The next day was like the last, sunny with a total lack of clouds to ruin the scene. Aieka woke up to see
Gary happily asleep; she saw the book and picked it up. She tried to read it but was unable. "The words"
she thought "They're unnaturally small and set out in a totally different style to Traditional Japanese".
"Morning" Gary mumbled and looked up "Like the book?" he asked.
"I can't read it," she said staring at the small alien characters.
"Ah that's written English." Gary smiled "made up by joining the languages of several different countries
and cultures from different periods of Earth's history". Gary looked at his watch and yawned.
"How did you become a Watcher Gary?" she asked.
"I was in Secondary School, the last step before going to college. I was about 14. The Politics class I was in
offered 2 months work experience in any Government department. I choose the Department of International
Developments, which basically monitors world events. First week while shifting through files I found a
load of forms for recruitment for a organization the secret services were doing with the DID. It was Called
Watchman department. Not knowing what it was all about I filled the form in and dumped it in my
Outgoing tray on my desk. Just as a joke really. Next day a group of men in suits came to my desk asking
me to come with them. I did and was whisked to secret place somewhere (we were always blindfolded
going in and out). I was vetted for Criminal offenses and Psychological illnesses. I was then trained by
Special Forces, given courses in Martial arts and trained in this device. I call it the Dim-e. Then two years
of training later I was ready and was explained what I was for and was assigned this Dimension and given a
variety of 'subjects' to monitor. You were one of my first. I'm kind of proud of that".
Aieka just listened and nodded. "You watched my whole life then?"
Gary nodded "yes and we've got a file with the name 1st Princess of Jurai, Aieka, also 2nd Princess of
Jurai, Sassami, your parents, Ryoko, Professor Washu, even Tenchi!"
"What? So we are being monitored right now?" said Aieka looking around.
Gary nodded "Yes, they've probably got a file of me as well"
"What else have you seen here or elsewhere?"
"Tell me how did you feel when you were attacked by Ryoko, when you saw hundreds of thousands,
maybe millions die?" said Gary.
Aieka thought for a second "Anger, despair, sadness for everyone who died and loneliness when Yosho
left".
"When I was watching this I had seen it all before a hundred times." sighed Gary.
"You mean you had no Emotion, no regrets for all the people" said Aieka, angry from all the memories.
"Its not in my job" Gary said emotion all drained.
Aieka walked up to Gary slapped him as hard as she could "You senseless little creature, you know what
you are, a coward!"
"What could I do Aieka huh? Ryoko could've crushed me easily and I would've died without making not
1% difference to the outcome. Sassami would've still been fighting for her life, Millions would still die,
Yosho would still leave you in pursuit of Ryoko and you would still be lonely, innocent and scared little
girl unable to do anything about it!"
Aieka turned away; the memories were flooding back, tears again forming.
"Aieka if you have seen what I have seen you would understand. I have seen Trillions of people die in an
Hour, war machines of hate that would crush planets like this one in a matter of minutes. I know there are
other Gods other than the Christian one. Many are for evil, and the minority is good. It hardened me so
much that it comes as second nature to see death or suffering as much as it is to see Life and Joy. There is a
saying Aieka that while one death is a tragedy, a million is a statistic"
"No!" cried Aieka "How could you be so heartless and cruel!"
"That was why I left, after my partner died I saw what the job was doing to me" He put a hand on her
shoulder "I...I'm sorry for everything that's happened, I'm sorry for being a coward".
"Just get me off this roof! And take your book!" She threw it at him.
He motioned towards the rear end of the roof and a portal appeared "There it'll take you down to your
floor".
She just ran, crying as went. Going through the portal. He sighed deeply, a tear streaked down his face, still
emotionless "I wept when it happened Aieka" he whispered.
*******************
"Where's Gary, I haven't seen him all morning or Aieka" said Tenchi as he walked into lunch.
"I don't know" answered Sassami "Aieka is in our room, she's too busy right now and mustn't be disturbed
as well, Ryoko already had lunch and she went right after you came in".
Gary was sitting in mid air, looking over the valley, and using a shield to keep him up there.
"Hey what's up Gary?" asked Ryoko as she appeared next to him.
"Not much, I upset Aieka when she asked me what I saw in all of her life" he was looking straight ahead
"You're not here to knock 7 bells out of me again are you?"
"No I was actually gonna explain why I went in like I did. I was talking with- ouch! Okay its getting old
now" as a block of wood out of nowhere was dropped on her head. "Anyway when I heard that you were
trained, I wanted to test you out that's all" she smiled.
"You didn't reckon on what I use did you though?" he said looking a Ryoko.
"I was gonna ask, how does it work?"
"You have the ability to teleport right? This is done via traveling through what's known as dimension space.
In this vast expanse, far greater than the size of the universe, lies an unlimited power source commonly
known as energy. This glove or Dim-e is a simple conductor of that force, also to make commands quicker
it can detect certain hand movements. I can open portals to an infinite amount of places, times and
dimensions if I knew the right sequence of hand movements. The other glove just acts as a 'conductors
stick', helping me summon, double handled swords, staffs, specially balanced bolts of energy for extra
precision and finally what I'm sitting on right now shields, though it'll only stop the power of the foreign
object coming towards me, (in my last fight, your body flying nearly at the speed of sound right at me), but
not the force of the blow hence I was blown backwards, the shield automatically breaks my fall or stops
and bodily harm lets say flying through walls. And there you go"
"Well at least it can't read my personality and my mind," she said looking at the tight, black glove.
"Well unpredictable you are, my report on you was correct" he smiled first time in hours.
"What! You mean"
"Yes I'm not a Watcher for nothing, I've got a record on you, not a criminal record, just a record of what
you've done in your life. And Anyway I knew you were coming hundreds of years before you even
existed!"
"How?"
"I met Washu accidentally while I was monitoring her. We talked and she was thinking of creating
something just like you. After that I left, we were very good friends and it was my Dim-e that helped her
along in the Dimension travel department".
"So what did you do exactly to make Aieka so upset?" Ryoko Asked.
"She asked me how I felt when I watched the carnage that you had unknowingly caused on Planet Jurai"
"And you said?"
"I said I had felt nothing" he said "but I lied. Aieka was one of my first subjects that I monitored".
"What exactly were you doing when I attacked?" asked Ryoko.
"I can remember it..."
The scene is in space, a small ship sits there, and cloaked from view a man sits in his bunk inside. It's me.
The alarm goes off I rush to monitoring station to see what the commotion is all about, all I have to do is
look outside to see what's happening, a massive battle is raging about me. I look at my monitor and switch
to the various ground views about the palace, peaceful, quiet. I was shouting at the screen, yelling for them
to get out and away as fast as they could, but I was an invisible entity, they didn't know I was even there,
then the explosions are hitting the ground, sending buildings down, ships are crashing into the ground,
compounding the disaster and in the middle of it all is you smiling, eyes red with anger I thought, but on a
scan I found it induced via some external means, I switch back to the devastation, Sassami is in the main
chamber building, fallen from a great height, blood everywhere, what streets were left ran with the blood of
thousands of innocents. And finally as you start to leave, Yosho moves to follow, Aieka is pleading for him
to stay but he doesn't listen and takes off after you. I've turned the monitor off now, enraged that such a
perfect and peaceful place the day before was turned to hell, that turned to sadness when I saw Aieka's face,
and for the first time in my career as a Watcher I openly showed my feelings for a subject, weeping openly
for her life turned upside down so many times over...
"And that's it" he said looking down "all I remember"
"Hmm pretty screwed up then huh?" Ryoko said "don't you blame me for what happened?"
"It was beyond your control, I knew it was Kagato. I mean you don't wake up in the morning thinking 'I
must destroy the Jurai' do you?" he smiled.
"Well you got a point there, oh well up for sparring?" grinned Ryoko.
"You do know how to take my mind off things," he laughed "Sorry but I should be helping Tenchi with the
work, thanks anyway".
With that he waved the shield off and he fell down into a portal waiting for him.
"Cool wish I could do that" Ryoko smiled to herself.
******************
Aieka just lay on her bed staring up through the skylight. She had cried silently for hours, keeping the door
locked.
"How could he have done nothing? She thought "Him and his government or whatever he could've done
something at least to warn us."
"Maybe I won't ever get married, maybe I'll…. no! Never ever think like that.," she said to herself
"It wasn't his fault anyway it was that Devil of a woman who did the damage to me and my family, who
caused all of this" She stopped right there.
"What have I done, the only man in a 1,000 years who has genuinly shown feelings for me and I reject him
like a common criminal when all he was doing was watching, he probably didn't expect it either."
Tears welled up again "Why am I so lonely?" she said out loud as a tear fell down her cheek. She
remembered what he said the night before:
"Love should never be fatal to the mind or the body"
She thought again, fighting the tears back "Is Tenchi the only person I have feelings for? Do I have feelings
for Gary, a person who has known me for my whole life?"
She stood up now, overlooking a vast cliff and the ground far below, she was crying heavily.
"Innocent, scared, little girl" kept reverberating around her when she jumped, falling to her death.
