Yugi's Gift
by Poncho D
Heh Heh. Just read and review. Trust me.
Chapter One
The young man was bone weary when he entered his house late that afternoon. He could already smell wonderful cooking, even past the stale odor of his own sweat. Heaving a big sigh of relief, Tenchi Masaki gave a friendly greeting to the little girl who stood at the kitchen stove, slaving away to make the meal that he, and everyone else in his rather unusual household, was looking forward to.
Sasami. He smiled when he thought of how comical she looked, four-foot, seven-inch, nine-year old frame lost in front of the colossal stove. But her skill in the culinary arts was no laughing matter. Sasami produced meals that rivaled those of the best restaraunts in Kurashiki.
He entered the living room and nodded to the silver-haired woman who sat on the couch watching TV. "Afternoon, Tenchi," she greeted. Tenchi tensed, but Ryoko Hakubi did not jump him and start sexually harassing him, as she would have done two years ago. "You gonna be at the lake tonight?" she asked. Tenchi often took a stroll down to Lake Funaho at night, just to enjoy the time outdoors. "I don't know yet," he replied nonchalantly. "Probably. See you at dinner, Ryoko."
He went upstairs and took a shower, scrubbing away the dirt and grime of another day's farming. When he was clean, he did not turn off the water, but stood under the shower for a few more minutes, enjoying the feel of the pounding water as it relaxed his tense, aching muscles.
It was the kind of peaceful, almost boring life that Tenchi had been living for the last two years, and he loved it. Though he would never want to go back to the life he lived before he had met the six alien females who now shared his home, wouldn't trade them for anything, it was good to have things orderly and predictable again. He and the girls had been through hell and back several times since Ryoko's landing on Earth. First Kagato, then Doctor Clay and his band of madmen, then Yugi, the Ice Queen. Literally.
Since his last great battle, life had slowed down considerably, and he now had time in his day to stop and breathe, to look around and appreciate the beautiful forest, Sasami's food, all the little things that made life worth the trouble.
He turned off the shower, his fingers wrinkled from the water, stepped out and wrapped a towel around his waist. He entered his bedroom and was pulling his pants on when he realized he had forgotten to shave.
He sat on his bed and opened his nightstand drawer to dig for his razor, and immediately wished that he hadn't.
There it was, staring at him, undeniable and unmerciful. He picked up the photograph, which he had tried unsuccessfully to hide from himself for such a long time.
The photo was framed, and depicted a younger Tenchi, with a happy grin on his face. Next to him was a girl, a pretty one, about his age, her arm thrown across his shoulders, short, dark hair hanging in front of her ears. Like Tenchi, she wore a jubilant, open-mouthed smile, and her sea-green eyes sparkled with blissful happiness.
He looked out the window at the setting sun, away from the photo, feeling the tightness in his throat. Dammit, he cursed mentally, I refuse to cry.
A single tear had leaked out of his right eye by the time he managed to stop himself. Fortunately, it had dried when the knock sounded at the door.
"Come in," he called.
It was Ryoko. "Dinner's ready," she said. "Whatcha got?"
"Nothing," he said brusquely, quickly placing the picture back in the drawer and closing it.
Of course, Ryoko already knew what it was: she had seen the picture before.
She came over and sat next to him on the bed. There was a tense silence for a few seconds.
"You miss her." Ryoko said quietly.
"Yeah," he admitted without hesitation. In the old days, her statement would have been a question, a loaded one, the buxom alien woman just waiting for him to make one little slip-up, then railing at him about how horrible he was.
But no longer. Ryoko had changed during the course of their adventures involving Yugi. She was still a "free spirit", mischievious and flirtatious, still drank alcohol regularly. But the selfishness and arrogance she had shown before their ordeal was gone, burned out by the constant adversity Yugi had put them all through. Much like Tenchi's life, she had mellowed out considerably.
"Look," she said at length, "It's alright, Tenchi. I understand how you feel, and I told you before, I don't mind."
"But Ryoko--" he started.
"Shhhh," she whispered, placing a finger on his lips. "You don't have to explain anything, Tenchi. You loved Sakuya, and you still do. And she loved you, too." She laughed. "At least the person you fell for was worthy of you." Hotsuma, her own summer fling, hadn't been worthy of anything but getting his balls cut off, which she would have gleefully done, had she been given the chance. "But what I'm telling you is, I meant what I said about us being strictly friends. That wasn't some guilt trip." She held out her arms. "Come here." The two hugged. It was not a romantic embrace, but simply a hug between two old friends, who often leaned on one another in difficult times.
"Come on," she said, getting up from the bed. "Let's go eat."
After the sun had set, the others appeared at the table for dinner. Polite but haughty Ayeka, the crown princess of the planet Jurai, who studiously avoided making eye contact with Tenchi. Sweet, air-headed Mihoshi, pulling her curly blond hair back from her gorgeous figure, her plate heaped unreasonably high with Sasami's hibachi rice and teriyaki chicken. Her older and more reserved partner Kiyone, a captain in the Galaxy Police, a woman who would stop at nothing to reach the pinnacle of her profession.
Finally, there was Washu. By far the strangest of the girls, she was brilliant but highly eccentric. The short, red-headed scientist was rarely seen, locking herself in her extradimensional laboratory under the staircase, coming out only to eat or use the bathroom, or to speak briefly to her daughter, Ryoko.
The only men in the household were Tenchi himself, his father Noboyuki, and grandfather Katsuhito.
