Tenchi Muyo Fan Fiction ❯ Second Chance of a Lifetime ❯ Part Three ( Chapter 3 )

document.write(''); *Disclaimer: The main characters in this story are property of AIC, Pioneer, & Viz Comics. All others were thought of by me. Any similarities are just dumb luck so please don't sue me.

** Author's notes: This story takes place many years after "No Need for Conclusions", but with one exception…. ENJOY!!

Second Chance of a Lifetime: by alighthawk

Part Three…

As the sun rose over the quiet hills of the Okayama Prefecture, its rays bathing over the countryside and in particular a house sitting just off the lake. Inside, a beautiful girl looked out the window and surveyed all that was in front of her.

Ryoko had been awake for hours, trying her damnest to go asleep, but the best she could do was only a couple of hours. Ryo-Ohki, on the other hand, slept like a baby. Between the carrot feast she enjoyed yesterday and being nestled between her master's arms, she was purring like a kitten with no worries, which couldn't be said of the former space pirate. All she could think about was how she returned and came back to her lost love after so many years. Yesterday was like a dream she thought would never come true, but except that it did and right now she was wondering how would today turn out.

<This is it…> She thought to herself, <Today you are going to bare your soul to him and maybe, just maybe, he'll come around. Washu did say that he's been thinking about me, or maybe that was wishful thinking on her part? >

She let her mind drift back to six months ago when she last spoke to the diminutive scientist. They had been in contact with each other in the last twenty years whenever Ryoko traveled near the lab that Washu set up near the Science Academy, but it was usually a brief encounter with the same old pleasantries that came with it. The last conversation wasn't, however a quick one…

FLASHBACK…six months ago

"You're telling me he's dying Washu? Are you sure?"

"Yep, I tested him myself last month. I calculate that he's got about a year to live. I wish that there was something else I could do, but unfortunately some of the tests that could help him would kill him due to his age."

"I can't believe it…Tenchi is dying. Washu? Do you think he'd mind if I suddenly show up on Earth? Y'know, pay a visit?"

"I really don't know Ryoko, it's been almost seven Earth decades. In the condition he's in, the shock of seeing you again could put him in an early grave. You really want to go?"

"I need to. I left him all those years ago so he can live a normal life and from what you told me, he did. It's just I feel the need to see him one last time and tell him why I didn't back and maybe forgive me if he's still angry with me."

"Ryoko…Tenchi was never angry with you. After what you did for him, he could never be angry, nor can he ever forget you. In fact, from the conversations we had over the last few years, I think he's been thinking about you a lot."

"Don't toy with my feelings Washu…"

"I'm not toying with you Ryoko. Try to understand that since Tenchi's wife passed away, he's had a lot to think about. Every time we talked about the old days and about the gang, his face would light up. When the subject got around to you, he would get emotional sometimes. To make a long story short Ryoko, he still has feelings for you."

"But his wife…"

"Whom he was married for forty years and is now dead and buried for almost twenty. He loved her very much and misses her, but remember this Ryoko, she came into his life after you never returned. I know that Tenchi never regretted having the life he did with Sakuya and I adored her as well, but while I commend you for doing an unselfish act on your part, you also never gave yourself the chance to see if he had any feelings for you as well."

Ryoko sat there in silence, absorbing what the little genius had told her. <Did he actually loved me? Was I too hasty in leaving Earth without confronting him about his feelings? Damn it, why it this so hard to swallow? >

"Washu, do you think it's still not too late for me and Tenchi to… be together, even for a short time?"

"Of course not Ryoko. In fact I think that Tenchi would be happy to spend his last days together with you. It may not be the ideal situation you had in mind, but at least he'll be with the one person that he cared for the most."

"I'm glad to hear that Washu, but I just wish that there was more that can be done for him."

"Well, tell you what. Since you are going to Earth to see him, I'll give you some data on that I've checking out recently on Tenchi's condition. I also would like to examine you also, if you don't mind."

"You ain't doing one of your crazy experiments on shorty! I'm not gonna let you zap me into a crisp like the old days!"

"Now, now. Take it easy Ryoko. The examination is something I've been meaning to do for quite some time and it won't hurt. As a matter fact, this exam may help us to find a solution with Tenchi's condition."

"Really? You mean this might cure him from the disease? Why didn't you say so in the first place?"

"Easy girl, don't get your hopes up. All I'm saying that I need to conduct a few tests and maybe, just maybe, something might turn up that might help Lord Tenchi. The tests will be quick, but it'll take some time before I can come up with some results. Think you can hold off on seeing him for couple of months?"

Ryoko was all excited. To hear that Tenchi was dying made her heart sank, but now that she might be able to help him in some way made her want to go running to him now more than ever. She wanted to get up and shake the information out of Washu, but acting irrationally wasn't going to help any. Besides, if she was going to spend some time with him, she needed to tie up some loose ends first.

"All right Washu, let's do it. After I'm done with you, I'll need to take care of some business anyway so it will be awhile before I can travel to Earth again."

"Great Ryoko, What I'll do is once I get all the data processed, I'll transfer everything through the data stream and instruct you on what needs to be done. One thing though, I'm not guarantying anything, just the possibility of a miracle. And remember what I said before, any attempts to help Tenchi might kill him before the disease does, got it?"

