Previously on Continuum T:
Everything happened, really. Tenchi advanced to a Supreme Saiyan, evolved to his God form, and was awarded the highest recognition from every major planet in the galaxy. At the moment he's at home in Okayama, living his same life on Earth. Surprisingly, the girls haven't changed much knowing that Tenchi is now God, but he doesn't really seem to care that he is, so I guess it's all right then.
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Continuum T, Part XII – Loose Ends
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Calm. Nothingness. Serene.
Space distorted as a being appeared in emptiness. Three other beings also appeared shortly afterwards.
"Why have you called us here?" the tall blue haired woman asked.
"We must discuss your situations," God replied.
"What about them?" the red haired woman asked.
"You three. I know all about your arguments. I know you are rivals."
"So?" the third woman asked, she with light brown hair.
"Why?"
The women paused. There was a perfectly valid reason. They just hadn't had to explain it recently though.
"I'll help you. It's a power struggle, right?" God asked.
The women nodded.
"We want to know who the strongest of us three are," Tokemi said.
"Maybe if you tell us, the rivalry will dissipate," Washu said.
"Ah, but it won't, will it?" Tenchi said. "You'll just carry on fighting anyway, to try and prove that each of you is the strongest."
"But who is the strongest of the Trinity?" Tsunami asked.
"None are," Tenchi said bluntly. "You are all equally relevant."
"Relevant?" Tokemi asked.
"But why is relevance an indication of strength?" Washu asked.
Tenchi looked round at the three goddesses in front of him. "You do not remember how you came to exist at all," he said. "But the fact is, I created you."
"But you were only born about eighteen years ago," Washu said.
"Maybe I should be more specific. I created you in the sense that you were created in what in the main dimension is the past. However I haven't actually done it yet. In my sense, I will create you, and the Multiverse, sometime in my future."
"But how is that possible?" Tsunami asked.
"I have mastery of time," Tenchi said. "At some point in the future I shall go back through time and create existence, and of course, you."
"But what did you mean by relevance?" Tokemi asked.
"When I shall created you, I knew of your rivalry," Tenchi said, shamelessly splitting tenses. "So I shall made you equal, both in strength and relevance. The thing is, life can only exist when the three parts of life exist. The soul, the mind and the body all must be present for life to be. The essences of each of these three are inside you. As long as you are still existing, thus so can life too exist."
"What does all this have to do with our strengths?" Washu asked.
"Washu," Tenchi said, looking at the red haired adult woman in front of him. "Surely at least you can follow this through. If one of you were weaker than the others, then due to the rivalry they would have been destroyed. The essence inside them would also have gone, so removing all life within reality. If there was no life, you wouldn't exist, and then neither would I."
"And so you couldn't have become God, gone back in time and created the Multiverse," Washu said, realisation dawning.
"And everywhen would have instantly disappeared in a puff of impossibility," Tenchi said. "That is why I created you all equal: so that reality wouldn't never existed."
There was a silence. Tsunami spoke up.
"What will you do with us?" she asked.
"I'm going to ask you a question," Tenchi replied. "Do you still want the task of retaining the essences of life? I can create more deities to continue in your stead. You may become humans, to live normal lives, or do whatever you want. Do any of you want that?"
There was a silence in the darkness, inconceivably lit, despite the entire dimension being only ten metres in radius and completely empty, aside from the four deities.
"No," Tsunami said.
"Nor do I," Tokemi said.
Washu was slow to respond. "Can I keep my existence as it is now?" she asked.
"You have done for twenty thousand years, and it hasn't stopped reality from ever existing," Tenchi said.
"Then I choose that," Washu said. "The majority of my powers can remain in the gems for all I care."
"Very well," Tenchi said. "You know, you two can do that as well," he said to Tsunami and Tokemi.
"We know," Tokemi said.
"We would rather stay as we are."
"Okay then. Now promise me you won't try any more fights," Tenchi said.
"We give our word by the Trinity," the three said in unison.
"Fine. I believe you." Tenchi moved back. "You may leave."
They did so, the void filling in the space they had been occupying.
Tenchi disappeared.
Calm. Nothingness. Serene.
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Sometime later, Tenchi woke up. He slowly opened his eyes, processing each small area he saw individually. After a few seconds he registered blue. Now Tenchi knew that blue shouldn't be there. If he was right, there should be a ceiling behind that blue. He tilted his head slightly and saw a nose. It was a nice nose, not too showy, but nicely understated. Two eyes were framing this nose a bit higher up. There was white, as with most eyes, surrounding a yellow oval, like a cat's. There were many billions of people with yellow eyes in the galaxy, but he only knew of one who would be blocking his view of the ceiling.
"Morning, Ryoko," Tenchi managed, stifling a yawn, at least until he dragged his hand over his mouth.
