Tenchi Muyo Fan Fiction ❯ The Masato Saga ❯ Sealed Fates ( Chapter 11 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

Disclaimer: As much as I would love to take credit for the characters in
this story, I cannot. Tenchi Muyo and its characters are property of AIC
and Pioneer. "If We Must Die" by Claude McKay reprinted from the
Norton Anthology of American Literature, Fifth Edition, Volume 2,
copyright 1998 by W. W. Norton & Company, Inc. "Sealed Fates,"
though based on pre-existing characters, is the property of the author and
may not be reprinted without permission. Ditto for all original characters
found therein. Now that that's out of the way, enjoy the story!

Note to reader: As always, I have omitted a few minor characters for
simplicity's sake, because their appearances would not have contributed
further to content. I'm pretty sure that you've all caught on by now,
though. I've been getting some great responses so far, and I certainly
wouldn't mind a few more! Please feel free to e-mail me any comments,
suggestions or questions. Now, it is my supreme pleasure to present you
with the conclusion of The Masato Saga.

Sealed Fates

Chapter 1: Ground Rules

"We've landed," Shokai announced as the ship touched down on
Tenchi's lawn.
"Excellent," Hotaro said with a wide smile. "Let's go out there
and introduce ourselves, shall we?"
Hotaro stood at the main doors to the ship, flanked by his two
lieutenants. The door began to open, and little by little the scene unfolded
for everyone present. Masato sneered as their three unwelcome visitors
stepped down from the ship onto the grass.
"Well, it looks like the gang's all here," Hotaro said with a
mockish chuckle.
Masato could barely control his rage. Standing before him was the
man who had single-handedly torn his life into shambles. It took every
ounce of his willpower to stop himself from launching himself at Hotaro
right then and there. However, a head-on attack at such a point would be
nothing short of suicidal. So, he stood motionless, gritting his teeth,
feeling his anger grow within him, reaching astronomical proportions.
"Masato Kiriyama," Hotaro continued as he stepped closer to the
group. "I'm so pleased to finally be able to meet you in person. I must say
that your interest in my affairs amazes me to no end. But, alas, you should
not have stuck your nose where it doesn't belong. Now I'm going to have
to get rid of you myself."
"Don't even think about it, you piece of space garbage!" Ryoko
shouted. "You'll have to answer to me first!"
"And me as well!" Ayeka said as she fell in side-by-side with
Ryoko.
"No need," Masato growled. Everyone turned to face him. His
every muscle was tensed, and his eyes were reduced to slits, peering out
from brows furrowed in hatred. His lips were curled back, revealing the
teeth that he gnashed together. "I can take care of him myself," he said.
"What I do want to know is, who are those two flunkies you brought
along?"
"Oh, where are my manners?" Hotaro asked lightly. "I would like
to introduce you all to my two most trusted officers, Gaijin and Shokai."
The two men stepped forward and bowed. Ayeka's face adopted a look of
alarm.
"Do you know these men?" Masato asked, seeing the concern on
Ayeka's face.
"I remember my father talking about them," Ayeka said. "Gaijin
and Shokai used to be captains in the Jurai royal guard. They were trained
by Jurai knights. After learning everything that the knights could teach
them, they requested to be elevated to knight status. However, my father
sensed some sort of evil within them, so he denied their request. They
became disheartened with the royal family and deserted, and joined Hotaro
and the Jurai Liberation Army. Masato, these men are very dangerous."
"Well, then, I see introductions are not in order," Hotaro
interjected. "I know that you think that you and I are going to fight one
another, but I hate to disappoint you; Gaijin and Shokai will be the ones to
dispose of you."
"You spineless rat!" Masato shouted. "Don't you even have the
guts to fight me? Do you always have to send your rejects to do your dirty
work?"
"Please, I could destroy you easily enough if I wanted," Hotaro said
with a dismissive wave of his hand. "I just have more important things to
attend to, that's all." Hotaro reached into his pocket and pulled out two
small metal spheres. Ayeka recognized the sphere immediately as the
same device that Kazuhiro had used to contain her. Before she could
defend or retreat, Hotaro had already sent the orb into the air. It alighted at
Ayeka's feet, and a green pocket of energy enveloped her. Hotaro smiled
as he turned his gaze to Sasami.
"Sasami, run!" Ayeka shouted as Hotaro cocked his arm to throw
the second device. Sasami turned on her heels and began to speed away,
but she could not run fast enough to escape the range of Hotaro's throw.
She, too became surrounded by the green energy prison.
Hotaro laughed heartily. "Two for the price of one! I love it!" He
said gleefully.
Anger flaring in their eyes, Tenchi and Masato both began to
approach Hotaro, intending to force him to release the two princesses.
However, Gaijin and Shokai drew their energy swords and crossed them in
front of the path of the advancing pair.
"Okay, here's how it's going to work," Hotaro said seriously as he
withdrew another device from his pocket. "I'm feeling very generous
today, so I won't kill all of you. All I want is Masato."
"Well, you're not going to get him!" Ryoko replied hotly.
"Before you try and make good on that threat," Hotaro warned, "be
advised that, if anyone but Masato attacks me or my men, it will result in
me pressing the button on this device, which will cause the shields around
Ayeka and Sasami to contract, crushing them like little insects."
"You monster!" Tenchi shouted.
"These are the rules!" Hotaro boomed. "Obey them, or pay the
price. Just to make sure that none of you make a bonehead attempt to get
your precious princesses back, they'll be riding with me back to Jurai,
where I'll ransom them off to the emperor. I'll be leaving Gaijin and
Shokai here to eliminate Masato." Hotaro collected his two prizes and
placed them on board his ship while everyone watched helplessly. "Have
fun, you two," Hotaro addressed his two lieutenants. "Don't go too easy
on him, now."
"We'll put him in his place," Shokai said with a grin.
Satisfied that his henchmen had the situation well under control,
Hotaro boarded his ship and flew off with his royal cargo. Shokai turned
to face the group and held up his wrist. "See this?" he asked, pointing to a
device that looked very much like a wristwatch. "I use this, and I let
Hotaro know that you boys and girls haven't been behaving. Then, your
friends' living quarters become decidedly cramped. So no cheap heroics."
Masato straightened up and turned to address his allies. "Kiyone,
you and Mihoshi take the Yagami up and follow Hotaro," he ordered. "If
he so much as harms a hair on either of their heads, then open fire.
Otherwise, just follow him, okay?"
"Right," Kiyone said.
"And keep your distance," Masato said. "If you get too close,
Hotaro might get the wrong idea and use that button of his."
"Good idea," Kiyone said. "Come on, Mihoshi, let's go!" The two
Galaxy Police officers went to prepare their ship for takeoff.
"That's a rather bold move," Gaijin said. "I hope you realize that
no mere Galaxy Police cruiser even comes close to the firepower of one of
our warships."
Masato did not even dignify Gaijin's comment with a response.
He only approached Washu and began to whisper something into her ear.
None of the others could hear what was being said. Washu smiled
devilishly. "No problem at all," she said. Immediately, she rushed inside
the house, leaving the others to scratch their heads as to what Masato was
planning.
Masato then turned to Ryoko, Tenchi, and Yosho. "Promise me
that, no matter how bad things look, you won't get involved."
"I guess we don't have much of a choice, do we?" Yosho asked
rhetorically.
Masato nodded. After all the talk of each of them banding together
to face a common enemy, it looked as though Masato would be on his
own, after all. He looked Ryoko square in the eye. "I know Ayeka doesn't
mean that much to you," he said, "but she means everything to me. If you
so much as breathe wrong, then she's going to die. Promise me you won't
get involved. Even if it looks like I might get killed. Promise."
Ryoko returned Masato's deep gaze. "I want to see Ayeka and
Sasami back safe just as much as you do," she revealed. "I promise."
"Thank you," Masato said. He then wheeled around and faced his
two opponents. "Alright," he growled, "who wants some?"

