TENCHI MUYO! : "Mother's Day" by Ryan Mathews PROLOGUE Kyle was dreaming. In the dream, everything was back to normal. He was in Buffalo, in his own bed, sleeping with his wife. All was well. Then he woke up. The air was too cold for an apartment. The scents of nature and the too-loud sounds of wildlife nearby reminded him that he was in a tent. However, it hadn't all been a dream. He felt the comfortable warmth, caught the familiar scent of her hair, and realized that Stacy actually was sleeping beside him, curled up next to him in the sleeping bag. Kyle smiled at this pleasant surprise. His smile quickly faded as reality set in. He wished she'd called him before making the trip. He would have told her not to come. Kyle tried unsuccessfully to wriggle out of the sleeping bag without waking her up. Stacy groaned, mumbled and opened her eyes. "Mm. Hi, honey." "Hi." Kyle finished working his way out of the bag and stood up. "What are you doing here?" "Is that the kind of greeting I get? I thought you'd be happy to see me." "I *am* happy. It's just that..." Kyle's voice trailed off. He didn't want to explain everything now, although he knew he had no choice. "This isn't a good place to be today." "Is that why the staff is missing?" she asked. "Yeah. I sent them home." "Then I take it we've found what we were looking for?" Kyle sighed. "Oh God, Stacy, I hope not." Stacy gave him a bewildered look, which was understandable. "Let's get some breakfast," said Kyle, "and I'll explain it as best as I can." It had all begun more than a year ago, when astronomers across the world had observed a mammoth explosion. It had occurred closer to Earth than the Moon. NASA's official explanation was that two asteroids had violently collided, but they had no agreed-upon theory as to how these asteroids had come so close to the Earth without having been tracked. The conspiracy nuts had been convinced that an alien spacecraft had exploded, and one even produced as fuzzy photograph as "proof". With a little digital enhancement, and a lot of imagination, it appeared to show three spaceships engaged in a pitched battle. No one had taken the wackos seriously, least of all Kyle, who had been running a profitable salvage business at the time. Then an old friend who had moved to Montana had called him up with an odd story. It seems that several people in that area had observed a large fireball fall to Earth on the same night the explosion had been recorded. Curiously, it had made no sound, and no one had succeeded in finding an impact site. Kyle hadn't known what to make of the story, but he hadn't seen his friend in years and this was as good an excuse as any for a vacation. So he and Stacy had packed up some basic tools and set off for Montana. What they found astonished them. Based on eyewitness accounts, they calculated where the impact site should have been. There was no crater, but when they tried metal-detectors, the readings were off the scale. A quick dig with shovel revealed a fragment of metal which defied all basic attempts at analysis, and would later defy much more sophisticated attempts. Kyle had wanted desperately to excavate, but didn't have the resources. At Stacy's suggestion, they had placed advertisements in several magazines, as well as on the World-Wide Web, vaguely describing the venture in the hope of attracting investors. They had attracted only one, but that one had been enough. A man calling himself Mr. Zen had offered to fund the entire dig. All he asked in return was that he be allowed to keep one specific object, if found. He had given a description of it. Kyle had thought the man a harmless eccentric, perhaps a member of a UFO cult looking for a sign from his gods. Money was money, though, and Kyle had been more than happy to take it. Then they had found the damned thing. "I'm sorry I surprised you like that," Stacy said, munching on a piece of toast. "I got in late last night. I saw you were already passed out, and I was tired too, so I figured..." "Don't worry about it," said Kyle. He could barely see his breath as he spoke. It was turning out to be a chilly, overcast morning, which suited his mood just fine. "It's not like you could have woken me up. That was the first night I'd slept in over a week." "So you did find it?" she asked. "Just like in the description?" "Yup," replied Kyle. "A crystal cylinder, about five feet high with a three foot diameter. Looked just like the sketch Zen gave us." "Well, what are you so glum about? Zen will be pleased. A happy investor and a successful dig. What more do you want?" Kyle finished his orange juice and stood up. "Let me show you what we've found so far." He led Stacy through the excavation site. It was the first time she had seen the site in almost two months. She had been back in Buffalo, taking care of the books for the venture and running the salvage business. Stacy craned her neck, taking it all in. "I can't believe how far you've come along." The steep hills of the excavation site were now pitted with craters where backhoes had uncovered the various artifacts. Kyle had expected a difficult fight to get a permit for the work, but somehow Mr. Zen had put the paperwork through in a day. In hindsight, that seemed awfully suspicious. The site was abandoned now, the equipment sitting idle and brown tarpaulins covering artifacts that had been completely or partially excavated. "Credit the workers," said Kyle. "They really put their heart and soul into the project, pulling overtime when I hadn't even asked them to. Of course, the sheer mystery of it all might have had something to do with it. Take a look at this." He pulled one of the tarps aside. Protruding from a chunk of rock was what appeared to a piece of a musical keyboard. The white keys were severely burned, but the pattern was unmistakable. "That can't be what I think it is," said Stacy. "Those were our thoughts exactly. There's more. We've found pipes as well. It seems to be pieces of a steam organ." "How did it get buried in the rock?" "It wasn't," Kyle replied. "At least that's what our geologists tell us. The evidence is inconsistent with burial. And the organ isn't old enough. I mean, the human race hadn't even developed technology when that rock was laid down." "Then how'd it get there?" "We have no idea. Somehow the organ was fused with the rock. It was as if it was out of phase with the universe as it fell, then materialized inside the rock." Stacy laughed. "You sound like a Star Trek episode." "This has been more like the Twilight Zone. We've found larger fragments of that mystery metal, and fragments of crystal. The stuff is harder than diamond, yet something shattered it prior to the explosion. We've found chunks of stone sculpture too. We partially reassembled one. It looks like a snake. We also found a broken medallion with a snake motif. And the technology! We've found pieces of machinery we can't even begin to comprehend." "So in other words, this is the find of the century!" shouted Stacy. "We're going to be rich and famous! So why do you look so bummed?" "I'm getting to that," said Kyle. Stacy folded her arms. "Are you afraid the government is going to shut us down and make us disappear or something? C'mon, that only happens in conspiracy movies." She walked over to another tarp-covered item, a much taller one. "Is this it?" "Yes. Be careful." She pulled the tarpaulin aside, revealing the crystal cylinder. It was beautiful. The crystal was clear, yet it was impossible to see through. Stacy's gaze fell into level after level of shimmering rainbows, until she wobbled on her feet and had to turn away. The cylinder was capped on both ends by some sort of technological device, which appeared to be broken. She reached out with her hand. "DON'T TOUCH IT!!" screamed Kyle. He yanked her back violently, and both ended up flat on their backs. "Gee, Kyle, what was that all about?" asked Stacy, pulling herself to her feet and brushing off the mud. "I'm sorry," said Kyle. "I should have warned you. All the workers who touched it had to be hospitalized. In fact, they had to be tied down and sedated." Stacy looked back at the cylinder, wide-eyed. "What is it?" "As best as I can tell, it's an alien database. It's a repository of images, sounds, and facts." Stacy approached it once more, this time much more slowly and cautiously. "So the workers who touched it saw these images?" "I have no idea what they saw. They weren't in any condition to talk. I only know what I saw." "You touched it?" asked Stacy, alarmed. "I accidentally brushed against it. I was only in contact for a fraction of a second, yet it seemed like days. I saw... Well, I'm not sure how to describe what I saw. It was like a ship's record. Images of alien worlds, alien civilizations, sights and sounds and smells I couldn't possibly have imagined, even in my wildest fantasies." "Wow. I'm jealous." "You don't understand, Stacy. Whoever it was that owned this thing, he was evil. Extremely evil. He was a thief. He would come for a single object, take it, then remove all the witnesses. I didn't just see these other worlds, I watched as he destroyed them. I saw cities smashed, thousands of people burning in the streets..." Kyle started to shake. "I still see it when I close my eyes. Last night was the first time I slept since it happened." "Honey, you should see a doctor." "I will," said Kyle. "After I put an end to this." "Put an end--?" Stacy began. "Mr. Thomas!" said a voice from behind them. "Not now," said Kyle. "I'm not ready." He turned around to see Mr. Zen waving to them from across the site. "You didn't tell me he was coming," said Stacy. "I was getting around to it. He's early." Zen walked toward them, stepping around the muddier patches in a slow motion game of hopscotch. "Beautiful morning, isn't it? A bit chilly, but invigorating nonetheless." Zen was unmistakable. Tall, pale-skinned, his hair was a pale blue, tied tightly into a ponytail that hung halfway down his back. His eyes sparkled behind wire-rimmed glasses, and he wore the engaging smile that had charmed Kyle and Stacy into ignoring the more odd aspects of his funding proposal. "Mr. Zen!" said Kyle, trying to pull himself into some semblance of composure. "I didn't hear you arrive. I wasn't expecting you until noon." "You must forgive me. When I received your message, I was like an impatient little boy. I simply couldn't wait another minute. Ah!" he continued, turning to Stacy, "Mrs. Thomas! You're looking as lovely as always!" He kissed her hand. "Please," said Stacy, giggling, "I never look 'lovely' this early in the morning." Zen's jaw dropped as his gaze fell upon the cylinder. "You found it! You actually found it! Oh, I had dearly hoped that this would be the reason you called for me." Kyle swallowed. "Yes, about why I called..." "It's beautiful. No significant damage. Tell me, was it difficult getting it out of the rock?" "It took over a week," replied Kyle. "After we broke a few tools on it, we made the decision to be less cautious, which sped things up." He tried again. "Mr. Zen, we have to talk." Zen ignored him. He pulled off a white glove and reached out to touch the cylinder. "Sir, you really shouldn't--!" Kyle cautioned, but it was too late. Zen closed his eyes and gasped as his finger made contact. "Yes... Oh, yes. Still functional. Mother always did build to last." He pulled away. "You have exceeded my wildest hopes, Mr. Thomas. Words cannot describe how grateful I am." "How did you--" Kyle began, and then shook his head. It didn't matter. It only served to further convince him that the course of action on which he'd decided was the correct one. He gathered up his courage, and blurted it out. "I can't let you have it." Zen raised an eyebrow. "I beg your pardon?" "Kyle, what are you saying?" asked Stacy. "That thing is dangerous. All that's happened, the workers who lost their minds, my own experience, if it tells me anything, it's that I can't let you have it. I can't let anyone have it. It's too dangerous." Zen scowled. "Let us not be rash, Mr. Thomas. We have an agreement. " "I'm not being rash," said Kyle. "I've given this a lot of thought." "Honey, please be reasonable," pleaded Stacy. "We have a signed contract! Besides, don't you want to be rid of it?" "Not by giving it to someone else. Especially not someone who knows how to use it." "But he could sue our pants off!" "Let him!" Kyle shouted. "I can live with bankruptcy a lot easier than I can live with letting someone walk off with what might be the ultimate weapon." Zen extended his hands, palms outward, in a pleading gesture. "Mr. Thomas. I'm certain we can come to some kind of accommodation." "It's too late, Zen. I informed the government. I'm a little fuzzy on who has jurisdiction on this sort of thing, but some kind of official is arriving this afternoon." Zen pursed his lips. "I see. A shame. It appears I will have to liquidate this site earlier than I had planned." "Liquidate?" asked Kyle. Zen faced the cylinder, waved his right hand over it, and suddenly it was no longer there. Kyle and Stacy stared dumbfounded at the space where the cylinder had been, feeling the breeze as the air rushed in to fill the void. Like a magician using slight-of-hand, Zen produced a small cylinder. He pressed a contact, and a beam shot out, striking the rock containing the steam organ keyboard. The rock quickly dissolved into mist. He began to vaporize all the artifacts, one-by-one. "Oh God," said Stacy. "He's destroying everything. We'll be ruined." "Stacy, we have to get out of here." He tugged on her shoulder but she didn't budge. An odd look spread across her face. He recognized the expression. He seen it before, when their first house had burned down, and he'd had to restrain her from running back into the fire to retrieve her doll collection. "No. No, there's still a chance. If I can just reason with him." "Stacy, please!" He took her hand and tried to pull her away. To Kyle's horror, Stacy pulled free of his grasp and ran over to Zen. "Please! Mr. Zen! I don't know who you are or what you want, but my husband has spent a year of his life on this site. It's all we have! The business at home is failing! Please, I beg you, just let us keep--" Zen turned and shot her, then went back to his work. Stacy gasped, not in pain, but surprise as the beam tore through her chest and out her back. She looked down in astonishment at the gaping hole in her body. The hole rapidly expanded until Stacy was in two pieces, her head and arms floating in the air in defiance of gravity. Kyle watched helplessly as Stacy continued to dissolve, until all that was left were her head and her feet. She looked hopelessly at Kyle, tears streaming down her face. Then she was gone. "You bastard!" Kyle pulled a pistol from his coat pocket and