"So," Tenchi asked, looking at Mihoshi but addressing all of them, "what did you guys do in town today?" Ayeka, Kiyone, Washu, and Mihoshi had been out all day, running errands in Ayeka's car, a beautiful Lexus ES-300 she had purchased purely for the sake of having one.
"Oh, it was so much fun!" Mihoshi bubbled. "We went to the mall in Kurashiki, and I saw this cute little summer outfit! I didn't have any money today, but I'll buy it one of these days!"
"Mihoshi," Kiyone laughed, "that halter top and those little shorts cost four hundred bucks! Try one of these years."
Mihoshi stuck her tongue out at Kiyone, and returned to her food.
"Say," Noboyuki put in, "I bet you girls got some looks, tooling around in a set of wheels like that." His own car was a rusty old Volvo.
"Not really," Washu replied, "It's a big city, everybody there has cars like that. But for some strange reason, everyone in town seemed to be staring at me." She tugged at her vest, a cocky grin on her face.
"If the rest of us looked as odd as you," Ayeka said, speaking for the first time that evening, "I suppose we would be getting some strange looks, too."
"Ayeka!" Tenchi objected.
"I apologize, that was uncalled for," Ayeka conceded. She looked over at Katsuhito. "May I be excused, please?"
"Of course," Katushito said.
Ayeka rose and strode gracefully from the room, headed toward the stairs in the living room.
"What was that all about?" Kiyone asked quizzically when the princess was gone.
Tenchi shook his head. If Ryoko, he thought, had matured over the last two years, Ayeka had gone the other direction, becoming even colder and more distant than before. Even her little sister Sasami could not seem to penetrate the emotional wall she had built.
"Who knows?" Ryoko said dismissively. "Probably just missed her soaps this afternoon."
After dinner, Tenchi went on his evening stroll, accompanied by Ryoko and, surprisingly, Mihoshi, who was normally an indoors person.
When they reached the lake, he sat on the dew-soaked ground, not caring about getting his pants wet. Mihoshi and Ryoko sat on either side of him, and the three gazed silently up at the stars for a few minutes.
"What's that one?" Mihoshi asked suddenly, causing Tenchi to jump, having been used to the quiet. She was pointing at an enormous bright blue star, just a smidgen to the left of the Milky Way. Tenchi was surprised she didn't know, considering all the time she spent in space.
"Uhhhh," Tenchi paused, racking his mind for the name. "Let me see, not Deneb, not Altair, uhhhh..."
"Vega," Ryoko supplied with a grin. "I knocked off a bank in that system once."
"There's so many of them," Tench marveled, remembering the times he had spent in space, fighting some battle or having some crazy adventure. "It sure is pretty up there."
Ryoko shrugged. "Sure, it's beautiful in some places. But it's cold and lonely. Pretty place to visit, but you wouldn't want to live there."
"Kiyone and I had to patrol the Orion Nebula once," Mihoshi chimed in. "It was gorgeous, like a gigantic sunset--"
"TENCHI!!" someone yelled. Tenchi jumped to his feet, reaching toward his belt to make sure his sword was there. The voice sounded like Washu's. "Come on, you two," Tenchi said. They rose and followed him as he sprinted toward the source of the sound.
He ran smack into Washu, who was being followed by Sasami. They were both out of breath, wild-eyed looks on their faces.
"What's going on?" Tenchi asked, looking closely at Washu to make sure he hadn't inadvertently injured her.
"She's back!" Sasami blurted.
"Who?" Tenchi asked, totally baffled. "Who's back? What are you guys talking about?"
"Just come home with us, Tenchi," Washu said calmly. "Trust me, you want to see this."
When Tenchi and his two companions arrived back at the house, they saw nothing out of the ordinary. "Come in the living room," Washu commanded.
When he turned the corner, his jaw dropped.
Ayeka and Kiyone were sitting on the couch, numb with shock.
Standing in the middle of the room was a young girl, about Sasami's age. Her long blond hair fell to her hips in tresses, and she gazed at him with ice-blue eyes. She was dressed in an oversized kimono that covered her feet.
"Yugi!" Tenchi breathed, his eyes wide with amazement. "So soon..."
"Two years," she said softly. "Please, do not be frightened. I mean you no harm."
Tenchi sat on the couch next to Kiyone, wondering what the hell was going on.
"May I?" Yugi asked Katsuhito, gesturing to a chair across from the couch. Katsuhito nodded, and she sank into the chair.
Yugi spread her arms, addressing everyone in the room. "As you can see, I have awakened. And as promised, I am no longer your enemy."
"Liar!" Ayeka screamed. "You tore this family apart, and you...you--"
"Please," Yugi interrupted the princess's tirade. "Do not remind me of what I did. I have had two years to think over all the pain and misery my actions caused, and my spirit cried many tears of guilt while I was sealed away." Turning her attention back to her audience, she continued her explanation.
"Tsunami has decided that I have learned my lesson, at that it is time for me to return to my normal life. But first, I must make amends.
"I have come here tonight to apologize. To all of you, for the terrible mess I made of your lives. But for those whom I caused the most suffering of all, I have something special. Tenchi, Ryoko, and Sasami. Please come here, and stand in front of me."
Cautiously, Tenchi approached the chair, left hand tightening around the hilt of Tenchi-ken. Sasami and Ryoko followed him, mystified as to what Yugi had in store for them.
"Sasami," she said gently, the warmth in her voice contrasting the sharp cold of her eyes, "just so that no one will misunderstand, may I touch you, just once?"
