XII: No Need for a Prophecy!

Yagami landed in a wide open space, which was a miracle in itself considering how much of Tg had once been teeming with life. Now, though, the place was literally deserted. The surface was made out of concrete and asphalt, like a large parking lot, but bits and pieces of grasses and weeds had sprouted out through the cracks long ago. Most of the makeshift landing pad was mostly wrecked and uneven, but thankfully there had been a spot flat enough for the GP vessel to land on.

Everybody shuffled out of the vessel single-file, leaving Sasami to keep watch over the ship with the cabbits, the guardians, and the police officers. Everyone else entered into this new world, with Ryoko and Nagi stepping onto it first. As they took their very first steps into the world in which they were born, both sisters paused and gazed in awe at the haunting landscape before them.

Tg was in ruins, but it had not been utterly destroyed. The buildings in the distance had all rotted away due to years of neglect, and the air had a slightly stale smell to it. There weren't any people within visual distance--in fact, aside from the wasted ruins and the cracked streets below them, there really wasn't much of anything. Slowly, the four girls and Tenchi walked through the skeletal remains of buildings and snaked further into the planet.

Yagami had landed on the outskirts of a city, so it seemed. All around them were tall buildings that had either caved in or else had faded into a drab mess. The first evidence of life in the world were several masses of huddling people, many of them gathering around barrels with a flame in them. It was not cold on Tg, but there was a noticeable chill in the air. Perhaps the abandoned ruins gave off a frosty aura, or maybe with so few people to populate the area, there was now less body heat to go around.

Whatever the reason, it was a depressing sight to wade through the ruined city, and Ryoko and Nagi were holding hands the entire way. Ryoko also refused to let go of Tenchi's hand, and there was no doubt that if she had another to spare, then Ayeka would've grabbed it. The princess instead took Nagi's hand, and smiled at the young woman as she cautiously walked through the cold city.

For the better part of an hour, the five of them walked and walked and walked, and continued walking until the city they had been in was behind them. Of course, after the city came even more ghastly sights: a large water fountain that had once been the home of a powerful statue was now blasted to pieces and leaking puddles of dirty liquid. The streets were overused and shattered, and almost every single window in every single building had been broken in. Trees had been skeletonized into nothing but bark, and most of the animals wandering around had been turned into savage scavengers. In short, it was a horrible and depressing scene, one of ruin and decay, and both Nagi and Ryoko cried.

"I told you," sighed Washu softly. "I told you that you wouldn't like coming back here." The two sisters gave her no answer, and even though they both had frozen looks on their faces, they pressed on past the empty square and further into the next region of the planet. No matter how strong Ayeka or Tenchi squeezed the hands of Nagi or Ryoko, the girls always seemed to have a terrified and shocked look, which in turn made the princess and the boy feel downhearted.

They continued onward, through the decayed city and into one of the few areas that were heavily populated. The people here all had joyless, dead looks on their faces. Their eyes were cold and hard, some of them downright miserable, others teetering on the edge of suicide and perhaps a tiny hope. Not a one of them was dressed decently; indeed, some weren't even dressed at all, and they were all either very dirty or else very bitter, or both on some occasions. Ryoko and Nagi stared back at these people with faces full of horror and perverse wonder, and cried some more.

"What could've happened here?" whispered the former space pirate. Washu shivered.

"Pandemonium happened," she replied. "Like I mentioned, that dragon-demon has little desire to destroy things himself. He prefers stirring up the discord and enmity that is lying hidden in the hearts of people, and allowing them to do the battles for him. Pandemonium is an anarchist of the worst kind, and his reign of terror is most often one that is usually caused by outside forces. But… I never could have imagined…"

"This is the worst kind of torture!" snarled Tenchi. "Killing and destroying everything is bad enough, but he's allowing these people to live under these conditions! He's letting them live, the monster!! They've been unjustly sentenced to live every day with the burdens and worries that they've inflicted upon themselves, and they never deserved any of it! I-I-It's just… not fair!!!"

"T… Tenchi!! You're… owww!!!" Ryoko screamed out as Tenchi unknowingly squeezed her hand, and the young man hastily apologized and let go. Glad to have some kind of distraction away from the disasters around her, Ryoko held her crushed hand gently and kneaded it with the care of a surgeon.