fired. The bullets bounced off an invisible barrier. Zen fired back, and the gun was gone, along with Kyle's hand. He stared in horror as his arm slowly began to dissolve from the end up. "What are you?" he asked. "WHAT ARE YOU?!" Zen's only response was to shoot him. -- END PROLOGUE -- TENCHI MUYO! : "Mother's Day" by Ryan Mathews CHAPTER ONE "Please, Aeka? Pretty please?" "I said no, Ryoko! Now will you please get out of my room?" Ryoko fell to her knees, tugging gently on Aeka's dress. "C'mon, princess, have a heart! You know how important it is to me to impress your relatives!" "Why in the galaxy would *you* want to impress my mother and my aunt?" asked Aeka, irritatedly pulling away from Ryoko's grasp. "Well, your aunt is Tenchi's great-grandmother after all," Ryoko explained, getting to her feet. "Oh, I see," sneered Aeka. "And you really think I'll help you impress her? Besides, it isn't as if you have nothing to wear. You can conjure up any outfit you want, isn't that correct?" "Yes, but I just don't have your sense of style. I want a dress that says I can be a perfect Juraian wife. Something like what you're wearing now!" Ryoko once again tugged on Aeka's dress, and this time it phased off Aeka's body, leaving her in her underwear. Ryoko held the dress in front of her and looked in the mirror. "Yes, this would be perfect!" Aeka shrieked, trying to cover herself. "Give me that!" she yelled, yanking back the dress. "I see no reason to help you to make a good impression on Aunt Funaho, so you might as well leave." Ryoko snorted. "Fine, if that's the way you want it. When you and Tenchi are talking to the Juraian Queens, I suppose I can just appear in some lingerie. Or an S&M outfit. Or maybe my birthday suit!" "You wouldn't!" "Wanna bet?" Ryoko smiled evilly. "See how much respect they have for Tenchi once I show up in leather and call him my slave!" A vein began to pulse in Aeka's forehead. "You... disgusting... little..." "Now, now! If we trash the place in a fight, what kind of impression will that make?" Aeka took a deep breath and let it out. "Alright! I know when I'm beaten. I will attempt to find some clothing that will be... appropriate for you." "Oh, thank you, princess!" exclaimed Ryoko, jumping with joy. "You're such a good sport!" "Just remember, I *will* get you back for this. Now let's see. What do I have that I could live with you wearing?" The door opened and in walked Washu, startling Aeka. "Whoa! Sorry, didn't know you weren't decent." "It's alright," she sighed. "I'm getting used to it." "I just came to tell you your mother and aunt have arrived. They're in the living room having tea." "Already?" said Aeka. "Oh my, I wasn't expecting them this early." Washu turned to Ryoko, looked her up and down, then grinned. "Hello, Ryoko," she said, "or should I say 'half of Ryoko'?" "'Half of Ryoko'?" repeated Aeka. Ryoko smiled nervously, a drop of sweat beading on her temple. "Why, Washu, whatever do you mean?" Washu placed her hands on her hips and sniffed. "Come now. Do you really think a mother isn't going to notice when half her daughter's mass is missing?" "Half her mass is missing?" said Aeka, blinking. Then it sank in. "Oh, no! Oh, NO!" She put on her dress as quickly as possible and ran out of the room. "Thanks a *lot*, Washu!" yelled Ryoko. "You're welcome," giggled Washu. Aeka ran down the steps and into the living room. Her aunt Funaho and her mother, Misaki, were there, sipping tea just as Washu had said. And sitting across from them, snuggling up to a very uncomfortable-looking Tenchi, was another Ryoko. "That's right," said Ryoko. "Tenchi and I are just deliriously happy! That's the way it is when you're truly in love. Every day is more wonderful than the last! Isn't that right, Tenchi?" "Yeah, right, whatever," said Tenchi, sweating bullets. "Do you think you could move back a little?" "Oh, Tenchi! You're such a tease!" Funaho smiled. "It's wonderful to see my great-grandson so happy." Misaki's big eyes misted with tears. "Isn't true love beautiful?" "Ry-OKO!" Ryoko looked behind her to find a livid Aeka standing behind the couch. "Just *what* are you trying to pull here?" fumed Aeka. "Why, I don't know what you mean," said Ryoko, feigning innocence. "Tenchi and I were just discussing our relationship and--" With that unmistakable sound, the other Ryoko teleported into the room. "Aeka, wait! Oops, too late." Her double angrily leapt to her feet. "You bonehead!" Ryoko shouted. "You were supposed to be stalling her!" "It's not my fault!" said the other Ryoko. "Washu narked on us!" "Now there's a fascinating talent," said Funaho, not the least bit perturbed. "I'll say," agreed Misaki. "Do you think you could teach me how to do that?" "Sorry," replied Ryoko #1. "You gotta be born with it," said Ryoko #2. Both Ryokos vanished to be replaced by a single one. She walked back to the couch and sat down, this time a safe distance away from Tenchi. Aeka walked over to sit on Tenchi's other side, when Misaki cleared her throat. "Aeka, dear. Aren't you forgetting something?" "Oh. I'm sorry." She gave Ryoko a warning glance, then screamed "MOMMY!" and ran into Misaki's arms. Ryoko found it hilarious, but wisely kept that opinion to herself. "Oh, my baby!" whined Misaki, squeezing Aeka until she nearly turned blue. "I miss you so much! When are you coming home?" "I don't know, mother." Aeka gently pulled loose. "I just have so much to keep me here." "Don't be silly," said Ryoko. "I'm sure we can spare you for awhile if you want to visit your homeworld." "Oh, you'd like that, wouldn't you!" yelled Aeka. "What do you mean by that?" "You know what I mean!" "I'm just saying that you should spend time with your family. Heck, you should feel lucky to *have* a family. I don't!" "Oh, really?" said Aeka. "And what happens to Tenchi while I'm gone?" Ryoko grinned. "Don't worry. I'll take real good care of him." Tenchi looked ready to die of embarrassment. "Are they always like this?" Funaho asked Tenchi. "No. Only when they're awake." Funaho started to laugh. "Your great-grandson certainly has a way with the ladies," commented Misaki. Funaho nodded. "Agreed. But that's not what makes me laugh. It's just that Ryoko and Aeka, they remind me so much of you and me when we were their age." "Huh?" said Ryoko, Aeka, and Tenchi in unison. "Aeka, do you know why your father instituted the rule of two queens, one from Jurai and one from offworld?" Funaho asked. Misaki started to sweat. "It was to keep Misaki and me from killing each other." Misaki laughed nervously. "Oh, sister Funaho, you exaggerate so much!" "No, really!" insisted Funaho. "You see, Misaki and I were both very attracted to young Prince Azusa, and we both resolved to win him, even if it meant resorting to underhanded means. At first, the pranks were harmless. She locked me in a closet, once. Another time I spiked her drink with a drug that took away her voice. Eventually, though, the situation started to get dangerous." "Now you're really exaggerating," said Misaki. "I would never do anything to harm you!" "What about the time you set me on fire?" "That was an accident!" Misaki shouted. She turned to the others to explain. "You see, the chemical was only supposed to vaporize her clothes, leaving her naked in front of... the..." Her voice trailed off as she realized she'd admitted everything. "--royal court," she finished. Aeka was shocked. "Mother. I had no idea." "Neither did I," agreed Ryoko. "And here I was thinking Juraian royalty were all a bunch of sticks-in-the-mud. Hey, Misaki, maybe later you and I could compare notes?" "Anyway," continued Funaho, "Azusa loved Misaki and me too much to see either of us get hurt, so he married both of us. That's a way out for you as well, Tenchi." Tenchi sputtered and choked. "Please, Aunt Funaho," said Aeka, "you're embarrassing him." Tenchi nervously changed the subject. "Grandfather sends his regrets. Ordinarily he'd be here, but he's with my father in Hawaii. My father's attending a big architectural convention and Grandfather convinced him to let him come along." "Well, I suppose it's our fault for having given you so little advance notice," said Funaho. Sasami arrived, carrying a plate of cakes. "Here you go, everyone! Have as many as you want!" Everyone dug in. "Ooh, they're so good!" beamed Misaki. "Did you really make these yourself?" Sasami nodded proudly. "She gets her cooking ability from her father," said Funaho, eliciting a nasty look from Misaki. "I also made this for you, Mom!" Sasami handed Misaki a small card. "Oh, it's lovely!" Misaki gushed. "Such pretty artwork! And inside it says... um... uh..." Funaho glanced over. "You can't read it?" "Well, um, no," admitted Misaki. "Let me have a look," said Funaho, taking the card. "Oh, this is English! You mean you only learned one Earth language, Misaki?" "Learning languages is hard..." Funaho sounded out the syllables. "That means 'Happy Mother's Day'." "What's 'Mother's Day'?" Aeka asked. "It's a holiday!" replied Sasami. "It's for honoring mothers and giving them gifts." Misaki smiled. "How thoughtful of you, Sasami!" Aeka grumbled, "Wish she'd told me..." Washu popped up behind Ryoko. "So, did ya get me anything?" Ryoko snorted. "Get real. You want a gift, I'll get you some luggage. You can pack and leave." "Not very thoughtful of you," sighed Washu. The doorbell rang. "I'll get it," she said. Washu walked out of the living room to the main door of the house. She felt a little down. Although she'd never admit it to anyone, least of all herself, Ryoko's constant rejection of her as a mother figure was starting to bother her. Okay, so she hadn't been the perfect mother. So she hadn't been around for the first two thousand years of her daughter's life. It hadn't been *her* fault. It's awfully difficult to bond with your child when you're imprisoned in crystal. "Would it really burn her lips to say 'Mom' just once?" she muttered. She reached the door and opened it. She blinked and staggered backward. For a moment she was certain Kagato had returned. She took a second look and saw, to her relief, that she had been mistaken. This man's hair was blue and very long, and his eyes sparkled in a way Kagato's never did. Still, the angular face, the pale skin; the resemblance was frightening. "Is this the Masaki residence?" he asked. His voice was also different from Kagato's: soft and low, not threatening at all. "This is it." "Perhaps you can help me. My name is Lhim-Zen. I'm looking for a 'Miss Washu'." "That'd be me. What can I do for you?" The man raised his eyebrows. "Is there someone else here by that name? The woman I'm looking for is a great deal older." Washu grinned. "I'm older than I look. Why don't you come inside?" "Thank you." He stepped through the doorway and stopped. He peered into the adjoining room. "Is that... Ryoko?" "Yes, do you know her?" "I've never seen her before. But now that I have, I'm certain that I came to the right place." He untied the string that held his hair in a tight, long ponytail, and gave his head a toss. His blue hair spread out like a peacock's tail, forming a large brush of thick blue spikes. It looked exactly like Ryoko's. "Miss Washu, I believe you are my mother." * * * The door to Washu's interdimensional laboratory opened and out walked Washu, grinning from ear to ear. "Well, folks," she announced to the anxious crowd gathered outside the door, "the tests are positive! May I introduce Lhim-Zen, my son!" "Pleased to meet you!" shouted everyone except Ryoko. "Look at that hair!" said Sasami. "You really are Ryoko's brother!" Lhim-Zen smiled and sighed. "Actually, I hope Mother will forgive me for saying this, but that's one trait I wish I hadn't inherited. It gets in the way when I'm trying to do experiments." He retrieved the string from his pocket and tied his hair back into the ponytail. "You're a scientist, too?! I'm so happy!!" Washu locked onto his waist. "Why don't you join us for some tea and tell us all about yourself?" asked Aeka. "Actually, that would be wonderful." Washu giggled. "You're still tasting that probe I stuck in your mouth, aren't you?" A short while later, everyone took their places around the living room table, eager to get to know the new arrival. All except Ryoko, that is, who sat away from the group, a sour look on her face. Tenchi began the questioning. "So, are you really Washu's long-lost child? The one who was taken from her almost 20,000 years ago?" "As far as I know. I have no memory of my real mother, and my adoptive parents never explained what happened to her. I've always wondered what my life would have been like if I'd been raised by my natural mother. Now that I've met her, I can say it would have been more or less the same. We've both devoted our lives to science." "I hope you don't mind my saying so," said Tenchi, "but you resemble someone else besides Ryoko. Are you by any chance related to--" Washu cleared her throat. "I don't think Lhim wants to spend the entire afternoon discussing his family tree. I want to know what you've been up to for the last ten millennia!" "I'm a free-form scientist, much the same as you," Lhim replied. "The only major difference is that I don't believe in permanent laboratories. I believe in applying science in the field. I go where the action is, you could say. Speaking of which," he added, addressing Funaho and Misaki, "am I in trouble? I know this planet is off-limit to everyone but natives and authorized Juraians." "Oh, I think we can overlook it," said Funaho. "Besides, the maximum penalty is to have your ship impounded." "Well, that's a relief. I don't have a ship." "You don't have a ship?" Aeka asked. "Then how did you get here?" "I hitched a ride with a chocolate smuggler." "Chocolate smuggler?" asked Tenchi. "Oh, yes. Chocolate is the most popular illegal export from Earth. A little over a ton is smuggled off the planet each year. It's just so much better than chocolate grown anywhere else. I think it must be your planet's soil." Misaki sniffed. "Chocolate smugglers. The scum of the galaxy. Exploiting people's sweet tooths for obscene profits. They disgust me." "Really?" said Funaho. "Then what are those six boxes in our ship's hold marked 'Hershey's'?" Misaki grimaced, then sighed. "How much for your silence?" "One box." "You're cruel, sister." "I don't get it," said Sasami. "Without a ship, where do you keep all your stuff?" "Why, behind the ears of little girls, of course!" Lhim-Zen reached behind Sasami's ear and pulled out a magnifying glass. "Wow!" shouted Sasami. "Do that again!" Washu grabbed ahold of Lhim-Zen's hand and took a closer look. "Well, I'll be. Dimensional pocketing gloves. One of my classic inventions! They allow the wearer to transfer any item into an extradimensional 'pocket', where it can be retrieved when needed." Lhim-Zen nodded. "Let me give you another demonstration." He waved his hand over the table and a small, weathered, stone statue appeared. Funaho leaned in to get a closer look. "Ah. A traditional Juraian warding statue. Seventh dynasty?" "Sixth, actually. I found it in Mongolia, right here on Earth. My preliminary analysis indicates it is constructed of Earth stone, not transported from Jurai. If your scientists concur, you'll have a point of reference for determining the date of colonization." He handed the statue to her. "I don't know what to say. Thank you," said Funaho. * * * The conversation continued for hours, into the evening. Ryoko's mood paralleled the sky outside, growing darker as the sun set. She had planned for the royal visit ever since she had learned they were coming. She had intended to use the opportunity to show Funaho and Misaki what a good wife she would make for Tenchi. But in walked a stranger with her hair and Kagato's face (how disgusting), and suddenly he's the only topic of discussion. Any college psychology student could have told Ryoko her real problem: she was jealous of the attention Lhim-Zen was being given. But despite being two thousand years old, Ryoko was anything but emotionally mature. So she sat there stewing in her own juices, working up a dislike for the newcomer. <'Look at me! I'm Washu's son! I dig rocks! Aren't I fascinating?'