Tenchi Muyo: Dragon and Crane - Chap.9 Sitting around the living room, Tenchi and the others were lost in their own thoughts as they waited for grandpa's hopefully safe and quick return. At Washu's prompting, Sasami had gone off to prepare them an early dinner, hoping to take her mind off of the situation. Still, as they sat and heard the chopping of her knife, her sobbing could be discerned, further dampening the mood. Ryoko had opened up a bottle of sake' and was drinking even heavier than usual. Tenchi got up and went outside, hoping to clear his head and heart. Washu and Ryoko watched him and followed, needing the same thing. As they walked down the steps, they halted and stared as a lone figure came walking up the path to the house, carrying a body on her shoulder. Though she was still distant, they knew that it could be none other than Nagi, and hurried over to her. "Nagi! Thank God!" said Tenchi, standing before her. Ryoko and Washu stood behind him, watching. Nagi grinned and laid her prisoner down, having bound her hands and feet in energy manacles, and pushed the hood of her cloak back. They stared at Kimiko's still form in awe, then returned their gaze to Nagi. "Is she dead?" asked Tenchi. Nagi chuckled and shook her head, poking Kimiko in the ribs with her sword. She groaned but did not awaken, making Ryoko scowl. She fired up her energy sword and stepped towards her. "I should kill you for what you did to Tenchi!" she said, but stopped when Nagi pointed her sword at her warningly. Nagi shook her head, then lowered her sword and took out a wrapped bundle. She tossed it at Washu's feet, where it unraveled and revealed Kimiko's dark, glowing blade. "I'd imagine you'll be needing this" said Nagi, sheathing her sword. "This blade is a fragment of the Tree of Darkness, and its sap is the poison running in your princess's veins. Members of Kimiko's order carry these blades with them wherever they go, and what they can't kill with them, they taint. You should also know that the tattoo around her eye is of the roots of the Tree of Darkness, spreading off into infinity. Such is their mission, to spread its influence wherever they may go." "Thanks for the history lesson, Nagi" said Ryoko, annoyedly. "But what good does it do us? Even Washu thinks its too late for Ayeka now." "Maybe not", said Washu, carefully picking up the blade with the cloth. "Now that I know the source, I can isolate the poison, and come up with an antidote!" Ryoko blinked, then slowly began to smile. Tenchi smiled as well, then opened his mouth in surprise at what was coming up behind them. "Grandpa? Ayeka?" he said. Ryoko and Washu turned around and stared in shock. Grandpa had his arm around Ayeka's waist, and smiled at them all, both of them safe if not a little worse for wear. "Girls. Tenchi. Nagi." he said in greeting, nodding his head. Ayeka smiled weakly at Tenchi, then closed her eyes and fainted. Grandpa caught her quickly, and the others gathered around her in concern. "She'll be all right" said grandpa. "She's beaten back the poison, and the darkness, that would have taken her." *** Grandpa and the others took Ayeka back to the medical bay, where it was diagnosed that she was fully recovered, albeit exhausted and needing sleep. They left her there to rest, then went to eat Sasami's dinner. Sasami burst into fresh tears when she heard the good news, then followed Washu to the lab to see Ayeka. With Washu went the assassin's blade, which she intended to teleport into the nearest black hole. Tenchi and the others listened over their meals as Grandpa relayed his spiritual battle with the Tree of Darkness, lost in his tale-telling. Nagi sipped her tea and leaned back, watching Ken-Ohki and Ryo-Ohki share a carrot together. She grinned and went back to listening to the story, occasionally looking over at Tenchi. Ryoko caught the looks and glared at Nagi, who answered her with sly winks. After the meal, they all went in to check on Ayeka, who was sleeping soundly. Next to her stood the newly repaired guardians Azaka and Kamadake, who Washu was able to repair handily, as their central processors had luckily not been damaged too badly in their battle. Shortly thereafter, Washu shooed them out to let her sleep. Sasami, however, was allowed to stay a while longer, and held her sister's hand in relief as the guardians stood silent and watchful over them both. Later that night, Tenchi was summoned into the medical bay by Washu, who told him that Ayeka wanted to see him. He sat by Ayeka's side