"Good morning, Tenchi," Ryoko smiled. She moved away slightly to let Tenchi sit stiffly up.
Tenchi did so, and shook his head, clearing his head of sleep, at least temporarily. He performed his daily stretch of his arms, and pulled aside his covers to swing his legs to the side of his bed. Ryoko was carefully watching all of this. Tenchi looked up at her, now able to see everything in his range of vision at once.
"Do you mind, Ryoko?" he asked. "I need to get dressed."
"Oh, I don't mind if you do that," Ryoko replied, still smiling.
"Very funny. Out," he said, jerking his head towards the door.
"If you insist," Ryoko said, pretending to pout. "I'll be right outside if you need help with anything."
Ryoko drifted backwards and out of the door. Tenchi stood up and walked shakily over to his wardrobe, where he pulled out a clean set of clothes for the day. He pulled on the clothes and opened the door, only to see a red bolt of energy fly straight past his nose. Blue electricity crackled past him from the other direction.
Tenchi knew better than to break up the fight. He walked straight through the electricity towards the stairs. The sparking strikes distorted themselves around Tenchi as he walked through, pushed aside by the invisible energy barrier Tenchi was creating. Tenchi proceeded downstairs and walked into the kitchen.
"Oh, good morning, Tenchi!" Sasami greeted.
"Morning, Sasami," Tenchi said. He poked his head over her shoulder and looked at what she was cooking. "What's for breakfast?" he asked, reaching a hand towards the pan.
Sasami slapped it with a serving spoon. "You're going to have to wait," she said. "You're not getting breakfast early. Wait until it's ready."
Tenchi sighed. "But I'm hungry," he moped playfully. "Why can't I have something to eat?"
"Because you'll spoil your appetite," Sasami said.
"I can never eat too much of your cooking, Sasami," Tenchi said, nestling into her neck and squeezing her waist.
Sasami giggled and tapped his head with the spoon. "Stop that," she said. "I need to put breakfast out."
"Okay," Tenchi sighed. He released her and picked up some plates, which he placed around the table. He helped with the rest of the preparation, and Sasami called everyone to breakfast.
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The usual events occurred at breakfast. Ryoko and Ayeka were trying to annoy each other, in between trying to get Tenchi's attention. Sasami was talking with Tenchi about cooking techniques around the galaxy. Washu was quiet, as usual. Mihoshi was helping herself to the food. She stood up to get something from the kitchen, unaware that her clothes had become caught underneath her plate, so when she quickly stood up, her plate went flying, along with all the food on it. They all paused in mid-flight and moved back onto the plate, which rested back down in her place.
"Thanks, Tenchi," Mihoshi said. She went out to the kitchen.
Tenchi watched as she went, and caught sight of Washu. She was looking at Tenchi, which in itself wasn't unusual, but there was something about her look. Tenchi knew what it was though, and nodded at her. Washu just nodded back, smiling. Tenchi had let her stay who she was, and she was grateful to him for it.
"Tenchi, what shall we do today?" Ryoko asked.
"Today, I thought we'd go to Jurai," Tenchi said. "I've got something I want to ask your father, Ayeka."
"You've decided what you want from daddy?" Ayeka asked.
"That's right," Tenchi replied. "When should we go?"
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About eleven o'clock as it happened. Tenchi had instantly translocated everyone to the planet, inside Ayeka's bedroom, where they wouldn't be noticed.
They all went into the Throne Room. The Emperor of Jurai and his two wives were there. Currently they were speaking with a high official of the Jurai-GXP Confederate. Apparently they were near the end of their meeting, as the official bowed and left while they were walking through the room.
The Emperor spotted Tenchi and the group and stood up.
"Hello, Tenchi," he greeted.
"Hey," Tenchi said. "You know Ayeka and the others, right?"
Sasami stifled a giggle.
"I'm just kidding," Tenchi said, waving an arm dismissively. "I'm actually here to see if you can do something for me."
"I said before, just name it," the Emperor said.
"Well, I was wondering if we could name our baby after you," Tenchi said.
There was a shocked silence. The Emperor's expression changed from pleasure to shock, then to anger, without actually moving his muscles.
"I'm sorry. That's just a joke," Tenchi said. Behind him Sasami tried her best to contain a laugh. "You know I wouldn't do that to your daughter."
"Did you come here for a reason, or are you just here to joke around?" the Emperor asked, sitting down again.
"No, honestly, there is something I want to ask you," Tenchi said. He turned round. "Hey, girls? If you don't mind, this is a private discussion."
"Sure, Tenchi," Ryoko said.
"I guess we'll just go somewhere else then," Washu said.
"See ya, Tenchi!" Mihoshi said.
"We'll just go and do something else while we wait for you," Ayeka said.
Sasami didn't say anything, as she was too busy trying not to laugh. Tenchi just winked at her, causing her to redouble her self-control as she hurried outside.
