NOTE: All characters original to the Tenchi-Muyo! TV1 series 
portrayed in this story are the sole property of AIC and Pioneer
Animation. Any appearance of them in actual life is purely 
coincidental. Tenchi-Muyo! material and paraphernalia listed within
is Copyright Pioneer Animation 1997 (c). Kyoto Minamoto, Muriyaki
Kushiragi, Chisako, Chi-Ohki, and all other related characters
are the sole property of R&C Books and appear through permission
from R&C Books. If you would like to use any of these characters
in your work, please contact the licensing department at 
RCBooks@hotmail.com or visit our website at 
www.geocities.com/Tokyo/Bay/1375.





Questions? Comments? Even ideas for future episodes? Want to write
the authors? You can contact us at Muriyaki@hotmail.com,
and at keiichi_dono@hotmail.com. We look forward to receiving
your responses!







                                 Episode 10

                          No Need For Remembrance!



Kyoto finds himself in....what appears to be a combination 
swordsmith's shop and study. Hanging in racks on two of the four 
walls is a large collection of swords. Some are katanas, others are
broadswords, still others are cutlasses and rapiers. Up against
one of these walls is a forge for the sword blades, and in the center
of the room is an anvil and hammer, and a deep basin of cold water.

In striking contrast to this is the modern computer, printer, and 
vidphone display sitting on a desk against the third wall, along with
a portable stereo. The last two walls are lined with posters of 
swords, guns, and aircraft--but more importantly and dominantly,
pictures. Also, there is a small refrigerator against the fourth
wall, under a large mirror-like object that can only be a 
television--or the local equivalent.

There are two large bookshelves, one of them crammed to the gills
with books, music discs, and software. The other--this is the part
that really surprises him--has row upon row of Juraian light swords,
each one looking almost identical to the Tenchiken except for slight
differences. The most obvious is that these swords all have a trio
of jade-like gems in a rounded bottom of the hilt, as opposed to the
blossoming rose-like butt of the Tenchiken's hilt.

Abruptly the memory hits him that he still has something cooling
in the basin. He walks over to it and draws out....Tenchi's
sword. As he tightens his grip on it, suddenly everything makes sense
and time snaps back into focus. He slips into a kendo stance and 
concentrates for a moment, and is gratified to see the long 
blue-white blade floating a centimeter above the hilt's blunted
tuning fork-like end. Already he can sense that this sword is more
powerful than any of the ones sitting on the bookshelf. After a 
moment, he lets the blade die and stuffs the hilt into his belt. He 
pulls a cold can of pop from the fridge, and is about to open it when
the door opens and....

Yosho walks in. "Hey, Uncle Kyoto!" he calls out casually. He starts
to draw himself up in salute, for his godfather is the retired da'ra
ya'chi*, but the older man waves that away with a grin.

It's the young Yosho, but he's not dressed in the robes of the First
Crown Prince of Jurai. He is wearing a light-blue tunic-jacket
and trousers, the tunic-jacket hanging down to his mid-thigh and 
belted at the waist, with a pistol resting in the gunbelt's holster.
The top three clasps are open, and Kyoto can see the white collarless
buttondown shirt underneath. On the tunic-jacket's left breast is a 
stylized planet with a pair of wings flanking it. The tunic-jacket's
collars both have four gold triangles on them, and Kyoto doesn't
need to read the shoulder patches to see that this young man is an 
officer in the Republic of Surai Space Force.

He grins. "Hey, Yosho!" He walks up and gives the younger man a 
bonecrushing hug. So much like his father, he thinks. Yosho wears
his hair the same way Tenchi had: long in the back and two long locks
in front, one hanging in front of each ear. There is also a lot of 
Tenchi's soul in his eldest son, the gentleness and easygoing
nature that had not been marred even by thirty-five years of military
service. "How's my favorite godson doing?"

"Can't complain," replies Yosho, wriggling free of his godfather's
embrace.

Kyoto catches his subtle glance at the can of pop and retrieves
another one from the fridge. "So," he chuckles, "how does it feel to
be the captain of the Space Force's newest explorer ship?"

Yosho winces a little, and does a miserable job of covering it up by
taking a drink. "You, ah, saw that vidcast, didn't you?"

