I'm in a major leauge hurry, so I'll be brief. This is the last chapter and
the epilouge. It's a little awkward but I wrote most of it in a huge hurry
and I'm late for work.
Enjoy, and you know where to send the C&C
--Komodo
*****************
To say Ayeka was shocked was understatement. As a Juraian, her life span was
measured in centuries, as Empress of Jurai, it was measured in millennia. The
massive power that was coiled within her made her virtually immortal and if
not that, all but unkillable.
Therefore, to be told that not only was she dead, but murdered as well, and
presumably with in a few short years, months or possibly even mere days was
more then she could handle so she reacted in the most logical fashion she
knew.
The ruler of half the galaxy fainted.
While Kiyone and Mihoshi moved her to a spare bed, Washu crossed her arms and
stared at Ryoko.
"Suppose you tell us what happened." she said. A strange look crossed Ryoko's
face.
"Perhaps it is time," she mused, staring at the table she sat on. "It was
when I still called myself Sasami. I was eighteen and it was springtime. . .
**************
Sasami, second princess of the main line of the Jurai royal family, hummed
happily to herself as she scrubbed the pot. She had, for as long as she could
remember, preferred tasks such as cooking over politics, economics, and other
things a ruler needed to know. Ayeka was so much better at those things and
she was more then happy to leave them to her older sister.
Letting the pot soak, Sasami dried her hands on the towel and turned her
attention to dinner.
"In the fridge Ryoko," she said without looking up as she heard the footsteps
behind her. "I just made a fresh batch."
"Thanks," said Ryoko as she moved to the fridge, the slight swell of her
stomach bulging from under her dress. "I just can't seem to get enough of
this stuff," Ryoko exhaulted as she removed the bowl of
strawberry-pickle-banana creme-pecan pudding from the fridge and began to
scoop some into a bowl.
"It will pass," Sasami replied as she tasted the soup. "How is Tenchi doing?"
"Still hard at work on that Manga of his. Honestly, I can't understand how he
can find so much contentment in drawing pictures all day."
"Probably the same way you got so much contentment out of arguing with Ayeka.
No doubt," agreed the older woman, her voice momentarily sad. "Have you ever
thought about what you're going to do?"
"Hm?" Sasami asked, most of her attention focused on the soup.
"A career," Ryoko prodded. "A job?"
"A cook I suppose," Sasami said and looked up suspiciously. "Why?"
"No reason, just practicing my nagging." For a moment, their eyes locked and
then both burst into laughter.
"Did you always know what you wanted to be?" Sasami asked when they had
calmed down.
"I wanted to be a cook too," Ryoko said dreamily. "I used to love to cook."
"Why did you stop?"
An expression of haunted pain crossed Ryoko's face.
"My parents died when I was young. My sister and I relied on each other for
everything after that. We had always been close, but that brought us closer
especially when our friends and I had to go home to take care of the ursuper
who seized control in the vacuum left by father. Sadly, we drifted apart
after she became the head of our family."
"What happened to her?" Sasami asked, aware she was opening old wounds even
as her curiosity burned brighter.
"Murdered by space pirates. That's when I lost interest in everything. I took
Ryo-Oki and hunted them down. Eventually, I killed them."
"Really?" Sasami asked, half horrified and half fascinated.
"Yeah, they stayed together so it was easy. I cornered them, then shot their
ship to pieces. They died from exposure to vacuum." The reformed Space
Pirate's voice was cold, emotionless, flat. "Sometimes, in my dreams, I can
still hear some of them on the com channel, begging for mercy. . ." She shook
herself and her expression brightened. "But that's Ryoko's problem and not
Sasami's," she said with a grin and picked up the bowl. "thanks for the
pudding.
Sasami nodded and turned back to the pot.
**************
Ryoko sighed.
"I didn't realize until years later that Ryoko had been trying to prepare me
for what would happen. On the heels of that, I realized how carefully she had
been manipulating us all. But by then, I was already becoming her."
