NOTE: All characters original to the Tenchi-Muyo! TV1 series
portrayed in this story, as well as all those from the 
Tenchi-Muyo! Ryo-Ohki OVA series, 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. 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.

 

 

Send all C&C to muriyaki@hotmail.com (for storyline and fight
scenes) and/or keiichi_dono@hotmail.com (for intercharacter
relationships and continuity). Thanks for reading! 

 

 

                                           Episode #16: 

                                       No Need For Answers!

 

 

Everyone aboard Chisako is on the command deck when the great
ship finally emerges from the fold it had initiated after Kyoto
and Ryoko's rescue from the late, unlamented Installation
X. The last four days have been spent doing nothing. Normally,
that would not be so bad. However, when your fate has been 
wrested violently from your hands, having time on your hands
can be a curse. 

The swirling vista of interdimensional space fades to be 
replaced by....

Nobuyuki is the first to speak. "It's New Coke.... again."

Tenchi releases a breath of almost-relief; at least they know
where they are now. "So we're back in Outworld again." He smiles
as he sees the Confederate flag float by.

Mirei tugs on his sleeve. "What's Outworld, Daddy?"

Tenchi loops an arm around his youngest daughter's shoulders.
"Well, Rei-cha'ya, Outworld is a dimension where all the 
failures from different universes are banished after they fail
miserably. This was where we first met Digital Washu." He notes
the forest-green Ohki sitting atop her head. "What's with the 
cabbit?"

"Oh!" Mirei reaches up and pulls the Ohki down into her arms.
"Daddy, this is Rei-ohki!"

"Oh. Well, that fits." He reaches down and pets the Ohki on the
head. He had known that Chisako had teleported up all the Ohkis
from the Ohki World as they had left Jurai, and that the girls
had spent a day with the furry little cabbits in the saucer
set aside for them. Somehow, the name for this one seems 
fitting.

Kiyone snuggles in under his other arm. "Oh, Tenchi-yon,
I see you've met Rei-ohki. Isn't she cute?"

"Almost as cute as her namesake," grins Tenchi. His eyes turn
back to the screen. "Well, we're landing." He indicates the same
canal that Chisako had landed in last time.

"I don’t understand this," murmurs Ayeka, up and about for the
first time in several days. Shock is still screening her from
the pain of losing Seiryo, but sooner or later it’ll hit her.
"I thought Outworld was destroyed when we left with Digital
Washu the last time."

"It appears that it’s been reconstructed, and now we have a 
fairly good guess where the robot me disappeared to," comments
Washu.

The Chisako sets down without incident, the deep water of the 
canals providing an adequate cushion. Once disembarking,
the craft’s occupants find the pastoral forest setting 
unchanged.

That is, until they step into the forest.

Once all of them are inside the small clearing, the trees 
disappear and are replaced by the great hall of a stone castle.
Startled by the change, Mirei clings closer to Tenchi and 
Kiyone. "Mommy, Daddy!"

The emperor and empress of Jurai hug their newest daughter
closer to them. "It’s okay, sweetie," soothes Kiyone. "There’s
nothing to be afraid of...." Right, Tenchi-yon?

Not that I can think of. This is probably just one of her little
games or whatever.

"How very observant of you, Tenchi Masaki!" The medieval hall
is suddenly replaced by, of all things, a high school classroom.
Chairs appear under each person’s posterior, knocking them back
into the seats. Desks pop out of thin air, and textbooks
appear atop them. As a finishing touch, all of them find their
clothing abruptly replaced by the uniforms from Shinonome
High--even the Ohkis. 

At the front of the classroom stands Digital Washu, dressed
like a college professor. "Welcome to class, everyone! I--" She
abruptly stops talking as she watches everyone in the class 
start acting like they're in high school again. 

Tenchi and Kiyone have their desks pushed together, and keep 
passing notes back and forth. The fact that they keep laughing
and talking in low tones makes one believe that the topic is not
an especially pure one (a theory with plenty of evidence to back
it up). 

Kyoto and Ryoko have abandoned restraint, and she's seated in 
his lap, attacking his mouth with her own. 

Ayeka is doing her best to look like the model student, while
Sasami, Tsunami, Mirei, and Momoko are huddled together around
Sasami's desk reading shoujo manga* and giggling as they read
a particularly juicy scene. 

Nobuyuki has his book open and sitting up in front of his head.
Behind it, he has a small bottle of saké. 

Washu has taken apart her calculator and is attempting to force
it to connect to the Internet. 

The goddesses are huddled together looking at a muscle man 
magazine. 

Muriyaki is off to one side quietly reading a book. 

Katsuhito is sound asleep at his desk with his feet propped
up on top. 

Mitsuki is attempting to explain simple algebra to Mihoshi,
who is naturally confused and swimming in a pool of her own 
tears. 

The two knights have little Game Boys out and are playing.

