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 actua l 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 creation of Joseph McKenzie and Keiichi Masaki. Also, in this episode, as well as the one preceding and perhaps the one following, all characters, names, and fighting techniques/schools taken from the anime/manga Rurôni Kenshin are the property of Nobuhiro Watsuki, Fuji TV, Sony, SPE Visual Works, whichever of the Jump magazines the manga is serialized in. For further information on the wonderful series, visit . Please direct C&C to Keiichi Masaki and/or Chi-ohki . Episode #23: No Need for a Past!--part 2 "Mama! Mama!" The daughter of the city-state Yachika’s governor proudly holds up a rice ball perfectly molded in the shape of a cabbit. Aye’ka smiles in approval and pats her daughter’s head. "It looks wonderful, Sa’sami-chan." She takes a bite. "Tastes good too. You might want to add some more honey, though…" A knock on the front door grabs her attention. "I’ll be right back, sweetie." She opens the door to find a young, deeply tanned blond woman standing before her, clad in the dark-blue haori-hakama of the city police. "Can I help you, miss—oh, hello, Sergeant Mihoshi. What can we do for you?" The woman bows slightly. "Aye’ka-dono, I was sent by the okashira and your husband to inform you that he’ll be late getting home." Aye’ka purses her lips thoughtfully. "All right… is something wrong?" For some reason, the young sergeant fingers her katana’s hilt nervously. "Not wrong per se, ma’am, but… complicated would be a better word. Perhaps you had better see for yourself…" "Mama, who is it?" Sasa’mi comes out of the kitchen, one of the housecabbits cradled in her arms. "Oh, hi, Sergeant Mihoshi!" Mihoshi smiles at the young girl. "Good afternoon, Sa’sami-chan." "Sa’sami, would you like to come with Sergeant Mihoshi and I to go see your father?" Aye’ka asks. Sa’sami nods enthusiastically. "Sure!" She looks down at the tabby-striped male cabbit in her arms. "Wouldn’t we, Sano-ohki?" "Shi-ya!" agrees the cabbit. * * * "Amazing," Ten’chi mutters. "You—we—we’re identical." "Yeah, I guess we are," Tenchi says softly. He eyes his counterpart with a small amount of jealousy; unlike his purposely rough-hewn and worn clothes, Ten’chi’s haori, gi, and hakama appear to be in fine shape and of fine material . With the topknot on his head and daisho at his waist, this past Tenchi looks very much the samurai. Ten'chi stares across the table at his counterpart. "Where are you from?" "Uhh…" Tenchi starts sweating. They had anticipated many things, but not this situation… "Far away," Kyoto interjects from beside Tenchi. "From the… the…" "The west," Tenchi quickly adds. Good god, I feel like I'm reading a bad movie plot… Ten'chi, however, appears to accept it at face value. "I see. So, just a couple of questions. What brings you to our fair city?" Tenchi thinks fast. "Umm… our village… in the west… was destroyed by people from another town last year; they burned the temple and the entire village. While fleeing the damage, we ran into some travelers who told us that this was a good place to live ." Ten'chi smiles slightly. "I'd like to think so. It would tell me that I'm not as bad at governing a city as I sometimes think. Still, you had a pretty… brash… way of introducing yourselves." He raises an eyebrow at Kyoto. "Dare I ask what possessed y ou to be swinging a broadsword around?" Kyoto actually manages to look indignant. "Those guys were causing trouble in the restaurant we were eating at! They’re lucky I didn't do more!" "I'm not questioning your motives; everyone in the restaurant backs your claim. But even so, cutting someone's arm off?!" Ten'chi wears a pained expression. "That's a little excessive, don't you think?" Kyoto rubs his chin. "Um… no. I thought it was too little." Tenchi lowers his face into his hands, groaning. "Why does this always happen to me?" * * * "Gyunabe! Gyunabe!" Mirei and Momoko have their faces pressed to the bars and yelling at each person who passes by. "We want Gyunabe!" The cabbits mi-ya their agreement. Kiyone-yoni gently pulls the girls back from the bars. "Come on, girls, get some sleep. We don't know how long we're going to be here." Mirei turns backs to face her mother. "But mommy, I'm hungry!" The