"I'm going to marry one of them," Tenchi said, mainly to himself. He turned the Emperor and Empresses.
"Sir, and ladies, there are a couple of things I want to ask you. It involves myself and my friends."
"What is it?" Funaho asked.
"Well, before that, just know that this isn't definite. I may do it, or I may not, so this is just to tell myself that I can if I want."
"What?" the Emperor asked.
"Ayeka and Sasami. I want to know if it would be okay for me to marry them."
Misaki stood up and hugged Tenchi. "Oh, I'm so proud! My little boy is going to get married! And to my daughters as well!"
"Please remember what I said, mom," Tenchi said. The family terms were more symbolic than anything. It was easier to say that than 'great grand-nephew' or 'great grand-aunt'.
"He's right," Funaho said. "He just wants to know if it's alright for him to do so."
"Right," Tenchi said. "I appreciate the affection, but can you get off now?"
Misaki released him and sat back down. Tenchi took a much-welcome breath of air and continued.
"So, would it be alright with you?" Tenchi asked.
"I think so," the Emperor said. He looked to his wives for confirmation of his decision. "Yes. You have our permission and best wishes to marry Ayeka or Sasami."
"Thank you," Tenchi said, bowing. "Can I therefore assume that it would be alright if I decided to marry any of the other girls?"
"Yes, you may," the Emperor said. "I can see that you care for them a lot. You have our blessing to marry any of them."
"Thank you," Tenchi repeated, bowing again. "I just wanted to make sure that it would be alright, you see, so that if I did decide to marry any of them, I would know that I had your support."
"It's the least we can do," the Emperor said. "After all, you did save the Universe from destruction."
"Ah," Tenchi said. "Is that why you're saying yes? Just because I'm God?"
"Why should that make a difference?"
"I want to know if I can marry any of the girls," Tenchi said. "I don't want to be able to do so just because of something I have done. I want you to tell me if I can based on how you would feel about it, not on what you think about me. Please, I want an honest decision."
"Oh, well," the Emperor stopped. "In that case we need to discuss this."
"Okay. I'll just go then." Tenchi turned to go.
"Tenchi..."
Tenchi turned his head back. Funaho had called him.
"We'll let you know soon," she said.
Tenchi nodded his head towards her and went out.
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Ayeka was in her room, and the others were walking through the Palace gardens. Tenchi went to see Ayeka first.
"Did you get what you wanted?" she asked.
"I'm told I'll know soon," Tenchi replied.
"It must have been something serious, then, if they're thinking about it that much," Ayeka said.
"Oh, it is."
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They caught up with the others in the gardens as they were walking back.
"So what did you ask, Tenchi?" Mihoshi asked.
"I asked if he could abdicate the Throne and let me be Emperor instead," Tenchi said. He grinned when he saw their reactions. "I'm just kidding," he said.
Sasami was busy trying to breath without releasing her breath, and so her laughter.
"Tenchi, you're doing a lot of kidding recently," Ryoko said. "What's up with that?"
"Nothing really," Tenchi said. "It's just that I realised that the best part of life is laughter. I'm just enjoying myself, and entertaining Sasami at the same time."
Sasami couldn't hold her breath any longer. She let it all out and gasped for air between laughing.
"See what I mean? She found what I said funny, at least."
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They had returned to the Palace and were relaxing in what could vaguely be approximated to a lounge, if a lounge was anything like the size of several entire houses and had ridiculously expensive furniture dotted around.
Tenchi went up to Sasami and whispered into her ear. "Hey Sasami. Do you want to have some fun?"
"Like what, Tenchi?" Sasami whispered back. They were far enough away to not be heard at all.
"Do you want to play a trick on Ayeka?"
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Tenchi and Sasami went into an adjacent room. No-one else was there, so they spoke normally.
"Do you want to turn invisible?" Tenchi asked.
"Really? How?"
"Well, I'm going to do it for us, but once I have we can play tricks on the others."
"What kind of tricks?"
"I don't know. Maybe holding things up in front of them. They'll look as if they're floating."
Sasami giggled. "Or what about if we make spooky noises? That'll scare them!"
Tenchi laughed. "Hey, why not? Okay, I'm going to make us invisible. You're still going to be able to see me and everything else, but everything invisible you see will have a bit of a glow. Ready?"
Sasami nodded. Tenchi waved his arm, and the two faded. As Sasami saw it, a glow appeared around Tenchi. Tenchi looked at Sasami.
"We're invisible now," Tenchi said. "Shall we?" He gestured towards to the door to the other room.
Sasami nodded again and they went into the other room, where the others were still relaxing. Tenchi gestured for Sasami to be quiet, and sneaked over to Ayeka. He blew gently on her hair. Ayeka stirred slightly. Tenchi blew again, harder this time, and Ayeka turned round and looked straight at him.
