Eighteen
"Has it really been a month since that fight? A month since Jaaku has been gone? I remember the first time I met him, so long ago. Back then he wore a mask and went by the name Sento, a warrior from Jurai. Even back then I knew there was something more to him than just the mask he hid behind. I never expected that he was really Jaaku, a wanted criminal that the whole Special Operations division of the Galaxy Police was created for. To tell you the truth, I was really afraid at first. I thought Mihoshi and I would join the long list of officers that had fallen at the feet of this terrible creature. Then, I started to see that the person before was not that cold-blooded killer on the files back at headquarters. Even after I tried to arrest him twice, he still didn't harm me or Mihoshi. Still, I was skeptical about him, thinking it was all just a charade to take me off guard. It was only after I stumbled across him in the hot springs did I learn that Dargon was the reason he did all of those things. He had been a pawn in an evil plot to spread terror through the galaxy. That night I met the real Jaaku, the one who just wanted to be left alone. For some reason, I found myself uncontrollably falling for him, even as he insulted me in those waters. He told me before he died that I was the first girl he loved in his life, five thousand years. Maybe because I knew I loved him also, did I spend that night with him in the hot springs. Looking back on it now, I can only ask myself, would I have fallen in love with him and been with him if I knew that I would only have to say good-bye to him two days later? The answer is yes, I wouldn't trade it for the world. Now, he is gone. I can still remember perfectly as he gave up the orbs in his hands to save Miss Washu and Tenchi. Miss Washu said that by giving up the orbs, his body, that was created because of them, just couldn't exist anymore. It's funny how she has never confirmed that Jaaku is gone, just that his body has disappeared. Didn't Jaaku's sword have two orbs in it also? I guess it's something only Washu knows about. Ever since Ryoko told her what Jaaku said about the orbs, Tears of Tokimi, she has gone into her lab and won't let anybody in. She must be grieving over Jaaku but I think Ryoko took it the hardest. She doesn't seem to be as happy as she used to. She still smiles and argues but, it seems different somehow. I guess I am the odd one out, in this case. I know I was in love with Jaaku but somehow it doesn't seem as strong as what Ryoko and Jaaku felt for each other. Jaaku told me that, in the end, he was just an echo of eternity. I have thought about his words for a long time now and I can't really understand what he meant by that. Maybe I'll ask Miss Washu about it, someday."
"Ugh, did you say something, Kiyone?"
Kiyone slowly looks over her knees to Mihoshi struggling to sit up from the grassy ground. She still looks really tired, even though she had been sleeping for most of the afternoon. Kiyone just looks back forward and hugs her knees tighter, shaking her head lightly, "No, Mihoshi. I was just thinking out loud." Mihoshi nods tiredly and lays back down in the grass, ready to fall asleep again. Kiyone just sits in her casual dress, her jacket laying next to her in a heap and talking out loud made her feel better, even if nobody was around to hear it. Even staring out over the sparkling lake, she couldn't find peace for her aching heart. After letting out a slow sigh, she blinks a bit as she hears something coming closer.
"Kiyooooooooone! Mihoshi! Come quick! Little Washu has come out of her lab!"
She could recognize Sasami's high, happy voice from even this distance. After standing up and tossing her jacket over her shoulder, she looks at the little girl running up to them, "Finally?"
Sasami nods and smiles as she stops in front of them, "Uh huh, and she said she has something to show us. Come on!"
Kiyone kicks Mihoshi to wake her up and the three walk back to the house. As they get there, everyone else is gathered around the little scientist, looking at something in her arms. Kiyone stops and leans to the side to see, but Washu smiles up at her, "Oh, Miss Kiyone. I have somebody here you should meet." Kiyone blinks a bit and as the other step aside, a small bundle of blankets are in Washu's arms. Washu pulls one of the blankets away and reveal a small child in her arms. Small, spiky green hair is popping up from his head and one of his orange eyes close to keep the glare out. Kiyone's face freezes as she stares at this infant, almost afraid to ask what it is.
"Miss Kiyone, I believe you already know Jaaku. Say hello, my little Jaaku."
Washu snuggles her face up to the infant and he just looks at her, then slowly back around at everyone else. Kiyone twitches a bit and almost falls over, "That is Jaaku? He's a, baby now?"
Washu grins and nods at her, using a free hand to play with him, "That's right, because the orbs made him full grown, as soon as he lost them he became my original creation again. I found him floating in between dimensions and spent these last few weeks playing mother again. I'm so happy!" Washu cheers and kisses Jaaku on the head.
"That is wonderful, Little Washu. See? There's no reason to be sad now, Jaaku is back." Tenchi says and looks at Kiyone, who has now fallen to the ground in shock. She just lies there twitching and Mihoshi kneels next to her in concern, asking her what is the matter.