Sasami gave her a puzzled look. She was badly frightened, but trying not to show it. "Okay," she said meekly, showing an awkward blush.
Yugi reached up with her right hand, and gently stroked Sasami's cheek. "I see in your eyes that you believe my words, and that your heart is full of forgiveness for me. It is what I expected of you, my sweet-natured friend. Even though I betrayed you, and tried to destroy those you hold dear, you hold no ill will towards me." She pulled her hand away, reaching into the folds of her robe. "I hope that you enjoy these." She produced two gleaming gold pieces of jewelry; a pair of broaches, obviously meant for styling long hair.
Ayeka gasped. "My goodness, Sasami, they're beautiful!"
"Oooohhh, that's pretty," Mihoshi added, gazing at the gold.
"Wow, that's pretty neat," Noboyuki approved.
"They are real gold," Yugi informed Sasami, who was sliding out the little marble balls, replacing them with the broaches, "and worth well over forty thousand dollars each. Not that any amount of money would be sufficient, of course. Now then, there is one more thing for you, Sasami." What she produced next made Sasami's eyes tear up with joy. "You saw this music box first," Yugi said, handing her the object, "and you certainly deserved it far more than I did at the time."
Sasami shocked everyone by giving Yugi a long, tight hug. "Thank you so much, Yugi," she whispered, sobbing against Yugi's shoulder. "This means so much to me."
"Sasami," Yugi said, releasing her and giving her a warm smile, "you are such a wonderful, kind and caring person, and you will go far in your life because of it. Don't ever change."
She looked up as Sasami sat, dazed, on the couch. "Now then," she continued, "Ryoko?"
"What?" Ryoko said. Her tone was not biting or resentful, just wary.
"I see in your face the burden of your age, that Sasami has not yet had to experience. I played a terrible trick on you: my servant Hotsuma was even more cruel and controlling to you than I thought he would be. May you never again be subjected to the tricks of such an evil man. But even if you are, I hope you will restrain yourself from using this."
Reaching behind her, she held out with both hands a sheathed forty-eight inch, samurai-style katana.
Taking the weapon, Ryoko uncovered the blade. "Wow, this is cool," she said, waving the sword about slowly.
"Ryoko," Ayeka scolded her, "stop brandishing that thing about. You'll cut someone's head off with it!"
"Hey, now there's an idea," Ryoko said with an evil chuckle, placing the point against Ayeka's chin. "You have anyone specific in mind?"
"Knock it off, Ryoko," Tenchi said wearily. "Come on, put it up now."
"I see you are still very much your old, mischiefous self, Ryoko," Yugi laughed. "But you have matured in many ways, and I think you will do well. Tenchi?"
The room went dead silent. Everyone wondered what Tenchi's gift would be, but Washu smirked. She aleady knew.
Yugi stood, looking up at Tenchi. He was struck by the cold blue of her gaze, but for a moment she looked familiar in a very strange way. He never knew, indeed he would have been shocked if it had occured to him at all.
"Tenchi," she whispered, "you have born the greatest burden of everyone here." She reached up and traced some sort of strange, invisible symbol on his forehead with her finger. "So much blood on your hands, though you had no choice but to shed it.
The deception I used against you was similar to the one I visited on Ryoko, but it took an unexpected direction, and because of this, it was the most cruel and heart-breaking act of all. Therefore, the only way I can truely make amends with you is to offer to you the greatest gift of all."
"What," Tenchi gulped, "is that?"
"Why, I believe," Yugi said with a chuckle, "according to the Judeo-Christian Bible, it is of course, love." She reached up and snapped her fingers above her head.
Tenchi hadn't even noticed Washu leave the room. But when she appeared, coming slowly down the stairs, she was followed by another person. Together, the two girls walked to the center of the room.
Her appearance had changed so much, that it took Tenchi a moment to recognize her.
She wore a plain white robe. Her hair had grown long, and now hung to her waist, and she was a little taller, and fuller-figured. But the pretty, round face and emerald eyes were unmistakable.
For a moment, Tenchi just gawked. His voice trembled when he spoke: "Sa...Sakuya?"
"Yes," she said, tears of joy brimming in her eyes. She held out her arms. "It's me, Tenchi."
Tenchi leapt over the coffee table, knocking over and destroying several of the dishes on it, and ran to her. They embraced, and he picked her up off of the floor, spinning her around.
At first there were no words between them, because they were sharing a passionate kiss, to the applause of their entire audience.
"Oh, God," Tenchi breathed, his arms still around her, "I thought I would never see you again!" He pulled back and gazed at her face, running his fingers through her long, raven hair. "You look so different!"
"I haven't had a haircut in two years," she chuckled. "I think it looks better like this. And how long have you had this?" She reached behind him and stroked his long pony-tail.
"Since I got back from Tokyo...Dear God, I can't believe you're back!"
"Okay, okay," Washu broke in, taking Tenchi gently by the wrist. "Now that you two have had your little reunion, I need for Sakuya to--where's Ayeka?"
Everyone looked around, not having noticed Ayeka was missing. That is, everyone except for Sakuya, who wasn't even certain which one was Ayeka.
Ryoko shook her head. "I'll go talk to her," she said with a sigh, heading for the stairs.
"Good," Washu said cheerfully. "Sakuya, come with me, please."
Ryoko knocked softly on Ayeka's bedroom door. There was no response. Slowly, she pushed open the door, and peered into the room.
She winced.