Actually, she looked straight through him. She was trying to find the open window that was letting the breeze in. She couldn't see one, so she turned back round.
That's when Tenchi brushed his hand against her cheek.
Ayeka yelped and jumped out of her chair, backing away quickly. The other three looked at her in curiosity.
Sasami went to Ryoko and tugged her hair slightly. Ryoko also stood up and faced her chair.
Tenchi went over to the chair Ayeka was sitting on, a large red velvet heavy-looking chair and picked it up by the leg. He moved it around slowly, giving the impression that it was floating. He slowly moved it towards Ayeka, who was staring at it in fear.
A set of doors opened and one of the servants walked in. He bore a message from the Emperor.
"Excuse me, but I'm looking for Lord Tenchi," he said, before spotting the floating chair. He froze to the spot.
Tenchi reappeared, ending the invisibility, holding the chair up. He put it down and walked over to the servant. Sasami, now also visible, was laughing hard.
"You have a message for me?" Tenchi asked.
"Y, yes, sir," the servant stammered.
"Well?"
"The Emperor says 'Yes'," the servant said, stuttering badly.
"Thank you, Gendo," Tenchi said.
Gendo bowed quickly and deeply, before backing out of the room as quickly yet politely as possible.
"Have a nice day, Gendo," Tenchi called after him. He looked at the others, who were still frozen in shock. "What?"
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Everyone was now back on Earth. Tenchi was in his room, busy contemplating the one most important thing he had realised since his evolution. It was his choice. He now knew exactly what, and who, it was. At the moment, he was thinking about when to tell everyone.
Tenchi sensed something, distracting him. He looked round his room. Whatever he could sense was in there with him. He used his foresight to look into the future slightly, to see what he was going to say.
"Oh, it's you, Aki," he said. Due to the facts of time, he knew that was the right thing to say, since he had seen himself saying it just now.
Hello, Tenchi, Aki communicated.
"I see you're still following me round," Tenchi said.
I'm just interested in you, especially now that you've become a god.
"Correction, Aki," Tenchi said. "I am The God."
Fair enough, Aki said. So how is it?
"It's okay, I guess," Tenchi said idly. "Sure, I have unlimited powers now, but most of the time I don't even use them. I guess I just like my life like it is. But how are you?"
Dead.
"Aside from that. What have you been up to since I killed you?"
I killed myself, remember? Anyway, I've just been floating round here, enjoying the view, that sort of thing.
"I take it you've had plenty of time to reflect on your actions."
Oh yes, Aki said. As a matter of fact, I've decided to become good. I've managed to focus the evil inside me and encase it, locking it up forever.
"Can I just say that you are nothing at the moment? You have no body to lock up your evil in."
In my mind, then. A body is just a vessel, after all.
"That's true."
It's the mind that determines good and evil.
"Again, true. It is the consciousness that determines the self, after all."
That's very nice, but can we get off the spiritual enlightenment, please? It's not really my kind of thing.
"Nor mine, actually. I have all the enlightenment there is."
A silence followed this. Tenchi was now following Aki's mind directly, his eyes moving around the room to follow the nothingness position of Aki's mind, from where he existed. He spoke up.
"So why did you suddenly decide to talk to me now?" he asked.
I just wanted to get in touch, Aki said. You know, to let you know how I'm doing and all.
Tenchi thought for a moment, sensing Aki's mind. "You want your body back, don't you?"
What?
"Don't bother lying. Even you should know better than to lie to God," Tenchi said, grinning.
Boy, you're really enjoying this God stuff, aren't you? More publicity and rewards than you know what to do with.
"Get real. I've already given most of my rewards to charity, and as for the publicity, so what? I had a lot of that as the Masked Man a year ago. It's basically like that."
Of course. I believe you.
"But seriously, you do want your body back, don't you?" Tenchi asked.
Can you do that?
"Sure. It's only a little trip back in time to retrieve your body, after all. Remember when I was at my second evolutionary state, and your body was lying on the ground? I pointed my hand at it and it disappeared."
I thought you vaporised it.
"No. I said later, when I was fighting K'oko, that my robot form couldn't focus energy attacks, which is why I was hopping around for a while trying to slash him with a sword."
So what happened to my body?
"I took it," Tenchi said. "At some point in the future I go back in time and whisk it away back to the present."
There was a short disturbance in the middle of the room, and Tenchi's God form appeared, crouching in front of Aki's beaten up body. The God form looked up at Tenchi.
"Here you go, Aki," the God form said. "One body, just as it was after you died."
"See?" Tenchi said. "I told you I'd do it."
"Yeah, you go now," the God form said. "You know what to do."
"Okay," Tenchi said. "See you later."
"You mean, be me later."