"But why was Ayeka murdered?" Tenchi asked.
"On Jurai, there is the Royal Family, and then the Lesser Families. Should
the emperor perish, a successor is named from what is known as the List of
Succession. That's how Kagato knew Yosho would be accepted if he stepped
forward, he was next on the list right before Ayeka and I.
If everyone on the List is dead, then the Lesser Families must elect one of
their own to be the new Emperor or Empress. When I started digging through
what was left of their computer, I discovered that each and every person on
the List of Succession had been systematically murdered by the pirates.
Ayeka, Yosho and I were the only ones left."
"What happened next?"
"The rest of the day passed peacefully and nothing much happened until dinner.
. ."
**************
Sasami smiled as she watched everyone's face light up as she brought out the
soup and set it on the table. At the head of the table, Ryoko and Tenchi sat
arm in arm. Ayeka, who was here on one of her increasingly rare visits, sat
at Tenchi's right. Kasuhito at his left. Washu, Kiyone, and Mihoshi all sat
in random places along the table with Nobiyuki at the opposite end.
For a while, there was nothing but idle conversation and the clatter of
silverware against plates and bowls. Sasami didn't partake much in the
conversation, instead basking in the happiness around her. This, more then
the sprawling labyrinth of the Palace, was Home.
"Azaka to Ayeka. We're under-"The com faded to static as an explosion shook
the house.
"What?" Ayeka stared at the com. "Azaka? Kamidake?"
"Space Pirates Majesty!" Came Kamidake's voice. "They have-" Another
explosion shook the house.
"Azaka? Kamidake? Answer me!" Ayeka yelled, shaking the com as though that
would get her the answers she craved.
"Its too late Ayeka!" Ryoko shouted, grabbing Ayeka's arm and dragging her
towards the back of the house.
"But-"
"We have to go!"
**************
"The Space Pirates?" Kiyone asked. Ryoko nodded.
"They went through Azaka and Kamidake like a hot knife through butter."
"But how is that possible? Azaka and Kamidake are infused with part of the
power of the Royal Family," Ayeka said as she slowly sat up. "They're
superior to anything below that of another Juraian Knight."
"The Pirates had a pair of Behemoths." Ryoko said simply. Kiyone's eyes went
wide and then she started to swear.
"Behemoths?" Ayeka asked quietly.
"Classified Galaxy Police project," Kiyone said quietly.
"They're weapons," Washu said. "After the whole Kagato incident, or more
specifically, the fact that two Knights, namely, Azaka and Kamidake, went
rogue, the GP got panicky and created several powered suits of armor designed
with the intent of putting GP officers on direct footing with Juraian
Knights. They're designed to absorb and redirect their power back at the
Knight. However, they got mothballed when it was discovered that their power
systems couldn't handle a continuous charge."
"But Azaka and Kamidake were fulfilling their duty to the throne. It was
Kagato's Dark Knights who were the rogues"
"The point is, the Knights could and had gone rogue. So the GP panicked and
created a weapon to stop them."
"Never dreaming they could also be used for evil. . ." Ryoko said quietly.
**************
Tenchi stared down the steps of the temple as the massive metal figures
slowly made their way up the stone steps. They had to be at least twelve feet
tall and were painted in the blue and white of the Galaxy Police.
"They're huge!" He gasped.
"That just means they'll fall harder," came Kiyone's voice as she and Mihoshi
climbed into their "Hunters", nine foot tall battlesuits designed to hunt and
kill space pirates. Mihoshi had used one against Ryoko when they had fallen
to Earth. As soon as the Behemoths reached the top of the stairs, Yagami
would rise up from its place of hiding behind the temple and open fire with
its main guns. With them distracted, Kiyone and Mihoshi would use their suits
to push them backwards. Their weight, inertia, and the stone steps would
hopefully do the rest by knocking the pilots around hard enough to put them
out of commission.
"Better get back Tenchi," Kiyone said. "This is gonna be ugly."
