Homecomings
By William Benjamin Grilliette (evilpii@juno.com)
All material of or relating to *Tenchi Muyo!* are copyrighted by Pioneer LD and AIC.
All material of or relating to "Will and Nerti Pii" is property of William Benjamin Grilliette.
More information about cast, plot, and story is available at http://evilpii.dorm4.org/.
Perspective 1: Masaki
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Act 2
Scene 1
{The wind softly rustles the leaves of the forests surrounding the Masaki shrine. Many of those
leaves have turned to gold and crimson as a few begin to break away from the trees and fall
toward the ground. The noon sun hangs overhead when a whistling swipe is heard above the
rustling of the leaves. More swipes come at a steady pace from a familiar clearing amongst the
trees, where Tenchi trained with his grandfather Yosho.}
{However, the only person there is neither Tenchi nor Yosho, but rather Nagi dressed in a white
gi and black hakama. On her feet, she wears toed footgear along with a pair of traditional
Japanese sandals. Her hair is bound by her modified Juraian hairband Key, but from her training,
some of that hair has worked its way out from its secure placement. In her hands, a bokken rests
outstretched toward an invisible opponent seen only in her mind's eye. Sweat rolls down her face
before she pushes herself forward, bringing the sword up and then down again in a quick strike.
She immediately follows with two more similar strikes, aimed at different parts of the unseen
body before spinning around with a rising swipe behind her.}
{She maintains that position, but her left hand has released the practice implement. Her left
arm is extended behind her to help balance her stance, but she furrows her brows and shakes her
head. The bounty hunter stands erect and criticizes herself.}
Nagi: No...! I should keep both hands on the hilt. That is how I was originally taught.
{The Ryo-Juraian retakes her fighting stance again when Yosho's experienced voice calls out to
her.}
Yosho: Already working up a sweat, are we?
{Nagi lowers her bokken and turns to see the Legendary Warrior of Jurai walk into the clearing in
his usual white gi and sky blue hakama. At his belts, a bokken waits at his left side to be
drawn, though his arms are folded in front of him. Nagi sheathes the wooden sword at her side
between the belts of her hakama and bows respectfully to the master swordsman.}
Nagi: I am sorry, Lord Yosho. I was trying to remember the lessons my father taught me when I
was a girl.
{The elder nods with a slight smile on his lips.}
Yosho: I'm sure Tensho would be more than proud to know that, but don't worry. We'll go through
the same techniques that he taught you then.
{He lowers his arms and rests a hand on Nagi's shoulder.}
Yosho: And, call me "Grandpa".
{Nagi blinks with a little confusion before he explains.}
Yosho: Everyone here does. I gave up being "Prince Yosho Jurai" years ago. Besides, I doubt
your father ever made you call him anything besides "Daddy" or "Father".
{The pupil's eyes close as she nods in affirmation of the master's words. Yosho draws his arms
back into the folded posture before him as he passes her. She follows him with her gaze while he
walks into the trees, spurring her to follow him.}
{After a short distance, he reaches a second clearing with many stakes planted in the ground near
some old boulders. Nagi looks at the stakes oddly while Yosho steps on one large stone and seats
himself top a taller rock. The purple-haired woman turns back to her instructor to see him take
a pebble from a small pile within a small crevice on the stone. The old man grins as he glances
to a tree limb directly above the grid of pegs.}
{With barely a motion, he tosses the small stone at the limb. Nagi watches as the pebble misses
the limb but hits a small block of wood that was resting atop the limb, knocking it from the
tree. Tied around that segment of plant matter, a length of rope extends from the chunk back to
the limb. As the piece of wood falls, the rope uncoils to its full length and stops the wooden
block's fall.}
{The block swings side to side from its residual kinetic energy while Nagi blinks and quickly
recognizes this situation. Yosho takes a couple stones between his fingers and rolls them around
in his palm before he turns his attention to his pupil, noticing her familiarity.}
Yosho: Looks like you know this routine.
{She does not turn to face him as she nods, her feet starting to levitate from the ground. Then,
he adds a stipulation.}
Yosho: Do not use your Jurai Power or your Ryoan Powers.
{The bounty hunter glances back with a little surprise in her question.}
Nagi: Why not, sir? I thought we were going to work toward controlling the dual energies inside
of me.
{The legendary man nods and explains himself.}
Yosho: That's my intent, but you need a calm mind and disciplined spirit if you hope to be able
to control your body, let alone your powers.