"Crystal. I'll just have to pray that it's enough. Even if nothing works, I'll have the chance to be with him again and maybe that'll be enough for the both of us…."

************************************

* sniff, sniff * "Mmmmm, something smells good. Guess Kats is starting Breakfast already. Think I'll head downstairs now." Ryoko said to herself as the smell of food snapped her out of her flashback. She then gently laid Ryo-Ohki on the futon and phased into her white low-cut outfit with the red leotards. She wore this when she first crashed here years ago and Tenchi found her. She softly giggled as she remembered those moments that Tenchi tried so hard not to look down at her cleavage, but she'd catch his glances from time to time. "Maybe at his age this might be too much for him to see? NAH!"

She teleported herself to the living room, just shy of the kitchen door as to not startle Katsuhito as he was preparing the morning meal. She again looked around the entire room as old memories flooded her mind once more.

<I missed this place a lot more than I thought. > she thought to herself, <I suppose that it's fitting that I should spend Tenchi's final days here with him...WAIT A MINUTE! What am I thinking? Ryoko you idiot, stop thinking such thoughts. If there's a chance that you can help Tenchi then you'll need to be a lot more positive towards the situation than you are right now. > Ryoko just shook her head as she realized that she was scolding herself and decided it was best that she go and eat breakfast.

***********************************

"Good morning Kats! Breakfast smells awfully good, whatcha making?" Ryoko gleefully asked as she entered the kitchen. Kats was pouring orange juice into couple of glasses when he raised his head up to acknowledge his lovely guest.

"Oh, good morning Ryoko! Breakfast is ready; hope you like pancakes."

"Love 'em. Is Tenchi going to be up soon?"

"In a couple of hours. Grandpa usually gets up about eight o'clock, which gives me time to get the house in order, although it's pretty simple with just the two of us living here. Do you want coffee or tea?"

"Tea please. Well, after all of the excitement yesterday, he could use the rest. Say, what's that smell?" Ryoko took a couple of sniffs. A delightful scent of cinnamon was in the air as she pointed to the small pot by the oven.

"Oh, that's Grandpa's oatmeal. I'm letting it simmer for awhile before he gets up."

"Funny, I don't recall Tenchi ever liking oatmeal before." Ryoko pondered.

"That's because he wasn't an eighty-six year old man with dentures when you were here last." Kats replied with a laugh, "Did you sleep well last night?"

"Not really. I still a little overwhelmed about yesterday and I think today is going to be the same too."

Both of them stayed quiet for a few minutes as they sat and began to eat. Neither of them didn't have anything to say and the awkwardness was starting to show until Kats broke the silence. "Ryoko, I know that you still love my Grandfather and you said that you wanted to see him one last time, but something tells me that there's more than meets the eye. Are you hiding something from us?"

Ryoko just stared and played with her food. She didn't know how to answer his question. She liked the kid, but it was best that she talked to Tenchi first before saying anything to Katsuhito. "Kats, you're a perceptive guy, but you will have to trust me when I say that my being here isn't just to say goodbye to your grandfather. I promise you that by the end of the day all your questions will be answered, but until then you'll have to wait after I spoken to Tenchi, ok?"

Kats sat there for a second. Her request sounded reasonable and after spending time with her yesterday, he had no reason to believe that she would hurt Tenchi. He swallowed a mouthful of pancakes and gave a wink to Ryoko, "Ok by me. Just hope that whatever you're planning to do will make Gramps happy."

"Kid. If everything works out like I hope they will, everyone here will coming out like a winner." Ryoko added as she threw a wink back at Kats.

"Oh I forgot! Can you wait here a sec? I wanted to show you something before gramps woke up." Kats then got up and stepped out into the living room. Ryoko seemed befuddled as to why he was running out, but before she can answer her own question, Kats ran back in. "Here, I think you'll find these to be of some interest to you."

The cyan girl looked confused at the younger Masaki's comment, but as she grabbed at what it appeared to be a sketchbook, she open the pages to find something very startling. "It's…it's a sketch of me?" She stammered.

"Yeah, grandpa thinks that I don't know about it, but since I clean the house around here, I happened to find it buried in the closet near the foyer. As you can see, its kind of old and some of the pages are taped on. Those I think were sketched when he was in college."

Ryoko carefully turned the pages as drawing after drawing revealed different images of the space pirate. One had her in the same dress she was presently wearing. Another showed her in her red and black battle outfit with Ryo-Ohki behind in her ship form. From the way the paper looked, faded and brittle, this must've been drawn when Tenchi was still in his teens, or early twenties.

"I don't get it, why would he draw a picture of me, especially if I didn't come back?" Ryoko wondered.

"Isn't it obvious Ryoko? Grandpa really missed you. I guess this was his way of keeping his image of you alive and maybe he hoping that one day, you might come back. Of course I don't think he had sixty-eight years in mind…"

"Watch it kid…"

"Take it easy, just keep looking…"

She continued to turn the pages. Sketches of the girls together with Yosho and Nobuyuki were visible, though faded due to time. In the middle of the book, he drew images of Sakuya and the later the children. In one sketch there was little Yoko. Tenchi had her sketched in pirate's outfit, with a cabbit on top of her left shoulder. Ryoko couldn't help but smiled at that one. As she kept turning the pages towards the end, more images of the family kept appearing, which included the grandchildren as well. One sketch showed a little Katsuhito dressed in a samurai outfit that included a fake sword to boot. "Aw Kats, you look so cute in this."

