XV: No Need for an Aftermath!
"Sire!"
The Grand Ruler of the Glorious Empire of Jurai, His Most Excellent and Majestic Highness Emperor Asuza Jurai, turned around to see what his attendant wanted.
"Yes?"
"We're receiving a transmission, sire!" said the attendant. The Grand Ruler of the Glorious Empire, etc. etc., gave his attendant a look that suggested the "lesser" man elaborate.
"And…?"
"…It's… well… it's from a very unusual location, sire!"
"Define 'unusual'," commanded the Most Excellent and Majestic, etc. etc., Emperor Asuza. The attendant curtly nodded his head.
"Ah, yes, yes, uh… Well, sire, you may not believe this, sire, but the transmission we are receiving is coming from, uhh… Well, sire, it's coming from--"
"Just say it, man!" barked His Most Royal Excellency, etc. etc. The attendant stuttered and stood at attention.
"Y-yes, sire! It… it comes from Tg, sire!" Suddenly, and in a very literal sense, the Emperor's most royal blood paused in his veins, every last blue cell. This cease in circulatory activity was for but a second, as the aged ruler completely contemplated what his servant had just said. Asuza, experienced as he was, had been taken by surprise by this most unexpected response.
"…Did… did I hear you correctly, man?" he muttered. "Did you, in all your cheek, not mention the very name of that forgotten world, that of Tg, in the Minida system!"
"I did say it, Your Highness," affirmed the servant. Asuza swallowed a royal wad of nervousness and doubt.
"…You must be lying," he whispered, though he himself dared to believe such a thing. "I command you, as Emperor of this most sacred and powerful Empire, to hereby give me truthful testimony, else I shall personally lop your head off for traitorous misleading!" A pause. The attendant's life now depended on his next few words, so he made them count.
"If… if you please, sire, I am merely a messenger. Our, ah, transmitters have indeed received this message, straight from Tg itself, and as unbelievable as it is, if you'll be so kind as to follow me, I can--"
"No, that won't be necessary," said His Most Befuddled Highness with a royal wave of his hand. "I…… I suppose that I shall have to believe you. I shall personally make a sojourn to the receiving room to ascertain the validity of such a message--and Tsunami willing, I will dare respond to it!! Dismissed!" Knowing better than to not question an order from The Emperor, the lowly servant took a hasty bow and escorted himself out of the Emperor's royal chambers before he could be accused of or questioned about anything else. In the meantime, His Most Startled Majesty ran his hand down his sweaty royal face, and breathed in several astonished breaths.
"Can it even be possible…" he muttered to himself. "Can Tg…… really be trying to contact me…? But… were not my dear friends killed so many years ago? Then, whom…?"
He would just have to find that out. The Grand and Golden Emperor of the Glorious and Graceful Empire of Jurai shook his questions off for the time being, and slowly marched straight towards where the Main Communications Room was. Here, hundreds upon hundreds of messages were received and given, though very few were ever so important that they actually made it to the Emperor's ears. This one, figured the servant that had delivered such news, must have indeed been worth it, and with the mention of the long-destroyed Tg, the Emperor couldn't help but agree.
"Emperor Asuza of Jurai! Salute!!" As soon as His Most Excellent and Regal Emperor placed his most excellent and regal feet inside the communications room, a nearby soldier announced his sudden presence, causing everyone in the room to stand and salute as boldly as possible. Asuza immediately went over to the visual monitor that transmitted messages from the Minida system (which had coincidentally been inactive for roughly a decade or so) and he gave the receiver a single stern look.
"Your Majesty!" blurted the technician. "I… we… that is, to say… ahh…"
"Who is it?" asked a Royally-Calm Asuza. The technician swallowed.
"It seems to be… Lady Ayeka, sire!" he said. Asuza's face twitched in surprise.
"Ayeka? What is she doing on Tg? I thought she was on extended holiday. Even Earth is a better place to be than Tg!"
"She just told me to summon you, Milord!" replied the receiver. "Here, sire! You can probably receive your answers best from her!" Asuza nodded in agreement, and let the technician turn on the transmitter once again. In an instant, the image of Jurai's first princess, Lady Ayeka, came to view for all in the immediate area to see. Asuza, who had not seen his eldest daughter for some time, almost let out a fond smile--but his questions prevented such an emotion from coming out.
"Why hello, father!" exclaimed the princess in a happy voice. "How are you doing?"
