Tenchi Muyo! in the World

おことわり

In front of Azusa stood a tree far larger than the one of the second generation.
'…Incredible..' he murmured in surprise and even thought that he was transported outside of the Heaven's Tree. As far as he could see, lakes and blue skies went on and from where Azusa stood lead five passes at each end stood the tree of the first generations.
'This way, Azusa-chan,' Mitsuki called to Azusa and she lead him to one of the passes. During the walk Azusa kept silent as he hesitated talking while the rite continued. There at the end of the pass stood the first generation tree.
'Mitsuki… -sama, what tree is this?' Azusa asked to Mitsuki.
'We are now alone, you and I.. please call me Mitsuki as usual,' she turned and said to Azusa.
'.. Yeah.'
'Azusa-chan,' laying her hand on the tree, Mitsuki looked at Azusa and said. 'This is my tree.'
'What! Yours!? But this is the tree of the first generation, isn't it?' in wonder Azusa asked to her. His surprise was natural as the rank of the trees meant a great importance for the order in the imperial families. If one had the first generation, it is possible for him to be the next King of Jurai whether the present King chooses him or not.
'Oh, Azusa-chan.. this tree still does not have a name. Will you please give it one?'
''Give it a name? But that means that..'
'..Yes, I want you to take it.'
'Wha..what are you saying, Mitsuki? I can't take it. It's yours. And anyway I can't hear the voice of this tree.'
To this, Mitsuki replied quietly; 'You already are hearing it.'
'..What do you mean?' Azusa looked at Mitsuki in wonder with her words. Then he felt the figure of Mitsuki, who was smiling, fade.
'..Mitsuki!?'
In a sudden, Mitsuki fell down and Azusa rushed up to her and held her up.
'Mitsuki! Hold on, Mitsuki!' Azusa cried to her.
'I am all right.'
'Your face is so pale. You need a doctor.. Lets go back!'
'Wait! .. There is something I have to tell you.. please,' Mitsuki grabbed on Azusa desperately but from her face, life was fading rapidly.
'What are you saying?! You can tell me later, just now you need a ..'
'Please.. Azusa-chan,' like throwing her self to Azusa she stared at him. Finding that her hands grabbing his sleeve were shaking, Azusa tried his last resist and begged to her,
'But Mitsuki..'
'Please. There is not much time left now.. so..'
Watching her smiling, Azusa sensed that the time is coming close for her.
He wanted to do something. He wished he could do something for her.
But if it is something what she, who is dying, wanted to tell, then-
He held on from crying and helped her sit under the Royal tree.
The flame of life inside her was fading.
"Why? Why is it!?"
Azusa shut his eyes tight not to show his tears where Mitsuki hold his hand.
'.. I.., I have to apologize to you for many things..'
'Because you brought me to your garden, isn't it? But I don't care about it.'
'No, not only for that. It is all because of me that Azusa-chan's mother is not allowed to return to Jurai.'
'What?' Azusa opened his eyes and looked at her.
'What Syuzan told you is not correct. Of course Syuzan does.. No, only the King of Jurai and Seto-sama knows about this,' turning to the blue sky with no clouds, Mitsuki began to talk about the truth.

Mitsuki's father was from another country like Azusa's father. The real identity of her father was a spy from a pirate guild, which was hostile to Jurai and since he noticed her ability, he was gaining the information of Jurai from young Mitsuki. As she was only a innocent young girl, Mitsuki synchronized to the heaven's tree as he told her, just to see her father's delightful face, whom she loved.
And one day, the minister of a country, who was a good neighbor with Jurai, was attacked by a pirate fleet on their secret way to Jurai. The information earned from Mitsuki's ability made them find out the route. Fortunately the attack was made in a large scale and Seto noticed this operation by her information net and the nearest imperial ship of Masaki family reached there for help. For this, the minister was safe, however, all other ships were destroyed. For this accident, Seto made an internal checkup where Mitsuki's father was found as a spy and her ability also was appealed.