"Yeah, yeah…keep going will you?" Kats mumbled as he persuaded Ryoko to forget that sketch and proceed.

As she got towards the last few pages, they once again had Ryoko, but this one had her with feathered wings on her back and a sort of aura surrounding her body. From the looks of things, Tenchi had envisioned her as an angel. Several other drawings had her depicted as either a spirit or some heavenly presence as well. "I can tell by the paper that these aren't that old, but why did he started drawing me up again after so many years?"

"I'm not sure, but ever since grandma died, he kept a lot of things to himself. These last ones were probably done about ten years back before he his hands got the 'shakes'. I do recall though that on a few occasions he would say that when it was his time to go, that a heavenly angel will come and escort him to the afterlife. I guess he had you in mind Ryoko."

"This is creeping me out. I'm flattered that he sees me as some sort of angelic presence, unlike some royal pain in the ass who thought of the opposite." Ryoko snarled.

"You know, when you first showed up at the shrine steps, I didn't recognize you at first. It was only after I saw your spiky hair and your feline features that it hit me; you were the girl in Grandpa's pictures. When my sister and I were little, Grandpa would tell us stories whenever we stayed here for the weekends. His favorite would be about the pirate who battled the evil empire and help the oppressed. Want to guess who he used for a role model?"

"You're kidding right?"

"Nope, I'm not. Grandpa used to tell us not to say anything to Grandma, saying she may not understand the story. Now I know what he meant."

Ryoko looked confused. All those years she's been away and yet he kept her memory alive all this time. Didn't he love his wife? Wasn't he happy living the way normal people did on Earth? It didn't make sense to her. "Kats, I had the impression that your grandfather was happy with your grandmother. Why keep the image of me around?"

"He did love Grandma, very much. All this reminiscing of you happened after she passed away. When I was younger, I had those same questions also, but since becoming a priest I've come to realize that even though we can experience certain feelings and moments with people that we hold close to our hearts, things may not worked out as we like to. When the time comes and we have to move on, we somehow manage to put those emotions and memories of that special person and lock them in a corner of our hearts and learn to move on. Normally life does go on and those feelings and emotions never surface again, with a few exceptions and I think this is one of those exceptions."

"So you think that fate has brought us together Kats?"

"What I'm saying is that whatever feelings my grandfather has for you were locked away to a part of his soul that he thought he'll never feel again. I'm pretty sure you did the same as well, but by you coming back to him he has felt those feelings reawakened and they're now forcing him to acknowledge that he never stopped loving you. I think what hurts him the most is that he feels guilty in not telling you how he felt when he had the chance to all those years ago. I don't know if he feels that he's betraying my grandmother's memory by still being in love with you, but that's something you're going to have to ask him."

"And how do you feel about me and your grandfather being together?"

"Grandpa had a happy life with grandma. He was a good father and a great grandparent. He has been a pillar in this community for many years and everyone respects him. To say that he has lived a full life is an understatement and I can only hope that I can do half the things that he has done. My only wish that he stays happy in his final days and if that means being with his first love, I'm all for it. Of course, if by some 'miracle' grandpa manages to live longer and decides to stay with you, I'm cool with that too."

"You really mean it? No jealousy of me making your grandfather happy?"

"Ryoko, in the short time I've seen you to two together, I can just look and see the love in your eyes, as well as in gramps. My grandparents had their time together, just as I'm sure you had spent time with someone else. If the Gods have decided that now is the time for the both of you to find each other after so many years, it has to be good thing, and I for one would be happy for the two of you."

Ryoko was so overjoyed after hearing such profound words from the young priest. She got up, walked over to him and planted a kiss on his forehead, "Thanks Kats, that means a lot to me."

Kats started to blush, but flashed an evil smirk back at Ryoko, "Just one thing Ryoko."

"What's that?"

"Well, if things work out between you and Grandpa, can I…can I please get to call you Granny Ryoko?"

"Grrrrr…Katsuhito!" With that an energy sword appeared from her right hand and was pointed towards the now frightened priest.

"Ok, ok…I'll take that as a no. Geez, old people…"

***********************************

He couldn't remember how long he had been walking. It seemed like for hours, but yet he doesn't recall when he started or where he was going. He couldn't recall where did this fog come from also. It seemed to be hovering all over like a shroud that prevented him from seeing what was in front of him. Judging from his footing, he thought he was on solid ground, but he couldn't see the floor. Everything is just a drab color of gray. No clear vision, no sound and no sense of direction.

Tenchi just stopped and paused. What was he doing here? Where was he going? The last thing he remembered was saying good night to Ryoko and falling asleep, < ASLEEP?!? Wait a second, could it be that I'm dreaming? Maybe I'm just walking around until I wake up, but so far I haven't? Damn it, what's with this fog?!?>

Before he attempted to answer his own question, the dense fog suddenly started to fade out and the next thing he saw was a sidewalk that led to a water fountain with a statue of Tsunami perched on top. As he approached it, he saw several buildings over the horizon, bustling with young people. As he looked at his left he saw a building that had a clock embedded into the façade; it read twelve noon. Then he realized that this was the university he attended over sixty years ago.

