Ken looked Sasami over. He had a rush of recognition. 'Her... I remember her, from Jurai.' His eyes a little wide as she approached him.
"Hello! I'm Princess Sasami from Jurai."
"H...Hi. I'm Makibi Ken." He thought briefly about a fancy title to present with himself. "Future Galaxy Policeman... and Kiyone's son."
"Oh wow!" Sasami smiled, clasping her hands, "You look just like her! I just can't believe I had never heard anything about you before."
Ken scratched the back of his head. "Eh... uhm... I guess I'm some big secret."
Sasami smiled and commented, "Well, I understand with how her job is." She looked to the house, "Are... you the only one coming with? I thought at least Ryoko would have considered coming with."
"They're still inside... I guess making last minute decisions."
"Were they concerned about you coming with?"
"Not their business. I've already been enough trouble for them." Ken looked down.
Sasami tilted her head, looking Ken over. "I don't believe anyone could be a problem for the Masaki household. They've handled worse than one single teen aged boy."
Ken raised an eyebrow at Sasami, "Do I have something on my face? You're looking at me oddly..."
"No! Not at all. I just look at you and think of how you're Kiyone's son. It's so amazing... it feels like only yesterday when Tenchi was your age."
Ken seemed to look nervous at that statement, "Well... uh... I dunno. I guess..."
"You're silly." She smiled, "Should we head inside to see if they had made a decision?"
He nodded. Ken walked toward the house with Sasami following behind. He knocked on the front door, "I'm back... with a guest." He undid his boot laces, slipping them off. Yoshiko zipped around the corner to see Ken and Sasami in the doorway.
"Oh good! You haven't left yet." Yoshiko smiled. "I think I've worked on them enough to let me come along."
"Yoshiko... this isn't a game. It won't be safe." Ken frowned, crossing his arms.
Yoshiko laughed lightly, "I know that. You're so serious! I'd be in the same amount of danger as YOU." She poked him in the arm.
"Yes, and I don't have a mother or father that will get upset if I'm hurt. You do." Ken snapped.
Yoshiko looked sad, "You're mean. I never meant it that way."
Ken closed his eyes and leaned against the wall, "That's right. I'm a mean person." He waved a hand, "Stay home and safe. I've got nothing to lose."
Yoshiko frowned and turned back around to go to her room. Tenchi and Ryoko exit their bedroom, passing by Yoshiko on the way down the stairs. Sasami smiled brightly, "Tenchi! Ryoko! It's been so long!"
"Sasami! Wow, have you grown." Tenchi commented, "Here I am an old man with a daughter." He laughed lightly.
Ryoko tugged on Tenchi's shirt, "You're not an old man. Sasami, You've definitely grown into a beautiful woman. Quite the opposite of your sister." She joked.
"Oh Ryoko!" She smiled back at the couple. "So, what is your decision?"
"We talked awhile about it... I was able to call into work for a small vacation. Ryoko and I will be going with."
"Dad!" Yoshiko called up from the top of the stairs. "I'm going too!"
"Yoshiko... I told you. You have school and it's JUST NOT SAFE." Tenchi sighed.
"See, that's what *I* told her." Ken commented. "Do as your father says, Yoshiko." He called up to her on the stairs. He turned, picked up his shoes and left through the door.
Sasami watched as he left, a little baffled by his actions. "... he's so... so... I can't even put my finger on it."
Tenchi shrugged, "We've given up on trying to figure him out."
"Well, he could be a little nicer." Yoshiko crossed her arms.
"He is right, though. We don't want to put you in danger too, Yoshiko." Ryoko said lightly.
"I can't believe this! I'm your daughter! You know what I'm capable of doing... they can't possibly hurt me!" Yoshiko rolled her eyes, "I'm GOING. I need to have my own stories of space instead of sitting around listening to your stories for the rest of my life."
Sasami laughed politely. "She sure is full of energy. You have a wonderful daughter you two."
Tenchi shook his head and sighed, "Okay. We have to get some things together, go ahead and take a seat for a few minutes, Sasami. We'll leave shortly."
Meanwhile... outside. Ken walked over to the porch facing the lake. He sat down, tying his shoes back on. He closed his eyes, pulling his knees up to lean forward and rest his head tiredly. He let his mind wander to another time.