"That, and I have friends at Star Port One," answers Kyoto. "You 
think I don't try to keep tabs on my best friend's kids?" He takes
a sip of his drink, taking a moment to savor the sharp citrus taste.
"Clever PR move the brass made, making Tenchi Masaki's son captain
of the ship named after his father....but you deserve it. Your dad 
would be proud of you, proud of all of you."

"Thanks," responds Yosho. He takes another drink before saying,
"Dad always said he didn't want any of us going into the Academy.
He told me that space was the future, not some new kinda gun or 
tank."

Kyoto nods. "That was your father. The only reason he joined the 
Defense Force was because in those days, you needed to be a rated
military pilot to qualify for the Space Force." His gaze falls upon
the picture of Tenchi at his graduation from flight school, holding
a helmet triumphantly over his head as he straddles the nose of his
fighter-bomber. A wave of nostalgia and regret threatens to wash over
him at the memory of his best friend, his second-in-command,
the one who saved his life a hundred times over—and the very last 
time, at the price of his own….

With an effort, he pulls himself back to the present. There was a 
reason he asked Yosho to come here. He reaches into his tunic, 
extracts the light sword, and passes it to the younger man. Yosho's
eyes go wide as he inspects it. "Wow!" He turns it over gingerly
in his hands. "Incredible! It….it seems….smoother somehow….Where
are the gems?"

Kyoto finds himself grinning. "That's the beauty of this design.
The gems are on the inside. I was experimenting with it, and I found
that if I arranged them in a straight line, instead of in a cluster
at the bottom of the hilt, the power of the blade is increased
tenfold."

Yosho whistles in appreciation as he ignites the blade and gently
slices the azure-white blade through the air. "Amazing. This is the
most….perfect blade I've ever seen." Almost reluctantly, he closes
down the blade. "What'll you name it?"

Kyoto knows that only one name will do for this sword. "Tenchi.
After your father. No other name would do." He laughs softly at the
surprised look on Yosho's face. "There's more. As you are captain
of the ship named after your father, it seems only fitting that you
should possess the sword that is your father's other namesake."
A cynical laugh escapes his lips. "More P.R. But enough shop talk."
He motions Yosho over to a pair of comfortable chairs and the two men
make themselves comfortable. "So, tell me about the family. How's
everyone? What's everyone up to?"

Yosho takes another draw on his now-lukewarm pop. "Well, as you know,
almost everyone has gone into the Space Force. Katsuhito was first
officer aboard Dragon Pass, and he took Kimi with him…."

"Of course." No one in either the Masaki or Minamoto families is 
quite sure where the second-oldest Masaki boy's wife came from, but
she's sweet, sexy, and just adores Katsuhito, who has something
of a schoolboy's crush on her. "Everyone else?" "Well, Nobuyuki
made second officer aboard one of the transports, and he took 
Mihoshi—" his wife "—and Mirei with him." He releases a sigh. "If 
you've been following the news, you know that the shifting of Surai's
tectonic plates is getting worse each week. We're lucky we have Jurai
in orbit, and the colonies in the nearby systems. Even so, we still
have little time. We need to get everyone offworld quickly." He 
manages a grin. "Oh yeah, and Sagami's on Jurai, heading up one of 
the settlement councils."

Kyoto nods soberly. Something that's been nagging at the back of his
mind surfaces, and he believes there is no other time. "How….how
is your mom holding up?"

Yosho doesn't answer right away, merely sipping his drink. Finally,
he sucks in breath and opens his mouth. "Since Dad….passed on, she 
hasn't been well. Half the time, I think she's already on the other
side with Dad. But, the day Nobuyuki and Mirei left…."

"What happened?" presses Kyoto gently.

"Well….that morning, Mom was worse than usual. Mirei was closest
to her, as well as the closest to Dad, and we were afraid that with
her gone…." He doesn't complete the sentence, and Kyoto doesn't
ask. After a long moment, Yosho says in a low voice, "But, just 
before I drove her, Nobuyuki, and Mihoshi to the spaceport, Mirei
took Mom aside, into her bedroom. They were in there, all alone,
for all of ten minutes. Yet I heard Mom laughing, like she used to,
and I distinctly heard her say Dad's name several times. When they
came out, Mom looked better than she had in years. At the terminal,
I asked Mirei what she did to Mom. She said she gave her something
for the pain."

Kyoto has an expression of confusion on his face, one that is only
deepened by Yosho's explanation. "What did she mean, something
for the pain?"

