Tenchi Muyo Fan Fiction ❯ Tenchi Muyo: The Clone Chronicles ❯ The Return of Jurai: Step Three: Humiliation ( Chapter 11 )

Disclaimer: I don't own Tenchi or any of his supporting cast. I just own the perverted ideas to do this to them. If you're under the age of 18, you more than likely know the routine, but I doubt you'll listen. So, I won't bother telling you. As always, if you don't like long-winded sex stories or if the characters within obsess you, GET AWAY NOW! If you keep reading it's your own fault.

Author's Notes: I did something a little twisted with Tenchi near the end; see if you can spot what that was… like it won't be blatantly obvious.

Without further interruption, I present Tenchi Muyo: The Clone Chronicles.

"Damn!" Washu shouted, as she pulled her hair in frustration. Three hours of testing this, stirring that and she still hadn't found anything unusual about Tenchi. It didn't make any sense, as usual. But how could he produce that type of power and not possess any physical attributes that marked it? It was almost as though he played with her, showing these insane amounts of energy, yet hiding them away when she called for a personal demonstration. "Where in the gods' names are you hiding it, Tenchi?"

"Where's he hiding what?" Mihoshi asked, blinking innocently after overhearing the tirade. Washu screamed, hitting the floor with a sizeable thud at this surprise visit from the once burdensome, yet still surprisingly quiet, Galaxy Police Officer.

"How did you... never mind." The scientist got off the floor and took a seat on her cushion again before sighing. "I'm just worried about Tenchi, that's all. His powers have increased dramatically, but he doesn't seem to have control over when they increase. Well, he does have control over them, but not a whole lot." That wasn't exactly the whole truth, but it wasn't much of a lie either.

Washu proceeded to show Mihoshi the video of his extraordinary display complete with power charting. As the thirty or so minute video ended, the scientist waited for the detective's input. Had she sank so low as to need Mihoshi's intellectual input on a subject? A brief glance told them both the answers to that.

"Well," Mihoshi said with a sizeable amount of self-confidence, "maybe this is like cupcakes under a glass cover. You know--his cupcakes are in clear view, but he can only have one at a time or only at certain times."

It was a simplistic answer, but alas, it was an answer that Washu never entertained.

"Yes, that's fine for now," Washu agreed, "but glass breaks, Mihoshi. If Tenchi loses his subconscious cupcake cover, we'll all be in a lot of trouble. And the fact that none of us, not even Ryoko, could sense that type of power building is doubly bad."

Washu crossed her legs and placed her hands behind her head, as Mihoshi seemed to ponder something.

"I think Azaka could feel it," the detective said thoughtfully. "He seemed to be the only person on the video that got shaken up when Tenchi came out of the woods."

Washu looked at her out of the side of her eye before weighing that statement.

"I suppose he could possess sensitivity to the power having trained to use and recognize it for so long," she said, isolating Azaka's worried expression on the film disc. "But still, shouldn't Azusa be just as open to it?" To that, Mihoshi shrugged. Washu did similar, before saying, "I know he thinks I'm just trying to be a know-it-all calling him down here after every little bump in the road, but I just don't want anything bad to happen. I don't think… no, I couldn't live with myself if something happened to Tenchi that I could've stopped, and if he's mad at me for it, fine--that, I can live with. Right now, we just have to keep Tenchi--all of them--calm."

Mihoshi wondered if Washu still knew she was there, because the majority of her speech was projected at the monitor with a now still image of Tenchi's face.

"How do we keep him calm?" the detective asked, looking beyond the obvious, which Washu didn't do for a change.

"Well, there's one of two ways," the redhead began, letting her laptop fade away, and swinging her body around to face the detective. "There's either killing Azusa in his sleep or exhausting Tenchi in some manner until he's too tired and happy to kill a fly."

Both women smiled a nefarious smile before Mihoshi frowned.

"Uh, he outlasted all of us, though."

Washu's smile dropped, recalling her blissful coma.

"Okay, scratch the second one." She stood, beginning to pace for a moment before stopping with her 'genius look.' "All we have to do is keep Tenchi away from Azusa until he leaves, which will probably be tomorrow or later tonight at the earliest. It shouldn't be too difficult with the emperor on the outs with his wives. He'll probably give them time to let things blow over." Taking a second thought about things, Washu had a new question. "Why are you here?"

"Oooh, yeah," Mihoshi said, snapping her fingers in remembrance. "Sasami told me to come get you for lunch."

Washu looked at the translucent clock on the side of the domed viewing glass of her planet--1:54 P.M. "Well, looks like I'll be having leftovers... again. Come along, Mihoshi." They left with little fanfare and a little apprehension on the part of a certain scientist. Tenchi wouldn't be as mad as he appeared when he left the lab this alleged last time. "He just can't be," Washu thought as she opened the door.

Upstairs a different conversation was being had...

Ayeka, freshly bandaged leg and all, was left to fend off the wolves more commonly known as Misaki and Funaho. The latter wasn't so bad, because she didn't ask embarrassing or prying questions. Her mother, on the other hand, asked blunt, Ryoko-like stingers that made her flush a bloody red. Only, Ayeka didn't flush a bloody red or at all and those questions didn't seem that embarrassing. More to the point, they seemed a little like open reason to brag or gossip. Still, Ayeka enjoyed this reign of control (as usual) and only gave her mother bits and pieces at a time to torture her. Now, all three women sat around a small table in Ayeka's (and Tenchi's) bedroom sipping cups of tea and passing small indicatory smiles.

"Okay young lady," Misaki began, sitting her cup down forcefully. "Spill it! You're having hot, steamy sex with the Earth man, aren't you?"

"Me?" Ayeka asked in mock alarm, smiling demurely as the vein bulged in her mother's neck. "Define this 'hot, steamy sex' of which you speak, because I haven't the faintest idea of what you're talking about."

Misaki made something that resembled a howl, but Ayeka still sat there as blank as a button.

"You, in this room on that bed, lie down together with Tenchi. You, my daughter, Ayeka, let him penetrate you with his, Tenchi's, dick!" Misaki pointed the unladylike finger at her daughter, who feigned innocence. "You two screw, fuck, make love, have sex--don't you?" She had both hands on the table, leaning perilously close to Ayeka's face waiting for the confirmation anxiously.

Ayeka opened her mouth to seemingly speak, only to take a breath, and close it without saying either way.

"No, we don't do anything like that," the princess piped up to string her mother's temper along further, while her smile widened only a fraction of an inch.

The princess's haughty laughter finally broke the surface having said such a thing. Misaki let out a sigh, falling back on her folded legs, and fixing her daughter with a stern glance. Funaho just shook her head, sipping her tea as if oblivious to what was happening around her. In the back of her mind though, Azusa's earlier discretion still weighed heavily upon her conscious. So many years together and for him to just snap at her. It was almost enough to make a woman cry. Funaho had cried though--a lot in fact--and the memory of that angered her more than anything. But for now, she could let that go to enjoy her 'daughter's' happiness. Heck, it was more than her biological father was willing to do for her. No, that pompous ass was only willing to kill her and ruin it.

"Self-serving prick," Funaho thought, unconsciously frowning with her disenchanted thoughts. "So, is he any good?"

Ayeka's laughter cut off, surprised by the question and the asker.

"Come on, child," Funaho said evenly, focusing her serene eyes on Ayeka. "I can tell just by looking at you that you've already consummated the relationship. In fact, I don't recall seeing you smile this much since Yosho was around. You look like you're ready to float away, and you expect us not to think that it isn't a direct result of you finally getting the stick out of your ass and having a bit of healthy sex?"

"Oh, all right," Ayeka said with an impish wave, smiling for miles, and unable to hide anything from Funaho's deep, yet aloof staring. "We've only had the most incredible, mind-altering, intense, beautiful, and unrestricted sessions of lovemaking ever known to man! Or as Ryoko calls them, 'We have Fuckfests with the great Tenchi-sama!'"

Funaho and Misaki exchanged looks, as Ayeka giggled like a very loud and uncouth schoolgirl.

"With that being said, maybe you got the stick up your ass, huh?" Misaki's mischievous grin only turned into a smirk as Ayeka's cheeks finally reddened in embarrassment.

"Mother, please!" Ayeka shouted, having not quite gone that far in her sexual adventures.

"What?" her mother asked innocently. "You may like it. In fact, this reminds me of the time that your father and I..."

"No," the princess shouted, covering her ears before her mother's flashback sent her spiraling into mental depravity. "Really, do you have to mention him at a time like this?"

Sensing genuine tension, Misaki changed gears in her own way.

"Okay, okay," she gave a small, disassociated wave and moved on. "Was my little girl's first time memorable? It didn't hurt too much, did it?"

Ayeka glanced at the scorch mark on her wall that led to the floor with a secretive, yet very open smile.

"Very memorable," the princess said, squeezing her legs together with a fond remembrance. "And surprisingly, it didn't hurt... at first. Afterwards, I couldn't sit down for at least a day, hehehe."