{She glances down in contemplation as he continues.}
Yosho: You've changed a great deal in the past three years, Nagi. You need to allow yourself
time to adjust to those changes. We should proceed slowly and carefully so you can realize
all of your latent abilities.
{A few moments pass before her sandals gently touch the ground again. The teacher grins some to
himself as his student raises her serious expression to him.}
Nagi: Very well, sir.
{With that, she dashes toward the pegs. She jumps into the air and uses a proper slanted slash
at the block before landing with her feet balanced on the pegs. The young woman spins around and
swipes at the block again as it closes on her. The impact knocks the block away while she jumps
to the side and lands on two other pegs with fair balance. Her breath comes sharply but softly,
steathily.}
{As she jumps between pairs of pegs lashing out at the block of wood, Yosho watches her with an
analytical eye. He watches her feet and sees a familiar failing from his own grandson, poor
distribution of weight. Her sandals slip occasionally, but her reflexes allow her to quickly
recover. The teacher nods as he thinks to himself.}
Yosho: She's used to aerial combat... She's very fast and agile... She also has a deal of
strength in her strikes...
{The block swings back at Nagi once more as she leaps upward. In the air, she spins a complete
rotation before landing the bokken's edge against the block to knock it against the tree to which
it is attached. She lands on the pegs again and pushes herself forward at the block again, the
sword at her waist directed behind her.}
{Her feet come to a sudden rest on a couple pegs, causing her to lose her balance for a moment.
Her teeth clinch as she draws the sword from her waist with a forceful swing. The motion of the
swipe knocks her backward and off balance again, forcing her to take a step back. The block
launches vertically and falls back towards Nagi, who once again releases the sword's hilt with
her left hand. She cuts the air with the bokken in only her right hand before she jumps back and
away from the block. Her face clenches in frustration as her left hand rejoins her right at the
hilt. Yosho's eyes narrow.}
Yosho: Her innate talent is impressive... She's trying too hard...
{Nagi continues to attack the block when the legendary warrior calls out to her.}
Yosho: Tell me about your childhood, Nagi.
{She glances back at him surprised when the block swings down close to her head. The hunter then
jumps back and swipes the block away. Yosho clarifies himself.}
Yosho: How did your father teach you? Was it like this?
{The child of Ryua and Jurai resumes her attacks at the block while her eyes narrow with thought.
She sighs before she answers.}
Nagi: Father could not do this... onboard Hi-Ryu... The Fleet's regulations would not allow...
for the captain of a Jurai ship... to hang blocks from the ceiling... of their corridors...
{Yosho furrows his eyebrows and questions her again.}
Yosho: Then, how did you know of this training method?
{Nagi's mind shifts into thought, causing her attention to leave her mock combat. Her foot slips
from a peg, but as she gasps in surprise, her right hand leaves the sword hilt to slap against
another stake in the ground. Her bokken swings out in her left hand to bap the block away again
just before it hits her shoulder. She pushes herself back erect and retakes her stance with a
quick breath before answering her instructor.}
Nagi: We could not do this method... on Hi-Ryu... but we could at home in Aiko...
{She knocks the wooden chunk away and engages the moving target once again. The legendary man
nods.}
Yosho: A fitting setting. Aiko is one of the more beautiful cities on Jurai.
{His eyes grow a bit solemn as does his voice when he asks his next question.}
Yosho: How long has it been since you've been home, Nagi Jurai?
{At that, Nagi's feet stop as she raises the sword in her right hand and her left hand against
the back of the blade in a two-handed block. She lowers her head from his view when the block
whaps the precisely placed practice sword. The warrior's hair falls across her eyes to hide her
expression, though the rest of her face is blank and cold. Her voice answers with a similar
chill.}
Nagi: Nine years...
{Compassion is heard in Yosho's next question.}
Yosho: Is that when you were taken from your father...?
{The pupil lowers her arms to her side, sheathing the bokken at her side once again. The teacher
steps down from the boulder and turns back towards the clearing from which they came. The old
gentleman requests of her in a soft and gentle voice.}
Yosho: Come with me.
{Nagi's raises her eyes to peer through her hair with mixed emotions in her pupils. She closes
those crimson eyes and resigns herself to step down from the stakes and follow her instructor.
Soon, the two of them reach the clearing where Nagi was originally practicing, and Yosho turns
back to face her. His hands raise and grip the sword at his side while he apologizes to her for
his questions.}
Yosho: I'm sorry, Nagi. I didn't want to pry into your past too much, but I hope you realize
that I need to know about my student.
{The bounty hunter silently nods as she too grips the wooden sword at her belts. Together, they
draw the bokkens as Yosho nods.}
Yosho: I'm sure that this is what you are more used to. Isn't it?