Chapter 2: Deception

Gaijin stepped forward upon Masato's challenge. "Shokai, do you
mind if I take care of this weakling myself?" he asked.
"Sure, go nuts," Shokai bade him.
Gaijin smirked and turned his eyes back to Masato. "So you took
out Kazuhiro and Specter, huh?" he asked. "Well, I think you'll find that I
am not so easily trifled with."
Masato made no verbal response. The only thing he did in reply
was to bring his hand down to his holstered blaster, twitching his fingers
not even an inch from it. Gaijin raised an eyebrow. "Well, I'll give you
this," he said, "you certainly have guts. I wonder what they look like..."
Gaijin then drew his energy sword and conjured the blade.
Gaijin and Masato stared intently at each other for several
moments. No one was sure who would make the first move. Suddenly,
Masato answered that question as he drew his blaster. However, in the
blink of an eye Gaijin was upon him, and he swung his sword at Masato's
weapon. Masato was unhurt by the attack, but he gulped as he watched
the severed half of his blaster fall harmlessly to the grass. Masato was by
no means a quick draw, but the speed Gaijin displayed in closing the
distance between them, and the accuracy with which he placed his strike,
was mind-boggling. "You're pretty fast," Masato said tightly.
"Thanks for noticing," Gaijin taunted. "Give up now, and I
promise your death will be as quick as that last move."
"Thanks for the offer," Masato responded, "but I don't accept
charity." Masato reached behind him and drew his energy sword,
activating the blade. He yelled loudly and swung the pale blue shaft of
energy at his opponent. Gaijin was more than ready, and easily deflected
Masato's strike. Masato continued his offensive, but Gaijin again
defended with ease. With very little perceptible effort, Gaijin knocked
Masato back and proceeded to begin an offensive of his own.
Masato was able to defend, but only because it seemed as though
Gaijin was only toying with him. If Gaijin was half as dangerous as Ayeka
suspected, then he could kill Masato at his leisure. However, he seemed to
be enjoying himself, and he allowed Masato to continue to fight. Little by
little, Masato lost ground to the aggressor, as the pair moved closer and
closer to the house. When Masato's back was almost to the front door, he
broke from his attack and sprinted through it at a dead run, surprising all
of the onlookers.
Gaijin stopped in his tracks and began to laugh. "Look at him
run!" he shouted. "Should I even bother going after him?"
"Might as well," Shokai replied from across the lawn. "Too bad he
chickened out, though; he was being such a good sport."
Gaijin followed Masato through the door to the house. Yosho,
Tenchi, and Ryoko all began to walk towards the house as well, but
Shokai halted them. "You three remain here where I can see you," he said
firmly. "It wouldn't be in Ayeka and Sasami's best interest for you to lend
a helping hand, now would it?" he asked, pointing to his wrist
communicator.
Yosho, Tenchi, and Ryoko were forced to abandon their plan to
enter the house. Ryoko kicked the dirt dejectedly. "Man, I feel so
helpless," she said. "Masato's all alone in there, and we can't even go and
help him."
"We have no choice," Yosho told her. "Unfortunately, we are at
the mercy of these individuals. As long as they have Ayeka and Sasami,
there is nothing we can do. All we can do is pray that Masato can
somehow do this alone."
"Wait a minute," Tenchi asked, realizing that Yosho was incorrect,
"isn't Washu in the house?"

Gaijin slowly crept through the house, wondering where Masato
had gone to. He felt that it was awfully cowardly of him to hide in the
house, especially since he had seemed so eager to fight just moments ago.
He poked his head in the kitchen, but found no one. The living room was
completely empty. Gaijin was getting annoyed. He had half a mind to tell
Shokai to send the message to terminate the princesses right then.
However, a creaking sound behind him averted his attention. He looked
and saw that a door underneath the stairs was half open. "He's hiding in a
storage closet?" he asked to himself. "Disappointing."
He poised his sword for the strike, and kicked the door in,
expecting to find Masato cowering behind a mop and bucket. However,
the sight that greeted his eyes was far from what he had expected. The
door apparently led to a much larger facility than a mere closet. As he
stepped through the doorway, he saw around him machines of every
possible shape and size. Standing in the middle of the floor, Gaijin
noticed the pink-haired girl that had run in earlier. He hurriedly
approached her. "Where is Masato?" he asked forcefully. "Tell me, or the
princesses die!"
"Don't pop a vein, ugly," Washu replied nonchalantly. "Masato is
right back there."
"If you're lying, then so help me..." Gaijin trailed off as he rushed
in the direction Washu had pointed. Washu looked after him as he made
his way farther into the lab. After his back was turned, she stuck his
tongue out at him.
Gaijin picked his way through the machinery, expecting some kind
of an ambush. However, none came. "That blasted girl must have been
lying," Gaijin said to himself.
"Looking for someone?" a voice questioned.
Gaijin glanced around him hurriedly to find where the voice
originated. his roving glances finally came upon what looked like a small
arena. Masato was standing in the center of it. "I thought a true warrior
would appreciate this field of combat a bit better," Masato said.
"It doesn't matter to me," Gaijin said as he stepped into the arena.
"I can defeat you anytime, anywhere. This time, I won't give you a chance
to run away."
"I don't plan on running," Masato said as he raised his sword.
"Let's finish this!"
Fuming that Masato would run away, then blatantly challenge him,
Gaijin attacked fiercely. Masato was able to block the shots, but barely.
Washu caught up to the pair and watched the scene unfold. Masato was
fighting very well, but she felt as though it would only be a matter of
moments before Gaijin triumphed over his opponent. Washu's prediction
came through when Gaijin, with a forceful blow, knocked the sword from
Masato's grasp.
Masato, knowing that he had been beaten, could only shoot Gaijin
a contemptuous glance. Gaijin returned his glare with a chuckle. "You're
barely worth my time," he taunted as he brought his sword back. "Believe
me, I'm doing you a favor." Gaijin swung his sword and sliced easily
through Masato's midsection.
Instead of collapsing to the ground in two pieces, Masato
continued to stand. The figure before Gaijin smiled wide as it flickered,
and finally vanished from sight.
"What the..." Gaijin stammered. "A hologram!" Realizing he had
been fooled, Gaijin turned around swiftly just in time to see the real
Masato, who had crept up behind him, send the blade of his sword across
his neck.
Gaijin's sword flickered out, and the hilt fell from his grasp and
clattered to the floor of the arena. He stood facing Masato, a surprised
expression frozen on his face. He moved not an inch as he merely
continued to stare vacantly at his opponent. Finally, after what seemed
like an eternity where neither moved, Gaijin's eyes rolled back and shiny
red blood poured forth from his neck. Then, his legs gave out and his
body fell twitching to the floor. Having been cleanly separated from his
body, Gaijin's head rolled to a halt a few meters away. Masato sighed as
he deactivated his sword. "Doing me a favor, huh?" he asked to the corpse
at his feet. "Like I said, I don't accept charity."
"Nice one, Masato!" Washu shouted gleefully as he stepped down
from the arena. "That was a really great idea, downloading your image
and voice into the holographic training program's software like that.
Gaijin took it, hook, line, and sinker. I'm surprised I didn't think of it
myself."
"Well, hold your applause," Masato said as he made for the exit
from the lab. "There's still some more people left to be dealt with."
"Good point," Washu said. "So, how do you plan on taking out
Shokai, anyway?"
Masato breathed deeply and shook his head as he said, "I have no
idea."

