Disclaimer: All the people and most of the ideas here belong to AIC and Pioneer.
The rest of the idea's are mine.  Blah, blah, blah, don't sue me.

Okay, this is my first attempt at a real fanfic (I also wrote a Quiet Game of
Poker) so bear with me. Please send any opinions, good or bad, to me at
okuhn@ucsd.edu.  This story takes  place in the OAV universe.
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                                The Dark Juraian
                                   Chapter 1
                            Heartache and Heartbreak

     A cold wind blew down the path, whistling through the trees,  as the dark
procession walked forward.  While they all came together, and for the same
purpose, they had inadvertantly split into two groups.  Tenchi, Nobiyuki, and
Katsuhito walked in front, a perfect line, no one in front of another.  All
three were dressed in black. They walked with a slow purpose, their feet
stepping in perfect time with eachother's. Sorrow was etched across their
faces, their expressions mirrored in the cold, grey, morning sky.
     Ayeka and Ryoko led the second half of the procession, but they walked
quite a distance behind the three men.  An unusual tranquility settled between
the two.  Neither one taunted the other, nor did they fight for Tenchi's
attention, for that was obviously elsewhere.  Occasionally, they shot eachother
glances, a silent conversation full of concern for Tenchi and his fathers.
Behind them came Mihoshi, Sasami and Washu.  Ryo-oki hopped around, trying to 
figure out what was the cause of such solemness.
     At the end of the path were four white stones, a loud contrast to the drear
grey weather around them.  The stone slowly grew, as the procession marched
closer and closer.
     After what seemed like an eternity to all, the stones was infront of them.
The largest of the four was why they were here, and the others were forgotten,
if ever acknowledged.  It was tall and wide, but thin from front to back.  It's
smooth edges spoke of it's being crafted by man's hands.  It held a power, call
it magic if you will.  It was something that the Masaki men could not resist,
for it contained a piece of each of them, each one different, yet the same,
pieces that could never be replaced.
     On the front of the white stone read the words: 
                            Here lies Achika Masaki
                                   1950-1975
                                     R.I.P.
                          Our hearts and love go with you