{She agrees again in silence before they touch the tips of their practice implements and slide
away from one another. Both come off their heels as they begin to slowly circle one another,
examining the other's stance. The experienced man leaves his sword in a traditional defensive
posture before him while the talented woman draws her sword behind her to hide the blade's
length. Wind rustles the leaves above them while neither makes an offensive motion, causing a
stalemate. Yosho looks deeply into the eyes of his sparring partner, and within her gaze, he
starts to see a maelstrom of conflict.}
{Just then while he is lost in her emotions, Nagi launches forward, swinging the bokken from with
her body momentum and the force exerted by her arms. The Legendary Warrior takes a step back and
moves his bokken to point downward. Upon impact, her sword slides along his and is deflected to
the side when he pulls his blade back to swing at her. She drops her wooden katana to block his
strike before taking a step back, but he does not relent.}
{As they engage one another, Yosho watches Nagi's techniques and critiques her in his mind.}
Yosho: She knows how to fight very well... no doubt from her profession... But, she still
fights so much on instinct... Her attacks are strength-based from all her back stances...
{The elder holds back his attacks, leaving the young woman to lash out at his blocks. Soon, her
left hand again leaves the sword's hilt as she swings her blade precisely, even single-handedly.
Her speed increases from fighting with one hand, and Yosho nods to himself.}
Yosho: She has great potential... However, breaking her old habits will be the task... as well
as overcoming herself...
{The two continue to spar as the sweat beads in Nagi's hair and around her face from her
exertion. Dust swirls around their feet as they slide forward and back while circling one
another. The crack of the bokkens is heard throughout the forest around the Masaki shrine while
the colorful leaves begin to fall around them.}
End Scene 1
Scene 2
{The eternal void of space shimmers, painted by the gases of nebulae and studded with unnumerable
stars. In orbit above a singular planet, a Galaxy Police (GP) station floats silently as ships
arrive and depart, primarily GP patrolships. However, at one of the many docks, a black Ryoan
Ohki ship known as Ryo-Ohki has arrived. Soon, the ship is enveloped in a crimson light before
it shrinks in size and disappears inside the mooring arm's corridor.}
{Within, the red light fades to show the cabbit Ryo-Ohki floating down to her single passenger,
Dr Washu Hakubi who is dressed in her formal Science Academy (SA) robes of emerald. Before her,
two GP officers wearing their blue and grey uniforms approach her as Ryo-Ohki lands on Washu's
shoulder. The duo stops before Washu and bow respectfully before they greet her.}
Officer 1: Welcome, Dr Hakubi. The commander gives you his warmest regards.
Officer 2: The other delegates from the SA have arrived and are waiting in the meeting hall.
{Washu smirks to herself, glancing between the two officers.}
Washu: Well, who better to start a new branch than the greatest genius in all the universe?
{A woman's voice calls from the corridor behind the two officers, a voice both sarcastic and
confident.}
Woman: More like they wanted someone who knew the planet well.
{The fire-haired Ryoan scientist leans to see around the officers and catches sight of a
colleague from the SA. A woman in her mid-twenties smiles back at Washu from behind her long
silver hair and small, square-framed glasses. Her brown eyes beam with an intelligence seemingly
equivalent to the diminutive scientist. This woman wears the same green uniform as Washu while
some of her shining white hair is tied behind her with a ruby bow. Washu widens her eyes as a
genuine smile crosses her lips.}
Washu: Naja Akara. How long's it been again?
{Naja glances upward for a moment before answering.}
Naja: Oh, I'd say forever, but it's more like three years, ever since you got booted out of the
Academy for that second weapon-creation violation.
{Washu sweats some and frowns while she retorts Naja's claim.}
Washu: I swear that dimensional oscillator was for shifting realities, not unraveling spacetime!
{The silver-haired teacher laughs some to herself while the red-haired scientist grins wryly.
Naja blinks and speaks kindly to her colleague.}
Naja: It's nice to see you again, Washu. The SA hasn't been the same without you around.
{Washu smirks to herself again.}
Washu: Of course, it hasn't! There should be a little chaos in every system!
{The taller teacher nods as the two of them turn to enter the remainder of the station.}
Naja: Well said, my friend.
{Then, one of the officers calls to the two of them, drawing back their attention regulating
words.}
Officer 2: Hey! You can't take that animal in the station!
{Washu and Naja blink in surprise before he raises his finger to point at Ryo-Ohki sitting on
Washu's shoulder. The cabbit mews in confusion when Naja steps forward with her hands on her
hips and a slight scowl on her face.}
Naja: Why not?
