*****
RAYANI: Are you sure we NEED this chapter?
MAGARU: Yes, we need it, just to explain some things, so shut up!
RAYANI: All right, fine. Oh, and for all you ignorant readers...
MAGARU: ...we don't own Tenchi and the others, they're owned by Pioneer and
AIC. Yup. Okay.
*****
Chapter Twelve: Lovers' Separation
Jakato was so happy. Magaru was pregnant, and he was looking forward to their first child. It annoyed Magaru, or, at the very least, made her slightly uncomfortable to watch Jakato running around Soujo ecstatically. They still hadn't a clue if it was a boy or a girl, but it didn't really matter which since they'd be happy either way.
Magaru had suggested sending word to Kagato and the others on Earth, and, after her earnest pleading, Jakato allowed it. They didn't send a hologram since they wanted it to be more of a surprise, so they just sent a normal text message. Jakato expected them to be happy, but didn't really expect a warm response from his father.
*****
Washu peered at her computer curiously. A message alert was blinking on the screen, from Soujo. She wasn't going to read it just yet, but Kagato noticed and immediately began berating her to open the message. "Professor, open it. It's from my son, isn't it?" Kagato said, nudging Washu out of the way and making a motion to open the message. Washu hit him over the head with a fan.
"Ah, shut up," Washu muttered, shoving Kagato away and opening the message herself. She smiled and read the message aloud to Kagato even though he was reading it from over her shoulder.
"To the Masaki household: Hi everyone. We hope that you're all well. We have to tell you. This will be the best news you've ever heard in a long time. We're going to have a baby! Hope you're all okay over there on Earth. Sorry we can't come to Earth right now. We're busy renovating Soujo and it might be dangerous to do it near Earth. We're hoping this baby will be a boy. Jaa, ato de.
From the Kuzumas"
Washu clapped her hands gleefully. "How cute!" she exclaimed. She threw an expectant look at Kagato, but he went strangely rigid. Washu waved a hand in his face, but he didn't respond to it. "Hello?" Kagato didn't answer. Washu sighed and walked away. "Oh well. Old men these days..."
*****
Jakato and Magaru were pleased to find they had nearly everyone's support, except for Kagato, who seemed to not have responded at all. Magaru wasn't very happy with this, since she expected more of a response from her father- in-law. "Stupid old man," Magaru retorted angrily. Jakato laughed and grinned.
"It's a good thing Rayani isn't here, or she'd have blown you up by now," Jakato chuckled. Magaru shrugged and smiled mischievously.
"So what? She's an old woman, so she and Kagato go well together." Magaru began snickering as Jakato laughed again.
"Oh well. She doesn't LOOK like an old woman. She looks like she's as young as Ryoko...no, wait, I mean, Tenchi...no, that's not right...well, she doesn't look old, just like Washu and Father," Jakato explained, scratching his head in slight confusion. Magaru grinned.
"She's an old woman to me. But I am still so young..." Magaru said slyly. "...so why don't you join me in our quarters, Jake..." Jakato sighed joyfully and followed Magaru out of the laboratory, as if in a trance.
*****
Sasami glanced over Washu's shoulder at Kagato. He was sitting on a floating pillow in front of a holo-computer, just staring at the screen, or so it seemed. "Washu, what's Kagato doing?" Sasami asked curiously. Washu laughed and threw an annoyed look at Kagato.
"He's been reading that message over and over again. I don't know what's wrong with him."
Kagato would not, could not bring himself to believe that Magaru was going to have a baby. "How can she be pregnant? I'm too young to have grandchild," Kagato muttered, mesmerized by the taunting message. He hit himself in the face. "But I'm over 5,000 years old, so..." Kagato hit himself again. "But I'm not THAT old..." It was maddening to fight the two perspectives in his mind. Washu walked over and hit him over the head with a fan, but nothing happened so she shrugged and left.
*****
Seven months later
Magaru sat eating her salad happily. Jakato sat with her, smiling and drinking a cup of tea. "Jake, I know you know if our baby is going to be a girl or a boy," Magaru said suddenly. Jakato nodded and grinned.
"Of course I know." Magaru nudged him playfully.
"Then why won't you tell me?" she asked, laughing and nearly pushing her bowl of salad to the floor. Jakato chuckled in amusement and nodded.
"All right, I'll tell you. It's going to be a girl." Magaru looked out at the stars thoughtfully.
"A girl...what should we name her?" Magaru wondered aloud. Jakato smiled and pat her arm.
"We can worry about that later. You finish your salad."
*****
Rayani wandered about Washu's lab listlessly. It was raining outside, so she didn't really feel like training. She had hit herself because of that thought, but Rayani decided that she should have a break every few months. Kagato was nowhere to be found, and everyone else was in the onsen, save for Sasami, who was cooking lunch. Rayani didn't really enjoy being in the onsen while everyone was there, so she rarely joined the others.
After a few hours of wandering, Rayani found herself in the kitchen. "Sasami, have you seen Kagato anywhere?" she asked, her voice flat with boredom. "He's been gone since morning." Sasami turned from her pot and smiled.
"Sorry, I haven't. Can you ask everyone to get out of the onsen and come in?" Sasami said, turning back to her pot. "Lunch is almost ready." Rayani smiled and headed for the door.
"All right." She marveled at how much Sasami had grown. Washu had told her sometime a few days ago that Sasami was about to merge with Tsunami soon. Kenny, of course, had grown, too. His appearance is that of his father's when Tenchi was still that young, except for the golden eyes and a thin streak of blue that had appeared in his hair.
*****
Jakato helped Magaru sit down on the couch in their quarters. "You should rest now, Maggie," Jakato said, sitting down next to her and picking up a book he got from Earth. Magaru laughed and rested her head on his shoulder as he opened his book.
