I don't own Tenchi Muyo.
A Claim To The Throne
By The Great El Dober
Chapter One
Part One - Interruptions
. . .on and on and on. Is this ever going to end? This is my
day god dammit! Why do I have to stand here for three hours in this ridiculous dress?
Jurains, how can one race have so many pointless traditions? I thought Ayeka was bad but
this is . . .
Ryoko thoughts were cut off by a warm squeeze of her hand. She lets her
eyes fall down to it and follow up the arm to eventually rest on the loving smile that was
beaming from Tenchi's face.
It will be more than worth it though, she thought as her
frustrated frown melted into a tender smile, I would suffer anything to be with him.
With that thought she returned her focus to the front and desperately
tried to looked vaguely interested. With so many traditions and procedures it seemed more
like an administration session than a wedding but the thought of her reward encouraged
Ryoko to persevere with the seemingly endless ceremony.
" . . . but her kind acts of warmth and love for our people, even
respect to those who wished her harm, it has been acts like these that has won the heart
of Jurai in her favour. So on behalf of the people of Jurai, the council of advisors has
no objection to these proceedings."
The was a brief applause as the old man sat took a seat and Ryoko
crossed off one more tradition that she would have to endure. Surely there couldn't be
much more now.
"Would Lady Ryoko please approach the altar," the priest
requested in a composed voice. She reluctantly released her grip on Tenchi's hand and
steeped forward alone, however she wasn't completely unhappy. This was one tradition she
was more than happy to fulfil.
"As you understand the Royal family is a powerful institution and
as such there could be many reasons for wishing to marry into it," the priest began,
"It is for this reason that all potential additions are required to take the vow of
honesty. Do you understand this concept?"
Ryoko nodded as regally as she could but her eagerness still shone
through. She wanted to tell the whole world and now was her chance.
"It is written that in the beginning Tsunami descended to this land
and taught us many lessons," the priest continued, "She told us that our land
might rise, our land might fall, but if we lost love then we would lose all. It was a
message that love must come before power and all else. Do you swear that love is your
motive for this union?"
"I do," Ryoko swore with a proud smile gracing her lips. She
then turned and took her place at Tenchi's side once more.
"Well your majesty," the priest addressed while turning to the
Emperor who had watched over the proceedings from his throne, "We have heard the
couple commit themselves to each other, we have heard approval from various sources and we
have just heard the vow of honesty. All that remains now is your verdict."
A nervous silence fell over the church. Of all the traditions Ryoko
hated she despised this one the most. No one could enter the Royal family without the
Emperor's approval and without being royalty she would never be considered fully married.
Everything would depend on the next few words that came from his mouth.
"Ryoko Hakubi," he bellowed, projecting his voice all around
the building through a neutral expression on his face. Then for a second, just a second,
it flickered and his face showed small, brief signs of what could almost pass for a warm
smile.
" . . .welcome to the royal family of Jurai."
As he spoke those last words it was sealed. No one could ever reserve
it, she and Tenchi were officially a married couple. A rapturous chorus of applause rang
throughout the building as Tenchi drew her close.
Washu sat close by with tears of pride streaming down her cheeks. Her
daughter's dream had come true and nothing could make her happier. Mihoshi was seated by
her side. The detective cried her eyes out, exclaiming how beautiful it all was as her
grandfather put a loving arm on her shoulder to try and calm her down.
Even Ayeka wore a pleased smile. She had long since recovered from
Tenchi's choice and although it had been hard at the time she had stayed on earth and
befriended the couple. Now after five years, that painful decision had proved to be the
right one. Her pleased expression was mirrored by that of the young man who sat by her
side, a man who many thought would soon follow Ryoko in being accepted into royalty.
But for now it was all about Ryoko and Tenchi and as they stood there,
hand in hand, nothing could spoil their moment.
Or so they thought.
"Congratulations Ryoko," one voice soared above the rest,
"Well done, very well done indeed!"
Her rejoicing heart stopped dead in her chest.
No. It couldn't be. It just couldn't be. Why? Why her? Why now?
A tall man man appeared in the centre of the room. He floated in mid air
as his pale green robes fluttered below him and he looked down on the assembled guest
throwing a look of superior contempt through tiny thin glasses.
"What is the meaning of this?" Azusa screamed in fury,
"Who are you to dare disturb us?"
