This fic is dedicated to Little Masa-Ouki, whose comments on the
Two Guys Message Board inspired this fic.  Tenchi Muyo is the
property of AIC and Pioneer LDC.  I own only the writing.  Thanks!
^_^


One's Test of Devotion

	Tenchi kissed Aeka again.  She gave a little cry of surprise
as he reached down and picked her up.  She giggled as he carried
her over the threshold into their bedroom.
	Aeka was dancing on air as he kissed her.  Married!  Finally!
Married!  And married to Tenchi!  It was just like in her dreams.
Yes, Ryoko had taken it badly, but right now, in his arms, she
really didn't care.
	All she cared about was him.
	He loved her.  He *really*, *truly* loved her.
	As much as she loved him.
	They had been married on Jurai, under the stars.  Standing
under the night sky in the palace courtyard, they had said their
words of committment...and meant them.
	She giggled as he laid her gently onto the bed.  Leaning up,
she kissed him passionately.  The champagne she had consumed at the
reception had left her a little light-headed, but still clear enough
to enjoy what she was doing.
	"I love you, Tenchi," she whispered.
	He smiled down at her.  "I love you, Aeka."  He leaned down
and kissed her.  Aeka's heart jumped again, as it always did whenever
he kissed her like that.
	Everything was perfect.
	There was just one more thing she had to do.
	"Tenchi," she whispered, after their lips had parted.  "Do
you love me?"
	"Of course I do,"  Tenchi told her.  He leaned down for
another kiss, but this time, Aeka stopped him.
	"Then there's something we have to do," she told him.
"Something...painful.  It's tradition."
	Tenchi blinked.  "What is it, Aeka?"  he asked uncertainly.
	Aeka took a nervous breath.  Here it was.  The moment of truth.
She would tell him, and he would either agree to undergo it, or leave
her here alone.
	"It's called...the bride-groom training," she told him.
	He smiled and caressed her face.  "Some kind of seminar on
being the husband of royalty?"  he asked.
	She looked up at him seriously, ignoring the joke.  "It's..."
She had a hard time getting the words out.  "It's exactly what I
said it was, Tenchi," she told him.  "It's pain."
	His smile slipped.  He sat back on the bed and looked at her.
"I think you better tell me what this is, Aeka," he said.
	She bit her lip and sat up on the bed.  "Every Jurain husband
must undergo a test of devotion," she told him.  "It's...not
something that is ever discussed, and you must now promise me that
you will never talk about what happens here."
	He nodded.  "Tell me."
	Aeka took a breath and nodded to something at the other end
of their palace bedroom.  What looked like two gymnast rings hung
from the ceiling, just within reach.
	"A Jurain husband must pass a test of pain," she told him
reluctantly.
	He looked at her in shock.  "What kind of pain?"
	She swallowed back fear, fear of being abandoned by him and
answered.  "Flogging."
	"What?!"
	"A whipping, Tenchi," she whispered, a tear running down her
cheek.  She reached out to the nightstand and opened a drawer,
removing an object there.  Tenchi's eyes widened when he saw it was
a coiled bullwhip.
	She could see the fear in his eyes, watched him recoil
slightly.
	"I won't sugar coat this for you, Tenchi," she told him.
"It's pain the likes of which you have never felt."  She watched
him swallow nervously.  "I..."  She paused and shook her head.
"I can't be easy on you, either.  It's my...duty...as your wife."
She wiped a tear away.  "There will be pain," she continued, "And
scars...My mother tells me that...that my father nearly died their
first night together..."
	Tenchi looked at her in horror.
	"Tenchi," she said, tears flowing freely down her face.  "I
don't want to see you in pain, but this is something that I *must*
do!  *Millions* of years of tradition is at stake here!"  She lowered
her head, looking down at the whip in her lap.  "I...I'll
understand...if you want to leave."
	"What?"  he whispered.
	"A Jurain marriage is not final until the couple pass the
night together, pass this tradition together...If you want to leave...
No one will fault you."  He looked at her in shock.  "I'll
understand," she assured him.  "I...I don't think I could endure
such pain either..."