Aieka woke up, her face drenched in tears. She wiped away her tears and put her clothes on. "I need to
relax and have a bath".
Walking out of the room she saw Sassami who immediately looked at her, worried. Aieka looked back in
sadness as she walked to the baths.
"Hey Tenchi is this the final field?" shouted Gary.
"Yeah we've got this one to go then we'll be finished for the moment"
"I was thinking of taking a bath after this that okay with you"
"Sure if you want, in fact I'll one as well I'm caked in mud!"
After the final Carrot harvesting was over Gary and Tenchi ran to the baths. Diving in and washing
themselves, then sitting back and relaxing.
"So how is life here now you've quit the Watchers?" Tenchi asked.
"A definite change, I mean you'd have to rush everywhere doing everything, here, you do your work you
relax and eat!"
"Things hot up though when you realize you're part of a bigger plan"
"Yeah I was thinking Tenchi how does it being related to the most powerful dynasty in the whole
universe?"
"Its one big thing, things you'll have to face when you get older and we do get older eventually, even I do!"
Tenchi nods "ahmm one thing I'll defiantly hate to loose and that's my youth and the skills that Grandfather
has taught me"
"How long have you been training?"
"Since I was about 8 how bout you?" asked Tenchi.
"Only since I was 14, it ended when I was 16, pretty crammed in, it had to all work just right in the end"
"Did you ever use your skills"?
"Once or twice. First time my hand waving convinced my would be combatants that I was some kind of
Sorcerer and they ran off, the next time I used them was against one of these big guys with a big axe. It was
only my shield that kept me alive and it took a knock here and there"
"Hey Tenchi" Ryoko said from the other side. Naked as usual.
"Does she always run around naked in the baths?" asked Gary, eyebrow raised.
"Ahuh you'd be surprised what pranks she'd pull just to get in my pants." grumbled Tenchi.
"Guess you don't know everything about me then Gary" laughed Ryoko.
The doors opened to the left of them and Aieka was heard walking in. She looked round to see Tenchi and
Gary laughing, their backs turned to them. She stopped in her tracks, getting the 'now whatcha going to do?'
stare from Ryoko. She decided to back out of the room leaving the boys to it. She ran out. Gary turned
round to see the door open.
"Was that her?" he asked. Ryoko nodded.
"Man you must've shook her up pretty bad" said Tenchi.
"I couldn't help it, I'll apologize to her tomorrow" said Gary as he rose "I'm going to take a walk to clear my
head" with that he dressed and walked out as well. Ryoko seeing that Gary had gone grinned evilly at
Tenchi.
"Why are you looking at me like that Ryoko...Ryoko no!" he gasped as she pulled him down under, his
arms waving above the surface.
***********
Gary was walking down the steps towards the house when he saw Aieka in front of her. "Ms. Aieka!" he
shouted as he rushed down the stairs. Aieka turned round then "Aieka I'm sorry for what I said for it is not
the truth!"
Aieka blinked "How? You sounded so serious!"
"No I wanted to drown out the memories just like you do" he put his hands on her shoulders "to tell the
truth, I wept after what happened on Jurai, having watched you for most of your life and then seeing it all
taken away from you was too much for me"
She just stared back at him.
"Will you forgive me?"
She looked down "It is I who should be sorry, I should not have blamed you for what happened. You could
not have stopped it".
He smiled "you're cute".
They Hugged. When the embrace finished Aieka looked back up into Gary's eyes and said, "Will you read
to me please".
"Pride and Prejudice?" he asked. Aieka nodded.
"Sure thing" he waved a portal open "Walk this way Princess"
Another night of Storytelling of the tales of romance passed as the cloudless night drew on, they retired to
the roof again and continued there, Gary reading through to the fascinated Aieka, and soon once again they
were both asleep. A rush of wind above him though awakened Gary as it buffeted his face. He looked up.
Nothing.
Looking around once again he decided that he'd better put Princess Aieka to bed and retire himself.
Opening a portal, he picked her up gently and sleepily wandered in. The house again was silent; Ryoko
peered outside Tenchi's room as she kept her non-stop watch over him. Gary, coming out of nowhere,
walked past with the happily dozing Princess in his arms. Opening the door into the Princess's room he
closed it again as he went inside, only to appear just outside a moment later, wandering past Ryoko again,
totally oblivious to her head poking out of the door.
He wandered into his room and crept into his sleeping bag, he thought he'd be snoring as soon as his head
hit the pillow but his eyes stayed open and wide. He got back up "may as well see if anyone else is up" as
he put his Dim-e on and waved a portal open.
***********
Washu was tapping away as usual. She grinned widely as she pressed enter and a cup appeared next her.
Grabbing the cup, she took a swig of the chocolaty mixture that was inside the cup.
"Aha!" she smiled "Finally the perfect cup of Hot Chocolate has been discovered!"
"Wow that's my Washu, always working to solve the most serious of the Universe's problems," laughed
Gary behind her.
"Ah Gary, long time no see" she said "Do you want to see the old me?" she asked as she turned around.
"Yeah" he nodded "personally I got on better with the old Washu," he said as he rubbed his eyes.
She nodded and smiled as she transformed back to her old self. She clapped her hands and another pillow
appeared under Gary and he sat down.
"So are you still the wild mad scientist I used to know?" said Gary as he sipped his Hot Chocolate.
"Of course, in moderation though after seeing what Kagato did in his life" nodded Washu.
"Yeah now in convenient slices after Tenchi went through with him" smiled Gary.
"You watched it?"
"Of course! I am in charge of watching this Dimension of the Universe. In other Universes Kagato is still at
large, he killed every one of you and still controls Ryoko, taking many millions and a couple of watcher's
lives"
"That serious?" she said sipping her chocolate.
"Yeah, he had found out about the real me after we parted company so I had to be extra careful"
Washu laughed, "You did look a bit too handsome for a supposed dork".
"Hey that was my second assignment! Seeing the creator of such a formidable weapon like Ryoko was an
honor," he grinned.
"Well I am the greatest Scientist of time in the Universe!" she announced mockingly.
Gary went serious for a while "You do realize that Ryoko must never gain control of all three of her gems?"
"I know, she'll never get hold of them I'll make sure of that, after Planet Jurai"
"Especially after Planet Jurai" he said sipping his drink "hey you spiked this!" he laughed.
"Of course" she grinned evilly.
"Tell me did you ever learn to read English?"
"Easy!" she said "Its muddled and very basic but I did it in the end and those Jules Verne novels were
excellent"
"I glad you enjoyed your present, they should be about 10,000 years old or something like that"
"Yeah I put them on a shelf somewhere"
"And the Quake III game I lent you?"
"Erm..I melted it by mistake, you understand don't you?"
Gary laughed, "Thank god I copied it!"
Washu raised her glass "To friendship" she smiled.
"Friendship!" he said raising his glass "A man by the name of Oscar Wilde once said 'Alcohol if taken in
sufficient quantities can bring about the required effects of drunkenness'"
The pair smiled at each other. Gary gazed about the vast lab, changing every now and then "I remember
your first lab, smaller but it looked more like the typical mad scientist's lab".
"I know but I thought I'd get a bigger place, suits me you know" she said looking up herself.
"Yeah guess it does" he sipped again "before I get totally slaughtered, tell me did you notice any weird
activity about 30 seconds before I arrived in here?"
"I did yes, something went over the house at a very, very fast speed" she brought up her console, Gary
appeared next to her "see here".
"Strange I didn't hear anything though only felt the wind register as it passed," he said as he looked at the
diagrams flashing up "did you get any frequency readings on that?" She brought them up. As the readings
flashed up he looked for a second then stopped "Stop, go back to point 32". Back she went.
"There!" he pointed, "The remains of an Entry signature but no sign of an exit signature, where did this
reading stop?"
"Right up against the hill here" Washu pointed.
He put his Dim-e next to the screen and pressed a small holographic button on it a search program came up
on screen.
"What are you doing?" asked Washu.
"Comparing the Dimension signature to all the Watchers" he nodded once "search underway".
Thousands of images flashed past "There are nearly a million of us Washu" he said, as he looked through
the screen "a small minority of them are either dead, missing or confirmed Rouge"
"Rouge you mean, on the run?"
"Uhuh" he said "Many rent their services out, disrupting the balance of time and history of the particular
area they are rouge in, others have been driven mad by what they've seen or by some freak accident when
too much Dimension energy has been absorbed by the Dim-e, it needs to discharge it so it goes through the
body and hits the head right on, shorting it and either making the owner brain-dead or insane"
"Who is the most dangerous out of the lot all the Rouge watchers?"
A silence as the screen came up with a match "him" he pointed, as he looked at the picture "my partner,
Yuri".
"He died though didn't he?"
"Yep but that's not the whole story. Somehow his Dim-e teleported his body into Dimension space, the
space which lies between your departure portal and your destination. Once there his Dim-e absorbed so
much energy that it molded itself to his body, the energy started his heart but replaced his blood, making
him almost immortal and his power limitless"
"That sucks"
"Yeah that too" he smiled "and he's decided to seek out the person who left him on orders, me"
"Is that so?" said Ryoko as she sat in mid air "First you decide that I'm not fit enough to have my gems and
now you say your nutter of a sidekick has arrived for a visit"
"It was his choice, he wants to see me, either to kill me or for something else but he's' one of the most
powerful forces in all of the millions of dimensions. He has not harnessed the power of the energy; he is the
energy of the dimensions" he turned away from Ryoko "If I was you I'd stay out of this, but you won't,
Washu I'll see you in a minute, if any thing happens make sure you get me back here".