Ayeka was lying on her futon, staring at the ceiling. The room was totally trashed. All of Ayeka's favorite sentimental possessions were strewn about the floor, most of them demolished. The window was shattered.
"Feel better?" Ryoko said.
"Go away," Ayeka said quietly, her voice totally devoid of emotion.
"Hell of a temper tantrum you had in here," Ryoko commented.
"I said leave."
"Say it all day if you want," Ryoko snapped. "That's not going to make it happen." She willed herself to calm down. "Listen, Princess, it's time for you to grow up. We both fought over that man like cats and dogs, and in the end we both lost. Tenchi has his girl now, and you know what? I don't care that it isn't me."
She was silent for a moment, giving Ayeka a chance to respond, but the princess said nothing.
"I don't care," Ryoko continued. "For God's sake, I haven't seen him this happy in two years."
"I love him," Ayeka finally said.
"So what?" Ryoko yelled. "I was in love in with him, too, Ayeka! But all I want now is to see him happy."
Ayeka sat up. "Happy how?" she asked. "With that snot-nosed little bitch?"
Enough was enough. "You watch it, Princess!" Ryoko yelled, pointing her finger at Ayeka. "I love Tenchi, and he loves Sakuya! That means she's my friend too. So you watch your mouth around her, and Tenchi too!"
Ayeka said nothing.
"Fine," Ryoko said quietly. "You know what? You stay up here and feel sorry for yourself. I'm going back down to see Yugi off." With that, she turned and left.
Sakuya was freezing. She lay, naked, on the exam table in Washu's heavily air-conditioned lab, rubber tubing and electrodes covering her body.
Washu glanced back over her shoulder at her patient. She felt sorry for having to do this, but it was necessary, just out of precaution. She turned her attention back to her computer screen. When the next screen of data popped up, she tapped the PRINT key, and the printer chattered obediently.
When it was finished, she tore the paper off and glanced at it. About halfway down the page, her eyebrows popped up.
"Yep, she's real alright," Washu muttered to herself, stroking her chin. "Boy, is she real."
"So, what are you gonna do now, Yugi?" Sasami asked.
"Why don't you stay here with us?" Mihoshi offered. "You could sleep in me and Kiyone's room, and we've got--"
"Thank you," Yugi interrupted, "but I think that decision is up to head of the household." She nodded to Katsuhito. "In any case," she continued, "although that was my original plan, I no longer feel it would be wise for me to live among you. This family is large already, and I have much to do.
"Since Tsunami has forbidden me to ever return to my home universe, I have decided to go make a life for myself on this world. I have an adult form, so I will be able to get a job, purchase a home, and fend for myself. I may drop in from time to time, to see how you are all faring."
They all sat for a while longer, chatting quietly, when Washu and Sakuya emerged from the lab. The others looked up at them, waiting.
"Well," Washu reported cheerfully, "she's a little malnourished, and pregnant, but no serious problems. Blood sugar's a little high, but--"
"Hold on!" Ryoko suddenly interrupted, her eyeballs about to pop out of her head. "Back up. You said she's undernourished and WHAT?!"
"Well, hell," Washu said indignantly, hands on her hips. "If you hadn't eaten in two years, you'd be ready for a good hot meal, too. But, uh," she glanced back down at the readout, "yep, sure enough. About three weeks along. Can't tell the gender yet, but definitely no doubt about it." She turned to Sakuya. "Take care of yourself, honey. Your little one is going to need plenty of help."
So far, Ryoko noticed, no one in the stunned audience had bothered to ask the obvious question about Sakuya's pregnancy. Ryoko wasn't sure what was more surprising, the fact that Tenchi asked the question first or that he beat everyone else to it.
"Ummm, who's the father?"
Washu put her hands on her hips and gave Tenchi an irate glare. "Now that," she said indignantly, "is obviously confidential, and frankly none of anyone's--"
"Actually," Sakuya interrupted, her quiet voice managing to stop Washu's tirade, "this is kind of embarrassing, but technically, it's Yugi."
That got bizarre looks from everyone.
Ryoko laughed uproariously. "Let me this straight," she cackled, "You managed to get pregnant by *another girl*!"
Sakuya was looking at the floor, her face red as an apple. Washu stepped up to Ryoko, and placed her face inches from her daughter's smirk. "This is *not* funny, Ryoko. Now kill the dirty jokes, before I kill you!"
"I can explain," Yugi said, as Ryoko, now thoroughly dressed down, sat on the couch. "I planted a child in Sakuya's womb when I returned her to this planet. I wanted the two of you to know the joy of having a child, without the moral difficulties normally involved. Think of it as my gift to both of you. And by the way, I made sure the child will most resemble Sakuya, so as to avoid any embarrassing questions from outsiders."
Tenchi was utterly stunned. He couldn't get over the fact that she was pregnant at all, let alone by some bizarre form of immaculate conception.
Sakuya smiled when she saw the look on his face. She put a hand on her abdomen. "I'm sorry, Tenchi, but I didn't have time to tell you earlier."
Yugi stood. "Yes, I suppose you both have a lot of catching up to do. I must leave now. I take it my apology is accepted?"
Katsuhito stepped over and knelt in front of the girl. "Yugi," he said, "what you have done for my grandson and my entire family more than covers your transgressions." To Yugi's surprise, the old man embraced her. "Go now," he said, "and may you have all the good fortune that God can bestow upon you."
She pulled back from him, and addressed everyone. "Thank you, all of you. Farewell."