Kyo has sliced up his large eraser and is flicking the little
bits at Digital Washu's head every time she turns her back to 
him. 

The robot Washu watches this, fuming, for a few moments before
finally losing her temper and threatening to read one of Tenchi
and Kiyone’s notes out loud.

Knowing the kind of topics that usually comprise that couple’s
notes--and not in the mood to hear written pornography--the
gathered assembly shuts up.

Once all chatter has died down, Digital Washu sweeps the room
with a stern glare, warning against any further hi-jinks.
Finally, she starts speaking again. "You’re all probably 
wondering why I’ve brought you here...."

"I assume that it has something to do with everything going 
haywire in the rest of the universe," responds Tenchi, still
holding Kiyone’s hand.

"Your assumption is correct, Tenchi Masaki." An apple appears
on his desk. "Roughly eight days ago, things started happening.
Bad things." A picture appears on the blackboard, of a man with
long, purple hair, tied back into a long braid with a mustache.
He wears a menacing scowl on his face that would make the 
bravest man run in fear. 

"Can anyone tell me who this man is?" 

"That's my uncle Azusa," whispers Kiyone. 

"Correct, Kiyone Masaki." An apple appears on her desk. "Eight
days ago, he and Lord Councilor Sato of the Juraian Supreme
Council staged a coup d'état on Jurai. Azusa agreed to do this
in exchange for the backing of Jurai's navy when he made his own
attack on Prime Center." 

The robotic Washu pauses, as if to draw in a breath. "The report
that Mihoshi and Mitsuki gave to you was not quite accurate.
All members of the Galactic High Council were shot on sight...
including President Funaho, DirGen Kuramitsu, and Senator 
Misaki." Digital Washu looks at Mihoshi and Kiyone with sympathy
in her mechanical eyes. "For what it's worth, Kiyone and 
Mihoshi, they didn't experience much pain. Azusa and Sato, on 
the other hand..." Her voice trails off. "Let me show you." 

She manipulates a small remote control in her right hand, and a 
holoscreen appears in front of the blackboard. The two would-be
usurpers are experiencing execution by the most gruesome means
possible. 

Death of the soul. 

All Tenchi and company can see are two men with two growing
expressions of horror on their faces. 

What is really happening, however, is that their worst fears
and most horrible memories are being played over and over in 
their minds. The two men are forced to experience these horrific
events over and over, until they have left the breaking point
far behind and have crossed the line separating a thinking
man from a drooling vegetable. Naturally, by this time, all 
control of bodily functions has been lost, and the two 
former-men are now rolling around in pools of their own vomit
and excrement. 

Digital Washu is narrating as the holo plays out. "This method
of torture has been outlawed on both Jurai and Megami for over
3,000 years. Prior to its downfall, it was commonly used for 
capital crimes against the state. This is called 'death of the
soul'." 

This visibly shakes the group. Tenchi is the first to recover
his voice, but he can only ask in a hoarse tone, "Who did this?
I thought they were behind it all. Who did this?" 

"That confused me too, at first," admits Digital Washu. 
"However, I have found the answer." 

The image of another familiar face replaces Azusa's. "Can anyone
tell me who this is?" 

Mihoshi is the first to respond. "Oh, my! Isn't that Prince
Kyoto, from the first dimension we visited?" 

A flowerpot falls from the ceiling, but deflects itself at the
last minute, coming to rest gently on Mihoshi's desk. "Right
and wrong. It is that Kyoto, but he is now the emperor of 
Jurai." Digital Washu shakes her head. "And since he became
the emperor, his universe has become hell." 

Another holo pops up on the screen, this one of another Prime
Center-- similar to the one in their own universe, but painted
in dark blue and gray. The station is surrounded with Juraian
warships which are pounding mercilessly at it, but it some how
manages to withstand the blasts. 

Suddenly the ships of the Juraian fleet fall back-- all except
for one, who opens up with a single lance of white light from
its bow. The beam strikes the very center of the station,
immediately setting off a chain reaction of explosions,
shooting off debris and entire sections off into different
directions. When the last of the puffs of light disappear,
there isn't enough left of Prime Center to fill a coffee mug 
with. 

Digital Washu continues with her narration. "He did not even 
bother to offer terms for a surrender. He did, however, bring
the three most important people in the GF off the station before
destroying it." 

Three more pictures pop up on the board: an intelligent-looking
Mihoshi in a business suit and wearing glasses; a slightly
older Tenchi with a mustache and short hair in a black suit;
and Kiyone, minus the headband, in the uniform of a GP 
executive-rank officer. 

Digital Washu resumes her narration. "Kyoto immediately
killed Tenchi and put Kiyone and Mihoshi in his harem. Kiyone
refused to dishonor her husband's memory, so she was put to 
death as well. Mihoshi did not begrudge Kyoto his lusts, but she
kept up a running commentary each time he was with her, 
continually insulting him and attempting to undercut his 
authority, so one day he had her stripped naked and whipped
to death before a mass audience." As if to underline the aura
of death, a red X appears through each pictures as each person’s
death is noted.