"Rubber knees included?" Funaho felt compelled to ask.

"Try a gelatin mold," Ayeka added, with an even wider smile spreading across her face. "So, how long are you all here for?"

It wasn't meant in a blunt manner, but all of the sexual talk had the princess a little riled up, though, not enough to commit to the act while her parents were in the house. Funaho stood suddenly, excusing herself out of the room for some reason. Ayeka looked to her mother for the answer, but found that I-know-the-answer-but-it's-going-to-hurt-you face--it was the same face that she put on when the last cruiser came back with nothing but a damaged chunk of Yosho's ship so many years ago. Now, the only thing that remained was what exactly her mother had to say.

"I think Funaho may be here for a very long time," Misaki said, speaking in a quiet and almost upset tone of voice. "Your father may have pushed her too far earlier, and to be honest, I can't argue with her if that decision is to stay. Year in and year out we keep telling him that Tenchi loves you all, but too many years of royalty have blinded him to everything outside of those rules. The funny thing is that he knows it. He still remembers when he had a sense of adventure and a romantic side, but he also knows his throne restricts that. Call it stupidity, but Azusa wants nothing more to do with ruling Jurai, but only if he gets to choose who or who doesn't rule next. Without that choice, he'll keep begrudgingly ruling until his last breath."

"Well then, if he hates being the emperor so much, why does he think his children would want the throne levied upon them?" Ayeka's question was sound, but deep down she had a feeling that answered the question numerous times before. "It doesn't make sense. He's always had the power to give control to the Holy Council of Jurai, so why not give it to them?"

Misaki gave a short laugh, and said, "Give full power to that corrupt bunch? The universe would be dead in the day."

Despite her suggestion, Ayeka knew that was true. A few of those conspirators from Kagato's botched attempt to rule still lingered in the shadows. Why her father considered these men to be his friends, despite attempting to have him killed, was beyond her comprehension.

"Azusa loves Jurai, and as so, he wants to do right by it," said Misaki, sitting her now empty cup down. "You, Sasami, or Yosho ruling is what he feels right for the planet. Even Seiryou marrying you wouldn't have changed that your word was law. He, in a sense, would've just been your accessory. Tenchi represents the way your father used to be--carefree, unattached, and imaginative. Similarly, your father can't stand him because of it. He wants to walk in Tenchi's shoes again and getting rid of or passing on his empire to one of you is how to do it… in his mind. Azusa had the crown levied upon him, as you put it, because his father died and he was the next eldest son. Azaka had already begun to carve his military role, and by the time their father passed, he was a legendary knight frozen until he was needed on the battlefield again. Of course, you'll never hear Azusa admit to any of this... the jackass."

Misaki ended her tale with a whimsical sigh, wondering what Funaho intended to do without Jurai or its waters. Well, she did know. Funaho would die without those waters or her tree ship. That saddened the Second Queen of Jurai a great deal knowing that one of her oldest and best friend may die all because their husband was an idiot who couldn't leave well enough alone. Resetting herself, Misaki decided she would have a talk with Funaho after dinner. Perhaps by then she would've calmed down and had time to think things through. Or in a perfect world, Azusa would come to his senses and grovel like the dog he could be.

"What happens now?" Ayeka asked, breaking her mother's train of thought. "As much as I love Jurai, I'm not leaving Lord Tenchi to rule it."

Perhaps that was a bit of a selfish thing to say. But didn't she deserve some selfishness? If her father's love/hate relationship with Jurai were enough to give up Lady Funaho, what would she and Tenchi do in the same plight? He'd unselfishly go to Jurai, of course. But wouldn't Tenchi eventually become bitter because he truly didn't want to be there? Ayeka didn't want to think about it. All of the time spent pondering questions about who Tenchi would choose or what Tenchi would do had taken enough time away from her life. In fact, she didn't want to question anything about this relationship ever again and the fact that her father chose now to drop such queries in her lap didn't help that decree any.

"Now, you have to do what's right for you." Misaki placed her right hand on her daughter's and smiled. "Tenchi is what's right for you, and you can't let your father's temper tantrums change that." She paused, as a familiar glint entered her now wide and sparkling rose-tinted eyes. "Oh, my little girl is all grown up!" Without warning, Ayeka found herself snatched across the table and into her sobbing mother's arms. She didn't fight it, but more so, felt a new understanding... and pity for her father.

"Yes, she is... mommy." Ayeka hugged her mother back, as the thought of Azusa's whereabouts pressed them both.

Meanwhile, at the Masaki Shrine's guest room…

"Uh," the emperor grunted, as the knot on the back of his head throbbed. "Cowardly dog, must've hit me when I wasn't looking."

Azusa's substitute caretaker for the moment sat completely apathetic to his cause. He'd had her set adrift in a big, dark box. That box crashed and weird things bit and chewed on her for untold years. And Yosho had the audacity to think she'd give a damn if this old coot had a bump on his over-inflated head? She snorted, drawing the emperor's blurry eyes to her neck of the tiny room. From where Yugi sat, on a drab gray cushion atop the slightly scuffed wooden floor, he'd be easy enough to kill. One energy spike would split his head open like a grape and everything would be peaceful again. In fact, Tenchi probably wouldn't even care... but Yosho would... maybe.

"No more killing," Yugi reprimanded herself, as her prison... patient began to roll about.

"Something was definitely odd about this one," Azusa thought in silence. "Why do you stare at me like that?"

"Oh, good, you're awake!" Yugi spoke in an uplifted voice, as if she were concerned, before coming closer to the old emperor.

Azusa propped himself up on his arms, smiling smugly (missing the sarcasm in her tone by surprisingly large margins).

"It takes more than the likes of the boy to keep me down," he spoke bravely, making sure his arms were stable enough to hold him.

She would've laughed outright, but decided to play along.

"That's good, because Yosho seemed worried," she lied. The prince actually went to get a bucket of water from the spring to clean the floors. Yugi was only there to keep Azusa put if he tried to leave. "How's your head?"

"It's nothing I can't handle," the emperor said with a tone of assurance, dismissing her efforts to apply a cloth, dampened in the water basin beside his mat, to his forehead. "So, how'd you avoid the boy and end up with Yosho? Seems like he's twisting everyone else around this place, just wondering how you managed to escape."

"Actually, I found him through Tenchi," Yugi admitted, smiling for no particular reason to Azusa. "Yosho and I go way back, and luckily, Tenchi re-introduced us."

The emperor caught the inflection in her tone and given the young lady's hair color, way back could be interplanetary.

"And how far back is that?" he asked, using the same cryptic terminology.

"Well..." Yugi waved her right hand past her face, startling Azusa as for a brief moment the dark-violet haired woman vanished. In her place was the face of a little girl... a blonde girl with a pallor skin, and ears that stretched outward like those of Mihoshi. "Let's just say waaay back."

Azusa's mouth hung open, as the visage of a girl once named Sakuya returned. Yugi stood up, feeling a minute amount of vindication at this fool's disbelief. She told him that she'd be back and in a way, she was.

"Y-Y-Y-You!" Azusa stuttered, watching as she put her right index finger to her smiling lips.

Yugi slid the rice-paper-constructed door open, as Yosho opened the door at the opposite end of the room.

"I'll let you two be alone for now," she said, nearly laughing at Azusa's expression, "for now."

Yosho observed his surroundings, before breaking the silence with a cough into his right fist. "Is something wrong father? You look like you've seen a ghost. Don't tell me Tenchi whacked you that hard?"

"What?" Azusa snapped to, giving his son his full attention at the mentioning of that name. "Perhaps he did hit me harder than anticipated, but it is a mere technicality. I didn't know living on this little planet had turned you into a sneak-attack artist, Yosho."

"Sneak attack," the prince repeated, closing the door and sitting the bucket of warm spring water down beside it. He then took a seat across from his father before speaking again. "From what I saw, Tenchi didn't have to sneak and do anything. And I don't appreciate you implying that I taught him to rely solely on such means."

The two men exchanged frowns, before their faces returned to neutral slates.

Azusa didn't respond, choosing to gather his knees under him. They sat there in complete silence for the next few minutes--this being the longest duration of time they'd been in the same room in more than a few lifetimes. Whatever the silent pondering, Yosho felt his point had been made and the longer the silence held, the stronger the point was. Of course, that didn't mean his father wouldn't find something to argue about. He often wondered if the man was incapable of letting a subject die without having the last word... even if the word didn't make sense.

"Say it," Azusa spoke shortly. "Say that you think he's destined to rule our planet. I know that's what you're thinking."

"I can't say that, father," Yosho said after a little less than a minute to think about it. Azusa failed to hide his smile, as Yugi had taken the liberty to remove the rest of his facial hair in comic relief (or in an attempt to treat a cut, as she'd... doctored the truth to say). The wrinkles of a man discontent with his life were readily available now, Yosho noticed. They were the wrinkles of a man that frowned too often and for too long; he didn't look entirely old. In Earth years, his father could easily pass for a defined 40-year-old. Unfortunately, his son had to make him frown again. "I can say his destiny is intertwined with Ayeka's. So, if it is her destiny to rule Jurai, it is Tenchi's as well."