<I'm back at college, but why? Why am I dreaming of this? I haven't been back here in decades and I many of the buildings that were here before are no longer around. Maybe there's something in the past that I need to remember? Damn it, this is frustrating! >

As he stared at the main administration building where the clock was on, he noticed a large cherry blossom tree overlooking a small hill towards the back of the campus. It was there that he first met his Sakuya on a bright sunny day sixty-six years ago. Maybe that was where he would find his answer to this dream. He slowly walked over towards the hill that overlooked the campus and as he got closer to the tree, a small figure was sitting there on the ground, leaning against the old cherry blossom. He couldn't make out whom it was at first, due the person being shaded, but as he got closer, he immediately recognized her.

"Sakuya?!? Is that you?"

"Oh there you are! I'm been waiting for you; you sure know how to keep a girl waiting." The dark haired girl said as she got up and walked over to Tenchi. She flashed those beautiful emerald eyes as she came up and planted a kiss on his lips. "Tenchi, what's the matter? You look like you seen a ghost?"

Tenchi was totally lost. He wasn't sure if this was a dream or some distorted version of reality, "Well I…this is to say…Sakuya, are you really here?"

"You tell me Tenchi, am I really here or you are dreaming the whole thing up? Either way, I'm here because you needed to see me."

"I do? I don't recall asking you to be in my dream, if this is what it is. The last thing I remembered was going to sleep in our old room. Please Sakuya, tell me what this is all about?"

The image of his young wife just stood there smiling. Even if this is just a dream, she still looked as beautiful as he always remembered her; the passage of time not stealing any memories of his departed wife. Tenchi asked her again.

"Sakuya, is there something you need to tell me? Are you here to remind me of something? Please, I need to know."

The young girl smiled. She then walked over to a nearby bench and motioned Tenchi to join her. As he sat down, she took his hand and caressed it against her face. It was something she always loved when they were together. Now the fog in Tenchi's mind was starting to lift as well.

"Sakuya, you know I always loved you. You were the one true light in my life and I miss you so much."

"I know you miss me. It's been hard on you ever since my…departure. I also know you miss little Yoko too, but you carried on Tenchi. You went on with your life and now you need to take the next big step."

"I don't understand…"

"Tenchi, I know that I came into your life after you waited so long for someone else and now that someone is back and waiting for you."

"You know about Ryoko? How is that possible?"

"This is a dream silly and it's a beautiful dream, isn't it?"

"Yeah, it is."

"I remembered when we were in school in the fall semester, we always planned a picnic to watch the Cherry Blossoms fall; just the two of us. Those were precious times weren't they?"

"Yes they were."

"Then that one time, in our third year I think, we planned one picnic near your father's house and it was there that I said that I loved you…"

"You did, didn't you?"

"And you know what else Tenchi?"

"Let me guess, you said that you always wanted us to be together, but I never had the chance to tell you how I felt. After being together for two years, I never wanted to keep you guessing, but I needed to know how I really felt in my heart. I realized then that I was in love with you too Sakuya and I wanted to be with no one else." Tenchi then wrapped his arms around his old love and gave her a deep passionate kiss. This was something he missed for so long.

"Tenchi, you can never know how much I loved being with you. Our time together was so precious to me and those memories with us, the children and everything else will always make me happy. I waited so long to tell you this, but now I have to go…"

"Go? Sakuya wait! What are you talking about? Where are you going?"

"It's all right my Tenchi. I know it's a little frustrating and such a pity that what we had couldn't last, but those years we spent together will always be here." Sakuya tapped her hand onto Tenchi's heart, "I'll know that you'd never forget."

"But Sakuya, let me tell you…"

"No…you don't need to say anything, I know… I know what you're feeling right now, but no matter how joyous and beautiful this looks, it's only a dream world and people can't go on living with illusions or guilt. Tenchi, we had our time, but right now you have someone waiting for you. If you can go on being happy, even for a short time, then there's no reason for you to feel guilty about anything. The time we spent together, every day, every minute, every second was blessed. All our hopes and dreams for the future were fulfilled and I'll treasure them all, just as you will also."

As the couple looked into each other, not a dry eye was present. Sakuya's right hand caressed Tenchi's face while she placed her left hand on his chest once more. "I'll know that a part of me will be right here, just as a part of her had always been there and now you need to show her that part you always kept hidden from her and from yourself."

"Sakuya, is this really you? Did you came back to me in my dream to tell me all this?"

"Does it really matter whether I'm here or maybe you're just saying this to yourself in your subconscious? All that matters is that you know the truth. You never betrayed me, or the life we had shared. Don't deny yourself this second chance Tenchi, otherwise your last days with always be full of regret. I have to leave now, goodbye Tenchi my love. One day we'll see each other again…"

"Goodbye Sakuya. I'll never forget you my love." Mumbled the old shrine master in his sleep as he began his journey from the dream world to reality. As he woke up half-dazed, he looked outside the window, seeing that it's morning. <By Kami, that dream was so vivid! I still don't know if that was really her coming back to talk to me, or my mind telling me what I already know, but too stubborn to realize it. >

As Tenchi got up to go to the bathroom, his mind felt so clear now. Yes, he still loved his departed wife and doesn't regret one moment of the life they lived for forty years. Whatever slight guilt he had about betraying her memory was laid to rest and now he was going to see if there was such a thing as a second chance for love. Ryoko was here and she still loved him and now he knew that he still loved her as well. If the fates had brought them together again, he wasn't going to let the opportunity go to waste. He was going to make up the one regret he ever had in his entire life.