"What about Ryoko and Washu?" asks Ayeka, looking a little 
green.

"The princess Ryoko joined the Resistance and attempted to kill
her husband. The attempt failed, and he executed Nobuyuki,
while forcing her to watch. After that, he stripped her naked
and gave her to his soldiers." The robot actually shudders.
"I suppose I don’t need to say what she died of. Washu....
even I don’t know what happened to that Washu."

"That doesn’t answer my other question, though," interrupts
Tenchi. "Why’d he do that to Azusa and Sato?"

"Another thing," throws in Kiyone, apparently recovered from the
horrific sight. "How did he get out of his own universe?"

"Washu disappeared," answers Digital Washu, but she left behind
a lot of her notes behind--including the ones on Chisako’s
fold drive. However, that is not the method they used." Another
picture appears in the holo-field--that of a station identical
to Chisako, save for a different paint scheme.

"Tomoko," says Kyoto, his whisper sounding almost like a quiet
exhale.

"Tomoko," agrees Digital Washu. "You launched it instead of 
self-destructing it, didn’t you?"

All eyes have turned to the former space pirate now.

Kyoto shrugs helplessly. "I had no choice. The computer said 
that the destruct system was damaged beyond repair. The course
that I set into it should have buried it beneath that Earth’s
moon."

"I’m sure it would have," agrees Digital Washu. "Unfortunately,
you forgot one thing about the station. Your Chisako has an AI 
for a main computer, correct?"

"Of course...."

"And your AI’s prime directive is self-preservation,
survival of both ship and computer, correct?"

"Yes, but I don’t see where you’re going with this. The prime
directive can be overridden...."

"But did you?"

Now Kyoto looks confused. "I thought I did...."

Digital Washu shakes her head. "I don’t believe so. You weren’t
that universe’s Kyoto, and it’s highly unlikely that you would
know his override code. Tomoko’s AI probably just registered
your order, and reset itself once in orbit. The likeliest
chance for self-preservation would be to fold to a random 
universe, one where the chances of anyone knowing about its 
capabilities would be small at best."

"That’s a rather large coincidence," Kiyone muses.

"Agreed," concurs Digital Washu, "but that is what happened.
Tomoko apparently defolded in the Jurai system approximately
eighteen months after your original arrival. Not having had a 
chance to be in on the original contact team when Chisako 
visited their universe, Prince Kyoto quickly assembled his own
tech team and got them aboard the floating derelict. It was 
quickly declared serviceable and taken to the lunar spacedock
for complete refitting. 

"Empress Nagi, having regained a stable medical condition
by then, demanded to know just what he planned to do with it, 
and why he intended to spend so much of the Republic's money
on its reconstruction. Kyoto answered bluntly that he planned
to use it to destroy the GF and make Jurai the supreme ruler
of space. Horrified, Nagi cut off all funds to the repairs
and told him to forget any fantasies of conquest.

"She was found the next day, floating face-down in one of the 
garden ponds. As heir apparent, he immediately ascended to the
throne, despite objections by most of the Supreme Council.
The Supreme Council was dissolved within a week, and those 
dissenting members were all found to have died extremely
gruesome deaths, all of which were ruled as 'accidents'
by the medical examiners." 

"And so that's when he started doing all those awful things,"
murmurs Murasaki.

Digital Washu nods solemnly. 

"So what did he do next?" Kiyone asks. 

"As I said before, he had found that Washu's notes-- including
the brief report made on Akiko's existence. He quickly found
the coordinates and annexed that section of space. He then 
kicked out all the station's residents and set to work on 
restoring its fold drive, the one you removed pieces from so 
long ago. He was able to do this because Tomoko's drive 
components were still intact and his techs had made detailed
blueprints of them." 

"So how did he get here?" Tenchi inquires.

"That's very simple, you see, each time one of these stations
folds, they leave… how do you say it.... 'a trail of bread 
crumbs,' for lack of a better phrase. All he had to do was 
retrace your fold pattern, and snap!" She snaps her fingers.
The sound is small, but echoes unnervingly loud in the quiet
of the classroom. "Just like that, he knows where you are." 

"So what happened next?"

"Well.... he decided that he’d better recruit some help." A new
pair of pictures appears on the screen: the Nazi Nagi and the 
evil Doctor Washu from the dimension of the Fourth Reich. 

Tenchi and Kyoto are on their feet protesting this. Tenchi's
voice finally manages to come out on top. "How the hell did he 
do that?! They were already dead!"

"They should have been dead," agrees Digital Washu. "But 
something happened just as Kyoto's... rage was set loose. 
Watch." The holoscreen lights up again, showing the moments
leading up to Kyoto's doomsday attack from so long ago, the one
that had leveled most of the Eurasian supercontinent.
Kyoto releases the wave in all directions....