"And I'll remember to say that," Tenchi grinned. He glowed white, and evolved to his God form. He raised two fingers to his forehead in the instant translocation stance and vanished.
"So here you go, Aki," the remaining Tenchi said. "One body, just as you remember it."
What happened there?
"Well, I can see that some people might not be temporally adept, so I'll explain. The past me, who you were talking to when I arrived, went back into the past, picked up your body and came back. I'm the one you were talking to a minute ago. I just came back before I left to have some fun."
But doesn't that cause a paradox?
"Not when you're God, it doesn't," Tenchi said. "Everything worked out, and nothing was changed. It's all the same in the end. But enough about time. Here's your body."
You mean you really are going to give me my body back?
"Why wouldn't I? I trust you when you say that you're good now. But as always there is one catch."
What catch?
"How do you feel about haloes?"
You mean, the ring of light that some religions have over the main people?
"That's it. It actually symbolises that the wearer has died, but has been allowed to keep their body."
Who allows it?
"God. So, me."
So, what do I do?
"Just wait for me to heal your body," Tenchi said. "Then position yourself somewhere inside your brain. I'll link you from there."
Tenchi placed a hand over Aki's chest, and the wounds disappeared. He looked up.
"You do want your arm back, right?" he asked.
Of course.
"Just checking." He returned to healing. The missing limb faded in from nowhere. After a few seconds the body was as good as alive.
"Now just hop into your brain. You'll feel a tingling feeling, and then you can open your eyes. Breathing and everything will be automatic."
Tenchi sensed Aki move his essence into his head. Tenchi closed his eyes and concentrated, his arms pointed towards the body.
Aki opened his eyes. At first the light was overwhelming, but he quickly adapted. He looked at Tenchi.
"Hey there, Aki," Tenchi said. "Do you need any help?"
"I do remember how to get up," Aki said, before realising that he had spoken without trying to remember how.
"Since you just spoke, I'll leave you to it." Tenchi stood up and moved away from him. He glowed white and his form changed slightly. He had regressed to his normal human form.
Aki stood up, quite quickly given that he hadn't moved his body for weeks. He walked over to Tenchi's bed and sat down. He cocked his head as a noise emerged from him, a sort of low rumbling sound.
"It's not surprising that you're hungry," Tenchi said. "Come on. I'm sure Sasami can get you something to eat. Trust me, she's a great cook."
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Aki couldn't agree more. He had literally inhaled the small meal Sasami had made for him. She was scared at first, but Tenchi had explained that it was all right, so she made up a snack for him. In between mouthfuls Aki was relating his life up until he met Tenchi.
Aki had been born on the planet Vegeta, a warrior planet, to a surrogate family. At the age of six he began to show signs of serious spiritual energies. Obviously he had some irrelevant abilities earlier than this, such as being able to talk from birth, but once he began to release his spiritual energies and use them to their maximum, he advanced rapidly through training regiments, becoming ever stronger.
At the age of fourteen he was the strongest on the planet. Having very recently tapped into his Saiyan transformation, he quickly became bored with one easy victory after another in fights, and so he stowed away on a freighter ship to another planet, Endor 3. It was a cold snowball of a planet, with only a small mining colony near the upper pole. Aki spent the next eighteen months training against the harsh temperatures and inhabitable conditions, during which time he ascended to a Super Saiyan. When he realised that he was now the strongest fighter in the galaxy, barely including the entire Jurai Royal Family, he made his way to the core planet of Jurai, central hub of the whole galaxy. There he learned of Tenchi, the unknown hero who had defeated Kagato on his home turf. He quickly learned more about this person, and later decided to find him and challenge him.
Aki hopped from planet to planet, edging closer to Earth. He competed in tournaments to win money that funded his journey, and secretly advanced to the status of a Hyper Saiyan. Soon he had earned enough to persuade a friendly owner of a Midget-class ship to take him to Earth. The journey was one way only, as the captain didn't want the Galaxy Police's attention. The Midget dropped Aki off in the middle of Asia, where there were no people to witness the landing. Instead of flying straight to Tenchi, even though he knew where Tenchi was, he suppressed his energy and hiked to China. It was a long hike, and took him several weeks, but he had endured worse. He arrived in Hong Kong, where he booked a plane ride to Tokyo, Japan. He arrived there about two days before he met Tenchi. From there he walked to Okayama, and then to Tenchi's house, taking offers of rides along the way.
"So you've been around, huh?" Sasami asked.
"Oh, you know, some places," Aki replied, polishing off his meal.
"Have you ever been to Kormanet?" Sasami asked. "It's a beautiful planet. All the coastlines are beaches. It's great fun."
"Kormanet," Aki mused. "No, I don't remember it."
"I'm sure I could take us," Tenchi said.
"Oh yes!" Sasami said excitedly. "Let's make it a weekend trip. The sunrise is so great."