Azusa frowned so fiercely until it almost seemed like his face made a noise to take on the grimace.

"What does he know about ruling?"

"What did you?" Yosho asked immediately. "For that matter, what do me, Ayeka or Sasami? Nothing--we all know nothing."

"You're cut from good stock, it'll come naturally." Azusa said smoothly, phrasing things in the It'll-come-to-pass-soon tense. For all of his intelligence, Azusa seemed to believe this statement genuinely to his son's dismay.

"And Tenchi isn't? Or are you so far jaded that Tenchi isn't even family in your eyes?" Yosho asked with minimal anger in his tone, but a very serious gleam in his eyes.

"I'm very aware that he's family," Azusa said with no attempts to hide his bitterness over the fact. "You just couldn't keep it in your pants, could you?" That was a personal shot, almost taken accusatorily, as witnessed by the prince's narrowing eyes.

"And you could?" Yosho shot back, feeling the hotheaded temperament of old resurface... just a little. "Do not sit there and try to pass your fool-hearted..."

"Fool-hearted!"

"Yes!" Yosho bellowed right back to his father, before relaxing... just a little. "You took my mother from this planet and made her a queen of a planet centuries, no millennia ago. And as so, now no one on Earth is of any meaningful substance? You can honestly sit there and tell me that my laying down with my former beloved somehow helped produce an inferior creature in Tenchi?"

Yosho didn't have long to wait for his answer, as Azusa all but growled his answer.

"It isn't your laying down that I'm referring to." The old man said not another word, as Yosho finally had to figure out someone else's saying for a change. The prince's eyebrows wrinkled together in a mask of deep concentration. If it wasn't his former wife that was the 'problem' then who was his father talking about? Then, in a moment of clarity, it hit him. Achika... this arrogant... he couldn't find a term hateful enough in his vocabulary to describe his father. He was actually trying to pin his unjustified feelings on Achika's taking Nobuyuki as a lover. No… Yes--the set in his father's face left no points hidden or obscured about whom he was referring.

"Get out," Yosho whispered, standing quickly and bereft with all but one emotion. "I was a fool to think you would change. To judge two people you've never even seen together... disgusting. Say what you will about Nobuyuki-san in his later years, but know that he was an honorable man who loved my daughter more than I could have ever hoped. And unlike Tenchi, he didn't have the ability to stop the forces that took my daughter from him, but he honored her all the same. I will say a prayer for you, father."

His somber voice faded into the ancient wood from which the temple was built. And like a ghost who'd delivered its last message to a loved one, Yosho slid the door to the main interior of the shrine open and left to find his new, yet old love. It was another bridge burned in this day, which sadly, was still in its infancy. An old cuckoo clock chimed, passing the hour of 3 P.M. with little more than its wooden tune. And much like the doors of that clock shielded the wooden bird from the reality on the other side, so did Azusa's quest for... for... for what? He couldn't exactly name his journey anymore. The only thing he could do was complete it. And it would be completed by day's end. He stood up and gathered his neatly folded outer robes from the nearby corner. Dressing with an emperor's confidence, Azusa felt assured enough in his looks to leave without further primping in the ovular mirror in the rear of the room.

"You will thank me for this one day, Yosho," he said to himself. "You all will."

7:28 P.M. and dinner is served...

Over four hours later, with no resolution in sight, Azusa sat down to his meal between two wives who'd said little more than... 2 hours worth of shouting at him since he'd returned. If it weren't for his lack of beard, he probably wouldn't have thought anything of their yelling beyond it being the typical superficial women's stuff. As it were, this had sidetracked his quest indefinitely. They usually noticed every little change he made in his daily life. If he took to a new candy, they were in on keeping him in stock with it. If he trimmed his hair a quarter of an inch they almost knew it before the hairs hit the floor. And here he sat with a bald face for the first time in eons and they said nothing? He focused on Tenchi. The boy had something to do with this. Now, here he sat face to seven faces with this imbecilic creature. How had the little peon turned his wives over to his side? They would've let that incident with Ayeka go by now unless outside forces intervened.

"You work fast," Azusa thought, "but not fast enough."

Sasami had ushered Yosho and Yugi down to join them, which only made for more unstable table company. It was designed, so it seemed, for them all to be against him--the boy and his seven women, Yosho and that... woman on one side and him on the other. The tension was thick at the table, as was the disharmony within the rest of the house in wake of his arrival. Naturally, Azusa didn't acknowledge such. The more and more things were examined, the more Tenchi became deep-seeded in everything wrong. If he'd lost to Seiryou none of this would be happening right now. He'd be halfway across the galaxy and he would never have to see the stain on his family's lineage ever again.

To think, Yosho could let his child be with one so... common. Yes, that word seemed fitting, but not enough. What kind of example was his son setting by condoning such an act? He was condoning his family line to a tainted mixing with the most lowbred of people. Certain aspects of the Juraian interbreeding had saved Tenchi from the misfortune of being a visible pervert--he had the looks of royalty, but that didn't change his place in the world. Still, he was every bit of the sickening creature that his father was just with better looks.

"Sasami," Azusa said in his unique vocal styling, "nice miso."

She looked up from her place at the end of the Washu-extended table, and gave mumbled thanks before the silent veil dropped once more. Tenchi didn't exactly like the (for lack of a better word) gloomy mood his household had fallen into. At first, things were calming down from the morning's activities and resembling the way they were in a usual day. A few of him were washing the windows--and a few more were doing the floors while the girls took a break--when he saw Azusa coming down the shrine's steps. From the moment Azusa entered the door, he was demanding things--his wives in particularly. Unsurprisingly, they both appeared from upstairs. Surprisingly, however, they both announced they wouldn't be leaving with him. A two-hour argument later ended with their announcement to stay here with Tenchi.

The effective outcome was seven women, all of which were dedicated to stopping the women-from-space-fall-in-love-with-Tenchi era, staying effectively close by for the next few hours. The other outcome involved an emperor threatening to take his wives out by force, which was countered with dual threats of suicide and a promise to return to Jurai once he acted like a "man instead of a jackass," as Misaki put it. Of course, accusations abound were that Tenchi had something to do with this. The next hour involved bathing... across from a brooding emperor. The hour after that was spent being watched playing chess against Kamadake. The twenty-six minutes leading up to the gathering at the table was spent staring back at the emperor. These last three... no, four minutes were spent eating and being stared at.

"So, what did you talk about up there so long?" Tenchi, Ryoko's Tenchi, asked lightheartedly of his grandfather. Yosho made an unusual noise--it was like he, no he actually did, suck his teeth. From his place center of the table, Tenchi could see him at the far right end with a rather embittered look on his face. Since when could you see anything on Katsuhito's face other than apathy? Well, this was the face of Yosho, Tenchi reminded himself. Maybe he was easier to read in that form. He looked to Yugi but found a shrug, but with a facial expression that exposed more than she was willing to say verbally.

"We had an interesting discussion," Azusa voluntarily added with a whimsical look, "about breeding, actually."

To everyone's surprise, Yosho threw his napkin on the table and openly glared at his father. The emperor paid it no mind, though. He had a simpler, but equally devastating plan on hand. Everyone observed the guarded looks between the father and son, wondering what exactly Azusa had to say about breeding that could cause any problems. Even Tenchi, in all of his anticipation for some verbal attack, didn't see this one coming. His innocent look made things that much sweeter for his great grandfather, who sat with an indifferent look and sinister mindset.

"You mean the local animal breeds?" Tenchi asked to move things along, which almost made his grandfather groan at the set up taking place before him.

"You could say that," the emperor said strategically, watching the boys all share looks of confusion. Wetting his lips to attack, Azusa observed something. "Where's your father? I'm curious to know what he has to think about this little living arrangement."

There was a giant sigh of frustration from the royalty of the table. Just when it looked like this subject was dead, he had to go and drag it up from the bowels. Beyond that selfish moment of regret, Ryoko wondered how Tenchi would answer it--or even if he would.

"He passed away a few years ago," Ayeka answered for her fiancé and his... others. The group of Tenchi managed to nod once, before reaching for their cups in unison. They all took sips from the large, brown porcelain cups that were made to resemble a cut bamboo stalk. The lemonade drink mix did little to sweeten the bitter memories of that day, but it would have to do.

"What happened? Did he break it with too much stroke and bleed to death?"

Ryoko spit a shrimp clear out across the table. Before she could cough her way down to even form a hate-filled reply, the sounds of breaking porcelain filled her and everyone else's ears. It was as though there were several mirrors reflecting seven identical images, all of which sat perfectly still. Tenchi--all of him--sat there completely awash with a mixture of emotions. Thick streams of blood, intermingled with the cloudy lemonade, ran down their right arms. There were still shards of the ceramic piercing his flesh, but he didn't attempt to remove them or even acknowledge they were even there. No one moved or even breathed, except for Azusa, who continued to sip his soup and eat his fish as if nothing happened.