"Right," Tenchi said as he turned away from the steps. A whistling noise
caused him to turn back. An action which caused him to see one of the
Behemoths launch something up the steps. "Missile!" Tenchi screeched, diving
for cover. However, instead of an explosion, a bright flash flooded the air.
"Sensor jammer!" Kiyone shouted. "Reboot your systems Mihoshi!"
"Right!"
That was the last thing she said as the pirates swarmed over the top.
Positioned as they were, they went for Mihoshi first.
"Eject!" Kiyone shouted as she was launched from her Hunter. The pilot
compartment of Mihoshi's hunter however, had already vanished in blazing
fireball, courtesy of a single shot from the lead Behemoth.
"Mihoshi!" Kiyone screamed as the beam rifle in her hand became an instrument
of vengeance, cutting into the flesh of the pirates like an scythe through
wheat.
Then she too vanished in a blazing fireball as the Behemoths turned their
attention to her.
"Stop!" Ayeka's voice rang out as she placed herself in front of the front of
the temple, dressed in full Juraian battle regalia. "This ends here! I demand
to know who you are and what you want."
"We're pirates. We want money." Said the lead Behemoth. "Somebody wants you
dead and will give us money to see to it. Something for everybody." With
that, it raised its hand and the cannon built into its palm glowed in
preparation to fire.
But Ayeka was already moving, darting across the space between the temple and
the two juggernauts, the air around her glowing brightly.
She hit the lead Behemoth like a wrecking ball, knocking it over where it hit
the stone ground hard, causing a small earthquake. Ayeka used it as
springboard, launching herself into the second Behemoth and tearing into the
pilot's compartment. The pilot, however, was already dead, burnt to a crisp
by the raging energies of Ayeka's power when she had torn the compartment
open.
Turning, she spied the second pilot, now out of his suit and holding a
strange device.
"A Nullifier?" She gasped. The weapon was used to deal with rogue Emperors.
One should have been present at the Kain debacle, but it hadn't gotten there
in time.
"Just in case," grinned the pirate as he pulled the trigger. Ayeka didn't
even have time to scream as she was reduced to ash.
"Noooooo!" The scream ripped from Sasami's throat as she broke free from
Ryoko's grip and ran across the grounds, murder in her eyes.
"Heh. Come and get it," the pirate smirked as he took aim.
"Miyah!"
"Huh?" Startled, the pirate looked up too see Ryo-Oki hovering overhead. Then
remembering Sasami, he looked back, only to find she was inside his reach.
Then her hand was on him and he screamed as the Jurai Power incinerated him.
"Jorn?" Sasami looked at the Behemoth as the voice drifted up from the
pilot's compartment. "Hey Jorn, you lazy of a Denran Tree Sloth, answer
damnit!"
"Jorn's not available to take your call right now," Sasami said as she slid
into the Behemoth's pilot seat and into range of its com system's pickup.
"He's not together at the moment." She stabbed her finger at the screen.
"Run." Then the single spark leapt forth from her finger and into the screen,
frying the control systems.
Tenchi, Ryoko, Nobiyuki and Kasuhito watched as Sasami emerged from the
Behemoth like a grim specter of death.
"Ryo-Oki," she said to the cabbit. "I need you."
"Miyah?" The furry creature, for one brief moment turned to look at Ryoko,
who ever so slightly nodded. "Miyah!" Then she leapt into Sasami's arms, who,
with slow, measured steps, walked down the steps.
The next morning, the survivors gathered outside the house to say their
good-byes. Sasami, dressed simply, moved slowly down the line, saying her
good-byes. Last was Ryoko.
"See you around kid," Ryoko said quietly and hugged her fiercely, which
Sasami returned before stepping back. For a moment, she looked at them,
burning their faces into her memory.
"Good-bye." She said simply and then turning, she rose into the sky to
disappear into a waiting Ryo-Oki. . .
**************
"It was only after I killed them that I found records of com transmissions
between the pirate ship and the Lesser families. They had been slowly
eliminating those on the List in preparation for putting one of their own on
the throne. It was all part of a huge coup."