Chapter 3: One Down, Two To Go

Shokai stood motionless on the lawn as he returned the icy stares
of Yosho, Tenchi, and Ryoko. Shokai smiled to himself as he recalled the
files he had read about each of them. All were very capable fighters; much
more so than Masato was. Shokai thought it amazing how, with such
limitless power all living under the same roof, it should be a sorry
weakling like Masato Kiriyama that would continually throw a wrench
into Hotaro's plans. Staring into the faces of such power, Shokai could
not help himself. "You know," he said passively, breaking the silence,
"Hotaro probably won't be back here for quite some time. I think that,
after Gaijin gets back, I'll amuse myself and take on all challengers."
"Fine by me," Ryoko replied without hesitation. "You want a
fight? Let's go!"
"My, my, aren't we eager?" Shokai queried with an air of sarcasm.
"Patience, Ryoko. As soon as Gaijin drags Masato's carcass out of the
house, it's go time."
"You miserable freak!" Ryoko shouted hotly.
Shokai's attention was averted to someone walking out of the
house. "Well, here he comes now," he said with a smile. However, his
smile vanished as he realized that the man he perceived was not Gaijin,
but Masato. "Impossible!" he shouted. "He could not have beaten Gaijin!
Unbelievable!"
"Believe it," Masato returned coldly as he closed the distance
between himself and Shokai.
"I don't believe you!" yelled Shokai angrily. "You could not have
defeated Gaijin. Where is he?"
Masato threw the object that he had been hiding behind his back at
Shokai's feet. Shokai gasped in horror, as did everyone else who was
watching, as they recognized the object as Gaijin's severed head.
"Sorry," Masato said with malice, "but he was complaining about a
headache."
Shokai brought his eyes up from the surprised face of his late
partner and practically stared a hole through Masato. How was it possible
that one so powerful as Gaijin should fall in battle to an ordinary human?
And there was not even so much as a scratch on Masato! Such a thing
defied logic; it was completely incomprehensible.
Shokai gritted his teeth. "You are becoming a real pain in the ass!"
he said angrily. "I'm not sure how you defeated Gaijin, but I can promise
you that that victory will be your last!" Shokai drew his sword and
activated it, his teeth clenched in rage.
Masato activated his own sword and turned to the onlookers, which
Washu was presently joining from the house. "Stay out of this," Masato
said. "He can still send the order to kill Ayeka and Sasami!"
"And I will, once I've gotten you out of the way!" Shokai said in a
fiery reply. "I swear, I'm going to send all of you to take a big dirt nap!"
Shokai wasted no time in beginning his attack.
Despite all of his skills, Masato could not defend effectively.
Wanting to make him suffer, Shokai attempted to take Masato apart piece
by piece. A cut here, a slice there, and Masato was bleeding from several
wounds before long. Shokai was not taking any chances; he pulled no
punches, and systematically broke down Masato's defenses. Masato
finally pulled back, unable to take any more punishment. With nothing
left to fight with, Masato could only glare menacingly at Shokai as he
approached, with sword raised for the final strike.
"No!" Ryoko screamed as she feared Masato would be struck
down before her eyes.
Shokai grinned an evil grin as he chuckled. "That's exactly what
your mother said right before I ran her through, Masato," he said.
Masato's eyes shot wide open. So it had been Gaijin and Shokai
who had killed his parents. He felt his rage grow anew; he could not let
the death of his parents go unavenged. However, his attacks were useless
against Shokai. Torn between a desire for vengeance and the knowledge
that he could do nothing, Masato was locked in a quandary.
Then, he remembered something. It was a move that he had used
once while sparring with Tenchi. However, he knew that there was no
way that a swordsman as skilled as Shokai would leave a vital area open to
receive the strike. Suddenly, it flashed in Masato's mind just where to
place the hit. It was a long-shot to work, but he was out of options.
Masato raised his sword high and charged Shokai.
Shokai was a bit taken aback. Why should a man who had a
capable grasp of basic swordfighting lunge so clumsily? Nevertheless, it
was not a situation that he could not handle. He easily dodged the strike
and sent his blade whistling through the air to strike a return blow at
Masato. However, much to Shokai's surprise, Masato recovered and
dodged the blow. Seeing the opportunity he had hoped for, Masato
brought his blade back down and swiped it across his target.
Shokai yelled in pain as he felt the blade penetrate his flesh. The
pain that was wrought was enough to cause him to drop his sword. He
reached down to clutch the wrist that had just been cut, but felt nothing
with his other hand. He looked down, and gasped in shock as he saw that
his arm had been cut off just below the elbow.
Hurriedly he looked around and saw his appendage lying on the
ground. He rushed for it, but Masato was already there. He kicked the
useless extremity out of reach of Shokai and smiled down at him. Shokai
again gritted his teeth in rage. "Look what you've done!" he growled.
"It gets worse," Masato gloated coyly. "Not only did I cut off your
hand, but I also cut off your communication."
Shokai's heart sank as he realized that the wrist that had been
severed was the one that held his communication device. In an effort to
save face, he straightened up and said, "I'll get it later. I can defeat you
with one hand."
"Probably," Masato said with a fiendish grin. "But what about
them?"
Shokai whipped around to where Masato was pointing, and
swallowed hard as he saw Tenchi, Yosho, and Ryoko approaching him.
The three simultaneously activated energy swords. Without a
communication device to hold over their heads, Shokai was unable to
prevent anyone else from attacking him. He was at the mercy of all who
would oppose him.
Shokai rushed to where his sword lay and quickly activated it. He
turned to face his aggressors. "I have been trained by Jurai knights!" he
shouted. "There is not an opponent in the universe that I cannot defeat!"
"We'll see about that," Ryoko said. "It's go time!"
To say that Shokai was easily defeated by Tenchi, Ryoko, and
Yosho would be an understatement. Even in his physically weakened
state, Shokai may have been able to defeat Tenchi, Ryoko, and Yosho
individually, but not all at once. After a brief battle which saw Shokai,
already dizzy from blood loss due to his severed arm, receive punishment
from three sides, the three warriors stood victorious over the barely
conscious lieutenant.
Masato stepped forward and knelt next to Shokai, whom he
grabbed forcefully by the neck. He lifted his face until it was inches from
his own. "You killed my parents," he hissed into Shokai's face. "That, I
can never forgive." He raised his energy sword high. "I just hope that my
parents can spit down upon you as you burn in hell!"
"Masato, don't," Washu interjected as she stepped forward. "Let
the Jurai authorities handle him. Don't sink to his level; you're not like
that."
Masato continued to sneer into the face of Shokai as his sword
remained poised for the strike. Washu became truly fearful that Masato
would not heed her words. However, her apprehensions were put to rest
as the light from Masato's sword flickered and died in his hand. He
released Shokai's neck from his iron grip, and stood up, still continuing to
glare icily at his defeated enemy. "You'll soon wish I had killed you,"
Masato said coldly. "Mark my words, Shokai, you will pay dearly for your
crimes." It was the last statement Shokai heard before he passed out.
"Get him into the lab," Masato ordered of Washu. "I want him to
be perfectly healthy when judgment is passed down upon him." Washu
complied, and she and Yosho carried the limp Shokai into the house.
Ryoko dematerialized, then quickly reappeared with a jug of water and a
washcloth from the house. She proceeded to wipe the blood from
Masato's wounds. "You okay?" she asked.
"I've had worse," Masato replied. "Anyway, I can't worry about
that now. We still have to get Ayeka and Sasami back."
"Right," Ryoko said. "I'll go get our ride." She whistled shrilly,
and shouted, "Ryo-ohki, come here!" The cabbit, who had been observing
from a nearby tree branch, hopped from her perch and meowed her
attendance at Ryoko's feet. "Ryo-ohki, we need to catch up to Hotaro's
ship and the Yagami."
"Can you get us there in time?" Tenchi asked.
Ryo-ohki meowed confidently before she leapt into the air and
assumed her spaceship form. Washu and Yosho emerged from the house
and joined the others on the lawn. "Has Shokai been taken care of?" asked
Masato.
"He'll live," Washu said dismissively. "I locked him up good and
tight, too."
"Good, because he'll be alone here for a while," Masato countered.
"We need to take Ryo-ohki and catch up to Kiyone and Mihoshi. Then
Hotaro will be all ours."
"Just what I wanted to hear," Ryoko said with a grin. "Let's go!"