{The other officer explains to the professor.}
Officer 1: Health regulations for this station do not allow animals of any kind to leave the
docking arms.
{Washu narrows her eyes and folds her arms as she steps forward. Naja glances over to the short
scientist curiously when the Ryoan speaks.}
Washu: Well, there's a couple reasons why it's better that Ryo-Ohki come with us.
{She raises her hand and extends her index finger.}
Washu: Reason one: Since cabbits transform into space vessels, any diseases they might have
caught are either burned in the transformation or killed in the void of space.
{Her middle finger extends.}
Washu: Reason two: Would the GP really want a Ryoan vessel docked at one of their headquarters?
Jurai might start to ask some interesting questions of the judgment of your commander.
{The two officers glance nervously between themselves when Washu then extends her ring finger.}
Washu: Reason three: Decompression's a bitch.
{Naja sighs hard while the officers are visibly confused by their raised eyebrows and blank
expressions. Washu grins evilly as she retracts her index and ring fingers, leaving her middle
finger up in an obscene gesture. Just then, Ryo-Ohki hops from her shoulder and begins her
crystalline transformation into a starship. The officer's eyes widen in fear as they turn and
run down the docking arm's corridor, toward a few other officers.}
{Washu laughs at them while Ryo-Ohki stops her metamorphosis and reverts to a simple fuzzy
creature on Washu's shoulder. The Ryoan scientist rubs the cabbit's fur as Naja grins and shakes
her head.}
Naja: Still the extremist.
{Washu scoffs and grins.}
Washu: What else?
{The two colleagues then turn and enter the corridor when the officers run back with
reinforcements, passing Washu and Naja without stopping to look at them. The two GP officers are
taken aback to see that the transforming ship has vanished without a trace or damage to the
docking arm. The duo starts to searching around the platform while their comrades glower at this
apparent false alarm.}
{Continuing through the corridor and deeper into the GP station, Washu glances over to Naja and
idly questions her.}
Washu: I'm sure you know a great deal about what's happened on Earth so what's happened with
you, Naja?
{The silver-haired woman closes her eyes with a soft grin. The fiery Ryoan smiles and shakes her
head.}
Washu: You didn't get married, did you?
{Naja shakes her head.}
Naja: No, I didn't get married... I have a son...
{The diminutive scientist's eyes widen in surprise before blinking in confusion.}
Washu: S...son?!
{Her taller woman's eyes open quietly before she explains herself.}
Naja: Dont look so surprised, Washu. Genetically, he's my son, but he's actually a half-clone
of myself. I took one of my egg cells and duplicated the genetic code into a host sperm.
I took the liberty to mutate the X-chromosome in the sperm into a Y so he would be a boy.
{Washu nods and takes the information into a deep thought before she asks another question.}
Washu: So, you did finish the cloning technology you were developing?
{Again, Naja denies this.}
Naja: No, the process is still incomplete. When he emerged, his skin was pale white and his
corneas were almost a glowing yellow against his red irises.
{Washu's eyes grow grave as she turns a concerned eye to her colleague.}
Washu: You do know that many areas of the universe have banned full-cloning of sentients, don't
you, Naja?
{She nods with a somber gaze.}
Naja: I do, Washu. However, my son is more than a mere experiment or specimen. He is part of
me. I've told you before that I wanted a child.
Washu: I know, Naja, but this is a dangerous way to have a kid, as well as being highly
contraversial.
Naja: I can live with that.
{She smirks.}
Naja: After all, I've survived being your friend, haven't I?
{The Ryoan laughs.}
Washu: Yeah, yeah... So, what's the kid's name?
Naja: Well, I had always liked a few names, but I chose to call him "Kagato".
{At the first sound of the name, Washu grows cold and raises her head toward Naja in shock. The
silver woman looks at her with confusion as she questions her.}
Naja: What's wrong?
Washu: "Kagato"...? Like the usurper of the Jurai throne?
{Naja shakes her head with a slight scowl.}
Naja: No, no. I didn't name him after Kagato Jurai. My son's has the body and mind of a
eleven-year-old child. He has nothing to do with that man.
{The diminutive professor looks away as she sorts through the information from Naja and the
experiences of the past three years. Her voice echos with her own mind.}
Washu: Akara Kagato... half-clone of Akara Naja... namesake of Jurai Kagato... Is this more
than coincidence...?
{Naja sighs.}
Naja: I knew you probably wouldn't approve.