For a moment, nothing was heard except the sound of Washu's machines after
Ryoko finished her story.
"Come on Mihoshi," Kiyone said as she turned away. "We have to call
Headquarters."
"Why Kiyone?"
"Two Behemoths will be used in the assassination of the Empress of Jurai, we
have to prevent their theft."
"No!" Ryoko gasped. "If you do, you'll change history!"
"What are you talking about?"
"If you prevent the theft of the Behemoths," Washu said as she stepped
forward, "then Ryoko will never exist because Sasami never went into space on
her mission of vengeance, never became Ryoko, came back in time, and never
got chased to Earth by Mihoshi. Mihoshi never sent the distress call that
brought you and Sasami here, which means Ayeka and Tenchi never would have
met and I never would have been freed from the cave.
"But. . .how can we just sit by knowing three of us will die in just a few
years?"
Ryoko didn't answer, instead turning to look at Washu. The pink haired genius
sighed.
"I can erase our memories of this day and erect a field to keep Mobius from
coming back. It will be as though this day never existed." For a moment,
there was silence and then slow nods.
"Do it." Tenchi said simply.
**************
Washu sighed as she watched Tenchi's body fade away as the transporter
whisked him away and deposited him in the living room. Sake bottles had been
left around the room, they would conclude that a party had gotten out of hand
and they had slept through the day. It was for the best.
Washu had no intention of erasing her memories of course. She would simply
have to watch what she said. Smiling, she went back to her terminal and
pressed a button. Herself, a few centuries older(not that anyone could tell,)
appeared on the screen.
"Hello Washu!" the image said, beaming. "This is your future self, and I
wanted to talk to you about a man named Mobius. . ."
**************
Epilogue. . .
In the end, it happened as Ryoko remembered it. Ayeka died and Sasami left
home to pursue her mission of vengeance, basing her tatics on Ryoko.
Eventually, she would, for lack of a better word, become Ryoko, and that's
when she would meet the man in the bar. He would hire to retrieve an object
from a forest moon and the time portal would send her back in time two
thousand years where it would all start again.
Ryoko eventually gave birth to a son who took over as shrine priest twenty
years later when Kasuhito finally died. Tenchi would eventually follow him
into death by old age after another five hundred years. Ryoko, too consumed
by memories, took Yagami into space and was never heard from by Earth again.
**************
"Wow. . ." whispered the child as he looked up at the old shrine priest. "Is
that all true?"
"Every word," chuckled the old man as he gazed at the lights of the city.
"Now, I believe your mother is calling you."
"Thanks for the story mister!" the child called as he ran away.
"Still telling stories Makoto?" asked the pink haired woman as she stepped up
beside him.
"Yes Aunt Washu," Makoto said softly. "It never ceases to amaze me that even
here, in the twenty-fourth century, children are still fascinated by a good
story."
"Human nature never changes," Washu said softly. "Come on, the festival's
started."
Together, they walked back towards the waiting people.
**************
A bar in deep space. . .
Ryoko drained the glass in one gulp and sighed sadly as she looked at the
ring on her finger.
"Tenchi. . ." she said softly.
"Hello Sasami," said a man's voice behind her. Startled, Ryoko turned and
stared at the man behind her. "You. . ." she started to say and then trailed
off.
The man in the white suit who, five hundred years ago, had sent her on the
trip that would take her back in time.
"Yes, its me. You have one more identity to assume, Sasami."
"It's Ryoko," she snarled and then frowned as her curiosity got the better of
her. "Who am I supposed to become now?"
So he told her.
Ryoko fell off her chair laughing.
**************
Twenty five hundred years into the past. . .
Ryoko, wearing a different face and clothes, stepped into the bar, the cabbit
he had supplied her with at her side.
"I'm looking for Jenr of Darae!" she called out.
"That's me," said the brute of man who was standing from his table in the
corner. "Who're you?"
"The name's Nagi. . ."