"…Ryoko… I, I'm sorry…"

"…It's okay," sniffled the pirate, letting her sister massage the hurt appendage. "I… I know how you feel… And besides, it was just an accident…"

"Is there any way I can make you feel better?" he asked. Flattered that Tenchi should ask such a question, Ryoko smiled at him and stuck her hand out.

"Well…… you could kiss it better!"

"Honestly, Miss Ryoko!" exclaimed Ayeka, giving her a friendly shove. "You can be so shameless sometimes!" Ryoko grinned mischievously at the princess, but the smile faded in an instant as Tenchi gently took hold of her hand and brought it to her lips. Both Ayeka and Ryoko were blushing red, though the princess was flushed for a completely different reason. Slyly, Tenchi continued to walk forward with his hands in his pockets, and a still-enraptured Ryoko turned her head so that she could silently boast to her friend. Ayeka saw the sneaky smile and simply held out her hand.

"Not one word out of you, Miss Ryoko," she sighed. "Not one word……"

The gang continued to weave their way through the destroyed cities and towns, encountering so much rot and decay that it brought tears even to Washu's eyes--which meant that by now, Ryoko and Nagi were almost to the point of holding each other for comfort. Tenchi was right: this was quite possibly the most horrible existence that these people could face. Letting them live in such sorrow was inhumane; a death would've spared them such horror, which was probably why Pandemonium avoided killing. This was a monstrous demon who performed tyrannical acts of the worst kind, all the while having never raised a claw to participate in the destruction (with few exceptions).

It is said that every cloud has a silver lining, but these were the kind that only bore storms. There was not even a ray of sunshine peeking out of the darkness, just sadness and misery and ruin and guilt. The people that lived here--if it could even be called living--were all aimless, hopeless individuals, deprived of their dignity and everything they had held dear. Yes, they were alive, but as the phrase went, there were some things even worse than death, and this was one of them.

"I… I can't take it anymore!" shouted Nagi, covering her face with her hands. She crumbled to the floor in a miserable heap, sobbing uncontrollably between hopeless whispers and terrified gasps of breath. "We… we never should have come…"

"Get a hold of yourself, Miss Nagi!" exclaimed Ayeka, shaking the former huntress. "I realize how terrible and hopeless all this seems, but we've got to move on! Surely we will be able to find some clue about this monster we're facing!!" Nagi sniffled and looked into the princess' face, but only for a moment as her tears were clouding her eyes.

"…I just can't take it anymore…" she repeated hoarsely. This time, Ryoko knelt down to comfort her sister, and silently whispered how afraid she felt at the time. Tenchi was beside himself with amazement, as he had never seen either women acting so horrified. Sure, there had been rare times when Ryoko had cast away her playful nature and became serious, and there had been that one time, right before the fight with Kagato, when she looked despondent, but…… this was a whole new case.

Nagi and Ryoko were perhaps two of the strongest women he knew of, and to see them break down like this was heart-wrenching. He joined Ayeka in comforting the two ladies, and they both smiled and thanked the young man and woman for their love. Washu was caught somewhere between staring emptily at the ruin before her, and staring in wonder at the four young people huddled together on the streets.

"All right," whispered Ayeka, "I think you've cried enough, Nagi. You too, Ryoko. It's time we moved on." A pause. Both women sniffled, and with the strength of Ayeka and Tenchi supporting them, they stood up again.

"Thanks, princess," mumbled Nagi. "…You're such a strong person. I… I guess I can see why Tenchi and my sister love you so much." Ayeka's face reddened just slightly, and she shyly smiled at the older woman's compliment.

"Hey, Ayeka?" said Ryoko, jabbing her friend gently with her elbow. "Can ya do me a favor?"

"You know I'll do just about anything for you, dear," she smiled. Ryoko winked at her friend.

"Yeah. Well, can ya do me a favor? Can you and Tenchi and everybody else call us by our real names? You see, Ryoko and Nagi don't exist anymore. We're both retired from our positions, and we're never going back there either, so if you don't mind, I'd like to be addressed in the proper manner that suit's a woman of nobility." Ayeka chuckled playfully, as did Tenchi and even Washu, and soon the princess was giving her former rival a most magnificent curtsy.