"I'll be back," Tenchi said at once, before a light flashed quicker than any of them could seriously detect. He was standing at the doorway that led to the living room--completely together. Each woman attempted to call after Tenchi, but their voices sounded like whispers by then. Tenchi was gone before any of them reached the 'chi' of his name. The stunned residents of the Masaki home sat there for a while before a rather irritating noise became prevalent. Everyone turned to face the noise, but they only found Washu's right index finger tapping the polished table's surface. Those usually indifferent eyes were clearly focused for once and that emerald green seemed to stare into a part of Azusa's soul that he didn't know was there.

Nonetheless, he found the noise grating. As he opened his mouth to speak about it, he saw it. Red sparks flickered each time her finger met the table. He looked up the table to his right, finding Sasami (or what should've been her) glaring at him with eyes that glowed of white fire. The emperor played it calm, ignoring that weird tingling in his stomach that his baby girl's eyes brought. Looking to Ayeka, he found surprising calm. She didn't have a look of sadness or of anger. Possibly she was beginning to understand, the emperor wished to believe.

"I see," Ayeka passed a sideways glance to Ryoko, whose eyes had yet to leave Azusa's, and slid the ancient tiara from her head. She stared at the intricately carved piece of wood, not even concerning herself with the large, red imprint it left on her forehead and temples. "I'll go back with you, father." The announcement caused the attention to suddenly shift to the first princess.

"Excellent, I'll ready a ship and..." Azusa paused, eyes widening as Ayeka snapped the wooden symbol of her heritage like an unwanted toothpick.

"There," she pitched the halved crown right into his bowl of soup. "Now, take the First Crowned Princess of Jurai home. I imagine she doesn't like sitting neck-deep in soup." The princess or as it seemed, Ayeka stood up and prepared to march before her father spoke.

"What do you think you're doing young lady?" he asked, more like rumbled, fuming with her unreasonable actions.

"No, it's like you wanted," Ayeka said in a reserved tone, but in a state of mind that was already preset. "You came here for the princess. Well, there she is." She pointed the accusing finger at the crown. "Simple isn't it? You can put the crown on anyone's head and they're princess. You can stick it on Ryo-Ohki's head, name her Ayeka, and (poof) she's princess. Do what you will, but I don't care where you stick that crown, but you can... just... stick it!" With her red face from such an unladylike display, the former princess stood and waited for anyone to say something... anything.

No one did.

Ayeka stormed out, though, with minimal stomping. She was already up stairs before words of rebuttal reached Azusa's brain. He sat bug-eyed and confused. Ayeka hadn't made such a mistake. No, this was some kind of twisted dream. His eldest daughter didn't just walk out on her crown. Heh, this would be easily fixed with a little... everyone winced as a loud bang echoed and a vase shattered behind the emperor.

"Uh, oops," Mihoshi said... with a sarcastic smile. Kiyone smirked, still impressed that her partner was capable of showing such a thing. She holstered the smoking GP-issue blaster--she had been pretending to clean--which was pointed fractions of an inch off Azusa's head, and gathered a rice ball into her mouth before standing and walking out. Azaka and Kamadake appeared in the doorway seconds later--too late--but with weapons at the ready and looking for trouble indications.

Azusa couldn't even gather his words, turning his incredulous eyes back towards Yosho. He was gone, as was that woman of his. Where Washu once sat, even more nothingness existed. Only her half-eaten plate lay there in ruin. He turned to his right and noticed that Sasami was also gone. "I will not tolerate this for one minute longer!" He slammed his hands into the table, but no one responded. Funaho and Misaki left their husband to the proverbial wolves then, neither surprised he would take it that far, though, they hoped he wouldn't.

There were only three people at the table now, and neither was on his side.

"I really don't understand why Tenchi doesn't kill you," Ryoko said in a slow, haunting drawl. The lacquered chopsticks had long since been snapped in her strong grasp, but now she used them for another purpose. The light cast from the jewel in her left wrist began to pull mist-like apparitions from the chopsticks. The white mist hung just in front of her before it stopped swirling, sprouted legs and arms, and then snarled. The beast was a mere foot to a foot and a half in size, but its lack of features made it unnerving all the same. It possessed more mouth than head, which was a mouth, filled with teeth like those of a piranha. The demon made little hissing noises, rubbing its claws together in a sinister manner while staring up at the emperor. "I really don't understand it."

With that Ryoko disappeared, but her creature dove straight for Azusa's throat.

"Children," Nagi sighed, having caught the creature mid-leap with her energy whip. The tendril powered down and she held the monster firmly in her bare hand, stroking it like one would a cat. Despite its best efforts, he was trapped with the bounty hunter.

"Do you all always eat with weapons at the table?" Azusa asked snidely.

"Only when the situation calls for it," Kiyone responded, though, feeling a bit left out with all of the snazzy exits. She tried to think of something cold to say, but just sighed, before leaving the table with little more than a pity-filled glance at the old man--quite possibly the most intense of insults levied at him so far.

Now, there were two.

"So, are you going to make a death threat or disappear?"

"Neither," Nagi replied, taking a sip from her cup, but quickly returning her left hand to her new 'pet'. "Me, I don't really care what you say to your daughters' little men."

"Ah, someone with sense does live here," the emperor embellished looking to his knights for visual support but only finding confusion.

"But see," Nagi continued suddenly, growing more serious with her tone, and rubbing the demon's head now. "You didn't just mess with their men--you messed with mine. And me, I don't like that. So, I'll say it just once," the demon made a screech as she broke its neck, "do not mess with what's mine." Azusa didn't flinch as she plucked the creature's head off, tossing its writhing remains on the table in front of him.

The knights moved completely out of the way as Nagi went through the doorway, before realizing that she'd stopped.

"Sleep light, old man," she warned before continuing to her room.

Cliffside at Nobuyuki and Achika Masaki's burial shrine...

Tenchi was kneeled before his parents' burial stones trying to gather his thoughts and his anger. To make matters worse, he wasn't sure if he was mad at Azusa or himself. Walking out like that--what was he thinking? His father never did anything to deserve that. He couldn't even defend himself for goodness sake. Of course, Tenchi could've done something in his defense or honor. But oh, no--what did he do? Cut his hands up and walked off like a coward--that's what he did. He couldn't even fathom looking Ayeka or Nagi in the eye after such a display. In truth, he couldn't picture facing any of them. So, here he was, visiting his parents' shrine.

"Heh, heh, longtime no see, huh?" Tenchi let out a pitiful little laugh, taking the opportunity to bow once more. Heh, that was one thing no one could beat him in--traditional bowing. Forehead touching the backs of his hands, a great arch in his back, and a few apologies for putting off this visit for the last, oh, three years--Tenchi was an official master at being the humble idiot. First it was the lab, then college, then back into the lab--always something that seemed to rear up to prevent him from visiting this place since his father passed. He sat up, before humming a little melody that he'd heard on some television show.

"So, how's the afterlife treating you and mom?" he asked lightly. The wind picked up a little and caused the red and white candles' light to waver a bit. The two 10 x 8 photos of his parents in their youth seemed to smile at him, instead of whatever the photographer had used to get that reaction. "I hope you're both happy. Oh, me? Nothing's changed with me. I'm still dull old Tenchi, running away from problems and stuff."

He took a second to think about that and added, "Well, I did finally 'choose'."

The wind then seemed to ask "who" in his father's behalf.

"All of them, actually," Tenchi replied proudly, watching as his father's red candle seemed to glow a little brighter. "I know what you mean. But you see I solved that problem too. How? Let's just say you have six sons and one grandson. No, mom! They aren't pregnant... I don't think. Washu said the chances of that happening were slim enough to be non-existent. Washu said it was something about me not having enough chromosomes. Oh, and before I forget, Yugi finally woke up. And can you believe it, her and grandpa actually..." he shuddered.

"Well, I'm happy for him anyway," Tenchi re-evaluated, and nodded accordingly. "And guess what else? Nope. I'm engaged to Ayeka! Come on, mom. We've all been together for almost eight years now. So, of course I'm sure about this. Heck, I'm glad she saw enough in me to wait this long. Hell, I'm thrilled I didn't suck as bad as I thought I would in bed and they didn't leave me because of it. No, dad, I'm not bragging. I'm counting my lucky stars. Yes, I'm still reading the books. I hope I get better at it... I'd hate to think I lost one of them because I couldn't keep it up or something. And yes, I'm still taking the ginseng, dad."

He paused for a moment, looking through the porthole window of the burial shrine at the moon. A loan cloud drifted past and seemed to represent his current state of affairs. It was all so bright before that ship came and turned his days dark. Why did he even think he could live up to certain standards? He could almost hear his dad saying, "Stop that, Tenchi! No good ever came of thinking the worst about yourself or others. You'll be a great man someday and don't you let anyone tell you different." It was one of the few times his father was actually a father. Whenever he got down about a bad grade or botched sword lesson, Nobuyuki never once let him feel down about it.