With that she bowed her head, and simply vanished.
by Poncho D
Heh Heh. Just read and review. Trust me.
Chapter One
The young man was bone weary when he entered his house late that afternoon. He could already smell wonderful cooking, even past the stale odor of his own sweat. Heaving a big sigh of relief, Tenchi Masaki gave a friendly greeting to the little girl who stood at the kitchen stove, slaving away to make the meal that he, and everyone else in his rather unusual household, was looking forward to.
Sasami. He smiled when he thought of how comical she looked, four-foot, seven-inch, nine-year old frame lost in front of the colossal stove. But her skill in the culinary arts was no laughing matter. Sasami produced meals that rivaled those of the best restaraunts in Kurashiki.
He entered the living room and nodded to the silver-haired woman who sat on the couch watching TV. "Afternoon, Tenchi," she greeted. Tenchi tensed, but Ryoko Hakubi did not jump him and start sexually harassing him, as she would have done two years ago. "You gonna be at the lake tonight?" she asked. Tenchi often took a stroll down to Lake Funaho at night, just to enjoy the time outdoors. "I don't know yet," he replied nonchalantly. "Probably. See you at dinner, Ryoko."
He went upstairs and took a shower, scrubbing away the dirt and grime of another day's farming. When he was clean, he did not turn off the water, but stood under the shower for a few more minutes, enjoying the feel of the pounding water as it relaxed his tense, aching muscles.
It was the kind of peaceful, almost boring life that Tenchi had been living for the last two years, and he loved it. Though he would never want to go back to the life he lived before he had met the six alien females who now shared his home, wouldn't trade them for anything, it was good to have things orderly and predictable again. He and the girls had been through hell and back several times since Ryoko's landing on Earth. First Kagato, then Doctor Clay and his band of madmen, then Yugi, the Ice Queen. Literally.
Since his last great battle, life had slowed down considerably, and he now had time in his day to stop and breathe, to look around and appreciate the beautiful forest, Sasami's food, all the little things that made life worth the trouble.
He turned off the shower, his fingers wrinkled from the water, stepped out and wrapped a towel around his waist. He entered his bedroom and was pulling his pants on when he realized he had forgotten to shave.
He sat on his bed and opened his nightstand drawer to dig for his razor, and immediately wished that he hadn't.
There it was, staring at him, undeniable and unmerciful. He picked up the photograph, which he had tried unsuccessfully to hide from himself for such a long time.
The photo was framed, and depicted a younger Tenchi, with a happy grin on his face. Next to him was a girl, a pretty one, about his age, her arm thrown across his shoulders, short, dark hair hanging in front of her ears. Like Tenchi, she wore a jubilant, open-mouthed smile, and her sea-green eyes sparkled with blissful happiness.
He looked out the window at the setting sun, away from the photo, feeling the tightness in his throat. Dammit, he cursed mentally, I refuse to cry.
A single tear had leaked out of his right eye by the time he managed to stop himself. Fortunately, it had dried when the knock sounded at the door.
"Come in," he called.
It was Ryoko. "Dinner's ready," she said. "Whatcha got?"
"Nothing," he said brusquely, quickly placing the picture back in the drawer and closing it.
Of course, Ryoko already knew what it was: she had seen the picture before.
She came over and sat next to him on the bed. There was a tense silence for a few seconds.
"You miss her." Ryoko said quietly.
"Yeah," he admitted without hesitation. In the old days, her statement would have been a question, a loaded one, the buxom alien woman just waiting for him to make one little slip-up, then railing at him about how horrible he was.
But no longer. Ryoko had changed during the course of their adventures involving Yugi. She was still a "free spirit", mischievious and flirtatious, still drank alcohol regularly. But the selfishness and arrogance she had shown before their ordeal was gone, burned out by the constant adversity Yugi had put them all through. Much like Tenchi's life, she had mellowed out considerably.
"Look," she said at length, "It's alright, Tenchi. I understand how you feel, and I told you before, I don't mind."
"But Ryoko--" he started.
"Shhhh," she whispered, placing a finger on his lips. "You don't have to explain anything, Tenchi. You loved Sakuya, and you still do. And she loved you, too." She laughed. "At least the person you fell for was worthy of you." Hotsuma, her own summer fling, hadn't been worthy of anything but getting his balls cut off, which she would have gleefully done, had she been given the chance. "But what I'm telling you is, I meant what I said about us being strictly friends. That wasn't some guilt trip." She held out her arms. "Come here." The two hugged. It was not a romantic embrace, but simply a hug between two old friends, who often leaned on one another in difficult times.
"Come on," she said, getting up from the bed. "Let's go eat."
After the sun had set, the others appeared at the table for dinner. Polite but haughty Ayeka, the crown princess of the planet Jurai, who studiously avoided making eye contact with Tenchi. Sweet, air-headed Mihoshi, pulling her curly blond hair back from her gorgeous figure, her plate heaped unreasonably high with Sasami's hibachi rice and teriyaki chicken. Her older and more reserved partner Kiyone, a captain in the Galaxy Police, a woman who would stop at nothing to reach the pinnacle of her profession.
Finally, there was Washu. By far the strangest of the girls, she was brilliant but highly eccentric. The short, red-headed scientist was rarely seen, locking herself in her extradimensional laboratory under the staircase, coming out only to eat or use the bathroom, or to speak briefly to her daughter, Ryoko.
The only men in the household were Tenchi himself, his father Noboyuki, and grandfather Katsuhito.