... And a split second before the wave envelops them, Nagi and
Washu disappear in a faint sparkle of light. 

"As you already know," explains Digital Washu, "these stations
cannot only move back and forth between alternate universes,
but back and forth within spacetime itself. That Kyoto was 
merely taking advantage of that option." 

"How did he know about them?" asks Ryoko. 

"He didn't. Someone or something must have told him." Digital
Washu sends a glance in the direction of the goddesses.
"You wouldn't happen to know anything about this, would you?"
The three goddesses look at each other, whisper for a few 
seconds, and then say as one, "No. Chaos was destroyed.
There shouldn't be anyone else." 

"Well, regardless of whether or not you know who this is, 
someone must be watching us. There's no other way that Kyoto
would have known about Nagi and Washu, and I have learned that
he folded directly from his universe to theirs and from theirs
to this one. If he had been merely following the trail of 
crumbs, he would have had to go through dozens of universes.
And, perhaps the most important piece of evidence, the chances
of Tomoko folding directly to his universe are, as you said,
Kiyone, far too small to allow for even the most radical of 
coincidences. Someone has been--perhaps is right now--watching
us."

Kiyone shivers and moves from her desk, settling in Tenchi's
lap and wrapping her arms around his neck. "Someone as powerful
as Kain.... the very thought scares me."

Katsuhito strokes his mustache impassively. "This Kyoto must 
have been lying low for months here, quietly convincing
Azusa and Sato that this was the time to make an open move 
against the throne and the GF...."

".... promised them riches and power, and then when their 
usefulness was done...."

Tenchi sighs. "I almost feel sorry for them."

"So what can we do about this power behind the scenes?" asks 
Kyoto.

"Nothing, at the moment," answers Digital Washu. "We can't fight
against something we know nothing about. First, we deal with the
devil we know."

Tenchi nods firmly, the determined set to his face at odds with
the tender way he holds his wife in his arms. "Right. So how do
we deal with them?"

"First, you need to see just what Nagi and Washu did in 
retaliation to the universe that punished them."

"Why?"

"So you can see just what kinda people we're dealing with."
The image on the holographic display changes to that of the 
Earth, renamed New Jurai after its liberation from the Fourth
Reich.

That planet disappears in a puff of smoke, sending 
continent-sized sheets of debris flying in every direction.
The hundreds of ships and space platforms in near-orbit
are vaporized instantly, leaving only a few badly wounded 
survivors to limp away. One of those survivors is a Juraian
tree-ship, which is immediately snared by a tractor-beam.
The tractor beam draws the ship back in to its origin point,
a Chisako-class station. 

Two new mug shots appear on the blackboard: Ayeka and Sasami. 

The picture of Ayeka is replaced by another picture of her--
dead, and hanging naked on a cross on the wall behind a throne. 

Ayeka passes out. 

"What the hell happened?" whispers Ryoko, as she gets up to 
attend to her friend. 

"I would say that is pretty self-explanatory. Gruesome as this
is, however, it is quite mild when compared to what happened
to little Sasami." 

Sasami and Mirei are slowly turning a shade of green. Finally,
Sasami manages to croak, "What happened to me?" 

"Emperor Kyoto forced that Sasami to become one of his 
concubines."

Tenchi has a horrified look on his face. "What the hell?!" 

Kiyone is clutching him tighter. "But she was only.... "

"Eight years old." Digital Washu herself looks ill. "I know,
it is rather sickening."

Sasami, Tsunami, Mirei, and Momoko, looking extremely green,
turn to Tenchi. "Daddy, we don't feel too good...." 

Tenchi nods and gently sets Kiyone down on their chair as he 
stands up. "It's okay, I'll go with you guys." 

Digital Washu halts the presentation until the small group has
left the room, then resumes speaking. "I'm afraid it only gets
worse."

"How could it get worse?!" demands Kiyone. 

"Watch." Another real-time holo starts playing out on the 
display, this one of the alternate-universe Kyoto thoroughly
enjoying himself.... 

.... with a corpse. 

The camera zooms in to reveal the corpse's identity. 

Kiyone Masaki abruptly loses her lunch into her desk. 

The Kyoto on the holo is making love to the exhumed corpse of 
the late Kiyone Minamoto, dead for the past fifteen years. 

The holoscreen is reduced to a pile of cinders within the next
microsecond by one of Kyoto's energy blasts. Ryoko is frightened
while dabbing the vomit away from her lips, and Kyo is cowering
behind his mother. 

"As you can see," explains Digital Washu quietly, "He exhumed
the dead Kiyone's body, restored it as best he could, and 
proceeded to use it as... a receptacle for his lust." 

Everyone in the room is sickened, and Kiyone quickly makes her
way out the door. 

His anger drained, Kyoto slumps to the floor and begins sobbing
into his hands. Ryoko is kneeling beside him in a flash, hugging
him tightly against her bosom. Kyo looks very confused, but 
decides that this is not the best time to ask questions.