> she thought. "So what do you say, Ryoko?" asked Washu. Ryoko jumped as she was startled back to reality. "I wasn't paying attention," she admitted. "I understand you have a ship," said Lhim-Zen. "If it's not too much trouble, I could use a lift." "What do I look like, a taxi service?!" "I only need to get to the nearest spaceport." "The nearest spaceport is THREE DAYS AWAY!! Why can't you leave with the Queens?" "We discussed that," said Funaho. "I suppose we could take him, but there would be those on Jurai who would want to know how he got to Earth in the first place. We're just trying to minimize the hassle. Three days isn't that long a time." "I am *not* leaving Tenchi alone with Aeka for six days!!" Ryoko yelled. "Relax," said Aeka. "I'm not like you." Ryoko briefly fantasized about blowing Aeka's head off with a single surprise energy blast. "Forget it! The answer is 'no'! That's final! End of discussion!" And with that, she stormed out of the room. "May I speak to her?" Lhim-Zen asked the others. "I don't think you should," said Tenchi. "When she gets like this, it's best just to avoid her." "Oh, I don't know. I have a funny feeling she'll listen to me." Lhim-Zen found Ryoko on the roof. "Mind if I come up?" "Suit yourself." She began to stand up. "No! Don't go! Just give me a moment of your time!" He waved his hand, and a ladder appeared. He climbed up and sat next to her. "Ryoko, if you think I have an ulterior motive in asking you to transport me, you're right. I want to spend some time with my sister." "I am *not* your sister." "But--" "Washu didn't give birth to me. She stuck one of her eggs in a machine with some alien goop and *made* me. All this 'mother' crap is her own invention. I have no feelings for her, and I certainly have none for you." "That's so sad. She cares deeply for you, you know." Ryoko stood up. "That's it. I'm out of here." She took a step and suddenly became dizzy. "This is a disappointment," said Lhim-Zen. His voice sounded cold, as if he were a different person. "I didn't want to resort to this, but I had no idea you'd be such a hard sell." Ryoko turned slowly, trying to keep her balance. In Lhim-Zen's left hand was a palm-sized device that looked familiar. Ryoko tried to place it. Lhim-Zen's fingers brushed the device and Ryoko marched back into the living room. "Ryo-oh-ki!! Yo, furball! Where are you?" The furry little cabbit marched up to her leg, meowing. "There you are. Go to the lake and fetch the rest of you. We're leaving as soon as possible." "Miya!" replied Ryo-oh-ki, and ran off. "So you've changed your mind," said Washu. "Yeah," sighed Ryoko. "Lhim-Zen talked me into it. We are brother and sister, after all. I'd like to think he'd help me out if I needed it. One thing before I go, though. Aeka!" "I know, I know," Aeka replied exasperatedly. "Hands off Tenchi." "Just so you know, if I return, and find that Tenchi has lost either his virginity or his bachelorhood, I *will* hunt you down and disembowel you." Aeka rolled her eyes. "Oh, I'm soooo scared." "You should be," said Ryoko, her voice as cold as ice. The look in Ryoko's eyes made Aeka gulp. "Look, relax! I swear on my honor as a Princess of Jurai that I will not deflower or marry Tenchi while you're gone." "Good." Ryoko left the room. "Did she just threaten my daughter?" asked Misaki. "I wouldn't worry about it," said Funaho. "It's just a healthy rivalry." * * * About an hour later, the party stood outside the house. Ryo-oh-ki the ship hovered in the air, ready to take Lhim-Zen and Ryoko on board. Washu faced her son. "This was far too brief, you know. I didn't ask or tell you half the things I wanted to." "I know, mother. I have some pressing business to attend, but I promise: once I'm free, I'll return and spend some real time here. Who knows, maybe we can be a mother-and-son scientific team. Wouldn't that be something?" "I'd like that." She hugged him good-bye. "Farewell. Be safe, Monshu." "'Monshu'?" "It's the name I gave you." "Hmm. 'Monshu'. It has a nice ring to it." Ryoko called from behind. "Hey! Are we going or what?!" "Anytime you're ready," replied Lhim-Zen. "Ryo-oh-ki! Take us aboard!" A beam of light enveloped the two of them, pulling them both into ship. With a mighty "MIYA!", Ryo-oh-ki zoomed into the distance and disappeared. Misaki blinked. "Oh, dear. I am such a bad girl." "Uh-oh," said Funaho. "I think Misaki just had an idea." END CHAPTER ONE TENCHI MUYO! : "Mother's Day" by Ryan Mathews CHAPTER TWO Ryoko yawned. She was only a single day out from Earth, and already she was bored to tears. She wasn't used to these long, dull trips. The last time she'd taken one, she had been aboard the _Souja_, and there had been plenty to do there. Ryo-oh-ki wasn't designed for long trips. It had basically just one large room, the bridge, with only minimal comfort facilities for humanoids and a single bay for pirated cargo. Her passenger, Lhim-Zen, didn't help much to alleviate her boredom. He hadn't said more than three sentences to her since the trip had begun. He spent his days in apparent meditation. Occasionally he would walk about the bridge, waving his hands in an odd rhythm. When asked, he explained that it was a meditative dance, similar to Tai Chi, but didn't elaborate. Once he ate some food that he materialized with his gloves. Ryoko sighed and tried to remember how she had been talked into playing taxi for this man. She couldn't recall precisely what he had said, only that it had made perfect sense at the time. she thought. Nothing to do but get this over with as fast as possible. Unfortunately, that meant five more days of boredom. "Ryo-oh-ki, gimme the Playstation!" One of Ryo-oh-ki's crystals floated over to Ryoko and extended a compact disc tray. Ryoko fished in her outfit and came up with one of the video games she'd borrowed from Tenchi. The software was primitive, but the games were clever and challenging. Ryoko had considered going into business selling copies of the games on other planets, if she could ever talk Tenchi into leaving Earth. It was a perfect fit: the space pirate becoming a software pirate. She placed the CD in the tray and gave it a push. A control pad popped out of the crystal and a viewscreen materialized. Ryoko caught the control pad and winced. Her right hand was red and raw, as if she'd burned it on something. It had been that way for at least a day. She must have burned it pretty bad for it not to have healed yet, but she had no memory of how it had happened. Lhim-Zen rose from his meditation and began to do his dance again. Fed up, Ryoko threw down the control pad and stood up. "Hey, Zen! Let's talk!" Zen paid no notice and continued his movements. Now Ryoko was really pissed. "Hey! Zen! You're the one who said you wanted to spend some quality time with your sister, right? So what's with the damn silent treatment?" When Zen still did not respond, Ryoko angrily grabbed him by the shoulder and spun him around. She swallowed as a chill went down her spine. The expression on Zen's face was cold and emotionless. It was as if there was no soul behind the face, just a void. When saw Ryoko's reaction he blinked and it was if he put on a new face. His eyes sparkled and the warm smile that had charmed Tenchi and the others returned. "Forgive me, my sister. Sometimes I let my work distract me." "I thought you were meditating." "Indeed. Meditating on present and future scientific projects. It's 'mental work'. What did you want to ask me?" "I..." Ryoko didn't know. She figured he'd want to ask her something. Again, wasn't that the point of the trip? A beeping noise came from Ryo-oh-ki's speakers and screens activated, showing an approaching ship hailing them. The face of a Juraian military officer appeared. "This is the Juraian ship _Nagami_ to _Ryo-oh-ki_. You are ordered to halt your vessel and prepare for inspection." "What the hell?" said Ryoko. She activated the comlink. "_Nagami_, what's the problem? What have I been accused of this time?" "We mean you no harm, Ryoko," said the officer, "but you know you're not allowed anywhere in Juraian space other than the Sol System." "'Juraian space'?" Ryoko asked, incredulous. "I'm not anywhere near Juraian space! I'm enroute to the Bedart-Prime Spaceport." The officer gave her an odd look. "If you truly believe that, there must be something wrong with your navigation systems." Ryoko checked her coordinates. They showed her on course for Bedart. To be certain, she checked the maps against her view of the stars. They didn't match. "Uh... I don't know what to say. Ryo-oh-ki's never done this before. Where exactly am I?" "You are point-seven-five light years inside the Juraian border, on course for planet Jurai." Ryoko paled. "I, uh, didn't mean it. Honest!" "Not a problem. All we need is a brief inspection of your ship, and we'll escort you to the border." "Sure! Go ahead." "Please prepare to be--" The image was abruptly cut off. Ryoko tried the comlink again, with negative results. "Ryo-oh-ki, try to get him back!" Ryo-oh-ki didn't reply. Instead the ship began to rotate slowly, and a low humming noise began to build, louder and louder. Ryoko recognized the sound. The main gun was being brought on-line and targeted. "Ryo-oh-ki, what are you doing! Ryo-oh-ki!" "Miya?" Ryoko looked down to see the furry animal and knew beyond all doubt that something was horribly wrong. The _Nagami_ attempted to deploy its Lighthawk Wings, but it was too late. Ryo-oh-ki fired. The beam punched right through the partially deployed Wings, into the _Nagami_ and out the other side. The Juraian ship blossomed into an immense fireball. * * * "A trip to Jurai?!" said Tenchi, Aeka, Sasami, and Washu in unison. "Of course," said a gleeful Misaki. "I've *always* wanted to invite my new family to visit the homeworld. The only stumbling block was Ryoko. She's persona non grata on Jurai, and it would be so rude to invite everyone *but* Ryoko. But now she's gone for six days! We can visit Jurai and be back before she returns!" Aeka was puzzled. "But Mother, Jurai is even farther away than the spaceport to which Ryoko is traveling." "Not anymore!" announced Washu. "Correct," agreed Funaho. "Washu installed a warp point in nearby space that leads directly to the heart of the Juraian Empire. We used it to come here. The trip took about twenty hours." Washu grinned. "It was the least I could do after having invented so many things that had devastated their planet." "What about Father?" Aeka asked. "I didn't think he liked Tenchi very much." "Oh, you mustn't read too much into your father's attitude. He's warming to Tenchi, really he is! Besides," Misaki grinned, "he's on a tour of the outer colonies and won't be back for three weeks!" "You're right, sister," said Funaho, "you are a bad girl." "What do you think, Tenchi?" asked Aeka, delighted. "Isn't it a marvelous idea? I would so much love to show you the beauty of Jurai!" "I don't know," said Tenchi. "It seems cruel to Ryoko to leave her out like this." "You could always make it up to her later," suggested Funaho. "Uh, yes, of course!" agreed Aeka. she added to herself. Tenchi considered. "I've always wanted to see Jurai, ever since I learned about it. I guess I really can't pass up the opportunity." "Then it's decided!" bubbled Misaki. "We'll leave right away! Everyone get packed!" "You're invited too, Washu-chan," said Funaho. "Goody!" Washu chirped. "Can I take a look inside your tree nursery?" "Um... We'll talk about it," Funaho replied, a bead of sweat appearing on her brow. Sasami walked into Tenchi's room. "Tenchi, are you ready to go? We're about to leave." "I'm all packed. I just can't find my sword. It's weird. I always put in the same drawer but I must have forgotten last time. I can't find it anywhere." "You shouldn't need it on Jurai." "I know, but Grandfather told me to always carry it with me. Oh, well," Tenchi sighed. "I guess it can't be helped. It's not like there's anyone else on Earth that could use it. Tell the others I'll be right there." He sighed again. "Tenchi, are you okay?" Sasami asked. "I just don't like lying to Ryoko, that's all." "So don't lie! Like Aunt Funaho said, you can make it up to her." Tenchi brightened. "You're right. I could buy her some of that sake she likes so much, or take to her to a restaurant. With you as chaperone, of course." Sasami giggled. "You're kind and thoughtful, Tenchi. That's why I--" "What?" "Uh, nothing." she thought to herself. "Are you sure you can't come with us, Mihoshi?" Tenchi asked as he prepared to board the royal ship. "Ooh, I want to so much, but I can't. I have a big test Friday, and I have to study." In her zeal to contribute to the new extended Masaki family of which she was now a part, Mihoshi had begun taking night classes at a local college. Although she always seemed to be struggling miserably, she had somehow managed to pass all her exams and was on course for a degree. "Besides, someone has to look after the house while you're gone." "Speaking of that," said Tenchi, "if you see my sword somewhere, could you keep track of it until I get back?" "Sure! You can count on me!" As Mihoshi waved good-bye, he was enveloped in a ball of energy and pulled into the ship. "Bring me back a souvenir!" she called after him. As the ship rose into the air, she added, "Something I can eat!" * * * As she stared at the lazily drifting field of debris that moments ago had