"Ayeka! Would you care to explain to me why you're on Tg! I would very much like to know why my eldest daughter, the successor to my own throne, has decided to take up temporary residence on such a place!" Ayeka, who could sense her father was in no mood to discuss pleasantries, merely gave off a weak laughter that was eerily reminiscent of Tenchi's.
"Ah hahahahaha… Well, it's a very long story father, but let's just say that I'm here on a very good cause--diplomacy, perhaps."
"Surely you have learned that Lord Armand and Lady Anya were killed some years ago!" replied His Most Irritated Excellency. "There is nobody of any political importance on that planet! Diplomacy indeed!!"
"Perhaps that is not the term that I have been meaning to say," said Ayeka with that same dopey smile. "What I meant was… ahh… well… you could say that I am participating in… a, uh, relief fund for the people here! Ah hehehehehehehe…" Asuza, in all his royal whatnot, could only sigh and cover his face as his eldest daughter tried to explain away something too puzzling to think about. Why was she acting so peculiar, he had to wonder! Even at her giddiest, Ayeka had never been this silly--heck, not even Sasami had ever been this out of order--so he had to wonder why she was acting the way she was right now.
"Ayeka…… On any normal day, I would be overjoyed to hear you dedicating your time and resources to helping out those less fortunate. But I still feel as if you are not telling me everything. Please, in the name of our royal family, I command you as your father and your emperor to indulge me on the whole truth!!" A pause, albeit a short one, separated their conversations.
"You may not like what you hear," she said in a deadly-serious voice. Asuza grumbled royally.
"Let me be the judge of that. Now, if you please…" Another short pause.
"…All right. Father, do you recall hearing about a demonic creature known as 'Pandemonium'?" Asuza's royal heart, which was pumping pure blue blood at the moment, froze in brief horror at the mention of such a ghastly name. He even stood catatonic for a brief period, so strong was the shock. But the Grand and Glorious Emperor of Jurai, etc. etc., was not one to appear weak for more than one second, and so he composed himself and affirmed her question.
"Yes. I have heard of him." (Of course, considering his rank, how could he not?)
"Well, father, you will be more than happy to know that this Pandemonium creature has been dealt with by the likes of…… Well, let us just say that he has been completely annihilated, and by nothing other than the legendary Light Hawk Wings!!" A gasp, more powerful than the one that had erupted when the name Pandemonium had been mentioned, erupted out of the room as Ayeka dove into her explanation.
"Young lady," hissed Asuza in a shivering voice, "if I found out that you have been lying to His Most Royal Highness…"
"It's the truth, father!" squealed Sasami suddenly, who seemingly butted in just then. Ayeka didn't seem to mind her little sister's interruption, nor did Asuza beneath the surface, but his expression sure did.
"Sasami?"
"Father, Ayeka's telling the truth!" she squealed again. Asuza growled lowly but decided that it would be best to believe in the girls for the time.
"…Hmm… all right, I suppose it's possible. After all, it has been said that the Light Hawk Wings do not appear unless the power of Jurai is concentrated into an area. All right, I'll believe you--and I'll also believe that this Pandemonium monster was destroyed by such a tool. …But Ayeka, are you trying to tell me that this was the purpose of your visit to Tg?"
"Partially, father," she replied. "…I also owed it a favor to a very dear and very close friend of mine, who chooses to remain anonymous for now."
"…I see," grumbled Asuza. "But Ayeka, it does not become a princess of Jurai to go off slaying demons like that! That is why you have Azaka and Kamidake!"
"I know, father--but that is also not the only reason for my continued stay on this world."
"Then, what?" asked a puzzled Emperor. "What else could possibly keep you on such a ruined world??" Another pause. Ayeka gazed at her father with all the nobility she had, and considering her heart, that was a lot.
"The ruin itself is keeping me here," she whispered, with a slight tinge of sadness in her voice. "Father, I cannot leave this planet until the desolation that it has received has been brushed away! This was the entire purpose of my message, father: I am humbly requesting, as your daughter and as your servant, that you send a relief team over to this planet as quickly as possible, wherein we may be able to patch up such a destroyed world and return it to what it once was. Please, father, the people here have suffered too much already. It is time to begin healing."