"If it pleases you, Milady Stohk, then I shall address you as thus--Christina!" Ryoko grinned and thanked her friend, but it was nearly drowned out by the sudden uproar of murmuring in the crowd. Dozens of people began whispering and muttering amongst themselves, and they all turned around so they could see where Ayeka's voice had originated.

"Stohk? Did she say Stohk? Can it be true? A stohk here, after so many years? No, it's impossible! Milord and Milady were killed years ago, and nobody knows what happened to their children! Who said that? Who spoke up?" Ayeka pursed her lips in embarrassment as the crowd searched around, and bravely raised her hand for all the world to see.

"I did!" she exclaimed. "I said it!!" Before long, everyone within visual distance turned around to face her, and gasped in shock as they saw Ryoko and Nagi. The crowd of hopeless people froze in place as they saw the twin girls, and the poor women would've been flooded by a hundred desperate people if one particular man hadn't went through the trouble of parting them.

"Excuse me! Excuse me! May I pass, please? Excuse me!"

"Hey, it's old Holtz!" shouted one of the men. "It's old Holtz, everybody! Let'im through!" The crowd immediately gave way to a man that looked to be in his early seventies, wrinkled and wizened with just a splash of youth still on him. He was perhaps the first person that Tenchi and his friends saw that was not dressed poorly--in fact, the old man actually looked to be extremely wealthy and classy from his dress.

He had on dark breeches that went all the way down to his black suede shoes, with a dark tweed suit over a crimson and white vest. He also had a blue bow tying his collar together, and had beautiful white hair tied up in a long braid. He wore glasses and gloves, and although he was probably older than all the girls combined, he still moved quickly, and definitely commanded a presence (since the townspeople eagerly parted for him).

His youth was not unlimited, however, so he was quite out of breath by the time he came to Tenchi and the others. But his breathlessness was soon caused by something other than exhaustion, and as he gazed at Nagi and Ryoko (or Nanette and Christina, as they were "now" being called), beads of amazed sweat dotted his brow.

"Aaaah-aaah-ahhh!!!!" he gasped. "It's not possible! It can't be! ……Master? Mistress? Master Armand?! Mistress Anya?!"

"Huh?" muttered Nagi. "No, no, you got the wrong people, old man. My name is Nag--uh, Nanette. Nanette Gizra Stohk, and this is my twin sister, Christina Marcella Stohk." The old man's surprise multiplied several hundred fold as he heard of the legendary name of Stohk, and nearly fell to the floor from the shock of it all. Thankfully, a handkerchief saved his wet brow, and several deep breaths saved the rest of him. He still had to adjust his spectacles to make sure, but when he peered at Nagi and Ryoko a second time, he gasped for joy.

"……Is it true?!" he whispered. "Are you two ladies really the lost children of my masters? Are you truly… the heirs to the Stohk family legacy??"

"I've got the papers if you want the proof," said Washu, fanning said papers in the air. The old man refused to look at them, and smiled at the two girls.

"No, no, I don't need them. My eyes may be old and weary, but I can plainly see the resemblance! You do resemble your parents! It's unmistakable now!!" Overjoyed with enthusiasm, the old man took the ladies' hands into his own, kneeled to the floor, and kissed them both.

"My name is Randolph J. Holtz," he said, "and I have faithfully served the Stohk family name ever since the days of your grandparents! You… you honestly cannot believe how overjoyed I am to see you two!!" Holtz suddenly broke into tears, but the smile on his face told the girls that he was anything but sad.

"Oh, Masters!" he cried out. "I have been patiently waiting for this day ever since the Cataclysm, and now it has become plain that my efforts were not in vain! Your two lost daughters have come back from the dead, safe and sound, and now… now…… Ohhh….!" Holtz broke down again, burying his face in the girls' hands as he sobbed joyfully. Nagi and Ryoko smiled warmly at the old man, and bent down to help him out.

"Are you really a servant for our parents?" they asked. Holtz shakily nodded his head.

"I am. But… but… I never thought that I would ever live to see this day!! OH, you cannot imagine how wonderful and exciting this is!!! Finally, after all these years, the heirs to the Stohk family have returned to Tg! My fellow people!!" And then he turned to the crowd that had gathered and addressed them. "They have returned! The lost daughters of my masters have returned!! They have come to make right what was once wrong, and to escalate our beloved Tg back into the glorified ages it once enjoyed!!!" The crowd went berserk and raised their hands in the air in a violently loud shout, and for perhaps the first time in decades, they had a reason to hope.