"I never did get a chance to tell you thanks," said Tenchi, wiping away the dead flower petals from the altar. "Heh, Azusa showed up today. Oh, everything was going fine before. Okay, there was this thing about me passing out and turning into a ball of shapeless energy... no, I'm fine, mom. Anyway, he immediately starts in with Ayeka about ascending to the throne. So, I volunteer--yep, I stepped up this time--to fight this supposed suitor. It turns out it was that Seiryou guy again. Guess what? I mopped the floor with him. No, dad, no spaceships dropped in the lake and drowned him this time." He stopped and ran an unsteady hand through his hair before deciding to wrap things up. "I guess I've talked enough for the day. I'll try to get back here tomorrow sometime or next week at the latest--I have a lot of stuff to deal with now, but I'm not trying to neglect you all by any stretch of the imagination. Goodnight mom and dad."

He placed his hands on the smooth granite floor and bowed. Tenchi gave a relieved smile to their pictures, feeling a little better about his earlier behavior. He walked down the tiny steps to put his running shoes back on before opening the large wooden door and exiting the shrine, which looked more like a small house now. Perhaps he overdid it. "Nah," he thought, making sure to lock the door and say another prayer. Tenchi looked out over the blackened sea, as his hair danced in the wind behind him. This had been his mother's favorite spot, according to his father. So, by default, it became Nobuyuki's. He imagined them sitting there together watching the sunset and the moonrise, and it brought a smile to his face.

Tenchi also possessed that hope for himself and his current relationships. What little he could remember from his parents' relationship showed two extremely happy people. They weren't going to be in that Fortune magazine anytime soon, but they were happy with what little they had. Even at night, they made some weird noises that sounded like they were having a good time. He thought about that again, turning from the ocean to look back at their shrine.

"That's what that noise was! Eeew!" the twenty-five-year-old sounded like a three-year-old, but he couldn't help it. "Talk about staying in the dark for way too long."

"Man, what happened to the not getting walked all over motto, huh?" asked Tenchi, with a lecturing tone taking form. "There's either ignoring him or risking more violence and, obviously, he doesn't care about hurting innocent people."

Stopping to reflect, his mind did come up with an alternative to violence and ignoring the hardheaded emperor--kick him out. After all, this was his house and he was the master of it. But what if he lost control again? Tenchi realized that it'd taken most of his self-control to deny the urge to leap across that table and strangle his great grandfather. What happened if he couldn't deny that urge a second time? Things would go back to being a lot more peaceful and besides, they could ditch the body through any one of Washu's infinite portals.

"No," Tenchi said with a heavy breath, "I'm not going to premeditate murder… no matter how tempting."

A part of him did have to admit, this would be the best time to get rid of this little problem in the Emperor of Jurai. No one would hold it against him… for a while at least. Then the ramifications would slowly set in and before he'd know it, Ayeka and Sasami were falling into pits of distress and it'd be his fault. His breath came out in an exaggerated cloud, kind of like the one that covered the moon, but he came no closer to a resolution staring out over the dark ocean. The snow suddenly crunched to his far right, but Tenchi gave it no visible mind. He knew the slow, cautious step of his grandfather by heart now.

"Why did you leave?" Yosho asked, coming to stand beside his grandson. It wasn't his most philosophical of questions, but it did have merit, Tenchi hoped.

"I think there's been enough violence for today," he whispered morosely.

"Hmmm," the wise warrior, Yosho, mused. "There's never enough in a day that includes my father. And with my mother deciding to stay here, it's only going to be that much more difficult to be rid of him."

"I know," Tenchi sighed, but noticed Yosho had suddenly turned to face him. He did likewise, slightly confused by his elder's scowl.

"You can't keep running away from him, because like Ryoko, he will never stop." Tenchi couldn't say that's what he expected to hear, but the more he thought about it, this brash statement had its merit too. "What you did tonight solidified your weakness to him. He will attempt to exploit that guilt about your father and anything else he deems a weakness in your character."

"I get it," Tenchi mumbled, before averting his gaze back to the ocean. He grunted, as Yosho snatched his face forward by his lower jaw.

"No you do not get 'it'," his grandfather nearly yelled at him. "Everyone in that house is a game piece to him. Ayeka is the one piece he wants and whether he has to go through me, you, Kiyone, Mihoshi, Nagi, Ryoko, Washu, or even Sasami--he'll do it."

He felt his grandson's jaws tighten, which was part of the desired effect, and continued.

"You continue to treat him like a storm that will blow over given enough time," Yosho paused as Tenchi attempted to jerk his head away. "Play this through to win, Tenchi; if you don't, you will lose everything."

With those last few words, he released his grandson's rapidly setting jaw, and seemingly tossed his face back in accordance with the lurch Tenchi's entire body made.

"Do you hear yourself?" Tenchi shouted, rubbing his aching jaws. "You make it sound like I should kill him. And I know that's not what you're telling me to do, is it?"

Yosho relaxed his arms behind his back and turned to the horizon again.

"What if I am?" he calmly asked, answering the question with one of his own. "Before you answer that, answer this: Would you be able to live easier having killed him or having let him kill all of them?"

That projection in Washu's lab from those months ago flashed before his eyes, leaving Tenchi without that helpless feeling. He despised that feeling. More than anything, however, he loathed whatever it was that caused (or could cause) such a thing. One look at his smoldering eyes told Yosho everything he needed to know. And with his questions asked, he turned and began a leisurely pace back towards the shrine. Call it a change in demeanor or perhaps having had enough of being told what to do, but Tenchi couldn't quite except those questions' answers and apply them to his real-time problems. So, he jogged after his grandfather, caught him by the shoulder and spun him 180.

"Are you insane?" he demanded of the former warrior. The answer he received came in the form of a rather devastating knee to his solar plexus.

"Are you this simple?" Yosho retorted, having changed moods as quickly as he changed stances. "Evil comes to you in many forms, Tenchi. You can't always collect it and hope it all ends up as one of your girlfriends, because evil is rarely that easy to deal with."

Tenchi drug himself to his feet, panting harshly as clumps of snow hung thickly between the grooves of his blue jeans. It took a minute to regain his air, but once he had, things began to move differently. The two Juraian Princes circled each other, mirroring the other's face in solid determination and sheer anger.

"So, I should just kill everything that acts differently than I would?" Tenchi asked sarcastically, inching closer. "I should just kill it because I can and forget trying to reason with it?"

Ah, the last question was marred with actual doubt, Yosho noticed. It sounded as if Tenchi had thought about such a thing before, but dismissed it as taking the easy way out. Heh, nothing about this situation was simple. While he possessed the power and ability to kill Azusa, accomplishing it would be another thing. Even in the back of his own mind, Yosho had to wonder if Tenchi was being this timid for another reason. After taking into account the power both individuals held, it became readily apparent that his grandson may have been trying to avoid destroying the planet or specifically, his seven stakes in the planet.

"You could let this 'it' live and hope that it listens to you," Yosho replied after a long moment of contemplation, steadying himself on the loose snow. "I told you once before that only a fool lets his emotions guide him all of the time. You're letting your feelings for Ayeka cloud your judgment…"

Tenchi struck in anger, swinging blindly at his grandfather's face. He felt his wrist twist, before his entire body spun counter-clockwise and landed in the snow. Score: Yosho 1 - Tenchi 0.

"Trying to reason with a beast that doesn't have ears is foolish," Yosho said coolly, retreating away from his grandson. "And letting your feelings for one woman risk the lives of several makes you a fool!"

"Stop using them," Tenchi screamed, but incapacitated on his back. Any lesser of a person and Yosho would've continued, but given his grandchild's abilities, he relented… some.

"I see," the prince began. "Do you remember when I asked you, 'Why did you train'?" Yosho asked, moving in wider circles around his fallen grandson who clamored back to his feet. "Do you know, Tenchi? Do you finally realize why it is you still run those same four miles through these hills at the end of every week? Do you understand why it is that you trained for three hours a day with a sword-sun, rain, or snow? Do you!"

Tenchi recoiled from the shout, but stood again. Damn, it was like the universe opened up and decided this would be the day he paid for his luck. The two squared off and began to circle each other again. As the snow crunched, Tenchi wondered why he should know anything. Wasn't it good enough that he did those things without having it questioned? Or was it not so much those actions being questioned as it was him being forced to admit to why he did it? Yosho watched as Tenchi's breathing regulated and his face untwisted. He knew the answer. The circle began to tighten and this time, Yosho took the offensive. In much the same way, his fist was caught, and twisted until the ground no longer supported his feet. He laid there and looked up at his grandson, waiting to hear him admit it.

"I train because I hate being weak," Tenchi nearly whispered, narrowing his eyes down upon the prince at his feet. "I run those same eight--four one way and four back--miles to make sure no one can take them from me. I train with that sword to ensure nothing will ever make me that weak again or harm one of them. Above all else, I train to destroy anything that tries to come between us."