Washu nodded.
***********
The Plains just outside the House and next to the Carrot fields was the scene of a small time cyclone, the
wind speed was increasing. Gary appeared in the middle of the large plain. Then some way in front of him
appeared Yuri.
"Ah" Smiled Gary "The nightmare appears, what brings a Rouge to my part of the world".
Yuri shook his head slowly "So rude to the person who saved your skin".
"You would've been alive if you hadn't have gone down just before the planet exploded." He grinned,
"Maybe even had shared the cute little ladies here".
"You want to know why I'm here?" Gary nodded slowly "Here to show you what I have done since you
left me with the parts of the planet that had just exploded. Since I was resurrected by the Energy, I have
vowed to stop what our planet has been doing for the last 100 years, watching and keeping tabs on
everyone else, you realizing just how many people are on the records at Watchman HQ. Countless amounts
of people with their age, sex, even their favorite food and color on a Friday. But nothing has been done to
stop potential disasters happening. We stood by as the force of several suns blew a whole system away.
Stood by while countless trillions died in battle and what have to show for it. One 1000 page progress
document delivered on the dot, every Tuesday to the Prime Minister. Well I couldn't stand by and watch
this so I decided to use my power to gain control of each dimension one by one, crushing revolt with the
energy that resides in me and ruling over the greatest empire ever known, the Jurai my control the most
powerful force known ever but I have the power to nullify that in an instant."
"You seriously believe that this will stop bloodshed, humanity and countless other races have to instinct to
survive, survive through people like your tyranny. They'll rise and rise again, more will die than ever
before and you can be really proud of that I'm sure. I don't care about your master plans what is your real
purpose of being here?"
"The only obstacle to my victory in this Dimension is Tenchi, Tenchi sadly could not join us tonight as he
is a little tied up." Gary then saw in his mind Tenchi unconscious, maybe being mentally tortured by Yuri.
"The death of your friends and you dearly beloved Aieka is also imminent."
"No they aren't" he said as he stared "I am Watchman no.52 Thatch. My mission is ensure the safety of the
said subjects and ensure the destruction of Rouge no.34532" he said moving his hands, clearly expecting
Yuri to do something "those are my orders under UN act 23wA Dimension authorizing operation
Watchman, me and my comrades will uphold that act and will rather die than let you destroy all time and
history."
"Oh well, I wanted you to stand aside but sadly its over" smiled Yuri as he pulled his hand back and threw
it forward, his whole arm acting as a cannon firing off a massive onslaught of dark blue energy smacking
the Gary's shield and sending him flying the hundreds of meters back towards to the house.
Flying through the thick perimeter wall.
Then the outer wall.
The living room wall.
The outer wall on the other end.
Then finally slamming into the perimeter wall on the other end of the house.
"Ack!" shrieked Washu as Ryoko just stared at the massive power exhibited and this was just the start.
They both watched through the screen that Washu had summoned.
"Ryoko!" Washu said in panic "Get everyone in here, Gary isn't going to do it".
Gary tried to breath as he felt his chest, one rib broken, maybe two, and one on each side. He tried to get up
then fell back down, as his knee was dislocated, clicking that back into place he got up just to see Yuri
arrive in front of him.
"Ahh ribs broken? Lets help you there" putting a hand on his shoulder he sent a wave of Blue energy
focusing one part of the body. Gary shouted out in pain as the next pair of ribs broke.
"Now you know the real meaning of pain Gary, I'll show you how to fry a brain, oriental style!" laughed
Yuri as he placed his hand on Gary's head. Gary opened his mouth to scream. Out of it came a beam of
dark blue light, his eyes also shining out like torches.
"Common Aieka get out! Get out!" shouted Ryoko as she carried Sassami.
"What where is Tenchi and Gary?" asked Aieka as she was nearly kicked down the stairs.
"Tenchi is gone for now and Gary is dying now move will you!"
"What about Tenchi?" said Aieka?
"I don't know where he's disappeared!" said Ryoko "all we need to do is move to safety"
They all staggered into Washu's Lab, Washu sealing the door behind.
"Wait what about Gary?" said Aieka seeing the door poof in a cloud of smoke. Washu pointed to the
display to see smoke come out of Gary's mouth as the heat and sheer power of the energy began to take
hold.
"No, Gary please don't" she said tears forming. It was happening all over again, her hopes of certain
happiness snatched again right at the finish line. She turned to Washu "We must get him out of there before
he dies!".
"I'll try" she said as she tapped away on her keyboard for a second then she walked over to Ryoko moving
her arm outstretched pointing towards a certain point. "Okay when I say lunge forward and pull back with
all your strength!"
She waited for a second then tapped enter and shouted "now" a portal opened and Ryoko put her arm in
and dragged Gary out of Yuri's grasp. Washu quickly closed and sealed the portal.
Gary was panting extremely badly. Suffering from serious shock to the nervous system and the brain he
collapsed on a heap on the floor.
"No!" Aieka said as she placed his head in her lap "Why am I so lonely"
"Aieka, its not your fault" Gary managed despite the serious shaking.
Washu rushed over with an injection and quickly stabbed it into his arm and shaking stopped.
"Thanks" he said as he breathed painfully "all I need now are 4 new ribs and I'm a-okay!" he grinned
through the pain.
"Where's Tenchi?" asked Ryoko looking at Yuri through the screen.
"Yuri abducted him, imprisoned him in his mind so he can't escape or activate any of his powers. Yuri will
kill him"
"Can't Tsunami help him?" asked a tearful Sassami.
Gary shook his head "If he was killing him by physical means then maybe but Yuri is systematically killing
his brain. Even if Tsunami revived him, he would be brain dead to do anything at all".
"We need to do something quick!" said Aieka "he'll find us soon"
"Yeah but can he beat the force field?" Smiled Washu.
"Easy" said Gary "Simply find a point inside the said shield and you've simply bypassed it."
"Then can we do the same thing with Yuri?" asked Ryoko.
"His field is a solid state field, an egg shape, with every space filled, no entry for the smallest of portals"
gasped Gary through the pain "What we need is Tenchi, only he can do it, I can find him then Ryoko can
do the most powerful bolt possible, weakening the shields so far that Tenchi can slice his left arm, the
conductor will be severed and therefore kill him instantly. The resulting explosion of the pent up energy
though will destroy the planet. That's where I come in"
"What can you do now?" said Washu giving Gary a hankie after he hacked up some blood.
"Cheers. The weakened shield and Tenchi's sword attack will create a space, just big enough for me to get
through, grab his arm and take it somewhere where it will do no harm, it might take me in the explosion, it
might not but unless you lot like living on an asteroid belt then it's a risk I'll have to take"
"You can't!" cried Aieka "you're too weak" she said tears forming and dropping onto his head "I forbid it
by law".
He slowly, painfully got up and turned giving Aieka a smile "I am above the law" a portal appeared below
and he slowly started to go down through it "Ryoko remember the plan, just keep Yuri occupied and don't
get killed"
"Consider it done," grinned Ryoko.
Gary then disappeared Aieka who was fighting back the tears fell to the ground.
The room Tenchi was in was black. He grabbed his head again as energy fired through his mind. In his
mind, nearly every nightmare he had imagined in his whole life came to life at once, it felt as though each
brain cell was being popped one by one. A figure appeared in his mind and Tenchi was kneeling down next
to him, neck outstretched. The figure raised his sword, about to give the blow. The sword swooped down
then darkness.
"Tenchi mate!" said Gary as he picked him up spitting out some more blood.
"Gary, what happened, why are you seriously hurt?"
"I'm okay, you need to use your light hawk wings to defeat Yuri, if you chop off his left arm he will lose
his powers, Ryoko is currently keeping him busy, but she won't stay alive for long if he gets near her."
Tenchi nodded.
"I'll open a portal and you get in there and do what you have to do" he said waving his arm and opening a
portal. Tenchi began to walk through it but an arm barred his way.
"Wrong portal, that ones to Las Vegas" he tried to laugh but he coughed up more blood he waved again.
"This one now hurry before I puncture a lung or something!"
"But what about you?" worried Tenchi.
"Look bugger off out there and help Ryoko, the last thing I need you to do after I've gone through all this
trouble to free you is for you to stand here asking about my health! I've got something else to do before the
big finale" he said, obviously fighting the painful urge to collapse in a heap.
Tenchi nodded and walked into the new portal. After he left Gary waved a new portal open and staggered
into it, hacking some more blood onto the floor behind him.
"So" Yuri smiled "they've sent the daemon into the fray!"
"Nice to know that you've read up on me Yuri" nodded back Ryoko.