"So," Tenchi asked, looking at Mihoshi but addressing all of them, "what did you guys do in town today?" Ayeka, Kiyone, Washu, and Mihoshi had been out all day, running errands in Ayeka's car, a beautiful Lexus ES-300 she had purchased purely for the sake of having one.
"Oh, it was so much fun!" Mihoshi bubbled. "We went to the mall in Kurashiki, and I saw this cute little summer outfit! I didn't have any money today, but I'll buy it one of these days!"
"Mihoshi," Kiyone laughed, "that halter top and those little shorts cost four hundred bucks! Try one of these years."
Mihoshi stuck her tongue out at Kiyone, and returned to her food.
"Say," Noboyuki put in, "I bet you girls got some looks, tooling around in a set of wheels like that." His own car was a rusty old Volvo.
"Not really," Washu replied, "It's a big city, everybody there has cars like that. But for some strange reason, everyone in town seemed to be staring at me." She tugged at her vest, a cocky grin on her face.
"If the rest of us looked as odd as you," Ayeka said, speaking for the first time that evening, "I suppose we would be getting some strange looks, too."
"Ayeka!" Tenchi objected.
"I apologize, that was uncalled for," Ayeka conceded. She looked over at Katsuhito. "May I be excused, please?"
"Of course," Katushito said.
Ayeka rose and strode gracefully from the room, headed toward the stairs in the living room.
"What was that all about?" Kiyone asked quizzically when the princess was gone.
Tenchi shook his head. If Ryoko, he thought, had matured over the last two years, Ayeka had gone the other direction, becoming even colder and more distant than before. Even her little sister Sasami could not seem to penetrate the emotional wall she had built.
"Who knows?" Ryoko said dismissively. "Probably just missed her soaps this afternoon."
After dinner, Tenchi went on his evening stroll, accompanied by Ryoko and, surprisingly, Mihoshi, who was normally an indoors person.
When they reached the lake, he sat on the dew-soaked ground, not caring about getting his pants wet. Mihoshi and Ryoko sat on either side of him, and the three gazed silently up at the stars for a few minutes.
"What's that one?" Mihoshi asked suddenly, causing Tenchi to jump, having been used to the quiet. She was pointing at an enormous bright blue star, just a smidgen to the left of the Milky Way. Tenchi was surprised she didn't know, considering all the time she spent in space.
"Uhhhh," Tenchi paused, racking his mind for the name. "Let me see, not Deneb, not Altair, uhhhh..."
"Vega," Ryoko supplied with a grin. "I knocked off a bank in that system once."
"There's so many of them," Tench marveled, remembering the times he had spent in space, fighting some battle or having some crazy adventure. "It sure is pretty up there."
Ryoko shrugged. "Sure, it's beautiful in some places. But it's cold and lonely. Pretty place to visit, but you wouldn't want to live there."
"Kiyone and I had to patrol the Orion Nebula once," Mihoshi chimed in. "It was gorgeous, like a gigantic sunset--"
"TENCHI!!" someone yelled. Tenchi jumped to his feet, reaching toward his belt to make sure his sword was there. The voice sounded like Washu's. "Come on, you two," Tenchi said. They rose and followed him as he sprinted toward the source of the sound.
He ran smack into Washu, who was being followed by Sasami. They were both out of breath, wild-eyed looks on their faces.
"What's going on?" Tenchi asked, looking closely at Washu to make sure he hadn't inadvertently injured her.
"She's back!" Sasami blurted.
"Who?" Tenchi asked, totally baffled. "Who's back? What are you guys talking about?"
"Just come home with us, Tenchi," Washu said calmly. "Trust me, you want to see this."
When Tenchi and his two companions arrived back at the house, they saw nothing out of the ordinary. "Come in the living room," Washu commanded.
When he turned the corner, his jaw dropped.
Ayeka and Kiyone were sitting on the couch, numb with shock.
Standing in the middle of the room was a young girl, about Sasami's age. Her long blond hair fell to her hips in tresses, and she gazed at him with ice-blue eyes. She was dressed in an oversized kimono that covered her feet.
"Yugi!" Tenchi breathed, his eyes wide with amazement. "So soon..."
"Two years," she said softly. "Please, do not be frightened. I mean you no harm."
Tenchi sat on the couch next to Kiyone, wondering what the hell was going on.
"May I?" Yugi asked Katsuhito, gesturing to a chair across from the couch. Katsuhito nodded, and she sank into the chair.
Yugi spread her arms, addressing everyone in the room. "As you can see, I have awakened. And as promised, I am no longer your enemy."
"Liar!" Ayeka screamed. "You tore this family apart, and you...you--"
"Please," Yugi interrupted the princess's tirade. "Do not remind me of what I did. I have had two years to think over all the pain and misery my actions caused, and my spirit cried many tears of guilt while I was sealed away." Turning her attention back to her audience, she continued her explanation.
"Tsunami has decided that I have learned my lesson, at that it is time for me to return to my normal life. But first, I must make amends.
"I have come here tonight to apologize. To all of you, for the terrible mess I made of your lives. But for those whom I caused the most suffering of all, I have something special. Tenchi, Ryoko, and Sasami. Please come here, and stand in front of me."
Cautiously, Tenchi approached the chair, left hand tightening around the hilt of Tenchi-ken. Sasami and Ryoko followed him, mystified as to what Yugi had in store for them.
"Sasami," she said gently, the warmth in her voice contrasting the sharp cold of her eyes, "just so that no one will misunderstand, may I touch you, just once?"