"I would've settled for love," said Yosho, with an appeased smirk.

Tenchi's face, however, didn't change. Everything began to fall into place now. From the intensity levels being upped so far, to the frequency of the sessions, on down to advancement in sword use-he'd requested it all… for them. His grandfather had merely acted as his guide on the journey to becoming a warrior. There was never a reason to continue nor was a threat ever lobbed to ensure that he didn't quit. Katsuhito merely placed him on the path of a swordsman; Tenchi, himself made the choice to walk it.

"The reason is as different as it is the same," Tenchi muttered, grinding his teeth in a semblance of frustration for having missed it before. "The eight of them are all as different as night and day, but they are all the same when it comes to how I feel about them."

He extended his hand, which his grandfather humbly accepted.

"Exactly," the fallen prince got to his feet and dusted his gi of loose snow before placing his hands behind his back again. "Now, what are you going to do about this evil within your home?"

Yosho held in a regrettable sigh, as his grandson downcast his eyes to the snow.

"Well, let's go look at that hand," he said tiredly, just as Tenchi's head rose. "Yes?"

"Whatever I have to," Tenchi said adamantly, locking eyes with this most ancient of warriors. "I'll do whatever I have to."

10:56 P.M. and Tenchi still wasn't back…

"Son of a bitch," Ryoko had mumbled for the seventeenth time, Nagi noted. Everyone sans Sasami, the guardians, and Azusa were gathered in Tenchi's bedroom. He'd been gone for over two hours and the snow was starting to come down heavier. "He didn't even take his jacket and he was bleeding."

"Patience Ryoko," Nagi chided without looking up from her chess game with the blonde detective. "A little cut can't stop him."

"Patience can kiss my ass! I'm out of here," Ryoko proclaimed, disappearing to punctuate the statement. "Aaaah!" She reappeared, slightly singed from the force field surrounding the room and gently coasted back onto his bed. "Remind… me… to… hurt… you."

"K," Washu said with an amused smirk.

It wasn't like it was the first time, but Ryoko had to learn some things Tenchi needed to do alone or at least be alone with. Heh, it wasn't like they all weren't thinking about looking for him, but the idea that it was taking him this long to make up his mind was shocking. Okay, maybe not entirely shocking for those who'd known him the longest. But on this particular subject, everyone was pretty sure Tenchi would've been back to toss Azusa out on his ear. No such luck. Thus, they confined themselves to his room and amused themselves in various ways.

Most notably, how Tenchi would dismember Azusa. Okay, that was Funaho venting, but it was a nice idea. Mainly, though, Tenchi's room was inspected and toured by those who'd never spent any serious time within the four walls of it. Of course, Ryoko usually lingered close behind to ensure people didn't move something too far or smudge up his computer or TV. Washu looked at her daughter stretched out over the bed with an out of place smile. The only thing in the child's mind was her Tenchi. What was he doing? Who was he with? Did that Sakuya thing comeback and did he run off to be with her?

"Paranoid much," Washu said across their mental cord. Ryoko fixed her with an annoyed glance before resigning back into the pillows.

"So, at least I care," she said in reply. "You just want to know how come he's so strong and poke him like some kinda lab rat."

As simple as that was, Ryoko looked a little shocked when she felt Washu's presence retreating from her mind without a reply. Looking at her mother revealed the depth of the comment's shot. She sat regally atop her favorite work cushion with her hands clasp in front of her face… her sad face. It was twisted in one of those smiles that people smiled when they knew they were going to die or something happens that's so bad until they can't do anything but smile. It was creepy, creepier than anything ever witnessed from the scientist in their tenure together.

"Little Washu," the holo-top announced, suddenly appearing before the sullen scientist. "The subject is approaching."

"His name is Tenchi, you stupid piece of junk!" Washu's snarl stopped the room's activity, which she didn't even acknowledge beyond a few more keystrokes. "See, he's fine."

A wide angle of the Masaki Deck appeared on Tenchi's TV, complete with the image of him standing at the backdoor. He sighed, as evidenced by his breath appearing in the air, before turning to his right and… the room groaned as the camera panned and focused. Could this idiot just let the day end without some confrontation? Obviously, he couldn't. Misaki and Funaho shrank in closer to each other as the room's collective anger seemed to blame them. Washu merely turned up the volume and squashed in to her seat for the festivities.

"What do you want now?" Tenchi asked as Azusa walked up the stairs toward him. "Or have you come to insult the dead some more?"

"Why not," Azusa queried, turning his attention towards the frozen lake. "It's not like anyone around here defends them or anything."

The large TV's speakers began to rumble, before everyone realized the sound was being emitted from Tenchi. It slowly diminished, as Tenchi seemed to… no, he did laugh. Still, even over the airwaves of a television, Ryoko could tell it was false to the core. What the hell did that mean? The room watched entranced while Tenchi walked to stop beside his great grandfather and looked out over the lake. This had to be where it finally happened--Tenchi was going to crush his skull and the day could get back to normal.

"Then I'd have to do a report the size of Asia to cover up where the Emperor of Jurai could've gone on my watch," Kiyone thought bitterly. Looking back at the screen (and how he'd acted), she confirmed that it'd be a report well worth it.

"What's your problem with me?" Tenchi asked suddenly to a unanimous groan from the spectators. "Seriously, you do have the balls to tell me don't you? You didn't lose them in a teabagging incident did you?"

Ryoko seemed to be the only one in the room who got the insult, as witnessed by her snort-mingled laughter. The camera panned to Azusa's face, which was a mess with anger. Tenchi hid his amusement well; nevertheless, he let enough of it show to upset his foe that much more. Apparently the term was one of those that spanned the galaxy, Tenchi thought wryly. That was probably for the better, seeing as how he didn't have anything else for ammo if Azusa didn't get it.

"So, that's the best you can come up with?" the emperor asked nonchalantly. No, he wouldn't let this primitive beat him with head games. "Or is this your feeble attempt to keep your life?"

"No, it's nothing like that," Tenchi said passively. "I figured I'd keep things slow and take it easy on you. I mean, you're pushing what now--thirty or forty thousand years old. I don't know what I'd do if you turned to dust on me."

Even in her murky mood, Washu had to chuckle a bit at that one. She watched as Tenchi stayed impassive to the emperor's mumbling and various grunts. Her attention soon swayed back to Azusa. He was obviously losing control of his emotions--and with a few keystrokes--Washu saw that he was also losing control of his powers. While they weren't expanding at the rate they were earlier, they were expanding all the same. On the screen, everyone watched that thick vein begin to pulse within Azusa's forehead as he tried to call upon another scathing verbal attack.

"I'm sick of these childish games," Azusa's voice boomed, as he spun around to face the loathsome creature. He opened his mouth to speak, but it suddenly closed. Tenchi still looked out over that frozen lake without the slightest hint of aggression or any other real emotion.

"Why? You started it," Tenchi replied, taking it to grade school purposely.

"I'm warning you but one more time--stop," Azusa shouted.

"Or you'll do what?" The question was vague, perhaps too vague, Tenchi noted. He turned in spot towards the confused emperor and just looked at him with that same emotionless look on his face. "Have you stopped to wonder why I haven't thrown you out or why I've let you stay in my home?"

Bah, what in the hell kind of questions were those? The obvious answer was that the boy was too afraid to do anything about him being there. Being the gracious soul that he was, Azusa decided to pretend as though he were giving the questions actual thought. After all, he should fulfill his role in this emotionally trying exercise. Who knew how long it took the poor fool to work up these 'most difficult' of questions. Underneath the arrogance, there was a tiny voice that tried to speak of an alternative meaning. Regrettably, the voice rarely got speaking room inside of the emperor's bloated head.

"You're afraid," Azusa said with a grim smile. "You dip and dodge me because you know that no matter what your little women say, you're weak. Up until now, you've only faced cowards and half-wits. But when there's another, stronger presence before you, you yield. Fighting me would only serve to expose that weakness, which is why you run."

The guests in his bedroom grew even quieter, as Tenchi seemed to smile with concurrence to those statements.

"Close," Tenchi said plainly. "But you're wrong."

Azusa chuckled, but allowed the boy to continue this embarrassing display of bravado.

"You're no threat to me," Tenchi paused, noticing the laughter had ended from his deck company. "Surprised? Think about it for a second," he started anew, pacing around the old man. "You've sat in my house freely for last few hours, eating my food, and bathing in my bath--all the while this is going on, you've made it clear that you'd kill me through your mumbling and various looks. Did I run? No. Did that make sense? No. Now, here's the real question--why?"

Figuring he had this one answered, the emperor's gums moved before his brain did.

"You were still trying to save face," he replied smoothly. Tenchi stopped pacing a rabbit's foot away. Face-to-face, nose-to-nose, and chest-to-chest--Azusa had a weird feeling about this.

"No, I pretty much lost face when I left the table," Tenchi confirmed apathetically. "But like they say, keep your friends close," he took a step forward, bumped chests with his great grandfather, and smiled, "and your enemies closer. Believe me, you wouldn't be this close if I thought you could hurt me."