{Washu grins kindly and pats her friend on the shoulder.}
Washu: Don't worry about it. He's your kid. I'm sure he'll be alright.
{The taller professor turns to her friend with a relieved smile as the two of them continue
through the corridor. The red-haired Ryoan then idly questions her counterpart again with a
sarcastic tone.}
Washu: So, who else is here? I know the SA wouldn't leave the establishment of a new branch to
two rather questionable members like us.
{The silver-haired woman nods.}
Naja: You're right. When I arrived, two other representatives from the SA had already arrived.
{Washu raises an eyebrow.}
Washu: Oh? Anyone I know?
{A female voice from a side door answers her question.}
Female: Someone you should know.
{Washu and Naja stop when another short girl in the green uniform of a Universal Science Academy
professor steps out from a door ahead of them.}
{This height-challenged woman has a similar build and height to Washu, possibly equating their
physical age, but this being is of a significantly different race. Her body is covered in a thin
layer of fur, including her elf-like ears which extend past her shoulders and support two large,
spherical earrings. Her hair and fur vary from deep auburn of the bangs that fall before her
eyes to the subtle tan of the twin ponytails that spike out and fall behind her. This child's
eyes beam with a great intelligence but are amplified by an anger or madness.}
{She approaches Washu and Naja with a confident smirk on her face while introducing herself in a
proud and arrogant manner.}
Female: Yume Kuroki, greatest scientific genius in the universe. I'm assuming your Washu
Hakubi, the former holder of that title.
{Washu immediately scowls at this upstart girl and takes a step forward from Naja.}
Washu: "Former" holder of that title?! Who said I ever lost it?!
{Yume folds her arms, retaining that grin on her face.}
Yume: As any good scientist, I did my research. All my scores on the standard assessment exams
were far superior to yours. Besides, most of your "legendary" feats tend to be more the
end result of those you hung out with. I do my own work, my dear Dr Hakubi.
{The Ryoan starts to fume at this haughty kid before her while Naja thinks for a moment. The
silver-haired woman then steps forward with a knowledgeable insight.}
Naja: Wait a sec... The latest set of exams were the "rescaled", weren't they?
{Yume blinks in surprise as a rosy color appears across her cheeks, even through the fur on her
face. Washu's eyes narrow while her lips extend a maddening grin.}
Washu: That's right... They were... That would mean that your scores were "curved", making
this new batch of students seem more impressive than the old...
{Naja nods.}
Naja: If you reset the rescaled tests to the original scoring system, the scores between the two
of you would be... about the same...
{Now, the Ryoan blushes some and sweats alongside her furry upstart nemesis. Both spin around to
Naja and question her in loud voices.}
Washu & Yume: What?! There's no way I'm the same as her!!
{The tallest of the women grins wryly and laughs without humor while the two fuming rivals start
to bicker between themselves.}
Yume: "Greatest scientific genius in the universe", huh?! All I've heard is that you're a
mercenary arms designer, Washu!!
Washu: That's unsubstantiated rumor!! Since when have you mimicked Jurai energy, warped
spacetime, or crossed the break between alternate realities?!
Yume: There are more important things than mimicking the Jurai Royal Family's assumed mystic
power. Warping spacetime and hopping dimensions are child's play. Get on the cutting
edge, Washu!
Washu: What's more cutting edge than researching the powers of a god?!
Yume: This is science, not religion!!
{Over the arguing between the two supergeniuses, the yell of an old man calls out to them.}
Old Man: Hey! What's with all the yelling?
{Naja looks up while Washu and Yume break from their verbal sparring to see a rather odd man
walk towards them. He is not dressed in the emerald uniforms of a professor like the three
women, but rather his own style of red robe with golden trim. This robe bears some uniquely
simple designs of indigo and deep blue near the collar. He wears a bulging top hat with a
trademark logo in an extraterrestrial language.}
{His left eye has been replaced by an obsidian orb with a golden gleam to it. However, his face
is rather repulsive, given all his aged wrinkles and bulbous nose. The wrinkles are so extensive
that he seems to be scowling no matter the true expression on his face. A grey beard merges into
the rest of his hair escaping the back of his hat. All this hair curls together into various
cylinders around his head, much like an octopus's tentacles. Washu frowns at the man when she
shakes her head.}
Washu: Clay? I could have sworn you died centuries ago.
{Clay grins some.}
Clay: Oh? So, you're Dr Washu Hakubi, are you? I'm sorry, but I think you have me confused
with one of my ancestors. A Clay did help vote your imprisonment, but I am Dr Albert Clay.
