Chapter 11 - This Little Piece of Evil
Ryoko arrived on Ryuten nearly hysterical and almost out of control. She ordered Ryo-Ohki into full storming mode, defeating all of Ryuten's planetary defenses and leaving the patrol ships around it buzzing like angry hornets. Only a direct order from Ayeka stopped them pursuing and firing on the speeding ship.
Ryo-Ohki plowed through the atmosphere in a shrieking storm; tortured air pushed violently aside by her passing. The shock wave and trailing sonic boom left a path of broken branches and trees on the forested surface of Ryuten. Alerted to their approach, the group waited for her on a grassy landing area near Takebe's home. Ryo-Ohki appeared on the horizon as a small dot which grew to full size frighteningly quickly and slammed to a stop overhead. Ryoko appeared in front of them even before the sound of her progress arrived.
"WHAT!?" Ryoko demanded of them. "What is it? What's wrong with Tenchi?" Ryo-Ohki appeared on the grass behind her with a 'pop' and began mewing unhappily, running to Sasami.
Spying Tenchi, Ryoko ran to him and took his shoulders in her hands. "What is it Tenchi? Please, tell me!" she cried.
"Ryoko," Tenchi said quietly. "Let's go inside." He put his arm around her shoulders and led her toward Takebe's house. Ryoko let Tenchi lead her; her expression was fearful and her eyes haunted.
Hours later, they were all aboard Ryo-Ohki headed back for Okayama. Ryu-Oh had been left behind, as had Pakma and Kinpa. The mood onboard was bleak and everyone was quiet. Most brooded, looking out into space. Only Washu remained busy, working with her terminal to glean as much knowledge as she could from the scant information she'd been able to collect
Tenchi stood to one side, staring out at the stars streaming by. He heard a small noise and turned to find Ayeka behind him.
"Can I talk to you, Tenchi?" she asked.
"Sure, Ayeka. What is it?"
"Well," Ayeka looked down, speaking carefully. "Those things I said back on Ryuten; I was harsh and perhaps I should not have judged..."
"Ayeka," Tenchi said. She looked up at him. "Ayeka, you were right. I was being selfish and self-centered. I've been thinking, trying to decide how I feel without worrying so much about how everyone else will react, and how that reaction will affect me." He shook his head. "It's hard," he said.
Ayeka put a hand on his arm. "I know Tenchi. But it is important. You can not spend your life avoiding hard decisions and sharp pain. The short sharp pain and quick healing are better than a long festering."
Tenchi nodded. "I know."
"Please, will you share your thoughts with me?" she asked.
Tenchi looked at her for a moment. "I... I feel like you're too close it," he said slowly.
Ayeka nodded her understanding. "Yes, I know. But keep in mind that there is no one in the universe closer to me than you, Sasami and Ryoko. I would like to help resolve this for everyone's benefit, regardless of the outcome."
"What if Washu can't fix whatever's wrong with me?"
"Let us hope that she can. I have faith in her; she is, after all, the greatest scientific genius in the universe. And in the meantime, let me help; please?"
Tenchi sighed and nodded. "This is so hard," he began. "I wish things didn't have to change. It's so nice to have everyone together; part of me wishes we could just stay this way forever."
"Part of you, maybe," Ayeka said. "But most of you knows that nothing lasts forever and that we must all move our lives along. Not to do so is against human nature. Besides, if you really did not want change you would not have worked so hard for college. You would have tried to stay in Okayama forever, working in the carrot fields; the rest of us vying for your attention and fighting. Are things not better now?"
"Yes, of course the are, but they're changing again."
"Yes, they are," Ayeka said. "But again, would you rather we all stayed in school together? Would you sacrifice your career? Would you have me abandon my duties?"
"Of course not, Ayeka. But you know what I mean."
"Yes, I do know. And part of me is sorry that my time at Royal Space Academy is over. Living with Ryoko and Washu for these last years - and all the experiences I had and people I met - have been wonderful. But I am looking forward to seeing what is next."
Tenchi nodded, thinking, looking out into space.
"Tenchi," Ayeka said. "What do you want from your life? Have you considered that?"
"Well, I have and I haven't. I... No... No, I really haven't," he admitted. "My life has been on auto pilot and I've been following it instead of leading it. I didn't make a conscious decision to be an architect; it just sort of happened. I like it and I'm good at it; but I didn't wake up one morning and say: this is what I want to do when I grow up. The job with the firm was the same: they offered me a job, I didn't go to them looking.
"I don't know, Ayeka; sometimes it seems as if I've had so little choice in my life, like everything is out of my hands. It's seemed that way ever since I stole that key from grandpa and woke up Ryoko. One thing has just led to another without any input from me."
"Do you really believe that, Tenchi?" Ayeka said archly. "You think your entire life is in the hands of others?"
"Well..."
"You made the decision to let your curiosity overcome your good sense when you freed Ryoko. You made the decision to help Ryoko when I first captured her. You let Washu stay and invited Mihoshi to come back. You made the decision to fight Seiryo so that Sasami and I could stay. These were all things that took a conscious decision from you, Tenchi. It is true that other things resulted, but the initial choice was yours."
"But how could I have made any other choice? In any of those times? How?"
Ayeka's voice softened and she put a hand on Tenchi's arm.
"These may have been choices you made because you are one of the kindest and most considerate people in the universe; but they were still choices. You could have decided not to free Ryoko, or to let Mihoshi leave or to let Sasami and I return to Jurai. Sometimes..." Ayeka sighed. "Sometimes you have to make hard choices - unpleasant choices - and let people be hurt and disappointed. In the end, it may be better for all."
"Are you saying that it would have been better if I had let you go back to Jurai with your father?" Tenchi said, sounding hurt.
"I do not know, Tenchi," Ayeka said. "But it would have put us at a different place than where we are now. Not necessarily a better place, but a different one."
Tenchi nodded, unhappily thinking about what Ayeka had said. It was true that he had made decisions, but they'd always seemed to him to be the only decisions that he could make. He could no more have let Azusa take Ayeka and Sasami back to Jurai then he could have let Mihoshi fall to her death that day he'd caught her at the hot spring.