"Checkmate!" Mihoshi announced, as her knight pinned Nagi's king in the corner. The bounty hunter had shifted her full attention to the TV though, which looked to hold a similar fate for that blowhard.

It required almost infinite restraint to not plaster the boy's brains all over the wall, but the emperor did it. The nerve of this little cretin to insinuate that he was somehow more powerful, disgusting. It was almost as bad as Azaka's weak-willed speech in the baths earlier-the constant yammering about the boy's power, bleh. He was the Emperor of Jurai. None in the universe were stronger than him… none.

"Surely you sensed his power," the little voice finally said, breaking through to the emperor's conscious in the voice of his older brother.

"I can't sense anything on this miserable little dirt pile," Azusa remembered grumbling. "The filth of it clouds my senses like some kind of thick soup."

"Here's a hint," Tenchi announced innocently, "it's not soup."

Azusa looked astonished, amazed that the boy was a telepath. He didn't realize that he'd even asked, "What?"

"That's what you were thinking about, right? When I came into the bath, you and Azaka were talking about me. You said that you couldn't sense my powers because of the planet's atmosphere," Tenchi paused for a short breath. "Well, I'm telling you that it isn't just the atmosphere."

"Look, will stop speaking in rid..." Azusa paused, as the reality of his situation dawned on him. That couldn't be it though. That weird soupy stuff was all around him though. There was no way… this was the boy's power! It couldn't be! "No… no," he choked out, taking an incredulous step backwards.

"Pretty intense, isn't it?" Tenchi's face was twisted in a sort of smile that showed realization. "I didn't believe it at first either, but then I had an epiphany while grandpa was bandaging my hand. I remembered when I was fighting Kagato, he was about to kill Ayeka and something snapped. I was about to attack him, when all of a sudden, I felt this jolt run through me and the sky lit up.

'So, Jurai has chosen its true master…'

The statement didn't make any sense then, but when I got home I started to think about it. How could a planet choose who it wants for leader? Then it hit me. If Tenchi the sword is the Master Key to Tsunami the ship, what does that make Tenchi the man the key to? Grandpa had to have named me after his sword for something besides nostalgia. I never figured it out… Then a couple of hours ago, all of his 'you're the key to this and that' talk finally made sense.

Jurai never chose me and gave me the strength to defeat Kagato--I unlocked the planet's energy and took its strength for my own… just like the Tenchi-ken takes its strength from the Tsunami. That's why Washu can't find my powers in my physiology--it's all up in the sky." He looked at Azusa's face and decided to rub it in a little. "Did I speak too fast? Let me try to slow it down for you: Tenchi sword… opens a big ship… that… sits in the heavens… or the sky. The big ship… releases big energy… that little sword absorbs and uses. Tenchi… means… sky… energy. Tenchi man… can tap into planet… and release planet energy into sky. Tenchi man… then absorbs sky energy into him like Tenchi sword… and then he uses it… to destroy people who are too stupid to accept kindness."

In his bedroom, a maelstrom of keystrokes could be heard. There was no way it could be that easy. As her fingers powered down, the problems slowly added up to a definitive answer. While everyone laughed at Tenchi's caveman-like speaking, Washu's spectral analysis showed that--much like a magnet would draw nails into its magnetic field--Tenchi was drawing vast amounts of ionic energy into himself from both the air and the ground--or his poles. Azusa's power continued to escalate, she idly noticed, but the scientist decided to leave her fears and her hopes with Tenchi this time.

"Kick his teeth in, Tenchi!" Washu suddenly shouted, drawing everyone's attention to her… and the fans with his name's symbol on them. "What?"

"So, that's the best you can come up with?" Tenchi mocked him, as he began to circle his great grandfather, and drew everyone's attention back to the screen. He then made a face--an exaggerated face of surprise to further this humiliation--and ultimately sighed out of it. "Here's an easier question then. If I'm such a miniscule little pest, why haven't you killed me? Surely, you aren't that afraid of my little women would do to you."

"That's enough," Azusa shouted, coming out of his stasis with a violent snarl. "Who do you think you are to question me, boy? I've been civil in my actions, minus my one indiscretion earlier today, and this is how you treat me?"

"Oh, now you're just avoiding the question," Tenchi mentioned offhandedly, moving so as not to have his back against the railing. "To answer you: I am Tenchi Masaki, son of Nobuyuki and Achika Masaki. This is my home and I simply treated you like you treated me and my family."

"I'll have your head stuffed and mounted," Azusa shouted, throwing his outer robe into the wind, and drawing his internal sword.

"Ah, here's what momma likes!" Nagi said with a laugh that made Ryoko's skin crawl. "I'm taking odds…" And while the betting began, Tenchi could be heard slightly chuckling in wake of his opponent's challenge.

"Tell you what," Tenchi began, though, raising his hands in a defeated manner. "How about I let you hit me? Sound good, but here's the deal: You have to knock me down to both knees using only your fists. Do that and I never ascend Jurai's throne."

A familiar game, Ryoko noticed, and smiled a bit wider. "Sucker," she called to the TV.

"And if you knock me down, which you won't, what do you want in return?" Azusa asked, letting his sword fade from this reality.

"You don't try to take Ayeka from me ever again," Tenchi responded immediately with a decisiveness that would've caused brain aneurisms a few years ago.

"Bargaining for my daughter like a common animal, what kind of man are you?" the emperor chided, before catching Tenchi off guard in a moment of anger with a devastating right hook to the gut. Azusa backed away, watching as the commoner stumbled drunkenly around holding his stomach. For a moment, Azusa thought he heard several female voices shout in unison, "Goddamn it" but it was probably nothing.

"What? What happened? I know I hit harder than that son of a bitch! Don't you fall! Damn it, you better not fall!" Nagi shouted at the television, as Funaho and Misaki felt very nervous amidst the tension that was building in that room.

Outside, Tenchi groaned… or what sounded like a groan anyway.

"Woo," he heaved, before standing upright and rotating his neck some. He smiled at his great grandfather and winded up his right arm like a baseball pitcher. "Sneaky little devil, aren't you? Gotta admit, you hit harder than I thought. So," Tenchi paused, as a rather ill-intentioned smile fell over his lips, "are you ready?"

"Heh, I was just warming up," Azusa snorted to emphasize his cool, though inwardly, he began to doubt himself. Bah, self-doubt never got you anywhere, he chastised himself. "Do your best." With those words, the old man took a deep, cleansing breath and nodded when he was ready.

Following suit, Tenchi crunched his right foot into the snow behind him and dug it in. The same motion happened with his left, and then he crouched until his face was perpendicular to Azusa's chest. It was a low martial arts stance, sure, but how much power could he expect to generate from a swordsman's stance? Tenchi then took his own deep breath. He winked at Azusa, bringing his right hand and foot forward into the motion, delivering a punch that probably would've killed most men. The emperor slid back a bit in the snow like a stack of bricks sliding over the surface of a frozen lake. Tenchi came out of his wide-legged stance then, knowing that his great grandfather wouldn't come out of his tensed state. It looked as though neither man had yielded to the other, but as Azusa's head strained to look up and straight ahead, everyone saw it. He was trembling. Even his lips sputtered thick secretions of a foamy white drool, before the unthinkable finally happened.

Azusa vomited and fell to his knees. He soon coughed up a syrupy blood and panted raggedly for breath.

"This… is… not over!" Azusa grumbled in his embarrassment and fury. In a move that left everyone but Tenchi surprised, the emperor gathered himself and drew his sword. "Draw your weapon and meet your fate!" he snarled, panting heavily to capture his lost breath.

"I don't need a weapon," Tenchi said with unabashed arrogance or was that the truth he spoke? "You've done more to ruin everything you've been blessed with in a day than I could do in a year to you with a sword. I have your daughters, maybe even your wives after that stunt you pulled, and why? All because you can't let Ayeka grow up. Face the facts: You've already beaten yourself."

That was hitting the emperor where it hurt--in his pride. Tenchi's words were spoken with sincerity that time, which only added to their cutting edge. He gave Azusa a slight bow before sliding the kitchen door open. That would be the last time the boy turned his back on him--or so the emperor liked to tell himself in mid-charge. His primal roar echoed across the countryside, as he swung his sword to deliver a blow to this miscreant. Tenchi rotated half a step backward, catching his great grandfather's sword hand and using his momentum to flip him end over end. The evasive tactic didn't go over well, as Tenchi found himself leaping a low leg-sweep. Letting the spin's momentum lift him back to his full height, Azusa came at the boy in a display of various thrusts and slashes, all of which were avoided with an aggravating ease.

"Fine," Tenchi whispered, as he side-stepped one of Azusa's heavy thrusts and pushed the man towards the railing of the deck. Capitalizing on this lack of balance in his opponent, the room watched in disbelief as Tenchi palmed the back of the emperor's head and literally drove it down through the pine rails. "Is this what you wanted?" Tenchi spat, but in a much quieter and reserved tone.