cabbit Mirei holds wriggles out of her arms, and squeezes between the bars. "Tsuki-ohki!" Mirei starts to follow the cabbit but runs right into the bars. She sinks into her mother's arms moaning, "My aching… head…" * * * The young lady at the front desk looks up as the doors open. "Oh, Mihoshi, welcome ba--" She suddenly notes who's with her and does a quick bow from the waist. "Welcome, Aye'ka-dono, Sa'sami-dono." "Thank you," nods Aye'ka. "Could you please tell me where my husband is?" "Oh, he's in interrogation room three with--" "Hey! Come back here, you!" The women turn to see a black-and-white cabbit running out of the station kitchen, a rope clenched firmly in its teeth. On the other end of the rope is a burlap bag of carrots. The woman at the desk turns to look at the policewoman running out of the station kitchen. "Ritsuko, what's the cabbit doing with the bag of carrots?" The blond-haired policewoman shrugs helplessly. "I don't know! It just appeared in there and started digging through the food!" "Mi-ya!" The cabbit scampers in the direction of the cellblock. "Oh, it's so cute!" gushes Sa'sami. "Shi-ya?" Sano-ohki cocks his head inquisitively, as if considering this, then bounces out of Sa'sami's arms and chases after the renegade Ohki. "What on Earth?" blinks Aye'ka. "That must be a girl Ohki," Sa'sami notes. She runs off, following it. "Come back here, you!" "Sa'sami-chan, you don't know where that thing's been!" Aye'ka rushes off after her daughter. Under her breath she mutters, "I didn't know that Sano-ohki was in rut…" Mihoshi sighs and follows them. "I knew this wasn't a good idea…" * * * "You’re putting me on trial?!" Ten’chi sighs and nods. "I’m afraid I have to. Justified or not, you did cut off a man’s arm." "He was causing trouble, slapping women around—was I just supposed to let him?!" "No, of course not, but the arm—" "Fuck his arm!" "I think you already did that," Tenchi mutters not quite under his breath. "Oh, I didn’t see you helping out there—" "You didn’t seem to need any…" "Anyway," Ten’chi interrupts, a previously-unseen vein throbbing in his forehead, "the fact is that you broke a law of our city. More to the point, you can’t plead ignorance; as far as I know, most places have laws against cutting of f a person’s arm." "Yeah, Kyoto," echoes Tenchi. Ten’chi opens his mouth to continue when Kiyo’ne sticks her head into the room. "Ne, Ten’chi-dono, can I speak to you for a moment?" "Of course. If you gentlemen will excuse me for a moment…" And Ten’chi stands up and leaves the room. Once the door slides shut, Tenchi slumps in his chair. "Great. This is just what we needed." "Don’t worry—yet," says Kyoto in a feeble attempt at reassurance. "He seems to be a reasonable man… he’s as anal-retentive as you are, but that’s to be expected…" Smack! "Ack…" Kyoto’s voice came a moment later. "Was that necessary…?" Tenchi’s reply is dry as wood. "With you? Always." * * * "Nan desuka?!" Momoko looks up in surprise as she sees Tsuki-ohki dragging a bag of food towards their cell. "Tsuki-ohki?!" The cabbit bounces through the bars, somehow managing to squeeze the bag through. "Shi-ya!" "Eh?!" Everyone in the cell turns to look at a cabbit who wasn't in the cell a moment before. It's slightly bigger than Tsuki-ohki, with fur the color of cinnamon toast. "A boy cabbit?" Mirei wonders aloud. "Well, male cabbits are usually larger than female ones," Momoko notes. Indeed, the cabbit appears to be blushing as it approaches Tsuki-ohki. From apparently nowhere, it produces a carrot with a bow wrapped around it. Tsuki-ohki blushes and excepts the carrot. "Oh, how sweet!" Yoni has hearts in her eyes and has her hands clasped together. "They're in love!" "Or maybe just in heat…" muses Kiyone-yoni. The male cabbits reaches out a front paw to Tsuki-ohki, who accepts it while blushing. The two cabbits then scamper off into the shadows. "…Are they doing what I think they're doing?" Mirei asks slowly. Everyone in the cell nods. Mirei blushes as red as blood. "Oh my…" "Sano-ohki! Sano-ohki, did you go-- OW!" An eight-year-old girl who is the spitting image of Sasami at that age walks into the bars. She looks up apologetically. "Excuse me, but have you seen a light brown male cabbit come in--" Her voice falls silent as the fugitive