In the thick noise, Tenchi walked over to the old man and politely tugged at his sleeve.

"So do you think you can help us??"

"Of course, young sir!!" replied Holtz merrily. "Here, come this way!! My ladies, you too are free to accompany us! Quickly, to the manor!! We have so many things to do, but now that you two are here, I am certain that everything will be all right from now on!!!"

Considering how fast everything had been going in the past few hours, the gang of girls (and Tenchi!) were taking things amazingly well. In the few hours that had already passed, the loyal Holtz had whisked the twins off towards what remained of the Stohk manor. Not even this place had been spared Pandemonium's wrath, but luckily, enough of it was intact to constitute as a place of rest. Once everyone was inside the large estate, Holtz announced to the few remaining loyalists that the daughters of Armand and Anya have returned, and instantly the girls were surrounded by people who expressed strangely similar sentiment to Holtz's. They were then taken to the room that had been set apart in preparation for the girls' own (way back around the time they were born), and at once they were drowned by maids and servants who fixed them up "properly".

The servants also gave Ayeka the royal treatment (since she was a princess), and Tenchi was taken by Holtz himself so that the two men could have a heart-to-heart. The servants even spoiled Washu, and soon everything was a confusing mass of clothes, showers, suits, flowers, and people. Since Tenchi took the shortest time to "get dressed", he and Holtz passed the remaining minutes talking about everything in question, from the girls' parents to Pandemonium.

"My master and mistress were wonderful people," sighed Holtz wistfully. "They treated everyone with love and care, and were extremely generous with what they had. I am sad to say that most of their family fortune is gone, but what remains will immediately go to Lady Nanette and Lady Christina. …By the way, might I mention that I never recalled Lord Armand and Lady Anya giving their daughters names?"

"You mean they…" Holtz nodded his head quietly.

"Yes. They were nameless at birth. My master and mistress couldn't decide on how to name them, and by the time they did……… Well, you can guess what happened." Tenchi darkly nodded his head, and once again clenched his fist tightly. Holtz, meanwhile, smiled.

"But I am sure that my masters, Creator rest their souls, would approve of these new names. Nanette and Christina are both very beautiful names, and it seems to fit them well. I shan't ask where they got 'Nagi' and 'Ryoko', but if I may say so, sir, these names are improvements!"

"Yeah, I agree with that!" beamed Tenchi. "So… were their parents really that important?"

"Oh, by all means!" exclaimed the older man. "Master Armand and Mistress Anya were as important as they were loved. They were both very good friends with the Emperor of Jurai, the President of Megalopolis, and the Prima Chief of Prima Gaia. In fact, if circumstances had been better, they would've probably grown up with Princess Ayeka!" Tenchi chuckled politely, though on the inside he could never imagine Nagi, Ryoko, and Ayeka being childhood friends. He had to admit, though, it did make a lot of sense.

"Now you tell me, young man," said Holtz, "how on Tg did Lady Nanette and Lady Christina get from this planet to where they are now?"

"Ugh, it's a really long story," groaned Tenchi. Holtz smiled wisely and folded his hands.

"I'm in no rush. Please, indulge me on everything you know!"

"All right," warned Tenchi, "but this might take awhile…"

----------

"My word!!!" exclaimed Holtz once Tenchi finished. "That is indeed a fascinating story! Lady Christina a space pirate, and Lady Nanette a bounty hunter?! And you say that they were once mortal enemies??! Now that is very remarkable indeed!!!" Tenchi couldn't disagree.

"Yeah… sometimes even I don't understand things, and I've been living with them for a long time now!"

"Indeed!!" coughed the old man. They both paused for awhile, then Holtz regained his wise smile. "Well, no matter how it all happened, I am glad that they are both safe and sound, and that they are finally behaving as sisters again!!"

"Me too!" smiled Tenchi. "It was bad enough with Ayeka and Ryok--I mean, Christina fighting, but with Nagi--erm, I mean, uhh……"

"Bad habits die hard," chortled Holtz wisely as he adjusted his glasses. "Do not worry, sir. From what you tell me, there has been enough going on to classify as insanity, so to see you and the Ladies in good state of mind is very fortunate." Both men shared a warm smile, which was shortened thanks to a welcome interruption. There came a knock on the door, in which the ladies behind it announced the presence of Ladies Washu, Ayeka, Nanette, and Christina.