// Kiyone sat on the couch, idly going through some police reports. Her hair pulled back into a ponytail, wearing rather casual clothes. Ken walked into the room, rubbing his eyes tiredly.
"Mom... you're still not sleepin' yet?"
"I have to turn these in tomorrow. It's not that late."
"So you say..." He went to the other room, getting a glass of water for himself. Ken, at this point, was ten years old. He wandered back in and sat down on the same couch as his mother. He idly watched her work, sipping his water lost in thought.
"Mm... sweetie? Did you have something you wanted to talk about?" She placed the digital tablet down.
"...not really." He took another sip, then said lightly. "I just... I mean... " He looked embarrassed, "I know you've told me this before. I just was thinking about it lately again."
"Thinking about what?" She crossed her legs, leaning on her elbow to face her son.
"My father." He stammered, "I know you told me... I feel so stupid asking again."
"It's not stupid. I think it's so sweet you ask about him so much." She smiled, "I know it seems weird to even say you resemble him so much. In so many ways I can't even describe it. You're really something special. What would you like to know?"
"... he doesn't even know about me, right? I mean... you told me that he doesn't know and that it's probably best that way. Why?"
"It's not best either way, to be honest. I love your father very much, but not as one would love a husband or boyfriend. More like a best friend. When two people have a child, it's generally under the presumption that there was a different kind of love involved. He had gotten married since we came to that conclusion and also has had a child. She must be only a few years younger than you, now that I think about it."
"So I have a sister?" He sounded hopeful.
"Yes, yes you do."
"Why didn't you tell him about me?" He asked again.
"For your sake, it's wisest to be raised as my son than you being thought of as his."
"Why? You're not answering my questions!" Ken looked annoyed.
"Would you believe that I'm scared?" She sighed.
"Scared? Why should you be scared if he's your good friend?"
"When you get older... relationships seem less innocent, more constricting. There may have only been friendship between us, but because of how you came about, it would hurt others such as your father and his wife to know that it happened. I never want to hurt them. I feel that when you're fully grown, you should make your own decision on if you want to meet him or not. Now is not the time."
"So it's better to hurt later on instead of now?" He looked confused.
Kiyone shook her head, "No, it's not good to hurt anyone at all. What I meant to say was... your fate is in your hands. You know who your father is, and I shouldn't deny you the right to know him. I try my best to raise you, but I'm afraid that if you were to meet him I would have that responsibility taken from me too. I'd miss you being around. I guess that's a little selfish of me. He'll love you no matter when you meet him. It's the type of person he is. I like to cherish each day we're together like this. My little family."
"It's okay, Mom. I won't leave to go live with some guy I barely know. I just wanna meet him once someday. It must have been a hard decision to make for you."
"I'm glad you understand. You're a smart boy... I couldn't have been any luckier than to find out you were coming into my life. You're named after him to remind you where you came from, you know."
"I know, I know." He finished off his water. "Mom... I'm glad we had this talk. You're always so busy sometimes... I worry about you."
"You shouldn't worry about me, I'm fine." She smiled, "You should get some sleep, you've got school tomorrow."
Ken nodded, "I know. You better sleep soon too!" He wandered to his room, "Goodnight. I love you."
"I love you too, Tenchi. Sleep well." She picked up her digital notepad, going back to her work without a second thought. //
A voice broke through Ken's slumber. "...Tenchi... Tenchi... he's over here!"
Sasami wandered over to where Ken had dozed off. She kneeled down next to him, checking his forehead temperature.
"He seems a little feverish. I wonder what's going on?" She commented.
Tenchi rounded the corner, "God, this kid disappears faster than I can keep up with. Is Ryo-Oh-Ki nearby? I'll just carry him and we'll set him up aboard the ship so we don't lose him again."
Sasami nodded, "Just go over that way. Ryo-Oh-Ki should see you and let you aboard. She should remember you." She smiled. "I'll head back inside to get the others."
Tenchi checked Ken's forehead. Ken looked just worn out.
"...but why didn't you tell him about me?" Ken murmured in his half-awake state.