cabbit she'd seen earlier with her Sano-ohki emerges from the shadows of the cell-- carrying an egg. Sa'sami's face goes a light shade of red. "Sano-ohki… you naughty ohki you! With an ohki you don't even know!" Mirei is checking Tsuki-ohki's temperature. "Did he hurt you, Tsuki-ohki?" "Mi-ya!" Tsuki-ohki shakes her head, a smile somehow on the ohki's lips. "Sa'sami? Are you-- Oh, here you are." Aye'ka stops outside the cell. "Where's--" Her eyes fall upon the egg and she reddens. "Oh, my." Ryoko rolls her eyes. "For crying out loud! Haven’t any of you seen an ohki get knocked up before?" "Mom!" hisses Kyo. "You're supposed to be setting a good example for us!" * * * "…so those three were troublemakers anyway?" "That’s about the size of it," Kiyo’ne acknowledges. "Restaurants and businesses in that district have been registering a lot of complaints about those three, but all our people have been able to do is escort them out. Legally, our hands w ere tied." She smirks. "In all frankness, I think that sword-swinging foreigner may have done us a favor." "I know, I know…" Ten’chi sighs. "God, I wish I hadn’t gotten out of bed this morning." "You do?!" she retorts. "I haven’t been to sleep in almost two days!" "Sorry," he says sheepishly, reddening slightly. "It’s okay," she assures him. "So, what are you gonna do?" "What can I do? On the one hand, he’s done both the citizenry and us a service; on the other hand, he did break a law, and he did slice someone’s arm off… I can’t get out of a trial. All I can do is… adjust the verdict. I don’t want to, but it may be the only thing I can do…" "That’s what I thought," Kiyo’ne notes. "And speaking of verdicts…" "Huh?" "Daddy, look!" Sa’sami comes up, Sano-ohki—and a female cabbit—following around her ankles. In her arms she holds a cabbit egg. "Look at this!" "Oro…" * * * Tsuki-ohki did what?! That's right, Tenchi-yon, Kiyone-yoni acknowledges. The governor's daughter's cabbit got Tsuki-ohki pregnant. Now she's carrying around an egg and they're acting like a married couple. Great. Just great. Anything else we should be worried-- Tenchi pauses in his mental conversation and hears footsteps approaching. Sorry, darling, gotta go. Judgment approaches… Okay, Tenchi-yon, talk to you soon… With an inaudible snap, the connection breaks, just as Ten'chi reenters the room. The city-state's governor looks slightly embarrassed. Beside Tenchi, Kyoto raises an eyebrow. "What's up?" "Well… I'm afraid we're going to have to press on with a trial… but…" "But…?" both prisoners repeat, eyebrows upraised in anticipation. "…but there is a way out of this, and there will be several benefits. Number one, since it was only you, Sagara-san, who did the impromptu amputation--" the prisoners grimace at the bad joke "--you will be the only one to stand trial. Himura-< I>san, you and the ladies will be released." Tenchi relaxes. Kyoto, naturally, does not. "Sagara-san, the verdict will be 'guilty.' Do not doubt that. However, as ruler of this city, I have the right to decide the kind of punishment you'll receive…" * * * "…Sanosuke Sagara, you are hereby found guilty as charged. The sentence…" The magistrate looks off to one side. "…the punishment is at the discretion of the city governor. Ten'chi-dono?" "Thank you." Ten'chi steps up to the magistrate's podium. "Sanosuke Sagara, I hereby challenge you to a Trial by Blade. It will be your sword against mine--not to the death, but to the first blood. If you beat me, you will go free. If not… I hope yo u enjoy prison food." Kyoto nods grimly. He is lead outside by two bailiffs, to the courtyard of the city hall, where a crowd has gathered. Once he has stepped into the courtyard, one of the bailiffs removes his bindings while the other produces the sheathed Edgatho and hands it to Kyoto. Kyoto, after rubbing his wrists for a few seconds, takes the sword and places it on his back, snugging the strap into place across his chest. Across the central expanse, an orderly takes Ten'chi's haori and his wakizashi. Smiling, he begins to drum his fingers along the hilt of his katana. His body tenses, as if he is preparing right for his opponent's throat. * * * Muriyaki is rubbing her temples. "Onii-chan no baka… What have you gotten yourself into now?" "Who cares!" calls out Chi-ohki. "I'm