True, he could never have allowed harm to come to them; there was no decision there. He would surrender his life for any of them and they all knew that. But what if he had let some of the unpleasant things happen? What if he hadn't fought for Ayeka and Sasami? Azusa would have tried to take them back to Jurai and...
And they would have put up such a fuss that Funaho and Misaki would have forced Azusa to let them stay. Besides, Tenchi had a strong feeling that even though Misaki had asked him to look after them, they were there as much to look after him. Or keeping an eye on him.
But, it would have made their status a little clearer; Ayeka would have given up on him as a suitor because he wouldn't fight for her, leaving him to deal only with Ryoko and maybe Sasami.
Which is where he was now, anyway.
Tenchi sighed, maybe it was destiny...
"Thanks, Ayeka. I appreciate it," he said.
"You are welcome, Tenchi."
They arrived in Okayama at mid-day. It was high summer; the air was hot and the cicadas were screaming in the trees.
As soon as their feet hit the ground Washu grabbed Tenchi by the arm and dragged him toward the house. "Come on, Tenchi; let's not waste any time," she said.
"But Washu! I have to help with the luggage," he protested.
"Nonsense! They'll take care of it, won't you girls?"
"Absolutely," Ayeka said. The others nodded and Tenchi allowed himself to be led away.
In a few moments, they were in Washu's lab and approaching a familiar set of restraints and scanners. "Oh, Washu, not again," Tenchi said.
"I'm sorry, Tenchi," Washu said, "but for now this is the best tool I've got. I'll design a better one as soon as I can."
Tenchi sighed. "All right. But do I really have to take my clothes off this time?"
Washu smiled. "This time? Yes, you really need to take your clothes off. I need a detailed scan with some very delicate instruments. I'm afraid clothes will only get in the way." Tenchi sighed, looking put out. "But if you're shy, you can keep your shorts on."
"Thanks," Tenchi said with a relieved smile.
A little while later, Washu released the restraints and Tenchi stumbled out of the machine. "You could have mentioned that you'd be using the restraints," he said with a reproving tone.
"Those were very delicate readings," Washu said. "I couldn't have you moving and throwing them off."
"Still," Tenchi said.
"I still need more time to analyze these readings. Why don't you run along for now. Don't hold dinner for me."
"Okay, Washu," Tenchi said. "Thanks."
"Sure, anytime," Washu said, already distracted by her work.
It was many hours later, late in the evening, when Washu finally emerged from her lab. She flagged down Mihoshi - the first person she saw - and asked her to gather everyone so that she could talk to them.
A few moments later they were all sitting in the living room and Washu came in. The look on her face was very serious as she stood in front of the group and addressed them.
"There's no good way to say this, so I'll just say it: Tenchi is dying."
Their response was immediate: some reacted angrily, some with tears; only Katsuhito remained passive. After the initial roar died down, he spoke up, "Miss Washu, what exactly is the problem and why can't you fix it?"
Washu sighed heavily. "This is very hard for me. Being the greatest scientific genius in the universe and being unable to do anything - especially for someone I care about as much as I do you, Tenchi." She looked at Tenchi sadly, guiltily.
Tenchi smiled, a little wanly, "It's not your fault Washu."
"Nevertheless..." she said. "But to answer your question: he's been given a nano-poison. It works on the subatomic level, altering the cells of the nervous system; degrading the myelin sheaths and the interneural connections until all nerve pathway activity has ceased. At that point, even autonomic activities like breathing and heartbeat stop. Tenchi has already lost forty percent of his nerve function."
Again, the noise from the group rose; Washu waited.
"When I discovered the culprit," she continued after they quieted again. "I immediately designed a nanotech device to defeat the poison and restore the damage. However, whoever created this was very clever. The poison randomly changes patterns as it reproduces itself and degrades Tenchi's nerves. My nanites can destroy it and make repairs, but the randomness means that they're constantly having to re-analyze and adapt. This lowers their effectiveness to such a degree that they're losing ground to the poison, slowly but surely.
"In other words, all I can do is slow the process. I can't stop it and I can't reverse it." Washu hung her head.
"How long, Washu?" Ryoko asked.
"Yes Miss Washu, how long will Tenchi live?" Ayeka chimed in.
Washu looked from face to face, then straight at Tenchi. "By my best calculations, Tenchi has less than six months to live."
"No!" The shout from Ryoko stopped them all. "I won't believe it! I can't! It's not... Run your damn tests again, Washu!"
Washu sighed. "Ryoko, I've run these tests more times than I want to think about. If I wasn't absolutely certain about what I'm saying, I wouldn't be saying it. I'm sorry."
"Oh..." Ryoko said quietly. And with a 'pop', she disappeared from the room.
"Ryoko!" Tenchi shouted. He stood and started for the door.
"Let her be, Tenchi," Washu said. "I'll go look for her in a bit. But for now, she needs some space." Tenchi stopped, nodded and sat back down.
"Who would do this?" Mihoshi asked. They looked at her in surprise. "What?" she asked.
"What did you say, Mihoshi?" Tenchi asked her.
"I said, 'Who would do this?'" Mihoshi said. "Who would want to kill Tenchi?"
"Why does that matter now?" Ayeka asked.
"Well, as a Galaxy Police First Class Detective charged with the responsibility of enforcing the law in this sector, when a crime has been committed it matters to me."
"How will that help cure him?" Ayeka said. "Washu, are you certain there is nothing you can do?"
Washu shrugged. "No. There is certainly a pattern to these random changes in the poison; if I had the original algorithm that was used to create it, I could engineer an antidote."
Mihoshi stood up and announced, "I don't mean to be rude, but I have duties to perform. You are all material witnesses to this crime so I'll expect you all to make yourselves available for interviews."
She walked over to Tenchi and said, "Tenchi, will you be available in a little while?"
Tenchi looked confused. "Uh, sure, I guess," he said.
Mihoshi nodded. "Good. I'll be back." She strode from the room, leaving silence behind her.
"Miss Washu," Katsuhito asked. "Is there anything Tenchi should do now to help keep himself healthy?"
Washu shook her head. "No, there's really nothing. I'd suggest that he be careful of falling and overtiring himself; but other than that, nothing he does will make any difference." Washu stood. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go find my daughter."
Mihoshi entered her room and began searching for her control cube. Moving stacks of books and piles of clothes, she worked her way around the room.
