Disclaimer:

Pioneer/AIC and K. Masaki own the characters in this story.
Don't sue me! Kain ate my wallet!

Tenchi Muyo! Exile
Chapter 2: Farewell, Trakal/Hello, Naoki

Revelation

	

	Naoki covered his ears and shook his head vehemently.
	"NO!" He screamed at Washu. "No! That's not possible!"
	"Naoki," Washu tried to soothe him. "you were called Trakal. 
You were a fearless operative working for the Galaxy Police."
	"I don't care if I was working for her majesty's secret
service!" Naoki blurted out. "I was *NEVER* a giant bat!"
	"Yes, you were." Washu insisted.
	"NO!" Naoki denied. "That's not possible! There's no such
thing as giant bats!"
	"Then why have you been dreaming about one?"
	Naoki eyed her suspiciously. "How do you know what I've 
been dreaming?" He asked, cautiously.
	"Those dreams are memories from your past life." Washu 
explained. "I couldn't erase them because your loyalty to the Galaxy 
Police was too strong for even me to obliterate entirely."
	Naoki thought about the memories Washu was claiming were
his. They seemed impossible, yet some deep instinct told him they 
were
true. Or was he just going crazy. And if it was true...
	"If I'm really some kind of alien creature, then I can't marry
Tanaka." He realized. A tear ran down his face. "She couldn't 
possibly
want a..a..."
	"A hideous freak?" Tanaka asked from the doorway where she was
standing with Tenchi, Nobuyuki, and Yosho.
	Naoki looked toward the door, with tears in his eyes.
	"Good thing I'm not marrying Nobuyuki then." She joked as she
stepped forward.
	"Now, just a minute!" Nobuyuki began to protest.
	The others keeled over with laughter, knowing the remark was 
made in good humor.
	Even Naoki was laughing, though his laughter was more of
relief than of anything else.
	Tanaka took Naoki's hand as she sat on the edge of the bed. "I
knew what you really were when you asked me to marry you."
	"And you said yes?" Naoki blinked.
	"Yes." Tanaka replied.
	"But why?" Naoki asked.
	"Because I love you." Tanaka explained.
	"Oh." Naoki replied, quietly. He stood up and looked her
in the eye. 
	As Naoki and Tanaka gazed at each other, both losing all 
knowledge of time and space, knowing nothing but the love present in
the other's eyes, Washu unlocked the last of Naoki's hidden memories.
He remembered the week they'd spent in 1970. His hunt for Kain. Her 
infatuation with Trakal; an infatuation that had turned into love. 
The
revelation of his true identity to her, and the subsequent kiss she'd 
responded with. He remembered a walk they took just after they'd 
arrived
in the present with the others. They'd strolled along the pathway 
together, hand in hand, talking about their future as husband and 
wife.
And she had told him her first name was...
	"I love you, Makiya." He told her, as the final barrier fell
from his heart. Now that he knew who he was, that he had no past 
relationships, he was free to love her.