been a Juraian ship, two questions simultaneously vied for attention in Ryoko's mind: "Why?" and "How?". Why did Ryo-oh-ki ignore her command to stop? And how was she able to destroy the _Nagami_? Ryo-oh-ki was powerful, but not *that* powerful. There was no way she could have destroyed a Juraian military vessel with a single shot. The furry animal Ryo-oh-ki meowed at Ryoko's feet, and she picked her up. This in itself was odd. Ryo-oh-ki was never in animal form aboard her own ship body. Ryoko stroked Ryo-oh-ki's fur. "You aren't in control, are you?" But if Ryo-oh-ki wasn't in control of her ship form, who was? The obvious answer was Lhim-Zen, but how? Ryoko looked at her passenger. He seemed totally oblivious to what had just happened, and continued his bizarre dance. Ryoko decided to take the direct route. "You! What do you know about this?" Without turning to face her, Zen responded, "I don't know what you mean." "The hell you don't. I want my ship back, you bastard!" Zen gave her an amused smile. "My dear sister, how could I possibly be in control of your ship?" Ryoko sneered. "I don't know, but I'm gonna find out." She marched toward him, prepared to beat the answer out of him. Zen smile disappeared, replaced by alarm. He tried to wave her off. "Wait! Stay back!" Ryoko collided with thin air and fell on her butt. "You tripped," said Zen. Ryoko nodded. "Damn. I'm so clumsy." Something in her mind screamed . Suddenly overcome with dizziness, Ryoko sat on the floor, holding her head. Her mind seemed to have split into two parts. One screamed at her to ignore everything that had happened and press on to the spaceport. The other half screamed equally loudly that something was horribly wrong. For once, Ryoko had Lhim-Zen's full attention. He stared at her intently, waiting. Ryoko tried desperately to sort out the voices in her head. What was the truth? She needed a second opinion, and it occurred to her how she could get one. She closed her eyes, and asked Ryo-oh-ki to show her what she saw. The cabbit's eyes scanned the bridge. It was a laboratory under construction. The bridge was half-filled with devices. Some Ryoko recognized from Washu's lab, some were from the _Souja_. Others Ryoko had never seen before. Ryoko slowly got to her feet. "'Meditative dance', my ass. You and your magic gloves have been filling my ship full of shit!" Lhim-Zen sighed. "This is regrettable, indeed. Oh, well, I suppose nothing ever goes precisely as planned." Ryoko became dizzy once more, and when it cleared, she could see the lab with her own eyes. In the center of the bridge, surrounded by Ryo-oh-ki's control crystals, was a large, shimmering crystal cylinder. She knew was it was, but was afraid to say it. "That's..." "The main core from the _Souja_, yes," confirmed Lhim-Zen. "You can't comprehend how lucky I was to have found it. Of course, I simply had to get ahold of the one remaining ship in the universe that was compatible with it." "To do what?" "All in good time. So you recognize the main core. I take it then that you recognize this?" Zen held up a small, palm-sized device, the same one Ryoko had seen on the Masaki's roof. Ryoko did recognize it. Kagato had once had one just like it, two thousand years ago. It was a compact transmitter tied into the _Souja_'s core. With it, Kagato could control all the functions of his ship. He could also use it to control Ryoko. "I won't do it," said Ryoko. "I won't be your slave." "Unless there's something I'm missing, I don't believe you have a choice." Ryoko's sword appeared in her hand. "Give it to me," she hissed. "I wouldn't do that," said Zen. "I haven't had much practice with this device and I can't guarantee I won't hurt you." Ryoko charged. * * * The trip to Juraian space was uneventful. The royal ship approached the warp point, a small spherical object floating in space. The sphere split into four sections as they approached, spreading a web of energy. The ship flew into the web and found itself in Juraian space, close enough to the planet that its continents could be made out through a telescope. A few more hours of travel, and the face of Jurai was clearly visible with the naked eye, drawing a crowd of spectators. Sasami was unable to contain her excitement. "Look, Tenchi, look! There's our home! There's where we grew up!" Tenchi smiled. "Yes, Sasami, that's your homeworld." "No, no, no! I mean our home city! Where Aeka and I grew up! Right there!" Sasami pointed. It was impossible to tell exactly where Sasami was pointing, so Aeka helped out. "It's at the south end of the bay, at the western edge of the northern continent." Tenchi looked. He saw the area to which Aeka was referring, but they were still much too far away from the planet to make out a city. "It looks so much like Earth." "It's very nearly identical. The air, the water, the weather, it's all just like your world." "But Earth doesn't have cheena birds!" piped Sasami. Aeka laughed. "It's Sasami's favorite bird. There are many plants and animals you'll see for the first time, Tenchi." Sasami nodded. "I'm gonna make you my favorite dessert, Tenchi! It's made with fruit that grows only in the royal gardens!" Tenchi smiled at Sasami, as Aeka looked on, feeling giddy with anticipation. These next few days were going to be the most wonderful in her life and, she hoped, the most wonderful for Tenchi as well. When they returned to Earth, Tenchi's heart would be completely and irrevocably hers. She'd promised Ryoko she would neither marry nor bed Tenchi, and Aeka was a princess of her word. However, she hadn't said anything about taking long, romantic walks with Tenchi in the light of Jurai's moon. She hadn't said anything about holding his hand or (dare she even think it?) kissing him! Oh, how she wanted the trip to be over, for the ship to land so she could step onto the sacred soil of Jurai arm-in-arm with her beloved-- "Um, Aeka?" said Sasami. "You're drooling." * * * Ryoko awoke to blackness and utter silence. The last thing she remembered was rushing Lhim-Zen, intending to wrest the controller from him by force. Now it was dark. She sat up, straining to see anything. She listened for even the slightest sound. Nothing. The only sensation was that of the floor, cold and real beneath her. She called out to Ryo-oh-ki to activate the lights and could not hear her own voice. She became scared. Something was very wrong. Then, with a chill, she understood what that something was. Trembling, she raised her hands to her neck, hoping she was mistaken. She wasn't. Her head was missing. Fighting off the urge to panic, she felt the area around her, on the slight chance her head had come loose when she'd fallen unconscious, and was still asleep. No luck. The ability to separate her body into autonomous segments was one of the more useless of Ryoko's abilities, and she'd taken off her head only once in recent memory: at a costume party to freak out Aeka. She'd had no reason to do it since. Ryoko tried desperately to stay calm and think, a difficult task with her primary brain missing. Even if her head was detached, she should be in contact with it. Unless... She shivered in terror. What if Lhim-Zen had "pocketed" her head with those damned gloves of his, and left the rest of her behind with the ship? Maybe that was all he needed. Ryoko tried to grow another head. It was no use. She no idea how. The knowledge of how to regenerate lost body parts was in her primary brain. Without her head, Ryoko couldn't see, hear, talk, eat, drink, or barely even think! She needed her head! She finally did panic, flailing about the room, feeling desperately for anything that could help. Finally, her hand touched something. Something warm and furry. Ryo-oh-ki. Overjoyed with relief, she grasped Ryo-oh-ki with both hands and made the creature's eyes and ears her own. She was still on the bridge of Ryo-oh-ki the ship. Lhim-Zen had not left, and had installed even more devices, continuing the process of turning Ryo-oh-ki into a mobile laboratory. Ryoko's head was hooked up to one of the devices, and was looking worriedly back at her. "Can we please end this?" pleaded Ryoko. "My body is freaking out over there." "Fascinating, isn't it?" replied Lhim-Zen. "And it proves my hypothesis. Total cellular homogeneity." Ryoko's headless body got to its feet and walked toward them. It slammed into a force field and dropped Ryo-oh-ki. It immediately flailed around, desperately searching for its "eyes". "Oh god," said Ryoko. The sight was painful for her to watch. "Ryo-oh-ki, please help her!" Ryo-oh-ki meowed loudly, then realized that would have no effect. She rubbed up against Ryoko's leg and was immediately picked up. Lhim-Zen continued, not paying the slightest attention. "What it means is that any cell in your body can modify itself to perform the function of any other cell. It's why you're so hard to kill. When I cut off your head and isolated it, you didn't die. Instead, cells in your neck formed a basic brain. After a while, it became sufficiently developed to allow your body independent thought and action, as you see now. As for your head..." He detached Ryoko's head from the device and took a closer look. "You seem to have formed rudimentary air-bladders in your throat, allowing you to speak. I'm still not certain how you're circulating your blood, though. What do you think?" "I think," said Ryoko, choosing her words carefully, "that I would like to be in one piece again. Please." Lhim-Zen considered her request for a moment. "Very well." He hit a switch to lower the force-field, shouted "Catch!", and tossed her head to her body, which barely managed to catch it. Ryoko reattached her head, marveling at how good it felt. "Alright, you've made your point. You're in control. Now what do you want from me?" "Nothing all that much. Just an errand." END CHAPTER TWO TENCHI MUYO! : "Mother's Day" by Ryan Mathews CHAPTER THREE "What kind of errand?" asked Ryoko. "All in good time," said Lhim-Zen. "First, give me the sword." Ryoko gave him a confused look, then manifested her energy blade. "Just stand still, and you can have it." Lhim-Zen sighed and rolled his eyes. "The sword in your pocket, please." Still clueless as to what Lhim-Zen was talking about, Ryoko vanished the sword and reached into her pocket. She was rewarded with a flash of excruciating pain. She pulled Tenchi's sword out of her pocket and flung it towards Zen, then clutched her hand, now burnt worse than before. Lhim-Zen stared at her, curious. "Why don't you just cut it off and grow a new one?" "Why don't I just cut *you* up?" Ryoko spat back. Zen smiled. "You're welcome to try." He bent over and picked up sword, which did not react to his touch. "Force field in the glove," he explained. "The sword's unaware that it's being touched. I suppose I could have lent you one when I had you steal it, but I didn't see the point. You weren't feeling anything in your state anyway." "You used me," said Ryoko bitterly. "No Ryoko," Zen corrected, "I *am* using you. The sooner you accept that, the less painful this will be. You were designed as a tool, after all." He examined the sword. "That sword's useless to you," Ryoko said. "Only Juraian royalty can make it work." "It's not the sword in which I'm interested. It's the gems in the hilt." He placed the sword into a socket on top on one of the newly- installed consoles. "And the gems are fairly simple to remove, if you know how." He opened a small case and removed two clear spheres, the same size as the ruby gems embeddded in the sword. He opened a compartment in the console and placed the clear gems inside. He touched a switch. The sword glowed briefly, and the gems in the hilt faded from red to clear. Lhim-Zen opened the compartment and removed the ruby gems. "Are you going tell me what you need them for?" Ryoko asked. "I wasn't planning to." "If you want me to cooperate, I have to know what the plan is!" "You'll cooperate because you have no choice," said Lhim-Zen coldly. Ryoko shuddered. , she thought. When Kagato had used the controller on her, she had managed to get the device away from him and destroy it. (Of course, Kagato had responded by making a much smaller version of the device which he incorporated into his body.) But Kagato had not used those gloves. He couldn't make the controller appear and disappear at will. It would be much more difficult to take it away from Lhim-Zen. On top of that, she'd likely get only one chance. The controller was capable of turning Ryoko's mind off. The best thing to do was to play along for the time being, act the obedient slave in the hope of lulling him into complancency, perhaps beginning with some subtle flattery. Ryoko assumed the posture of a pouting child. "Please tell me? Please? The way you hijacked Ryo-oh-ki and kidnapped me, it was just brilliant! If you don't tell me why, I'm just gonna die of curiosity!" "I suppose you'll continue to nag me until I give in?" Ryoko nodded eagerly. "Mm-hm! Mm-hm!" "I could just turn you off." Ryoko paled. Zen sighed. "But until I experiment with the controller some more, I can't be certain I could reactivate you. I suppose an explanation is a small price to pay to shut you up. Although I sincerely doubt you'll understand it." Zen touched a switch and a hologram appeared, a bizarre shape. "This is a three-dimensional representation of the six-dimensional meta-chronic properties of the sword gems. It's not an exact representation, but I will correct it after a detailed examination of the actual gems." The shape turned slowly, warping and folding. Another similarly bizarre hologram appeared. "This is a similar representation of the meta-chronic properties of the Juraian power trees. My studies of work by Kagato and others have determined that half of the properties of the gems correspond to properties in the tree. In other words, if we rotate the shapes just so, we can fit them together." He demonstrated. The two shapes connected like a jigsaw puzzle, forming a less weird shape, a shape that looked symmetrical on one side. Zen continued. "My belief is that there is a third piece to this puzzle, a third power item whose properties correspond to the properties in which the gem and tree do not correspond to each other." "So," said Ryoko, "you're looking for this item." "No, I'm going to make it. The Souja's core has enough power to synthesize a less powerful version of the item, once everything is known about its properties. However, to know that, I'll need a more exact representation of the properties of the Juraian trees." Ryoko understood. "Which means you'll need a sample." Lhim-Zen smiled. "Precisely. You're going to steal one for me." Tenchi fussed with the hem of his robe. He thought it looked alright, but how was he to know? When Aeka's mother had asked him to dress in