     "My beloved daughter." Katsuhito sighed, as the memories flooded through
his mind.  Wrestling with her when she was three and didn't want to take a nap.
The excitement on her five-year old face, on her first day of school. How
beautiful she looked, in her white dress, the day she became Nobiyuki's wife.
The tears of joy that ran down her face when she held her darling child in her
arms.  Her smiling, even though she knew she was dying, because she could not
have led a happier life, a smile which she still wore in death.  Pain flew
through Katsuhito's mind and heart at the unfairness of her dying so young.
     "My dearest wife." Nobiyuki whispered, as his mind opened the floodgates of
the past.  The day he first saw her, so beautiful and friendly.  Her laughing at
his impression of their teacher.  The respect she held for his dream of becoming
an architect, and the sheer joy and pride she held, when he accomplished that
dream and sold his first house.  The blissful happiness on her face when she
told him she was having their child.  He felt her lips against his as she kissed
him for the last time, her life ending with the end of the kiss.  <If the
disease had only struck me instead.  I would give up anything to take her place
at the Grim Reaper's side.>
     "Mom." Tenchi cried, as tears began to flow from his eyes.  Just like the
others, he fell into the mysterious waters of what once was.  He remembered her
taking him for walks through the beautiful woods, him strapped to her back, her
spinning around to see whatever bird or flower Tenchi pointed at.  Her cradling
him when he hurt his knee.  Her cheering after his first lesson with the bokken.
Her laughing and telling him that she wasn't dying and that she would get
better, even though she knew she was and wouldn't.
     "It's so saaaaad!" Mihoshi bawled.  
     "Shhh!" Ayeka and Ryoko hissed, simultaneously.  Sasami hugged the crying
woman. 
     "Why don't you help me make lunch, Mihoshi?"
     "Alright." She sniffed as the young princess led Mihoshi away. 
     Ayeka and Ryoko both sighed as they turned their attentions back towards
their beloved Tenchi.  His hand rested on the top of the grave, his eyes shut,
tears flowing like rivers down his face.  Ryoko cursed herself, despite the fact
that there was nothing she could've done but watch from her dark prison, while
Ayeka cried at the fact that she would never know the wonderful woman who was
Tenchi's mother.
     "Ryoko." Washu said abruptly.  "It's time we got back to those 
experiments."
     "But-"
     "No buts.  Let's go." She said as she dragged Ryoko away.
     "I think I shall go help Sasami and Mihoshi.  Good bye Lord Tenchi,
Lord Katsuhito, Lord Nobiyuki."
     The three made no response to Ayeka's farewell.  Ayeka walked slowly off
the field, continually looking back at Tenchi.
     Katsuhito sighed again, as Nobiyuki placed the soft yellow flowers in the
soft dirt in front of the grave.  They had always been her favorite.  Katsuhito
remembered Nobiyuki and Achika's first date.  While Achika was getting ready,
Katsuhito gave Nobiyuki a boquette of those flowers to give to her.  He smiled
at the memory.
     "I must get back to the shrine." He said after a long time, as he dried the
tears from his cheeks.
     "I'm going to stay a bit longer." Nobiyuki said, his voice about to break.
	"I'll stay with him." Tenchi said to Katsuhito.  Katsuhito nodded and
walked away, the memories still fresh in his head, as if they had just happened
moments ago.
     Tenchi's thoughts passed on to the events that followed after her death.
<Dad and I both suffered badly from her death, and although he didn't show it,
grandfather must have as well.  Even though I was so young, I knew that father
wasn't taking it well.  Although I didn't understand what was going on, I was
very worried.  Now that I think about it, I don't remember much of what happened
for the next year or so, a fact which I suppose I'm grateful for.>
     As if they were being guided by Achika's spirit, Nobiyuki's mind brought
him to the events past his wife's death at the same time.  It was a dark time,
and the mere memories scared him.  Nobiyuki had gone through a time of insanity,
trying to cope with the loss of his wife.  His first reaction had been to take
his own life.  But when he had held that knife to his heart, Achika's face
appeared in front of him, both angry and sad.  Nobiyuki had burst into tears and
never thought about that escape again.  For the next several months, Nobiyuki
hit the bottle pretty hard.  When he wasn't passed out, he was drunk, and when
he wasn't drunk he was getting there.  Katsuhito moved out of the house and into
the shrine, and took Tenchi with him.  Nobiyuki realized that he was about to
lose Tenchi, the only thing he had left. He tried desperately to free himself of
the evil habit.  It took the better part of a year, a lot of pain, suffering,
and fear, and much help from Katsuhito, before Nobiyuki held his son in his arms
again.  
     Throughout the next year, Nobiyuki stuggled with his sorrows, jumping
through emotion after emotion.  Anger, sorrow, depression, until he finally
found a way to survive.  He hid his heart under a cover of superficialness, not
daring to look for the more worthy aspects of people, for fear that he would be
hurt again.  
     Nobiyuki looked at his son.  <He's a grown man. I have very little time
left to serve as Tenchi's father, and my track record is poor indeed.  Tenchi 
forced that dark year out of his memory.  Otherwise there would be no way he
could look at me without disgust. Even after that, I was hardly a role model,
making jokes when Tenchi came to me with a problem, teasing him about his
shyness, a trait that I possessed at his age, and much more negligence.  It's
time to act!  I may not be able to right all those wrongs, but I can try!>
     "Are you okay, father?" Tenchi asked, bringing Nobiyuki back to reality.
     "Well, not really, son."  He sighed. "But that hasn't changed in the past
eleven years. Eleven years, to the day.  Eleven years, five hours, and twenty
minutes ago, she died in my arms.  But do you know what hurts me the most?"
     "What's that?"
     "Well, I only had so much time with your mother, wether that's from destiny
or just chance, I don't know, I'm not even sure I want to know.  I dated your
mother for several years before finally marrying her.  In fact, when it started
getting too serious, I  tried to run away."
     "What made you turn back?"
     "Your grandfather.  He took that bokken of his, and put me in the hospital
for a week.  Gave me time to think, and I realized that Achika was the only
woman I could ever love.  But the point is, while those years with Achika,
before we got married, were great, they could've been so much more.  Fear,
doubt, confusion, and indesicion, prevented me and her from enjoying her
unfortunately short life to the fullest."
     Nobiyuki smiled as he saw the look in Tenchi's eyes, as Tenchi came to
grips with what his father had just said.  <The rest is up to you, son.  I just
hope I wasn't too late.>
     "Well, let's go, son.  The others surely must be worried about us by now."
     "You go ahead, and tell them I'll be awhile."
     "Okay son." He said a prayer to Achika as he walked away. <Thank you, my
love.>

     Tenchi didn't come home until the sun was setting.
     "Tenchi?  Where were you all day?" Sasami asked, as Tenchi closed the door.
"You missed dinner.  I was worried about you."
     "Sorry." He said absently.  "I guess I got lost in thought up there.  Where
are Ryoko and Ayeka?"
     "Ayeka is in her room.  Ryoko disappeared shortly after dinner."