"Sure," Tenchi said.
"I take it you've been out a lot, visiting other planets since you became a God," Aki said.
"The God," Tenchi corrected again. "And not really. We've only been to Jurai, and only once, a couple of days ago."
"Oh. Well, that was fantastic, Sasami," Aki praised. "I can honestly say this is the best food I have ever tasted, even though I've never heard of apples before."
"They only grow on Earth, you know," Tenchi said. "Just like the Jurai Trees only grow on Jurai, or wherever their owner has allowed them to root."
"That's interesting," Aki said.
"Actually, did you know that Sasami here makes the best food in the quadrant?" Tenchi asked.
"No I don't," Sasami said. "You just made that up."
"Honestly, I didn't. I know everything about food, and I know that you are one of the top five best cooks in the whole galaxy. Actually, you're third. But third's still very impressive."
"No wonder that was so nice," Aki said. "Thank you again."
It was at about this exact moment that Ryoko walked in, backwards, shouting at Ayeka not to change the television channel. She turned round and froze.
"Hello, Ryoko," Tenchi and Aki said together. They looked at each other and laughed.
Ryoko just stayed there.
"Ryoko, you remember Aki, right?" Tenchi said. "I gave him his body back, so he's as good as alive again."
Ryoko tried to say something, but her stuttering wouldn't let her.
"Don't worry, I'm good now," Aki said, standing up. "I promise I won't try and kill anyone again." He offered her his hand to shake.
Ryoko pulled away and moved towards Tenchi. "Tenchi, why is he here? I thought you killed him," she whispered.
"He did," Aki said.
"Ryoko, I trust him," Tenchi said. "I can see straight through anyone, and I know he means it. I gave him his body back because he asked me nicely. Now be nice to him."
Aki still had his hand raised in friendship. Ryoko hesitantly took it. Aki brought her hand to his mouth and kissed it. A blur followed this, and Aki's head jerked sideways, revealing an appearing red hand-shaped mark.
"Boy, that was hard," Aki said, laughing slightly.
"Ryoko," Tenchi hissed.
"He shouldn't have done that. He knows I'm yours," Ryoko said, glaring at the clone.
"He was just being polite," Tenchi said.
"True," Aki said. "I'm as polite as they come."
"Excuse me?" Tenchi said. "Here's me, knowing everything at all about manners."
"But do you know how to apply them?" Aki asked.
"Hey, how much do you want your body?" Tenchi asked jokingly. "Just watch it."
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Aki met the others, with conversations on about the same lines. They all talked for a while, getting to know him, until it grew dark. Then, of course, it was time to go to sleep.
"Sleep?" Aki asked. "But you're God."
"Doesn't mean I don't need sleep," Tenchi replied, removing his shirt. He threw it into a clothesbasket in a corner of his room. Aki was sharing with him for that night. "In this form I'm still human, despite what you might think."
"I guess. I don't know why I thought that."
"Never mind. Get to sleep now. You're going to have to get up early to avoid the explosions."
"Explosions?"
"You'll see," Tenchi said, climbing into his bed. "Have you decided what you want to do with your new body yet?"
Aki sat on his own bed, specially made by Washu. "I don't know," he sighed. "Maybe I could go cruise the galaxy for a bit. You know, visit all these places I've heard about, like Kormanet."
"Sounds good," Tenchi said. "But you're still going to have to get up early."
"Yes, you mentioned the explosions. What do you mean?"
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It was early the next morning. The sun had not yet risen over the mountains, so all was still dark. In Tenchi's room, the God and his clone were sleeping. Tenchi's bed had been rotated and Aki's bed moved in, so both bed heads lay against the wall previously occupied by the side of Tenchi's bed. Aki turned and ended up on his back.
Two golden eyes flashed in the darkness. Ryoko had come for a visit. She moved up to the first bed and looked down at the figure on it. She then turned round and looked at the other figure on the other bed. Since Tenchi had healed Aki, including all of his old scars, they now looked identical. Obviously there were a few differences, but none distinguishable in this low light. Aki's halo lay through the wall, as it was only for show and wasn't physically made of anything, so she couldn't see it to tell which was which. Ryoko looked between the two and couldn't make up her mind. She shrugged and faded out.
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Morning occurred, loosely defined as the moment when the sun appears above the horizon and slowly begins to make its way bravely across the sky. Light shone across the treetops, across the lake and over a large house illogically situated on the remote side of the aforementioned lake. At least on the other side, about two miles away was the edge of the local town, but no. This house was surrounded by mountains and a lake. Oh, and trees. Lots of trees.
This house happened to be the Masaki house.
And as happened most mornings, when the sun begins to spread its warmth to the area, explosions threatened to destroy the house. Even now, a small red beam of light smashed a window and exploded just outside, causing cracks in the two adjacent panes.