traditional Juraian clothing for their arrival on the homeworld, he had thought his battlesuit would suffice, only to be told that it would be completely inappropriate. He had been given a robe appropriate for a Crown Prince, but had only the vaguest idea of how to wear it. He was trying to work from his memory of the Emperor, but wasn't having much luck. Aeka's voice came from outside. "Tenchi are you ready? We're about to disembark!" "Could you help me with my robe?" There was a moment of silence, then Aeka answered in a halting voice. "You want me to come inside?" Tenchi laughed to himself, imagining Aeka blushing. "I'm fully dressed. I just can't seem to get the robe to look right." "Oh!" A relieved Aeka entered Tenchi's cabin and began helping him with the proper adjustments. "You see, the belt needs to be around like this, and the collar is more like this." Aeka knew all the vagaries of Juraian royal dress, but she'd never done this before. All her life servants had performed this task. Although, it occurred to her, she had seen both her mother and her aunt helping her father in just such a manner on several different occasions. The thought that she was acting like Tenchi's wife brought a flush to Aeka's cheeks. Now properly attired, Tenchi joined the others near the ship's main hatch. "Wow, Tenchi! You look so handsome!" exclaimed Sasami. The others were also wearing their "Sunday best". Washuu looked especially fetching, decked out in the most formal version of her Science Academy uniform. "Shall we go?" Funaho asked Misaki. "After you, sis!" The hatch opened, and the group stepped out into the glare of lights. Surrounding the ships landing area, held back only by officers of the Juraian Royal Guard, were reporters, hundreds of them, snapping pictures and recording video. "Now this is what I call a reception!" said Washuu. "Yes, isn't it," agreed Funaho, with much less enthusiasm. "Someone must have tipped off the media." She gave Misaki a dirty look. Misaki didn't notice, being too busy smiling and waving to the reporters. As they walked toward a waiting shuttle, a female reporter shouted questions at Tenchi. "Lord Tenchi! Is it true that the wedding is planned for this week?" "W-what wedding?" stammered Tenchi. "Why the wedding between you and Princess Aeka, of course! All the news services in the galaxy are buzzing with tales of your torrid love affair! So, will it be a traditional or private wedding?" "I... I... uh..." "For goodness sake don't *talk* to them!" said Funaho, irritatedly pulling Tenchi away. "Guards! Please do something about this woman!" "The public has a right to know!" the reporter shouted as she was pushed to the back of the crowd. The group got on board the shuttle and it lifted off, accompanied by a fighter craft escort. Once the shuttle reached cruising altitude, Funaho stood up. "If you'll excuse me, I need to powder my nose. And so does my 'sister'." "No, I don't," said Misaki. "Yes, you do." Funaho grabbed Misaki by the ear and pulled her into the women's restroom. "It was you, wasn't it?" "It was me what?" asked Misaki, innocently. Funaho just stared at her. "Okay," admitted Misaki, "I might have made one eensy-teensy leak to the press." "What were you thinking? You're going to turn Tenchi's visit into a media circus! I thought the idea was to keep this a secret from our husband." "But it's for Darling that I'm doing this!" protested Misaki. "Don't you understand, once Tenchi becomes loved by the Juraian people, Darling will have no choice but to consent to the wedding!" "Or he could become even more hardened against the idea," said Funaho. "Besides, we don't even know if Tenchi *wants* to have a wedding. He hasn't even kissed Aeka yet, much less proposed to her!" "Oh, don't be silly. No man can resist my daughter's charms for long." Funaho sighed. "Please, sister. Don't meddle." Misaki smiled. "Well, okay. Since you asked so nicely. Shall we rejoin the others?" Lhim-Zen had been planning Ryoko's "mission" for a long time. Since Ryoko's last attack, Jurai's defenses had been significantly improved, including a force field that surrounded the entire planet. Of course, with Ryo-oh-ki's ship body enhanced by the Souja's core, nothing short of Lighthawk wings could stop it. Nevertheless, blasting through the force field would undoubtedly bring all of Jurai's defenses to bear, which would complicate the task at hand. Fortunately, there was another option. This was a special time on Jurai. A periodic meteor shower was taking place. A festival had been held to celebrate this event since the beginning of recorded history, and the Juraian people were not about to give up the celebration, whatever the need for planetary security might be. So the Juraian Defense Force scanned the incoming objects, and anything on the planet's night side that matched the profile of a meteor was allowed through, to burn up colorfully in the atmosphere. Inside one of the meteoroids, cold and nervous, was Ryoko. Lhim-Zen had used Ryo-oh-ki to hollow out a space just big enough to contain Ryoko, curled into a fetal ball. She didn't need air, and was impervious to the near absolute-zero temperatures, but it didn't make her feel any less scared, scared of what the Juraians might throw at her, scared of what Zen would do to her if she failed, scared of what he'd do if she succeeded. In her mind, she was just "playing along"; however, she knew she might have to play along for quite some time. The meteor drifted through the weakened force field and fell into the atmosphere. The temperature changed quickly, becoming hot enough to burn the rock away. Preparing for what came next, Ryoko made herself invisible. The meteor exploded around her. Before any scanning devices could recognize her presence, Ryoko flew downward at top speed, reaching the surface in seconds. She turned quickly and flew toward the day side of Jurai, flying as close as possible to the surface. The shuttle landed at the royal family's private airstrip, located on the palace grounds, far away from the Juraian paparazzi. There the party of six boarded a hovercraft to take them to the palace. Sasami stared out the window excitedly. "Wow! It hasn't changed at all!" "I've kept your room exactly the way you left it," said Misaki. "Really?" Sasami asked. "What about Minko and Chibi and Stasan?" "All your stuffed animals are on your bed waiting for you! Your room is exactly the same as well, Aeka!" Aeka fidgeted. "Um, *exactly* the same?" Misaki nodded. "All your posters are in perfect condition!" "What kind of posters?" asked Washu. "Oh, nothing really," laughed Aeka. "Just some childish things I'd planned to throw away..." "They're posters of all of Aeka's favorite singers and movie stars!" shouted Sasami. Aeka blushed, embarassed that Tenchi knew of her childish hobby. She turned to explain it to him, but Tenchi was staring at the beautifully landscaped palace grounds. He hadn't heard a single word. Aeka touched him on the shoulder. "Tenchi? Are you alright?" Tenchi started as he was jolted back to reality. "I'm fine. Just a little overwhelmed, I guess." Funaho smiled. "If you think this is impressive, wait until we're inside the palace." Ryoko was reaching her point of fatigue. Flying close to the surface meant not exceeding the speed of sound; the sonic boom would give her away. Staying invisible was to Ryoko a lot like holding one's breath was for a human. She knew she couldn't keep it up much longer. She changed course and flew to the nearest city. Landing, she took note of the current fashions and ducked into an alley. She materialized, dressed as a typical middle-class Juraian woman, her blue hair tied into the traditional ponytails. She sat down on a bench and took a deep breath. In front of her was a storefront selling the latest in 3D vidcoms. The floor models were all tuned to a news channel. The channel was broadcasting the arrival of the royal flagship, bringing the returning queens. Ryoko was surprised, and a little concerned, to see them home early. But her surprise and concern increased a thousand-fold when she saw who was with them. Ryoko lept to her feet and ran to the window, knocking over a young woman in the process. Her eyes bulged and her jaw dropped. Right there, standing beside Aeka, was Tenchi, dressed as the Crown Prince of Jurai, no less! What was Tenchi doing here? Surely Aeka hadn't broken her word? "Isn't it beautiful?" asked a woman next to her, the same woman she'd bowled over a moment before. "I hear they're very much in love." "Are... are they getting married?" "Well, of course! Why else would they be here?" Ryoko turned back to the vidcom, still in a state of shock. She stared intently at the image of Tenchi's face. He looked as he often did when thrust by Ryoko or Aeka into an uncomfortable situation, fidgety and embarrassed. If he had proposed to Aeka, he didn't look very eager about it. Then again, he didn't look like he was being forced into marriage, either. No, thought Ryoko. She would not believe it. She *refused* to believe it! Tenchi was not getting married. It wasn't possible! And if she was wrong, if Aeka had lied and somehow coerced Tenchi into agreeing to a wedding, then Ryoko would simply have to crash the ceremony and ### RYOKO!!! ### Ryoko grimaced and put her hands to her head as the voice screamed into her mind. "Leave me alone!" ### WHY HAVE YOU STOPPED?! ### Ryoko sank to her knees in pain, a small crowd gathering around her. "I'm tired! I had to rest! I'll get you your damned seed! Just give me time!" ### THERE IS NO TIME!! ### "AAAH! Please! Turn it down! My head! The pain..." The woman to whom she'd been talking was now screaming to the onlookers to call for medical help. Ryoko couldn't hear her through the pain. Her vision was starting to blur. Blood trickled out of her nose and dripped onto the pavement. # Is this better? # asked Lhim-Zen. "Yes. Please, I just needed to rest. I'm on my way to the nursery right now." # I am not a patient man, Ryoko. Do not make me contact you again. # "Yes, Lhim-Zen." # And let me warn you once more against making contact with any of the natives. If I suspect for one moment that you've told anyone about me, I will detonate your body. I estimate the explosion will be equivalent to a small asteroid crashing into the surface. In the confusion, I may be able to take the seed myself. Zen out. # Ryoko stood up, straining to keep her balance, her head still pounding. "You shouldn't move," said the woman. "You've obviously had a seizure or something!" Ryoko pushed her away. She ran into the nearest alley, became invisible once more and flew off. The interior of the palace was everything Funaho implied. Immense and ornate, the whole building was a work of art. It was all Tenchi could do not to gawk at the place like a tourist. He reminded himself that he was a part of all this, that it in a sense belonged to him. A lump formed in his stomach and he wished he'd left that thought alone. How could a simple boy like him even begin to understand this way of life, let alone live it himself? "Just relax," said Funaho, sensing his discomfort. "Be yourself. We're not in public here." "That's easy for you to say," Tenchi replied. "Is it?" Tenchi apologized nervously. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean--" "Don't worry, I'm not offended. I just want to point out that I went through precisely the same thing when I first came to Jurai. I was a simple peasant's daughter without a clue about how nobility behaved." "No way." Funaho smiled. "It's true." Misaki nodded. "In fact, she still acts like a peasant girl today! You know what they say: you can take the girl out of the farm, but you can't take the farm out of the girl!" "Are you quite through?" said Funaho through clenched teeth. "Oh, don't mind me!" "Your highnesses!" said a voice from ahead. The servants who had been leading them through the palace stopped as they were joined by a man in military dress. He appeared to be in his fifties, with gray bangs on his otherwise black hair. Funaho greeted the man, then turned to the others. "Everyone, this is D'Guerran, Captain of the Palace Guard." "I'm pleased to meet you all. Especially you," he said to Tenchi. "I take it you're the new crown prince?" "That's what everyone tells me," Tenchi replied with an embarassed laugh. He changed the subject. "So Captain of the Palace Guard, huh? Sounds like an important job!" "It's a fancy name for head of security. Which, I might add, has been a royal pain in the neck lately. If I find the idiot who leaked your arrival to the media, I'm going to wring his neck!" Misaki turned beet red. "Ahem. Well, I'd better oversee the servants as they unpack. I wouldn't want them to misplace the choc-, uh, my new dresses!" Aeka started as Misaki walked off. "Oh! I need to see to my room as well!" She ran out of the room as well. Sasami followed after. "Wait for me! If you're throwing those posters away, I want them!" Funaho sighed. "Looks like we're all splitting up. I guess this is as good a time as any. Washu, would you like to tour the nursery?" "Would I?!" Washu exclaimed, her eyes alight with excitement. "Let's go!" "Are you sure that's wise?" asked D'Guerran. "Don't worry," said Funaho, "it's a just a tour. I won't give away any secrets. Come Washu." And with that, Funaho and Washu left, leaving Tenchi all alone. "Stranded you, did they?" said D'Guerran. "Tell you what, I'll give you a tour of the place. After all, a Crown Prince needs to know his palace, doesn't he?" At long last, Ryoko reached the outer perimeter of the palace grounds. This was merely the outermost wall; neither the palace itself nor the nursery was visible. Tourists lined up to have their picture taken next to the wall, but what Ryoko was interested in were the birds. Ryoko waited and waited for a bird to fly over the wall. When one finally did, she had the proof she needed: there was no force-field surrounding the grounds. Still invisible, Ryoko flew up... and over. And through something. It was like flying through ice water. The effect chilled every cell in her body. She exhaled uncontrollably, her muscles tensing. She curled into a ball and landed painfully, bouncing on the grass. "What... was *that*?" "Ma'am, are you alright?" Ryoko looked up to see an officer of the Palace Guard staring at her. She had become visible again without realizing it. "I, uh, got separated from my tour group. I don't feel so good..." "I'll get help--" The soldier's voice stopped suddenly, and he paled. Ryoko put her hands to her head and understood what had happened. She was still in Jurain dress, but the impact had torn the fabric from her ponytail. Her distinctive hair was showing. Oh well, Ryoko thought, might as well make the best of it. She drew herself to her feet and