"You really enjoy reading that manga, don't you? It's been nearly a year since Kenny gave it to you and you're still reading it?" Magaru asked, glancing at the neat pages. Jakato grinned and nodded, turning slightly pink.
Magaru shrieked when a ball of green light hurtled from the shadows and exploded between Jakato and Magaru. Magaru was thrown to the side as a streak of green slashed downwards in front of her. She yelled in pain as something sharp gashed her shoulder.
Jakato gasped and found his father standing over Magaru as the dust cleared. Kagato's green sword was out and he had a spiteful look on his face. Jakato roared in rage and attempted attacking his father and failed when he found that punching him in the face had no effect whatsoever. "Father, what are you doing?" bellowed Jakato, groping about under the couch cushions and pulling his sword hilt out. Kagato laughed and extracted a small knife out of his robes. His son was about to produce his sword from the hilt, but Kagato held the knife up.
"I have a very powerful poison on this knife. One little cut is all it takes to kill her," Kagato said, pointing at Magaru with the knife. Jakato stopped dead. He couldn't attack his father or he'd kill his wife, and yet he knew if he didn't attack, he'd kill Magaru anyways. Kagato laughed cruelly. "Say goodbye to your dear Magaru."
Jakato yelled as Kagato brought the knife down. Magaru shrieked and closed her eyes, unable to move. She gasped when she opened her eyes. The knife was quivering at her throat, and Kagato had a pained look of indecisiveness on his face. Jakato sighed in relief and produced his sword. There was a tense silence.
"Father, leave her alone!" Jakato yelled sharply. Kagato, startled, overbalanced and tried pulling the knife out of the way, but bit his lip when the knife nicked Magaru's neck. Kagato got up and backed away, staring at his knife.
"No..." He glanced from Jakato to Magaru and teleported away, his eyes glistening.
Jakato stared for a moment, then realized that Magaru's neck was bleeding. "Oh no!" he sputtered, falling to his knees and cradling Magaru's head. "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Magaru smiled weakly.
"I guess Kagato was right...just a little cut and I die." Jakato felt tears running down his cheeks, but he made no move to wipe them away. He stroked her forehead fondly, silently cursing the fate that befell them both.
"No, you'll be okay. I'll have an antidote ready, don't worry." Magaru shook her head.
"Antidote? You don't even know what kind of poison it was. Please, Jake, don't worry about me. Save our baby...all you have to do is cut me open, right?" Magaru said, feeling the searing pain spreading through her body. Jakato shook his head.
"No, you'll be okay. Stop talking like that--I'm going to have an antidote ready, all right?" Jakato sobbed, shaking his head in denial. Magaru smiled peacefully and placed her hand on Jakato's leg.
"I love...you..." Jakato yelled and fell forward, sobbing into Magaru's limp shoulders.
"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"
*****
Washu glanced nervously at Kagato. He had been sitting in front of one of her now-disused machines, staring at a knife for at least a day. She was wondering what was going on in his mind, why he was staring. It was odd for him to do that for a full day--he rarely did anything as mind numbing as that for even an hour.
Rayani settled at the foot of a tree, closing her eyes peacefully. It was nice to rest in the late afternoon after training from dawn to four with no breakfast or lunch. She laughed suddenly. "Jake, why is that knifepoint over my chest?" Rayani asked without opening her eyes. She felt the sharp point touch her chest, just over her heart.
"How did you know it was me?" Jakato asked gruffly. Rayani laughed and snapped the knife between her fingers as she opened her eyes.
"Well, I know the sound of your robe anywhere, and I can feel your hand shaking while you're holding that knife." She watched Jakato staring at the two pieces of his knife blankly. Jakato shook his head, escaping his ensnaring trance and glaring at Rayani angrily.
"I'm going to kill you." Rayani grinned and shrugged.
"I'm used to death threats. What for?" she asked, leaning back against the tree trunk and closing her eyes again.
"Because my father killed Magaru," Jakato said, his voice calm but dripping with fury. Rayani opened her eyes abruptly.
"He did what?" Rayani asked sharply. Jakato nodded.
"My father killed Magaru." Jakato watched Rayani stare at him in disbelief.
"I--I can't believe it. He did?"
"Yes, and you'll be dying too." Rayani shrugged again, smiling.
"Really? How do you know I'm going to die if you have no weapon to kill me with?" she asked, cocking her head as her eyes began twinkling excitedly. Rayani grinned. "I don't need to die, though. I think once is good for now." Jakato pulled his sword out of his pocket and produced it, placing it at Rayani's throat. Undaunted, Rayani smiled.
"I think you need to. This time, you'll stay dead!" Jakato yelled and pushed his sword down and found that he only got the tree trunk. Rayani was standing a few meters away, any trace of a smile absent from her face.
"You're going to become evil to get revenge? Going to kill someone while they're helpless and unknowing?" Rayani scowled angrily. "Go ahead. Kill me if you can."
Jakato accepted the challenged readily. He lunged, but found that he was being pushed back by a strong wind that seemed to be coming from Rayani herself. "How are you doing that?" he growled. "Did Father give YOU a micromachine, too?" Strangely, Rayani felt herself become furious at that remark, she felt herself losing control of her anger. She produced her sword as Jakato went flying into a tree.
"How dare you insult me like that? I actually worked hard to be able to use my energy like this!" Rayani roared, allowing her sword to fade away as she began glowing green. Jakato wrenched himself from the tree and looked about frantically. Rayani blasted him lightly, but, nonetheless, Jakato went flying backwards into a tree.