"I apologise for my unmannerly entrance. I am Kagato and I have
come for what is now rightfully mine . . ." he declared.
". . . access to the Tsunami unit."
Part Two - Motivations
"I will not tolerate this absurdity," Azusa bellowed in fury,
"No one outside of the Royal family is allowed access to Tsunami. For this act of . .
."
"I am well aware of that your 'majesty'," Kagato interrupted,
his voice full of mocking sarcasm, "But you see, I am a member of Royalty or at least
I own a claim to the throne."
"Impossible!" came the outraged reply, "No one receives a
claim to the throne less it is personally bestowed by my hand and I have never even seen
you before. This is nothing but an outrageous lie!"
"That is where you are mistaken," Kagato smirked, revelling in
the devious brilliance of his own plan. He would take great pride in revealing his
momentous masterplan to these incompetent fools.
"She," he continued, pointing a contemptuous finger at the
newly crowned princess, "is my property. I own Ryoko and therefore I own everything
that she is given, including her claim to the Royal throne of Jurai."
Shocked gasps rang throughout the great Royal cathedral. Was this true?
Had they just unwittingly turned over Tsunami to a complete stranger? They turned to each
other, searching for an assuring answer but finding nothing but their shock mirrored in
every other face. All except one.
In the midst of shock and panic one man was holding his sides in an
attempt to control his crippling laughter. He couldn't believe what he had just heard, how
could someone trying to act so intimidating possibly say something so stupid. It was
hilarious.
"What is so funny?" Kagato demanded, annoyed that this
simpleton was spoiling the nice subdued mood that he had forced upon the congregation.
"Oh it's nothing," the man replied, wiping tears out of his
eyes, "I just never thought a fearsome man like yourself would want to become a
princess," and with that he collapsed back into a fit of laughs, echoed by a few
others.
It was true in a way, Kagato had claimed to own Ryoko's royal title,
which was that of a princess, but Kagato didn't appreciate the man's sense of humour.
"You're a funny one, aren't you," Kagato sneered as he aimed a
gloved palm in the joker's direction.
"MOVE!" Ryoko screamed in warning but it was
to late. With the twitch of his hand Kagato obliterated the detestable annoyance from the
crowd as well as many guests who had been unfortunate enough to be seated in the
surrounding spaces.
"That's more like it," Kagato grinned as he saw the remaining
guests subdued into a horrified silence.
"Now where was I, oh yes the Jurai royal family," he continued
with complete disregard for the heinous act he had just committed, "I am so glad to
be a part of it. Such prestige and history. Coming in I even saw statues of it's many
great members, however I was upset to see that no one has built a statue of Ryoko
yet."
His lips once again form an evil grin as he snapped his fingers with a
sharp, neck cracking crispness. The crowd flinched in terror excepting another assault or
devastating attack but nothing seemed to happen.
Just as it seemed that his action had been just for show, a false alarm
to frighten them some more, Ryoko felt a numbing coldness creeping up her arm. She also
felt Tenchi's hand shoot away from hers in alarm. What was happening?
She looked down in horror to see her hand, no longer flesh and blood,
slowly setting into stone. As painful memories swarmed back into her mind she instantly
knew that this was Kagato's doing and how it could be undone.
"Get them off!" she screamed in panic as she desperately tried
to remove her gems, the tool Kagato used to control her, but it was too late. Her wrist
had contained on off her gems and that was already completely solidified as rock. It was
hopeless, there nothing she could do. She just collapsed to her knees and sobbed
frightened tears as the stone-set continued to spread across her body like a virus.
Tenchi walked slowly up to his fallen bride and put a tender arm around
her frozen shoulder. She looked up at him with pebble tears falling from her face.
"It will be okay," he promised her as he lovingly caressed her smooth, cold
cheek.
He still loved her. Despite all that was happening, despite bringing
such trouble upon him, despite the fact she was turning to stone, despite all of this he
still cared, he was still putting her first. That knowledge brought warmth to her heart
and pacified the demons that stormed through her mind. She smiled a sweet, grateful smile
for his kindness.
A tear dropped from Tenchi's eye as that sweet smile was fixed on
Ryoko's face. She lay heavy and motionless on the floor. Her young tender skin was now
dead and firm while her vivid golden eyes, once full of summer's life, were now lifeless
and vacant.