Sasami gave her a puzzled look. She was badly frightened, but trying not to show it. "Okay," she said meekly, showing an awkward blush.
Yugi reached up with her right hand, and gently stroked Sasami's cheek. "I see in your eyes that you believe my words, and that your heart is full of forgiveness for me. It is what I expected of you, my sweet-natured friend. Even though I betrayed you, and tried to destroy those you hold dear, you hold no ill will towards me." She pulled her hand away, reaching into the folds of her robe. "I hope that you enjoy these." She produced two gleaming gold pieces of jewelry; a pair of broaches, obviously meant for styling long hair.
Ayeka gasped. "My goodness, Sasami, they're beautiful!"
"Oooohhh, that's pretty," Mihoshi added, gazing at the gold.
"Wow, that's pretty neat," Noboyuki approved.
"They are real gold," Yugi informed Sasami, who was sliding out the little marble balls, replacing them with the broaches, "and worth well over forty thousand dollars each. Not that any amount of money would be sufficient, of course. Now then, there is one more thing for you, Sasami." What she produced next made Sasami's eyes tear up with joy. "You saw this music box first," Yugi said, handing her the object, "and you certainly deserved it far more than I did at the time."
Sasami shocked everyone by giving Yugi a long, tight hug. "Thank you so much, Yugi," she whispered, sobbing against Yugi's shoulder. "This means so much to me."
"Sasami," Yugi said, releasing her and giving her a warm smile, "you are such a wonderful, kind and caring person, and you will go far in your life because of it. Don't ever change."
She looked up as Sasami sat, dazed, on the couch. "Now then," she continued, "Ryoko?"
"What?" Ryoko said. Her tone was not biting or resentful, just wary.
"I see in your face the burden of your age, that Sasami has not yet had to experience. I played a terrible trick on you: my servant Hotsuma was even more cruel and controlling to you than I thought he would be. May you never again be subjected to the tricks of such an evil man. But even if you are, I hope you will restrain yourself from using this."
Reaching behind her, she held out with both hands a sheathed forty-eight inch, samurai-style katana.
Taking the weapon, Ryoko uncovered the blade. "Wow, this is cool," she said, waving the sword about slowly.
"Ryoko," Ayeka scolded her, "stop brandishing that thing about. You'll cut someone's head off with it!"
"Hey, now there's an idea," Ryoko said with an evil chuckle, placing the point against Ayeka's chin. "You have anyone specific in mind?"
"Knock it off, Ryoko," Tenchi said wearily. "Come on, put it up now."
"I see you are still very much your old, mischiefous self, Ryoko," Yugi laughed. "But you have matured in many ways, and I think you will do well. Tenchi?"
The room went dead silent. Everyone wondered what Tenchi's gift would be, but Washu smirked. She aleady knew.
Yugi stood, looking up at Tenchi. He was struck by the cold blue of her gaze, but for a moment she looked familiar in a very strange way. He never knew, indeed he would have been shocked if it had occured to him at all.
"Tenchi," she whispered, "you have born the greatest burden of everyone here." She reached up and traced some sort of strange, invisible symbol on his forehead with her finger. "So much blood on your hands, though you had no choice but to shed it.
The deception I used against you was similar to the one I visited on Ryoko, but it took an unexpected direction, and because of this, it was the most cruel and heart-breaking act of all. Therefore, the only way I can truely make amends with you is to offer to you the greatest gift of all."
"What," Tenchi gulped, "is that?"
"Why, I believe," Yugi said with a chuckle, "according to the Judeo-Christian Bible, it is of course, love." She reached up and snapped her fingers above her head.
Tenchi hadn't even noticed Washu leave the room. But when she appeared, coming slowly down the stairs, she was followed by another person. Together, the two girls walked to the center of the room.
Her appearance had changed so much, that it took Tenchi a moment to recognize her.
She wore a plain white robe. Her hair had grown long, and now hung to her waist, and she was a little taller, and fuller-figured. But the pretty, round face and emerald eyes were unmistakable.
For a moment, Tenchi just gawked. His voice trembled when he spoke: "Sa...Sakuya?"
"Yes," she said, tears of joy brimming in her eyes. She held out her arms. "It's me, Tenchi."
Tenchi leapt over the coffee table, knocking over and destroying several of the dishes on it, and ran to her. They embraced, and he picked her up off of the floor, spinning her around.
At first there were no words between them, because they were sharing a passionate kiss, to the applause of their entire audience.
"Oh, God," Tenchi breathed, his arms still around her, "I thought I would never see you again!" He pulled back and gazed at her face, running his fingers through her long, raven hair. "You look so different!"
"I haven't had a haircut in two years," she chuckled. "I think it looks better like this. And how long have you had this?" She reached behind him and stroked his long pony-tail.
"Since I got back from Tokyo...Dear God, I can't believe you're back!"
"Okay, okay," Washu broke in, taking Tenchi gently by the wrist. "Now that you two have had your little reunion, I need for Sakuya to--where's Ayeka?"
Everyone looked around, not having noticed Ayeka was missing. That is, everyone except for Sakuya, who wasn't even certain which one was Ayeka.
Ryoko shook her head. "I'll go talk to her," she said with a sigh, heading for the stairs.
"Good," Washu said cheerfully. "Sakuya, come with me, please."
Ryoko knocked softly on Ayeka's bedroom door. There was no response. Slowly, she pushed open the door, and peered into the room.
She winced.