Chapter 4: Two Down, One To Go

Hotaro sat contemplating in his chair as his ship made its way
swiftly for Jurai. He could not help but smile wide. After so many
failures, his plan was finally to be realized. And, with Masato out of the
way, no more would he have to worry about any last-minute heroics to
ruin his plans. His past few schemes had indeed encountered some stormy
resistance, but now it looked as though there was nothing but blue skies
ahead for the Jurai Liberation Army.
His attention shifted back to his captive princesses, who were
detained close by on the bridge. He got up from his seat and slowly
approached Ayeka. He smiled as he leaned his face close to hers. "You
really are quite lovely," he said with a wry smile. "It's a shame we have to
get to know each other under such circumstances."
"You leave my sister alone, you bully!" Sasami shouted hotly from
behind her enclosure.
Hotaro chuckled. "And just what do you intend to do?" he asked
to Sasami. "You can't possibly expect Masato to save you this time, can
you? As I speak, my lieutenants are hacking him to ribbons. If any of
your friends were stupid enough to interfere, then they're dead, too. You
lost; get over it!"
Ayeka tried hard to keep her tears inside, but a few still managed to
escape. Hotaro was only trying to get under her skin with his comment
about Masato being dead, but the prospect still filled her with unspeakable
dread. "My father will not allow you to perpetrate such a grievous
injustice upon my people," she said firmly as tears rolled down her face.
"If any harm should come to me, then I promise that he will bring you to
your knees."
"Not after he pays the ransom," Hotaro replied. "Knowing that I
have the lives of his two daughters in my hands, he will undoubtedly bend
to my every desire. He'll shovel money at me until the treasury is
bankrupt. With all that money, I can afford to strengthen my forces
beyond anything Jurai has ever seen!"
"My father would never negotiate with a lowly terrorist like you,
Hotaro!" Ayeka shouted. "You won't get one jurai from him!"
"I'll get anything I want," Hotaro said, "as long as I can hold the
welfare of his two daughters over his head. If he wants you back safe and
sound, he'll do exactly as I say." Hotaro laughed loudly and continued.
"You want to know the funny part? Once I've gotten what I want from
Azusa, I'll kill you two anyway!"
Sasami gasped at Hotaro's cruelty. Ayeka gritted her teeth. She
wanted so badly to be able to break from her imprisonment and fight that
despicable creature. However, she was completely powerless to do
anything, a situation which she did not often find herself in. She could
only hope that someone would come to her rescue.
The console on the bridge began beeping, indicating that a message
was coming in. Hotaro brisked to the com button and pressed it. The
faces of Kiyone and Mihoshi appeared on the viewer. "And just what do
you think you're doing?" Hotaro asked exasperatedly.
"We're making sure that you don't harm Ayeka or Sasami,"
Kiyone replied. "If you do, then I'll open fire."
"What did I tell you two about interfering with me?" Hotaro asked,
holding up his shield controller. "You just keep your distance, or the
princesses will soon be about the size of the head of a pin!"
"You just keep your part of the bargain, Hotaro," Kiyone said.
"Keep your hands off the girls, and we won't blow you into space dust."
"You talk as if you can actually defeat this ship in a fight!" Hotaro
said. "This battle cruiser is the most powerful vessel in the Jurai
Liberation Army. It has more firepower than ten Galaxy Police vessels. If
you even sneeze, I'll blast you so full of holes that their won't be enough
DNA left to identify your bodies! So you're in no position to make idle
threats. Still, if it amuses you, you can tag along if you wish. Just know
that, if you make one wrong move, the princesses are history, got it?"
Kiyone's face adopted a disgusted look as she silently broke off
communication with Hotaro's vessel. Her face was replaced with blank
space on the view screen. Hotaro smiled. "I'll take that as a yes," he said.