Yosho shrugs. "I wish I knew." He drains the last of the liquid and
pitches the can into a nearby garbage receptacle. "But at least 
she's....better now." A sigh escapes from his lips. "You wanna know
what I think the really ironic thing is? I'm the oldest kid in the 
family, but everyone else--except Mirei, of course--is married."

Kyoto chuckles in sympathy. Although he's never made a big deal about
it, Yosho Masaki's perpetual singleness bothers him greatly. The 
older man walks back to the fridge and extracts a fresh can. He 
offers it to Yosho, who shakes his head. "It just takes time. Maybe
that dream girl--" For years, Yosho has had dreams about a young 
beauty of dark eyes and hair, and a loving disposition. Needless
to say, he hasn't found anyone on Surai or Jurai who fits that 
description. "--maybe she's waiting for you on one of those planets
out there."

Yosho shrugs again, trying to project a nonchalant air. "We'll see.
Maybe I should just stay single, stay in the Space Force and fly 
explorers till I die." He barks a harsh laugh. "Well, anyway, how're
Auntie Chisako and--"

"Your Auntie Chisako is just fine, thank you." Kyoto's wife appears
in the doorway, the spitting image of Ryoko. She is not completely
identical, however; Ryoko's irreverent, devil-may-care attitude
is replaced by a more gentle and docile persona, one also blended
with Ryoko's affectionate impulses. She runs up and throws her arms
around Yosho, giving him a kiss on the cheek. "Hey there, handsome,"
she teases. Seeing his face go extremely red, she says liltingly,
"What's the matter, Yosho?

This old lady not pretty enough to hug you anymore?"

"N-N-No...." stammers Yosho. Kyoto stifles a snicker; only he and 
Yosho know that the young man used to have a serious crush on 
Chisako.

"Well, then." Chisako gives Yosho another kiss on the cheek, causing
the young space pilot's cheeks to go a deeper shade of crimson.
"Handsome boy like you, why aren't you married?"

"Auntie Chisako...." Yosho gently disentangles himself from his 
godmother. Holding her at arm's length, he asks, "So, how's life?
How're Kiyumi and Tago?"

Chisako takes a moment to think. "Well, Kiyumi just got elected
Student Council president at Nekomi--all while maintaining a place
on the honor roll. Tago...." She sighs in mock exasperation.
"Tago graduated from flight school--first in his class! He's applying
for the Space Force." Her golden eyes fix on Yosho's, and he starts
to feel a little dizzy. "Yosho-cha*, would you please look after him
for us?"

Yosho gulps, ready to give an affirmative, then remembers what he's
doing. "Uh, I would, Auntie Chisako, but my ship launches tomorrow."

Chisako gasps in sudden recall. "That's right! I'd totally 
forgotten!"

"Yes," agrees Yosho, "and that's why I came to see you two, to say 
goodbye."

"Oh." Chisako gives him another hug. "Goodbye, little Yosho. May the
goddesses watch over you." She shoots a glance at Kyoto. "You did 
give him the sword, didn't you?"

Kyoto nods. "Chisako, just because I'm thirteen years older than you
doesn't mean I'm senile."

Chisako smirks and releases a laugh.

Kyoto stretches a hand out to Yosho. "Clear skies, Yosho. I hope....I
hope home isn't far away."

Yosho takes his hand, gripping it firmly, and pulls Kyoto into an 
embrace. "Bye, Uncle Kyoto." He pulls away and snaps off a salute,
which makes Kyoto roll his eyes and return it. The younger man tucks
the hilt into his tunic-jacket and heads for the door. A moment 
later, they hear the soft rumble of a powerful engine, and Yosho's
'98 Katana Mark II convertible pulls out into the street, angling
for the Ohki Street turnpike that will take him to the spaceport
and to his ship.

"There he goes," says Kyoto, pulling his wife close.

"You think he'll be all right?" murmurs Chisako.

"Yeah." Kyoto's eyes look off into the distance, toward the 
collection of towers that make up the spaceport's central terminal.
"I think he'll be just fine.

The next morning is a fairly typical one. Since the expansion
of the Republic to eight colonies on the one other planet in their
system and the various planets of the nearest two systems, and the 
development of the faster-than-light drive about ten years ago, the
spaceport is not nearly as newsworthy a place anymore. The only 
mention of Tenchi Masaki's launch was a thirty-second blurb during
the morning news, with a little bit of play on its captain's 
identity.