The daughters reenter the room, still looking slightly green
but otherwise fine. Tenchi has gone with his wife to help her 
purge herself; once she tells him what she saw, he will 
doubtlessly be as incensed as Kyoto.

Katsuhito is the only one in the room with even a semblance
of composure left. "So, this Kyoto now has two of the three 
stations?"

Digital Washu nods solemnly. "That is correct, Katsuhito
Masaki. If he were to gain control of all three stations,
he would have complete control of spacetime. That is why he has
been hunting all of you, two very good reasons. One, because
you are in possession of the last piece of the puzzle, the final
thing he needs to secure his dominion over spacetime. Two, 
because you are the only ones who could conceivably stop him."

"Us?" repeats Tenchi, as he gently guides Kiyone back into the
classroom. He is holding his wife very gently. "What do you 
mean, we’re the only ones who can stop him?"

"Think about it, Tenchi. You and Kiyone can generate Light Hawk
Wings, as can Tsunami. Kyoto and Ryoko still have their powers,
and their children have the powers of both. Ayeka, Sasami,
and Katsuhito retain their Juraian fighting skills and 
abilities, as do the knights. There is no one else, not anymore.
It’s up to all of us to defeat them."

Tenchi sighs. "So it’s up to us to save the universe again...."

Kiyone, a wan half-smile on her face, nudges her husband gently
in the ribs. "Stop complaining, Tenchi-yon. If not us, then 
who?"

"I guess...." concedes Tenchi. "So, when do we get started?"

Suddenly the room starts shaking, and spackle and light fixtures
start to fall from the ceiling.

"Now would be good," answers Digital Washu, not missing a beat.

"Run away!" screams the real Washu, jumping up out of her chair
and sprinting for the door. The other occupants of the room do 
likewise. 

As they run through the forest, laser and particle beams begin
to chop up the trees and ground around them, showering them with
debris. The forest, however, holds out long enough for them to 
get back aboard Chisako. 

As Kyoto clambers back up to the command deck and starts the 
engines, he glares at Digital Washu. "You wanna get us going,
or should I drive my own ship?"

Digital Washu waves an unconcerned hand. "Go right ahead."

"How helpful of you." Kyoto flips the bird in the robot Washu’s
direction with one hand as he manipulates the controls with the
other. The mobile space station rises from the canal, which is 
evaporating due to the large concentration of fire directed
at it. 

The mobile station achieves orbit to find itself confronted
with a fleet of Galaxy Police starships, heavy cruiser-class
and upward. This impressive display is backed by a pair of 
gigantic spacecraft identical to Chisako, save for the paint
jobs; instead of Chisako’s olive-drab livery, one is bright
red with black piping, and the other is a black that approaches
indigo with electric-blue highlights. 

The ships immediately shift their axes of fire and begin to pelt
Chisako with glowing death.

"Do something!" yells Tenchi as he and Kiyone stumble onto the
bridge. 

"I’m open to suggestions!" Kyoto yells back. "They outgun us 
more than two-to-one, and it’ll take me a few minutes to get the
fold drive spooled up!"

"Can we shoot back?" asks Kiyone.

"Sure we can, but what good would it do?"

"Oh my god.... Kyoto, look."

This comes from Muriyaki, who is pointing out the viewport
at a new entry to the melee.

A fleet of starships of almost-unrecognizable
design.

Muriyaki and Kyoto recognize them immediately, as they open fire
on Chisako’s assailants.

The holoscreen fizzles to life, and Hanae, the eldest of 
Muriyaki’s daughters, peers out at them desperately. "Are you 
there, Mother?"

"Hanae!" Muriyaki looks back at her daughter. "My darling,
what are you and your sisters doing here?"

"Run, Mother!" yells Hanae’s holographic representation.
Behind her, Hanae’s ship-form bridge bursts into flames. Another
of Chisako’s viewscreens pops up, showing the "GP" fleet 
concentrating its fire on one intruder at a time. Even a Sha’yla
Sha’yla can only absorb so much, and, one by one, Muriyaki’s
daughters fall.

"NO!" Muriyaki’s expression makes words like horror and terror
seem insufficient. "Girls, no!"

Hanae’s holo is flickering on and off now. "Mother, please go!
We can’t hold them much longer, and you wo--" The holo fails
completely.

The other screen dispassionately details the handful of 
Muriyaki’s daughters who’ve survived gathering together,
and launching themselves at the two floating fortresses.

All of them are burned down within thirty seconds.

"No...." Muriyaki’s voice has lost all of its strength, and she
collapses to the deck, sobbing into her hands. Katsuhito
quietly helps her to her feet and gently leads her off the 
command deck. 

After they’ve left, no one speaks for a long time. Finally
Kyoto breaks the silence. "We’re ready to fold...."

"Do it." Ryoko’s voice is full of sadness.