His love.
His bride.
His wife.
His Angel.
Ryoko.
Gone.
Part three - Ultimatums
"There much better," Kagato laughed in the face of the
traumatised groom, "now Jurai has its very own statue of Ryoko. It's quite lifelike
wouldn't you say."
"I'm sorry Tenchi," Washu apologised as she stooped over her
daughter's comatose form, "I can't turn her back to normal. It's different from
before, I don't know how to reverse it."
"Oh don't worry," Kagato insolently barged in, "I will
turn her back for you. I will fulfil your wish if you play your part in fulfilling
mine."
"What do you want you bastard?" Tenchi demanded, his voice a
lethal whisper that was laden with pure hate and anger. He had been insulted, punished,
mocked and hurt before but nothing had ever infuriated him as much as this. This was
supposed to be the happiest day of his life.
"I don't expect you to just hand over Tsunami," Kagato began,
"I don't except you to trade either so here is my proposal. A duel between me and
crown prince Tenchi for control of Tsunami."
"Preposterous!" Azusa bellowed, "Jurai will never allow
the royal treeship to fall into the soiled hands of scum like you."
The crowd seemed to calm slightly and take assurance in their Emperor's
unwavering boldness. Enveloped in such a daunting dilemma his strength of character made
him seem every bit the courageous leader that he portrayed himself as. However Kagato
seemed unaffected by these words and kept his sights locked on the young prince. This was
between him and Tenchi, this was personal.
"What of Ryoko?" Tenchi asked, noticing that Kagato had left
her out of his 'proposal', "What happens to her if we fight."
"Think of her as your deposit," Kagato explained, "All
you have to do is turn up and you will get your deposit back, I will change her back to
normal. However if you fail to show then you lose your deposit and you can spent the rest
of your married life sleeping with a stone statue."
Tenchi's fury stoked up, as he quite clearly understood what his
adversary had meant to imply by 'sleeping'. How could he? How could that bastard say
something like that at a time like this?
"Then after that is taken care of we will commence our duel,"
Kagato continued, "If you win then your life returns to normal and you can go escape
off on your promiscuous honeymoon. If you lose then you'll be dead and what follows will
be of little consequence to you. Do you accept?"
Tenchi's heart and conscience met in a bitter argument over what he
should do. His heart yearned for Ryoko with a mourning hunger for her return. It was his
only desire and part of him told his mind to forget the consequences, to hell with the
others, this time his wants should come first.
But his conscience reluctantly reminded him otherwise. Could he really
be so callous and reckless as to risk millions of lives, to risk everything all for his
selfish desires? Could he betray the trust that an entire planet had placed in him? Could
he?
"You know that I can't accept," Tenchi answered remorsefully
with his head hung, heavy with grief, "but I beg of you, just return Ryoko to me. I
need her."
"Poor pathetic child," Kagato scorned as he shook his head
disapprovingly from his elevated viewpoint. "I had really expected more from you
Tenchi. Are you really going to abandon Ryoko? I thought you were meant to love her."
"I do love her!" Tenchi shouted, proclaiming his truth and
venting his rage at the same time, "You have no right to say that, you know nothing
about me Ryoko, you couldn't even begin to understand!"
"Is that so?" Kagato asked, his lips once again forming a
sneering grin that threatened worse yet to come.
"Have you forgotten that I can read Ryoko's thoughts?" he
asked, "I guess then you might have also forgotten all of the promises you made to
her. The time you promised to love her and put her interests before all else. The time you
promised to offer her protection and support her no matter how your future turned out. Did
you even forget the time that she awoke from nightmares of me and you comforted her, you
promised her that I would never hurt her again, you promised to keep her safe from
me."
Tenchi felt a disgraceful shame wash over him and destroy the
self-righteousness he had awarded himself making a selfless sacrifice. It was easy for him
to 'do the right thing' and live with a wounded heart but a clear conscience, the only
reason he hadn't given in to temptation was because it was the harder option.
"Tell me Tenchi, are you going to break your word and abandon your
bride? Is that really going to be your first act as a husband?"
"No," Tenchi responded firmly as a chorus of stunned shock
circled around the cathedral walls, "I accept your challenge."
End of Chapter One
Note - Should I continue or is this too clichéd and overdone to be
interesting. I would finish it but there is little point even considering it if no one is
interested.