Of course, thanks to his friends in the Space Force brass, Kyoto 
already knows that his best friend's namesake is bound for a 
blue-star system about twently light-years away. He'll also have to 
pass through an asteroid field, right on their system's outskirts,
that the astronomers have dubbed "Sargasso." Hmm....didn't
Dragon Pass and Nobuyuki's ship follow the same course? I wonder
if he'll maybe ru-- His pondering mood is shattered when the ground
starts shifting under his feet. Kyoto's eyes go wide as he realizes
what's happening. Omigod. It's the big one.

Surai has never had the most stable of tectonic plates, but in the 
last few decades their shifting has worsened steadily. The situation
is not helped one iota by the fact that there are only two continents
on the planet. It was the disastrous quake on the smaller one of Saki
that woke the people of the Republic up to the menace, quelled the 
serious fighting, and gave the Space Force the financing and support
it needed to move people offworld.

At present time, maybe 47% of Surai's population has relocated,
to Jurai (the planet that Surai orbits--think of an Earth-Moon
shared orbit) and to the nearest pair of stars. But that still leaves
millions--nearly a hundred million, thinks Kyoto--that are still on 
the homeworld. The higher-ups thought that there would be plenty
of time. "The experts say that it'll be at least twenty years before
the big one hits," they would say. Even Chisako's father, the Emperor
himself, had started believing it, while still continuing to finance
the Space Force. And, thinks Kyoto with no small amount of chagrin,
so did I. He looks up to see Chisako, holding onto whatever's
bolted down, slowly making her way into the living room. The house
begins to sway and finally she topples onto the couch with a sigh.
The look in her eyes is that strange look of almost-relief,
the one that comes with long-awaited bad news. "No more waiting,
at least," she whispers.

Kyoto wraps his arms around her and starts to slowly rise from the 
couch. "Come on, Chisako. We gotta get to the spaceport. Th' 
transports will fill up really fast if w--" The swaying becomes
too strong and they fall back onto the sofa. Kyoto is about to try 
again when the TV signal is overrode by another. The chaos of the 
newsroom is replaced by the Emperor's office, which is swaying and 
shaking as badly as his son-in-law's house.

Kyoto gives a brief bow from the waist, the best he can manage in 
these circumstances. "Good morning, Father."

Tokugawa the Sixth, Emperor of the Republic of Surai, nods absently.
"Hello, Kyoto. Hi, Chisa-cha'ya. I wish we could speak under 
different circumst--" The signal is replaced by static for a moment,
causing Chisako to cry out "Daddy!", but stabilizes. The monarch
smiles weakly. "It seems that the Space Force was right. I will take
the blame for not listening to them, and I will bear it gladly....if
I survive." He fixes Kyoto with a pleading look. "But that is of 
little consequence. Kyoto, you must get to the spaceport. Now. I've
sent a car for you and Chisako."

"But, Daddy--" begins Chisako.

"My darling, I have lived too long already. The Republic has no more
need of me. But, Kyoto....I'm calling in that favor. Get to the 
spaceport. Stay alive. The Republic needs an Emperor, and you are the
last heir. I....I know you will be a better ruler than I was. Surai
is my home, and I will die with her." Kyoto is about to tell him no,
remind him that the roads are already hopelessly clogged with 
traffic, when the transmission cuts out again. It doesn't stabilize
again.

Chisako is staring at the screen in shock, and for a second Kyoto
is afraid that his beloved wife has gone unhinged--although
she'd have every reason to--when she turns around and grabs his 
shirt. "Kyoto, the kids. We gotta call the kids."

He stares at her for a moment, then her words hit him and he nods.
"You're right, honey." He grabs the remote, turns on the phone 
function, and taps in their daughter's number. The Namikimi West 
symbol floats on the screen for a long minute before the image 
finally switches to a blank white screen with red text reading "This
Number Not In Service. All Related Numbers Also Not In Service.
All Numbers In Nekomi City Area Not In Service."

"Oh no," whimpers Chisako. "The whole college...." Choking back his
tears, Kyoto taps in their son's number. He gets an answer this time,
his soon-to-be daughter-in-law Yokie. The dark-eyed beauty looks at 
the screen, fear etched into her features. "Oh, Mr. Minamoto,
it's you. Thank the goddesses. Have you heard from Tago? Last I 
heard, he was heading home from the 'port."

Kyoto shakes his head. "I'm sorry, Yokie. I was hoping he'd be there
with you."