A pause. Asuza sighed, and actually lowered his head slightly as he contemplated Ayeka's request. It had been so long… so very long… since he set foot on that planet… So very, very long…… He still had memories…… Memories… of that once-delectable planet…
"Ayeka…" The Royal Voice of His Most Excellent and Grand Highness was quite low. "……You shall make a wonderful Empress someday…"
"I have also sent help to the Prima Chief of the Prima Worlds," she said, secretly keeping his compliment in her heart. "…And to the President of Megalopolis. They have both agreed to help restore this world, as well as all the other worlds that were ravaged by Pandemonium."
"Chief Joseph and President Nezar? You mean…"
"Yes…" smiled Ayeka. "According to them, it will be 'just like old times'." Asuza actually let a heartwarming smile escape his stoic Imperial face, despite the technicians' stares, and let out a sigh that lightened his troubled heart.
"Joseph… Nezar… Asuza… Armand… The 'Four Winds' all together in the same place, after so many years…" The Emperor quietly shut his eyes, and actually let a single tear fall down his stony face as long-forgotten memories came back to his royal mind. None of the technicians in the room were quite sure how to handle his emotion…… but if they had known him well enough, then they would have understood his joy.
"…Very well," said Asuza quietly after a pause. "I shall make arrangements for our finest medical and architectural teams to be sent out to Tg immediately. Ayeka… I will grant your request… for I, too, do not wish to see that once-glorious planet in such ruin." The princess gave her father a warm, joyful smile, and bowed deeply with respect.
"Thank you, father," she whispered. "I could live a thousand lifetimes and never repay this wonderful debt. I hope to see you shortly."
"As do I. Farewell." And with that, the transmission ended--and just like the Royal and Most Mighty Emperor that he was, Asuza immediately ordered that his fastest vessel be available to him, so that he would be the first to touch down on Tg. After all, it had been too many years since the last time "they" were together……
Ayeka let out a sigh of relief and turned around to personally thank Holtz, who had allowed her to make the transmission to Jurai.
"It is no problem, milady," smiled the old man. "I am glad to serve you in any way I can--and I, too, must admit that I could live forever and never repay such a debt to you, or your father!" The princess smiled shyly and waved his compliment away with her hand.
"Please," she chuckled, "it's the least I could do. Even back in the old days, my heart would not be so hardened as to refuse to assist such a world as yours, and I believe my father would say the exact same thing. Now, if you'll kindly take me back to the main construction area…?"
"Oh, of course!" he exclaimed. Holtz turned around and guided the princess back to where most of her friends were, a place simply known as Ground Zero, where the brunt of Pandemonium's rage seemed to have been concentrated. It was here where Tenchi and the entire crew had stationed themselves in the massive relief effort to reconstruct the ruined world.
After defeating Pandemonium, and subsequently having a brief celebration as Yagami sailed back to Tg, it was unanimously decided that the entire crew should remain on Tg temporarily until a genuine relief squad could be summoned in. Ayeka had volunteered to call her father and ask for his aide--not only because Jurai was one of the great powers of the universe, but because Asuza had personal ties with the ruined planet--but until the medical and construction teams arrived from Jurai and two other major intergalactic powers, the gang had to stay behind and work on the planet by themselves.
The wars that had scarred Tg had most definitely reshaped the world, leaving any survivors without much to hope for, but now that their rulers' daughters had returned from hiding, and now that the source of their woe was gone forever, they finally had a reason to hope. It would probably take at least a century for the entire world to be rebuilt, and maybe longer still for the place to get back to its days of glory, but not even the most destitute citizen seemed to mind. After all, this was their world, and there was always hope.
With that said, every able-bodied citizen was treated to a thorough shower and a change of clothes, and a hot meal and a cold drink was passed to everybody, and there was even a small wage promised to the workers (which would come directly out of what remained of the Stohk family fortune). Once the populace itself was back on their feet, the small gang of strange girls, former bounty hunters, fighters, friends, and cabbits were ready to start reconstructing.
The sounds of massive construction could soon be heard all across the world in the span of a week. Carpenters set about remaking the buildings, architects hired hands to make fresh constructions, people skilled with cleaning were patrolling the streets and washing up any trash left over from the disasters, movers were moving things, destroyers were destroying things, and not a single person was out of a use.
Since he was so used to cleaning up messes and patching up buildings, especially ones affected by a certain princess and former pirate, Tenchi was placed with the main construction group. He had his usual hammer and nails, and other small tools, and was already contributing to the beautiful noise of construction. The two GP officers, Kiyone and Mihoshi, were each doing what they did best: Kiyone was in charge of supervising and assisting the concrete industry, and sweet adorable loveable Mihoshi was put to work as a demolitionist--which was perhaps the only job she genuinely got right.