<Ryoko, whatever time I have left, I want them to be spent with you. Every day, every minute, every second until my last dying breath. I never thought I could love someone else other than Sakuya, but I see that it is possible. Seven decades haven't change my love for you and now that the gods have given me another chance, I'm not going to let you get away from me without telling you that I love you. > Tenchi suddenly felt this great burden being unloaded as he stepped into the shower and soaked up the hot water. It was definitely going to be a day of revelation for the star cross lovers…

*********************************

"Well Ryoko, unless you have any further use for me, I'll head up to the shrine now." Katsuhito said, "Can you give grandfather his breakfast when he gets up?"

"No problem. He should be up soon right?"

"Yep. Have you decided on what you're going to do today?"

Ryoko's nose wrinkled as she thought about what she wanted to do. Then she remembered that she promised to Tenchi all about her years away from Earth. "Well, I guess me and gramps will still be reminiscing about the good old days. Anyway, it's not like I'm planning to leave anytime soon so we'll just go with the flow and see what happens."

"Great. Well, if you need anything, I'll be at the shrine. See you later." Kats waved as he headed out the door.

"Later kid, I'll talk to you before lunch." Ryoko sat back down to finish her meal when a little fur ball jumped into her lap. "Morning Ryo-Ohki. Did ya sleep good?"

"Miya-miya!" (Sure did! What's up for today?)

"Well, if things work out the way I hope they do, me and Mr. Masaki will finally be an item. The only problem is that I don't know if this will be permanent pairing or a quick one. Better cross your paws on this one Ryo-Ohki."

"Meow-meow-miya" (Good luck Ryoko. If you don't need me, I'll be going back to the fields. There was one spot I missed and I'm so famished)

"You bet. I'll 'call' you when I'm ready." Ryoko answered as the little cabbit phased through the door and scurried away to ravage the vegetable fields.

"Ok, I'm finished. Now where that lovable old-timer…"

"Right here my dear…did you miss me?" Tenchi sweetly asked.

"Always. You hungry?"

"Starving. What did Kats make?"

"Well, for us people who still have teeth, he made pancakes. For you, oatmeal with cinnamon."

"Very funny, ha-ha, I'm totally cracked up by your humor. You enjoy teasing me mercilessly do you?"

"Whenever possible my sweet. Here you go."

"Thanks Ryoko. Well it's kind of early, what do you what to do today?"

"Well, we can go for a morning walk and continue our conversation from yesterday…"

"Yes that's right. You promise to tell me all about your adventures in space after you left Earth."

"Well Tenchi, I wouldn't say that my life in the last seven decades were all adventurous, but I did have my moments."

"Great. Let me finish up here and we'll step out in a few minutes, ok?"

After Tenchi finished his oatmeal, he and Ryoko took that stroll around the lake and into the forest, not saying much to each other. About twenty minutes later, they happen to be at the spot that started it all, the site where Ryo-Ohki crashed from space and where Tenchi happened to find Ryoko unconscious.

"Can't believe this is where it all began." Tenchi sighed. "Of course the last thing I never expected was finding a drunken alien girl…"

"Hey, I wasn't drunk, I was just hung over and couldn't get my bearings, that's all. You don't actually think that Mihoshi was competent enough to nail me in space if I was sober that day do you?"

"No I don't think that, but aren't you glad that she did force you to crash here?"

"I guess so. It's just that so many things have happened over the years…"

"Tell me Ryoko, what happened to you after you left the Earth?"

<This is it Ryoko, tell him everything and don't hold back. You promised you'd do this so don't chicken out now. > The golden-eyed beauty told herself as her heart started to race. If she was going to tell him about still being in love with him, this was the time.

************************************

"I guess my story started a few months after I left Earth. Ryo-Ohki and I wandered around the galaxy, hiding from the authorities and stealing whenever we needed to. I heard that Jurai had cleared me of the major criminal charges since I helped you guys defeat Kagato, but the Galactic Union were still holding several warrants for some major heists I pulled some years prior to meeting up with you and they weren't going to let that slide. I also had Nagi to worry about. I knew that sooner or later our paths were going to cross again and she was going to be pissed for my abrupt departure from Jurai."

"So what did you do?"

"Well Tench, seeing that my options were limited, plus the fact that I didn't want to be a space pirate anymore, I decided to take a risk and ask the one person I know that could help me…"

"And who might that be?"

"Nagi…"

"NAGI?!? You went to Nagi for help? Ryoko, she wanted to fight you, dead if possible. What possessed you to go asking her for help?"

"Tenchi, despite her hatred towards me, Nagi lives by a certain code. As a bounty hunter, her single failure was not being able to capture me and while she could have taken me out on Yagami, she didn't. She knew that I was badly hurt, but wouldn't take advantage of it. She also decided to help us with Kagato, so you see she does have certain principles."