taking bets here!" "Ten-thousand on Kyoto!" calls out Murasaki, waving her ticket in the air. Ayeka huffs and turns away from Murasaki indignantly. "Really, Lady Murasaki… fifteen-thousand." "Beer man!" calls out Tokimi the goddess, who is already red-faced from having consumed several large bottles of saké. "I am not a beer man, you drunk goddess!" growls Chi-ohki between clenched teeth and a cigar. "I'm a bookie!" "Oh wow! I bet fifty-thousand on Ten'chi and two pounds of chocolate!" "Where are you getting the fifty-thousand, Auntie Mihoshi?" asks Tokimi the princess sweetly. "Oh, here and there. Mostly all this money I won from making bets before!" All the girls in the room grimace. "Exactly what currency are you using?" asks Kyo. "Jurai! What else?" "Galactic credits, latinum, American dollars, yen…" "Never mind, dear." Murasaki pats him on the head. "Now, run along and play." Kyo pouts. "I hate when she treats me like a little kid…" Muriyaki shakes her head. "I'm surrounded by baka…" "Mi-ya!" agrees Muri-ohki on her left shoulder. "Mi-ya!" concurs Yaki-ohki on her right. * * * In yet another alternate universe… "I bet twenty thousand!" Evil Washu watches her liege quizzically. "But why are you betting on him, sire?" "Because he's me!" "But… do you even know where we're getting this feed from?!" "No! How dare you question me!" "That's what you hired me for." "…Just trace it!" "Yes, my liege." * * * For the last several minutes, the air around the arena has grown deathly quiet. The tension between spectators thickens with each passing second as the two combatants continue their stare-off. Strong… his ki… I haven't felt a killing ki this strong since the revolution… Ten'chi thinks, his palms wringing wet with sweat. Already, beads of perspiration are dripping from the edge of his chin and onto the dirt. His chain of thought shatters as he senses a low rumble. His eyes widen as he sees that his opponent is the source of the rumble. The air around Kyoto is crackling with unbridled energy, around him are swirling pebbles, sakura petals, and grains of dust. Gradually the debris begins to swirl around both fighters in a fine mist. Kyoto's eyes, closed as if in meditation, sl owly open. His lips curve upward in a smile-- --And he vanishes in a flash of blue. The force of Kyoto's action detonates the built-up kinetic energy in the air, causing the debris to detonate. The bright flash and the force of air pressure pushes most of the spectators to the ground, and even Ten'chi has trouble staying on his feet. His vision clears just as he sees his opponent literally flying at him, whipping his sword from its scabbard. Edgatho whips through Ten'chi-- or it would if he was still standing there. Yachika's governor is standing off to one side, crouched in a battô-jutsu stance. Before Kyoto can move, Ten'chi throws himself at his opponent, his katana flashing from its sheath. The force it carries is almost enough to cleave a man in half; even Kyoto is barely able to parry it. Ten'chi jumps back, katana at the ready. He's strong and fast. It'll take a lot of work to make this look convincing… Kyoto slips into his defensive stance. He's good. It'll be hard to fight at my best and still not kill him… * * * "This is getting way too serious for my tastes," Ryoko frets. "I hope he doesn't let himself get carried away." "Mmmm… I don't wanna see daddy kill him," agrees Momoko. * * * "Mommy, is daddy gonna be alright?" Sa'sami asks in a fretful tone. She gently caresses the speckled ohki egg in her arms. "I want him to be able to see the new cabbit." "I'm sure your father will be fine," Aye'ka says reassuringly, trying to believe the words herself. * * * "Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu, Kuzu Ryu Sen!" Ten'chi launches himself at Kyoto, his sword blade flashing at top speed to hit all of his opponent's vital pressure points at once. Kyoto crumples to the ground, cruses being hissed through his purs ed lips. "Damn… that hurt…" He slowly rises to his feet, using Edgatho, who's blade is thrust into the ground as a support. Show or no show, I'm sick of getting my ass plastered! Not even Tenchi can do that! Time for the big guns! Smirking, he yanks Edgatho out of the ground and tosses it off to one side. Ten'chi looks at him in