Tenchi went to pick up the teenage boy. Ken wasn't all that heavy. His weight evened out in Tenchi's arms. Tenchi headed toward the lake. Ryo-Oh-Ki let out a pleasant 'Miyah' and beamed the two aboard. Tenchi carefully laid him down onto Ryo-Oh-Ki's floor. He watched Ken curl up into a tight ball. Tenchi pulled off his own jacket and placed it over Ken.
Ken pulled it close, letting out a slight sigh. Tenchi watched him for another full minute before heading back to the house.
* * *
Ryoko picked up a small packed back. "Hey Tenchi, we're ready." She announced to her husband as he re-entered the house.
Yoshiko smiled, "Yeah! Let's go!"
"I have a bad feeling about this." Tenchi sighed.
"Don't be so gloomy! At least we're not wanted criminals this time." Sasami noted.
"I guess there are always the GOOD points. Let's go." Tenchi commented, heading out the door.
Everyone boarded Ryo-Oh-Ki. Ken woke up mid-flight, looking a little better. Their journey took them toward the planet Jurai. The conversation of the crew mainly consisted of discussing the last few years, stories about how Yoshiko is doing and mostly boring chit-chat. Nothing too much on the actual future raid. Ken kept to himself, debating out how to do this in his head. The adults talked away as Yoshiko broke away from them.
Yoshiko approached Ken, sitting next to him, "Hi, I'm Yoshiko... you probably don't remember me since you've been LOST IN YOUR OWN WORLD THE LAST FEW HOURS."
"Are you always this weird?" He asked of her.
"Mn, I don't think so. I'm actually quite normal." Yoshiko leaned back against the ships wall.
"So you think." He poked her in the arm.
"You're not so normal yourself. You should relax more!" She smiled.
Ken shrugged, "Probably. I haven't exactly *thought* about relaxing lately."
"I told you to stop thinking about that." She leaned over and pulled him into a light noogie, messing up his hair. "You need to focus on the problem at hand and not get all gloomy like you've been!"
"H...hey...hey! I will! Stop that!" He pulled away from Yoshiko. "I'll try to relax. I promise."
Yoshiko giggled, "I'll believe it when I see it. What were you thinking about?"
"The maps... from Washuu. I'm remembering as much as I can. I want to be able to get in and get out as fast as possible. All the training in my head is coming together. Ahh... it's exciting and scary at the same time." He smiled.
"You really like this, huh? Did you always wanna become a Galaxy Police officer?"
"I... think that I wanted to fall into a career I'm familiar with. I never knew what it was like to have a 'home', only Yagami with my mom and Mihoshi. I think if I'm not traveling, I may get restless and tired of the place. GP was the next best career. Save for being a diplomat or something... and I don't have the stuff for that."
"I see." She commented, "I understand. It was really hard for my mom to get used to Earth. She really must love my dad to tie herself down to there."
"I was never so lucky, I guess. My mom never really found herself in a relationship long enough to consider settling down."
"I wonder how that will affect you?" She asked.
"What do you mean?" Ken blinked and asked.
"Would you be the type of guy that ran from relationships because you never saw a stable relationship around you through your life, through your parent? I wonder..."
"Uhm... I have no idea. I'd probably be the worst boyfriend ever if I found myself in a relationship... if I even found myself lucky enough to find a girl to put up with me." Ken shrugged, still hugging Tenchi's jacket to himself.
"You don't have any faith in yourself either, huh?"
"Not when it comes to that. I'm smart, but I'll admit that I don't think I'll be looking for any relationships anytime soon. They just don't interest me."
Yoshiko looked Ken over and then said, "You have to be the strangest teenage boy I've ever met in my entire life!"
Ken sighed and thought to himself, '...is she trying to hit on me or something? She's my sister! That's sick! Well, she doesn't know... I'll tell her if this keeps up. I can't handle it.' Ken spoke up, "I guess I am. Lucky me."
Ryoko looked over at the two, "Yoshiko, are you trying to embarrass Ken? He has had a hard enough time, lay off."
"Thank you." Ken commented.
Yoshiko sighed, watching Ken. She stood back up and rejoined the adult group. The actual trip was nearing the end as they started to comment about Jurai showing up on the main screen.
Ken looked up and notice the planet on the viewscreen. He stood and walked over to Tenchi. "Hey... thanks." He offered the coat back. Tenchi nodded, taking it from him.
