Stuff: So, my first Tenchi fanfic... How do you like it 
everyone? I wrote some Sailor Moon fanfics and this one just 
fleshed out one evening and I wrote it down in an hour or 
something. One more thing: I haven't seen the OVAs yet, only 
Tenchi Universe (sadly the dub) and a few eps of Tenchi in 
Tokyo.
The characters aren't mine. The plot of this story is. :p

  Ramblings In The Night
   by The Ghost of 'lectricity

 I can't believe it. Everything was going so well for me, my 
bright future, almost in my grasp. And then... I get stuck 
with her. It's all I can think of tonight. Her.

 I was top of the academy, all the tutors assured me I would 
soon reach senior officer lever. Everyone congratulated me at 
the graduation ceremony. That was when I first saw her. I was 
sliming up the principal's butt when someone knocked over the 
table next to him. His Sunday wear was totally ruined and he 
was fuming with anger. A girl knocked the table over, like me 
she was wearing a cadet uniform with the festive ribbon over 
her chest. She was excusing herself profusely and laughing 
nervously. I don't think she even knew whom she was talking 
to. It was hilarious, I really thought it served him right, he 
was a real asshole all the years. It was strange though. The 
principal just excused himself then left. Before she left she 
looked at me and there was something like recognition in her 
features and reaction. But that wasn't unusual, I think the 
whole academy knew me.

 The celebration itself was another step towards the bright 
future for me. But it was tainted. All congrats I got from my 
classmates were cold and at most halfhearted. I didn't go to 
the party afterward, I went to my quarters on the academy 
grounds and slept off my champagne tipsiness.

 I glimpsed the girl at the celebration from the corner of my 
eyes a few more times. She had a striking appearance and she 
seemed joyfully loud. I caught myself thinking (like I do more 
and more every day) that she was quite beautiful. She had 
glorious blonde hair, that you just couldn't take your eyes 
off and the most perfect figure I've always wanted.

 But her most beautiful feature I didn't notice until about a 
week later when I met her the second time. It was her eyes. 
They were big and blue and I thought I was looking into the 
eyes of a child. They were shining and full of anticipation. 
And there always seemed to be a smile plastered on her face.

 I was glad when we were assigned together. We didn't know 
each other directly, we haven't spoken a word at the 
celebration. I was glad it wasn't any of my classmates because 
I always had the feeling they were thinking ill of me. I never 
had any friends in the academy. After the official part we 
went for a coffee together to get to know each other. We 
talked about this and that and I liked her. I more than liked 
her. I thought that she would be the one true friend that was 
given to me. I hadn't had anyone to talk to like this since 
childhood. When I grew up I somehow couldn't make any friends 
any more. But she was so open, honest and innocent.

 Later I learned that the graduation ceremony wasn't as joyous 
for her as I thought. She didn't have any real friends either. 
She was the granddaughter of a high police officer and she 
passed all the tests no matter what she wrote. But she had 
always tried her best. She crammed long into the night, really 
tried hard, forgot everything the day before the test but 
still passed it. She said I was her role model in her academy 
days even though we never met. She was really happy when we 
were assigned together and I noticed she tried to make a good 
impression on me.

 Then the work began. Somehow she always managed to make all 
the wrong things. At first I thought she was doing it 
intentionally. I got used to shouting and screaming at her, 
every day, again and again. But she still gave me that 
beautiful smile and that smiling look every time she looked at 
me. Every time she cried because of me I promised myself I 
would try to be nicer to her. But I never seemed to be able to 
keep the promise.

 Here I am now, in the middle of the night, on this backwater 
planet, assigned for arbitrary jobs, no chance of promotion. 
But in the middle of the night I don't care for that. This is 
my time of truth. For the first few months I used to file 
petitions for a new partner every week. I stopped shortly 
after we got here.

 It's cramped in this apartment and we're broke all the time. 
The two of us have to share the same futon. Yes, we could've 
pawned something else, but when I proposed the futon she 
didn't refuse. Every night she's snuggling up to me and 
breathing in my ear. My bright future, I don't want to hear 
any of it.

 Too bad she can't sleep with her eyes open, I would've liked 
to watch them now. What, did my wish come true?

 "Kiyone?" she asks with a sleepy voice.

 "Shh," I tell her, "go back to sleep."

 I too lower my head back down and close my eyes. Her arms 
encircle me and she presses her body up to mine. Peace fills 
my mind again and I begin drifting off to sleep.

 "I love you." So it has finally been said. Although I can't 
tell if she said it or me. It soothes me. Maybe everything 
will change in the morning, maybe this was just a dream and it 
everything will stay the same. I don't know but I'm not 
scared.

 End

***

Peter
The Ghost of 'lectricity
lectricity@email.si
http://feather.dhs.org/chibinhotaru/ - The ChibiUsa and Hotaru Anthology
December 30th, 2000.