The young girl might be shivering, thought the shaking of the house
is more likely. "No, he said he was coming to get me. He said he got
us a room on one of the ships and that he'd--" She looks off-screen,
and her eyes go wide as she sees something. "Tago! He's coming 
an--his car! It won't stop! Tago!!!" Off-screen, they can hear a loud
explosion. All at once, Yokie tips her head back and releases an 
ear-splitting howl. At the same time, the shaking on the screen 
becomes more violent, until finally Yokie's TV falls off the table
and the picture goes to static, then is replaced by the Namikimi
West symbol, and then the "No Longer In Service" screen. Her tears
flowing freely now, Chisako buries her face in her husband's shirt.
Kyoto hugs her and taps one last number into the remote.

Kiyone Masaki's.

The screen flickers at the first ring, and he finds himself staring
at his best friend's wife, the one he's never been able to quite look
in the eye since Tenchi died, even though she has assured him a 
hundred times that she didn't hold him responsible. He manages a 
smile. "Hi, Kiyone."

To his surprise--although, considering what she has to gain by dying,
perhaps not--she smiles. "Hi, Kyoto. Hi, Chisako. Shouldn't you be on
one of the transports right now?"

"What about you?" asks Kyoto. "We can swing by a--"

"No," she says softly. "Thank you, Kyoto, but that won't be 
necessary. I'm going to see Tenchi soon. I'll give him your regards."

"Kiyone!" yells Kyoto. "Snap out of it! Tenchi wouldn't want you to 
do this!"

"When he sees me, I don't think he'll be too mad," says Kiyone 
calmly. "All our children are gone and safe. Now I can be where I've
always been: by his side." Her smile, almost whimsical, goes somber.
"Thank you for everything, Kyoto. You've been a good friend. 
I'll....I'll tell him...." Having apparently run out of words, she 
raises her own clicker and hits the power switch. The screen goes 
blank.

Kyoto is quiet for a long moment, then he finally shakes the inertia
off. He turns to look at his wife. "You ready to go?"

She looks up at him and smiles sadly. "Kyoto....I guess I'm like my 
father. Surai is my home. I....I don't think I could survive anywhere
else." She lowers her gaze. "I'm sorry."

He pulls her close. "No! No, sweetie. It's all right. If you stay,
I stay. Simple as that."

And so they sit, clutching each other. They do not let go when their
street, their house, starts to shake furiously. They do not move when
their house starts to fall apart around them. They are still hugging
each other when the ground falls out from beneath them and they fall
into darkness....

....and then light.

At first Kyoto thinks that he's landed in heaven, for he can still
move his extremities. That thought disappears when he sees that 
Chisako isn't with him. I must be in hell, he thinks. Presently
he becomes aware that he is lying on what feels like stone. Groaning
slightly as he stands up, he looks around. He is apparently in the 
great hall of some giant castle. "How did I get here?" he wonders
aloud. Looking down at the floor as he walks, he realizes that he is
standing in the center of a large triangle carved into the stone.
At each of the three points, a specific element is carved into the 
stone. He sees a waterfall, a campfire, and a hurricane.

Without warning, voices start to speak in his head. At first trying
to block them out, he decides to listen and see what he can find 
out....

"Well, this is another fine mess Murasaki's gotten us into. Just 
because one of her pet projects blew up in her face--"

"Hush, Tokimi. that's not the case, and you know it. We both know 
what really caused this, don't we?"

A sigh. "Granted. But that doesn't change the fact that, thanks to 
our little sister and what she's done, we're trapped here now. She's
done the last thing that a goddess should, and now we have to pay her
bill."

"Don't get angry at her. She did what she thought she had to, 
and....and maybe it is."

"If it were that simple, I wouldn't be bitching like this. But you 
know as well as I do that we can't hold him in forever. And if he 
breaks loose before we find her--"

"Don't think about it right now. It will take him millennia to wear
down that shield. Besides, isn't that why we chose to save the 
Suraian man? Of all people, shouldn't he be able to find her?"

"Yes. Yes, you're right, of course, Tsunami. Now, what of the rest
of Surai?"

"I will see to it that the survivors escape unharmed, and that their
worlds prosper, especially Jurai."

"Yes, yes, but what about the other Jurai?"

"That's what Sargasso is for, isn't it?"

"True, but we're goddesses. I don't like betting like this."