He glared at her as she floated up to him. "Why did you hold back?" Jakato snarled. "Giving me another chance to kill you?" Rayani shook her head sadly.
"Why do you want to kill me? I didn't do anything to you...or at least I hope I didn't." Jakato snorted angrily, struggling to extract himself from the splintered remains of the tree.
"I will kill you because you are the wife of my father, and he killed Magaru!" Jakato roared. Rayani glared at him in rage as she slapped him in the face.
"Don't you think you've made your point?" Rayani yelled, losing her temper-- something she rarely did. "Know what? Kagato was going to stab himself with his poisoned knife! How about that, huh?" Rayani turned around in fury. "I had to stop him, and just in time, too. You're lucky; you would've lost your father, too." Rayani clenched her fist and walked away, her tail twitching in aggravation. She stopped and looked over her shoulder. "I know you still love him, even though he did what he did."
Kagato meandered across the bridge aimlessly, his mind racing. He hardly noticed Rayani waving at him cheerfully, but he felt his thoughts flee when Rayani crashed into him, laughing. "Wha--?" Kagato muttered absentmindedly. Kagato smiled as Rayani pulled him upright. "What are you doing out here?" Rayani giggled in amusement.
"I practically LIVE out here. What's wrong with you?" she asked, patting Kagato's shoulder. He snapped out of his interlude and smiled again. "I was wondering...what were you--" Rayani grunted in pain when she felt something sharp drive into her back. "What was that?" Kagato spun her around and looked about in confusion when he saw a glint of metal stuck in her back.
"It's some metal." Kagato tried prying the piece of metal out, but stopped when he found his gloves getting bloody and slippery. He looked up and scowled angrily when he saw Jakato, bruised and poised to throw the other half of his knife. "Did you throw that?"
"Father," Jakato asked suddenly, "why did you do that to Magaru? Why?" Kagato allowed Rayani to turn around, but he put a protective arm around her.
"That is in the past. What I would like to know is what you are going to do with that knife." Jakato laughed but didn't lower the knife.
"I'm going to kill Rayani with it. I missed last time, but I won't this time." Kagato pulled a familiar looking knife out of his robes and threw it. The knifepoint stuck into the wood, quivering, at Jakato's feet.
"There. That's the knife I accidentally cut Magaru with. Destroy it, keep it, do whatever you will. We'll be in the lab," Kagato growled, pulling Rayani back as she began walking over to Jakato and teleporting the two of them away.
Jakato dropped his half-knife and fell to his knees. He didn't know what to do.
*****
"Rayani, stop squirming," Washu groaned in despair as Rayani began moving about again. "I still need to get that piece of metal out. You're lucky it didn't hit anything important." Rayani laughed.
"I'd disgrace my name if I died from that," Rayani laughed, wincing as Washu pulled the half of the knife out. Rayani tapped something into Washu's holo-computer and smiled as a black hole opened. She caught the long bandage, the antiseptic, and cotton balls as they fell out. "I can handle it, Washu."
"I'll do it. You can't see your back," Washu said, pulling Rayani back over to her table and grinning mischievously. "And while I'm at it, I can run a few experiments, too." Kagato walked over and picked Rayani up, deaf to her loud protests.
"Why don't I do it?" he interrupted as he carried Rayani away. Kagato looked over his shoulder, smiling with a touch of mischief. "Professor, if you handle it, she's going to need a healing tank later."
Washu giggled as she watched Rayani pull herself from Kagato's arms. "Washu," a voice groaned from the shadows. Washu jumped in alarm and looked about.
"Who's there?" Washu asked sharply. She grinned and gave Jakato a curious look as he walked from the shadows carrying Magaru. Washu eyed him suspiciously. "What's wrong?" Jakato sighed.
"Everything." Washu cocked her head quizzically.
"Everything? How?" Jakato sighed again.
"Magaru is dead. I don't know what to do now," he replied soberly, running his sturdy fingers through his hair. This didn't seem to surprise Washu much.
"Let me see if I can revive her." Washu gave Jakato a supportive smile and began attaching wires to Magaru. "Hmm..." she muttered as she typed on her computer. "Hand me those rods." Jakato looked about, perplexed.
"What rods?" he asked, confused. Two rods with rubber grips fell out of a black hole and dropped onto his head. Washu laughed.
"Those rods." Jakato rubbed his head and gave the genius the rods. Washu attached them to a few wires and connected the wires to a machine that seemed to just appear out of nowhere. Washu glanced at Jakato worriedly and jerked her head towards the door, which had just appeared. "You'd better go wait in the living room." Jakato nodded and opened the door, his mind oddly empty, just as his heart felt.
*****
Ryoko, ironically, was enraged by Magaru's death. She was offering to go and kill Kagato, but Jakato refused. Rayani was right--he did love his father, even after his little escapade on Soujo. This generally saddened Tenchi, Sasami, Kenny, and Ayeka, but Mihoshi just broke down and began crying. Kiyone didn't make any move whatsoever to stop her dithering partner--she rather felt that they should be mourning anyhow. Rayani wasn't angry with Jakato anymore, and any trace of anger was gone. In fact, she had begun to talk with him cheerfully as if nothing had happened outside.
It felt like days before Washu finally showed up at the door of her lab. Jakato leapt up from the couch as if his seat was electrocuted. Washu's face was unsmiling and it seemed to make Jakato feel as if the world as he knew it was going to come to an end. "Jake..." Washu began slowly and somberly. "I'm sorry. I can't bring her back."
Jakato collapsed onto the couch as his legs suddenly seemed to go limp. "I-- I don't believe this. I can't," he sputtered, shaking his head. Everyone was silent--they knew how much Magaru meant to Jakato. Rayani, who was floating in the air eating a cracker, choked and fell to the floor with a distinct thud. Ryoko saw Kagato clench his fist over his teacup, crushing it and staining his glove with tea.