Chisako disappears into interdimensional space.

 

The bridge of Akiko bears small resemblance to that of Chisako. 

Chisako’s command deck is built around the sword slot/central
holoterminal, and has chairs and tables enough to also serve
as a conference room or mess deck. It has a homey, comfortable
kind of feel to it.

Akiko’s bridge has a throne on a raised platform in the center,
with several descending rings of workstations encircling
it. In addition, a pair of chained collars hangs from the 
ceiling on either side of the throne. The last are for the 
lord’s "companions."

They are unoccupied at the moment, which is probably a good 
thing, considering the current temper of Lord Emperor Kyoto.
He is glaring down from his throne at everyone in eyeshot.
"What the devil happened? We should have had them!"

The ship’s executive officer gulps. "My lord, there were 
unexpected complications. You saw the Sha’yla Sha’yla 
yourselves; they drew our fire long enough for the Chisako
to escape--"

"Enough, vermin!" Kyoto viciously backhands the man across the
face. 

"Calm down, my lord." The holographic image of the evil Washu,
still in her Science Academy uniform with the swastika armband,
hovers in the air in front of Kyoto’s throne. "We can trace 
their fold trail."

Kyoto grunts. "And how long will that take?"

Washu hesitates. "At least twenty-four hours."

Kyoto’s glare gathers strength, but after a moment he nods. 
"Very well. If you believe that is our best course of 
action...." "It is the only one with a real chance of success."

"Then do it." Kyoto turns on his heel and strides toward the 
exit. "I’ll be in my harem. Let me know when you have a fix on 
them."

 

Tenchi isn’t sure whose idea the memorial service was. 

It might have been Kiyone, whose mother had been lost with the
rest of the GHC.

It might have been Ayeka, who was still in shock over Seiryo’s
death. 

It might have been Muriyaki, whose daughters had bought their
escape time with their lives. 

It might have been Kyoto, who had been forced to watch an 
alternate himself violate the body of a beloved wife dead 
fifteen years. 

It might have even been himself, who had watched good friends
be killed buying him and his family an escape route. 

He doesn’t know, and he decides that he really doesn’t want to 
know. In any case, it was a good idea, and so he is here now,
holding his Kiyone-yoni’s hand in the outdoor chapel in 
Chisako’s L-deck arboretum. Everyone aboard is gathered there.
There is no one speaker, as too many have lost friends and loved
ones in the past few weeks. Instead, the person closest to the
each person lost gives a brief eulogy. 

Kiyone starts it by speaking of her mother, keeping it brief
and simple. Tenchi had asked if his wife had wanted him to go up
with her, but she had told him that she needed to do this alone.
Still, he sees silent tears rolling down her face as she 
finishes, and hugs her tightly as she sits back down. 

Ayeka isn’t able to make it through Seiryo’s eulogy without
breaking down, and has to be taken back to the medical center
by Sasami and Momoko. Right now, she’s sleeping, courtesy
of tranquilizers that Washu had prescribed. Tomorrow, the good
doctor will probably give her some antidepressants. 

Muriyaki isn’t much better off than Ayeka, but manages to save
her breakdown until after the eulogy. She excuses herself 
immediately, too shaken to stay for the rest of the memorial.

Kyoto’s voice is cracking throughout his eulogizing of his 
Kiyone. From the shocked looks on Kyo and Momoko’s faces, it 
seemed a fair bet that neither Kyoto nor Ryoko had told their
children much about their father’s life prior to their marriage.
Tenchi can hardly suppress his wince; he sees a long Minamoto
family discussion in the near future. 

After Kyoto, the remaining mourners place bouquets on a small
stone memorial and retire to the Masaki or Minamoto houses.
No one is really in the mood for conversation or even a meal.
Still, Washu stops Tenchi and Kiyone on their way up to bed. In
a low voice, she says, "I know this isn’t the best time, but I 
was just checking my lab, and it appears that the other Kyoto
is attempting to lock a fold trace on us."

"Can you block it?" asks Tenchi, exhaustion leaking through
his calm voice. Physical fatigue is one thing and can be dealt
with easily, but the mental and emotional weariness that has 
descended over everyone is a much more difficult foe to combat.

"Easily, but not permanently," comes the answer. "Remember
that he’s got the other Washu working for him, and much as I 
hate to admit it, she’s as smart as I am. It wouldn’t take her
very long to figure out the game I was playing."

Tenchi pats his stepmother on the shoulder. "Do what you can,
and then get some sleep. Something tells me that the quiet won’t
last long."

"Experience," retorts Washu, a small smile coming onto her face
for the first time that day. "You and Kiyone get some sleep 
too."

 

* * * * * * * * * * * 

 

"Mommy? Where are you, Mommy?" 

Kiyone has no idea where her mother is. 

Normally, it wouldn’t be that hard to find her; the halls and 
rooms of the Royal Palace on Megami Prime are as familiar
to her as her father’s face. 