"I know I put it here somewhere!"
It finally emerged from under her pillow. Once she had it, she contacted Yukinojo.
"Yes, Mihoshi," he replied.
"Yukinojo, a crime has been committed. Tenchi has been poisoned."
"Prince Tenchi has been poisoned?" Yukinojo asked.
"Yes. Please inform headquarters that I'm on the case."
"But, Mihoshi," Yukinojo said.
"No 'buts', Yukinojo. And prepare the ship for deep space."
"Yes, Mihoshi," Yukinojo said.
Mihoshi closed communications.
"Now, where is my uniform?" she said.
Washu found Ryoko sitting atop the entrance to her cave. Ryoko was sitting with her legs drawn up, her hands locked around them and her face pressed against her knees. Washu sat next to her, saying nothing for a long time.
"Want to talk?" Washu asked finally.
Ryoko shook her head.
Washu sighed and put her arm around Ryoko. "Talk to me, Ryoko."
"What will I do when he's gone?" she asked without moving her head, her voice muffled. "There'll be nothing for me."
"Don't say that, Ryoko. There's an entire universe out there. You've only seen a little bit of it and, as wonderful as he is, Tenchi is only one person."
Ryoko lifted her head, her face puffy and her eyes red-rimmed. "No, Washu. He's not one person, he's the only person."
"Ryoko-"
"Washu, you don't understand how I feel."
"I do, Ryoko," Washu said quietly.
"How can you?"
Washu shrugged. "How can any person understand another person? How can any mother understand her daughter? I just do."
"You can't," she replied, pulling away. "You can't understand how I feel about him; how important he is to me. He is my universe. You just can't know what that's like."
Washu smiled. "I think every child thinks that her parents can't understand what her life is like," she replied, pulling Ryoko back.
Ryoko began crying then. "What will I do? What will happen to me?" she asked.
"I don't know, my Little Ryoko. I don't know," Washu said. "But don't give up yet. Don't give up on Tenchi; don't give up on me."
Ayeka found Sasami weeping piteously on her futon.
She entered Sasami's room and shut the door behind her. She sat next to her sister and put a hand on her head. "Oh, Sasami," she said.
Sasami turned and wrapped her arms around Ayeka's waist, her face pressed against Ayeka's stomach. "It's not fair, Ayeka! It's not fair. Why Tenchi?"
"I do not know, Sasami," Ayeka said gently. "But you must not lose hope."
"I'll try, Ayeka, but I can't stand the thought of Tenchi dying," Sasami cried. "And just when... Just when..." she began weeping again.
"Just when what, Sasami?" Ayeka asked. But her sister was crying too hard to answer.
It was late when Tenchi heard the light knock on his door. "Come in," he called; he hadn't been sleeping. The door slid aside and Mihoshi entered, dressed in her gray and blue Galaxy Police Detective's uniform.
"Mihoshi!" Tenchi said. "Did you get called away?"
"No, Tenchi," Mihoshi replied. "I've taken your case on behalf of the Galaxy Police. May I come in?"
"Yes, please," Tenchi said, a little surprised.
"Very well. Do you mind if I sit down?"
"No, please sit down."
Mihoshi sat on the edge of the bed next to Tenchi and pulled the white fluff ball off the hip of her uniform. Activated, it morphed into cube form. Mihoshi twisted it hesitantly. "Uh... Like this? No. How about this?" After a few moments, she smiled happily saying, "Here we go!"
"Okay, Tenchi Masaki interview, First Class Detective Mihoshi Kuramitsu conducting." She looked at Tenchi and smiled.
"Mr. Masaki, do you have any idea who might have poisoned you?"
"No, I don't," Tenchi replied.
"Do you have any enemies?" Mihoshi asked.
"Umm... I guess I have some, but I think they would have challenged me or something." Tenchi shrugged.
"And according to Professor Washu you have how l-l-l..."
Suddenly, Mihoshi's eyes welled with tears and her lower lip began to tremble. Almost before Tenchi realized it, she was sobbing uncontrollably, her head in her hands. Tenchi slid closer to her on the couch and put his arm around her.
"Mihoshi. Please, don't cry."
"I'm s-s-sorry Tenchi," she managed to choke out. "I promised myself I wouldn't do this, that I wouldn't make this any harder on you. That I wouldn't get upset and make a fool out of myself."
"Hey, Mihoshi," Tenchi said kindly, rubbing her back. "I don't think you're foolish."
Mihoshi's sobbing began to fade and she looked up at him. "You don't," she said between hiccups, wiping her eyes.
Tenchi smiled at her. "No. I think you're kind and that you wear your heart on your sleeve, but I don't think you're foolish."
Mihoshi smiled a little at Tenchi's words. "You don't think I'm sort of a ditz?" she asked, her eyes wide and her expression hopeful.
Tenchi thought for a second, trying to decide what to say.
"Oh, no! You do think I'm a ditz!" Mihoshi wailed. She began crying again.
"No, wait, Mihoshi!" Tenchi said. "I'm sorry, but I never even thought of you like that before, so I didn't know what to say. Please! I don't think you're a ditz."
Mihoshi looked up, her eyes full of fresh tears. "What do you think of me then?"
Tenchi slid off the bed and knelt facing Mihoshi. Putting a hand on either of her shoulders, he looked into her eyes and said, "Mihoshi, I think you're one of the kindest, gentlest, most genuine people I've ever met. You're always upbeat and even when things look bad, you're the first one to insist that everything will turn out okay. And you always seem to be right. I'm happy and proud to know you and call you my friend."
Mihoshi smiled for a second, then wailed, "Oh Tenchi!" and threw her arms around him, hugging him tightly and breaking into tears again. "That's the nicest thing anyone's ever said to me!" she snuffled wetly into his ear.
Tenchi felt himself falling off balance, not really prepared to support Mihoshi's weight. "Uh, Mihoshi... Mihoshi! I'm fa-" he gasped, then Tenchi fell over onto his back, arms flailing, dragging Mihoshi with him.
"Oof!" his impact with the floor stunned him and Mihoshi's landing on top left him gasping for breath, stars swimming in his vision. "Ooh..." he moaned, squinting his eyes in pain.