made a big show of being confident. "So! You know who I am. Then you know there's no point in resisting my power!" She drew her sword and pointed it at the guard. "Submit!" The guard instead pulled a gun, an odd-looking device she'd never seen before. "D-don't move." "Get real! Do you really think you can threaten me with a mere--" The guard fired. The beam went right through Ryoko's force field and struck her in the chest. It felt the same as when she had flown over the wall, only much, much worse. Her entire chest felt as if it had been frozen solid. She screamed silently and collapsed. She could hear the guard as if from a great distance. "Yes, that's right, Ryoko! Of course I'm sure! How many Ryokos are there? The gun worked on her, didn't it?" Fighting the urge to lose consciousness, she stood up. She tried to fly away, but fell back to the ground. That caught the guard's attention. "Hey!! Stop!! Stop or I'll shoot!" Ryoko summoned every ounce of strength she had and flew away. She didn't care about direction, just "away", as straight and as fast as she could. The guard fired once, but missed. She tried to call to Lhim-Zen but got no response. There was something good about that, but she couldn't place it. She put the thought aside and concentrated on flying, flying, flying... Blackness. END CHAPTER THREE TENCHI MUYO! : "Mother's Day" by Ryan Mathews CHAPTER FOUR "Mother!" "Yes?" answered Misaki, sticking her head through the door into Aeka's room. Servants were carefully removing the posters from the walls and rolling them, so that Sasami could later choose which ones she wanted. "I was talking to Chiniko," said Aeka, referring to one of the servants, "and she tells me that Tenchi's quarters are next door!" "That's correct. The quarters usually reserved for the Crown Prince are under repair." "But... The quarters next door are for my personal servant!" Misaki put a finger to her cheek. "I see what you mean. They are a little small, aren't they? But I doubt Tenchi will mind. After all, the room is still three times the size of his bedroom at home!" "That's not the point!" Aeka shouted angrily. "There's a door between my room and his, with no lock!" "Is that a problem?" "Mother, the innocent act may work with Aunt Funaho, but it never has with me. You know that." Misaki sighed. "To be honest, the act doesn't carry much weight with your aunt, either. Aeka dear, are you worried that Tenchi will come into room and violate you?" "Of course not!! Tenchi is not that kind of man!" "Then what is the problem? The door will simply be there if the two of you are in the mood!" Aeka touched the tips of her index fingers, nervously. "B-but, I don't want Tenchi to think that I'm a... you know, the type of woman I've always accused Ryoko of being." Misaki brushed her fingers through Aeka's hair. "Aeka, my dear sweet little girl. You are a picture of serene beauty, the very epitome of the gentle princess. Tenchi could think nothing else of you." "But I promised Ryoko--" "Ryoko isn't here." "I still have to keep my word." Misaki smiled. "Of course. You have your Princess' Honor. I am so proud of you. If it's that worrisome to you, I will have the palace craftsmen install a lock in the door." "Thank you, Mother," said Aeka, relieved. "Now why don't you try on the new sleep clothes I purchased for you?" Misaki handed Aeka a bag. Aeka looked inside. "Mother, this is lingerie..." Tenchi handled a Juraian sword, putting it through its paces. D'Guerran looked on approvingly. "You have been well-trained, indeed. I hope you'll do me the honor of sparring with me while you're here." "Certainly, sir. But I doubt I could give you much of a match." "I'm sure you could. You were trained by a descendant of Yosho, were you not?" "Descendant?" It took Tenchi a moment to remember. Yosho being alive was not common knowledge. Other than the members of the Tenchi household, only Funaho was aware that her son was Tenchi's grandfather. Everyone else, including the Emperor, believed Yosho had lived a human lifespan and died, once separated from Jurai. "Oh, yes. The skill has been passed down from generation to generation." He handed the sword to D'Guerran, who replaced in its display. They were in the Royal Armory, the final stop on what had been a fascinating tour of the palace. The Armory did contain a supply of functional weapons for the use of the Palace Guard, but it was primarily a collection of antique weapons, some millenia old. The sword Tenchi had handled had been one of those antiques. "So, young Prince, what do you think of your palace?" "It's... big." D'Guerran laughed. "That it is, your highness, that it is." Tenchi winced, and D'Guerran noticed. "You don't like being called that, do you?" "It just takes some getting used to." "You outrank me by quite a bit. If you don't wish me to refer to you that way, simply say so." Tenchi shook his head. "If I'm Crown Prince, I guess I'd better learn to accept it. I have so far to go, though." "You're doing fine. It's true, you need more practice in carrying yourself in a regal fashion, but you have the inner strength a Prince requires. I can tell." "I'm just the son of an architect." "Really," said D'Guerran. "I had no idea." He thought for a moment. "Come with me. I have one more thing to show you." He led Tenchi outside, to a five-meter tall bronze statue. The handsome man depicted in the sculpture was facing the palace with a proud expression. "This is a statue of Shimo Latret, one of the most honored individuals in Juraian history. Can you guess his occupation?" "A warrior?" D'Guerran shook his head. "Try again." "A political leader." "Not at all. He was an architect. He designed this palace. He also designed most of the other royal buildings, as well as the Imperial Senate. He set a standard of Juraian beauty that is still followed to this day." "Wow." Tenchi touched the cold bronze. "Wait'll I tell Dad." Funaho sped across the palace grounds behind the wheel of a land car, raising a cloud of dust as she drove herself and Washu to the Royal Nursery. Washu had been a bundle of excitement over the opportunity to witness Jurain power trees in various stages of growth, but now she was more impressed with Funaho's driving. "You're really enjoying this, aren't you? You must be doing 120 km/h, easy." "One-fifty, to be precise, and yes, I am enjoying it." She let out a short whoop as the car went over a bump briefly sending all four wheels in the air. "It gives D'Guerran the fits, not to mention my husband, but it's a small price to pay to keep me the gentle, serene princess the rest of the time." "How long until we reach the nursery?" "About another fifteen minutes. Would you like me to slow down?" "Not at all! I've experienced a lot worse than this!" She couldn't think of an example at the moment, however. She took a pair of binoculars that Funaho used to observe the wildlife living on the grounds and scanned the surrounding fields for anything interesting. She found something, but it wasn't in the field. Something large was flying through the air. Washu at first thought it a bird, but it was too large. Washu increased the magnification, and could barely make out a human form. "Is that...?" She looked again. The flying person suddenly lost all form in the air. The arms and legs drifted every which way, and the person began to fall. As the person rolled in the air, Washu recognized her hair. "Ryoko!!" "What?!" said Funaho. Ryoko fell to the ground, totally out of control. She bounced several times, her arms and legs flailing limply. "STOP THE CAR!" yelled Washu. Even with Funaho flooring the accelerator, it took them five minutes to reach Ryoko. As would be expected, she was in horrible shape. Her clothes were shredded and her body was covered with abrasions. Washu manifested her "keyboard" and opened the "magic pocket", a hole in midair. She pulled out a first aid kit and got to work. "Will she be alright?" Funaho asked. "I'll let you know in a moment. She doesn't appear to have any broken bones, though." "After a fall like that? That's impressive." "Why, thank you!" grinned Washu. She scanned Ryoko's body with a small device. "Hmm. That's odd. The Mass that gives Ryoko her power, it appears to have been polarized somehow. No wonder she was knocked out." "Polarized?" Funaho asked. "That sounds like an experimental weapon D'Guerran once mentioned. Most of what he said went over my head, but I specifically remember him mentioning that the weapon would 'polarize' Ryoko's power." "They've built weapons specifically to fight Ryoko?" "Ever since Ryoko nearly leveled the planet seven hundred years ago, the security forces have been obsessed with her. The Emperor has considered cutting off funding to the anti-Ryoko research, but the fact is that the populace is afraid of her, too. Some still think she killed Yosho. She's attained legendary status, a bogeywoman used to frighten children." While Funaho spoke, Washu produced a small device and attached it to Ryoko's forehead. "This should help depolarize her. So, I guess it's safe to assume she had a run-in with the Palace Guard." "She's wearing Juraian clothing," observed Funaho. "The conclusion is obvious. She must have finished her taxi run early somehow, returned to Earth, found us missing and drawn the wrong conclusions." Funaho nodded. "And then she came to Jurai to take Tenchi back. I'll explain this to D'Guerran. He'll understand." Ryoko groaned. "No..." "She's coming around," said Washu. "Don't move, Ryoko, you've had a bad fall." Ryoko grabbed Washu's wrist. "Mustn't... talk to... anyone... He'll know... He..." Her eyes rolled back and she fell unconscious. "'He'll know'? Who was she talking about?" Funaho asked. Washu was silent for a moment. Then she turned to Funaho. "I have a huge favor to ask of you." The two women returned to the palace to find it in an uproar. The Palace Guard were setting up a perimeter, and they met D'Guerran. "Your Highness, Professor, I'm so glad to have found you! I've had men searching the entire grounds for you!" "What has happened?" Funaho asked, knowing full well what the answer would be. "Ryoko has breached outer security and is loose somewhere on the palace grounds! Have either of you come into contact with her?" Washu glanced quickly at Funaho, pleading. Funaho laughed. "But that's ridiculous, isn't it? Ryoko should be several dozen lightyears away by now." D'Guerran shook his head. "One of my officers exchanged fire with her. We've been scanning the grounds for her energy signature and have found traces near where the officer reported to have made contact. It's definitely Ryoko. I must insist that the two of you come inside for your own safety." Funaho nodded. "Yes, of course." She and Washu walked past the guards into the palace. "I do sincerely hope you know what you're doing," she said quietly to Washu. "Ryoko's not a threat," Washu whispered back. "She loves Tenchi, and she loves Sasami as well. She'd never do anything that would put them in danger." "I hope so, for your sake. I don't believe I actually lied to the Captain--" "Your highness!" called D'Guerran from behind, causing Funaho's blood to turn to ice. "I can't believe I nearly forgot. We're having trouble locating Princess Aeka and Prince Tenchi. We've asked their mother, but she has been unable to help us. Do you have any ideas where they could be?" thought Funaho in disbelief. It quickly made sense. Misaki did not *want* Tenchi and Aeka to be found. She knew Ryoko wasn't dangerous and wanted her daughter to be alone with her beau. Funaho considered letting it pass, but her annoyance at Misaki's interference overruled her. "Have you tried the orchard?" "The orchard? Of course! I've been a fool! Thank you, your highness!" D'Guerran bowed and ran off. Washu watched him leave, worried. "The orchard. That's awfully close to that servant house where we left Ryoko." "Let us hope D'Guerran's men can retrieve them before she comes around." Ryoko was dreaming, a dream of memory: Kagato struck her across the face, knocking her across the bridge of the Souja and drawing blood from her mouth. "YOU FOOL!" he screamed. "You weak, pathetic fool!! Do you have any idea what you've cost me?!" "I'm sorry, master," whimpered Ryoko. Kagato seethed with anger. "I have been planning this raid for years. And now... And now!" "B-but I retrieved the item! What does it matter that I--" "What you retrieved was merely the most important item on a long list! All other items on that list are lost to me now!" "But all I did was--" "SILENCE!" shouted Kagato. "I must consider." Kagato had sent Ryoko down to the planet to retrieve several of the artifacts after which he was always lusting. What had so infuriated hin was that, in the course of her mission, Ryoko had befriended a young girl. Ryoko and the girl had had a marvelous time, Ryoko showing off her powers and taking the girl flying. The girl had taken Ryoko to some of the prettiest places on the planet. Then she had introduced Ryoko to her father. But her father worked for the planet's security forces, and he recognized her. He'd taken no obvious action, but had secretly sent a transmission to the Galactic Guard, a transmission Kagato had intercepted. Kagato finally spoke. "I could take the artifacts by force, but the Galactic Guard are on their way. I cannot possibly finish the task before they arrive. Curse you, Ryoko. I must cut my losses." Ryoko spoke up, tentatively. "But you are so much more powerful than the Galactic Guard! Why not stay and fight them?" "You are correct, dear child. I am more powerful. But what the Guard lacks in power, they more than make up in persistance. Once they have my scent, they will follow me to the ends of the universe. I can hardly be expected to complete my work with a cloud of gnats buzzing about my head, can I?" Kagato turned to the bridge's main screen, which display the beautiful blue planet below. "No, I must leave. But when the Guard arrive, they will find nothing to help them." Ryoko realized what he meant. "No! You can't! They never did anything to you!" "Come over here, Ryoko. I want you to see this." "NO!" But she obeyed. Kagato touched a control, and the Souja's massive weapons deployed. "Watch as your actions bear fruit." Ryoko begged Kagato to stop as the Souja rained fire upon the surface of the world below. "Why should you care about these people?" Kagato sneered. "You are superior to them. They are as insects to us." "They never hurt us!" Ryoko sobbed. With a look of utter disgust, Kagato hit a switch. The view on the screen changed. "Look at this, Ryoko. You may find it interesting." Ryoko looked as the picture zoomed in on a small girl, the girl Ryoko had befriended, standing frozen in terror as the destruction approached. As the wall of flame engulfed and consumed