confusion. What is he doing?! Smiling, Kyoto sits cross-legged on the ground and reaches behind his back, into his jacket. From behind his back, he draws a jeweled tanto. * * * "Kiyone-yoni…" "Yes, Tenchi-yon?" "Didn't you leave Soyokaze aboard Chisako?" "I thought I did…" The original Kiyone turns to her twin. "Yoni, did you do anything with Soyokaze?" The other Kiyone shakes her head. "No, why… ohh…" * * * With a cry of "Futae no Kiwami!", Kyoto slams the tanto into the ground, in Ten'chi's direction. Ten'chi stares, transfixed, as the ground leading to him ripples and tears. The effect covers the distance in the blink of an eye, and before he can react, he's blown backward by the sheer force. He slams against the city hall's east wall, and slowly slumps to the ground. The crowd, having just now staggered back to their feet, gasp in shock, and more than a few men reach for the hilts of their swords, ready to exact vengeance for their fallen leader. "D-daijôbu… I'm fine…" Ten'chi rises to his feet (albeit unsteadily). He grimaces at Kyoto. "What the hell was that?!" "That was the Futae no Kiwami, the Double Limit. The ultimate in hand-to-hand martial art… and in limited-range projection of power, as you've just seen. Still, there's nothing like repeated instruction to really impress something upon someone's m ind." With that, the tanto crashes into ground once more. Only this time, Ten'chi isn't there. Having anticipated the attack, Ten'chi had caught air just before the Double Limit pummeled him again. With a fierce battle cry, he comes crashing down on Kyoto. "Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu, Ryu Tsui Sen!" Instead, his katana hits the ground. Expecting the blistering aerial assault, Kyoto had risen and sidestepped, all in one fluid motion. Soyokaze's blade strikes the earth once more. Ten'chi leaps out of the way. "Damn." He launches himself again at Kyoto, non-sword hand on the blade's blunt end, for the added force of a Ryu Sho Sen. The last thing anyone expects for Kyoto to intercept the blade with his own fist. The katana's cutting edge slams deep into Kyoto's knuckles, yet the damage has been done. The blade shatters all the way down to the guard, which cracks and pours through Ten'chi's fingers into a small pile on the ground. Silence. The two opponents stare at each other for a long moment, as if neither is willing to restart the fight. "Ten'chi-sama!!" Off in the distance, one of his followers, the one who held his wakizashi, rushes forward. "Your wakizashi!!" He tosses the short sword, which flies horribly off to one side. "Oh… monkey spooge." Everyone in the vicinity sweat-drops and Ten'chi face-faults. The wind whistles while a red-faced Ten'chi walks over to pick up his wakizashi. "Futae no Kiwami!!" Soyokaze strikes the earth again, sending a blast in the direction of Ten'chi. Ten'chi has just recovered his wakizashi when he feels the force of the Futae no Kiwami closing on him. He throws his body out of its path. "Damn, missed!" Kyoto sites on Ten'chi again, and slams the tanto into the earth. Ten'chi deftly avoids it-- by simply stepping out of the way. "Chikkusho!" Soyokaze, meet ground. I believe you two know each other? Another hop, skip, and jump, and Ten'chi has danced out of the Double Limit's path again. Moreover, he has drawn even closer to Kyoto. And his wakizashi is in hand. * * * "Oh dear," Aye'ka mutters. "What is it?" Tenchi asks. "His wakizashi…" "What about it?" "His specialty on kendo and kenjutsu… it's with the wakizashi. His attacks are twice as powerful as when he uses a katana…" "FUCK!" Kyoto falls back rapidly, in the unenviable position of having to block blows from a short sword with a mere dagger. Indeed, Ten'chi is pressing quite hard, moving with more force and speed than he had been before. This time, he is actually scoring hits on Kyoto. Kyoto is pressed back against the wall before he can start to fight back. "Futae no Kiwami!", and a small restaurant across from the city hall shatters. "Futae no Kiwami!", and a small house is blown to dust. By now, Ten'chi has gotten Kyoto's range, and he rains another flurry of hits on him. This repeats for some time. Gradually , the entire central-downtown district is , if not totaled, at least badly concussed, and most of the