"It's the only way. I think....Oh! Our guest is awake! We'd better
attend to him."

"Quite right. We can't just leave our nephew hanging there, can we?"

The conversation in Kyoto's head cuts off abruptly, and columns
of energy suddenly erupt from two of the three points on triangle.
One is turquoise and water-like; the other is the color of a ruby.
After a moment the columns dissipate, and standing in their place
are two perfect women, both dressed in long robes.

One has long azure hair tied back in two ponytails and wide, 
strawberry-shaded eyes. On her forehead are a pair of olive-green
dots, and she looks absolutely adorable. Radiating from her is a 
loving, gentle demeanor which puts him almost immediately at ease.

The other woman has long, pale-brown hair tied up in a complicated
fashion. Her eyes are narrower, almost cat-like, and almost purplish.
Something about her is less reassuring than the blue-haired
girl--not evil, but less patient and more opportunistic.
Her robes are also more ornate.

Kyoto starts to speak several times, but the words refuse to leave
his mouth. finally the blue-haired girl smiles and speaks. "Welcome,
Kyoto Minamoto. Welcome to the Eternal Triad. My name is Tsunami,
and this is Tokimi. We are goddesses--as you've probably guessed--and
your aunts."

All the questions Kyoto had been about to ask this woman suddenly
disappear and are replaced by new ones. The first one to come out of
his mouth is "My aunts?"

"That's right," agrees Tokimi, moving closer to her sister. "Your
mother--you do remember your mother, don't you, Kyoto?"

He does indeed. He remembers that she was beautiful and gentle and 
wise and that she died in a traffic accident when he was only 
sixteen.... "Yes, I remember my mother. I remember that she died when
I was sixteen."

Tsunami nods. "The form she had taken as your mother died when you 
were sixteen. Your mother--the goddess Murasaki--is still alive."

"She is?" Kyoto is feeling almost hopeful now. "Is she here with 
you?"

His aunts sigh, and Tokimi shakes her head. "I'm afraid not. You see,
the reason your mother "died" when you were sixteen was because
we needed her help to defeat a powerful enemy. After that, she wanted
to return to you, but she had drained herself of too much power to 
shift time. So, one night, she left. And we have no idea where she 
went."

Now Kyoto is confused, although this seems to clear up a little of 
the conversation he'd overheard. "You're goddesses. Can't you find
her?"

"She is the youngest of us," answers Tokimi, "but she's the most 
powerful. If she wanted to hide from us, it would not be that 
difficult. The enemy is defeated now, but he may awaken one day, and
when that day comes, we will need her help." She manages a wry smile.
"As her son, you have the best chance of finding her. Will you help
us?"

The choice is a simple one for Kyoto. "Yes, of course."

"Thank you," whispers Tsunami. "This search is likely to be a long
and dangerous one. We shall supply you with special powers and 
abilities that will aid you in this quest."

"And," adds Tokimi, gracing her nephew with a glance that carries
far more than mere filial affection, "when you have completed
this task, we shall give you whatever you wish as a reward." At 
Tokimi's side, Tsunami rolls her eyes, then taps her on the shoulder.
"Sister, shouldn't we get on with it?"

Tokimi's face looks blank for a moment, then comes alive with 
realization. "Ahh! That's right!" Both women take up positions
on Kyoto's flanks, Tsunami on the left and Tokimi on the right. Each
woman places a hand on Kyoto's head and they start to chant 
simultaneously. As consciousness starts to fade Kyoto finds himself
thinking that the words sound vaguely Suraian....

Slowly the world goes black around him and he starts to feel 
inexpressibly weary, the voices of the goddesses becoming more 
ghostly and insubstantial.

The world becomes bright again and he sits up in bed. This, however,
is not one of his beds aboard Chisako, or even in the Masaki house.
It is a large, oak, four-poster bed in a spacious, well-lit bedroom.
The large picture widow is open and he can see the most perfect
coastal sunset ever created. Ryoko, dressed in a simple sundress,
is smiling at him. "Oh, good, you're awake!"

"Yeah," mutters Kyoto, rubbing his eyes. "Aagghh....how long have I 
been out?"

Ryoko throws a glance at the clock on the wall. "About fifteen 
hours."

"Okay...." Kyoto looks out the window again. "And where are we?"

"We're still on the goddess planet," explains Ryoko. "They invited
us to stay for a while, and Tenchi said yes. They have a beach house
here, and everyone's out in the living room." She offers her fiancé
her hand, and he takes it.