The descent was quick and easy. Ryo-Oh-Ki knew how to land with no problem. Sasami lead the group to a rendezvous spot where Aeka and a teen aged boy stood, both wearing royal family clothing.
"Hello, Lord Tenchi." Aeka stated, "My, has your daughter grown so much." She smiled, looking over at Yoshiko. "I trust you have had a good flight?"
"Yes, Miss Aeka. We had a very easy flight. I can only imagine that this is the calm before the storm." Tenchi commented.
Ken looked over at Shirou. He thought to himself about how familiar he looked, but shook it off. Ken stepped forward and saluted Aeka. "Makibi Ken, Galaxy Police Cadet-In-Training. I offer you my services and abilities, your highness."
"Oh my. What a handsome and polite son Kiyone has raised. We're glad to have you along on this mission, young Ken. I'm sure your training will be most valuable in this kind of situation." Aeka smiled at him.
"The longer my sister is in their hands, the less of a chance we'll find her alive. We should leave now and head to Phoenix Zero." Shirou stated firmly.
"I agree." Ken commented anxiously, "There's a chance the GP officers there are still alive. I'd like to be able to free them as well."
Shirou glared at Ken, "The mission is to save my sister."
Ken shrugged, "And that will happen. I'll stay behind to free the rest if it came down to it."
"Then we will leave you there!" Shirou growled.
"Fine by me." Ken turned away from Shirou's gaze, "I don't shirk my duty just because some royal ass doesn't find it acceptable within his time table. I'll be aboard Ryo-Oh-Ki and be preparing the mission notes." He walked away and toward the ship.
'That kid has balls.' Ryoko thought to herself, watching Ken leave. 'The Galaxy Police are DAMNED lucky he's on their side.'
Shirou growled, "The nerve of that Cadet..."
"Ahem. Shirou! You are being disrespectful to my guests! You are being a very insensitive and rude. I understand you're concerned for Momiji, but please try and understand that she isn't the only one in danger now." Aeka piped up.
"Yes... Mother." He toned down a little.
"She told you!" Yoshiko piped in.
"Er... Yoshiko! That's not nice." Tenchi attempted to quiet his child too.
"...Shall we go?" Sasami broke into the conversation. Everyone had a relieved look on their face and nodded in unison. They headed to Ryo-Oh-Ki and boarded quickly.
Ken was aboard with small Washuu-like portable computer. He was working away at the console. Shirou distanced himself from Ken as much as possible.
"So..." Ken started as the flight began, "This is what I have." He punched a few buttons on the keypad, then an image came up of the planet. "This is Phoenix Zero. It's about half the size of a Jurai. The climate is pretty mild. Where we're going is here." He pointed to a spot. The map zoomed into that point. "This is where the GP have designated the weakest spot in their territory. We'll be able to land and then travel about a kilometer to here." He pointed to another spot on the map. It zoomed, showing the pathway. "This is where their base is. I'm pretty sure it's mostly underground, to avoid contact from space. The security is tight, but can be broken according to the resources presented. They're smart, they have a few cool gadgets, but nothing that hasn't been in use for the last ten years or so. This isn't a fun little camping trip - this is a serious situation. They may be armed with anything from laser cannons to your basic sword. We honestly don't know what we're going up against." Ken turned off the map, "Ryo-Oh-Ki, take us to the coordinates from the map. We're counting on you for a safe landing." He looked toward the rest of the group, "It's up to us to have a successful mission."
Ryoko nodded, "We're up for it. We've handled worse, right gang?"
"I hope this will be something we can all handle. I'm too old for this." Tenchi sighed.
"C'mon Dad! It'll be easy with me there by your side." Yoshiko smiled. "We'll do fine."
Ken rolled his eyes, "Kids."
"We'll be approaching the planet soon. Everyone get ready, it's going to be a long trip." Sasami commented.
"As read as we'll ever be." Shirou remarked.
The landing was smooth as ever. Ryo-Oh-Ki reverted to cabbit form and accompanied them along the to a nice wooded area. It was already nearing nighttime. The camp was set up with the group settled around a small fire. Ken leaned against a rock and stared into the flames as the rest of the group set up their areas. Yoshiko wandered over to sit next to Ken.
"Heeeeeeeeey there." Yoshiko started the conversation, "Whatcha doin?"