Ayeka sat down next to Jakato and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. "Go ahead. You've nothing to fear--just let it out," Ayeka whispered as Jakato openly struggled to control his tears. After a moment, he abruptly jerked his head up and glared at his father. "Father, kill me!" Kagato looked up in disbelief and was momentarily speechless.
"Did I hear you correctly? You want me to kill you?" Kagato asked quietly. He shook his head. "I will not." Jakato yelled and snatched his sword hilt from his pocket, hurling it and hitting Kagato squarely on his forehead.
"Do it!" he howled. Kagato sneered in rage as he nearly snapped the sword hilt in two.
"You are asking me to kill you? I will not." Kagato turned away furiously. "You should consider yourself lucky. Magaru is Juraian. Princess Sasami is fully merged with that cursed Tsunami and can bring her back with no worries. You are FORTUNATE to have Tsunami on your side." With a last resentful glare, Kagato stormed outside, slamming the door behind him. Ayeka nodded.
"Yes, Sasami is Tsunami, or Tsunami is Sasami." Sasami turned pink and smiled. "She can do it, if she allows it." Jakato looked up, tears rolling down his cheeks.
"Magaru is not part of the Royal Family," he said, wiping his tears on a handkerchief. Tenchi gave Ayeka a hopeful glance.
"Sasami can do it, right?" Tenchi asked, taking a few steps forward. Sasami nodded slowly. Jakato shook his head resolutely.
"It doesn't seem right to use Tsunami's powers like this." Ryoko was about to say something, but Rayani beat her to it.
"You're turning away from your chance!" Rayani growled. She glared into his glistening, gray eyes. "I'm lucky to be alive now! I'm LUCKY! SHE HAS THE CHANCE THAT I WILL NEVER HAVE! WHY WON'T YOU TAKE IT?" She swept over to the lab door in rage, but stopped and looked at Jakato sadly. "I thought you loved her," Rayani said quietly before slipping into the lab. Sasami smiled and took a seat next to Ayeka.
"Yes, Jake. It's no problem at all." Ryoko snorted and folded her arms across her chest contemptuously. Jakato sighed and gave in--he couldn't deny the fact that he wanted Magaru again.
"Okay." Washu grinned.
"Right after dinner! How's that sound, Sasami?"
*****
Sasami stood peacefully in Washu's lab, next to Magaru's body and Jakato. She began whispering indecipherable words that not even Washu seemed to understand. Kenny gaped in awe as Sasami's clothes dissolved into Tsunami's, or rather, her own robe. The air around Sasami began to shimmer, seemingly radiating peace and tranquility. Suddenly, she disappeared, along with Magaru. Jakato squeaked, feeling panic slowly beginning to manifest in his chest. "Where--where'd they go?" he asked, his voice sharp and nearly frantic. Ayeka rubbed his shoulder gently.
"Don't worry. You'll see Magaru soon," the princess said comfortingly. Tenchi smiled and nodded, trying to calm Jakato as signs of panic began to overtake him. Ryoko shrugged and teleported away, mumbling about having a snack of some sort. Kenny and Mihoshi, too, seemed to start panicking, but a look from Kiyone stopped them both. Washu laughed, trying to break the silence.
"Why don't you all go into the living room? Sasami should be back soon," Washu suggested, slowly herding the group towards the door that had just appeared. Jakato stood back, shaking his head.
"I want to stay here and wait." Washu gave him an innocent grin and pushed him out the door.
"You wait out there!"
*****
Nearly half an hour passed. Washu threw Kagato out of the lab for playing his organ during her experiment, so he just joined the others while they watched one of those odd soap operas. Rayani got up and left to take a bath as soon as the romance started, and after a while, Kagato left also. Jakato couldn't take the tension, so he decided that he'd take a bath in the onsen, since Washu had said that it might be a few hours before Sasami arrived.
When Jakato entered the onsen, he began laughing at once at the sight he was fortunate enough to see. Rayani was clutching her towel and hiding behind a tree from Kagato, who looked rather confused. "Why do you always sneak up on me when I'm taking a bath?" Rayani asked nervously, her voice high and panicky. Jakato laughed and went over to a more private part of the onsen. He smiled in satisfaction as he heard an explosion.
Suddenly, he saw someone, that special woman, staring at him from the edge of the water. She was smiling calmly, just as she was before she became pregnant. "Hi, Jake." Jakato couldn't contain his joy. He yelled happily and practically leapt out of the water.
"Maggie!" he exclaimed, taking hold of Magaru with his strong hands and pulling her into the warm water. She made no move to resist and laughed as she toppled in.
Magaru emerged from the water, her eyes wide and shimmering, and allowed her hand to wander over Jakato's chest. He smiled in ecstasy and pulled her closer, giving her a kiss in the same swift movement. Magaru moaned and attempted to say something, but Jakato's lips muffled her words. She wrapped her arms around him and gave in completely.
Rayani and Kagato peered over the dais curiously. "She's back," whispered Rayani, almost unable to resist a giggle. "I'm glad that Jake is happy again." Kagato nodded.
"Yes," Kagato replied, keeping his voice down to a low murmur. He gave Rayani a sidelong glance and smiled. "Why don't you keep me happy?"
Jakato watched his father crash into the main pool of the onsen as he broke away from Magaru. Rayani looked at her fist in confusion and glanced at them. She turned red and sidled away, giggling. Magaru sighed. "I guess she ISN'T as simple-minded as I thought she was." She shrugged and turned back to Jakato. "I thought I was going to have to wait over a thousand years to see you again." Jakato gave her a hug as he wiped Magaru's damp hair out of her eyes.