     Ayeka lifted her head as she heard Tenchi slide his door shut.  She picked
up her work, and stepped out into the hall.
     "Lord Tenchi?" Ayeka asked, knocking on his door.
     "Miss Ayeka." Tenchi said as he opened the door.  Ayeka was a bit startled.
She had hoped that he would have his usual heart-warming smile on his face, but
instead he was a bit awkward and embarrassed. She never really thought about it,
but seeing him smile was always a highlight of her day.
     "Is something wrong?"
     "Ah, no, not really.  What do you have there?"
     Ayeka blushed.  "Well, it's...it's a gift for you." She blurted out,
shoving the object into Tenchi's hands and looking away.  <Damn!> she thought.
<Why am I so nervous?>
     "It's beautiful!" Tenchi exclaimed.  In his hands, in a dark oak frame,
was a needlepoint of Achika.  It depicted her skipping through the forest, with
a three year old Tenchi in the harness on her back.  The picture faded to a fog
near the edges, but cleared in the corners to reveal the smiling faces of
Achika, Katsuhiko, and a young Tenchi and Nobiyuki.
     "How on earth did you make it?"
     "Well, whenever you talk about your mother, you always talk about the way
she would take you for walks in the forest.  I looked through the photo albums
from then, but there were no pictures of you two on your walks, so I just looked
at the other pictures until I could picture it in my head."
      "Thank you Ayeka." Tenchi whispered.  Ayeka found herself drawn into his
soft brown eyes, which held a warmth and light that could rival any star.
Slowly their lips moved to meet the others.
     "Umm, Ayeka," Tenchi said, pulling back and blushing a bright red.  "Do
you know where Ryoko is?"
     "What?" Ayeka stammered.  The question caught her offguard.  <It's unfair!
I just spent the entire afternoon, pouring my heart into that gift, and all he
can think about is Ryoko?> "Why do you want to see that monster woman?"
     "Stop calling her that!" Tenchi yelled.  He looked away, embarassed at his
sudden outburst "Sorry.  It's just that I'm so tired of you always fighting with
her."<Even though it's my own fault.>
     "I'm sorry, Lord Tenchi.  I'm just trying to save you from that Ryoko's-"
     "Maybe I don't want you to save me?" Tenchi burst out.
     Ayeka was shocked.  <I always thought that Tenchi did not like Ryoko's
attention.  He certainly didn't seem to.  Was Ryoko telling the truth when she
said that stuff about men pretending?  And all this time I thought I was proving
my love, and I was just getting in the way!>
     "Ayeka?  Are you alright?"
     Ayeka fought back the tears.  "If that is the way you truly feel, then
perhaps I should leave.  I obviously misjudged my place in your life.  I am
sorry, to have troubled you for so long." Ayeka's tears filled her eyes as she
turned for the door.  She silently cursed herself for being so blind.  <What
will I do now?  Tenchi was the only thing that had ever really mattered to me.
He  gave me a wisdom that, for all my knowledge and learnings, I had lacked
completely. How to enjoy a summers day, to relax and have fun. How to love. But
apparently my love is nothing to Tenchi, and so it is worthless.>
    Tenchi was there before she was, blocking her way.  She tried to brush past
him, but he siezed her by the shoulders.  His grip was strong and tight, so
tight that it hurt.  He did not say anything until Ayeka looked up into his
eyes.  His soft, warm, brown eyes.
    "Ayeka." He said, his voice soft, yet firm.  "Don't leave.  It's not what
you think."
     Doubt nagged in her head.  <Can it be true?  No, his anger reveals his true
feelings.  He has chosen Ryoko.  He does not wish me to feel such sorrow, so he
says the words he knows I want to hear.  I will not be so blind again!>
     "I have duties as first princess of Jurai.  Perhaps it is time I got back
to them." She pulled back from Tenchi's grip and continued out the door.  Once
again, Tenchi darted past her and blocked the way.
     "No, Ayeka.  Don't go.  I need you here."
     Sorrow mixed with anger, creating rage.  <Why must he keep lying to me?>
"You have said yourself that my presence is not needed!" <Why does he insist
that I stay.  Surely he must see the pain it causes.  My one chance to have a
life, not bound to the soul-draining hypocratic politics of the Juraian Empire.
My one chance to live as a woman, not a public figure, not a source of power and
wealth..  My one chance to be happy.  But Tenchi does not love me, and that
chance is gone now, if it ever even existed at all.>
     "No, Ayeka." Tenchi said, despiration becoming evident in his voice.  "I do
need you.  Just not for protection.  I need your warmth, your compassion, your
beautiful laugh, and your sophisticated conversation."  His quivering voice made
her pause.  <Could it be true?>
     "I was wrong before.  How can I ever know if what you are saying is the
truth."
     "With this." Tenchi said, as if he had all the answers in the world. Ayeka
turned around to find Tenchi on one knee. His soft brown eyes stared into hers,
filled with hope and anticipation, as well as a touch of fear.  His soft lips
were straight, with no trace of a smile, awkward or otherwise, a testiment to
the solemnity of what was to come.  Ayeka realized she was holding her breath,
and forced herself to breathe.  He took Ayeka's hand in his.  His hand  was
moist with sweat, and shook at first, but steadied as he began to speak.  "Ayeka