"Open a secure channel to the Yagami," Masato commanded.
Ryo-ohki meowed as she complied, bringing Kiyone's face on the view
screen.
"Masato!" Kiyone shouted joyfully. "You're alright. Boy, am I
glad to see you."
"Likewise," Masato replied. "Do you know how Ayeka and
Sasami are doing?"
"They're still alive," Kiyone reported. "I can't say much beyond
that."
"I guess Hotaro still plans to hold them for ransom," Masato
mused. "They'd be worth much more to him alive, so I don't think he'll
be too quick to kill them. Still, we've got to get them out of there."
"I'm not sure how we can do that, partner," Kiyone said solemnly.
"Hotaro's ship is like a flying fortress. If we get anywhere near it, he'll
blast us to pieces."
Masato rested his chin on his folded hands as he thought. He
would need to find a way to sneak on board the ship without getting
noticed. However, undoubtedly, Hotaro had already seen Ryo-ohki on his
radar, so a surprise entrance was out of the question. If Hotaro felt
threatened, there was no doubt in Masato's mind that he would invariably
kill Ayeka and Sasami. Masato shook his head; this whole situation was
like walking on eggshells.
"I brought my teleporter with me, Masato," Washu announced.
"That might be of some help."
"It might," Masato agreed. "Right now, its the best we've got."
"We're being hailed," Ryoko said.
"That's probably Hotaro, now," Masato said as he rushed to hide
behind a console. "It's better if he thinks that I'm dead. Just bring him up
on screen and act like I was killed."
The transmission to the Yagami was cut off as Hotaro was brought
up onto the view screen. He smiled as he surveyed the faces on board
Ryo-ohki, among which Masato's was conspicuously absent. "It appears
as though my lieutenants did not fail me," he said. "I take it you're here to
avenge the death of your pathetic friend."
"Well, Gaijin and Shokai have paid for what they have done,"
Ryoko said hotly, "but, you know what? It's just not enough. We're
coming for you, Hotaro, and we will destroy you!"
"I doubt that," Hotaro said as he smiled. "You won't even get
close to this ship before the automatic defenses destroy you. Apparently,
you're very eager to meet with Masato, aren't you?"
"You're the one who's going to be seeing him soon, Hotaro,"
Ryoko said with a sly grin. "And he is going to spit in your face!"
"I'm sure he'd try," Hotaro said with a chuckle. "I hope you've all
made your peace, because you are not long for this world." Hotaro cut off
his transmission.
Ryoko sat down and smiled wide, very proud of herself. She had
just given an Oscar-worthy performance. Masato stood up from his hiding
place and clapped his hands. "That was great, Ryoko!" he said
enthusiastically. "For a second, even I believed I was dead."
"Thanks," Ryoko said, then added theatrically, "Acting is but one
of my many talents. Tenchi, maybe after this is all over, I'll show you
some of my other talents..."
"Ryoko, maybe we should stay focused on getting Ayeka and
Sasami back right now," Tenchi said tightly as he scratched the back of his
head nervously.
"From what I see, we don't have much of a choice," Masato said.
"We'll have to attack Hotaro's ship head-on, and hope that we can get
close enough to use the teleporter. I'll need you to come with me, Washu.
Once we get inside I'll need you to deactivate the automatic defenses.
Then, everyone else will be able to board. I'll buy you some time and
distract Hotaro while you work on the defenses, Washu. Until Washu
gives the okay, everyone else is to stay clear, got it?"
Everyone nodded their heads and agreed, except for Ryoko. "Why
do you have to face Hotaro by yourself?" Ryoko asked. "Why don't
Tenchi and I go?"
"Because Hotaro thinks I'm dead," Masato said. "I'll have surprise
on my side. Besides, all I'll be doing is buying time for you guys to get
aboard. Don't worry, I can handle this. Besides, if we all attack, Hotaro
may kill Ayeka and Sasami. You just stay put; you'll get into the game soon
enough."
Ryoko nodded in understanding. Masato's plan did make sense, no
matter how much she disagreed with it. "Alright, Masato," she reluctantly
consented. "Good luck."
"Thanks," Masato said. "Ryo-ohki, open a secure channel to the
Yagami."
Ryo-ohki did as she was told, and Kiyone appeared again on
screen. "Okay, partner," Masato began, "here's the plan."