	She stared down at the whip in her lap, watching as a tear
fell from her eye and landed on the pommel.  Here it was...
	She felt his fingers caress her face and looked up.  He was
trembling slightly in fearful anticipation, but even through that,
he nodded once.  She blinked in honest surprise.
	"All right, Aeka," he whispered.  "I...I'll do it...For you."
	She smiled and hugged him.  "Thank you, Tenchi!"  she
whispered urgently.  "I love you so much!"
	His arms wrapped around her.  "I love you too, Aeka," he
whispered.  "Well..." he said, nervously, "Soonest begun...soonest
done," he told her.
	She nodded.  "Are you absolutely sure, Tenchi?"
	He nodded.  "Yes."
	She took his hand.  "Then follow me."  She got up and led him
to the rings.  Slowly, she unbuttoned his shirt and removed it,
revealing his tender flesh underneath.  She hesitated.  She was so
close, but had to ask.  "You can still change your mind," she
whispered.
	His hand took hers.  "Just...Remember that I love you..."
	She leaned up and kissed him.  "Take the rings," she told him.
	Tenchi nodded and reached up, taking one of the rings in each
hand.  Aeka walked around so that she was facing his back ten feet
away.
	"Tenchi..." she asked, "Are you *sure*?"
	She saw him tense.  "I'm sure."  He shut his eyes.  "Go
ahead."
	Aeka raised the whip...
	And brought it down on his back.
	Tenchi felt the leather whip strike his back, but was shocked
by the fact that there was no pain.  The whip had struck his back at
only a mere fraction of the speed it was supposed to, barely tickling
him.  He felt the whip hit his back again, and again was puzzled
by the fact that it was totally painless.
	He turned his head slightly.  "Um...Aeka?"
	Before he could turn, she rushed up and hugged him!  "Oh,
Tenchi!  You passed!  You passed!"
	"Huh?!"
	She turned him around and kissed him passionately.  "You did
it!"  she told him excitedly.  "You did it!"
	"Do what?!"  he asked exhasperated.  "I thought you said...what
about...What happened to, 'pain the likes of which I have never
felt?!'"
	She grinned and kissed him again.  "Tenchi, my dearest Tenchi!
That was all made up!"
	"WHAT!?"
	She nodded happily and began kissing up and down his exposed
chest.  "Yes, Tenchi!  That was the test of devotion!  Not to see
if you can endure pain, but to see if you *would*!"
	Tenchi blinked in puzzlement.  "I don't understand..."
	She kissed his face and neck again enthusiastically.  "That's
why it has to be kept a secret, dearest Tenchi!"  she explained.
"If it got out that the bride-groom training was a bluff..."
	Tenchi's eyes widened in realization.  "A practical joke," he
breathed in understanding.  "Just so Jurain women can see what their
husbands would endure for them..."
	"AND YOU PASSED!"  Aeka squealed euphorically.  "You love me,
Tenchi!  You love me!"  She kissed him passionately.
	His shoulders started shaking.  Aeka blinked and looked at him.
	He was laughing.  Softly at first, then gaining momentum.
Soon, he was laughing hysterically.
	"Wha...What is it?"  she asked, smiling as she began to giggle.
	"I..."  he began through his fits of laughter.  "I thought you
were...For a minute..."  He couldn't go on, and broke down laughing
again.
	"Oh, Tenchi!"  she cried, tears of laughter and happiness in
her eyes.  "I'm so sorry for having to fool you!"  She continued to
laugh.
	"Is...Is...that the..."  He broke down laughing again.  "Is
that the only tradition I have to pass tonight?"  he asked.
	Her laughter trailed off, and soon she was staring at him
seriously.  He stopped laughing.  She couldn't have something
*else* planned...
	"Well," she whispered, kissing him softly.  "There is *one*
more."  she kissed him again.  "But I'm told it's far more
enjoyable."
	Tenchi caught her meaning right away and kissed her.  Once
again, Aeka giggled as he picked her up and carried her back to
the bed.

Author's Notes:

This was just a cute little fic I wrote when I was bored one night.
People seem to make a big deal out of the bride groom training.
Some Ryoko fans even cite it as a reason for Tenchi not to choose
Aeka.  So I figured I'd put a different spin on it and see what
happens.  Tell me what you think.

Thomas "009" Doscher
doscher009@hotmail.com