This time, however, it’s not a simple game of hide-and-seek.
Sometime during the count from one to ten, her mommy--and
everyone else in the palace--simply vanished. Now the young 
princess Kiyone, once again six years old, is dashing from room
to room, calling out first her parents’ names, then the names
of her uncles and aunts and cousins, then her friends and 
attendants, and everyone else she can think of. 

No one heeds the young girl’s calls.

Finally she rushes into the throne room--and skids to a stop,
screaming at what she sees.

Her mother, obviously dead--as observed by the GP detective
part of her mind--and stripped down to the skin. 

And her uncle, himself naked, doing.... something....
to her mother’s body.

"Mommy!" she shrieks, causing her uncle to look up at her.

His expression frightens her, as she recalls a half-overheard
remark made by her father about his older brother’s sexual 
tastes: "He's a pervert, plain and simple. I've seen the way he
looks at anyone or anything female. I'll be damned if I’ll let
him marry my daughter, or anyone else’s, for that matter...."

"Little Kiyone." Azusa has a very wide grin on his face, one 
that no one in their right mind should wear when regarding
a child. "Come here, and sit in your uncle’s lap." "No!" screams
Kiyone, turning and starting to bolt for the door. Vines that
suddenly spurt up from the floor restrain her, however. The 
vines viciously rip away her clothes, leaving cuts across her 
body. Still grinning, Azusa strides toward her, his eyes 
reflecting the things he wants to do to her. Nothing left to do,
she screams--

--and sits up screaming in her and Tenchi’s bed.

"Kiyone-yoni!" Tenchi is sitting up next to her, concern for his
wife etched into his expression. "Are you okay?"

"Huh?" It takes a moment to register that she’s not six years
old, and that her perverted uncle is nowhere near, and then the
tears starts falling. Tenchi quickly gathers her into his arms
and hugs her tight. "Oh my god, are you all right, Kiyone-yoni?"

"T-Tenchi-yon...." Kiyone sniffles, snuggling tighter into the
security of her husband’s embrace, "I s-saw my mother....
and she was dead...."

All Tenchi can do is hold his wife as she tells the rest of her
dream. "....and my uncle, Azusa.... he was doing to her what the
other Kyoto was doing to the other m-m-me.... and then he was 
g-g-going to...." She doesn’t finish--not that she needed to.

"I’m sorry," whispers Tenchi, hugging Kiyone as close to him as
he can. "I’m so sorry, Kiyone-yoni. But I’m here, and I’m not 
gonna let anything happen to you, and we’re gonna get the guy 
behind this, okay?"

The tears have started drying now, and Kiyone is red-eyed
as she looks up her husband. "I kn-know, Tenchi-yon."
She returns her head to its resting-place on his shoulder.
"I know you’ll take care of us...." "Mommy?" The door to Tenchi
and Kiyone’s bedroom flies open, and Sasami, Mirei, and Sasami
rush in, worry on their faces. "Mommy, are you all right?"

Kiyone looks up, and smiles weakly. "Yes, girls, I’m all right."

"What happened?" asks Mirei as she joins her father in hugging
her mother.

"I had a bad dream. It was about your grandmother," explains
Kiyone, hugging Mirei.

"D’ya want us to stay with you, Mom?" asks Sasami concernedly.

"How’s Ayeka?"

"Sleeping, peacefully."

Kiyone reaches out and caresses her eldest daughter’s face. 
"Sami-cha’ya, why don’t you go and stay with Ayeka tonight,
keep her company?"

"Okay." Sasami hugs Kiyone quickly. "G’night, Mommy." She shoots
a glance at her two sisters. "Help Daddy take care of Mommy."
She then leaves the room.

Mirei looks up at Kiyone. "Mommy, do you want Tsunami and I to 
stay with you and Daddy tonight?"

Kiyone exchanges glances with her husband, then nods. 

Tenchi smiles as his two younger daughters settle themselves
under the sheets. "Almost like a slumber party, huh?"

"A little," admits Kiyone, pulling Tenchi’s right arm more 
tightly around her. "Let’s try to sleep now."

 

The Minamoto house is somewhat less than peaceful.

"Why the hell didn’t you tell us?!" demands Kyo. Normally
he’s a pretty unruffled guy, but, for some reason, the knowledge
that his father was married before their mother is pissing
him off.

Kyoto sighs. "Your mother and I weren’t planning on keeping
this from you forever. When you were old enough--"

"And when would that have been?!"

Momoko tugs on her twin brother’s arm. "Calm down, onii-chan.
I’m sure they had good reasons...."

"Let’s hear some of them." Kyo crosses his arms over his chest
and glares at his father. 

"Kyo--"

"Tell me, dad--" Kyoto had no idea that his son could pack so 
much anger into a single word "--if she hadn’t died, what would
you have done?"

"Kyo!" It’s Ryoko this time, looking horrified and angry at her
son’s questions. 