Ayeka was lying on her futon, staring at the ceiling. The room was totally trashed. All of Ayeka's favorite sentimental possessions were strewn about the floor, most of them demolished. The window was shattered.
"Feel better?" Ryoko said.
"Go away," Ayeka said quietly, her voice totally devoid of emotion.
"Hell of a temper tantrum you had in here," Ryoko commented.
"I said leave."
"Say it all day if you want," Ryoko snapped. "That's not going to make it happen." She willed herself to calm down. "Listen, Princess, it's time for you to grow up. We both fought over that man like cats and dogs, and in the end we both lost. Tenchi has his girl now, and you know what? I don't care that it isn't me."
She was silent for a moment, giving Ayeka a chance to respond, but the princess said nothing.
"I don't care," Ryoko continued. "For God's sake, I haven't seen him this happy in two years."
"I love him," Ayeka finally said.
"So what?" Ryoko yelled. "I was in love in with him, too, Ayeka! But all I want now is to see him happy."
Ayeka sat up. "Happy how?" she asked. "With that snot-nosed little bitch?"
Enough was enough. "You watch it, Princess!" Ryoko yelled, pointing her finger at Ayeka. "I love Tenchi, and he loves Sakuya! That means she's my friend too. So you watch your mouth around her, and Tenchi too!"
Ayeka said nothing.
"Fine," Ryoko said quietly. "You know what? You stay up here and feel sorry for yourself. I'm going back down to see Yugi off." With that, she turned and left.
Sakuya was freezing. She lay, naked, on the exam table in Washu's heavily air-conditioned lab, rubber tubing and electrodes covering her body.
Washu glanced back over her shoulder at her patient. She felt sorry for having to do this, but it was necessary, just out of precaution. She turned her attention back to her computer screen. When the next screen of data popped up, she tapped the PRINT key, and the printer chattered obediently.
When it was finished, she tore the paper off and glanced at it. About halfway down the page, her eyebrows popped up.
"Yep, she's real alright," Washu muttered to herself, stroking her chin. "Boy, is she real."
"So, what are you gonna do now, Yugi?" Sasami asked.
"Why don't you stay here with us?" Mihoshi offered. "You could sleep in me and Kiyone's room, and we've got--"
"Thank you," Yugi interrupted, "but I think that decision is up to head of the household." She nodded to Katsuhito. "In any case," she continued, "although that was my original plan, I no longer feel it would be wise for me to live among you. This family is large already, and I have much to do.
"Since Tsunami has forbidden me to ever return to my home universe, I have decided to go make a life for myself on this world. I have an adult form, so I will be able to get a job, purchase a home, and fend for myself. I may drop in from time to time, to see how you are all faring."
They all sat for a while longer, chatting quietly, when Washu and Sakuya emerged from the lab. The others looked up at them, waiting.
"Well," Washu reported cheerfully, "she's a little malnourished, and pregnant, but no serious problems. Blood sugar's a little high, but--"
"Hold on!" Ryoko suddenly interrupted, her eyeballs about to pop out of her head. "Back up. You said she's undernourished and WHAT?!"
"Well, hell," Washu said indignantly, hands on her hips. "If you hadn't eaten in two years, you'd be ready for a good hot meal, too. But, uh," she glanced back down at the readout, "yep, sure enough. About three weeks along. Can't tell the gender yet, but definitely no doubt about it." She turned to Sakuya. "Take care of yourself, honey. Your little one is going to need plenty of help."
So far, Ryoko noticed, no one in the stunned audience had bothered to ask the obvious question about Sakuya's pregnancy. Ryoko wasn't sure what was more surprising, the fact that Tenchi asked the question first or that he beat everyone else to it.
"Ummm, who's the father?"
Washu put her hands on her hips and gave Tenchi an irate glare. "Now that," she said indignantly, "is obviously confidential, and frankly none of anyone's--"
"Actually," Sakuya interrupted, her quiet voice managing to stop Washu's tirade, "this is kind of embarrassing, but technically, it's Yugi."
That got bizarre looks from everyone.
Ryoko laughed uproariously. "Let me this straight," she cackled, "You managed to get pregnant by *another girl*!"
Sakuya was looking at the floor, her face red as an apple. Washu stepped up to Ryoko, and placed her face inches from her daughter's smirk. "This is *not* funny, Ryoko. Now kill the dirty jokes, before I kill you!"
"I can explain," Yugi said, as Ryoko, now thoroughly dressed down, sat on the couch. "I planted a child in Sakuya's womb when I returned her to this planet. I wanted the two of you to know the joy of having a child, without the moral difficulties normally involved. Think of it as my gift to both of you. And by the way, I made sure the child will most resemble Sakuya, so as to avoid any embarrassing questions from outsiders."
Tenchi was utterly stunned. He couldn't get over the fact that she was pregnant at all, let alone by some bizarre form of immaculate conception.
Sakuya smiled when she saw the look on his face. She put a hand on her abdomen. "I'm sorry, Tenchi, but I didn't have time to tell you earlier."
Yugi stood. "Yes, I suppose you both have a lot of catching up to do. I must leave now. I take it my apology is accepted?"
Katsuhito stepped over and knelt in front of the girl. "Yugi," he said, "what you have done for my grandson and my entire family more than covers your transgressions." To Yugi's surprise, the old man embraced her. "Go now," he said, "and may you have all the good fortune that God can bestow upon you."
She pulled back from him, and addressed everyone. "Thank you, all of you. Farewell."
With that she bowed her head, and simply vanished.