"I've read enough to kill you Ryoko"
"Only if I stand still" she said as she jumped back, keeping away from Yuri as he came closer. Yuri
responded by firing off another bolt of energy at Ryoko. Just phasing out of the way in time she responded
blasting back at him, the bolts absorbed by Yuri's shield.
"What a cheat!" smiled Ryoko as she dodged another bolt, getting off balanced in the air she corrected,
looking down she saw that he was gone.
"Where?" she thought, as she looked around "behind" came the urgent reply from Washu as a Blue beam
swept down right on her head. A small electric explosion was heard as Ryoko formed her energy sword and
threw her arms behind her to block the blow, the two swords clashing with massive force. Kicking at Yuri's
shield, using it as a springboard to get distance between him and her she turned to block smaller bolts of
energy.
Moving at high speed, she swooped past Yuri, slashing with her sword. The energy field had weakened
slightly as she kicked out with all her strength and the big Yuri fell back to earth.
"Good start" she smiled to herself as she watched him get back up effortlessly.
"Watchman HQ this is n52" said into the Holographic display as he sat in dimension space.
"Thatch!" said the operator on the other side "you back from holiday early?"
"Erm" he managed to smile "I think I'll need a reservation after what's just happened"
"Where?" said the operator "Hilton, Savoy, Ritz?" he joked.
"Hospital, intensive care preferably"
"Why what's happened?"
"Yuri's here at D34 Sol sector, Watcher, seriously hurt, subjects under intensive watch and protection in
serious danger!"
"Right" said the serious voice "What can we do for you then?"
"Now we know where exactly he is, shut down all dimension in area 34,43,67,87 authorization G. Thatch"
"Right" Operator said as he tapped in the area code "Activity shut in 10 seconds, Patching direct source to
your Dim-e, you'll be able to operate but Yuri will lose 75% of his direct energy source"
"Cool, cheers mate I owe you one" said Gary as he tapped out and formed another portal and staggered
through "and I didn't cough up HACK!" he spurted as he walked.
"Tenchi!" cried Ryoko happily as she dived away from another bolt "Something's happened to him, his
shield's weakened a lot but he's very strong"
Tenchi in full Jurain battle gear, not really used to Dimension traveling, fell out of the portal, standing up
he saw a blast of energy heading right for him, focusing hard he summoned a light wing to block the
energy. The head area of his field took the brunt of the blow, flexing inwards and nearly touching his head
but he stayed firm despite the force.
"Nice" he grinned "could make toast with that thing".
"Speaking of toast, that's gonna be you in" Yuri stopped " what, damn he's called a cut off of all dimension
power in this sector, I'm weakened without it!"
Tenchi walking towards Yuri, changed into the next stage of clothing and again via the power of the light
hawk wings, he summoned his sword.
"Weak huh?" he grinned "It'll cost an arm to get it back" Yuri tried to summon his energy sword in time
only to see his left arm fall off thanks to the weak force field, now open was spilling out Dimension energy,
forcing Tenchi back despite his force field.
The severed arm, now floating was glowing brighter and brighter as energy inside it was looking for a place
to dissipate inside, rushing around faster and faster, ready to explode. Gary appeared behind Yuri, slicing
his head with an energy sword and grabbing the arm as bright light enveloped the night as the arm
exploded. Then the night was still again. Yuri, Gary and the arm had gone.
The days after what had happened in the first week of June were kind of solemn, Sassami made snacks for
the private funeral of Gary Thatch. Everyone turned out in force, even Yosho who in his old age had slept
through the entire battle. Aieka was inconsolable, seeing this as a repeat of the last 700 years, Ryoko was
sad that she never had the chance to try again with Gary but Tenchi had lost a friend who had tried to ease
the tension in the house thanks to the feuding of the two women. Sassami tried her best and vowed to learn
English so she could complete Treasure Island. Washu though had lost an old friend, one of the few that
actually kept in touch with her every 1,000 years or so. Oh and the Satellite receiver was still stuck on the
Soap channel after Gary's Dim-e had hit it as he flew through the house, the hole still evident but was
going to be converted into a convenient paper doorway for easy access to the house.
As the Headstone was laid next to the Lake, Washu watched from a nearby hill, a tear trickled down her
cheek, still though, she was emotionless and looked on the good times she had with her.
"Professor Washu?" a male voice asked.
Washu turned and looked to see a western man in a light suit.
"How did you know my name?" she asked ready for anything at this point in time.
"Commander McCann of Operation Watchman Professor" he said, bowing slightly.
"You have no Dim-e," she said, wiping the tear away "how did you get here?"
"Oh my buddies in the air force behind me gave me a lift" he pointed to a clearing behind them where a
dark gray, sleek aircraft, of much different design and construction to the any of the craft on this planet
"made with the best materials the Galaxy can offer" he smiled.
"And why are you here, to pay your last respects to Gary?"
"Well yes and no, I can't really stay long as this infringes on the thousands of peace agreements in force by
my…employers. Anyway I'm here to offer any support that I can in this time of crisis, what do you really
need right now?"
"Well" Washu thought.
"I hear your TV is on the blink?" suggested McCann.
"What? How"
"Don't worry, I'll send for it to be repaired tomorrow, now my plane awaits, you'll need to join your
friends down below for the funeral service"
"Erm thanks" said Washu, grief covered by confusion as she walked down the hill.
As she went out of view another man walked next to McCann.
"Arranged?" he asked.
"Of course" McCann grinned, "you'll be sent in the morning, don't be late for them" he said walking to his
plane.
After the service, Aieka was left to sit with the headstone as she watched the sun set.
"It always happens to me Gary," she said as a light breeze blew "When I feel I've captured happiness,
something happens to steal it from me. All I have are your books and I can't even read them!" she mustered
as she put her head in her hands and cried.
"To tell the truth, Gary, I loved you, with my heart. I love Tenchi too but he is a lost cause, he will never be
happy under an endless life of protocol and privilege. If I want Tenchi to be happy, he must stay here where
he feels where he belongs," she sobbed.
"But you were the only person to understand my position, taking my mind off my dilemma by reading to
me." She put a hand on the headstone "thank you Gary" she said, tears streaking down her face as she
walked into the house.
The next day brought a knock at the door. A repairman from the Satellite TV Company had arrived to fix
the TV.
Washu opened the door and smiled.
"Won't keep you long ma'aam" smiled the repairman as he took his shoes off and walked into the living
room "your TV?" he said as he turned it on.
"Yes the receiver broke during a moment of stress" Washu lied.
"I'll connect a new one, I've been instructed to give you the details to claim your years free subscription
which includes the new digital service." He said as he replaced the receiver "forms in my bag".
"Wow" smiled Washu "2500 channels in every language of the world. Fancy"
"Also is there a Ms. Aieka in the house I need to deliver a message for her.
"I am she" said Aieka, walking down the stairs in her Kimono she used for mourning in.
"Ah" he beamed "I've been told to give you this box from my…uh…employers Ms. Aieka" he smiled
"That's all I need to do, push your card in the slot of the receiver and it will work properly" with that he
bowed in respect of the occasion and left.
"What's in the box Aieka?" wondered Washu.
"I have no idea" she said as she opened it to find a remote control with one button on it and a note.
"What does it say?" jumped Washu.
"Please press the button to receive a gift of a lifetime?" she said, picking up the remote control "well here
goes".
As soon as Aieka pressed the button a door appeared in front of her.
"Wow" she said sarcastically "a door"
"Open it you idiot and see what's inside"
Cautiously opening the door she slowly walked through. The scene she walked into was one of complete
paradise. She walked onto a beach, the clear, light blue water lapping up onto the shore, the white sand
clean and clear as a wind cooled the air to a pleasant heat.
Looking at the sea she walked forward a hand landed on her shoulder, she jumped into the air in shock and
turned round in anger to see the sweet face of Gary smiling softly. Aieka's face of rage turned to abject joy
as she hugged Gary.
"What happened you never came back!" she said with tears in her eyes, tears of joy this time.
"Well I dropped the arm and Yuri into separate suns to burn up and returned to HQ, I was hospitalized for a
couple of days while my ribs healed and while I had brain scans to see what damage there was. After that I
pulled a few favors from the brass and here I am, with you, alone on a desert island." He said grinning.
"I'm so happy you're back Gary" she cried.
"Hey you gonna try changing out of those clothes Aieka?" he said with an eyebrow raised "ugh! Feels like
somebody died".
"I will after I do one thing" she said smiling shyly.
"What's that Princess?"
Aieka kissed Gary softly as she put all her frustration behind her and went for it. Gary blushed after the
kiss.
"I love you Gary" she smiled softly.
"I love you too Aieka".
The two embraced and Aieka walked off to open the door, only to find it gone.
"Where's it gone?" she said confused.
"Where's what gone?"
"The door"
"oh damn! I left my Dim-e back at HQ, hmm guess we'll have to wait to be recus agg!" Two young girls
and an older woman cut off Gary for a second.
"I'm so happy your back Gary!" said Little Washu tearfully.
"Read to me Gary read to me!" said Sassami excited.
"No spar with me Gary spar with me!" laughed Ryoko.
"Tenchi say something!" said Gary weighed down by all the people hanging off him. Aieka giggled.