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Aki woke up suddenly, to find himself surrounded by loud bangs and the sounds of various breaking items, all mingled together in a symphony of unpleasant noises. He sprang from his bed and formed a small ball of energy in his hand, looking round for the cause.
Tenchi walked in. He had just taken a shower, and was coming back into his room, drying his hair. He barely had time to raise an absorber field in front of him before Aki shot him with his energy.
"Sorry," Aki said.
"I saw it coming," Tenchi replied. "I still trust you. Remember what I said about the explosions? It's only Ryoko and Ayeka fighting."
"That's them? I didn't think the princess fought."
"Oh yes," Tenchi said. "You should see her when she's annoyed with Ryoko. This is kind of a daily routine."
"But why do they fight at all?"
"Exercise. Because of me. Habit. Basically they used to fight over who was best suited for me, and even though I've said I love them all, they haven't stopped this."
"Okay," Aki said slowly. He looked through the closed door, sensing what was going on. Tenchi turned and looked in the same direction.
"Do you want me to get them to stop?" Tenchi asked. "It's hazardous to anyone else's life if they try and stop them, but they'd probably listen to me."
"You don't have to," Aki said, "but I'd feel much safer if you did."
"And here I thought you were a Hyper Saiyan," Tenchi said. "Does that mean nothing compared to two angry women?"
"Could you get them to stop please? I'm not as powerful as you. I don't want to have to walk round ready to fight all the time. I told you I'm past that now."
"Okay then. Since you did help me evolve, I guess it's only fair."
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Tenchi and Aki walked downstairs. Aki had borrowed some of Tenchi's clothes, since the set he was wearing when he fought Tenchi was basically ribbons. From a distance of more than two metres, they looked identical, both in appearance and manner, aside from Aki's halo. They were sharing a private joke as they descended. They reached the bottom and Tenchi walked between the two fighting women. Aki drifted along behind, and stood behind the couch.
"Good morning, Tenchi!" Ryoko greeted enthusiastically, wrapping her arms around him.
"Ryoko, remove your arms from around him this instant!" Ayeka demanded. "Good morning, Lord Tenchi."
"Good morning, princess, pirate," Tenchi said alternately. "Listen, Aki here doesn't feel overly comfortable with you fighting, so could you give it a rest, please?"
"That's his problem," Ryoko said, still not comfortable with the clone.
"I have to agree," Ayeka said. "He tried to kill you less than a month ago. Are you sure you should be trusting him this much so soon?"
"Ryoko, Ayeka, I trust him, but for more reasons than simply because he said so. At the end of his life he was becoming good. I could see it. Now I can sense his entire mind easily. I know exactly what he thinks when I do, and I know there are no evil thoughts in his mind now."
"You didn't tell me you could read my mind," Aki said.
"Sorry. It must have slipped mine. Anyway, you two, please stop fighting or I'll have to restrain you. I want to make Aki feel comfortable here."
"Restrain us? Tenchi, no-one can restrain the great space pirate Ryoko," the pirate said.
"Tenchi, you cannot do this. As a member of the Jurai Royal Family I am not allowing you to do such things," Ayeka said.
"Oh Ryoko, I can very easily hold you," Tenchi said. "Ayeka, please stop fighting. There's enough mess as it is."
"No chance," Ryoko said. "We're just warmed up." She charged at Ayeka, but before she had moved more than a metre she hit a barrier. She backed away into another one. She quickly discovered that she was trapped within a box of such invisible walls. The overall effect was one of a mime, which actually was quite disturbing, so Tenchi made the barriers semi-transparent, like slightly misty glass.
"Tenchi, let me out," Ryoko whined.
"I said I'd restrain you and I did," Tenchi replied smoothly. "Do you doubt my threats now?"
Ryoko shook her head and continued hitting the screen in front of her.
"Good. But no more fighting, okay? Okay?"
Ryoko nodded, and the barriers disappeared. She moved to the nearest chair and slumped down, thoroughly unhappy, although she was probably just putting it on.
"Is it always like this?" Aki whispered to Tenchi.
"Pretty much," Tenchi hissed back. "They don't seem to mind that I'm God now."
"Fair enough."
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The prophecy had come true. The boy who rose from nowhere to defeat a cell, and then again, receiving a Key and destroying a galactic tyrant, facing and overcoming himself, and finally proceeding to the final evolutionary state. Unfortunately, that was the end of the scripts, and Tenchi knew it. He recalled a particular script in his mind.