{She glares at him.}
Washu: You definitely sound like a Clay, old man. You have the face for it.
{Naja laughs to herself while Yume snickers at the Ryoan's slight toward the fat man. Clay's
features twist more into distaste for the short genius.}
Clay: I'm more attractive than an underdeveloped and short Ryoan girl!
{The fiery woman bears her teeth as she storms toward Clay, starting to unbutton her uniform.
Naja grabs Washu and tries to hold her back while Washu's yells are heard throughout the station,
drawing observers from the GP population.}
Washu: Underdeveloped?! You want to call this underdeveloped, you fatass bastard?! I'll show
you underdeveloped!!
{Clay blushes brightly while Yume starts to openly laugh to the extent that her chest begins to
hurt.}
Yume: That's just funny!!
{Clay hears Yume and glances at her.}
Clay: You're one to talk?
{Her laughs suddenly cease when she turns to Clay with a angry frown of her own. At about the
same time, Washu pushes Naja aside while Ryo-Ohki jumps up to Naja's shoulder. Washu and Yume
reach Clay and start to take quick jabs and hammer-punches at the retreating man. Naja sweats
and smiles wryly at her colleagues.}
Naja: Oh... This couldn't have started better... could it...?
{The brown cabbit nods with a mewing sigh.}
End Scene 2
Scene 3
Sasami: Ayeka!! Nagi!! Someone please!!
{These words echo through the void while two female warriors stagger away from one another. The
two stand opposing one another in a concrete structure, weakened with stress fractures, but
illuminated by six eerily glowing insignia upon the walls. One woman is recognized immediately
as the Goddess Tsunami within the adult body of Sasami Jurai. She wears a cobalt-blue combat gi
of Jurai with her hair encased in a cloth amor to keep the long azure locks from interfering with
the battle. Her white trousers are tucked into the slender foot gear she wears while her hands
are shielded behind gauntlets of white, edged by azure.}
{Around this gi, four Keys of the Jurai Power have bonded to her uniform and to one another to
protect their master and creator: the tiara around her left shoulder interlocked with the blue
staff, the hairband around her right shoulder interlocked with the red staff. Her forearms,
shins, and chest are covered in beautifully ornate metal armor of silver and white. In her
gentle hands, the Light Hawk Sword is held in her right hand, but weakly.}
{The goddess of light holds her left side while her left shoulder has been ripped apart by a
bladed weapon. Blood runs down her arm as well as from her abdomen where her hand covers another
wound. Tears cross the pain-stricken goddess's face while she looks across to her opponent.}
{This woman is just as easily remembered as the Goddess Tokimi inhabiting the body of Ryoko and
Nagi's late mother, Ryoshu Ryua. Her face bears minor cuts alongside the emerald Mark of Rage
that crosses her face. Her gown is cut and scorched.}
{Similar to her eternal sister, Ryoshu-Tokimi bears armor on her forearms, shins, and chest of
ornate obsidian and crimson. Around her, the thorned and darkened Keys of the Jurai Power:
hairband around her right shoulder and merged with the thorned staff while the bladed tiara
around her left shoulder and merged with the vine staff.}
{In her left hand, Kagato Jurai's dark broadsword flares as a flaming blade at her command while
her right holds the silver Pyro Blade created by Will Pii and Nerti Ro. However, the silver
blade burns and cuts into the goddess's violet claws with arcs of white light, denying its
current wielder.}
{The armor over the dark goddess's left shoulder has been shattered while the undead flesh below
the damage has been ripped apart and scorched by a different form of attack. Both skin and
muscle of the two women mend back together at a similar pace of regeneration as the sisters raise
their eyes to one another. Tsunami blinks her tears away and resets her gaze into a glare of
anger while Ryoshu-Tokimi bares her teeth in rage. The two speak without words within each
other's mind.}
Tokimi: How dare you strike me...!! Apparently, that child controls you more than I had
thought...!!
Tsunami: I did not desire to fight you, sister... but I will not let you bring anymore people to
harm... Juraian, Terran... or Ryoan...
Tokimi: I heard the girl call for her mortal sister and that bastard woman... You cannot even
sacrifice the girl's free will to save yourself... Can you...?
Tsunami: While I exist, I will at least attempt to save those for whom I care... even you,
sister...
Tokimi: You are no sister of mine, Tsunami... From the moment you raised your sword against me,
you became my enemy...
Tsunami: I had hoped this would never happen... but I will not let you draw the universe into
darkness, Tokimi...