Tenchi smiled and said "Something".
Fin
Gary happily asleep; she saw the book and picked it up. She tried to read it but was unable. "The words"
she thought "They're unnaturally small and set out in a totally different style to Traditional Japanese".
"Morning" Gary mumbled and looked up "Like the book?" he asked.
"I can't read it," she said staring at the small alien characters.
"Ah that's written English." Gary smiled "made up by joining the languages of several different countries
and cultures from different periods of Earth's history". Gary looked at his watch and yawned.
"How did you become a Watcher Gary?" she asked.
"I was in Secondary School, the last step before going to college. I was about 14. The Politics class I was in
offered 2 months work experience in any Government department. I choose the Department of International
Developments, which basically monitors world events. First week while shifting through files I found a
load of forms for recruitment for a organization the secret services were doing with the DID. It was Called
Watchman department. Not knowing what it was all about I filled the form in and dumped it in my
Outgoing tray on my desk. Just as a joke really. Next day a group of men in suits came to my desk asking
me to come with them. I did and was whisked to secret place somewhere (we were always blindfolded
going in and out). I was vetted for Criminal offenses and Psychological illnesses. I was then trained by
Special Forces, given courses in Martial arts and trained in this device. I call it the Dim-e. Then two years
of training later I was ready and was explained what I was for and was assigned this Dimension and given a
variety of 'subjects' to monitor. You were one of my first. I'm kind of proud of that".
Aieka just listened and nodded. "You watched my whole life then?"
Gary nodded "yes and we've got a file with the name 1st Princess of Jurai, Aieka, also 2nd Princess of
Jurai, Sassami, your parents, Ryoko, Professor Washu, even Tenchi!"
"What? So we are being monitored right now?" said Aieka looking around.
Gary nodded "Yes, they've probably got a file of me as well"
"What else have you seen here or elsewhere?"
"Tell me how did you feel when you were attacked by Ryoko, when you saw hundreds of thousands,
maybe millions die?" said Gary.
Aieka thought for a second "Anger, despair, sadness for everyone who died and loneliness when Yosho
left".
"When I was watching this I had seen it all before a hundred times." sighed Gary.
"You mean you had no Emotion, no regrets for all the people" said Aieka, angry from all the memories.
"Its not in my job" Gary said emotion all drained.
Aieka walked up to Gary slapped him as hard as she could "You senseless little creature, you know what
you are, a coward!"
"What could I do Aieka huh? Ryoko could've crushed me easily and I would've died without making not
1% difference to the outcome. Sassami would've still been fighting for her life, Millions would still die,
Yosho would still leave you in pursuit of Ryoko and you would still be lonely, innocent and scared little
girl unable to do anything about it!"
Aieka turned away; the memories were flooding back, tears again forming.
"Aieka if you have seen what I have seen you would understand. I have seen Trillions of people die in an
Hour, war machines of hate that would crush planets like this one in a matter of minutes. I know there are
other Gods other than the Christian one. Many are for evil, and the minority is good. It hardened me so
much that it comes as second nature to see death or suffering as much as it is to see Life and Joy. There is a
saying Aieka that while one death is a tragedy, a million is a statistic"
"No!" cried Aieka "How could you be so heartless and cruel!"
"That was why I left, after my partner died I saw what the job was doing to me" He put a hand on her
shoulder "I...I'm sorry for everything that's happened, I'm sorry for being a coward".
"Just get me off this roof! And take your book!" She threw it at him.
He motioned towards the rear end of the roof and a portal appeared "There it'll take you down to your
floor".
She just ran, crying as went. Going through the portal. He sighed deeply, a tear streaked down his face, still
emotionless "I wept when it happened Aieka" he whispered.
*******************
"Where's Gary, I haven't seen him all morning or Aieka" said Tenchi as he walked into lunch.
"I don't know" answered Sassami "Aieka is in our room, she's too busy right now and mustn't be disturbed
as well, Ryoko already had lunch and she went right after you came in".
Gary was sitting in mid air, looking over the valley, and using a shield to keep him up there.
"Hey what's up Gary?" asked Ryoko as she appeared next to him.
"Not much, I upset Aieka when she asked me what I saw in all of her life" he was looking straight ahead
"You're not here to knock 7 bells out of me again are you?"
"No I was actually gonna explain why I went in like I did. I was talking with- ouch! Okay its getting old
now" as a block of wood out of nowhere was dropped on her head. "Anyway when I heard that you were
trained, I wanted to test you out that's all" she smiled.
"You didn't reckon on what I use did you though?" he said looking a Ryoko.
"I was gonna ask, how does it work?"
"You have the ability to teleport right? This is done via traveling through what's known as dimension space.
In this vast expanse, far greater than the size of the universe, lies an unlimited power source commonly
known as energy. This glove or Dim-e is a simple conductor of that force, also to make commands quicker
it can detect certain hand movements. I can open portals to an infinite amount of places, times and
dimensions if I knew the right sequence of hand movements. The other glove just acts as a 'conductors
stick', helping me summon, double handled swords, staffs, specially balanced bolts of energy for extra
precision and finally what I'm sitting on right now shields, though it'll only stop the power of the foreign
object coming towards me, (in my last fight, your body flying nearly at the speed of sound right at me), but
not the force of the blow hence I was blown backwards, the shield automatically breaks my fall or stops
and bodily harm lets say flying through walls. And there you go"
"Well at least it can't read my personality and my mind," she said looking at the tight, black glove.
"Well unpredictable you are, my report on you was correct" he smiled first time in hours.
"What! You mean"
"Yes I'm not a Watcher for nothing, I've got a record on you, not a criminal record, just a record of what
you've done in your life. And Anyway I knew you were coming hundreds of years before you even
existed!"
"How?"
"I met Washu accidentally while I was monitoring her. We talked and she was thinking of creating
something just like you. After that I left, we were very good friends and it was my Dim-e that helped her
along in the Dimension travel department".
"So what did you do exactly to make Aieka so upset?" Ryoko Asked.
"She asked me how I felt when I watched the carnage that you had unknowingly caused on Planet Jurai"
"And you said?"
"I said I had felt nothing" he said "but I lied. Aieka was one of my first subjects that I monitored".
"What exactly were you doing when I attacked?" asked Ryoko.
"I can remember it..."
The scene is in space, a small ship sits there, and cloaked from view a man sits in his bunk inside. It's me.
The alarm goes off I rush to monitoring station to see what the commotion is all about, all I have to do is
look outside to see what's happening, a massive battle is raging about me. I look at my monitor and switch
to the various ground views about the palace, peaceful, quiet. I was shouting at the screen, yelling for them
to get out and away as fast as they could, but I was an invisible entity, they didn't know I was even there,
then the explosions are hitting the ground, sending buildings down, ships are crashing into the ground,
compounding the disaster and in the middle of it all is you smiling, eyes red with anger I thought, but on a
scan I found it induced via some external means, I switch back to the devastation, Sassami is in the main
chamber building, fallen from a great height, blood everywhere, what streets were left ran with the blood of
thousands of innocents. And finally as you start to leave, Yosho moves to follow, Aieka is pleading for him
to stay but he doesn't listen and takes off after you. I've turned the monitor off now, enraged that such a
perfect and peaceful place the day before was turned to hell, that turned to sadness when I saw Aieka's face,
and for the first time in my career as a Watcher I openly showed my feelings for a subject, weeping openly
for her life turned upside down so many times over...
"And that's it" he said looking down "all I remember"
"Hmm pretty screwed up then huh?" Ryoko said "don't you blame me for what happened?"
"It was beyond your control, I knew it was Kagato. I mean you don't wake up in the morning thinking 'I
must destroy the Jurai' do you?" he smiled.
"Well you got a point there, oh well up for sparring?" grinned Ryoko.
"You do know how to take my mind off things," he laughed "Sorry but I should be helping Tenchi with the
work, thanks anyway".
With that he waved the shield off and he fell down into a portal waiting for him.
"Cool wish I could do that" Ryoko smiled to herself.
******************
Aieka just lay on her bed staring up through the skylight. She had cried silently for hours, keeping the door
locked.
"How could he have done nothing? She thought "Him and his government or whatever he could've done
something at least to warn us."
"Maybe I won't ever get married, maybe I'll…. no! Never ever think like that.," she said to herself
"It wasn't his fault anyway it was that Devil of a woman who did the damage to me and my family, who
caused all of this" She stopped right there.
"What have I done, the only man in a 1,000 years who has genuinly shown feelings for me and I reject him
like a common criminal when all he was doing was watching, he probably didn't expect it either."
Tears welled up again "Why am I so lonely?" she said out loud as a tear fell down her cheek. She
remembered what he said the night before:
"Love should never be fatal to the mind or the body"
She thought again, fighting the tears back "Is Tenchi the only person I have feelings for? Do I have feelings
for Gary, a person who has known me for my whole life?"
She stood up now, overlooking a vast cliff and the ground far below, she was crying heavily.
"Innocent, scared, little girl" kept reverberating around her when she jumped, falling to her death.
Aieka woke up, her face drenched in tears. She wiped away her tears and put her clothes on. "I need to
relax and have a bath".