"Well Ryoko, it must have worked since you're here, but how did you pulled it off?"

"Simple actually, I simply left clues at places that I knew she be traveling to and eventually those clues led her to me on remote planet in the Orion system."

"Did you finally fight?"

"Yep, but only on certain conditions. One was that this wasn't a fight to the death since she wouldn't be able to collect whatever bounty was left on my head…"

"And what were the others?"

"That she'd let me team up with her as a partner after I get out of jail"

"You, a bounty hunter? With Nagi? I gotta sit down for this one." Tenchi looked dumbfounded as he found a boulder and sat down, still shaking his head after what Ryoko had told him. "So what did she say after your proposal?"

"At first she thought it was ludicrous. She always worked alone and never had the need for a partner, but I told her that if I was able to avoid her for so many years, wouldn't it be better if someone like me could team up with her and go after some really heavy hitters? This got her attention, but the problem was the Galaxy Police. If I turned myself in, they may want to keep me in solitary confinement forever, so we came up with another plan."

"And what was that?"

"The proposal was that Nagi would turn me in for her reward and that I would serve a minimum sentence since I did helped in the Kagato incident. When Nagi contacted the GP, they had other ideas, but she convinced them it wouldn't be in their interests to upset the royal family, especially since you were the crown prince and friends of Kiyone and Mihoshi."

"And they bought it?"

"Yep. It was agreed that I would serve a sentence of seven years in prison on a remote sector in the galaxy where no one would know where I am, except Nagi of course."

"Wow Ryoko, I can't believe that you would allow yourself to be taken like that. It must've been a rough seven years."

"It wasn't easy, I'll admit, but after living with you, I realized that I needed to make a fresh start for myself. I didn't want to live a life of a criminal anymore so I figured this would be a good way to make amends. The good thing was that I only had to serve five years due to good behavior. After that I partnered up with Nagi and became a bounty hunter."

"For some reason, I feel sorry for those poor fools that went up against the both of you. You guys must've of been quite a team."

"We were. For years we nailed every major bounty head that normally a single person wouldn't tackle, but our combined powers nearly made us unbeatable. It felt so good Tenchi, to be able to do some good and make a profit out of it. To be honest, it was a lot more fun chasing the bad guys than being chased by the cops."

"So I guess Nagi wasn't disappointed at all huh?"

"She was the first to admit that we made a good team. In a few years, we were the top hunters in the galaxy, if not the damn universe. Ha-ha!"

"But Ryoko, how did you managed to avoid getting attention? I mean the other girls never heard a thing about you and certainly Kiyone and Mihoshi would have heard something especially if it concerned Nagi."

"As a bounty hunter, being able to blend in and not be detected is the #1 rule. Since I wanted to be left alone and forgotten, Nagi and I agreed that any news that involved our bounty, she would get the credit alone. All I cared about was the money and privacy. Besides, all the GP honchos ever cared about was getting the bad guys locked up. If some bounty hunters got to the bad guys before they did, who cares?"

"Well, I'm glad you found something that made you happy and kept you out of trouble with the law. Uh, if you don't mind me asking, did you ever meet anybody? Y'know, fell in love and all that?"

Ryoko looked at Tenchi for a moment. She noticed he was uncomfortable in asking the questions, but now wasn't the time to hide things. "Yes to the first question, no to the second. It does get lonely out there sometimes and I did meet up with people who piqued my curiosity, but they were mostly short-term relationships. You could say that the job never allowed me to stay with one guy for a long time. Also, I didn't want really to fall in love with anyone else."

"Why Ryoko, didn't you want someone to make you happy?"

Ryoko looked up to the sky, looking for an appropriate answer, "I fell in love with someone a long time ago, though he didn't know it. Being in his company made me see things I never thought could be possible in my life and his kindness and generosity changed me in ways I couldn't begin to explain. In short, I couldn't love another like I love you Tenchi. I don't think it would have been fair to anyone who wanted to be with me."

Tenchi was stunned by Ryoko's honesty. Despite the years apart, she still carried a torch for him, refusing to let go. "Ryoko, I don't know what to say…"

"Let's just say that I decided to lead the carefree life of a space wanderer. I decided that I would love one person in my lifetime, even if he didn't return the same feelings for me. As long I knew that he was happy in his life, I was ok with it. I might've been lying to myself, but that was my choice Tenchi. There is one thing I left out though…"

"What was that?"

"There was one person I did came close to loving, but I think it was more due to our mutual loneliness than actual love."

"Anybody I know?"

"Yes, as a matter of fact. It was my partner…"

"Nagi? You and she had a…you know, had a thing together?" Now Tenchi was really in shock.

"It wasn't something that just happened overnight. We always sort of respected each other for our abilities and looks. Nagi was always a loner before she teamed up with me, and so was I when I was a pirate. I guess being together all the time now had us thinking about what if…so one thing led to another and one day we decided to make the relationship personal as well as business."

"I'm…I'm glad you had someone to be with I guess, but what happened? You and Nagi had a falling out?"

"No, it's just what I said earlier about not being able to love anybody else but you. I grew to care Nagi very deeply over the years, but we both knew that it wasn't true love and eventually we decided that it would be better to keep things at a professional level. We're still friends and partners, but nowadays we've been going solo with some assignments. After I met with Washu, I contacted Nagi to let her know that I was coming here to be with you and that I may not be coming back to space for awhile."