{As her mind continues, Sasami's ten-year-old voice echos Tsunami's words in an angry and hurt
tone, reflecting the wounds Tsunami has sustained.}
Sasami-Tsunami: I won't let this continue... Even if I die here, others will take my place and
defeat you... I promise you that... just like Achi did...
{Before the dark goddess can retort, Tsunami takes the Light Hawk Sword with both hands and
closes her eyes, taking a Juraian kendo stance. She raises the blade over her head to strike
down forward as the four cracks appear in reality and widen into shield-like blades, Light Hawk
Wings of her creation. The emerald aura around her and the Keys flare into a blaze of Jurai
Power when the silver armor on her body shatters, coalescing into six golden spheres. Dressed as
a Juraian warrior without metallic armor, Tsunami's voice speaks softly as the tears roll down
her face once more.}
Tsunami: I am Sasami of Jurai... sister of Ayeka of Jurai...
{Her eyes open to the crumbling ceiling above them with a saddened expression.}
Tsunami: I'm sorry, Ayeka...
{Ryoshu-Tokimi watches in confusion when Tsunami's gaze darts back to her followed by the force
of Sasami and Tsunami's combined fury: Jurai Power and the ten Light Hawk Wings. Ryoshu-
Tokimi's eyes widen with a gasp of surprise as she raises her two swords and nine wings
defensively.}
{The six golden orbs around Tsunami smash into six of Ryoshu-Tokimi's wings, both sets
annihilating in a bright dissolution of light. Three of Tsunami's wings similarly crash into the
remaining wings of Tokimi's defense while the last wing of Tsunami flies towards Ryoshu-Tokimi's
face. The possessed Ryoan turns to the side, but the wing cuts into her head next to her eye,
drawing black blood to ooze down the side of her face before the blade explodes.}
{Tsunami swings the Light Hawk Sword, hitting her sister's swords and knocking them away before
continuing to strike. She cuts across the black armor, shattering it and lacerating the crimson
dress when the dark sword of Kagato appears at Tsunami's side. The flaming blade slices into the
Juraian gi, into Tsunami's mortal flesh, splashing her blood across both fighters and their
backdrop. Then, the Pyro Blade is pushed forward into the chest of the goddess of light. The
azure-haired woman's head falls backward to gaze at the ceiling above them as her hands release
the Light Hawk Sword. Her lips open wide with a scream of excruciation that echos within the
structure.}
{Sasami's screams ring out inside her room within the Masaki home. She shoots up to a sitting
position on her pallet with her left hand over her chest, her eyes open wide in terror and
horror. The fifteen-year-old girl breathes with a staccato style while her heart beats against
her sternum as if to break the bone and escape her young form. Her crimson eyes dart around the
room to find it untouched and quite normal before she looks down at herself, wearing a yellow
sundress. The waning evening sunlight from the window falls upon the wrinkled sheets below her
while the green Emblem of Power on her forehead dims from the bright flaring light it initially
emitted. Slowly, her breath returns to normal, though her heart rate does not slow quite the
same amount.}
{Sasami stands and goes to the vanity mirror, allowing her azure locks to fall behind her down to
her waist. She sighs hard and shakes her head, leaning against the vanity and gazing downward
towards her feet. Her voice comes softly and full of confusion.}
Sasami: A horrible nightmare...?
{She stands erect again and runs her fingers through her hair with a long sigh before looking at
herself in the mirror. The confusion can be read in her face along with a certain solemnity.}
Sasami: Laid down for a nap after cooking lunch for everyone... I didn't expect...
{She raises her right hand and slowly traces a path from her right upward across her chest to her
left shoulder, the same path Kagato's sword took along Tsunami's body.}
Sasami: So real... Why am I...?
{Suddenly, her reflection is replaced by an image of Tsunami, Sasami as a twenty-year-old woman,
dressed again in the blue gi, but cut open and covered in her own blood. Sasami's eyes open in
fear as she steps away from the vanity and covers her mouth with her hands. She shuts her eyes
tightly and collapses to her knees, nausea and horror overwhelming her.}
{Fearfully, her eyes crack open to gaze at the vanity mirror again to see nothing save herself
cowering on the ground meters from the piece of silvered glass. She blinks in surprise before
she stands, her eyes never looking away from the mirror. The young woman approaches the reversed
image of herself, reaching out to it with her right hand. She stops before the vanity and traces
her face in the glass, her fingertips never touching the mirror. The girl's expression is lost,
gazing into her own eyes.}
Sasami: Tsunami... Tokimi... Names I've heard so often in legend and myth...