"Oh! Oh, Tenchi!" Mihoshi cried. "Oh, I'm so sorry! Are you okay?"
Tenchi nodded weakly, gritting his teeth and closing his eyes; a wave of nausea had taken him and he waited for it to pass. As it did, he realized the he lay flat on his back on the floor and that Mihoshi was laying on top of him; she hadn't moved in the few seconds he had taken to rest and still had her arms around him. He opened his eyes and found that Mihoshi's face was only a few inches from his, her eyes full of concern.
"Tenchi, are you okay?" she asked softly. Tenchi noticed her breath smelled faintly like spearmint and that the hair that had spilled out of her uniform cap smelled like flowers.
Tenchi nodded weakly a few times, his eyes locked with hers. She nodded in rhythm with him and when he stopped asked, "Are you sure?"
Tenchi nodded again and, again, Mihoshi nodded in kind. There was a pause, a moment when they simply looked into each other's eyes.
"Tenchi..?" Mihoshi said softly.
"Yes..." Tenchi said hesitantly.
Mihoshi licked her lips and took a deep breath. When she did, Tenchi noticed again that Mihoshi was laying fully atop him and that her breasts were pressed against his chest, her belly against his belly and her hips against his hips. Tenchi was inescapably reminded that not only was Mihoshi a Galaxy Police First Class Detective and a friend, that she was a woman.
Very much a woman.
"Tenchi..." she said breathily. Tenchi noticed that the look in her eyes had changed from concern to something else and that her face moved a tiny bit closer to his, their lips very close.
"Mihoshi!" Tenchi squeaked.
Mihoshi stopped and looked at him intently. Then she said in a firm voice, "Now you listen to me Tenchi Masaki. For a long time I hoped that you'd surprise everyone and choose me. I hoped, and I waited and I loved you from a distance. I didn't want to crowd you or push you. I wanted you to see me for what I was in your own time. But you didn't."
"Mihoshi, I-" Tenchi started.
"Hush," she ordered. "Now, I don't love you like that any more; now you're just a dear, dear friend. But I still want you Tenchi, very much. And with the way things are, with what's happened..."
Mihoshi closed the tiny gap between them and pressed her lips against Tenchi's. Tenchi's breath caught and for a second he tensed, then he relaxed, savoring the feel of her soft lips against his, the touch of her breath and the strands of her hair brushing against his face.
After a moment, Mihoshi broke the kiss and looked at him. "Mihoshi," Tenchi said. "Mihoshi, you're very beautiful; I'm not blind, I have noticed. But I always thought it should be someone I was in love with."
Mihoshi giggled. "Oh, Tenchi! It doesn't always have to be about love..."
She kissed him again and Tenchi found that he didn't have anything else that he really needed to say to Mihoshi right then - or for many moments after. And he found that while he'd always thought of Mihoshi as sweet and perhaps a little naive, he was wrong and in some ways she was very knowledgeable; and a kind and patient teacher.
Later, he lay sated and sleepy and covered in a sheen of sweat. Mihoshi kissed him and said, "Tenchi, that was wonderful. You're sure that was your first time?"
Tenchi nodded. "Yes, pretty much. It's not that I've never... Uh... Fooled around with a girl before; but that was a lot more... Uh..."
"It's okay," Mihoshi said. "I know what you mean. And now," she said, sitting up, "I have to get ready to go." She stood and started putting on her clothes. "I need to get started if I'm going to figure this out."
"Figure what out?"
"Who did this to you, Tenchi. If we can find the culprit, we can get him to cure you." She brushed at her hair with a hand until it fell into place and settled her cap onto her head. She studied her appearance in a mirror and, satisfied, turned to Tenchi.
"I, First Class Detective Mihoshi of the Galaxy Police Force, am on the case!" And with a salute, she turned smartly on her heel and left the room.
"Good luck!" Tenchi called. "Oh, boy..." he said quietly, not sure if he should worry about Mihoshi, the culprit or the entire universe.
Ryoko was sitting cross legged on a beam over the living room. Her brow was furrowed and her expression was agitated. Ryo-Ohki was sleeping on the couch below her. The TV was on.
Mihoshi took all this in at a glance as she strode into the living room. She stood for a moment, her feet apart and her hands on her hips and then, with a grunt, stepped toward Ryoko.
"All right, Ryoko!" she said. "Come down! Let's get going!"
Ryoko glanced down in annoyance, then floated to the floor in front of Mihoshi. "What?"
"Ryoko Hakubi, I am deputizing you in the Galaxy Police under my authority as Sector Patrol Officer," Mihoshi said in an authoritative voice. "Please raise your right hand."
"What?" Ryoko asked. "Mihoshi, what is this all about?"
"Ryoko, I need your help if I'm going to figure out who did this to Tenchi. So, I need to deputize you. Raise your right hand please, and repeat after me..."
"Ha ha! If you think I'm going to let you do that to me, you're being even denser than normal!"
Mihoshi stepped forward and clutched her hands in front of her. "Ryoko, I'm serious."
"Ha ha ha!" Ryoko laughed. "That's even funnier. Mihoshi, the Galaxy Police stuck you in this backwater area for a reason, did you forget that? What about all those times you almost killed us all by accident? Like the time with the rice cooker? And the damage to Washu's lab? How many times have you sunk your shuttle in the pond?"
As Ryoko spoke, Mihoshi grew visibly upset and her eyes welled with tears.
"Get real, Mihoshi," Ryoko concluded. "You're little more than a space traffic cop and you're not really very good at that-"
As Ryoko spoke, Mihoshi's expression changed from chagrin and upset to resolve and a little anger. Suddenly, her gloved hand cracked across Ryoko's face with a dull pop. Ryoko blinked in surprise, lifting her hand to her reddening cheek. Then her eyes narrowed. "What the hell, Mihoshi?" she snarled.
But rather than be intimidated, Mihoshi grabbed a fistful of Ryoko's shirt and pulled her close until their faces were only a few inches apart. "Listen to me, Ryoko: I know I've had problems in the past and when we have a chance I'll tell you exactly why that was. But right now if we want to help Tenchi we need to find the one who poisoned him. Then maybe - just maybe - we can get the antidote."
For a long moment they just looked at each other, then Ryoko nodded slowly and said, "What do we do first?"