Funaho looked away from the screen, as it finally seemed like Tenchi had taken all he would. She felt Misaki squeeze her hand for support and she returned the gesture, but couldn't bring herself to watch her husband get dismantled… even if he did make her want to do that to him sometimes.

"Oh, shit! That's going to leave a mark," Ryoko shouted, before falling back onto the bed in hysterical laughter. "Go Tenchi!"

And he did…

Still holding onto the back of Azusa's head, Tenchi got to his feet and with a running start, slammed the 'gentleman' into the side of the house with bone-jarring authority. The room watched Tenchi avoid a desperate thrust of his adversary's crimson blade, but the room seemed to sag when Tenchi relented. Damn. All he had to do was kick the old coot in the head and that would have been the end of it. Kiyone suddenly snapped out of her thoughts, bewildered that she, an officer of the law, would champion another man's murder. Then again, tonight was her night off and her superiors did instruct her not to interfere with matters pertaining to the Royal Family--she was just supposed to observe. Fine, she'd observe the hell out of this with a nice, fat smile on her face.

"Done… so… soon?" Azusa gasped over the speakers, as he stumbled away from the wall and spat a mouth of blood in Tenchi's general direction. "It'll take more than that to stop me!" He swallowed deeply and charged back to the frontline.

Tenchi, too, charged but faded away before either made a connecting blow.

"Don't try your little… aaaah!" Azusa screamed, as a strip of his semi-battle-like garb fell to the ground. He touched his chest, felt the blood, and began to grind his teeth. He turned around slowly, finding Tenchi standing at the far left end of the deck now with his wings receding into his body. "I get it now. You're using your little split-personalities to help you. It won't work!"

Before he ran back in, Azusa noticed something. As the clouds revealed the moon in its fullness, he saw the footsteps in the snow. They easily led to where the boy stood now and they began… no. No! There was a straight line leading from where Tenchi had stood that bowed around Azusa's own left side and trailed to the blithering idiot all the way down there. Of all the things in the world, this little shit had the ability to go invisible at will. How could he have a fair fight if these were the types of tactics the boy used? Ugh, utterly loathsome.

"I bet you think I can turn invisible at will, huh?" Tenchi asked, smiling with self-pride of the highest kind. "That's the same thing grandpa thought when I first did it to him. A little concentration here and you can put enough energy in your arms to lift a car. A little bit down here," he slapped his legs, "and you could win the Summer Olympics by a mile. You have to admit that's pretty cool, huh?"

Washu rewound her disc and slowed it down. Yep, there went Tenchi and at even a tenth of the original speed, the only thing she could see was the faint blue energy from his Light-Hawk sword and Tenchi's head. "Pretty cool, indeed," Washu concurred to herself.

"I swear by the goddesses, I will send your soul to join that perverted little father of yours if it's the last thing I do!" Azusa bellowed, drawing his sword back and elevating his energy. His mundane brown outfit turned a familiar white, complete with the emergence of his other wings. The boy wouldn't leave this alive. He'd learn his place in the world and that place would be six feet below that of everyone else. Both of his cheeks were aligned with Jurai's battle markings and with that, the final blow would be dealt.

"Washu," Ryoko said it more like a curse word, but it got the scientist's attention. "Why isn't Tenchi moving? I thought you said those funny little pants and stuff gave them super fruity powers."

"They do," Washu replied shortly, but quickly returned to her computer screen. "I hope you aren't a victim of your own hype, Tenchi…" the redhead thought, as Azusa's legs motored him towards Tenchi like a bullet train from hell.

"Yaaah," growled Tenchi in unison with his charging foe, but still standing in the same place. Azusa slid to a halt, this time fighting with his skills instead of his emotions. Unfortunately, the same results were gathered--Tenchi danced in-between all of his strikes, stopping only to deliver a punch or kick in offense. They continued for a long stretch of minutes, but never once did Tenchi summon a weapon and never once did he yield to the onslaught. In his bedroom, things had fallen into a hush beyond those two men who battled just outside. Unbeknownst to Tenchi, he was being slowly lulled into a corner. The railing met at a sharp 90 degree angle on two sides, leaving him in a half box with only one direction out--through Azusa.

"Close," Tenchi whispered, as he utilized one of Ryoko's gifts and teleported out. He reappeared on the far right end of the deck, and motioned for his great grandfather to come on. The setting appeared as though it would end the same way, until it happened. His downward slash was countered, as Tenchi swatted Azusa's right arm left with his left hand and backhanded him through the Light-Hawk Shielding and clear off the deck with his right fist.

"Either father's jaw is broken or Tenchi has hands of granite," Ayeka commented, watching as her father writhed in the snow like a sick dog.

Tenchi noticed that Azusa was struggling to keep his mystical armor in place, as it flickered like a damaged light bulb. He moved swiftly to his fallen opponent. And in a move that would've got him red carded in soccer, Tenchi kicked his great grandfather square in the stomach. The man screamed as his ribs finally broke. The 'simpleton's' foot found its way to his stomach repeatedly until he was sprawled on that frozen lake… then it came down on the back of his neck and into his kidneys.

"One more," Azusa muttered to himself in reference to getting up. "One more time is all I need! Now, get up!"

A bestial growl came from the depths of his throat and Azusa rose from his frozen ashes once more. The emperor stormed back to shore, upon where he was greeted with a warm fist in his stomach, and a cold shoe that left the word, "ekiN," on his left cheek. The roundhouse made everyone cringe, though, Washu found humor in the slow-motion replay that particularly captured the distorting of Azusa's face upon contact. His body made… 1… 2… 3… 4 full rotations before smashing back onto that frozen lake with a crunch. Switching back to the live feed from outdoors, they watched Azusa's sword finally fade away with the rest of his Juraian armament. There was no getting up this time, however. He could only lay there and bleed on the ice. If this were played to the Juraian Holy Council, Tenchi would be championed by no less than 2, 000 hangers on, Funaho dimly realized before standing abruptly and leaving the room.

"Hey! Why can she leave?" Ryoko whined.

"Because she used the door like a good little girl," her mother replied, flashing a grin that grated the child's nerves. Washu watched everyone exchange looks before rushing the door like a mob of teenagers after some boy-band. "Children," the scientist sighed… easing back through a wormhole that spit her out right beside Tenchi.

"Hello," she said quietly, "need any help?" Her query fell flat, as she noticed Tenchi's entire body pulsing with an odd light.

"I'm fine," Tenchi assured her, taking a deep breath and returning his skin back to its native state. "No need for needles and blood work this time," he said offhand, though, making a little reference to earlier.

"I just worry…" Washu paused, as the encroaching footsteps grew nearer.

"I know," Tenchi whispered, giving her shoulder a slight squeeze. "But can you just stop worrying with the damn needles already? Sheesh, I've seen drug addicts with fewer holes in their arms!" Her spirits perked up with that, enough to joke back.

"Well, you could've told me you're stealing planetary power for your own!" the scientist was shouting when everyone arrived, but smiling earnestly all the while.

"Tenchi," Ryoko squealed, but somehow stifled the urge to pour herself all over him right then and there. "Nice work, you sexy little thing you! So, where do we put his body?"

"He's not dead," Tenchi replied, casting a suddenly serious gaze on the fallen elder. "Yet…" he added.

"Well, don't just stand there--help him, Miss Washu!" Funaho suddenly screamed, taken back by her own outburst and inability to live without her husband of so many millennia. "I may have wanted Tenchi to bash his head in, but I don't want him dead! I'm begging you…" she whispered, sliding onto the ice and falling to her knees to cradle her husband's head, "help him."

Washu made a move to summon her laptop, but found her hands held firmly in Tenchi's.

"She's not going to help him," he said with a parental tone, as though he were denying the man another cookie. "Take him and let your people help him. I've done everything I will do for him. If you hurry, he may survive…" Tenchi's voice trailed as Funaho's eyes shot daggers at him.

"And if he doesn't?" she shouted, but was already fully immersed in the answer to that.

"May he have peace in death," he whispered, turning in spot and walking silently back to his home, "because he obviously couldn't have it in life."

Every woman took the same hardened stance as their lover; even his own daughter cast little more than a pitiful glance on her father's shaking body before following Tenchi back to their home. Misaki came and kneeled over the bleeding oaf, patting him down for the ship's transmitter. Both women let out a startled shriek as Azusa's eyes popped open for a moment and rolled around aimlessly before they settled in the back of his skull and his body went limp. He was completely unconscious then. They would have to make up something substantial in story to make sure the rumors didn't spread about an Earthling defeating the Emperor of Jurai. A blue light surrounded them a while later, whisking them away to their husband's tree ship and hopefully, they'd save his life.

"Well… played, boy," the emperor inaudibly mumbled as his thoughts ceased.

Author's Notes: I didn't quite kill him, but I did kill his self-esteem. I may devote another chapter to his psychological breakdown after such an uncontested defeat, but I'll see how I feel about that at a later date. In the meantime, take it easy.