Walking out of the room she saw Sassami who immediately looked at her, worried. Aieka looked back in
sadness as she walked to the baths.
"Hey Tenchi is this the final field?" shouted Gary.
"Yeah we've got this one to go then we'll be finished for the moment"
"I was thinking of taking a bath after this that okay with you"
"Sure if you want, in fact I'll one as well I'm caked in mud!"
After the final Carrot harvesting was over Gary and Tenchi ran to the baths. Diving in and washing
themselves, then sitting back and relaxing.
"So how is life here now you've quit the Watchers?" Tenchi asked.
"A definite change, I mean you'd have to rush everywhere doing everything, here, you do your work you
relax and eat!"
"Things hot up though when you realize you're part of a bigger plan"
"Yeah I was thinking Tenchi how does it being related to the most powerful dynasty in the whole
universe?"
"Its one big thing, things you'll have to face when you get older and we do get older eventually, even I do!"
Tenchi nods "ahmm one thing I'll defiantly hate to loose and that's my youth and the skills that Grandfather
has taught me"
"How long have you been training?"
"Since I was about 8 how bout you?" asked Tenchi.
"Only since I was 14, it ended when I was 16, pretty crammed in, it had to all work just right in the end"
"Did you ever use your skills"?
"Once or twice. First time my hand waving convinced my would be combatants that I was some kind of
Sorcerer and they ran off, the next time I used them was against one of these big guys with a big axe. It was
only my shield that kept me alive and it took a knock here and there"
"Hey Tenchi" Ryoko said from the other side. Naked as usual.
"Does she always run around naked in the baths?" asked Gary, eyebrow raised.
"Ahuh you'd be surprised what pranks she'd pull just to get in my pants." grumbled Tenchi.
"Guess you don't know everything about me then Gary" laughed Ryoko.
The doors opened to the left of them and Aieka was heard walking in. She looked round to see Tenchi and
Gary laughing, their backs turned to them. She stopped in her tracks, getting the 'now whatcha going to do?'
stare from Ryoko. She decided to back out of the room leaving the boys to it. She ran out. Gary turned
round to see the door open.
"Was that her?" he asked. Ryoko nodded.
"Man you must've shook her up pretty bad" said Tenchi.
"I couldn't help it, I'll apologize to her tomorrow" said Gary as he rose "I'm going to take a walk to clear my
head" with that he dressed and walked out as well. Ryoko seeing that Gary had gone grinned evilly at
Tenchi.
"Why are you looking at me like that Ryoko...Ryoko no!" he gasped as she pulled him down under, his
arms waving above the surface.
***********
Gary was walking down the steps towards the house when he saw Aieka in front of her. "Ms. Aieka!" he
shouted as he rushed down the stairs. Aieka turned round then "Aieka I'm sorry for what I said for it is not
the truth!"
Aieka blinked "How? You sounded so serious!"
"No I wanted to drown out the memories just like you do" he put his hands on her shoulders "to tell the
truth, I wept after what happened on Jurai, having watched you for most of your life and then seeing it all
taken away from you was too much for me"
She just stared back at him.
"Will you forgive me?"
She looked down "It is I who should be sorry, I should not have blamed you for what happened. You could
not have stopped it".
He smiled "you're cute".
They Hugged. When the embrace finished Aieka looked back up into Gary's eyes and said, "Will you read
to me please".
"Pride and Prejudice?" he asked. Aieka nodded.
"Sure thing" he waved a portal open "Walk this way Princess"
Another night of Storytelling of the tales of romance passed as the cloudless night drew on, they retired to
the roof again and continued there, Gary reading through to the fascinated Aieka, and soon once again they
were both asleep. A rush of wind above him though awakened Gary as it buffeted his face. He looked up.
Nothing.
Looking around once again he decided that he'd better put Princess Aieka to bed and retire himself.
Opening a portal, he picked her up gently and sleepily wandered in. The house again was silent; Ryoko
peered outside Tenchi's room as she kept her non-stop watch over him. Gary, coming out of nowhere,
walked past with the happily dozing Princess in his arms. Opening the door into the Princess's room he
closed it again as he went inside, only to appear just outside a moment later, wandering past Ryoko again,
totally oblivious to her head poking out of the door.
He wandered into his room and crept into his sleeping bag, he thought he'd be snoring as soon as his head
hit the pillow but his eyes stayed open and wide. He got back up "may as well see if anyone else is up" as
he put his Dim-e on and waved a portal open.
***********
Washu was tapping away as usual. She grinned widely as she pressed enter and a cup appeared next her.
Grabbing the cup, she took a swig of the chocolaty mixture that was inside the cup.
"Aha!" she smiled "Finally the perfect cup of Hot Chocolate has been discovered!"
"Wow that's my Washu, always working to solve the most serious of the Universe's problems," laughed
Gary behind her.
"Ah Gary, long time no see" she said "Do you want to see the old me?" she asked as she turned around.
"Yeah" he nodded "personally I got on better with the old Washu," he said as he rubbed his eyes.
She nodded and smiled as she transformed back to her old self. She clapped her hands and another pillow
appeared under Gary and he sat down.
"So are you still the wild mad scientist I used to know?" said Gary as he sipped his Hot Chocolate.
"Of course, in moderation though after seeing what Kagato did in his life" nodded Washu.
"Yeah now in convenient slices after Tenchi went through with him" smiled Gary.
"You watched it?"
"Of course! I am in charge of watching this Dimension of the Universe. In other Universes Kagato is still at
large, he killed every one of you and still controls Ryoko, taking many millions and a couple of watcher's
lives"
"That serious?" she said sipping her chocolate.
"Yeah, he had found out about the real me after we parted company so I had to be extra careful"
Washu laughed, "You did look a bit too handsome for a supposed dork".
"Hey that was my second assignment! Seeing the creator of such a formidable weapon like Ryoko was an
honor," he grinned.
"Well I am the greatest Scientist of time in the Universe!" she announced mockingly.
Gary went serious for a while "You do realize that Ryoko must never gain control of all three of her gems?"
"I know, she'll never get hold of them I'll make sure of that, after Planet Jurai"
"Especially after Planet Jurai" he said sipping his drink "hey you spiked this!" he laughed.
"Of course" she grinned evilly.
"Tell me did you ever learn to read English?"
"Easy!" she said "Its muddled and very basic but I did it in the end and those Jules Verne novels were
excellent"
"I glad you enjoyed your present, they should be about 10,000 years old or something like that"
"Yeah I put them on a shelf somewhere"
"And the Quake III game I lent you?"
"Erm..I melted it by mistake, you understand don't you?"
Gary laughed, "Thank god I copied it!"
Washu raised her glass "To friendship" she smiled.
"Friendship!" he said raising his glass "A man by the name of Oscar Wilde once said 'Alcohol if taken in
sufficient quantities can bring about the required effects of drunkenness'"
The pair smiled at each other. Gary gazed about the vast lab, changing every now and then "I remember
your first lab, smaller but it looked more like the typical mad scientist's lab".
"I know but I thought I'd get a bigger place, suits me you know" she said looking up herself.
"Yeah guess it does" he sipped again "before I get totally slaughtered, tell me did you notice any weird
activity about 30 seconds before I arrived in here?"
"I did yes, something went over the house at a very, very fast speed" she brought up her console, Gary
appeared next to her "see here".
"Strange I didn't hear anything though only felt the wind register as it passed," he said as he looked at the
diagrams flashing up "did you get any frequency readings on that?" She brought them up. As the readings
flashed up he looked for a second then stopped "Stop, go back to point 32". Back she went.
"There!" he pointed, "The remains of an Entry signature but no sign of an exit signature, where did this
reading stop?"
"Right up against the hill here" Washu pointed.
He put his Dim-e next to the screen and pressed a small holographic button on it a search program came up
on screen.
"What are you doing?" asked Washu.
"Comparing the Dimension signature to all the Watchers" he nodded once "search underway".
Thousands of images flashed past "There are nearly a million of us Washu" he said, as he looked through
the screen "a small minority of them are either dead, missing or confirmed Rouge"
"Rouge you mean, on the run?"
"Uhuh" he said "Many rent their services out, disrupting the balance of time and history of the particular
area they are rouge in, others have been driven mad by what they've seen or by some freak accident when
too much Dimension energy has been absorbed by the Dim-e, it needs to discharge it so it goes through the
body and hits the head right on, shorting it and either making the owner brain-dead or insane"
"Who is the most dangerous out of the lot all the Rouge watchers?"
A silence as the screen came up with a match "him" he pointed, as he looked at the picture "my partner,
Yuri".
"He died though didn't he?"
"Yep but that's not the whole story. Somehow his Dim-e teleported his body into Dimension space, the
space which lies between your departure portal and your destination. Once there his Dim-e absorbed so
much energy that it molded itself to his body, the energy started his heart but replaced his blood, making
him almost immortal and his power limitless"
"That sucks"
"Yeah that too" he smiled "and he's decided to seek out the person who left him on orders, me"
"Is that so?" said Ryoko as she sat in mid air "First you decide that I'm not fit enough to have my gems and
now you say your nutter of a sidekick has arrived for a visit"
"It was his choice, he wants to see me, either to kill me or for something else but he's' one of the most
powerful forces in all of the millions of dimensions. He has not harnessed the power of the energy; he is the
energy of the dimensions" he turned away from Ryoko "If I was you I'd stay out of this, but you won't,
Washu I'll see you in a minute, if any thing happens make sure you get me back here".