"I thought so, too."
*****
Chapter Twelve: Lovers' Separation
Jakato was so happy. Magaru was pregnant, and he was looking forward to their first child. It annoyed Magaru, or, at the very least, made her slightly uncomfortable to watch Jakato running around Soujo ecstatically. They still hadn't a clue if it was a boy or a girl, but it didn't really matter which since they'd be happy either way.
Magaru had suggested sending word to Kagato and the others on Earth, and, after her earnest pleading, Jakato allowed it. They didn't send a hologram since they wanted it to be more of a surprise, so they just sent a normal text message. Jakato expected them to be happy, but didn't really expect a warm response from his father.
*****
Washu peered at her computer curiously. A message alert was blinking on the screen, from Soujo. She wasn't going to read it just yet, but Kagato noticed and immediately began berating her to open the message. "Professor, open it. It's from my son, isn't it?" Kagato said, nudging Washu out of the way and making a motion to open the message. Washu hit him over the head with a fan.
"Ah, shut up," Washu muttered, shoving Kagato away and opening the message herself. She smiled and read the message aloud to Kagato even though he was reading it from over her shoulder.
"To the Masaki household: Hi everyone. We hope that you're all well. We have to tell you. This will be the best news you've ever heard in a long time. We're going to have a baby! Hope you're all okay over there on Earth. Sorry we can't come to Earth right now. We're busy renovating Soujo and it might be dangerous to do it near Earth. We're hoping this baby will be a boy. Jaa, ato de.
From the Kuzumas"
Washu clapped her hands gleefully. "How cute!" she exclaimed. She threw an expectant look at Kagato, but he went strangely rigid. Washu waved a hand in his face, but he didn't respond to it. "Hello?" Kagato didn't answer. Washu sighed and walked away. "Oh well. Old men these days..."
*****
Jakato and Magaru were pleased to find they had nearly everyone's support, except for Kagato, who seemed to not have responded at all. Magaru wasn't very happy with this, since she expected more of a response from her father- in-law. "Stupid old man," Magaru retorted angrily. Jakato laughed and grinned.
"It's a good thing Rayani isn't here, or she'd have blown you up by now," Jakato chuckled. Magaru shrugged and smiled mischievously.
"So what? She's an old woman, so she and Kagato go well together." Magaru began snickering as Jakato laughed again.
"Oh well. She doesn't LOOK like an old woman. She looks like she's as young as Ryoko...no, wait, I mean, Tenchi...no, that's not right...well, she doesn't look old, just like Washu and Father," Jakato explained, scratching his head in slight confusion. Magaru grinned.
"She's an old woman to me. But I am still so young..." Magaru said slyly. "...so why don't you join me in our quarters, Jake..." Jakato sighed joyfully and followed Magaru out of the laboratory, as if in a trance.
*****
Sasami glanced over Washu's shoulder at Kagato. He was sitting on a floating pillow in front of a holo-computer, just staring at the screen, or so it seemed. "Washu, what's Kagato doing?" Sasami asked curiously. Washu laughed and threw an annoyed look at Kagato.
"He's been reading that message over and over again. I don't know what's wrong with him."
Kagato would not, could not bring himself to believe that Magaru was going to have a baby. "How can she be pregnant? I'm too young to have grandchild," Kagato muttered, mesmerized by the taunting message. He hit himself in the face. "But I'm over 5,000 years old, so..." Kagato hit himself again. "But I'm not THAT old..." It was maddening to fight the two perspectives in his mind. Washu walked over and hit him over the head with a fan, but nothing happened so she shrugged and left.
*****
Seven months later
Magaru sat eating her salad happily. Jakato sat with her, smiling and drinking a cup of tea. "Jake, I know you know if our baby is going to be a girl or a boy," Magaru said suddenly. Jakato nodded and grinned.
"Of course I know." Magaru nudged him playfully.
"Then why won't you tell me?" she asked, laughing and nearly pushing her bowl of salad to the floor. Jakato chuckled in amusement and nodded.
"All right, I'll tell you. It's going to be a girl." Magaru looked out at the stars thoughtfully.
"A girl...what should we name her?" Magaru wondered aloud. Jakato smiled and pat her arm.
"We can worry about that later. You finish your salad."
*****
Rayani wandered about Washu's lab listlessly. It was raining outside, so she didn't really feel like training. She had hit herself because of that thought, but Rayani decided that she should have a break every few months. Kagato was nowhere to be found, and everyone else was in the onsen, save for Sasami, who was cooking lunch. Rayani didn't really enjoy being in the onsen while everyone was there, so she rarely joined the others.
After a few hours of wandering, Rayani found herself in the kitchen. "Sasami, have you seen Kagato anywhere?" she asked, her voice flat with boredom. "He's been gone since morning." Sasami turned from her pot and smiled.
"Sorry, I haven't. Can you ask everyone to get out of the onsen and come in?" Sasami said, turning back to her pot. "Lunch is almost ready." Rayani smiled and headed for the door.
"All right." She marveled at how much Sasami had grown. Washu had told her sometime a few days ago that Sasami was about to merge with Tsunami soon. Kenny, of course, had grown, too. His appearance is that of his father's when Tenchi was still that young, except for the golden eyes and a thin streak of blue that had appeared in his hair.
*****
Jakato helped Magaru sit down on the couch in their quarters. "You should rest now, Maggie," Jakato said, sitting down next to her and picking up a book he got from Earth. Magaru laughed and rested her head on his shoulder as he opened his book.