Washu herself did almost nothing, but the robots she had with her made up for such "laziness". The mechanical creatures ranged from small cleaning robots to the gigantic mechs that hefted objects too heavy to carry by crane. Several also helped reconstruct buildings, as well as clean away any large refuse that had gathered. Sasami was mostly in charge of the kitchens, where she fed the starving people of Tg all the imported food that had been donated by other galactic powers. Most of these edible funds came from Chief Joseph of the Prima Worlds and President Nezar of Megalopolis, perhaps the only two existing powers in the universe that rivaled Jurai's.
The Chief and the President themselves were currently making negotiations with Holtz, who was standing in for Christina and Nanette for the time being (as the twins were busy with other pursuits, mostly their individual love interests). The three wise men were not only overseeing most of the construction, they were also planning for the future--a future that would no doubt include the former pirate and the former bounty hunter, as well as a certain purple-haired princess, and two young men with a strength all of their own.
Nearly everybody else fit into one category of reconstruction or another. Joshua and Mabel Fionn helped lift heavy loads, Delilah and her griffin cleared the rubble, Christina and Nanette helped with carpentry, Ace was in the kitchen, and the cabbits blasted away at anything too big to move. Of course, even with the help of so many, the reconstruction of Tg might have gone on for years to come, had not a certain Juraiian savior come to the rescue the following week.
About seven or eight days into the construction effort, it still seemed as if very little headway was being made. Sure, there was some definite progress, but even with the help of every able-bodied man and woman on the planet, things were running slowly. When the forces of Chief Joseph and President Nezar arrived, things definitely picked up, but what the planet needed was the might of Jurai backing it up, hence Ayeka's call to her father.
In these seven days that had passed, Emperor Asuza had made all effort to dash towards the reviving planet with as much speed as Jurai physics allowed. What little surveillance Tg could now afford was able to detect the Emperor's personal flagship some distance away, and of course Holtz alerted everyone that the Emperor was coming.
No sooner had this news spread, did Ayeka, Sasami, Joseph, Nezar, Holtz, and the entire gang rush to the primitive and hastily-build landing platform. The construction was barely good enough for an Earth shuttle, let alone the mighty flagship of the Emperor of Jurai. However, Asuza's pilots were the best around, and they were able to make do with what Tg had. Everybody, especially Joseph and Nezar, stood outside waiting in anticipation for the mighty one to arrive, and as the ship's platform set down and the announcers proclaimed Asuza's presence on the world, their wait came to a conclusion.
"Father!!" squealed Ayeka. "You made it! And in such a fast time, as well!"
"Good day, Ayeka," said the Emperor with a nod. "…Sasami. It's good to see you too. Ah, is that who I think it is??"
"And just who do you think we are, Asuza?" questioned President Nezar wryly. The three rulers came together for a massive group hug, and kisses were placed on the Emperor's hand as his rank was a step higher than the others'.
"Joseph, Nezar, how long has it really been since we were all in the same place together?" asked Asuza with a smile. The chief and the President both smiled heartily.
"Too long, old friend!" sang Chief Joseph. "Why, I do believe that the last time we were together, Ayeka was just a little baby girl!"
"Then it has been too long," sighed Asuza. He smiled and placed his hands on the shoulders of his friends, but it was bluntly apparent that there was just something missing within the group. One of their numbers was no longer among the living, and this saddened Asuza so much that he actually let out a forlorn sigh.
"It just isn't the same without Armand," he muttered. Just then, perhaps the eldest man of them all stepped forward (at least the oldest-looking), took a bow, and kissed the Emperor's hand.
"Your Most Royal Highness!" sang Holtz. "It has indeed been too long! Your presence alone makes my old heart feel lighter!"
"Well, if it isn't old Holtz!" smiled the Emperor. "At least you're still kicking, old man! I didn't think any of the Stohk's original servants were left here!"
"It is true that many of my brethren turned tail and ran once the master and mistress were killed," sighed old Holtz sadly. "But thankfully, I, their most trusted and loyal servant, have remained here faithfully, keeping a tireless vigil for the return of the master's children. And Asuza, I daresay that my patience has paid off!!"
"Just what are you saying?!" questioned the Emperor. "Are you stating that the lost twin daughters of Armand and Anya are not only alive and well, but here in my very presence?!?!"