Washu nodded.
***********
The Plains just outside the House and next to the Carrot fields was the scene of a small time cyclone, the
wind speed was increasing. Gary appeared in the middle of the large plain. Then some way in front of him
appeared Yuri.
"Ah" Smiled Gary "The nightmare appears, what brings a Rouge to my part of the world".
Yuri shook his head slowly "So rude to the person who saved your skin".
"You would've been alive if you hadn't have gone down just before the planet exploded." He grinned,
"Maybe even had shared the cute little ladies here".
"You want to know why I'm here?" Gary nodded slowly "Here to show you what I have done since you
left me with the parts of the planet that had just exploded. Since I was resurrected by the Energy, I have
vowed to stop what our planet has been doing for the last 100 years, watching and keeping tabs on
everyone else, you realizing just how many people are on the records at Watchman HQ. Countless amounts
of people with their age, sex, even their favorite food and color on a Friday. But nothing has been done to
stop potential disasters happening. We stood by as the force of several suns blew a whole system away.
Stood by while countless trillions died in battle and what have to show for it. One 1000 page progress
document delivered on the dot, every Tuesday to the Prime Minister. Well I couldn't stand by and watch
this so I decided to use my power to gain control of each dimension one by one, crushing revolt with the
energy that resides in me and ruling over the greatest empire ever known, the Jurai my control the most
powerful force known ever but I have the power to nullify that in an instant."
"You seriously believe that this will stop bloodshed, humanity and countless other races have to instinct to
survive, survive through people like your tyranny. They'll rise and rise again, more will die than ever
before and you can be really proud of that I'm sure. I don't care about your master plans what is your real
purpose of being here?"
"The only obstacle to my victory in this Dimension is Tenchi, Tenchi sadly could not join us tonight as he
is a little tied up." Gary then saw in his mind Tenchi unconscious, maybe being mentally tortured by Yuri.
"The death of your friends and you dearly beloved Aieka is also imminent."
"No they aren't" he said as he stared "I am Watchman no.52 Thatch. My mission is ensure the safety of the
said subjects and ensure the destruction of Rouge no.34532" he said moving his hands, clearly expecting
Yuri to do something "those are my orders under UN act 23wA Dimension authorizing operation
Watchman, me and my comrades will uphold that act and will rather die than let you destroy all time and
history."
"Oh well, I wanted you to stand aside but sadly its over" smiled Yuri as he pulled his hand back and threw
it forward, his whole arm acting as a cannon firing off a massive onslaught of dark blue energy smacking
the Gary's shield and sending him flying the hundreds of meters back towards to the house.
Flying through the thick perimeter wall.
Then the outer wall.
The living room wall.
The outer wall on the other end.
Then finally slamming into the perimeter wall on the other end of the house.
"Ack!" shrieked Washu as Ryoko just stared at the massive power exhibited and this was just the start.
They both watched through the screen that Washu had summoned.
"Ryoko!" Washu said in panic "Get everyone in here, Gary isn't going to do it".
Gary tried to breath as he felt his chest, one rib broken, maybe two, and one on each side. He tried to get up
then fell back down, as his knee was dislocated, clicking that back into place he got up just to see Yuri
arrive in front of him.
"Ahh ribs broken? Lets help you there" putting a hand on his shoulder he sent a wave of Blue energy
focusing one part of the body. Gary shouted out in pain as the next pair of ribs broke.
"Now you know the real meaning of pain Gary, I'll show you how to fry a brain, oriental style!" laughed
Yuri as he placed his hand on Gary's head. Gary opened his mouth to scream. Out of it came a beam of
dark blue light, his eyes also shining out like torches.
"Common Aieka get out! Get out!" shouted Ryoko as she carried Sassami.
"What where is Tenchi and Gary?" asked Aieka as she was nearly kicked down the stairs.
"Tenchi is gone for now and Gary is dying now move will you!"
"What about Tenchi?" said Aieka?
"I don't know where he's disappeared!" said Ryoko "all we need to do is move to safety"
They all staggered into Washu's Lab, Washu sealing the door behind.
"Wait what about Gary?" said Aieka seeing the door poof in a cloud of smoke. Washu pointed to the
display to see smoke come out of Gary's mouth as the heat and sheer power of the energy began to take
hold.
"No, Gary please don't" she said tears forming. It was happening all over again, her hopes of certain
happiness snatched again right at the finish line. She turned to Washu "We must get him out of there before
he dies!".
"I'll try" she said as she tapped away on her keyboard for a second then she walked over to Ryoko moving
her arm outstretched pointing towards a certain point. "Okay when I say lunge forward and pull back with
all your strength!"
She waited for a second then tapped enter and shouted "now" a portal opened and Ryoko put her arm in
and dragged Gary out of Yuri's grasp. Washu quickly closed and sealed the portal.
Gary was panting extremely badly. Suffering from serious shock to the nervous system and the brain he
collapsed on a heap on the floor.
"No!" Aieka said as she placed his head in her lap "Why am I so lonely"
"Aieka, its not your fault" Gary managed despite the serious shaking.
Washu rushed over with an injection and quickly stabbed it into his arm and shaking stopped.
"Thanks" he said as he breathed painfully "all I need now are 4 new ribs and I'm a-okay!" he grinned
through the pain.
"Where's Tenchi?" asked Ryoko looking at Yuri through the screen.
"Yuri abducted him, imprisoned him in his mind so he can't escape or activate any of his powers. Yuri will
kill him"
"Can't Tsunami help him?" asked a tearful Sassami.
Gary shook his head "If he was killing him by physical means then maybe but Yuri is systematically killing
his brain. Even if Tsunami revived him, he would be brain dead to do anything at all".
"We need to do something quick!" said Aieka "he'll find us soon"
"Yeah but can he beat the force field?" Smiled Washu.
"Easy" said Gary "Simply find a point inside the said shield and you've simply bypassed it."
"Then can we do the same thing with Yuri?" asked Ryoko.
"His field is a solid state field, an egg shape, with every space filled, no entry for the smallest of portals"
gasped Gary through the pain "What we need is Tenchi, only he can do it, I can find him then Ryoko can
do the most powerful bolt possible, weakening the shields so far that Tenchi can slice his left arm, the
conductor will be severed and therefore kill him instantly. The resulting explosion of the pent up energy
though will destroy the planet. That's where I come in"
"What can you do now?" said Washu giving Gary a hankie after he hacked up some blood.
"Cheers. The weakened shield and Tenchi's sword attack will create a space, just big enough for me to get
through, grab his arm and take it somewhere where it will do no harm, it might take me in the explosion, it
might not but unless you lot like living on an asteroid belt then it's a risk I'll have to take"
"You can't!" cried Aieka "you're too weak" she said tears forming and dropping onto his head "I forbid it
by law".
He slowly, painfully got up and turned giving Aieka a smile "I am above the law" a portal appeared below
and he slowly started to go down through it "Ryoko remember the plan, just keep Yuri occupied and don't
get killed"
"Consider it done," grinned Ryoko.
Gary then disappeared Aieka who was fighting back the tears fell to the ground.
The room Tenchi was in was black. He grabbed his head again as energy fired through his mind. In his
mind, nearly every nightmare he had imagined in his whole life came to life at once, it felt as though each
brain cell was being popped one by one. A figure appeared in his mind and Tenchi was kneeling down next
to him, neck outstretched. The figure raised his sword, about to give the blow. The sword swooped down
then darkness.
"Tenchi mate!" said Gary as he picked him up spitting out some more blood.
"Gary, what happened, why are you seriously hurt?"
"I'm okay, you need to use your light hawk wings to defeat Yuri, if you chop off his left arm he will lose
his powers, Ryoko is currently keeping him busy, but she won't stay alive for long if he gets near her."
Tenchi nodded.
"I'll open a portal and you get in there and do what you have to do" he said waving his arm and opening a
portal. Tenchi began to walk through it but an arm barred his way.
"Wrong portal, that ones to Las Vegas" he tried to laugh but he coughed up more blood he waved again.
"This one now hurry before I puncture a lung or something!"
"But what about you?" worried Tenchi.
"Look bugger off out there and help Ryoko, the last thing I need you to do after I've gone through all this
trouble to free you is for you to stand here asking about my health! I've got something else to do before the
big finale" he said, obviously fighting the painful urge to collapse in a heap.
Tenchi nodded and walked into the new portal. After he left Gary waved a new portal open and staggered
into it, hacking some more blood onto the floor behind him.
"So" Yuri smiled "they've sent the daemon into the fray!"
"Nice to know that you've read up on me Yuri" nodded back Ryoko.
"I've read enough to kill you Ryoko"
"Only if I stand still" she said as she jumped back, keeping away from Yuri as he came closer. Yuri
responded by firing off another bolt of energy at Ryoko. Just phasing out of the way in time she responded
blasting back at him, the bolts absorbed by Yuri's shield.