"You really enjoy reading that manga, don't you? It's been nearly a year since Kenny gave it to you and you're still reading it?" Magaru asked, glancing at the neat pages. Jakato grinned and nodded, turning slightly pink.
Magaru shrieked when a ball of green light hurtled from the shadows and exploded between Jakato and Magaru. Magaru was thrown to the side as a streak of green slashed downwards in front of her. She yelled in pain as something sharp gashed her shoulder.
Jakato gasped and found his father standing over Magaru as the dust cleared. Kagato's green sword was out and he had a spiteful look on his face. Jakato roared in rage and attempted attacking his father and failed when he found that punching him in the face had no effect whatsoever. "Father, what are you doing?" bellowed Jakato, groping about under the couch cushions and pulling his sword hilt out. Kagato laughed and extracted a small knife out of his robes. His son was about to produce his sword from the hilt, but Kagato held the knife up.
"I have a very powerful poison on this knife. One little cut is all it takes to kill her," Kagato said, pointing at Magaru with the knife. Jakato stopped dead. He couldn't attack his father or he'd kill his wife, and yet he knew if he didn't attack, he'd kill Magaru anyways. Kagato laughed cruelly. "Say goodbye to your dear Magaru."
Jakato yelled as Kagato brought the knife down. Magaru shrieked and closed her eyes, unable to move. She gasped when she opened her eyes. The knife was quivering at her throat, and Kagato had a pained look of indecisiveness on his face. Jakato sighed in relief and produced his sword. There was a tense silence.
"Father, leave her alone!" Jakato yelled sharply. Kagato, startled, overbalanced and tried pulling the knife out of the way, but bit his lip when the knife nicked Magaru's neck. Kagato got up and backed away, staring at his knife.
"No..." He glanced from Jakato to Magaru and teleported away, his eyes glistening.
Jakato stared for a moment, then realized that Magaru's neck was bleeding. "Oh no!" he sputtered, falling to his knees and cradling Magaru's head. "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Magaru smiled weakly.
"I guess Kagato was right...just a little cut and I die." Jakato felt tears running down his cheeks, but he made no move to wipe them away. He stroked her forehead fondly, silently cursing the fate that befell them both.
"No, you'll be okay. I'll have an antidote ready, don't worry." Magaru shook her head.
"Antidote? You don't even know what kind of poison it was. Please, Jake, don't worry about me. Save our baby...all you have to do is cut me open, right?" Magaru said, feeling the searing pain spreading through her body. Jakato shook his head.
"No, you'll be okay. Stop talking like that--I'm going to have an antidote ready, all right?" Jakato sobbed, shaking his head in denial. Magaru smiled peacefully and placed her hand on Jakato's leg.
"I love...you..." Jakato yelled and fell forward, sobbing into Magaru's limp shoulders.
"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"
*****
Washu glanced nervously at Kagato. He had been sitting in front of one of her now-disused machines, staring at a knife for at least a day. She was wondering what was going on in his mind, why he was staring. It was odd for him to do that for a full day--he rarely did anything as mind numbing as that for even an hour.
Rayani settled at the foot of a tree, closing her eyes peacefully. It was nice to rest in the late afternoon after training from dawn to four with no breakfast or lunch. She laughed suddenly. "Jake, why is that knifepoint over my chest?" Rayani asked without opening her eyes. She felt the sharp point touch her chest, just over her heart.
"How did you know it was me?" Jakato asked gruffly. Rayani laughed and snapped the knife between her fingers as she opened her eyes.
"Well, I know the sound of your robe anywhere, and I can feel your hand shaking while you're holding that knife." She watched Jakato staring at the two pieces of his knife blankly. Jakato shook his head, escaping his ensnaring trance and glaring at Rayani angrily.
"I'm going to kill you." Rayani grinned and shrugged.
"I'm used to death threats. What for?" she asked, leaning back against the tree trunk and closing her eyes again.
"Because my father killed Magaru," Jakato said, his voice calm but dripping with fury. Rayani opened her eyes abruptly.
"He did what?" Rayani asked sharply. Jakato nodded.
"My father killed Magaru." Jakato watched Rayani stare at him in disbelief.
"I--I can't believe it. He did?"
"Yes, and you'll be dying too." Rayani shrugged again, smiling.
"Really? How do you know I'm going to die if you have no weapon to kill me with?" she asked, cocking her head as her eyes began twinkling excitedly. Rayani grinned. "I don't need to die, though. I think once is good for now." Jakato pulled his sword out of his pocket and produced it, placing it at Rayani's throat. Undaunted, Rayani smiled.
"I think you need to. This time, you'll stay dead!" Jakato yelled and pushed his sword down and found that he only got the tree trunk. Rayani was standing a few meters away, any trace of a smile absent from her face.
"You're going to become evil to get revenge? Going to kill someone while they're helpless and unknowing?" Rayani scowled angrily. "Go ahead. Kill me if you can."
Jakato accepted the challenged readily. He lunged, but found that he was being pushed back by a strong wind that seemed to be coming from Rayani herself. "How are you doing that?" he growled. "Did Father give YOU a micromachine, too?" Strangely, Rayani felt herself become furious at that remark, she felt herself losing control of her anger. She produced her sword as Jakato went flying into a tree.
"How dare you insult me like that? I actually worked hard to be able to use my energy like this!" Rayani roared, allowing her sword to fade away as she began glowing green. Jakato wrenched himself from the tree and looked about frantically. Rayani blasted him lightly, but, nonetheless, Jakato went flying backwards into a tree.
He glared at her as she floated up to him. "Why did you hold back?" Jakato snarled. "Giving me another chance to kill you?" Rayani shook her head sadly.