"They are indeed!!" declared the old man with a happy smile. "In fact, they are even among those who have come out here to welcome you!!" Asuza's dark eyes lit up in wonder and amazement, and His Royal Highness tilted his head so he could get a better view of his audience. At first, he saw nobody familiar, save for his daughters and two GP officers, and Washu, of course.
"Where are they, Holtz?" he asked. The white-haired old man let out a cough before formally introducing the girls.
"Well… Right over there…" Asuza looked in the direction that he was pointing… but… he did not exactly expect to see what the loyal servant indicated towards. What he saw were not exactly two noble young ladies, each well-bred in some far-off academy, nor did he see the prim and proper damsels that usually churned out of the upper crust mold. No, he did not see anything noble at all, for what he saw was…
"What?! The… the Space Pirate Ryoko!!!" Asuza's dark Imperial eyes widened significantly as he caught sight of the "dreaded" former space pirate, and he actually took a royal step backwards. However, what he saw next was equally shocking, if not more so.
"……And… the… the Bounty Hunter Nagi!!!" Both Nagi and Ryoko--or, as everyone else was now calling them, Nanette and Christina--gave each other a puzzled look before placing their confusion directly on Asuza. The Emperor had a somewhat comical expression of shock on his royal face, which truly would have been funny under any other circumstance.
"…Uhhh…"
"Holtz!!" cried poor Asuza. "What are these two lowlifes doing here?!?! And within such close range of my daughters! And tell me WHY they are not BOTH under ARREST, considering the fact that there are now TWO Galaxy Police force officers here!! Do not tell me that THESE two infidels…"
"Hey!!" snarled Christina. "Watch it! We're not some common mongrel that you can heap insults on! We just happen to have noble blood in our veins!!"
"I-I-I-I-Impossible!!!!" sputtered poor Asuza. "That is impossible--IMPOSSIBLE!!!! Holtz, DO NOT tell me that THESE TWO are……"
"Yes, father," sighed Ayeka wearily. "…As… difficult as it is to believe…… They are… in fact… the long-lost twin daughters of your old comrade, Nobleman Armand Stohk of Tg. They are… ahhh… the, uh, inheritors of their, uh… parent's legacy…"
"Impossible!!" blurted Asuza weakly. "Absolutely… utterly… indubitably… literally… completely… and UNQUESTIONABLY impossible!!!!!!"
"We can prove it," hissed Nanette in a low voice. The beads of sweat marring Emperor Asuza's face grew to the size of gold balls.
"You flea-infested mongrel of an uncouth and questionable bounty hunter! How dare you have the nerve to speak to me like that!!!"
"Emperor Asuza, they are telling the truth!!" hissed President Nezar as he yanked on the royal one's majestic robe. "I myself doubted their claims until Lady Washu laid the proof down for me to see with my own eyes! Master Holtz and Chief Joseph have affirmed it as well!" Poor Asuza, who was comically close to bawling, almost moaned out with sheer disbelief at the maniacal presentation he had suffered himself under. Having been told that one of the most despicable space pirates in the galaxy, and one of the most uncouth bounty hunters in the galaxy, were in fact both the offspring of two well-loved and well-respected friends…… was a little more than he could take.
"It's true," said a squeaky voice below him, and poor Asuza forced his hands to uncover his disbelieving face to see who had spoken. It was the brilliant but deranged genius Washu, and she was holding a clipboard with some papers in it.
"This is the proof," she told him. "It's all here, every last bit of it. I didn't spare a single detail, and I swear on Tsunami's name that it's all accurate." Asuza let out a royal sigh, and took the board from the genius' hands. Slowly, the weary ruler shuffled over to where "Ryoko" and "Nagi" were, and used both of his royal eyes to stare deeply into their faces. Asuza had never actually met either of the women before, and although he had seen their faces on hundreds of wanted posters, he had never really given them a good look.
However, as his old eyes bore into the faces of the former outlaw and former bounty hunter, a very, very old feeling swelled up inside of him. The harder he squinted and studied their faces, the more and more they began to resemble something… It was something very familiar, yet very distant, but if Asuza looked at them in just the right way……
Suddenly, the Great and Glorious Golden Emperor of the Mighty Empire of Jurai let out a gasp.