her, her features melted... tranforming her into the likeness of Princess Sasami. Ryoko awoke with a scream. She didn't know where she was, but the fear was quickly replaced with relief when she realized where she *wasn't*. This place was neither the bridge of Ryo-oh-ki nor a Juraian custody cell. Instead it was a sparsely but pleasantly furnished bedroom, with her tucked gently underneath the sheets. Ryoko let out a breath and fell back onto the pillow. She remembered her dream. That had happened almost two thousand years ago. She had been no older than Sasami was now, though she looked exactly the same. Ryoko thought about those days, when Kagato was her lord and master. Kagato had been cruel and abusive, yet centuries had passed before Ryoko had even considered escape. Kagato had been the only constant presence in her life, after all. She had believed him to be her creator, even looked up to him. Only when they were separated by chance, and Ryoko had been forced to get along without him, did she understand she was better off alone. From that point on, Ryoko's life was one of constant attempts to free herself, none more than temporarily successful. Then came the day when Yosho did her the "favor" of imprisoning her away from Kagato's sight for seven hundred years, and the rest was history. Ryoko sat up. She felt better. The cold feeling in her chest was gone. Still, something was missing. She tried a simple trick, manifesting the light beads with which she'd dazzled Tenchi back when they'd first met. She couldn't do it. So she was alive, but powerless. That wasn't bad, especially since it occurred to her that Lhim-Zen couldn't carry through on her threat of blowing her up if she had no power. There was something stuck to her forehead. She removed it. It smelled nice, warm and familiar like... Ryoko recognized the scent as Washu's and threw the device away. "That little troll! It's her fault I'm in this mess!" Her ears perked up as she caught a familiar voice. Could it be? She ran to the nearest window. It was Tenchi! There he was, walking through a nearby orchard with Aeka! Ryoko's heart pounded. This was it. Her chance to clear things up. If she could just get to Tenchi before her power returned, Tenchi could explain everything and Lhim-Zen wouldn't know a thing! And there *was* an explanation! There *had* to be! Ryoko ran out the door and found her way out of the house. "What a beautiful day," remarked Tenchi. "Isn't it, though?" Aeka replied. She drew a deep breath and sighed. "Ah, the scent of a summer day on Jurai. I hadn't realized how much I'd missed it." Tenchi examined one of the hundreds of trees in the orchard. "Are these apples?" The fruit resembled apples, only much more round and shiny. "We call them redfruit. The flavor is somewhat like an apple, but more tart. Would you like to try one?" "Are we allowed to pick them?" "Well... no. But I think they'll indulge the Crown Prince and Princess, don't you?" Aeka said, laughing. Tenchi nodded and looked for a convenient tree. "All the fruit is too high to pick," he noted. He jumped for one of the lower hanging branches, with no luck. He picked a sturdier tree. "I think I can climb this one!" "Tenchi, what are you doing?" Aeka exclaimed. "You'll tear your clothes." Tenchi sighed. "Yeah, I guess that wouldn't be appropriate for a prince, would it?" "If you'll lift me up, I could pick one for you," Aeka suggested. "That'd work!" Tenchi placed his hands around Aeka's waist and lifted her up to the nearest branch. Aeka was thankful that Tenchi couldn't see her blushing. To be held in such a way by Tenchi was just... She shook it off and reached for the nearest fruit, which was just out of her grasp. "A little higher, Tenchi!" Tenchi strained and lifted her a few more centimeters. Aeka snatched at the fruit, caught it, and promptly lost her balance. Aeka and Tenchi wobbled comically back and forth for a few seconds before collapsing on top of one another. Both began laughing. "Are you sure you're alright?" Aeka asked. "I landed on you awfully hard." "Don't worry about it! You're as light as a feather!" Aeka heartrate accelerated as it sank it where she was, on top of Tenchi. She had never been this close to him before. She could feel his warmth, the rise and fall of his chest. What was she to do? She screwed up her courage and decided. She could not pass up this opportunity. She'd try for one kiss. If Tenchi laughed, or looked nervous, she apologize and stand up, but if not... She leaned closer. "Aeka?" "Tenchi..." She closed her eyes. "Tenchi?" came another voice. Aeka expression turned to one of shock as she saw who it was. "Ryoko? What are you doing here? How?" "So it's true, then," said Ryoko, her voice catching in her throat. "The two of you. You're officially an item." A little voice told Aeka to confirm Ryoko's suspicion, to brag about her relationship with Tenchi, but she hadn't gotten over the shock of seeing Ryoko here, on Jurai, in the Royal Orchard, when she was supposed to be parsecs away. "Well... Of course, I... We..." she stumbled. Tenchi was more decisive, pulling himself to his feet. "Ryoko, what are you talking about? What happened?" "Why didn't you tell me you loved her? Why did you let me fool myself for so long?!" "Ryoko, I don't understand!" pleaded Tenchi. "We were just visiting! It was her mother's idea!" "Then tell me you don't love her." Tenchi stared at her. "Ryoko I..." He glanced at Aeka. She looked back nervously. "Ryoko, please. Let's just--" Ryoko let out a sob. "I hate you." She closed her eyes and the tears flowed like a river. "Ryoko..." The gem on her wrist suddenly lit up like a small star. Ryoko looked at it. "No!" She shot skyward, faster than Tenchi had ever seen her travel. He called after her. "RYOKO!!" Ryoko rose higher and higher. She had no control as her body flew faster and faster, breaking the sound barrier. She left the atmosphere, and could see the planetary force field approaching. Just as she was certain she would be crushed against it, Ryo-oh-ki appeared and blasted the field with all her power, opening a hole just big enough for Ryoko to fly through. Ryoko sound found herself back on the ship's bridge. Ryo-oh-ki's cabbit form greeted her with delight, jumping into her arms and mewing excitedly. The mewing became worried as Ryo-oh-ki sensed her mood. "You're back," stated Lhim-Zen. "Good. The emergency recall worked as expected, as did the power transfer. A few more tests, and I should be able to control you every bit as well as did Kagato." "I failed," said Ryoko. "I didn't get the seed." "I know. I'm afraid we'll have to take it by force." "Fuck you." Lhim-Zen turned slowly, one eyebrow raised. "I beg your pardon?" "You heard me," said Ryoko. "I'm not playing any more. Torture me, kill me, I don't care anymore. I'm not helping you." Tears welled up in her eyes. She angrily wiped them away. "Had a little problem with our boyfriend, did we?" "Y-you know about that?" "Yes," Zen confirmed. "Since the two of you are quits, I take it you don't care if he lives or dies?" "What do you mean?" asked Ryoko, chilled. "The plan requires you to attack the surface. If you won't do it willingly, I'll simply have to turn off your mind and program you with attack instincts. Of course, if I do that, I can't predict precisely what you'll do. Which means I can't guarantee the safety of Tenchi or of-- what's her name? The cute little princess with the ponytails." Ryoko eyes flashed with rage. "GO TO HELL!!" In an instant, her sword was out and she was flying across the bridge, determined to cut Lhim-Zen in half. Zen calmly touched the controller. Ryoko's body became liquid. She splattered into a large pink puddle on the bridge floor. "Fascinating." Lhim-Zen waved his hand and was suddenly holding a test tube and a glass rod. He used the rod to scrape a small sample of the pink paste into the tube. "Total cellular homogeniety." He vanished both items and returned to his work. END CHAPTER FOUR TENCHI MUYO! : "Mother's Day" by Ryan Mathews CHAPTER FIVE Once, the world of Jurai was nearly destroyed. Centuries passed, and Jurai rebuilt itself to surpass its former glory. But the citizens of that world never forgot. They never forgot the day the space pirate Ryoko arrived and taught them the meaning of terror. They never forgot how it was to watch their cities burn, to hear the screams of the innocent as they were slaughtered by the thousands. The long-lived nobility remembered, because they had been there. The Juraian people remembered in their own way as well, passing along the story from generation to generation. Ryoko became a legend. And now, seven hundred years later, that legend was speaking to them. Simultaneously, all over Jurai, videosets suddenly began displaying the face of Jurai's fear. It was Ryoko. And she had a message. "People of Jurai. I am Ryoko. Seven hundred years ago, I laid waste to your world. I burned your cities. I decimated your military. Over a quarter of a million Juraians died as a result of my attack, and shortly thereafter, I took the life of your crown prince. I did this because I was under the control of an evil man. "I had no control over my actions, yet I paid the price. I spent seven centuries sealed in a cave on the far off planet Earth, cold, alone, wasting away from isolation. "If, upon my awakening, Jurai had chosen to take vengeance upon me by imprisonment or execution, I would have understood. But the vengeance that has been handed me is far more cruel, and it is something I will never forgive. "When I was released from my prison, I met a young man. His name is Tenchi. Tenchi, your Crown Prince. I fell in love. For the first time in my entire life, I was no longer lonely. I was happy. But your royal family has conspired to take that love away from me. Behind my back, they stole Tenchi from me. They poisoned his mind, and destroyed my only chance at knowing love. "Thanks to their actions, I have been condemned to a life of loneliness and exile. Jurai has hurt me more than I have ever been hurt before, in two thousand years of life. So I'm going to hurt it back. "In precisely twelve hours, I am sending your world TO HELL!!" "Under arrest?!" shouted Washu. "What for?" "I think you know," replied D'Guerran. Washu laughed nervously. "Yeah, I guess I do, at that. Mind telling me how you figured it out?" "I had my men search the servant's quarters near where Ryoko appeared. We found traces of Ryoko's energy, a red hair, and this." He held up the healing device that Washu had affixed to Ryoko's forehead. "I knew I shouldn't have let that behind without an auto-destruct," said Washu, sighing. She held out her wrists as if to be handcuffed. "You caught me, copper! Take me downtown and book me!" "D'Guerran, I must protest!" said Funaho. Behind her sat Tenchi, Sasami, Aeka, and Misaki. She had called an "emergency tea session" to discuss this latest development when D'Guerran and his men had interrupted. "Your Highness, I beg you. Please stay out of this." "I can't!" Funaho took a deep breath as she made a decision. "Because I helped her!" "Sister..." said Misaki, quietly. D'Guerran didn't reply, but covered his face with his hand, as if from exhaustion. Funaho continued, "Washu's daughter was in pain. I couldn't just leave her, but I couldn't very well turn her over to your forces." "Your Highness," said D'Guerran in quiet exasperation, "Ryoko is an enemy of the people." "Oh, bullshit!" replied Funaho, causing Misaki to spew a mouthful of tea all over the table. "That happened seven hundred years ago and it wasn't even her fault! Since then, she's been an excuse for our military forces to keep their budgets high." "I will not argue with you, Your Highness. But consider this. The people are panicking. The roads and skyways are clogged with citizens trying desperately to escape the major cities. One city has even reported looting. All because of Ryoko." Funaho held out her wrists, mimicking Washu. "Then I suppose you had better take me into custody." D'Guerran stared at her, then nodded to his men. "Take them both to a holding cell. And remember, that's the Queen you're touching. If I find out she's been mistreated in any way, I'll have your head." "I want the same cell as Washu," said Funaho. "Very well." Tenchi stood up. "Wait! What's going to happen to them?" "We'll merely be holding them until a court can be convened," D'Guerran replied. "And if they're found guilty?" "I'm afraid the maximum penalty is death. I pray it does not come to that." Funaho smiled at her great-grandson. "Don't worry about me, Tenchi. Concentrate on Ryoko. You may be the only one who can stop her." D'Guerran led them both away. Tenchi sank back down into his seat. "Ryoko isn't really going to attack us, is she, Tenchi?" asked Sasami. "I don't know," said Tenchi. "But it doesn't seem like the kind of thing she'd do." "I agree," said Aeka. "Ryoko has many undesirable traits, but I've never known her to be cruel or vicious, at least not to the innocent. I would understand if she had said she was going to attack me, but to attack the civilian populace? It isn't like her." "If there was only some way to get a message to her, to talk to Ryoko before the attack." "Unfortunately," said Misaki, "the only person who might know how to do that is being led to one of D'Guerran's cells." "I've made your damned broadcast," said Ryoko. "Now what?" "Now," Lhim-Zen replied, "you keep your word." As was his habit, he didn't face Ryoko while he talked to her, instead concentrating on the output displayed upon one of the many consoles he had installed aboard Ryo-oh-ki. "I won't kill anyone for you." "You won't have to. Just keep the Juraian military occupied while I take what I need from the tree nursery." "That might be difficult. If you'll recall, I had trouble fighting one palace guard. They have this weapon that--" "At full power, you'll be more than a match for them." Ryoko blinked. "Full power? You mean..." "Hold out your wrist." Ryoko did as ordered. Zen hit a switch. One of the gems began to glow, then shot from the console and imbedded itself in Ryoko's arm. "You're giving me back the gems?" "I have no use for them. My analysis is complete." Lhim-Zen briefly turned to face her. "Don't get any ideas. Kagato was able to control you when you were at full-strength, and so will I." He hit another switch. The other gem shot out and stuck in Ryoko's forehead. "OW!" she exclaimed, grabbing her head. "You idiot! This one's supposed to go in my chest!" "My research indicates you will gain increased power and control by positioning the gem in this manner." "But it hurts!" Lhim-Zen displayed his usual level of concern, which was none. He ignored her and continued to work with his equipment, most likely resetting the analyzers for the Juraian