Ryoko arrived on Ryuten nearly hysterical and almost out of control. She ordered Ryo-Ohki into full storming mode, defeating all of Ryuten's planetary defenses and leaving the patrol ships around it buzzing like angry hornets. Only a direct order from Ayeka stopped them pursuing and firing on the speeding ship.
Ryo-Ohki plowed through the atmosphere in a shrieking storm; tortured air pushed violently aside by her passing. The shock wave and trailing sonic boom left a path of broken branches and trees on the forested surface of Ryuten. Alerted to their approach, the group waited for her on a grassy landing area near Takebe's home. Ryo-Ohki appeared on the horizon as a small dot which grew to full size frighteningly quickly and slammed to a stop overhead. Ryoko appeared in front of them even before the sound of her progress arrived.
"WHAT!?" Ryoko demanded of them. "What is it? What's wrong with Tenchi?" Ryo-Ohki appeared on the grass behind her with a 'pop' and began mewing unhappily, running to Sasami.
Spying Tenchi, Ryoko ran to him and took his shoulders in her hands. "What is it Tenchi? Please, tell me!" she cried.
"Ryoko," Tenchi said quietly. "Let's go inside." He put his arm around her shoulders and led her toward Takebe's house. Ryoko let Tenchi lead her; her expression was fearful and her eyes haunted.
Hours later, they were all aboard Ryo-Ohki headed back for Okayama. Ryu-Oh had been left behind, as had Pakma and Kinpa. The mood onboard was bleak and everyone was quiet. Most brooded, looking out into space. Only Washu remained busy, working with her terminal to glean as much knowledge as she could from the scant information she'd been able to collect
Tenchi stood to one side, staring out at the stars streaming by. He heard a small noise and turned to find Ayeka behind him.
"Can I talk to you, Tenchi?" she asked.
"Sure, Ayeka. What is it?"
"Well," Ayeka looked down, speaking carefully. "Those things I said back on Ryuten; I was harsh and perhaps I should not have judged..."
"Ayeka," Tenchi said. She looked up at him. "Ayeka, you were right. I was being selfish and self-centered. I've been thinking, trying to decide how I feel without worrying so much about how everyone else will react, and how that reaction will affect me." He shook his head. "It's hard," he said.
Ayeka put a hand on his arm. "I know Tenchi. But it is important. You can not spend your life avoiding hard decisions and sharp pain. The short sharp pain and quick healing are better than a long festering."
Tenchi nodded. "I know."
"Please, will you share your thoughts with me?" she asked.
Tenchi looked at her for a moment. "I... I feel like you're too close it," he said slowly.
Ayeka nodded her understanding. "Yes, I know. But keep in mind that there is no one in the universe closer to me than you, Sasami and Ryoko. I would like to help resolve this for everyone's benefit, regardless of the outcome."
"What if Washu can't fix whatever's wrong with me?"
"Let us hope that she can. I have faith in her; she is, after all, the greatest scientific genius in the universe. And in the meantime, let me help; please?"
Tenchi sighed and nodded. "This is so hard," he began. "I wish things didn't have to change. It's so nice to have everyone together; part of me wishes we could just stay this way forever."
"Part of you, maybe," Ayeka said. "But most of you knows that nothing lasts forever and that we must all move our lives along. Not to do so is against human nature. Besides, if you really did not want change you would not have worked so hard for college. You would have tried to stay in Okayama forever, working in the carrot fields; the rest of us vying for your attention and fighting. Are things not better now?"
"Yes, of course the are, but they're changing again."
"Yes, they are," Ayeka said. "But again, would you rather we all stayed in school together? Would you sacrifice your career? Would you have me abandon my duties?"
"Of course not, Ayeka. But you know what I mean."
"Yes, I do know. And part of me is sorry that my time at Royal Space Academy is over. Living with Ryoko and Washu for these last years - and all the experiences I had and people I met - have been wonderful. But I am looking forward to seeing what is next."
Tenchi nodded, thinking, looking out into space.
"Tenchi," Ayeka said. "What do you want from your life? Have you considered that?"
"Well, I have and I haven't. I... No... No, I really haven't," he admitted. "My life has been on auto pilot and I've been following it instead of leading it. I didn't make a conscious decision to be an architect; it just sort of happened. I like it and I'm good at it; but I didn't wake up one morning and say: this is what I want to do when I grow up. The job with the firm was the same: they offered me a job, I didn't go to them looking.
"I don't know, Ayeka; sometimes it seems as if I've had so little choice in my life, like everything is out of my hands. It's seemed that way ever since I stole that key from grandpa and woke up Ryoko. One thing has just led to another without any input from me."
"Do you really believe that, Tenchi?" Ayeka said archly. "You think your entire life is in the hands of others?"
"Well..."
"You made the decision to let your curiosity overcome your good sense when you freed Ryoko. You made the decision to help Ryoko when I first captured her. You let Washu stay and invited Mihoshi to come back. You made the decision to fight Seiryo so that Sasami and I could stay. These were all things that took a conscious decision from you, Tenchi. It is true that other things resulted, but the initial choice was yours."
"But how could I have made any other choice? In any of those times? How?"
Ayeka's voice softened and she put a hand on Tenchi's arm.
"These may have been choices you made because you are one of the kindest and most considerate people in the universe; but they were still choices. You could have decided not to free Ryoko, or to let Mihoshi leave or to let Sasami and I return to Jurai. Sometimes..." Ayeka sighed. "Sometimes you have to make hard choices - unpleasant choices - and let people be hurt and disappointed. In the end, it may be better for all."
"Are you saying that it would have been better if I had let you go back to Jurai with your father?" Tenchi said, sounding hurt.
"I do not know, Tenchi," Ayeka said. "But it would have put us at a different place than where we are now. Not necessarily a better place, but a different one."
Tenchi nodded, unhappily thinking about what Ayeka had said. It was true that he had made decisions, but they'd always seemed to him to be the only decisions that he could make. He could no more have let Azusa take Ayeka and Sasami back to Jurai then he could have let Mihoshi fall to her death that day he'd caught her at the hot spring.