"Why do you want to kill me? I didn't do anything to you...or at least I hope I didn't." Jakato snorted angrily, struggling to extract himself from the splintered remains of the tree.
"I will kill you because you are the wife of my father, and he killed Magaru!" Jakato roared. Rayani glared at him in rage as she slapped him in the face.
"Don't you think you've made your point?" Rayani yelled, losing her temper-- something she rarely did. "Know what? Kagato was going to stab himself with his poisoned knife! How about that, huh?" Rayani turned around in fury. "I had to stop him, and just in time, too. You're lucky; you would've lost your father, too." Rayani clenched her fist and walked away, her tail twitching in aggravation. She stopped and looked over her shoulder. "I know you still love him, even though he did what he did."
Kagato meandered across the bridge aimlessly, his mind racing. He hardly noticed Rayani waving at him cheerfully, but he felt his thoughts flee when Rayani crashed into him, laughing. "Wha--?" Kagato muttered absentmindedly. Kagato smiled as Rayani pulled him upright. "What are you doing out here?" Rayani giggled in amusement.
"I practically LIVE out here. What's wrong with you?" she asked, patting Kagato's shoulder. He snapped out of his interlude and smiled again. "I was wondering...what were you--" Rayani grunted in pain when she felt something sharp drive into her back. "What was that?" Kagato spun her around and looked about in confusion when he saw a glint of metal stuck in her back.
"It's some metal." Kagato tried prying the piece of metal out, but stopped when he found his gloves getting bloody and slippery. He looked up and scowled angrily when he saw Jakato, bruised and poised to throw the other half of his knife. "Did you throw that?"
"Father," Jakato asked suddenly, "why did you do that to Magaru? Why?" Kagato allowed Rayani to turn around, but he put a protective arm around her.
"That is in the past. What I would like to know is what you are going to do with that knife." Jakato laughed but didn't lower the knife.
"I'm going to kill Rayani with it. I missed last time, but I won't this time." Kagato pulled a familiar looking knife out of his robes and threw it. The knifepoint stuck into the wood, quivering, at Jakato's feet.
"There. That's the knife I accidentally cut Magaru with. Destroy it, keep it, do whatever you will. We'll be in the lab," Kagato growled, pulling Rayani back as she began walking over to Jakato and teleporting the two of them away.
Jakato dropped his half-knife and fell to his knees. He didn't know what to do.
*****
"Rayani, stop squirming," Washu groaned in despair as Rayani began moving about again. "I still need to get that piece of metal out. You're lucky it didn't hit anything important." Rayani laughed.
"I'd disgrace my name if I died from that," Rayani laughed, wincing as Washu pulled the half of the knife out. Rayani tapped something into Washu's holo-computer and smiled as a black hole opened. She caught the long bandage, the antiseptic, and cotton balls as they fell out. "I can handle it, Washu."
"I'll do it. You can't see your back," Washu said, pulling Rayani back over to her table and grinning mischievously. "And while I'm at it, I can run a few experiments, too." Kagato walked over and picked Rayani up, deaf to her loud protests.
"Why don't I do it?" he interrupted as he carried Rayani away. Kagato looked over his shoulder, smiling with a touch of mischief. "Professor, if you handle it, she's going to need a healing tank later."
Washu giggled as she watched Rayani pull herself from Kagato's arms. "Washu," a voice groaned from the shadows. Washu jumped in alarm and looked about.
"Who's there?" Washu asked sharply. She grinned and gave Jakato a curious look as he walked from the shadows carrying Magaru. Washu eyed him suspiciously. "What's wrong?" Jakato sighed.
"Everything." Washu cocked her head quizzically.
"Everything? How?" Jakato sighed again.
"Magaru is dead. I don't know what to do now," he replied soberly, running his sturdy fingers through his hair. This didn't seem to surprise Washu much.
"Let me see if I can revive her." Washu gave Jakato a supportive smile and began attaching wires to Magaru. "Hmm..." she muttered as she typed on her computer. "Hand me those rods." Jakato looked about, perplexed.
"What rods?" he asked, confused. Two rods with rubber grips fell out of a black hole and dropped onto his head. Washu laughed.
"Those rods." Jakato rubbed his head and gave the genius the rods. Washu attached them to a few wires and connected the wires to a machine that seemed to just appear out of nowhere. Washu glanced at Jakato worriedly and jerked her head towards the door, which had just appeared. "You'd better go wait in the living room." Jakato nodded and opened the door, his mind oddly empty, just as his heart felt.
*****
Ryoko, ironically, was enraged by Magaru's death. She was offering to go and kill Kagato, but Jakato refused. Rayani was right--he did love his father, even after his little escapade on Soujo. This generally saddened Tenchi, Sasami, Kenny, and Ayeka, but Mihoshi just broke down and began crying. Kiyone didn't make any move whatsoever to stop her dithering partner--she rather felt that they should be mourning anyhow. Rayani wasn't angry with Jakato anymore, and any trace of anger was gone. In fact, she had begun to talk with him cheerfully as if nothing had happened outside.
It felt like days before Washu finally showed up at the door of her lab. Jakato leapt up from the couch as if his seat was electrocuted. Washu's face was unsmiling and it seemed to make Jakato feel as if the world as he knew it was going to come to an end. "Jake..." Washu began slowly and somberly. "I'm sorry. I can't bring her back."
Jakato collapsed onto the couch as his legs suddenly seemed to go limp. "I-- I don't believe this. I can't," he sputtered, shaking his head. Everyone was silent--they knew how much Magaru meant to Jakato. Rayani, who was floating in the air eating a cracker, choked and fell to the floor with a distinct thud. Ryoko saw Kagato clench his fist over his teacup, crushing it and staining his glove with tea.