Chapter 5: Against All Odds

Hotaro was surprised as he saw the two vessels pursuing him come
closer. "They're actually going to go through with it," he marveled.
"They're just going to line up to die! Oh, well, that's perfectly fine with
me."
"Stop!" Ayeka shouted, her tears flowing steadily when she learned
of Masato's supposed death. "They have done nothing to you! Please, let
them go."
Hotaro began laughing loudly. "If you're looking for mercy,
princess, then you're barking up the wrong tree!" he said with an air of
enjoyment. "But, cheer up; your fiance will not be alone in death. And
you and your sister will be joining them all very soon. Yes, it will be a
grand reunion in hell!" Ayeka's tears erupted anew as Hotaro's demonic
laughter continued to resonate through the bridge.
His fit of hysterics subsided, Hotaro sat down and viewed the
dogfight that was taking place outside his vessel. "Impressive display of
fireworks," he said to himself, enjoying the spectacle.
Ryo-ohki and the Yagami fought fiercely, trying desperately to
steal every inch that they could. The Yagami stayed behind Ryo-ohki, and
provided backup as Ryo-ohki attempted to find a temporary hole in the
defenses. Every time they got close, however, a new wave of ammunition
would force them to evade and lose precious ground. Finally, risking
annihilation, Ryo-ohki charged quickly and was punished by several shots.
"Wow, they got close on that one!" Hotaro said with playful
sarcasm. "A few more bonehead moves like that, and they won't last
long."
However, instead of trying another tactic to break through the
defenses, Hotaro was surprised to see both ships retreat. "I guess they
don't have a death-wish, after all," Hotaro said. "I guess I'll follow them
and finish them off."
"Leave them alone!" Ayeka shouted, anger making her voice shrill
and forceful.
Hotaro stood and slowly ambled over to his captive. "Poor
Princess Ayeka," he said with mock sympathy. "All that power, and
you've been reduced to a helpless observer, unable to lift a finger as you
watch your friends die." Hotaro leaned his face closer to Ayeka's. "Well,
all I can say is that that's what happens when you oppose the might of the
Jurai Liberation Army. As long as I am opposed, people will die!"
Before Hotaro could gloat further, the doors to the bridge opened,
revealing a figure that slowly stepped out of the shadows. As the darkness
was slowly peeled away, a face steeped in cold hatred was revealed.
Despite his uncharacteristic expression, no one could mistake the face of
Masato. He glared at Hotaro, and shouted, "Get away from her, you
sadistic PIECE OF SHIT!"
Hotaro and the princesses were united in their shock and surprise.
"You!" Hotaro shouted. "But you're dead!"
"I guess that makes me a ghost," Masato said as he began to slowly
approach his foe. "And guess who I'm going to haunt first. Ayeka,
Sasami, are you alright?"
Neither could respond, so surprised were they to see Masato alive
and well. Ayeka could only thank her lucky stars that Masato had once
again defied death and come to be with her. With the man she loved
standing before her, Ayeka could not help but feel that all would be well.
Hotaro growled and gnashed his teeth. "You vile worm!" he
screamed. "I do not know how you constantly manage to defeat my men,
but you will not get through me!"
"That's right, keep lying to yourself," Masato taunted as he
activated his sword. "If you pretend hard enough, you might actually start
believing it."
"I'll kill you, you rodent!" Hotaro shouted as he activated his own
sword and rushed at Masato.
As the fight began, Washu, who had been hiding in the shadows as
per Masato's instructions, felt that Hotaro was distracted enough for her to
begin working to shut down the defenses unnoticed. She crept past the
dueling pair and made her way to the main console, where she proceeded
to cut power to the ship's weapons.
Much to Masato's surprise, Hotaro was not as skilled with the
sword as his two lieutenants were. Masato was able to work out an
effective strategy to defend, and was even able to work in some offense.
Each fighter seemed to be able to handle the other, however, and the fight
continued at a stalemate. After several moments, Masato was surprised to
see Hotaro back off. "So, I see you have learned Juraian swordfighting
techniques," Hotaro observed. "Well, it still won't be enough to save
you!" A green dome of energy formed around Hotaro as he chuckled
menacingly at his opponent. "That's right: I am also endowed with some
of Jurai's royal power!" he stated triumphantly. "I may not have as much
as the princesses, here, but it's still enough to mop the floor with your
sorry ass!" Hotaro, with a forceful swing of his sword, knocked Masato's
weapon from his grasp. He them proceeded to give him a lightning quick
series of punches and kicks that sent him sprawling across the floor.
Fortified with Jurai's royal power, those few hits were enough to render
Masato barely able to lift himself off the ground. He was only able to get
to his knees before Hotaro was upon him. He grabbed him forcefully by
the neck, and brought him to eye-level with himself.
"You're pathetic!" he said disdainfully. "I have no idea how you
were able to defeat Gaijin and Shokai in the first place. You are a
worthless piece of trash, and it's time to throw you away."
Masato shut his eyes tightly, as did Ayeka and Sasami, expecting
the killing strike to come down. However, nothing came, and Hotaro
chuckled lightly. "Just to make this as painful on you as possible," he
said, "I've decided to forget the ransom, and kill Ayeka and Sasami right
here. And, lucky you, Masato, you get to watch!" Hotaro reached into his
pocket and pulled out his shield controls. His thumb hovered over the
button as he said, "Say goodbye to your fiancee!" In that split-second that
Hotaro paused before pressing the button, a gunshot rang out.
The shield controller was wrenched from Hotaro's hand as the
impact from the shot tore through it. It clattered uselessly to the floor
several meters away. Hotaro turned his head to see where the shot had
originated from. There, standing in the doorway, were the crews of both
the Yagami and Ryo-ohki. Kiyone's blaster was leveled towards Hotaro,
smoke wafting from the recently warmed barrel. "Hold it right there,
Hotaro!" Kiyone said firmly.
Masato smiled. Washu had been successful in bringing down the
ship's defenses. To coin an old phrase, here came the cavalry. And
without the shield controls, Hotaro couldn't stop the lot of them from
beating him into a pulp.
Hotaro only smiled. "You don't think I wouldn't have a backup
plan, do you?" he asked. "The shields are also voice activated. I say the
word, and the princesses die!"
Everyone gasped. Kiyone brought her blaster down, fearing that
any wrong move would result in the death of her two friends. Tenchi and
Yosho stood frozen, afraid to move. Ryoko shook her head back and
forth, praying to herself that Hotaro wouldn't give the command.
Hotaro chuckled as he turned his face and met Masato's, which
was still fastened in his iron grip. "In fact," he said, "let me show you..."
Hotaro licked his lips as if he were about to speak. In that moment,
Masato lost all control of himself. The fact that he could do nothing to
help Ayeka and Sasami did not exist anymore. The need to take action
arose, and his body responded. In an instant, Masato felt something
occurring that before took hours to do. He felt all of his available energy
concentrate into one single point. In the precious little time he had,
Masato's brain all but turned off as he acted on nothing but desire and
anger. In a deafening roar that echoed off the walls, Masato screamed,
"YOU WILL NOT HURT AYEKA!" He cocked his hand back.
If given the opportunity, Hotaro would never have been able to
describe the magnitude with which Masato's hand came into his
midsection. He felt as though a cannonball had plowed into him. He felt
his organs mash together, his spine shatter. The breath that he was going
to use to cause the shields to close in was expunged from his lungs before
he could form it into the proper word. Hotaro's hand released Masato's
throat, and, with nothing to anchor him, his body flew across the entire
bridge, as if thrown by some invisible catapult. He smacked hard against
the wall and slumped over, then lay still.
Washu quickly rushed over to where Ayeka and Sasami were
imprisoned. She deactivated the shields and freed her two housemates.
Immediately, Ayeka sprinted to where Masato was kneeling, exhausted
from his efforts. She really had to exercise a lot of self-control to prevent
herself from hugging Masato too tightly. Tears streamed down her face as
she embraced him. "Masato, my love!" she shouted gleefully. "I'm so
glad you're okay!"
"I'm glad you're okay, too," he said, fatigue evident in his voice.
He tried his best to return Ayeka's hug, despite his exhaustion. "Ayeka,"
he asked weakly, "remember when I promised that I would think before I
used that attack? Well, I didn't have time to think. You're not mad at me,
are you?"
Ayeka hugged tighter. "Of course not!" she said. She helped
Masato to his feet and propped him up as the others gathered around him.
Everyone was all smiles to see their friend not only alive and safe, but also
victorious.
From where he lay, a nearly dead Hotaro was fuming. He was
dumbfounded as to how a mere commoner could strike with such power; it
was a force the likes of which he had never experienced. Every part of his
body was aflame in agony, except for his legs, which he could not feel at
all. He was physically unable to breathe, and blood poured from his
mouth. Still, he felt that he would have an eternity to ponder Masato's
power soon enough. At the present moment, he was enraged that he
should be sliding so swiftly into the arms of death. He summoned all his
remaining strength and reached into his pocket, where he had stowed a
small blaster. If he was going to die, he was going to at least fulfill his
mission. He withdrew the blaster and leveled it at Ayeka.

Chapter 6: The Unthinkable

From the corner of his eye, Masato saw the movement from the
badly beaten figure that lay bleeding against the wall. In the blink of an
eye, what little strength he had left manifested itself, and he moved with
lightning reflexes to avert the tragedy that was about to play out. He
reached for Kiyone's hip, who stood nearby, and pulled her blaster from
where it was holstered. In almost the same fluid motion, he leapt towards
Ayeka and pushed her down, out of harm's way. Before he could even
think about aiming, the blaster Masato held was already pointed at
Hotaro's head. He yanked back on the trigger.
The two shots rang out as one, and echoed off the walls of the ship.
The crowd, who stood gawking at Hotaro, watched as Masato's shot found
its mark. A flower of blood and gray matter bloomed from the back of
Hotaro's head and splattered on the wall behind him. Hotaro immediately
went limp, the entry wound in the center of his forehead leaking blood
slowly. He would move no more.
With the onlookers satisfied that Hotaro was finally dead, they
turned their attention to Masato, whom they found lying on the floor,
gasping for breath, a gaping wound in his chest. Hotaro's shot had found
its mark, too. Ayeka screamed and rushed to him. She knelt down beside
him and propped him up in her lap, not caring that her clothes were
becoming soaked in the blood that leaked from Masato's wound.
"Masato, no!" Ayeka shouted. How could this have happened?
Just a few seconds ago he had won, and everyone was safe. It wasn't fair.
"Stay with me, Masato!" she pleaded desperately. "Washu, we have to
help him!"
Washu took one look at Masato's wound. She could only shut her
eyes and shake her head solemnly. Masato's wound was too severe, even
for her to heal. It was only a matter of time...
"No, it's okay," Masato struggled to say. "It's alright. This means
that I still get to spend the rest of my life in your arms."
"Yes, Masato, you will," Ayeka assured him. "You're going to
pull through, and we'll get married, and we'll live the rest of our lives in
peace. That's what you said, isn't it?"
"I'm sorry, Ayeka," Masato said. He painstakingly raised his arm
off the floor and placed a hand on Ayeka's cheek. Tears from her eyes
quickly wetted it. "I will never leave you, Ayeka," he said, his voice now
down to a thin whisper. "I will always be with you. I love you, my
princess." Masato closed his eyes.
When he opened them again, he found himself in his backyard at
his old house in the country. He stood by the bridge that crossed the creek.
He noticed someone on the other side, but the light was so bright, he had
to shield his eyes to see clearly. On the other side of the creek, his brother
stood among the patches of sunlight that shone through the trees. He
smiled wide as he motioned for Masato to follow him. "Come on," Kori
said as he began to walk into the forest.
Masato's eyes then caught sight of two more people who stepped
from the shadow of a tree. Along with his brother, Masato's parents stood
across the creek. They did not speak, but only stood close to one another,
staring at their son with eyes that begged forgiveness. However, Masato
smiled at them, letting them know that there was nothing to forgive. He
uneasily put one foot on the bridge, expecting it to collapse beneath his
feet, as it so often did in dreams before. However, the structure remained
solid underneath his foot. Masato became very happy; at long last he
would be together with his family again. He wanted Ayeka to know not to
worry, to let her know that everything was going to be alright, but when he
opened his eyes he could no longer see her. Nothing but blackness in the
world he was leaving behind.
Masato turned his attention back to his family on the other side of
the creek. "Wait up, Kori," he shouted at his brother. He started to walk
across the bridge. "I'm coming!"
Masato gave one last sigh. His hand fell limply from the side of
Ayeka's face. His face turned away as his head drooped to one side. His
eyes glazed over, and half-shut.
"Masato?" Ayeka asked, trying to elicit a response. "Masato?" she
asked again, more alarmed. "Masato! MASATO!!"
Not a word was spoken. Washu's eyes had remained shut, not
wishing to see death claim one so close to her. Yosho bowed his head in
prayer, but Tenchi was too shocked to follow suit. Mihoshi stood
dumbfounded, unable to comprehend how such a thing could happen.
Kiyone, Sasami, and Ryo-ohki gazed down at their fallen friend, their eyes
quickly misting over and sobs catching in their throats. Ryoko's lips were
trembling, and her wide eyes were the epitome of sorrow as she watched
her best friend slip away. Ayeka was completely frozen. She only
continued to hold Masato tightly as silent tears poured from her eyes.
Silence permeated the room. This time, there would be no miracles; no
last-minute interventions; no surprise returns and tales of survival.
Cradled in the arms of the woman he cared for more than life itself,
Masato Kiriyama died.
The seemingly everlasting silence was finally pierced by Ayeka's
sorrowful scream of despair.