"Thinking." Ken spoke softly.
"Oh? You do that a lot. Does it get lonely in that head of yours?"
"Uh... no." He glanced at Yoshiko nervously.
"I told you, you need to relax a bit!" She smiled, grabbing Ken's hand playfully and holding it in hers.
Ken suddenly had to have had a very frightened look on his face. He stood up, shaking his hand out of hers. "..Y..Yoshiko! Can I speak to you a minute, alone!?"
Ryoko raised an eyebrow at the situation. The kids weren't making a scene, but she sensed something was up.
"We'll be right back." Ken grabbed Yoshiko's hand and lead her a good thirty feet or so from the camp grounds. The voices from the camp now just a light whisper, indecipherable.
"Ken... Ken! Where are you taking me? We don't wanna get lost!" She seemed a little scared.
"Shhhh... it's okay, I'm here to protect you." He leaned against a tree. "Yoshiko... I uh... I mean... we uh... it's JUST not possible."
"What's not possible?" She seemed curious.
"I'm not about to say you like me, but I want you to stop liking me if you do." He looked really confused. His cheeks a little red from embarrassment.
"Ken, do you like me?"
"Not in that way! Uhm... uh... Yoshiko... I don't even know how to say this."
"Just say it already." She crossed her arms.
"... I'm your brother." He looked up at her to see her reaction. Yoshiko still had her arms crossed, looking sternly at him, "...My name is Makibi -Tenchi-. I'm named after my father, who just happens to be *your* father too. It was before your parents got married."
Yoshiko stepped back, "Okay. I'll admit that *wasn't* what I was expecting. I thought you were gonna say you were gay."
Ken slumped against the tree, "You're so mean to me!"
"It works both ways." She commented, looking him over. "... you do look a little like Grandpa Nobuyuki when he was younger. Why do you say your name is Ken?"
"It's a nick name. I guess it was made to protect me from giving away too much about me. Masaki Tenchi is known in our history books... it's not something I could get away with living up to." He sighed, "Well... Yoshiko... I mean... I'm not ready to tell him or everyone. I want this to be a secret, okay? I'll tell him when the time is right. I just thought you should know. You understand, right?"
"I knew there was something weird about you! You ever get a feeling you've met someone before but really hadn't?" She commented.
"Uh... every now and again, I guess." He shrugged.
"Well, I got that when you landed on Earth. I'm glad I know why now." She smiled back.
"You're taking this really well." He rubbed the back of his head.
"Why not? I've got an older brother now! This is so cool!"
Ken laughed lightly, "Okay. Let's head back to camp before they think worse thoughts of us." A shuffle in the trees is heard. Ken turned and pulled his blaster, pointing it toward the noise. "Who's there?! Show yourself!"
No other noises came from that direction. Yoshiko tugged on Ken's jacket. "Must have been an animal. Let's hurry back." Ken nodded in agreement.
They walked over back to camp, settling down. Ryoko nudged Tenchi with a grin on her face. Tenchi watched as the teens approached. "So... how was your talk?"
"It was good, thank you for being so concerned." Ken commented.
"Oh really?" Shirou piped up. "Yes, it was very nice for Lord Tenchi to be so concerned. Perhaps you should tell him what you two were talking about?"
"It's really none of their business." Ken bit back.
"He's right. Leave us alone." Yoshiko biiiidahed at Shirou.
"I was under the impression that it WAS all of their business. Why don't you just shed some light on the subject." Shirou grinned.
"...I don't even know what you're talking about now." Ken stood up, about to approach Shirou.
"Oh-hoh-hoh. Yes, you know exactly what I'm talking about. I suppose it's okay for your sister to know that Lord Tenchi is your father, but the rest of the group just doesn't need to know that tiny bit of information, hmm?"
"What?!" Ryoko and Aeka said together. Tenchi turned to look at Ken who is now frozen in the many stares focused at him.
"...you... you asshole!" Ken growled, "You had no right to tell them that." He murmured to himself, then took on a sideways stance, speaking up so everyone would hear, "Yes. He's right. Whatever the hell it all means in the end... it doesn't matter. I don't care anymore. I'm just glad I finally got to meet the great Masaki Tenchi at some point. My visit with you is at an end. Sorry to have wasted your time." He grabbed his bag, shouldering it and bolted into the forest without a second thought.