spectators and residents are running for their lives. (Naturally, the only ones not doing so are the ones w hose loved ones are the fighters.) The power of impact after impact makes the ground tremble as if an earthquake is occurring. Coincidentally, these tremors add to the already-fast hatching of a recently-laid Ohki egg… Finally the end has come. Both fighters are at their limits, but neither is willing to quit. Finally, Kyoto sends Soyokaze crashing down, and the earth splits again. However, Ten'chi once more dodges it, and this time sidesteps and rushes at Kyoto, leaping at him in the Kuzu Ryu Sen stance… * * * Among the spectators is that egg. That last tremor was just enough to prompt it's hatching… "Mi-ya!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Everyone in the crowd turns to look at the just-hatched, sakura-pink Ohki resting in the governor's daughter's arm. Everyone, including the two fighters, who look at it--and collapse. * * * Unnoticed, the impact wave of the Futae no Kiwami dissipates, but not before hitting the grounded blade of Edgatho. While not powerful enough to destroy or even crack the sword, it is enough to set it ashake, triggering the sensitive autobea con in the hilt. * * * "Are you all right, anata?" Aye'ka asks worriedly, gently dabbing at the cut on her husband's forehead. "Yes, koishii, I'm all right." Tenchi accepts the handkerchief from her with a smile. "He's… not bad…" "Daddy! Look!" Sa'sami comes up, cradling the newborn cabbit in her arms. "Her name is Sakura-ohki! Isn't that a great name?" "Hai, little one, it is at that." Despite himself, Ten'chi tickles it under the chin. "You're a cute little th--" And the sky suddenly goes dark. "What the hell?!" Ten'chi cries out. "It was sunny just a--" He looks up to see a giant, dark shadow hanging over the city. * * * "Kyoto…" Tenchi's voice is disturbingly calm. "Um… yeah?" "Is that Chisako up there?" "I… think so…" "How did it get here?" "Um…" Kyoto thinks hard. How the hell did it get here? I told them not to touch anything… so it must have been… "…I think the autocall in Edgatho's hilt is also triggered by vibrations…" "Ahh…" A long moment, then: "Aho ga!" "…I know…" * * * "What the hell is going on?!" Muriyaki snaps. "How did Chisako get dragged out here?" "Is there anything that could trigger it remotely?" asks Ayeka. "Isn't there a beckon call in Edgatho's hilt?" Murasaki queries. Muriyaki answers with a nod. "I suppose that could have done it… still, it would take some serious vibrations to set that off." "Like the ones that just registered on the Fujisaki?" * * * "Ten’chi-dono! What is that thing?" one of the citizens cries out. "I have no idea…" the city father mutters under his breath. To the crowd, he says reassuringly, "Don’t worry, minna, everything’s under control…" "Behold the goddess!" As one, the gathered townspeople turn their gaze to Kyoto, who now has Edgatho hefted over his head, blade pointed towards the sky. Their collective gaze shifts again, to the giant, vaguely star-shaped object hovering over their heads, as it moves to rest directly over the upraised sword. "Behold," Kyoto repeats in a commanding voice, "the goddess Tsunami." "The what?!" This comes from Tenchi and company. Kyoto pays them no heed. "I am a priest of that holiest of goddesses, Tsunami. Behold her manifestation above us!" The moment his voice quiets, those of the audience speak up. "Is it really the goddess?" "It must be! What else could it be?" "It can’t be. This must be some kind of sorcery." "I don't know… I think I remember hearing legends about this…" * * * "Mom, you won't believe what your son is doing…" Murasaki looks up from the poker game. "What's your brother doing now, dear?" Muriyaki shakes her head. "He's claiming that Chisako is Aunt Tsunami…" "I find that insulting," Tsunami retorts. "My figure is nothing like this ship… I raise." "I'll see that, onee-chan," replies Tokimi, pushing forward her chips. "Aren't you two just the tiniest bit worried about what this might do to history?!" Muriyaki screams. Murasaki pats her daughter on the shoulder. "There, there, dear, I'm sure your brother knows what he's doing…" * * * Meanwhile, on the ground… "You have no friggin' clue what you're doing, do you, dear?" Ryoko hisses. "Um… not really."