Jurai.  You came down from the sky and into my life." His voice wavered at
first, but slowly became stronger as he continued to speak with a poetic nature
that seemed to flow through him.  "Since then, you have filled my life with
laughter, beauty, and compassion.  Truly, you are an angel sent down from the
heavens." His voice had lost all doubt and unease, and now was strong and pure.
A smile crept up his face, and his eyes were full of silent admiration of
Ayeka's beauty. "My only regret is that it took me so long to realize my love
for you.  Indecision, fear, and confusion blinded me from the truth, but they
blind me no longer. Will you make my one true wish come true and be mine 
forever?"
     "Oh, Tenchi.  I don't know what to say." Her heart raced as she tried to
think.  "Of course I will marry you."
    Tenchi reached into his pocket and pulled out a ring.  It was quite plain,
a simple golden band with a diamond, not very large, but not small either, set
in it.  <This ring!  When I asked Nobiyuki what Achika was like, he showed me
this ring, the very ring he gave to her when he asked her to to share the rest
of their lives together.  And now it is to be mine?> More tears ran down Ayeka's
face, but these tears were joy, running down the same path that sorrow and pain
had flown moments before.
     Ayeka thought of her first betrothal, to Yosho.  There was the court, her
father and both his wives, and many others.  The ring which Yosho had given her,
had been crafted by the most experienced craftsmen in Jurai.  The rarest metal
crafted into the likeness of Juraian branches, holding a gem the same color and
size as her eye, the ring had cost a fortune.  <But this ring, in it's
simplicity,  is far more beautiful.> Ayeka then thought of her father Azusa.
<He will not be pleased.  Neither will half of the court, who wanted my hand and
power.  Will Tenchi be a good emperor?  Will he even accept the position?
Whatever happens, we will be together, so everything will be alright.>
     Both Tenchi's and Ayeka's hands were trembing with excitement, as he
slipped the ring on Ayeka's finger.  At that moment, a crash echoed through the
halls, and through Ayeka's mind forever.  She looked up and saw one of the most
terrible things she had ever seen.
     Ryoko stood motionless at the top of the stairs.  At her feet was a broken
vase, and a variety of Tenchi's favorite flowers, the water dripping unnoticed
down the stairs.  She shivered slightly and her lips trembled as she tried to
say something.  Her face took Ayeka's breath away, and froze her heart in it's
tracks.  Tears flowed rapidly from her eyes, eyes which were filled with utter
dispair.
     "Ryoko." Ayeka said, her mind full of fear and sorrow, of understanding and
pity.
     Ryoko ran.  Too caught up in the moment to teleport, or even  fly, she just
ran.  Much to Ayeka's horror, Ryoko tripped, and fell down the stairs, each
thud sending cracks through Ayeka's heart.  When she hit the bottom, she
staggered to her feet, staring at nothing, in a total daze.  Blood ran from her
lip and from a gash above her eye, but she didn't seem to notice.
     Tenchi started down the stairs as fast as possible, nearly falling as well.
Ryoko turned to the noise, and saw Tenchi coming down.  
     She ran again.
     Tenchi chased Ryoko through the door and into the dark woods, with Ayeka
racing right behind him.  The moon cast blue shadows on everything, and the
crisp cold air stung.  Ayeka tripped in the darkness, and crashed into the soft
dirt.  She looked up at Tenchi, who still ran after the fleeing woman.
Desperately, she cried out.
     "Azake!  Kamidake!  Stop her!"
     The two guardians moved to intercept Ryoko, casting an electric wall
between them.  Ryoko ran right into it.  For a moment she froze, caught in the
force of the barrier.  The next moment the field shattered, launching the two
logs away from Ryoko, who continued to run.
     "No!" Ayeka cried as Ryoko faded into the darkness, with Tenchi right
behind her.
     Ryoko's heart drowned out any thoughts her mind might have, with it's
simple command, "Run!" She darted through the woods, randomly chosing which way
to go next.  Tenchi was hard pressed to follow, but he never let her leave his
sight.
     <Damn it!> Tenchi swore in his mind as he chased after the fleeting figure,
sometimes no more than a flash of color between trees.  <If only I could've
talked to her first.  But things got out of hand, and I had to act.  Oh, Ryoko.
Who do you blame?  Yourself?  Ayeka?  Me? Despite your callous and violent
exterior, you are a fragile creature, with a past that nearly destroyed you.  I
wanted to talk to you first, to let you know that, even though I love Ayeka, you
have a special place in my heart.  Don't do this, Ryoko!  Don't let this ruin
the friendship that we all have with you!>
	Eventually, Tenchi emerged from the woods.  Ryoko stood there, no longer
running, just staring at him.  Behind her, stood the rocky entrance and rusty
gate that led to the cave that had Yosho had sealed her in for seven hundred
years.  <Here's where it all began.  Is this where it will end?>  The thought
filled Tenchi's mind with fear.
	"Ryoko!  Wait!"
	A loud "Miya!" echoed off the mountains, as the great vessel, the Ryo-oki,
loomed in the sky.  The wind force knocked Tenchi to the ground.  A beam of
light cut through the sky, highlighting Ryoko, who slowly faded into nothing.
Tenchi tried to stand against the wind as he vainly reached towards the
pitch-black ship.
     "Ryoko!" He cried.