"Ken!" Yoshiko yelled after him. She turned, teary eyed at Shirou, "You jerk! You arrogant self centered JERK!" She ran into the forest trailing after Ken.
Aeka closed her eyes, "I can't even describe the anger I have welling up in me at this moment. Shirou... just because you are royalty, it doesn't make you superior to everyone else. Perhaps there may have been a time in your life that made you think you were."
"Mother... I was just..."
"You were trying to make you seem better than him! Now look what you have done?! I'm ashamed to have brought you on this trip. You obviously aren't mature enough to even socialize outside of the Juraian royal family."
Shirou went quiet and nodded. He sat down near the fire and seemed to brood.
Tenchi had a bit of disbelief still on his face. He looked at Ryoko, "...what."
"I don't even know." She looked away. "When? How? You cheated on me with her!?"
"NO! It was not like that!" He thought back to the moment. The only moment that he could have possibly been with Kiyone, "It wasn't anything like that."
"Well, it takes two to tango. And here I thought I knew you! I was so wrong!" Ryoko snapped.
Tenchi leaned over to touch Ryoko on the shoulder. She moved away quickly from him, "Don't touch me, don't even talk to me! I'm going after my daughter." She phased away from the spot and started to 'fly' into the forest where Ken and Yoshiko ran.
Ken ran. He was very fast, almost sprinting. His anger and embarrassment fueled him more. Yoshiko ran quickly behind, shouting for him to stop. She wasn't exactly a fast runner but she was able to keep up. He stopped to catch his breath.
"Go back." He commanded, "This is my fate. Shirou may have spoiled things, but I will make everything right."
"What do you plan on doing, saving everyone?" Yoshiko gasped for air. "Ken! They don't care about that... it won't be bad, really. Going in as a group is better than one person, right?"
"Dammit, I can't go back now. Shirou... that asshole! I'm so angry! How dare he follow us... how dare he do that to me?! What the hell does he have against me anyway!?"
Yoshiko coughed and grabbed Ken's hand, "Come back... please." She almost seemed as if she were crying. Dried tear marks down her cheeks. "They'll understand. They have to. Forget about him."
"No. They won't understand because I wasn't able to explain myself. I wasn't able to do it the way I wanted. I'd be a fool to go back and ask for forgiveness. I don't deserve the name "Tenchi"." Ken sighed. He blinked, "Yoshiko... we're not alone." He looked up and into the dark.
A flash of light beamed down on Ken. A gun fired into Yoshiko's direction. Ken pushed her aside and into some deep bushes. He shrieked as it nailed through his side, "Run!" He turned and faced the enemy. "C'mon! Bring it on!" His hair changed from dark to almost a light blue. Three stripes across each cheek appeared quite noticeably. He pulled his gun and started to fire at the other. He ran to the side, attempting to evade the shots. It was too overpowering for Ken. Three guards took him down from all sides. One knocked him out with a harsh blow to the head, Ken's gun falling to the ground and beside the well hidden Yoshiko. She watched in horror as they dragged him away, bloody and beaten with his Juraian markings etched into his face.
Yoshiko picked up the gun and held it in her hands. The handle was covered in blood. She cried, unmoving from her hiding place.
Ryoko entered the area, "Yoshiko... where are you..." Ryoko started to move further ahead.
"...m...mo...mom... don't go... don't go..." Yoshiko yelped, "m...MOM!" She crawled out of the bushes and toward Ryoko. "Don't leave me..!"
Ryoko stopped and turned. Yoshiko ran up to her stood, crying hysterically. "Ken... they took Ken... " She held the gun in her hands. Hands covered completely in the blood.
"Yoshiko! Are you hurt!? Oh shit! You're bleeding!" Ryoko went to check her for any injuries.
Yoshiko shook her head, "...Ken. It's Kens blood. He got hurt protecting me. They shot him and now he's gone!"
Ryoko hugged her daughter, "Shhh...shhh... it's okay sweetie. It's okay...shhh... let's go back to camp."
"Nooooooo! We gotta go after Ken!" She tried to pull away. "There was something wrong! He had marks on his face... his hair... we have to go after him!"
