believed it was him.  
	"Oh Tenchi," she cried falling into his arms.  "I thought you didn't love 
me."
	"I do love you Ryoko and I will never leave you again.  I promise."  
Sasami and Yugi watched from the entrance of the bar as Tenchi And Ryoko kissed.
	"I love happy endings," said Sasami wiping a tear form her eye.
	"I do to, Sasami.  I do to."

The End.

End Notes:  This one started with a bang and ended with a fizzle.  I like the 
title though and I may revamp it in the future.  If any one else would like to 
revamp this fanfic, go right ahead.  You have my full permission.  Later.
W.R. Nichols 11/24/01