When they come into the living room, everyone but Washu and Katsuhito
are sitting on the couches or in recliners, laughing at the TV. The
missing pair have their heads in the casserole dishes and their 
dreams are being played on the big-screen TV. Katsuhito, in his 
dream, is the pope.

"Grandpa!" yells Tenchi. "You're not Catholic!"

The old prince shrugs. "It's a dream."

Washu's is a nightmare. In it, all her intelligence and powers are in
Mihoshi's body--and Washu is eating everything in sight while making
inane comments. Right now, Mihoshi is developing a Unified Field 
Theory, and Washu is wailing because she ate all the snacks in the 
house.

Everyone but Washu and Mihoshi is laughing.

"Next dream!" calls out Nobuyuki as he hits the remote. The dreams
on-screen are replaced by new ones. In this one, Katsuhito is a 
barkeep a la Sam Malone, and the Masaki "family" is cast as the 
regulars at the bar. (Tenchi is Frasier, Kyoto is Norm, Kiyone is 
Lilith (natch), Ryoko is Carla, Mihoshi is Rebecca, and Nobuyuki
is Cliff.)

Tenchi shakes his head. "That's it, Grandpa, we're taking down the 
satellite dish. No more American TV for you."

Still unnoticed, Kyoto starts humming the Cheers theme under his 
breath.

Washu's is rather erotic--for her. It just scares the heck out of 
everyone else. The most frightening part is that her partner is....

"Me?!" screams Nobuyuki. He gropes around for the remote and hits the
off switch. "Who's next?"

"I'll go," volunteers Muriyaki, taking Washu's place. She's hooked
in, and her first dream is....an erotic one. It's very dark on her 
side of the screen, and one can only barely make out figures 
convulsing on a bed, but her whimpers of pleasure and the man's 
grunting are quite audible.

Murasaki leans in closer. "My daughter, who are you with?"

The answer comes a moment later, as does Muriyaki. "Ooohhh," she 
moans on-screen, "that was wonderful, Kyoto."

Murasaki's eyes go wide with horror. "What?" She turns around, notes
that her son is behind her, and glares at him. "How dare you be in 
one of your sister's erotic dreams!"

Kyoto quirks an eyebrow at his sister. "You haven't told her yet?"

Muriyaki shrugs. "I hadn't planned to...."

Murasaki follows the looks between her children. "What have you two
been up to...."

Another look is passed between Murasaki's offspring. Finally, Kyoto
leans over and whispers the response in the goddess' ear.

Murasaki keels over, unconscious.

"Maybe you shouldn't use that anymore," suggests Tenchi.

"You wanna?" she offers, taking off the headpiece and holding it up 
to him.

"Better not!" giggles Sasami. "Daddy's gonna have a naughty dream!"

Tenchi walks over to Sasami and picks her up. He carries her over to
where he and Kiyone are sitting, and sets her down between them. "Now
will you cut that out?" he asks earnestly.

"For now, Daddy," she tells him agreeably, snuggling into his and 
Kiyone's embrace.

Muriyaki's second dream is harmless. In it, she is a simple, happy
housewife. Yosho's third dream is somewhat less clearcut. He appears
to be tending the shrine grounds, and every time one of the group
comes up to him--and they are all, with the exception of him, 
dwarves--he bops them on the head with a rake. Completely mystified,
Tenchi turns off the dream player and switches on the TV. "What's
on tonight?" His eyes go wide a moment later as he sees what appears
to be him and Tokimi....and Tsunami....and Kiyone....under
the sheets of a giant bed. He looks around the room to see the two 
goddesses grinning at him and he kills the TV.

Mihoshi yawns. "I'm hungry!"

"We'll fix that," says Tsunami. She snaps her fingers and a large
feast appears at a beautifully appointed table, large enough for 
everyone.

As they dig in, Tenchi suggests, "Why don't we fill Kyoto in on 
what's going on?'

"Good idea," agrees Tsunami.

The goddess turns to her nephew. "Kyoto, we were talking about the 
enemy we have to face."

Kyoto shrugs. "Okay. So who is this guy?"

Tenchi shivers. "Ever heard of Kain?"

Kyoto quirks an eyebrow. "He's back?! I thought your mother killed
him."

"She did," acknowledges Tokimi. "But this being is more powerful
than Kain, and for good reason."