'..Of course it was impossible to declare the truth to others. It was obvious that the relationship between other countries would break and people of Jurai would doubt the King and also foreigners.. My ability was powerful enough to destroy one country. .. Though I was only a child what I have done was outrageous and nothing could help me from being prescript from Jurai. .. If I was healthy as others, then Grandfather would have done so.. but.. I could only live in here..' Mitsuki watched Azusa in a sad face then looked away again.
'Could live only here?' Azusa asked her.
'.. I do not know if it is related to this power.. but I can not live without the help of the Royal tree. Moreover, all these five Royal trees of the first generation must help me as a life-support..'
'Then if you leave Jurai..'
'When the person of the Masaki family, who saved the minister from those pirates, knew about this.. he took all the responsibility and was prescript from Jurai having taken everything he had.. all for me. .. It is he who is your mother's brother,' a tear ran down her cheek. 'Not only that, but I was almost going to make an uncorrectable harm on you, Azusa-chan. .. also all about Syuzan. .. and yet I kept on living over the misery of everyone without doing anything..'
'It's not your fault, Mitsuki! If you didn't have such powers, then Mitsuki could live more, in a normal way more.. more, more, more!!'
'I have already.. lived long enough. As an imperial family it might be short, but long enough as a normal person..'
'But. But you didn't get a common happiness!' Azusa could not stand it and cried out in a louder voice.
'..Azusa-chan.' Mitsuki turned and looked at Azusa.
'My mother and my uncle were not unhappy! It doesn't matter whether we can come back to Jurai or not! It's so silly! Look! I'm angry now and … and if I'm angry they are laughing at me with that grimalkin! My uncle whom Mitsuki was talking about, too is laughing hearing my mothers story.. It's you, Mitsuki who is .. unhappy!' Azusa held on Mitsuki and wept. He did not know what he was saying. He just couldn't understand it.
Where else does such kind of sad truth exist?
How can a person be so unhappy?
Why? Why should it be Mitsuki?
Mitsuki is so kind.
So kind.
Why is it all like this!!
Mitsuki patted Azusa's head who was crying in tears.
'Please don't cry, Azusa-chan. .. You see, I am not unhappy. Grandfather and Seto-sama have done well to me and .. and at the end I have met you, Azusa-chan. So I am happy,' speaking to Azusa in a soft tone, Mitsuki gently hugged Azusa.
'Don't say end!'
'Darling Azusa-chan. Will you please take this tree?' she asked him.
'What are you saying. This tree is your life, isn't it? And I told you, I can't hear this tree's voice..'
'You are. You really are hearing..' laying her hands on Azusa's cheeks, she slowly let him turn to her.
'I was always watching you Azusa-chan for a long, long time. Since you came to Jurai.'
'..! Mitsuki, your eye.. it's the Royal tree's..' Azusa found that Mitsuki's right eye was made from the gem of sap of the Royal tree.
'Yes, for a long time, I was.. watching you..'
The strength in her hands on Azusa's cheeks fainted and they dropped down along them. Grabbing the hands Azusa cried out as much as he could. 'Mitsuki! Oh, Mitsuki!!'
'..please take me, Azusa-chan. You told me that you would show me the outside world before, didn't you?' Mitsuki said in a weak voice.
'I will take you with me! If you want to go, Mitsuki, then I'll take you anywhere!! So please..'
To Azusa's words, Mitsuki smiled happily.
'.. Azusa-chan..Azusa-..chan.. I.. love..'

And she quietly closed her eyes.

'It's not true! No, it can't be. No, no. Please open your eyes. .I'll take you, I will, so please. Open your eyes, Mitsuki. ..Mitsuki!!!!'
Azusa shook his head as a spoiled child, as if shaking off the truth.


Azusa kept grabbing Mitsuki's cold hand while the time passed. The sun began to set and the rubious light of the evenfall covered them. On Azusa's swelled eyes of crying, the marks of his tears were left. Azusa kept on watching Mitsuki's face with no will to make a move.
Then, he suddenly showed a sense of movement. A sound or rather a music came from around, which he heard somewhere before. The beautiful and light melody gently poured into his ears.
'.. This music is the one Mitsuki was playing..'
Small lights ran and spread between the trees and its sound came in as a music. 'The Royal tree.. I see, so, you, too are..' lifting his face, Azusa let him self in the melody of which the trees played and watched the stars starting to twinkle.
'.. I will take you, Mitsuki. It's a promise. Together with this tree, I will.. together for ever.' Azusa stood up and walked into the 'URO' of the Royal tree carrying Mitsuki with him in his arms. Inside the 'URO', a crystal pond of the sap was made and looked like a spring.
There he laid Mitsuki.
Mitsuki sank down into the crystal without a sound.
Her gentle voice, her lonely smile.. all of the minds in her heart melted into the tree. When Mitsuki's hand, which he was holding sank, a tear ran down from Azusa's eye.
'....Mitsuki..'

When he came out from the 'URO', the Sun had already set and it was dark outside. The full Moon shining in the firmament lighted Azusa.
'.. The Moon. The sealing of the fog..'
Looking at the Moon, it reminded Azusa the fairy tale, which Mitsuki told him before. The story of the God of the Water, who hid the Goddess of the Moon by the sealing of the fog.
'..Fog (霧:KIRI), ..Sealing (封:TO)..' whispered Azusa in a small voice.
'KIRITO'- he decided to name the tree so.
He will live together with the tree, together with Mitsuki, for ever.