"How did she take it?

"She was genuinely happy for me. She wished me luck and sends her regards. So now you know what's been up with me in the last sixty-eight years. Any more questions?"

"Just one... Do you still really love me? Even after all these years?"

"With all heart my Tenchi. Despite the years apart and the fact that I knew you moved on in your life, I never stopped loving you for one second." Ryoko came up to Tenchi and held his shaking hand, "Do you love me?"

"With all my heart my Ryo-chan. I'm so sorry that I never told you when we were here on Earth. It's just that with all you girls living here, it felt like a real family and I was afraid that telling you about my feelings would change all that. I realized later on that it shouldn't have mattered. Even if they were to leave, I still would of had you, but my cowardice cost me my chance to tell you. I'm really sorry." Tenchi couldn't help but cry as he sat back down; letting his emotions overtake his body.

Ryoko was starting to cry already when Tenchi told her that he still loved her. It was something she always dreamed of hearing since the day they were together in that alternate universe created by Washu's dimensional tuner. After leaving Jurai bleeding and near death, she thought that she'd never hear those words spoken to her…until now.

"Tenchi, please don't cry. What's done is done. You went on to have a good life with Sakuya and I went out and did what I had to do. I don't have any regrets in my decision to leave Earth and neither should you, unless…"

"Unless what Ryoko?"

"You sort of feel guilty about being with me right now. Does loving me make you feel guilty somehow?"

"NO! I mean…I thought I did at first, but someone came to my dream last night and told me that whatever memories I shared with Sakuya will always be in my heart. Right now, all the feelings I have for you that were kept locked away needed to be released. All I want now is to be with you, even if it's just a short time. I want to lie next to you when sun rises and when the Cherry Blossoms fall from the trees. Whatever time is left for me, I want to share it with you."

Ryoko's face was totally wet from all tears running out of her eyes. She gently embraced her love and wouldn't let go. Tenchi managed to stop shaking long enough to break off he embrace. "Tenchi, what's wrong?" She asked.

"I was just thinking. I know that we're together now, but you must realize that at my age and the condition I'm in, there's not a lot of things I could do physically and…well you know, is that a problem for you?"

"No silly, it isn't. I knew the condition you were in before I came back and that didn't stop me then. I'm surprised at you Tenchi, you thought our love is more of the physical than what's in our hearts?"

"No, of course not. It's just that you haven't changed in all these years. You're still beautiful, vibrant and full of life while I'm a decrepit old priest who's on his last legs. Somehow I don't think that's fair to you."

"Well then, we're gonna have to change that now, don't we?"

"Uh Ryoko, you're losing me. What are you talking about?"

"Tenchi, what would you say if I told you that I have the means to cure your disease and maybe restore your youth?"

***********************************

"WWWHHAAATTTT!?! WHAT DID YOU SAY?"

"Take it easy Tenchi, All I'm saying is that Washu has found the means to restore you to your younger self and kill off the disease that's killing you. However, the cure may kill you also due to your weaken condition."

"And why didn't Washu tell me sooner?"

"Because you wanted to die as an normal Earthling you twit! Washu wasn't going to go against your wishes. I guess now you found a good reason to live, have you?"

Tenchi was going to say something, but thought twice about it and stayed silent for a few minutes. Ryoko though, had other questions.

"Tenchi, when I found Washu twenty years ago, she explained to me how you and Yosho have aged over the years. I couldn't understand how was that possible since the both of you had the Jurai power. Then she told me what you guys decided to do. Why Tenchi? Why did you renounce the Jurai power? It was your birthright. You could have lived on for hundreds of years. Why turn away a precious gift like that?"

Tenchi had his answer, "Grandpa was the first to make the decision. He kept himself prepared all those years knowing that Kagato was still out there. When I defeated him and Ayeka assumed the throne, he knew that his role in universe was complete so all he wanted now was to die in peace. He lived a full life that a few of us could ever imagine. So one day, he asked Washu if it was possible to remove that Jurai power from him so he can age like any other Earthling. Washu was reluctant at first, since the both of them grew close, but she agreed to do so for the sake of their friendship. The next day she hooked him up to some sort of energy siphoning device and after a couple of hours, his power was gone. Since that day until his death, grandpa lived his life like any other old person. All I know that he died happy and was looking forward to being with grandma and mother."

"And what cause you to make your decision? Why did you renounce the power?"

"Think about it Ryoko, I wanted a normal life and having the Jurai power meant that I would have outlived my wife, my children and my grandkids. What's the use of having such a power if it meant that I would see everyone I loved die before me? So after I married Sakuya, I asked Washu to do the same for me. Again she resisted at first, but I told her that I wanted to go the same way grandpa did. I wanted to be able to die knowing that my children and grandchildren will live on after me. After a few days of arguments, she relented and as you can see, I aged over the years like any other human. It also made sure that my kids and their children would be normal; no powers what so ever. Of course right now, I'm starting to regret that decision now that you're back."

Ryoko flashed a big smile, which had Tenchi confused. She went up to his left ear and whispered, "Tenchi dear, I hate to break it to you, but you never lost your powers…"

"What? Wh-what are trying to say Ryoko?"