and took her hand, smiling as her eyes opened to look at him. Her hand squeezed around his, and she returned her smile. Washu and the guardians left them alone, retiring into a neighboring room. "Lord Tenchi" she said softly, blinking her eyes. "I'm glad that you came to see me." Tenchi smiled and laid his other hand on hers, reassuring her. "I wanted to come, Ayeka" he said. "I was worried about you." Ayeka's eyes began to fill with with tears, and as she tried to blink them away, they trickled down her cheeks and onto her pillow. "Oh, Tenchi" she said softly. "For a while, I was worried as well. But Yosho helped me to help myself; he told me to think of what was truly important to me, and to fight for it. So I did." "I'm glad", said Tenchi. "Life would never be the same wihtout you, Lady Ayeka. And I'm grateful for your recovery, and for whatever you fought for to get you here. But you look so tired. I should leave you alone, so you can rest." Ayeka nodded, and smiled. Tenchi squeezed her hand and rose to leave. "Tenchi?" she started, catching him before he could go. He turned to her and smiled. "Yes, Lady Ayeka?" he said. Ayeka blushed and sighed, then shook her head. "Oh, nothing" she said softly, and closed her eyes. Tenchi nodded, then left the room to let her sleep. "I love you, Tenchi" she said, after he had gone. Then, with another sigh, she went back into pleasant dreams. *** Early the next morning, Tenchi and the others gathered on the lakeside terrace to see Nagi off, as she was ready to make her return to space and collect the reward money for Kimiko's capture. Ryoko, for her part, was glad to see her arch-rival go, but still, a lingering suspicion was gnawing away at her. She approached Nagi and folded her arms expectantly, Nagi turning to her. The bounty hunter grinned and put her hand on her hip, near her swordhilt. "I suppose you're wondering if I intend to make good on my promise, Ryoko?" she asked. Ryoko sneered and nodded. "The thought had occured to me" said Nagi, "but in light of certain events, and actions on your part, I've decided to let you go for now." Ryoko snorted and leaned on a post, not believing a word. "Oh sure", said Ryoko. "You're going to give up on a golden opportunity like me so easily? Give me some credit, Nagi. I wasn't born yesterday." Nagi chuckled. "Oh, I intend to get you one day, certainly. But the reward money I'll be getting for Kimiko will keep me in good stead for quite a while, so I'll give you a breather for the time being. And so long as you stay here with Tenchi, I'll just pretend that you're still at large elsewhere." Ryoko blinked in shock. "You've got to be kidding me" she said. Nagi grinned and shook her head. "You've known me long enough to know that I don't kid around, Ryoko" she said, "and besides, you need to stay here and take care of your man. After all, he's got more women gunning for him than you think." Nagi walked over to Tenchi, who gulped and tried to back away. Nagi, however, was too quick for him, and took him in her arms, dipping him back and giving him a deep, slow, lingering kiss. Ryoko and the others gasped, watching as she lifted him back up and ran her fingers along his cheek. Ryoko fumed, and fired up two glowing balls of crackling energy. "Be safe, Tenchi" said Nagi, "and try to keep Ryoko in line, if possible. And if she doesn't give you what you need, then, well..." She turned her head to Ryoko and grinned. "I'll just have to come back, and let you see what else you can do with those gentle hands of yours." Ryoko roared, and prepared to fire. But Washu came up behind her and knocked her on the head with a huge mallet, which sent her to the ground unconscious. Washu shook her head in disappointment. "You let the green-eyed monster bite you far too often, Ryoko" she said, and took her to the medical bay. Nagi nodded to Tenchi and the others, then picked up Kimiko. "Come, Ken-Ohki!" she said, getting a meow of compliance from him. He rubbed up affectionately against Ryo-Ohki, meowed to her, then turned into his spaceship form and pulled his mistress and her prisoner aboard. Waving goodbye to them, Tenchi and his family watched them soar up into the clouds until they disappeared from view. "Well, thank God that's over" said Tenchi, still shaken from the kiss. Ryo-Ohki sat on her haunches and meowed one last time, her eyes full of a sad mixture of longing, anguish, and joy. Sasami smiled, picked her up, and followed the others back into the house. She knew that they would see each other again.