This is my spin on the characters and in no way represents the views of the original creator(s) and copyright holder(s). It is also NOT endorsed in any way by the original creator(s) and copyright holder(s). I lay no claims what so ever to anything copyrighted. This story is for entertainment only; no money is being made from this story. Please don't sue me, I love the show and only want more people to develop an interest in the show. Anything associated with Tenchi Muyo is property of (copyrighted by) AIC/Pioneer LDC/Pioneer Ent. (USA). The Eyes By Lady Solarys 08-31-2000 All my earth-born friends look at me with worry in their hearts. They wonder how I am doing? Why I am so full of melancholy? But they never voice their concerns. I think they are worried that they will upset me more. Oh, they try to hide it with their smiles and laughing but their eyes betray them, the eyes always do. They suspect it has something to do with my excused absence. But they do not know exactly how the two are connected. They do not know about all the things I have been forced to endure. Only the headmaster knows the reason behind my disappearance. But even he doesn't know the details. They treat me like glass, worried that I might break. I know they look at me after I pass. They wonder where I was? What could have happened to me while I was gone that has made me so distant and melancholy? I try to find happiness inside but I miss all of you so much. Life has returned to normal; calm and peaceful, like the times before you came into my life. Perhaps that is the problem. Nothing happens to distract my mind from remembering all of you. I often find myself drifting off, thinking about all of you at the most unusual times. Like when I am on the bus to school, or even worse, during the middle of class. Oh, I am O.K. for a while, even happy. But something invariably reminds me of all of you. I laugh at the jokes my schoolmates pass around but it sounds so hollow and lonely. Not like the honest full laugh I heard in my ears when we sang in outer space with the karaoke machine. The karaoke machine sets in a corner of the house. I do not have the heart to use it nor do I have the heart to sell it. That machine brings back memories that make me feel so happy and sad at the same time, like so many things do. Every school day at lunch, my bento box reminds me of Sasami and her delicious concoctions from the kitchen. Every time I pass the tree that was once Ryu-Oh, a Jurai ship, I am reminded of Ayeka. As I walk from school to the bus stop, I pass by the apartment building where Mihoshi and Kiyone lived. When I stand in front of what was once their door, I can almost hear their voices. Mihoshi yells at Kiyone to please wait for her. While Kiyone grumbles angrily that Mihoshi always makes her late for work. On my way to the bath at night, I pass the little storage closet under the stairs. I cannot resist opening it. Hoping the door once again leads into your subspace lab, Washu. But each time I am disappointed. I open the door only to find an ordinary broom closet. Just like the bathroom. It was once so huge but now it is only a simple, rather small, bathroom. The person I remember most often is you, Ryoko. I wonder where you are? Are you O.K.? I worry about you so much. Nagi accidentally let it slip that you were badly injured even before you helped me reach Jurai's palace. Why did you not tell me? We all worry about you, even Nagi does. Though she refuses to admit it. I could see a look of deep concern for you in her eyes. It is the look someone would find in the eyes of a person worried for a gravely injured friend. It does not matter who you are, even if you are a universe famous bounty hunter, the eyes will always betray you. Maybe I should start worrying about my melancholy. I really think it is getting to me. I just passed a small black cat sitting on a stone. But when I first glanced at it, I thought it was Ryo-Ohki. Come to think of it, that is when all the craziness started in my life. When I saw Ryo-Ohki falling out of the sky. Did you just call out my name, Ryoko? Man, I really must be losing it. Now I am hallucinating. First I hear you call out my name. Now my mind is making me think you are standing in the road in front of me, Ryoko. Your wild, spiky, cyan hair blows gently in the slight morning breeze. You have on your red leggings and that white dress with the two unusual sleeves, one charcoal and one orange. But then you disappear and I am once again, all alone. I turn around and start for school, my eyes falling to the road in front of me. Suddenly a pair of feet encased in red stockings appears on a nearby rock. I am stunned silent as the realization hits me. It really is you Ryoko. I can feel your presence. Again my eyes betray me. I know you can see in my eyes the surprise I feel to look upon you after all this time. Although my eyes are not alone in the betrayal this time, as I register that my mouth is hanging wide open because my jaw has dropped. Your eyes betray your feelings Ryoko. But you do not seem to mind. Come to think of it, you never did hide your emotions from me. Your eyes radiate joy, pure happiness at being able to see me alive again. You surprise me yet again as you jump into the air. Calling out my name, you flip in the air for the pure fun of it. Your light, loving laughter brings happiness to my very melancholy heart. I catch you and spin you around in my arms. My eyes radiate pure joy at ever being able to touch, to hold, to FEEL you again. If I can wrap my arms around you and feel your warm solid body against mine then you really must be here in the flesh. Oh Kami-sama, I was so worried you had died. You say that you will never going to let go of me, that you will win me from Ayeka fair and square. But that means that...Ayeka will be back. The realization suddenly hits me as you comment that Ayeka would not let me go that easy. That statement reminds me of all the times you and Ayeka fought. How you almost blew apart the apartment building where Mihoshi and Kiyone lived. It also reminds me that I have feeling for Ayeka. I think my heart has known all along whom I love, even if my head refuses to admit it to myself or anyone else. I think it was love at first sight Ryoko. Even though you were passed out from drinking too much, you looked so beautiful. I think you fight so hard for me because you saw my love for you in my eyes, even though I did not realize it at the time. Once again my eyes betrayed to the world my innermost secret. There is just no way of keeping those damned eyes quiet about my feelings. You whisper to me that they are all coming back as we hold each other so tightly yet tenderly. Our eyes communicate to each other without the aid of words, what our souls yearn for us to say aloud. We are full of joy at being back together again. Ryo-Ohki appears with a meow of happiness. Even her eyes radiate joy over seeing us back together again. You lean over and whisper quietly to me that everything in life comes and goes. That if I simply wait long enough what I miss will return to me. I look to the sky and realize my eyes are once again betraying to the universe the pure joy I feel upon hearing you say those words. I do not mind that my eyes betray me, though. I want to show the universe how happy I am to have my friends, no my family back. I think Ryoko is right, but you will not catch me saying that out loud, at least not just yet. If I admit that to her out loud, she will become even more incorrigible. We lock our arms together and head to my school. Joy radiating in my eyes. I know now that if not today, then someday soon I will see everyone once again. Author's notes. I hope you like this little story. It's my first Tenchi story. Unlike some of my other stories, this was never in the works. It just came to me the night I watched the last episode of the Tenchi Universe series, Episode 26: No Need For a Conclusion. Because of this story I only got five hours of sleep that night, but it was worth it. I wanted to put into words what I thought the montage at the end represented. The part about the eyes betraying a person's innermost feelings developed as I wrote the story. I don't know where it came from. I never intended to put that in, it just sort of came out of the pen I wrote the story with. But after I read over what I had written it seemed to add a dimension to the story I did not know was there. In case you are wondering I am very much pro Ryoko and Tenchi. I just like the way their personalities compliment each other. And she is always there for him, no matter the cost. This is dedicated to all my friends. This is also dedicated to Blondie and J.P. We all miss you!