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'Born into unknown family
His fate apparently low
But his destiny is far greater
Than anyone could know
Of Heaven and Earth he shall be known
His path obscured with shroud
He shall become the Chosen One
But he shall not be proud
Defeating a cell will attract god's notice
She will help him along the road
His Saiyan powers will make him strong
Leading him to his new abode
But Cell will return, and with him bring
Destruction to this land
Lest this one man stand up to him
And lead him to gods' hand
He shall become victorious
But at an awesome cost
He will pay the price of the immortal
From us he shall be lost
Only love can bring him back
Of one who holds him dear
Then the gods will return him to us
And hold him ever near
But he shall turn, becoming bad
Showing only one solution
He shall renounce his Saiyan strength
And keep this resolution
But strange visitors to this land
Will show him who he should be
Open other roads for him to know
And give him the master key
He shall wield this against his foes
His heart will burn so bright
Facing the galaxy conqueror
And defeat him with his might
But one day he will face himself
And find he is inferior
Until he releases hidden powers
And proves himself superior
His greatest task of all will be
To destroy the Slider's flaw
Which turns it evil beyond compare
And strong forevermore
Save existence, destroy the Slider
Corrupted malevolence
Greatest task means greatest power
Evolutionary portence
Heaven and Earth apart will fall
Letting evil continue more
But combined their might will flow together
Commit the One to lore
Grow supreme then be a god
Use the greatest power
Battle continues, no-one wins
Until the final hour'
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And nothing more.
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The time was now nine months later. Tenchi had saved the Multiverse yet again, this time against larger odds than it was with K'oko. Tenchi was currently walking with Sasami, who was now twelve. She had matured fairly quickly, but her appearance hadn't changed much. If anything, she was even cuter now.
Tenchi walked alongside her, holding her hand. He had been busy thinking about the things that had happened over the past few months, all beginning with the reappearance of... Well, he didn't need to go into that again. The good thing was that he was all right now, and so was everyone else. He pushed away all these thoughts and walked on, enjoying life in general.
Sasami stopped, causing Tenchi to turn and face her.
"Tenchi, do you like me?" the young girl asked.
"That's a silly question, Sasami," Tench replied. "Of course I like you. In fact, I like you a lot more than that. I love you, actually."
"That's not what I mean, Tenchi," Sasami said. "Do you really love me?"
"Sasami, what's all this about?"
"Well, I remember you saying that you knew your true choice. It isn't me, is it?" she said, fully expecting it not to be.
"Why don't you think so?"
"It's just the way you've been acting," Sasami said. "Sure, you've been really nice to me, and you always make me laugh, but I don't think you really love me. Do you?"
"Well..."
"You don't," Sasami finished for him. "That's alright. I know I'm just a girl, and the others are all grown-ups. You should choose one of them, instead of me."
"Sasami, are you upset?" Tenchi asked.
Sasami shook her head. "Nope. As long as you're still around, I'm happy. And I'm also happy for whoever you did choose."
Tenchi sensed Sasami's mind. He couldn't detect any relevant amount of sadness. She wasn't lying when she said she didn't mind.
"Sasami, you know that just because you're a girl doesn't mean I don't care for you as much as any of the others," Tenchi said. "But you're very mature for your age. You're also incredibly perceptive. The others haven't begun to figure out my true choice yet, yet you know it isn't you."
"So who is it?"
"I can't say," Tenchi said, leaning against a tree. "I know what girls are like. You'll just tell everyone."
"No I won't," Sasami said defiantly. "I promise I won't tell anyone else, not even Ryo-Ohki."
"Are you sure?"
"Positive."
"Okay then. But only because I trust you." Tenchi leaned down and whispered something into Sasami's ear. Sasami pulled away in surprise.
"Really? Is that the truth?" she exclaimed.
"Really. Now remember, I don't want you to tell anyone."
Sasami fidgeted for a second. "But I have to tell someone," she burst out.
"No you don't. I'll tell them, when I'm ready. Don't ruin the surprise for them."
Sasami was conflicted for a moment, and then sighed. "Okay, Tenchi. I promise I won't tell another living being."
"Good girl. Come on then. Let's keep going."
They walked on, hand in hand again.
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A final word from our author:
Hi! This is the author speaking. I just want to thank everyone for their continuing support of this fiction. I do have another two sagas set after this, and I'm going to put them up reardless. I shall definitely reveal Tenchi's true decision in one of those two sagas, instead of hazing around it like just above. Just remember that they will be based on everything that has happened in this fiction, and NOT in the OVA's or anything else. Obviously most of the facts are the same, but anything not specifically mentioned here probably did not happen. I didn't go into description too much, as I am assuming that those who read this have already seen 'Tenchi Muyo!', and know vaguely what happens in the show. Speaking of the show, the television programme the group were watching in 'Journey' was the actual 'Tenchi Muyo!' OVA series. I just added that in for a bit of fun. It doesn't mean anything.
Finally, another arigato to everyone who helped me along the way with this, including all on the message board at MoreTenchiPics.com. Until the next saga, may the Goddesses guide you to your destination, and sayonara!