Epilogue

Masato's body was taken to Jurai, where he was given a hero's
funeral. Every member of the royal family showed up for the service.
Even those who were very disdainful of Ayeka's choice to marry one not
of royal blood joined the others in paying their last respects to the man
who ensured the safety of their planet. All of the Jurai newspapers
covered the event, and from the rear of the crowd photographers took
thousands of pictures. However, only one of those photos was used in any
paper. The next day, underneath the headline, was a picture of Azusa
removing his cloak and wrapping it around his eldest daughter, who cried
into his shirt.
Azusa posthumously awarded Masato the Jurai Knight Shield
Medal, and openly lauded him as one of the greatest heroes Jurai had ever
known. He even had a statue of him erected in the royal courtyard.
Underneath the bronze rendering of Masato was the simple inscription:
"Masato Kiriyama, who lived and died a true and pure hero."
However, Masato was not alone in his journey to Jurai; Shokai was
also taken to the planet and placed into custody. In one of the quickest and
most highly publicized trials the planet had ever seen, Shokai was tried
and convicted of counts of treason and conspiracy too numerous to list.
He was predictably sentenced to death, and paid his debt to society a scant
two weeks after the conclusion of the trial.
As for the rest of the Jurai Liberation Army, without the leadership
of Hotaro, the group split into numerous factions, which were all quickly
crushed by the Jurai military. Every last remnant of Hotaro's organization
was systematically wiped out, and the fears of revolution were finally put
to rest by all.
Ayeka and Sasami, at their own insistence, returned to Earth.
Azusa, who had grown uncharacteristically accommodating since his
daughter's engagement, allowed them to do so without protest.

Upon handing her report of Hotaro's death to her superiors at
Galaxy Police headquarters, the entire department was outraged at Kiyone.
Apparently, she had been harboring one of the Galaxy Police's most
wanted for quite some time, which was grounds for immediate dismissal.
However, a very persuasive letter from the emperor of Jurai ensured
Kiyone and Mihoshi's place in the department for quite some time. As
well, with testimony from Kiyone, Mihoshi, Tenchi, and Ayeka, Masato
was cleared of any and all wrongdoing, and posthumously reinstated at his
former rank in the Galaxy Police.
Wishing to save face, the department had a small service to honor
and remember the man whom they had wrongly accused for so many
years. Kiyone was the keynote speaker. As she took the podium to
address her fellow officers, she looked out among the throng of faces,
most of whom had never even met her former partner.
"I am unable to describe Masato Kiriyama in a fitting manner to
those who had never known him," she had said, trying desperately to
control her emotions. "I could say that he was a great man and an even
greater friend--which is true--but it would not say anything about who he
was. For that, I feel it appropriate to turn to words spoken before, words
that Masato himself often looked to for guidance and inspiration." The
words Kiyone was referring to were laid out in front of her, but she did not
need to look down; like her former partner, she had memorized them by
heart. She took a deep breath and began her recitation.

"If we must die, let it not be like hogs
Hunted and penned in an inglorious spot,
While round us bark the mad and hungry dogs,
Making their mock at our accursed lot.
If we must die, O let us nobly die,
So that our precious blood may not be shed
In vain; then, even the monsters we defy
Shall be constrained to honor us though dead!
O kinsmen! We must meet the common foe!
Though far outnumbered let us show us brave,
And for their thousand blows deal one deathblow!
What though before us lies the open grave?
Like men we'll face the murderous, cowardly pack,
Pressed to the wall, dying, but fighting back!"

Unable to control her emotions any longer, Kiyone burst out
crying. Mihoshi stepped up and put her arm around her partner as she led
her from the podium. All of the other officers were silent.