"Well?"

Kyoto takes a deep breath. "Kyo, don’t ask me that."

"Too late. Give me an answer."

Kyoto closes his eyes. "I was in love with her! She was carrying
my child, for God’s sake!" He returns Kyo’s glare for the first
time. "She could have been your mother, Kyo."

"And you would have just forgotten all about Mom?" Kyo shoots
back.

Ryoko breaks in. "This is pointless. Kyo, you know better than
to say things like this. What your father would or would not 
have done is academic. It has no bearing."

Kyo’s anger lingers for a few moments before finally starting
to evaporate. Without apologizing, however, he spins on his heel
and stalks out of the room."

Momoko shakes her head. "Onii-chan’s a jerk."

"No, he’s not," Ryoko chides gently. "He’s just irked that we 
didn’t tell you and him this. He considers this an affront
to his trustworthiness."

"I guess I'd feel the same way in his shoes," mutters Kyoto.
He smiles at his daughter, the more even-tempered of his 
children. "Anything you wanna know, Momoko-chan?"

"Dad, how old are you, really?"

"That's an easy question to answer. Over 20,000 years old."

"Will you live forever? What about Mom? Will Kyo and I live 
forever?" 

Kyoto lets out a breath. "I wish I knew what to tell you, 
sweetie. However, as long as there are anti-aging drugs and your
Auntie Washu around, I think your mother and I will be around
for a long time. As for you and Kyo... as our offspring,
both of you carry a blend of our powers. That almost certainly
includes a long life span."

Small tears trickling down her cheeks, she rushes into the 
parental embrace of her mother and father. "Don't leave me, 
don't ever leave me..." 

"Of course we'll always be here for you, darling," whispers
Ryoko. She then smiles a very motherly smile. "Do I know a 
little girl who wants cookies and milk before going to bed?" 

Momoko's jaw hits the floor in a second's time. 

Ryoko sighs. "I was afraid you would stop responding to that 
sooner or later." 

"Mom!" Momoko has a flustered expression on her face, though
this does nothing to loosen her grip on her parents. 

 

* * *

 

Several more days pass. Chisako makes a number of different
folds; the more folds they make, the more difficult it will be 
for the other Washu to get a precise fix on their location.
However, Chisako's fold drive can only do this so long before
it must undergo a cool-down process. 

Those who have lost loved ones are coping with the lost, thanks
largely to the concentration of family and friends around them
(and, in Ayeka's case, lots of drugs). 

Washu and Digital Washu are working on replenishing the food 
cycler's stock of constituent proteins. Once finished, their
work should keep the cycler operational for another ten years.
The only problem is the amount of time it takes to produce
the proteins-- several weeks. 

Finally, a council of war is called. It is quickly decided
that Tenchi and Kyoto share command of the group. Tenchi's
experience as the emperor of Jurai has forged him into a natural
leader, but Chisako is Kyoto's ship and no one knows it better
than he does--other than Digital Washu and Muriyaki. Kiyone
and Ryoko naturally fall into the rolls of seconds-in-command. 

 

* * *

 

It is late at night. Everyone aboard Chisako is sound asleep. 

Everyone, that is, except for three specific women. 

Dressed for the first time in years in their ceremonial
garb, they take up a triangular in the center of the C-deck
arboretum, which has been darkened to simulate night. Each of 
them faces inward towards the center of the triangle. At the 
same moment, they tap a foot on the ground three times, and 
trails of fire burn outward, etching a triangle into the ground
with a goddess at each point. 

Taking up her role as spokesgoddess, Murasaki looks up to the 
sky, closes her eyes, and begins to speak. "O fire which burns
hotter than any star, o water that is deeper than any ocean,
o wind that blows stronger than any hurricane, we ask for thy 
favor. We ask for thy knight. We ask for the Light Hawk. It is 
only he who can triumph against what is ahead. We ask for thy 
champion. We ask for the Light Hawk." 

As she repeats this litany, Tsunami and Tokimi begin to chant
in a language reminiscent of ancient Juraian. 

Around the triangle, ghostly figures start to dance. Those of 
loved ones long since passed on. 

Achika Masaki. 

Eiko Masaki. 

Kaichi Masaki. 

Funaho Masaki. 

Misaki Makibi. 

Ryoji Makibi. 

All these names, and others. The circle in which they dance 
begins to coruscate with blue-white energy, doing a good 
impression of a super-dimensional fortress charging up its main
gun. 

Finally, the energy bursts outward in an omni-directional
shockwave, yet nothing in the arboretum is harmed. Not even 
Chisako's computers pick up this energy surge. When it has 
finished, the three goddesses are standing once again in their
triangle, all alone and silent. Even the triangle burnt into the
ground is gone. 

 

* * *

 

Somewhere in the depths of space, the request is heard, and an 
answer is given. 

 

 

THE END

 

 

 

Footnotes:

*Shojo manga: Girl's comics.