"It……… it really is true… isn't it?" he whispered. Ryoko and Nagi, or whatever they were being called at the moment, both gave each other another puzzled look. "It IS true!" hissed the Emperor again, and the poor man almost let out a smile. "You…… Oh, by Tsunami, you really do resemble 'them'…! You… Ryoko… you look like Anya… And you, Nagi, you look like your father, just a bit. Oh, I…" The Emperor suddenly felt dizzy, and as his head began to swim and wash over with blurriness, Holtz quickly rushed a chair over to that His Most Elegant Highness would not fall on the ground. He was very near the point of fainting, but given the situation, it was quite understandable.
"…I… think I may need some time alone," he whispered, and slowly, one by one, everyone left Emperor Asuza to brood by himself. He definitely needed some time to think.
Alone in a secluded room, the Great Emperor of Jurai sat, brooded, pondered, and thought, mostly about what had occurred in the past five or so minutes. He, as a man of sound mind and judgment, could be led to believe that the great plague known as Pandemonium could be defeated, and he could believe that the Light Hawk Wings were a key factor in the battle. He could believe that Ayeka and Sasami were staying on Tg to help rebuild it, and he could believe that they had summoned their friends to help in the task. He could even believe that his two old friends, Joseph and Nezar, were in on the deal as well.
But… sometimes even a holy man could have doubts, and this most certainly applied to Asuza. As an Emperor, he also had the right to doubt, and what better thing to doubt than the validity of the claims stated by Holtz? Sure, he trusted the old man very much, and would believe him like a brother, but to be convinced that the infamous Ryoko and the equally-infamous Nagi were really the long-lost twin daughters of the Nobleman of Tg…! There were limits to Asuza's beliefs, and they had been reached that very day.
Perhaps, given time, he would pore over Washu's discoveries and would slowly realize that yes indeed, Nagi and Ryoko really and truly were who they claimed to be, and that they had returned to Tg at long last to guide it out of its most desperate and darkest hour. Believing they were sisters was one thing; believing they were nobles was something completely different. Whatever the case was, Asuza still needed time to think, but perhaps not by himself.
As if to grant some unsaid wish, Tenchi (of all people) came to Asuza's room with a tray of Holtz's finest tea in his hands, and he politely asked if he could come in. Asuza numbly allowed the boy inside, wherein Tenchi offered the stumped Emperor a cup. Asuza took one to calm his nerves, and bade Tenchi to sit.
"Are you one of the few remaining servants left here, boy?" he asked.
"No, sire, I'm actually from Earth."
"Ah. Was that not the place that Ayeka chose to spend her holiday?" Tenchi carefully thought over his answer before speaking. Well, if by "holiday" you mean that she was stranded there against her will, and had to put up with chores and Ryoko and Nagi and a hundred other things…
"Yes," he said truthfully. Asuza grumbled slightly.
"Then I assume that she has made acquaintance with you through some means." Tenchi almost smirked at the last two words. Some means…… riiiiiiiiight!!!
"Yes," he said honestly. Asuza finished a fourth of his tea in a single gulp.
"Holtz's tea has not changed much," he muttered, most likely to himself. Tenchi wanted to agree, but felt it was not yet his place to say such a thing. He had hung around royalty long enough to know not to speak unless spoken to… or else in some great circumstance.
"You know, boy…" sighed the Emperor, "I have always wanted the powers of Jurai and Tg to merge into one. I was hoping that either Armand or myself would have a son or a daughter so the two could marry and permanently seal such an alliance. When I heard that my friends bore twin girls, I was desperately hoping for a son to raise. However, with the birth of Ayeka, and then Sasami, I suppose my chances of an alliance were not looking too well. Unless I had the gall to bend Jurai's rules to an unheard-of level, I didn't think there'd ever be a real merger of the two powers. And now, with the two of them gone for good, it doesn't look like I ever will."
Tenchi remained silent.
"…If only Yosho had had children…" he sighed. This time, Tenchi's interest was caught.
"Yosho?" Asuza took a drink of tea before elaborating.
"My most trusted Admiral and Jurai's champion warrior. He was younger than I, but I've always felt that if I never had a son myself, then he could possibly take over the throne, or else have a child of his own for my Ayeka to marry--and who knows, maybe two? Maybe two…… one for Ayeka, and one for that nutty space pirate…" Asuza let out another sigh and finished his tea, which Tenchi refilled upon request.
"Well," he said (and the boy had to choose his words very carefully), "you may not believe this, but it seems as if I am the grandson of Yosho."