When Holtz opened the door, Tenchi was first struck by a now-breathtaking Washu. The little scientist had been placed into a gorgeous green dress, the kind that a person would wear in Victorian-age England, complete with jewels and evening gloves, and even a parasol. Washu's red hair had been tied up in beautiful curly rolls, and her face actually had makeup on it for the first time in years. She was stunningly beautiful, and Tenchi smiled as he complimented her.

But not even Washu could compare to Ayeka's new dress. The princess looked as magnificent as her status allowed, and Tenchi's face glowed as it saw just how breathtaking she really was. Dressed in an icy-blue dress that left her shoulders bare, Ayeka strolled in gracefully with her gloved hands folded before her and her hair sewn into a lovely design. Tenchi gave both Washu and Ayeka a gentlemanly kiss on the hand, though it was obvious where the lion's share of his attention was drawn.

"Wow, Lady Ayeka! You look magnificent!"

"(Do you think so?)" whispered the girl giddily. Tenchi smiled and nodded his head. "(I may very well wear this to my wedding. Tradition be thrown out the window; these people have a sense of taste that defies anything I have seen on Jurai.)"

"You look marvelous, Lady Ayeka!" beamed Holtz. "And Lady Washu is a beautiful sight to these old eyes!!" The smallish woman giggled and fanned away the harmless flirt, but all activity ceased as Ryoko and Nagi--no, as Lady Christina and Lady Nanette came into the room. Tenchi could almost hear a harp being played as the formerly-rough women daintily stepped into view.

Ryoko was wearing a rich violet dress similar to Ayeka's, except her ears had jewels embedded in, and she had a little less jewelry (since royalty was just a notch higher than nobility). There was still a crystal tiara, and a pearl necklace, and diamond rings over her gloved hands, and for the first time in her entire life, Ryoko had makeup on. Nagi, on the other hand, had a deep blue dress much similar to her sister's, and jewelry to match. To Tenchi's surprise, their hair had been left exactly as it was; not a strand had been changed.

"Oh, my!!!" whispered Holtz, whose old face was glowing warmly. "My Ladies… you are angelic!" Both girls smiled shyly at his compliment, and he and Tenchi each took turns kissing their hands.

"You really do look great, Ryoko," smiled the boy. She blushed and winked.

"I am Christina now," she told him. "Please, everyone… just call me by my real name. Ryoko no longer exists."

"If you insist, Lady Christina," smiled Tenchi. Ryoko--that is, Christina--got goosebumps as he pronounced her real name, and Nagi--Nanette now--also got giddy when Tenchi used her name.

"This will be a day long remembered!" exclaimed Holtz. "The master's daughters have come back to us after so many years, and now they have reclaimed their birthright! I know that with your help, my Ladies, Tg will not only pull out of this miserable depression, but it shall also ascend higher than before--nay, a thousand times higher! With the two of you in control now, I daresay that we may end up having a Golden Age!!!"

"But first things first," pointed Washu. "We've got to know where Pandemonium is. If we don't get rid of him once and for all, then all this work will be for nothing!" Holtz sighed sadly as he nodded his head.

"Indeed, ever since that dark day, we have been living under such bleak conditions. It is true that even if Pandemonium is disposed of, it will not help our present condition. But I would rest easier knowing that that monster is no longer a threat!"

"Agreed," said Tenchi. "Mr. Holtz, would you know where we might be able to find this demon?" Holtz's wrinkled face became gnarled with disgust, and he sneered at the mere thought of the demon that had ruined everything he knew and loved.

"Bah, if I did know, then I would've called up the entire Galaxy Police force in a raid! They would've found that monster already and would've put a stop to him! But no, I haven't seen hide nor scale of that beast since that tragic day, so many years ago. However, I might be able to lead you off in the proper direction…" Holtz rubbed his chin for awhile, then meandered off to the front door by himself. Sensing that he was going to show them something, Tenchi and his entourage of well-dressed women followed the old servant.

As they made their way through the ruined town, the people of Tg actually smiled and even kneeled in the presence of Nanette and Christina. Citizens who had previously never known of the joys of hope, were now smiling and beaming and even crying as the angelic women passed them by. Nanette and Christina still couldn't take two steps without looking depressed, but the awe and wonder on the people's faces gave them a strength unknown to their bodies.