	Washu punched away on her computer, compiling a dozen programs and
experiments at once.  And it was gone.  It had allowed her to create massive
scientific leaps in energy conservation and medicinal purposes, as well as many
other fields.  And it was gone.  It had allowed her to maintain sanity, when
trapped by Kagato. And it was gone.  It was a warmth in her life at all times,
no matter what was happening, a reminder that she was not alone.  And it was
gone.
	It was her daughter.
	And she was gone.

	Ayeka waited outside the house.  She stood there motionless, lost in
thought as she watched Ryo-oki fly over the house and away from this world, a
rapidly shrinking star in the sky.  The scene played through her mind in slow
motion, yet at a thousand times per second.  The vase, Ryoko's heart, breaking
and all those flowers, all those dreams, that Ryoko had spent all those hours,
years, gathering, flowing out onto the floor, never to be saved. Ryoko's face
filled with a pain that Ayeka had known, if only for a moment, when she had
believed that Tenchi had chosen Ryoko.  <The confusion, the loss, the great
unjustice to the demon done by the world, by Tenchi, by me.>  Ayeka felt them
all.
     "Ryoko!" Ayeka called out into the air.  "Please forgive me!"
     Ayeka remained outside for several hours before Tenchi came back, walking
in an trance.  He stopped in front of Ayeka. Nothing was said, for there was
nothing to say.  Ayeka rushed forward and held Tenchi in a fierce hug.  Tenchi
held her as well.  Both of them cried silently and their tears fell on the
others shoulders.

     Earth grew smaller, as Ryo-oki flew through the voids of space.
     Ryoko sat in her chair and watched the Earth vanishing rapidly.  <Oh,
Tenchi!  You were the one who freed me from my prison.  You ignored my dark
history and looked on me with unjudging eyes.  You saw past my violent attitude
and saw the good in my heart, the joy and kindness that my cruel past would not
allow me to express freely.  You brought out the love that was withering inside,
with no way of getting out.>
     <But apparently that love had already withered too much, for it was not
enough to win your heart.>
     "Miya?" Said the ship, as a screen of Ryo-oki's cabbit face appeared in
front of her master's silent form.
     "No, Ryo-oki.  We aren't going to be back.  Good-bye...Tenchi."
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How come every fanfic I read, Ryoko wins Tenchi's heart, and never Ayeka?  Even
when it requires taking on a personality more similar to Ayeka's than her own,
Ryoko wins.  I've always thought that Ayeka should win Tenchi's heart.  They
seem to have more tender moments than Ryoko, and Tenchi doesn't get annoyed by
everything Ayeka does.  No, this is not a response to Gensao's challenge.  I
started writting this before I knew about that.

Note:  I am not anti-Ryoko.  I just think that Tenchi would be happier with Ayeka
than with Ryoko.  I am perfectly willing to accept Ryoko+Tenchi stories and such.
And I think that Tenchi would be happy with Ryoko as well.

Anyway, the next chapter will be "Life Without Ryoko" where Tenchi and the
others try to move on and celebrate Ayeka and Tenchi's love, without Ryoko.

Comments are wanted.  The email address is okuhn@ucsd.edu