Ryoko goes back to cooing with her older brother, grinning happily and poking his chest with her finger. "Well, Jaaku, who is the bigger one now? I guess now I have an older brother who is only a little runt now!" She starts to laugh hysterically until Jaaku grabs her finger hard and glares at her, almost like he could understand her. "Ow! Let go! Jaaku, let go of my finger! Mom, tell him to let go!" Ryoko yanks her hand to get it away but Jaaku has an iron grip on it, which makes Washu burst into laughter. Soon, everyone else is laughing also at them, except for Mihoshi and Kiyone as Mihoshi tries to wake her up.
Out in the deepest confines of space and reality, a lone asteroid floats in between dimensions, free from any universal law and influence. Its a place that not many could get to, but one was able to reach. All around the asteroid, a purple mist slowly moves like a mass of liquid and sparatic bolts of green lightning shoots around through it and strikes the asteriod in some places, making deafening roars into the surrounding area. It is a very bland place to see, yet has it's own beauty to it. At least, that is how Kagato looks at it. Of course he was not happy to be stuck in this place but at the moment he could not do anything about it. He just gives that glowing hilt a few sideward glances, eager to figure out it's secrets. Shibo-Ken-bo is stabbed into the ground now, the crescent blade formed out the other end and keeping a dull glow to it. Kagato wonders if that is the force keeping him stuck in this dimension but there was yet another force that must have something to do with it. After a moment of looking at this other force, he turns to it and speaks.
"How long do you think this is going to last? Do you really believe you can keep me here?"
A huge bulky mass sitting on the ground turns slightly and looks at the man in the cape, then blinks and looks at the force also, "Yeah, let us go."
A ghostly image slowly turns from staring out into the nothingness and stands next to Shibi-Ken-bo. The full grown image of Jaaku stares back at them and smirks lightly, holding his arms crossed over his chest lightly. It could be seen he isn't real, in the physical sense, anyhow, but he is a force nonetheless. In fact, he is the force keeping the two trapped in this place. "Well, let me consider that for a moment." he says sarcastically and pauses, then looks at Shibi-Ken-bo casually, "Sorry, Shibo-Ken-bo says you can't. I hate to disappoint you."
Kagato smirks himself and shakes his head, walking over to the image. Dargon shrugs lightly and turns back to stare into nothing, leaving the two to speak amongst themselves. Kagato looks at the image for a moment and tilts his head, "I am curious, how is it you still exist here? Why are you not back on Earth with the others?"
"As long as these orbs exist in Shibi-Ken-bo, I will remain as I am. A part of me is on Earth, sadly you'll never leave here to see that part. Feel free to try and get to Shibi-Ken-bo though, I was rather amused to see you fly through the air."
Kagato doesn't like that too well and narrows his eyes at the image, which makes him smile even more. Then Kagato shrugs it off and tilts his head a bit, "So tell me, Jaaku, why didn't you kill me when you had the chance? It would have been just as easy to send me and my brother into oblivion."
Jaaku winces a bit and scoffs, turning away from him and staring into nothing for a bit. Kagato pushes the question a bit further and finally Jaaku answers him, "Because, Kagato, I happen to know a few things about you. Don't get me wrong, I would have sent Dargon into the deepest crevasse of eternity but it would have sent you also. The reason I did not is because," he says but pauses for a moment. Kagato blinks in wonder and stares at the back of him, "because you are the closest thing to a father that I could have." The answer makes Kagato stare at him even more and Jaaku turns his head to the side, staring at him out of the corner of his eye. "The whole time Dargon had me, he idolized you. All I would hear is how great his brother is. I guess in time I started to believe it myself. I even found myself striving to impress you, well, the idea of you anyway. I wanted someday to meet you and show you how great I was. However, it had to end up like this. I am not blind to the fact that you and my mother had some bonds between you. Had I killed you, she would have been sad." He slowly looks back forward and Kagato blinks and just stares at him, not fully knowing how to take this in. Dargon was oblivious to this whole conversation, as he had fallen asleep as he sat there. Kagato can only stare at Jaaku, not knowing what to say or do about this. Jaaku, on the other hand, just stood and thought about many things. He could almost feel the joy his younger self was enjoying at the moment, with his mother, sister and friends. He would have to be content to just let his younger self feel those things, for he had to stay with the orbs and keep Kagato and Dargon trapped in this place. Things were the way they had to be, all things on Earth had returned to their peaceful ways. A new addition to the Masaki household was made in the form of the baby Jaaku. Kagato and Dargon would be held in this place as long as the spirit of Jaaku was embedded in the orbs of Shibo-Ken-bo. In the end, everybody is destined to only shine for a brief moment in the course of things. All that can remain is the memories and emotions felt by those we touch. However, as long as the ones we love never forget us or what we do, we will truly never die. Even the mortal can achieve the immortal and in this sense, we are all just echoes of eternity.