tree seed, Ryoko guessed. She walked over to a more private area of the bridge and sat down. Ryo-oh-ki the cabbit hopped over, meowed, and hopped in her lap. Ryoko pet the small creature's fur, grateful for the company. "Don't you worry, Ryo-oh-ki. I'll find us a way out of this. I promise." Her mind drifted off to her encounter with Tenchi and Aeka in the orchard. Tenchi probably thought she'd run away, Ryoko thought. He didn't know she'd been recalled to the ship against her will. She sighed. She wished so much that she'd been able to finish the conversation with Tenchi. Already her mind was racked with doubts. Perhaps things weren't as they appeared. Maybe if Tenchi had had a chance to explain... Somehow, Ryoko decided, she had to get a message to him. She'd already made her first try. The door to Funaho's cell opened and Washu came inside to join her. Rather than her usual Science Academy uniform, she wore only a drab, loose- fitting shirt and pants, and bare feet. She winked at the guard as he locked the cell door. "That was fun. Let's do it again real soon, huh?" The guard blushed and walked off. "What was that all about?" asked Funaho. "And what happened to your clothes?" "Oh, the paranoid folks in security thought that I might be hiding some technology in my clothing, so they stripped me naked. The sukebe guards enjoyed it, too. I may be twenty millennia old, but I have a body that won't quit!" "Uh, if you say so..." "The joke's on them anyway," continued Washu. She waved her hands and manifested her "keyboard". "I incorporated my favorite devices into my body a long time ago. By the way, nice cell you have here." The cell was indeed top-notch, with a carpeted floor, antique wooden upholstered furniture, and artwork on the walls. "Thank you," said Funaho. "It was built over eleven thousand years ago by Emperor Furoumo V for his son. The young man had a habit of drinking too much and getting in trouble with the law." "Really? I'll bet he made an interesting emperor." "Thankfully, he never had the chance. He got himself killed in a bar fight. The Emperor chose to spare the killer's life and imprison him in this same cell. I think he was grateful." The two of them sat in silence for a few moments, while Washu tapped away on her terminal. Finally, Funaho spoke up again. "So, Professor. You're her mother. Do you think Ryoko will attack?" "I have no idea. Maybe. If she does, though, I don't think it will be her idea." "What makes you think that?" "Oh, a few things. That 'he'll know' comment she made right before she passed out. And of course the lie about having killed Yosho. There's no reason to tell such a silly lie unless she's trying to get the attention of those few people who know he's still alive." Funaho nodded. "I noticed that myself." "But most importantly," Washu continued, "when we left Ryoko, she was almost completely drained of power. But Tenchi said she shot into the air so fast, she made a sonic boom. There's only way that could have happened. Someone gave her an emergency recharge. But I'm the only one I know with the equipment to do that, and I left it back in my lab." She made the keyboard vanish and stood up. "Speaking of which..." She opened a "hole" in the air and began to reach into it. "Hey, what kind of sensors do they have in this cell?" "None. Why?" "That's what I figured. Just making sure." Washu pulled a large door out of the hole and set it up next to the wall. The door opened. "After you." Funaho stepped through, a bit apprehensively. On the other side was a dark, cavernous hall filled with incomprehensible scientific equipment. "Is this...?" "Yup! Welcome to my lab." "I thought your lab was on Earth." "It's in its own dimension. It's connected to the Masaki house through one of those doors," said Washu, pointing. Funaho was stunned. "You're telling me that, at anytime, you can just *walk* between Jurai and Earth?" "Well, yes and no." "What do you mean, 'yes and no'?" Washu grinned. "I mean yes, I can do it, provided I set up a portal on the other side, and no, you don't need to tell anyone about it, especially not your paranoid security forces. I brought us here so I can use some much more powerful scanners." She hit a switch, and a three- dimensional map of Jurai appeared in the air. The controls were fiddled with a bit more, and a red dot appeared in orbit about the planet. "There you are!" shouted Washu in triumph. "What's that?" Funaho asked. "It's the ship Ryoko is on. It's using the interference generated by the interaction of the planetary force field and Jurai's natural magnetic field to hide from sensors. Odd," said Washu, consulting some displays, "the ship is the right size, mass, and composition to be Ryo-oh-ki, but it's giving off a completely different power signature. It's like..." Her voice trailed off. "Like what?" "Like the Souja." That explained a lot. Anyone who could imitate the Souja's power could make Ryoko do whatever he liked. And it enhanced Washu's nagging worries about who Ryoko's captor might be. Funaho looked at the display. "That ship is much too small to be the Souja." "Yes, you're right." She headed for another door. "Where are you going?" "'Upstairs'. I'll be right back." She hoped she was wrong about Ryoko's captor, but if she wasn't, she'd need an ace in the hole. An "X"-factor, something unpredictable that logic and planning couldn't account for. And the most unpredictable being she'd ever met was waiting upstairs. Mihoshi giggled as she enjoyed the latest volume of Yuu Watase's shojo manga, munching on crackers at the same time. Behind her, Washu cleared her throat. "Oh, hi, Washu!" chirped Mihoshi "I didn't know you were back!" Washu thought fast. There was no reason for Mihoshi not to know about the portal, except that she might let it slip to the wrong people and get Washu in even more trouble than she was already. "Ummm, I'm *not* back. This is... This is a hologram! I'm actually communicating with you from Jurai!" "I see! Why are you in your pajamas?" asked Mihoshi, referring to Washu's prison garb. "Uh, it's nighttime on Jurai. Time difference and all that." Mihoshi nodded. "Wowwwww. It's so realistic. I can even touch it!" She grabbed some of Washu's hair and tugged. "Ow. Ouch!" "The texture is so real! This is your best invention yet, Washu!" She squeezed one of Washu's breasts. Washu pinched her hand. "Owwie! It's even hurts for real when you do that!" "Listen, Mihoshi! There's some trouble on Jurai. I need you to head there as soon as possible in Yukinoujo. Think you can manage that?" Mihoshi leapt to her feet. "Don't worry, Washu! You can count on me!" "Hold out your hand." Washu scribbled on Mihoshi's palm. "This is the coordinate for the Earth-Jurai warp point and the frequency to activate it. I'll see you tomorrow. Washu, signing off!" thought Washu. She pointed ahead. "Look, Mihoshi! Hanson!" "Where?" As soon as Mihoshi turned her back, Washu sped out of the room. "I don't see--" She turned around to see Washu gone. "Wow! What an amazing invention!" In the early evening, precisely twelve hours after Ryoko issued her ultimatum, Ryo-oh-ki appeared out of nowhere into Juraian orbit and fired at the planet's force-field point blank. The beam was several times more powerful than the force-field was designed to deflect. A large hole was ripped open, and Ryo-oh-ki came through. The black, crystalline ship headed directly toward Jurai's capital city. The planet's defenses were already concentrated in the major cities, and met the ship with a volley of missile fire, a volley which exploded harmlessly against Ryo-oh-ki's Souja-enhanced shield. Ryo-oh-ki came to a stop about one kilometer above the city. A star shot from the ship. The star was Ryoko. It had been over seven hundred years since she had last felt this powerful, and it felt good. Ground based artillery opened fire, but it didn't have a prayer of reaching its target. Ryoko swooped and swerved, avoiding the barrage with ease, while moving ever closer to the surface. Missiles were fired next. Ryoko took out several with energy blasts, loving the rush of sheer power as it shot from her hands. She let another missile detonate against her shield, just to see if she could take it. The blast knocked her back a few feet, but left her unhurt. Ryoko glanced back at Ryo-oh-ki. She wondered what was taking Lhim- Zen so long. He'd wanted a distraction; she was giving him one. When would he make his move? Out of the corner of her eye, Ryoko saw a flash of movement, shapes that rapidly grew bigger. They were Juraian air fighter craft. Ryoko swallowed. Fighting aircraft meant endangering the pilots. She had hoped to complete this "assignment" without seriously hurting any Juraians, but that was beginning to look like an unrealistic goal. The lead craft fired a missile. Ryoko detonated it with a one-hand blast, then flew straight into the formation. She figured they'd be less likely to fire on her if they were in danger of hitting each other. What Ryoko hadn't counted on was how insanely afraid of her some Juraians were. One plane sprayed fire in her direction, missing her and riddling the side of another craft. The second craft spit out flames and smoke and began losing altitude. The pilot ejected moments later. Ryoko looked at the pilot, descending via parachute, and briefly considered taking him hostage. She shook her head. More likely than not, they'd just shoot the guy to get to her. "Alright," she said. "Let's see if you bastards will follow me into the city." She shot downward, and began evading a second round of anti-aircraft fire. The planes held back so as not to be shot down by friendly fire. Just as Ryoko thought she'd gained the upper hand, an energy beam shot from the surface, striking her shield. A familiar chilling sensation ripped through her body, and she started to fall. Calling on the power of all three gems, she shook it off and started back up. As she approached the fighter craft, it occurred to her that there was an easy way to call upon some help. She picked one fighter out of the group and charged, dodging fire sent her way. As she passed over the fighter, she slapped both hands on it and performed a quick summoning. A flying creature phased out of the fighter, a monster resembling a transparent, red-eyed dinosaur. The fighters rushed off to regroup. With gems on both wrists, Ryoko could control the beast. "I want you to go play with our friends. But don't hurt them, okay?" The beast did as it was told, flapping its wings to make turbulent winds and shooting random energy blasts from its mouth. As Ryoko had hoped, the fighters turned their attention to the creature and left her alone. Ryoko looked back toward Ryo-oh-ki, and was surprised to find that Lhim-Zen had begun the second phase, and she had missed it. The ship's orientation was changed. The main gun was now pointing toward the Imperial Nursery and was firing an invisible energy beam at the protective force- field. A moment later she found herself teleporting against her will. The moment Ryoko had begun her attack, the royal family, Misaki, Aeka, Sasami, and Tenchi as well, had been taken by the Palace Guard to the safest place possible: a reinforced shelter deep within the palace. Like all rooms in the palace, its lavishness disguised its functionality. Beautiful artwork graced the walls and the furniture was antique. Misaki and her two daughters sipped Juraian tea, poured from an antique Juraian tea service. Tenchi, however, could not sit down, and paced nervously. Misaki smiled at him. "Tenchi dear, please sit down. You'll make yourself sick. Sit down and have some tea." "How can you drink tea at a time like this?!" The Queen blinked. "Well, it's not like there's anything else to do." She smiled again. "Besides, this is the first quiet time I've had with both of my daughters in seven hundred years!" A muffled boom was heard, and the room shook, spilling tea onto the antique table. "What was that?!" said Tenchi. "Oh, dear," said Misaki. Tears welled up in Sasami's eyes. The little girl was attempting to put up a brave front for Tenchi and her mother, but it was obvious she was scared. Misaki held out her arms, and Sasami ran to her lap. Aeka fretted. Tenchi was worried about Ryoko, not just them. The evidence of Tenchi's feelings for Ryoko upset her. What also upset her was that, deep down, she knew she was worried for Ryoko as well. "That's it!" said Tenchi. "I can't take this anymore. I have to know what's going on!" He marched to the door and opened it. A security guard stopped him at the door. "Forgive me, Your Highness, but I have orders from D'Guerran to keep you here." Tenchi looked him straight in the eye. "As Crown Prince, I feel I have the right to be informed of the situation." "Very well," said the guard. He removed a small device from his belt and spoke into it. "This is Lieutenant Tahou. Prince Tenchi would like an update." He paused. "Yes, sir." He handed the device to Tenchi. Tenchi took the device and was surprised to see a viewscreen pop into view before his eyes. It was D'Guerran. "Prince Tenchi. How are the Queen and Princesses?" "They're fine. I just need to know--" "I understand. Here's the situation: Ryoko engaged the Juraian military in aerial combat. She materialized some sort of monster and vanished. Our aircraft have engaged the creature with limited success. It seem to have become more violent since Ryoko's departure. In the meantime, there's been an explosion at the tree nursery. Our troops can't get into the building; Ryo-oh-ki is projecting some sort of energy field around it. All attacks directed at Ryo-oh-ki have been ineffective. We have underground tunnels leading to the nursery, but it will take at least twenty minutes to get there. And that's where we stand, Your Highness." Tenchi thanked him, disturbed by the news. D'Guerran continued, "I hope you understand the faith I've shown in you by sharing this with you. I want you to share none of this with the women. They don't need to worry about this." Tenchi gave the communicator back to the guard and walked back into the room. He thought about D'Guerran's request. Should he lie to people he loved? Sasami made up his mind for him. "They're not gonna hurt Ryoko, are they?" she asked, eyes full of tears. "Oh, no," replied Tenchi, forcing a laugh. "She's not really doing any damage! She's just flying around, annoying people. Any moment now, she'll get bored and fly off." Sasami seemed satisfied. She wiped her eyes, and in that moment, Tenchi made eye contact with Misaki. He shook his head. Misaki understood. She stood up and embraced him. "Oh, thank you so much for reassuring us!" Then in a whisper, she added, "What's the truth?" "Not good," Tenchi replied, just as softly. "I need to see Washu, now." Misaki nodded. "Aeka, dear,