"And that is...." asks Kyoto.

"His father."

Now Kyoto looks shocked. "His father?!"

Kiyone nods. "That's right. His name is Chaos."

"I thought you defeated him the last time!" he protests.

"We did, by destroying his physical form and imprisoning him in a 
subdimension of subspace," explains Murasaki. "We knew it would hold
him for millennia at least, but....but we also knew that there was no
guarantee that it would hold him indefinitely."

"And so he's broken out?" asks Kyoto.

"He's getting very close to it," states Tsunami. "He hasn't quite
gotten there yet, but it won't take long."

"So where do we come in?"

"Simple." Surprisingly, Murasaki looks rather pleased with herself.
"We need you to get us off-planet."

If she had said that she wanted him to become celibate, she would
not have shocked him more. When he is able to form coherent sentences
again, he sputters, "You need us to get you off-planet?!"

"That's right," confirms Tokimi. "The details of exactly why we 
cannot move ourselves are too complicated to go into right now, but
suffice to say that we can't go anywhere without mortals moving us of
their own free will."

"This is what they've told us," agrees Katsuhito.

"And more than that," says Tsunami. "All of you have powers, powers
that we will need to defeat him again--and this time, for good."
She reaches out a hand and places it atop Tenchi and Kiyone's linked
hands. "Especially you two. Tenchi, there is a power locked deep 
within you. I give you the key to unlock it. And Kiyone, I give you
the key to this power, so that you may also wield it."

"Wow!" exclaims Mihoshi. "Kiyone, you've been touched by a goddess!"

"Well done, Tenchi!" exults Nobuyuki.

"So, should we get on our way now?" asks Kyoto.

"No, not yet," says Tsunami. "We have to wait here until the moment
of his breakout. Otherwise, We may end up chasing all over every 
dimension while he sneaks out behind our backs."

Sighing, Kyoto pours more saké into his glass. "And how long will 
that take?"

"Probably little more than a week," answers Tokimi. "But, in the 
meantime...."

She snaps her fingers and a karaoke machine appears. "Let's party!"

And so they do. The next week passes smoothly and enjoyably.
The beach is not the only thing on the goddesses' planet, and the 
group finds themselves visiting lush jungles, swimming in cool, 
crystal-clear lakes and waterfalls, dozing in the shade of verdant
forests, and counting the stars in a perfect night sky.

Of course, the natural splendor are not the only attractions
on this planet. It is also a storehouse of items that the group 
thought were mere myth or legend. Ayeka and Sasami are hugging the 
First Tree of Jurai (aptly named Tsunami), while Kiyone and Mihoshi
are oohing and ahhing over the lost Galaxy Police starcruiser
Pride of Megami. Understandable, since both girls hail from that 
planet.... Tenchi and Kyoto, both having seen Monty Python's Search
for the Holy Grail, get a kick out of the fact that the goddesses
use that sacred vessel....as a coffee cup.

And, when the appreciation of nature and of artifacts from forgotten
stories wear thin, there's always the beach! At least a couple hours
each day are spent on the perfect white sands. During these times,
Tokimi and Tsunami compete to see who has the smaller bikini, 
Nobuyuki talks them into posing for his video camera, Sasami teases
Tenchi and Kiyone each time they start to "get naughty," Washu takes
sand samples, Muriyaki runs around in the buff, and Katsuhito
regards everything with impossible calmness.

One day, Murasaki, who generally sunbathes in a modest one-piece,
is stetching out on the sand for a nap when she suddenly sits bolt
upright, a look of fear on her face.

Kyoto, in the middle of applying suntan lotion to Ryoko's back, looks
over at his mother. "What is it, Mom?"

"He's free," she murmurs. "Chaos is free."

Tsunami sits up and does up her bikini top. "Damn. I was hoping we'd
have more time." She shakes her head and sighs. "Ah, well...."
She claps her hands, and they reapppear on Chisako's bridge, fully
dressed. "Can you trace his position?"

Murasaki concentrates for a moment, and then her head snaps up. "Yes.
Select course two-oh-oh by five-one-niner."

"Where will that take us?" asks Tenchi.

Tokimi grins. "To hell."

"I want off," groans Kyoto.



                                  The End







 Footnotes:

*Da’ra ya’chi: The supreme commander of the Suraian Republic’s
armed forces. Comprable to a Japanese shogun or an American Chairman
of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.







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