True, he could never have allowed harm to come to them; there was no decision there. He would surrender his life for any of them and they all knew that. But what if he had let some of the unpleasant things happen? What if he hadn't fought for Ayeka and Sasami? Azusa would have tried to take them back to Jurai and...
And they would have put up such a fuss that Funaho and Misaki would have forced Azusa to let them stay. Besides, Tenchi had a strong feeling that even though Misaki had asked him to look after them, they were there as much to look after him. Or keeping an eye on him.
But, it would have made their status a little clearer; Ayeka would have given up on him as a suitor because he wouldn't fight for her, leaving him to deal only with Ryoko and maybe Sasami.
Which is where he was now, anyway.
Tenchi sighed, maybe it was destiny...
"Thanks, Ayeka. I appreciate it," he said.
"You are welcome, Tenchi."
They arrived in Okayama at mid-day. It was high summer; the air was hot and the cicadas were screaming in the trees.
As soon as their feet hit the ground Washu grabbed Tenchi by the arm and dragged him toward the house. "Come on, Tenchi; let's not waste any time," she said.
"But Washu! I have to help with the luggage," he protested.
"Nonsense! They'll take care of it, won't you girls?"
"Absolutely," Ayeka said. The others nodded and Tenchi allowed himself to be led away.
In a few moments, they were in Washu's lab and approaching a familiar set of restraints and scanners. "Oh, Washu, not again," Tenchi said.
"I'm sorry, Tenchi," Washu said, "but for now this is the best tool I've got. I'll design a better one as soon as I can."
Tenchi sighed. "All right. But do I really have to take my clothes off this time?"
Washu smiled. "This time? Yes, you really need to take your clothes off. I need a detailed scan with some very delicate instruments. I'm afraid clothes will only get in the way." Tenchi sighed, looking put out. "But if you're shy, you can keep your shorts on."
"Thanks," Tenchi said with a relieved smile.
A little while later, Washu released the restraints and Tenchi stumbled out of the machine. "You could have mentioned that you'd be using the restraints," he said with a reproving tone.
"Those were very delicate readings," Washu said. "I couldn't have you moving and throwing them off."
"Still," Tenchi said.
"I still need more time to analyze these readings. Why don't you run along for now. Don't hold dinner for me."
"Okay, Washu," Tenchi said. "Thanks."
"Sure, anytime," Washu said, already distracted by her work.
It was many hours later, late in the evening, when Washu finally emerged from her lab. She flagged down Mihoshi - the first person she saw - and asked her to gather everyone so that she could talk to them.
A few moments later they were all sitting in the living room and Washu came in. The look on her face was very serious as she stood in front of the group and addressed them.
"There's no good way to say this, so I'll just say it: Tenchi is dying."
Their response was immediate: some reacted angrily, some with tears; only Katsuhito remained passive. After the initial roar died down, he spoke up, "Miss Washu, what exactly is the problem and why can't you fix it?"
Washu sighed heavily. "This is very hard for me. Being the greatest scientific genius in the universe and being unable to do anything - especially for someone I care about as much as I do you, Tenchi." She looked at Tenchi sadly, guiltily.
Tenchi smiled, a little wanly, "It's not your fault Washu."
"Nevertheless..." she said. "But to answer your question: he's been given a nano-poison. It works on the subatomic level, altering the cells of the nervous system; degrading the myelin sheaths and the interneural connections until all nerve pathway activity has ceased. At that point, even autonomic activities like breathing and heartbeat stop. Tenchi has already lost forty percent of his nerve function."
Again, the noise from the group rose; Washu waited.
"When I discovered the culprit," she continued after they quieted again. "I immediately designed a nanotech device to defeat the poison and restore the damage. However, whoever created this was very clever. The poison randomly changes patterns as it reproduces itself and degrades Tenchi's nerves. My nanites can destroy it and make repairs, but the randomness means that they're constantly having to re-analyze and adapt. This lowers their effectiveness to such a degree that they're losing ground to the poison, slowly but surely.
"In other words, all I can do is slow the process. I can't stop it and I can't reverse it." Washu hung her head.
"How long, Washu?" Ryoko asked.
"Yes Miss Washu, how long will Tenchi live?" Ayeka chimed in.
Washu looked from face to face, then straight at Tenchi. "By my best calculations, Tenchi has less than six months to live."
"No!" The shout from Ryoko stopped them all. "I won't believe it! I can't! It's not... Run your damn tests again, Washu!"
Washu sighed. "Ryoko, I've run these tests more times than I want to think about. If I wasn't absolutely certain about what I'm saying, I wouldn't be saying it. I'm sorry."
"Oh..." Ryoko said quietly. And with a 'pop', she disappeared from the room.
"Ryoko!" Tenchi shouted. He stood and started for the door.
"Let her be, Tenchi," Washu said. "I'll go look for her in a bit. But for now, she needs some space." Tenchi stopped, nodded and sat back down.
"Who would do this?" Mihoshi asked. They looked at her in surprise. "What?" she asked.
"What did you say, Mihoshi?" Tenchi asked her.
"I said, 'Who would do this?'" Mihoshi said. "Who would want to kill Tenchi?"
"Why does that matter now?" Ayeka asked.
"Well, as a Galaxy Police First Class Detective charged with the responsibility of enforcing the law in this sector, when a crime has been committed it matters to me."
"How will that help cure him?" Ayeka said. "Washu, are you certain there is nothing you can do?"
Washu shrugged. "No. There is certainly a pattern to these random changes in the poison; if I had the original algorithm that was used to create it, I could engineer an antidote."
Mihoshi stood up and announced, "I don't mean to be rude, but I have duties to perform. You are all material witnesses to this crime so I'll expect you all to make yourselves available for interviews."
She walked over to Tenchi and said, "Tenchi, will you be available in a little while?"
Tenchi looked confused. "Uh, sure, I guess," he said.
Mihoshi nodded. "Good. I'll be back." She strode from the room, leaving silence behind her.
"Miss Washu," Katsuhito asked. "Is there anything Tenchi should do now to help keep himself healthy?"
Washu shook her head. "No, there's really nothing. I'd suggest that he be careful of falling and overtiring himself; but other than that, nothing he does will make any difference." Washu stood. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go find my daughter."
Mihoshi entered her room and began searching for her control cube. Moving stacks of books and piles of clothes, she worked her way around the room.