Ryoko stopped her and said softly, "Ken was trained to keep alive... he'll do his best. There's nothing we can do tonight. It's just too late... they'll have the advantage. Let's go back and sleep. We'll save him in the morning."
Yoshiko cried silently. Ryoko lead her daughter back to camp. Aeka and Sasami were huddled near Tenchi, talking idly. He stood up as they entered, "Oh Yoshiko! What happened?"
"Ken was shot and taken away." Ryoko said bluntly, "He was protecting Yoshiko. They know he's got Juraian in him. I don't expect him to last that long from what the reports said. We'll have to rest tonight and move quickly in the morning."
Tenchi nodded. "I agree. Let's all just get some rest." He started to put out the camp fire.
Ryoko lead Yoshiko to lay down, "... I'll keep watch tonight. We don't need anyone to ambush us."
The group settled in to sleep. There was a hush of silence over the events of the night, the only real noise coming from Yoshiko crying herself to sleep.
Ryoko stayed up. She leaned against a tree, watching the group sleep. About an hour into this, Tenchi moved from his sleeping bag to approach the on-guard Ryoko.
"You should be sleeping." She said quietly.
"We have to talk and I don't think it can wait until morning." He sat down beside her.
"I agree with that. So talk."
"... I'm as shocked as you are. She never told me. She didn't lead on to anything that her life was any different than before. I feel betrayed."
"You feel betrayed!? What the hell am I supposed to feel?" Ryoko snapped. "You slept with her!"
"I don't regret it." He looked Ryoko right in the eyes, "I never regretted anything I had done in my youth. Everything from being a fugitive in space to falling in love with you."
"So how'd it happen?"
"We weren't dating." He started, "You had ran off into space again. We were broken up at least for two months by that point. I had given up on you."
Ryoko blinked, "What?"
"Kiyone was visiting Japan. We met, had some drinks and really got to know each other. It just happened." He looked away, "She stayed at my apartment. We kissed and it was something we both really needed at the time."
"I can't believe I'm hearing you say this."
"Well you are. If it wasn't for her, I would have never given you that last chance." He snapped.
"Tenchi..."
"Yes. We did have sex. It only happened during that weekend. We also did a lot of talking. She was the one who convinced me to give you another chance. I was going to tell you to never come back. I was so fed up with all the bullshit you had put me through up till that point. I needed someone there for me as much as she needed someone to be there for her. I quite honestly don't regret it. I'll never regret it, because I married you and became a very happy man afterwards. She was happy for me. She never asked anything of me."
Ryoko said shyly, "I never knew she was the one to convince you. I thought maybe a friend from school said something." She mumbled, "I remember... the restaurant. She was there eating lunch with you and acting very friendly. I was so stupid! I should have put the clues together."
"Ryoko. I'm not going to go back and think about those times. It was a pleasant escape for me and Kiyone, but I never loved her that way. I love you."
"So, you're just going to accept the fact that she's been raising your son for the past... what, fifteen or sixteen years?"
"I am going to have to. Kiyone seems to have raised him pretty well on her own. She must have had her reasons. I'm also going to have to face the fact that he's now in as much danger as Aeka's daughter and could very well be dead before I even got to know him. Chalk that up to another relative of mine dead. Even Kiyone may be dead. How's that for being accepting to everything?" Tenchi didn't sound angry. He actually sounded very sad. He looked back over to Ryoko. "You're my wife. I love you more than anyone I have ever loved. Isn't that enough?"
Ryoko sighed, "I'm willing to accept that. I'm sorry, Tenchi. I didn't know the circumstances... I didn't even want to understand them. I was just so angry. But... I remember he responded when I called "Tenchi"... I started remembering the things he did at the house. He's got so much of you in him and he doesn't even realize it because he doesn't even know you. Sure, he's got Kiyone too, but... it's so uncanny. I didn't think about it at all until I started on watch tonight."
Tenchi moved in behind Ryoko, putting his arms around her in a gentle hug. "So you understand?"
Ryoko hugged his arms to her, stating quietly, "I think I understand more than I thought I did. Oh Tenchi... we gotta save him. I'm actually starting to miss him being around already."
"I know, Ryoko. I know. We'll find him." Tenchi settled in with Ryoko, staying with her on watch for the night.
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