"It's great to be back," whispered Nanette to a scraggly young woman. "It's so wonderful to finally be home again!"

"I swear that we'll fix all of this, I swear it!" cried Christina as she knelt beside a filthy old man. The man gave her a warm smile and clasped her hands.

"Milady… I have faith in you!" he wheezed. Christina shed tears of joy and sorrow as the formerly-hopeless man smiled at her, and in all her nobility and pride, she leaned forward and kissed his cheek.

"You shall not know darkness for long," she whispered. The man kept his smile, and bade Christina a good day as she left to continue following Holtz. This same scene repeated itself several times over during their brief journey: Nanette and Christina would find someone who struck a chord in their hearts, and they would attend to them and comfort them as best they could. Tenchi and Ayeka oftentimes joined them, and even Washu gave the dejected people a smile and a ray of hope.

Finally, the small entourage had waded away from the populace (tears marking the faces of almost all of them), and were now in the dusty remains of a church clouded in shadows. A fog of eternal darkness blanketed the holy building and the graveyard built next to it, and despite the sudden warmth, neither Nanette nor Christina could help but shiver.

"In here, my Ladies," pointed Holtz as he came to the broken doors. He continued to lead them inside the church, using a lantern as a guide. He warned them that the building was in poor condition thanks to the wars that had scarred the planet, and more than one person learned just how bad things were the hard way. Stumbling and bumping into everything wasn't fun, but luckily the place was small, and they reached their "destination" in only a few minutes.

"Here," said Holtz, presenting a very ancient book to Nanette. "This is a manuscript that dates back to the time of the Ancients who founded Tg. They were a race of prophets and soothsayers, and although their entire culture is now completely gone, I have personally taken the liberty of safeguarding this very last manuscript of theirs. It is very delicate and very old, so I suggest you use caution when reading it." Nanette barely nodded her head, and took a deep breath as she poured into the book. Indeed, the pages were extremely ancient, probably as old as the Roman coliseum on Earth, but she could make out the writing easily.

"…What exactly am I looking for?" she asked. Holtz shrugged.

"I found a passage concerning our fiendish enemy in there somewhere, but I couldn't make sense of it. Perhaps you young people might be able to interpret what the book has to say." Nanette continued to leaf through pages until she found the page that Holtz had referred to. Since the book was written by prophets, there was a message of the future in there, and since she thought it was important, Nanette read it out loud.

The Rider of White descends from upon high

To conquer the land with a bow lacking arrows

He swoops down in peace but stirs up great war

And leaves the planes with Death in his wake!

But a hope of slim chances still exists in this world

Though it is still dim with impossibility and chance

For it calls upon enemies and rivals to embrace

And for long-lost bonds to be tied once again!

The Four Stars of destiny are separate at first

And perhaps only Fate can unite them again!

The first star unites the rest under Heaven and Earth

The second is purified by fire and ordeal

The third star possesses both hatred and love

The fourth star shares blood with an enemy most vile!

Uniting these four may be far too difficult

But would it be easier for Chaos to reign?

After reading the passage, Nanette carefully closed the book, a ghostly façade now permanently etched on her face. She stood, catatonic, staring into oblivion as the words of the book tumbled around in her thoughts. Holtz carefully took the manuscript back into his possession, and cleared his throat so that his Mistress would break free from her stare.

"Well? Can you make anything of it?" Nanette swallowed, took a deep breath, and rubbed her eyes until life came back to her motionless body. She looked at Tenchi, then Ayeka, then Christina, then at her servant, and nodded her head.

"Yeah," she answered. "If I'm not mistaken, then that book was referring to us."

"………What does it mean?" whispered Tenchi. Nanette couldn't dare think about the possibilities for long.

"It means that we're the only ones who can defeat that thing," she said emptily. Christina snorted and rolled her eyes.

"Surprise, surprise."

Next chapter: Whew! With so much resting on our heroes' shoulders right now, do you think they have time to spend with old friends? Sure, why not?! In the following chapter, Nanette runs into a few familiar faces from her past! It's a reunion to remember in the next chapter, "No Need for a Gathering!" It's unquestionably dynamic!