"You what?!" blurted the Emperor. Tenchi nodded his head.
"Yeah--I mean, yes, sire. You see, Yosho is actually my grandfather, my mother's father, and I'm his grandson." The Emperor gave Tenchi an understandably doubtful look, snorted, and drank more of his tea.
"You should not bear false witness against one such as I," he warned. "I will let it slip this one time, but another offense and I could have you killed."
"No, sire, I'm very serious!" insisted the young man. "Here, you can test me!" And without a word from the Emperor, Tenchi stood up and brought out the powerful sword that had been entrusted to him by his grandfather. Asuza's eyes widened to the size of china plates as he recognized the tool.
"You… how did you get that sword?! That is Tenchi, Yosho's own weapon!! How…" Before Asuza could stutter out another word, however, the brilliant blade of Tenchi-Sword ignited, filling the room with a bluish radiance. Asuza's surprised look multiplied several fold as he witnessed this seemingly-common young man ignite one of the most powerful weapons known. Despite his doubts, Asuza knew too well that only the power of Jurai could activate that blade…
And coincidentally, Yosho had such a power within him.
Before Asuza could say anything, however, old man Holtz came in to check up on the liege, but upon seeing the ignited laser sword in Tenchi's hands, he assumed the worst and screeched out in horror.
"Oh, oh! Master Tenchi! What are you doing???" Tenchi's concentration broke as he turned his head towards Holtz, and smiled faintly as he retracted the illuminating blade of Tenchi-Sword.
"Don't worry, Holtz," he assured him, "I'm just demonstrating something to His Highness."
"But only they with the power of Jurai can activate such a tool!" hissed Holtz fearfully. "How is it that you have…"
"He is the grandson of Yosho, Holtz," said Asuza quietly. The Emperor's gaze lowered to the floor for awhile, then back up to Tenchi's, then Holtz's. "…He can activate that weapon."
"……I see," whispered the old man. "So, the only thing that Master Tenchi was doing was proving the validity of his claims? Well, yes, then I suppose I have just now worried over nothing…" The loveable old servant smiled and blushed faintly, and apologized for his behavior, and of course he was forgiven. Suddenly, the twinkle of youth and mischief glinted in the bluish eyes of the old man, and with a faint smile, he rubbed his wrinkled chin in thought.
"Hmmm… Your Highness, please forgive me for saying so, but I have just thought up of an idea!"
"Indulge us, Holtz!" commanded he. "What is it that which you wish to share with us?"
"Well…" Holtz, who was the kind of man who was both a mischievous child and old-fashioned romantic at heart, paused briefly to make sure he had his words right. "…Well… Is it true that His Highness has desired an alliance with Tg for some time?"
"Yes…"
"And is it also true that there are no male heirs in either family?" A pause.
"…Not any in the immediate family," mentioned Asuza. "…Although… Jurai law states that, in certain emergencies, the Emperor's most trusted and most loyal champion may in fact assume the throne if there are no male heirs. This has happened before in the past, so I don't see why we………" He paused for a moment and grew just a little more serious.
"But… well… Yosho has been missing for some time--the real Yosho, I mean. I'm not talking about that imposter Kagato."
"I understand," replied Holtz. "…Then, as Emperor of Jurai, have you acknowledged that this young man is indeed the grandson of the one-and-only Yosho?" A pause. Asuza quietly nodded his head.
"Nobody else could have activated Tenchi," he said. Holtz smiled thinly.
"Then, my dear Emperor, would it not be most suitable for you to… and forgive me for stepping out of such boundaries, but…… would it not be suitable of you to arrange a marriage between the grandson of Yosho and the daughter of your dear friend, Armand Stokh??" Tenchi, poor dear sweet loveable Tenchi, darn near suffered cardiac arrest as he heard old Holtz conspiring with the Emperor of Jurai--and over the affairs of marriage, no less! He was suggesting that Tenchi should marry Ryoko!!!
Yet, for all the shock in Tenchi's system, it couldn't match that of Asuza's.
"Just what are you saying?!?!" blurted the Emperor. "I have little quarrel with this young man, and his own affairs of matrimony are hardly my business, yet you are saying that the grandson of Yosho should marry the infamous space pirate Ryoko?!?! Absurd, Holtz, simply absurd!!!" Poor Holtz frowned in thought, and took a few seconds to polish his spectacles before continuing.