Two months passed since the death of Masato. The Masaki
household was slowly returning to normal, but the absence of a dear friend
left a gaping hole in everyone's day-to-day lives. Tenchi and Yosho
trained at the shrine that evening. Yosho noticed that Tenchi's
coordination and speed were not up to his usual standards. After the fifth
time Yosho knocked the sword from Tenchi's hands, he remarked,
"Tenchi, I know you can do better than this."
"Sorry, Grandpa," Tenchi replied. "I really am trying. It's just
that, well, I was just remembering when I used to train with Masato, that's
all."
Yosho nodded his head. "Me, too," he said. "Let's call it a day,
Tenchi."
"Okay, Grandpa," Tenchi said as the pair made their way down to
the house.
After dinner that evening, Sasami stood at the sink, cleaning up
after yet another one of her sumptuous feasts. Ryo-ohki sat near her,
watching as she mechanically scrubbed and dried the plates. Sasami
glanced over to where Masato had so often stood next to her, helping her
dry plates and put them away. Her mechanical motions were suspended as
she took a moment to remember him. The single tear that fell from her
eye landed on the otherwise dry plate she was holding and dripped onto
the floor.
After filling her stomach, Washu worked in the lab. As she typed
at her computer, she brought her eyes up and looked towards the arena,
where Masato so often trained with the hologram. With a start, Washu
realized that she had not yet deleted Masato's image from the hologram's
database. She halted her work and walked to the edge of the arena. She
activated the hologram, and the form of Masato flickered, and finally
solidified, before her eyes. Washu caught herself in a dry sob as she
looked upon the face of her friend. She stared into the image's soulful
eyes and warm face, deeply saddened that she would never see them again.
Before her emotions got the better of her, Washu deactivated the
hologram. Masato's image lightly flickered, then disappeared. Washu
then walked over to where the arena was connected to its power source.
She grasped the plug in her fingers. "So long, sport," she said sadly. She
pulled the plug from the wall.
In her room, Kiyone sat on her bed and scrolled through some
pictures on a hand-held electronic image gallery. The pictures she was
looking at were from the Galaxy Police archives. As each image popped
up on the screen, she smiled as she remembered the circumstance much
more clearly than the photo could explain.
Mihoshi walked into the room. "Whatcha doin', Kiyone?" she
asked.
"I'm just looking at some old photos of Masato," Kiyone
announced.
"Oh, neat," Mihoshi said as she sat down next to Kiyone on the
bed. "What's that picture of?"
"That's of Masato's graduation form the academy," Kiyone
explained. "He's in the third row, second from the left."
"Oh, yeah!" Mihoshi exclaimed as she recognized the face. "Wow,
his hair is really short there."
"Yeah, it is," Kiyone chuckled. "When I met him, he had already
grown it longer again. He said that getting his head shaved was the one
thing he didn't like about the academy."
"I'm glad I didn't have to shave my head," Mihoshi said. "I would
look horrible!" Kiyone chuckled at the comment, conjuring up a hilarious
mental image of a completely bald Mihoshi. "Gee, I really miss having
Masato around," Mihoshi said.
"Me, too," Kiyone said somberly.
"He was really cute!" Mihoshi said rather suddenly.
"I guess he was," Kiyone said with a smile. However gruff and
straightforward Mihoshi's remark was, at least it was from the heart.
Mihoshi looked on excitedly as Kiyone continued to browse through the
photos.
Following a dinner in which Ryoko had half-heartedly pecked at
her food, she adjourned to the cave to be by herself. She had not been the
same since Masato's death; she ate very little, slept even less, and almost
never flirted with Tenchi, all of which used to be pleasures she enjoyed to
excess. Nearly every night would find her alone in the cave, simply
thinking about him, all the times they shared, and all the times they would
never get to have.
Next to Ryoko was the bottle of sake she had given Masato for his
birthday. When she found it in Masato's room, it was a bit less than half
empty, meaning that he indeed drank some, despite his light drinking
habits. She had brought it to the cave with her, and sometimes just took to
staring at it. There were very few people she had ever known whom she
cared about enough to buy something for. Masato was one of those
people. After she fell in love with Tenchi, Ryoko truly believed that there
was no other person she could have loved as much. However, Masato
proved her to be very wrong. While not romantically attracted to him, her
love for him was just as deep and strong as for Tenchi. Once, Masato had
asked her what she would do if Tenchi had been taken from her. She
knew that she would do the exact same thing she did now.
Ryoko uncapped the bottle of sake and held it up in a toast to the
only person she had ever remembered who made a conscious effort to be
her friend. "Here's to you, Masato," she said, "wherever the winds may
take you." She took a swig and swallowed.
Late that night, after everyone else had gone to bed, Ayeka stood
on the balcony overlooking the lake. Even after two months, she had a
hard time believing that the love of her life had been taken from her so
senselessly. She wrapped her shawl around her more tightly. It was cold
that night, so cold, in fact, that the moonlight illuminated her breath as she
exhaled.
As she so often did anymore, Ryoko stirred from her sleep and
ventured downstairs. Upon seeing Ayeka on the balcony, she silently
glided through the door and took the spot next to her, joining her as she
gazed at the stars reflecting off the surface of the water. "Are you thinking
about him again?" she asked softly.
"Yes," Ayeka nearly whispered.
The pair continued to stare in silence at the glassy surface of the
lake. After a long pause, Ryoko said, "We always teased each other. But I
respected him so much. And I loved him, too, I really did."
Ayeka nodded. She realized that it took a special person to be able
to steal the hearts of two women so utterly opposite each other. In their
lives, she and Ryoko had been lucky enough to know two. "You know,"
Ayeka began, "Masato told me something a while ago. I thought he was
crazy, but now I wonder if he wasn't right. He said that you and I could be
great friends if we could put aside our differences. I think this whole affair
has really put things into perspective for me. Ryoko, I'm tired of being
your enemy, especially because it just doesn't make much sense."
Ryoko raised an eyebrow. Was Princess Ayeka proposing that the
two of them bury the hatchet and become friends? She chuckled lightly;
she had seen so many strange things in her life, why not? "A princess and
a space pirate being friends with one another doesn't make much sense,
either," she remarked. "But, I think it would be a lot better than being
enemies." Ryoko held out her hand.
Ayeka paused a moment, then grasped Ryoko's palm. However, in
her mind a handshake was insufficient, and she stepped forward and
hugged her. Ryoko returned her hug a bit skeptically at first, then seemed
to become more comfortable with the situation. When the two stepped
back from each other, Ryoko said, "I guess Masato really brought out the
best in both of us."
"He brought out the best in all of us," Ayeka elaborated. "I think
that that was his true gift to the world."
The pair exchanged smiles, and Ryoko turned to reenter the house.
Ryoko stopped and said to Ayeka, "It's chilly out here. You might catch
cold."
"I'll be fine," Ayeka assured her. "Sleep well, Ryoko."
"Okay," she said. "I think I'm ready for that now." Ryoko silently
hovered back into the house. Ayeka remained on the balcony, shivering
slightly. It was a bit chilly, but she was not ready to go inside just yet.
She needed a little more time to herself, just to think.
Suddenly, the still night was enlivened by a surprisingly warm
breeze that wafted gently over her, and ruffled the leaves of the nearby
trees. The breeze was enough to stave off the chill of the night, and Ayeka
closed her eyes and welcomed its presence. As she stood basking in the
pleasant wind, she suddenly felt as though two arms gently enclosed her.
Ayeka opened her eyes and swiftly turned around to see who was there,
but saw no one. She became puzzled at what had just occurred.
Then the final words Masato had spoken to her resurfaced in her
memory, and she realized. The warm breeze was just a reminder that
Masato was someplace warm and kind, and that a part of him would
always be with her. And, when the time came for Ayeka to depart this
mortal coil, Masato's soft embrace would be there to greet her as she
rejoined him again. Their love was a force that transcended time and
space, and would only get stronger with each passing moment. The
message delivered, the warm breeze dissipated, returning the crispness of
the cool night.
Ayeka turned back to the lake and smiled. Though saddened that
she must live the rest of her life without the one she loved most, she took a
small bit of comfort in knowing that Masato would always watch over her
and wait for her, even if he could not bee seen or touched. The dark
clouds of sorrow that hovered about her were broken through by rays of
comfort, as the warmth of the breeze burned brightly in Ayeka's heart.
Nothing, not even death, could come between their love. The next time
she and Masato would meet, it would be forever. And forever is a long
time.

THE END


Coming soon: "Project Pinnacle"