"I know I put it here somewhere!"
It finally emerged from under her pillow. Once she had it, she contacted Yukinojo.
"Yes, Mihoshi," he replied.
"Yukinojo, a crime has been committed. Tenchi has been poisoned."
"Prince Tenchi has been poisoned?" Yukinojo asked.
"Yes. Please inform headquarters that I'm on the case."
"But, Mihoshi," Yukinojo said.
"No 'buts', Yukinojo. And prepare the ship for deep space."
"Yes, Mihoshi," Yukinojo said.
Mihoshi closed communications.
"Now, where is my uniform?" she said.
Washu found Ryoko sitting atop the entrance to her cave. Ryoko was sitting with her legs drawn up, her hands locked around them and her face pressed against her knees. Washu sat next to her, saying nothing for a long time.
"Want to talk?" Washu asked finally.
Ryoko shook her head.
Washu sighed and put her arm around Ryoko. "Talk to me, Ryoko."
"What will I do when he's gone?" she asked without moving her head, her voice muffled. "There'll be nothing for me."
"Don't say that, Ryoko. There's an entire universe out there. You've only seen a little bit of it and, as wonderful as he is, Tenchi is only one person."
Ryoko lifted her head, her face puffy and her eyes red-rimmed. "No, Washu. He's not one person, he's the only person."
"Ryoko-"
"Washu, you don't understand how I feel."
"I do, Ryoko," Washu said quietly.
"How can you?"
Washu shrugged. "How can any person understand another person? How can any mother understand her daughter? I just do."
"You can't," she replied, pulling away. "You can't understand how I feel about him; how important he is to me. He is my universe. You just can't know what that's like."
Washu smiled. "I think every child thinks that her parents can't understand what her life is like," she replied, pulling Ryoko back.
Ryoko began crying then. "What will I do? What will happen to me?" she asked.
"I don't know, my Little Ryoko. I don't know," Washu said. "But don't give up yet. Don't give up on Tenchi; don't give up on me."
Ayeka found Sasami weeping piteously on her futon.
She entered Sasami's room and shut the door behind her. She sat next to her sister and put a hand on her head. "Oh, Sasami," she said.
Sasami turned and wrapped her arms around Ayeka's waist, her face pressed against Ayeka's stomach. "It's not fair, Ayeka! It's not fair. Why Tenchi?"
"I do not know, Sasami," Ayeka said gently. "But you must not lose hope."
"I'll try, Ayeka, but I can't stand the thought of Tenchi dying," Sasami cried. "And just when... Just when..." she began weeping again.
"Just when what, Sasami?" Ayeka asked. But her sister was crying too hard to answer.
It was late when Tenchi heard the light knock on his door. "Come in," he called; he hadn't been sleeping. The door slid aside and Mihoshi entered, dressed in her gray and blue Galaxy Police Detective's uniform.
"Mihoshi!" Tenchi said. "Did you get called away?"
"No, Tenchi," Mihoshi replied. "I've taken your case on behalf of the Galaxy Police. May I come in?"
"Yes, please," Tenchi said, a little surprised.
"Very well. Do you mind if I sit down?"
"No, please sit down."
Mihoshi sat on the edge of the bed next to Tenchi and pulled the white fluff ball off the hip of her uniform. Activated, it morphed into cube form. Mihoshi twisted it hesitantly. "Uh... Like this? No. How about this?" After a few moments, she smiled happily saying, "Here we go!"
"Okay, Tenchi Masaki interview, First Class Detective Mihoshi Kuramitsu conducting." She looked at Tenchi and smiled.
"Mr. Masaki, do you have any idea who might have poisoned you?"
"No, I don't," Tenchi replied.
"Do you have any enemies?" Mihoshi asked.
"Umm... I guess I have some, but I think they would have challenged me or something." Tenchi shrugged.
"And according to Professor Washu you have how l-l-l..."
Suddenly, Mihoshi's eyes welled with tears and her lower lip began to tremble. Almost before Tenchi realized it, she was sobbing uncontrollably, her head in her hands. Tenchi slid closer to her on the couch and put his arm around her.
"Mihoshi. Please, don't cry."
"I'm s-s-sorry Tenchi," she managed to choke out. "I promised myself I wouldn't do this, that I wouldn't make this any harder on you. That I wouldn't get upset and make a fool out of myself."
"Hey, Mihoshi," Tenchi said kindly, rubbing her back. "I don't think you're foolish."
Mihoshi's sobbing began to fade and she looked up at him. "You don't," she said between hiccups, wiping her eyes.
Tenchi smiled at her. "No. I think you're kind and that you wear your heart on your sleeve, but I don't think you're foolish."
Mihoshi smiled a little at Tenchi's words. "You don't think I'm sort of a ditz?" she asked, her eyes wide and her expression hopeful.
Tenchi thought for a second, trying to decide what to say.
"Oh, no! You do think I'm a ditz!" Mihoshi wailed. She began crying again.
"No, wait, Mihoshi!" Tenchi said. "I'm sorry, but I never even thought of you like that before, so I didn't know what to say. Please! I don't think you're a ditz."
Mihoshi looked up, her eyes full of fresh tears. "What do you think of me then?"
Tenchi slid off the bed and knelt facing Mihoshi. Putting a hand on either of her shoulders, he looked into her eyes and said, "Mihoshi, I think you're one of the kindest, gentlest, most genuine people I've ever met. You're always upbeat and even when things look bad, you're the first one to insist that everything will turn out okay. And you always seem to be right. I'm happy and proud to know you and call you my friend."
Mihoshi smiled for a second, then wailed, "Oh Tenchi!" and threw her arms around him, hugging him tightly and breaking into tears again. "That's the nicest thing anyone's ever said to me!" she snuffled wetly into his ear.
Tenchi felt himself falling off balance, not really prepared to support Mihoshi's weight. "Uh, Mihoshi... Mihoshi! I'm fa-" he gasped, then Tenchi fell over onto his back, arms flailing, dragging Mihoshi with him.
"Oof!" his impact with the floor stunned him and Mihoshi's landing on top left him gasping for breath, stars swimming in his vision. "Ooh..." he moaned, squinting his eyes in pain.