"Lady Christina is no longer the space pirate we all knew and feared. She has transformed into a dignified and warmhearted young woman--reasonably enough--and I myself shall vouch for her!"
"This is absurd…!" hissed Asuza, grabbing his aching royal head with his shivering royal hands. "The grandson of Yosho marrying the space pirate Ryoko…"
"Lady Christina Stohk, Milord," corrected Holtz. "Her name, Emperor, is Lady Christina Stohk, and though I have very few requests to make of you, I do suggest that you address her in her proper manner from this moment forward, and that includes her sister Lady Nanette as well." Asuza's royal face scowled at Holtz's sudden cheek, yet the white-haired gentleman stared right back with just as much stubbornness and pride. Asuza, who had known Holtz for many years, finally let out a sigh and acquiesced to his demands.
"Very well," he muttered. "I may not like it, but… I cannot hide my eyes from the truth. All right, I suppose an arranged marriage is in question…"
"Hey! Just hold on a second!" blurted Tenchi--but as always, the poor young man went unheard. Before said young man could continue in his protest, Asuza gained an idea as well, and shared it with his old friend.
"I have an idea!" he spat. "I know of a way--a rather unorthodox way--that I can allow the merger between Jurai and Tg to continue! Yes! YES!! Holtz! Do you recall the events that surrounded my own marriage??"
"With nauseating ease," chuckled the old man. "Yes, yes, you had been betrothed to Misaki, yet fell in love with Funaho… So the higher brass at the time, God forbid there be anyone higher-up than Your Highness, concluded that it may be best for you to have, erm, two wives…"
"Then the very same principle should apply to this situation as well!" exclaimed the Emperor. Now, poor dear sweet etc. etc. Tenchi was beyond shock; he was appalled. It was absolute insanity, what with the way Holtz and Asuza conspired, especially considering the fact that he was never, not even once, allowed to input his own opinion!!
"…Are you suggesting…"
"I am indeed," answered Asuza. "It is a somewhat uncommon practice, but in this case, I may very well make an exception! Yes, yes… It's altogether possible for my Ayeka to marry Yosho's grandson, and to be his co-wife alongside space pirate--I, uh… I mean… uh… Lady Christina." (Holtz had smiled when Asuza corrected himself.) "Yes, yes, it could very well work! My Ayeka would form an alliance with the descendant of my greatest warrior, wherein he will also be wed to the child of my two friends, Lady Christina! …Unless, of course, he should take vows up with Lady Nanette…"
"No, I think Master Tenchi would prefer marital consummation with Mistress Christina," chuckled Holtz mischievously. "It would seem…… best that way. Besides, Lady Nanette already has a love interest, and I am not so cruel as to persuade her against it. Then, shall we be agreed?"
"Yes," said Asuza as he stuck his hand out to shake Holtz's. "We shall arrange the marriage of Ayeka and Lady Christina to this…… erm… fine young gentleman, Yosho's grandson. 'Tenchi', did you say his name was?"
"That's right," nodded Holtz. The two marital conspirators smiled and shook their hands, leaving poor Tenchi about ready to burst in protest.
"Now hold on a second!!!" he shouted. "Don't I get a say in this??!!" Asuza grunted and gave Tenchi a glare that just screamed, "You should be more grateful, boy!", but Holtz'a gentle smile and soft words were a little more pleasant.
"Oh, young master," he sighed, "would you really be so insensitive as to refuse marriage with those two young ladies, especially considering how close the three of you are?" A pause.
"Well, I, uhh…"
"Lord Tenchi, do you love Lady Ayeka?" Tenchi sighed, but the smile on Holtz's face told him to speak the truth.
"Yes," he said gently, "I do."
"And do you love Mistress Christina?"
"With all my heart."
"And do you feel as if they would get along together?" A pause.
"Honestly, I don't think they can get along without each other!" The merry twinkle in Holtz's eye returned with a vengeance.
"Then, I do not see any problems."
Next chapter: Oh, that Holtz… He has no idea what he's saying, does he? Well, I suppose this scenario was very predictable, but would anybody have it any other way (diehard T/R or T/A shippers don't count)?? The inevitable has happened--and in a very reasonable and understandable way--and Tenchi's gonna find himself right in the middle of one of the biggest weddings in history, poor guy! It's love, laughs, and just a teeny tiny bit of good-natured disasters in the next chapter, "No Need for Matrimony!" It's unquestionably romantic!