"What I'm saying is that Washu couldn't take away your powers. To do so would have been like removing your heart or brain. You would have died on the spot. Instead, she used that device to 'suppress' it. Your powers were kept dormant so that it will still be a part of you, but you would never be able to use it. Yosho knew about this, but insisted that Washu didn't tell you about it."

"I don't understand, why would grandpa and Washu hide that from me?" Tenchi asked angrily.

"Please don't be mad Tenchi, it was done to protect you and your family. Since the Royal Family assumed that your powers were taken away, word spread around quickly. It was felt that with no Jurai power, no enemy would bother you since you had nothing worth of value and I would say that Yosho was right…"

"I guess he was, but I wished he would have told me Ryoko."

"He did it because he loved you. Without the knowledge of the power, you went on living your life as a normal person so in my book, everything worked out."

"So you say I have the power within me right? How do I get it to go back 'on'?"

"Well, Washu concluded that in order for the Jurai power to be reawaken within you, another being with the same power would have to assist you, with the help of Tenchi-ken as well."

Tenchi started to feel better at the prospect of being revitalized to his former self. He wrapped his arm around Ryoko's waist as they proceeded to walk back to the house "Well that's good I guess. Now the only thing we need to do is get Sasami or maybe Ayeka to help out since they're family and…"

"That won't be necessary Tenchi, you got someone already to volunteer for the job…"

"Who are you talking about Ryoko?"

"Me silly, that's who!" With that response, Tenchi stopped dead in his tracks, looking stunned once again.

"Wait a minute, you're trying to tell me that you are…"

"I wasn't born on Jurai, but Washu did some tests on me when I saw her last and she discovered that my DNA matches with some Juraian noble that lived about two thousand years ago. He was a member of the Royal Family, but something happened that made him leave in exile and I guess the power he possessed was passed down to his descendents, which explains where I got my powers. Amazing isn't it?"

"Amazing is an understatement, but it does explain a lot of things about your origins. Boy, if Ayeka ever finds out about this…"

"We'll hold on to that thought until we're done with our problem here, ok?"

"Sure, but what does Tenchi-ken have to do with all this?"

"The sword will act as a conduit between my powers and yours. If we both touch it, my power will transfer through the sword and into your body, thereby awakening your powers. God, I'm starting to sound like Washu!"

"Sounds simple enough, but what are the risks?"

"Simply this Tenchi. The reawakening of your powers could cause a lot of stress to your body and possibly kill you. Either you survive it or you don't. This is your decision to make my love. If you decide to stay the way you are, I'll understand."

Tenchi rubbed his chin as he pondered on what to do next. He had the means to by young again and to stay with Ryoko for who knows how many years, but there's the risk of not surviving the transfer of power and thereby dying before having the chance to be with her. Then there the option of playing it safe, to stay old and live whatever time he had left with Ryoko at his side. He needed to decide and decide now. He wasn't going to be indecisive now that his first love is back and let the opportunity of spending an eternity with her slip out of his hands. His face had a determined look as he walked up to her and cupped her face. Ryoko had no clue of what he was about to do, but she wasn't about to complain of what he did next.

Tenchi stood there quiet for a second, fixating his brown eyes with the golden orbs that were looking back at him. Then he closed his eyes and pressed his lips against hers. Ryoko jumped at the sensation of dry lips kissing hers, but she immediately put her arms around his neck and returned his affections. Tenchi had his answer:

"Ryoko, let's do it…"

*********************************

A/N: As promised, here's the storyline from the sci-fi show I watched that inspired me to do this story. A brilliant scientist creates and beautiful android and eventually falls in love with her, and somewhere along the way, the android gains human emotions and loves the scientist in return. Something happens though and the android leaves the scientist. Years later, in a country setting, we see the scientist as an old man, sitting outside in a rocking chair as his children and grandchildren come by for a visit. His wife asks him if he's coming and he says in a while. With everyone's inside a figure approaches the house and at first the old guy asks who is she. As he saw her face, he remembers. The last thing we see is the wife coming out and sees the rocking chair empty and hearing the wind blow. That last part gave me the idea to produce this fic. If anyone remembers that particular episode (it's either outer limits and twilight zone) let me know.

Well, I thought I was going to wrap this up, but once again ideas kept creeping up into my head. Ain't it wonderful in having a vivid imagination? Well, as you can see, there will be a part four, but I'm pretty sure that it'll be the conclusion, but then again…

If anyone is curious, the idea of Tenchi of having his powers suppressed and not taken out of him was provided by the first Tenchi movie. His mother Achika never used her powers until she confronted Kain, but in exerting too much energy, she died prematurely. I figured that if any Juraian were to lose their power, it would mean instant death. As far as using Tenchi-ken and as an object to transfer Ryoko's power to Tenchi's, remember OVA #1, episode #2 when Ryoko leaned against Tenchi and summoned Ryo-Ohki when they were in Ryu-oh? I'm so glad that I got everything on DVD; they come in so handy.

Anyway, once again I thank you for your reviews. Hopefully you enjoyed this chapter and the conclusion that's coming later on.

As always, C&C are welcome. If you want a more elaborate explanation, you can email me at a.falc@verizon.net

Later, Alighthawk