"Oh! Oh, Tenchi!" Mihoshi cried. "Oh, I'm so sorry! Are you okay?"
Tenchi nodded weakly, gritting his teeth and closing his eyes; a wave of nausea had taken him and he waited for it to pass. As it did, he realized the he lay flat on his back on the floor and that Mihoshi was laying on top of him; she hadn't moved in the few seconds he had taken to rest and still had her arms around him. He opened his eyes and found that Mihoshi's face was only a few inches from his, her eyes full of concern.
"Tenchi, are you okay?" she asked softly. Tenchi noticed her breath smelled faintly like spearmint and that the hair that had spilled out of her uniform cap smelled like flowers.
Tenchi nodded weakly a few times, his eyes locked with hers. She nodded in rhythm with him and when he stopped asked, "Are you sure?"
Tenchi nodded again and, again, Mihoshi nodded in kind. There was a pause, a moment when they simply looked into each other's eyes.
"Tenchi..?" Mihoshi said softly.
"Yes..." Tenchi said hesitantly.
Mihoshi licked her lips and took a deep breath. When she did, Tenchi noticed again that Mihoshi was laying fully atop him and that her breasts were pressed against his chest, her belly against his belly and her hips against his hips. Tenchi was inescapably reminded that not only was Mihoshi a Galaxy Police First Class Detective and a friend, that she was a woman.
Very much a woman.
"Tenchi..." she said breathily. Tenchi noticed that the look in her eyes had changed from concern to something else and that her face moved a tiny bit closer to his, their lips very close.
"Mihoshi!" Tenchi squeaked.
Mihoshi stopped and looked at him intently. Then she said in a firm voice, "Now you listen to me Tenchi Masaki. For a long time I hoped that you'd surprise everyone and choose me. I hoped, and I waited and I loved you from a distance. I didn't want to crowd you or push you. I wanted you to see me for what I was in your own time. But you didn't."
"Mihoshi, I-" Tenchi started.
"Hush," she ordered. "Now, I don't love you like that any more; now you're just a dear, dear friend. But I still want you Tenchi, very much. And with the way things are, with what's happened..."
Mihoshi closed the tiny gap between them and pressed her lips against Tenchi's. Tenchi's breath caught and for a second he tensed, then he relaxed, savoring the feel of her soft lips against his, the touch of her breath and the strands of her hair brushing against his face.
After a moment, Mihoshi broke the kiss and looked at him. "Mihoshi," Tenchi said. "Mihoshi, you're very beautiful; I'm not blind, I have noticed. But I always thought it should be someone I was in love with."
Mihoshi giggled. "Oh, Tenchi! It doesn't always have to be about love..."
She kissed him again and Tenchi found that he didn't have anything else that he really needed to say to Mihoshi right then - or for many moments after. And he found that while he'd always thought of Mihoshi as sweet and perhaps a little naive, he was wrong and in some ways she was very knowledgeable; and a kind and patient teacher.
Later, he lay sated and sleepy and covered in a sheen of sweat. Mihoshi kissed him and said, "Tenchi, that was wonderful. You're sure that was your first time?"
Tenchi nodded. "Yes, pretty much. It's not that I've never... Uh... Fooled around with a girl before; but that was a lot more... Uh..."
"It's okay," Mihoshi said. "I know what you mean. And now," she said, sitting up, "I have to get ready to go." She stood and started putting on her clothes. "I need to get started if I'm going to figure this out."
"Figure what out?"
"Who did this to you, Tenchi. If we can find the culprit, we can get him to cure you." She brushed at her hair with a hand until it fell into place and settled her cap onto her head. She studied her appearance in a mirror and, satisfied, turned to Tenchi.
"I, First Class Detective Mihoshi of the Galaxy Police Force, am on the case!" And with a salute, she turned smartly on her heel and left the room.
"Good luck!" Tenchi called. "Oh, boy..." he said quietly, not sure if he should worry about Mihoshi, the culprit or the entire universe.
Ryoko was sitting cross legged on a beam over the living room. Her brow was furrowed and her expression was agitated. Ryo-Ohki was sleeping on the couch below her. The TV was on.
Mihoshi took all this in at a glance as she strode into the living room. She stood for a moment, her feet apart and her hands on her hips and then, with a grunt, stepped toward Ryoko.
"All right, Ryoko!" she said. "Come down! Let's get going!"
Ryoko glanced down in annoyance, then floated to the floor in front of Mihoshi. "What?"
"Ryoko Hakubi, I am deputizing you in the Galaxy Police under my authority as Sector Patrol Officer," Mihoshi said in an authoritative voice. "Please raise your right hand."
"What?" Ryoko asked. "Mihoshi, what is this all about?"
"Ryoko, I need your help if I'm going to figure out who did this to Tenchi. So, I need to deputize you. Raise your right hand please, and repeat after me..."
"Ha ha! If you think I'm going to let you do that to me, you're being even denser than normal!"
Mihoshi stepped forward and clutched her hands in front of her. "Ryoko, I'm serious."
"Ha ha ha!" Ryoko laughed. "That's even funnier. Mihoshi, the Galaxy Police stuck you in this backwater area for a reason, did you forget that? What about all those times you almost killed us all by accident? Like the time with the rice cooker? And the damage to Washu's lab? How many times have you sunk your shuttle in the pond?"
As Ryoko spoke, Mihoshi grew visibly upset and her eyes welled with tears.
"Get real, Mihoshi," Ryoko concluded. "You're little more than a space traffic cop and you're not really very good at that-"
As Ryoko spoke, Mihoshi's expression changed from chagrin and upset to resolve and a little anger. Suddenly, her gloved hand cracked across Ryoko's face with a dull pop. Ryoko blinked in surprise, lifting her hand to her reddening cheek. Then her eyes narrowed. "What the hell, Mihoshi?" she snarled.
But rather than be intimidated, Mihoshi grabbed a fistful of Ryoko's shirt and pulled her close until their faces were only a few inches apart. "Listen to me, Ryoko: I know I've had problems in the past and when we have a chance I'll tell you exactly why that was. But right now if we want to help Tenchi we need to find the one who poisoned him. Then maybe - just maybe - we can get the antidote."
For a long moment they just looked at each other, then Ryoko nodded slowly and said, "What do we do first?"