"What a cheat!" smiled Ryoko as she dodged another bolt, getting off balanced in the air she corrected,
looking down she saw that he was gone.
"Where?" she thought, as she looked around "behind" came the urgent reply from Washu as a Blue beam
swept down right on her head. A small electric explosion was heard as Ryoko formed her energy sword and
threw her arms behind her to block the blow, the two swords clashing with massive force. Kicking at Yuri's
shield, using it as a springboard to get distance between him and her she turned to block smaller bolts of
energy.
Moving at high speed, she swooped past Yuri, slashing with her sword. The energy field had weakened
slightly as she kicked out with all her strength and the big Yuri fell back to earth.
"Good start" she smiled to herself as she watched him get back up effortlessly.
"Watchman HQ this is n52" said into the Holographic display as he sat in dimension space.
"Thatch!" said the operator on the other side "you back from holiday early?"
"Erm" he managed to smile "I think I'll need a reservation after what's just happened"
"Where?" said the operator "Hilton, Savoy, Ritz?" he joked.
"Hospital, intensive care preferably"
"Why what's happened?"
"Yuri's here at D34 Sol sector, Watcher, seriously hurt, subjects under intensive watch and protection in
serious danger!"
"Right" said the serious voice "What can we do for you then?"
"Now we know where exactly he is, shut down all dimension in area 34,43,67,87 authorization G. Thatch"
"Right" Operator said as he tapped in the area code "Activity shut in 10 seconds, Patching direct source to
your Dim-e, you'll be able to operate but Yuri will lose 75% of his direct energy source"
"Cool, cheers mate I owe you one" said Gary as he tapped out and formed another portal and staggered
through "and I didn't cough up HACK!" he spurted as he walked.
"Tenchi!" cried Ryoko happily as she dived away from another bolt "Something's happened to him, his
shield's weakened a lot but he's very strong"
Tenchi in full Jurain battle gear, not really used to Dimension traveling, fell out of the portal, standing up
he saw a blast of energy heading right for him, focusing hard he summoned a light wing to block the
energy. The head area of his field took the brunt of the blow, flexing inwards and nearly touching his head
but he stayed firm despite the force.
"Nice" he grinned "could make toast with that thing".
"Speaking of toast, that's gonna be you in" Yuri stopped " what, damn he's called a cut off of all dimension
power in this sector, I'm weakened without it!"
Tenchi walking towards Yuri, changed into the next stage of clothing and again via the power of the light
hawk wings, he summoned his sword.
"Weak huh?" he grinned "It'll cost an arm to get it back" Yuri tried to summon his energy sword in time
only to see his left arm fall off thanks to the weak force field, now open was spilling out Dimension energy,
forcing Tenchi back despite his force field.
The severed arm, now floating was glowing brighter and brighter as energy inside it was looking for a place
to dissipate inside, rushing around faster and faster, ready to explode. Gary appeared behind Yuri, slicing
his head with an energy sword and grabbing the arm as bright light enveloped the night as the arm
exploded. Then the night was still again. Yuri, Gary and the arm had gone.
The days after what had happened in the first week of June were kind of solemn, Sassami made snacks for
the private funeral of Gary Thatch. Everyone turned out in force, even Yosho who in his old age had slept
through the entire battle. Aieka was inconsolable, seeing this as a repeat of the last 700 years, Ryoko was
sad that she never had the chance to try again with Gary but Tenchi had lost a friend who had tried to ease
the tension in the house thanks to the feuding of the two women. Sassami tried her best and vowed to learn
English so she could complete Treasure Island. Washu though had lost an old friend, one of the few that
actually kept in touch with her every 1,000 years or so. Oh and the Satellite receiver was still stuck on the
Soap channel after Gary's Dim-e had hit it as he flew through the house, the hole still evident but was
going to be converted into a convenient paper doorway for easy access to the house.
As the Headstone was laid next to the Lake, Washu watched from a nearby hill, a tear trickled down her
cheek, still though, she was emotionless and looked on the good times she had with her.
"Professor Washu?" a male voice asked.
Washu turned and looked to see a western man in a light suit.
"How did you know my name?" she asked ready for anything at this point in time.
"Commander McCann of Operation Watchman Professor" he said, bowing slightly.
"You have no Dim-e," she said, wiping the tear away "how did you get here?"
"Oh my buddies in the air force behind me gave me a lift" he pointed to a clearing behind them where a
dark gray, sleek aircraft, of much different design and construction to the any of the craft on this planet
"made with the best materials the Galaxy can offer" he smiled.
"And why are you here, to pay your last respects to Gary?"
"Well yes and no, I can't really stay long as this infringes on the thousands of peace agreements in force by
my…employers. Anyway I'm here to offer any support that I can in this time of crisis, what do you really
need right now?"
"Well" Washu thought.
"I hear your TV is on the blink?" suggested McCann.
"What? How"
"Don't worry, I'll send for it to be repaired tomorrow, now my plane awaits, you'll need to join your
friends down below for the funeral service"
"Erm thanks" said Washu, grief covered by confusion as she walked down the hill.
As she went out of view another man walked next to McCann.
"Arranged?" he asked.
"Of course" McCann grinned, "you'll be sent in the morning, don't be late for them" he said walking to his
plane.
After the service, Aieka was left to sit with the headstone as she watched the sun set.
"It always happens to me Gary," she said as a light breeze blew "When I feel I've captured happiness,
something happens to steal it from me. All I have are your books and I can't even read them!" she mustered
as she put her head in her hands and cried.
"To tell the truth, Gary, I loved you, with my heart. I love Tenchi too but he is a lost cause, he will never be
happy under an endless life of protocol and privilege. If I want Tenchi to be happy, he must stay here where
he feels where he belongs," she sobbed.
"But you were the only person to understand my position, taking my mind off my dilemma by reading to
me." She put a hand on the headstone "thank you Gary" she said, tears streaking down her face as she
walked into the house.
The next day brought a knock at the door. A repairman from the Satellite TV Company had arrived to fix
the TV.
Washu opened the door and smiled.
"Won't keep you long ma'aam" smiled the repairman as he took his shoes off and walked into the living
room "your TV?" he said as he turned it on.
"Yes the receiver broke during a moment of stress" Washu lied.
"I'll connect a new one, I've been instructed to give you the details to claim your years free subscription
which includes the new digital service." He said as he replaced the receiver "forms in my bag".
"Wow" smiled Washu "2500 channels in every language of the world. Fancy"
"Also is there a Ms. Aieka in the house I need to deliver a message for her.
"I am she" said Aieka, walking down the stairs in her Kimono she used for mourning in.
"Ah" he beamed "I've been told to give you this box from my…uh…employers Ms. Aieka" he smiled
"That's all I need to do, push your card in the slot of the receiver and it will work properly" with that he
bowed in respect of the occasion and left.
"What's in the box Aieka?" wondered Washu.
"I have no idea" she said as she opened it to find a remote control with one button on it and a note.
"What does it say?" jumped Washu.
"Please press the button to receive a gift of a lifetime?" she said, picking up the remote control "well here
goes".
As soon as Aieka pressed the button a door appeared in front of her.
"Wow" she said sarcastically "a door"
"Open it you idiot and see what's inside"
Cautiously opening the door she slowly walked through. The scene she walked into was one of complete
paradise. She walked onto a beach, the clear, light blue water lapping up onto the shore, the white sand
clean and clear as a wind cooled the air to a pleasant heat.
Looking at the sea she walked forward a hand landed on her shoulder, she jumped into the air in shock and
turned round in anger to see the sweet face of Gary smiling softly. Aieka's face of rage turned to abject joy
as she hugged Gary.
"What happened you never came back!" she said with tears in her eyes, tears of joy this time.
"Well I dropped the arm and Yuri into separate suns to burn up and returned to HQ, I was hospitalized for a
couple of days while my ribs healed and while I had brain scans to see what damage there was. After that I
pulled a few favors from the brass and here I am, with you, alone on a desert island." He said grinning.
"I'm so happy you're back Gary" she cried.
"Hey you gonna try changing out of those clothes Aieka?" he said with an eyebrow raised "ugh! Feels like
somebody died".
"I will after I do one thing" she said smiling shyly.
"What's that Princess?"
Aieka kissed Gary softly as she put all her frustration behind her and went for it. Gary blushed after the
kiss.
"I love you Gary" she smiled softly.
"I love you too Aieka".
The two embraced and Aieka walked off to open the door, only to find it gone.
"Where's it gone?" she said confused.
"Where's what gone?"
"The door"
"oh damn! I left my Dim-e back at HQ, hmm guess we'll have to wait to be recus agg!" Two young girls
and an older woman cut off Gary for a second.
"I'm so happy your back Gary!" said Little Washu tearfully.
"Read to me Gary read to me!" said Sassami excited.
"No spar with me Gary spar with me!" laughed Ryoko.
"Tenchi say something!" said Gary weighed down by all the people hanging off him. Aieka giggled.
Tenchi smiled and said "Something".
Fin