Ayeka sat down next to Jakato and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. "Go ahead. You've nothing to fear--just let it out," Ayeka whispered as Jakato openly struggled to control his tears. After a moment, he abruptly jerked his head up and glared at his father. "Father, kill me!" Kagato looked up in disbelief and was momentarily speechless.
"Did I hear you correctly? You want me to kill you?" Kagato asked quietly. He shook his head. "I will not." Jakato yelled and snatched his sword hilt from his pocket, hurling it and hitting Kagato squarely on his forehead.
"Do it!" he howled. Kagato sneered in rage as he nearly snapped the sword hilt in two.
"You are asking me to kill you? I will not." Kagato turned away furiously. "You should consider yourself lucky. Magaru is Juraian. Princess Sasami is fully merged with that cursed Tsunami and can bring her back with no worries. You are FORTUNATE to have Tsunami on your side." With a last resentful glare, Kagato stormed outside, slamming the door behind him. Ayeka nodded.
"Yes, Sasami is Tsunami, or Tsunami is Sasami." Sasami turned pink and smiled. "She can do it, if she allows it." Jakato looked up, tears rolling down his cheeks.
"Magaru is not part of the Royal Family," he said, wiping his tears on a handkerchief. Tenchi gave Ayeka a hopeful glance.
"Sasami can do it, right?" Tenchi asked, taking a few steps forward. Sasami nodded slowly. Jakato shook his head resolutely.
"It doesn't seem right to use Tsunami's powers like this." Ryoko was about to say something, but Rayani beat her to it.
"You're turning away from your chance!" Rayani growled. She glared into his glistening, gray eyes. "I'm lucky to be alive now! I'm LUCKY! SHE HAS THE CHANCE THAT I WILL NEVER HAVE! WHY WON'T YOU TAKE IT?" She swept over to the lab door in rage, but stopped and looked at Jakato sadly. "I thought you loved her," Rayani said quietly before slipping into the lab. Sasami smiled and took a seat next to Ayeka.
"Yes, Jake. It's no problem at all." Ryoko snorted and folded her arms across her chest contemptuously. Jakato sighed and gave in--he couldn't deny the fact that he wanted Magaru again.
"Okay." Washu grinned.
"Right after dinner! How's that sound, Sasami?"
*****
Sasami stood peacefully in Washu's lab, next to Magaru's body and Jakato. She began whispering indecipherable words that not even Washu seemed to understand. Kenny gaped in awe as Sasami's clothes dissolved into Tsunami's, or rather, her own robe. The air around Sasami began to shimmer, seemingly radiating peace and tranquility. Suddenly, she disappeared, along with Magaru. Jakato squeaked, feeling panic slowly beginning to manifest in his chest. "Where--where'd they go?" he asked, his voice sharp and nearly frantic. Ayeka rubbed his shoulder gently.
"Don't worry. You'll see Magaru soon," the princess said comfortingly. Tenchi smiled and nodded, trying to calm Jakato as signs of panic began to overtake him. Ryoko shrugged and teleported away, mumbling about having a snack of some sort. Kenny and Mihoshi, too, seemed to start panicking, but a look from Kiyone stopped them both. Washu laughed, trying to break the silence.
"Why don't you all go into the living room? Sasami should be back soon," Washu suggested, slowly herding the group towards the door that had just appeared. Jakato stood back, shaking his head.
"I want to stay here and wait." Washu gave him an innocent grin and pushed him out the door.
"You wait out there!"
*****
Nearly half an hour passed. Washu threw Kagato out of the lab for playing his organ during her experiment, so he just joined the others while they watched one of those odd soap operas. Rayani got up and left to take a bath as soon as the romance started, and after a while, Kagato left also. Jakato couldn't take the tension, so he decided that he'd take a bath in the onsen, since Washu had said that it might be a few hours before Sasami arrived.
When Jakato entered the onsen, he began laughing at once at the sight he was fortunate enough to see. Rayani was clutching her towel and hiding behind a tree from Kagato, who looked rather confused. "Why do you always sneak up on me when I'm taking a bath?" Rayani asked nervously, her voice high and panicky. Jakato laughed and went over to a more private part of the onsen. He smiled in satisfaction as he heard an explosion.
Suddenly, he saw someone, that special woman, staring at him from the edge of the water. She was smiling calmly, just as she was before she became pregnant. "Hi, Jake." Jakato couldn't contain his joy. He yelled happily and practically leapt out of the water.
"Maggie!" he exclaimed, taking hold of Magaru with his strong hands and pulling her into the warm water. She made no move to resist and laughed as she toppled in.
Magaru emerged from the water, her eyes wide and shimmering, and allowed her hand to wander over Jakato's chest. He smiled in ecstasy and pulled her closer, giving her a kiss in the same swift movement. Magaru moaned and attempted to say something, but Jakato's lips muffled her words. She wrapped her arms around him and gave in completely.
Rayani and Kagato peered over the dais curiously. "She's back," whispered Rayani, almost unable to resist a giggle. "I'm glad that Jake is happy again." Kagato nodded.
"Yes," Kagato replied, keeping his voice down to a low murmur. He gave Rayani a sidelong glance and smiled. "Why don't you keep me happy?"
Jakato watched his father crash into the main pool of the onsen as he broke away from Magaru. Rayani looked at her fist in confusion and glanced at them. She turned red and sidled away, giggling. Magaru sighed. "I guess she ISN'T as simple-minded as I thought she was." She shrugged and turned back to Jakato. "I thought I was going to have to wait over a thousand years to see you again." Jakato gave her a hug as he wiped Magaru's damp hair out of her eyes.
"I thought so, too."