{She frowns, dropping her head forward with a heavy sigh.}
Sasami: What's happened to me?! A month ago, I was ten-year-old girl!
{The young woman grips her fists tightly while clinching her teeth tightly. Tears drip onto the
wooden top of the vanity's desk before her knuckles ram into it. The pictures on the desk shake,
most falling over as Sasami collapses to her knees. She lays across the top of the vanity, her
sobs shaking her body as her voice arises from her lips.}
Sasami: Where'd my life go...? Why did everything change...?
{Her tear-streaked face angles up to glance at one specific portrait on the vanity.}
Sasami: Why did you have to leave... sister...?
{Before her, a picture stands alone among the others which have fallen. This image portrays
Sasami when she was ten-years-old, wearing a traditional Juraian kimono with her hair bound in
twin ponytails. Another woman dressed similarly with her hair in a mimicked style stands behind
her, her regal violet tresses falling around her. This was the last picture taken of Ayeka and
Sasami together.}
End Scene 3
Scene 4
{Water babbles from the central fountain of the alternate dimension onsen in the Masaki home.
The plants of the enclosed arboretum sway with a gentle breeze from the air conditioning system
installed within the chambers walls, far in the black distance. A calm silence fills this place
when a woman's sigh is heard from near the water.}
{In the pleasantly warm and steamy fluid, Nagi leans against one of the wooden terraces at the
water's edge. Her nude form is relaxed in the comforting moisture around her while her purple
hair is wet and flowing from the humidity. Her crimson eyes gaze into the distance as she
ponders in this solitude.}
Nagi: Overcome myself... What does he mean by that...?
{She closes her eyes as her mind drifts away from her environs and returns her to her sparring
match with Yosho earlier in the day. A wooden blade cuts through the air before stabbing itself
into the ground. Nagi is knelt on one knee in her white gi and black hakama, her right hand
extended forward for a strike, but her bokken's blade has been broken off just above the hilt.}
{Over her, Yosho stands with his bokken at her neck, gazing at his pupil's defeat. Nagi glances
to the side to see the broken blade of her sword stabbed in the ground to the side from her. The
legendary man above her then speaks from his experience.}
Yosho: You have great potential, Nagi Jurai. If I did not know this, I would not have accepted
you as my student. However, you restrict yourself.
{The child of Jurai and Ryua looks up to the victor as he continues in a teacher's tone.}
Yosho: Many times, your passion and fury have won your battles and helped you achieve great
things, including coming into your Jurai Power. That part of you is unbalanced now. You
have to overcome that part of yourself to gain the peace you need to wield a sword against
me, or your dual sword against an enemy.
{His words echo in her mind as she opens her eyes in the onsen once more. Nagi sighs as she
relaxes further, allowing herself to sink under the water except for her face. Her hair
beautifully fans out with her motion as her eyes close and her breath stops. The bounty hunter
completely immerses herself.}
{Elsewhere, Nobuyuki walks up the stairs slowly, still dressed in his overcoat from his commute
back from his office. Under his right arm, he carries a white, plastic cylinder sealed on both
ends to protect its contents. His face bears mixed emotions while he muses about his day.}
Nobuyuki: You'd think getting the plans for my home, which I designed, would've been easier...
I guess the changes across the planet effect even Okayama... Bad enough business is
getting slimmer with all the political garbage... At least I got them...
{He reaches the top of the stairs and hears water running from the bathroom. The owner of the
home blinks in confusion as he approaches the door, which is slightly ajar. The architect sighs
with a slight scowl as he grips the door's handle.}
Nobuyuki: Someone left the water running... perfect... You'd think with so few in the house,
this wouldn't happen...
{His hand slides the door open to reveal the women's onsen standing before him in its glory. He
takes a step back in surprise as he gasps at the beauty he had almost forgotten. Then, his
features wrinkle in thought.}
Nobuyuki: Wait a sec... Something's not right here...
{Suddenly, Nagi shoots up from the water, sending a splash wave out around her. She stands and
uses her hands to comb her hair back smooth along her head before she opens her eyes. She
notices the light entering from the door and turns to see Nobuyuki standing there gazing upon the
steaming water rolling down her toned body, unbound by clothing.}
{The widower's eyes widen in fear while the bounty hunter's features scowl in anger with a ruddy
color of blush highlighting them. She screams at him loud enough to shake the house and echo
into the distance.}
Nagi: YOU PERVERTED OLD MAN!!
{At that, the architect spins on his heels and dashes off while Nagi levitates from the onsen to
the ledge, where her hairband Key and a pink modesty towel rest. Tears well Nobuyuki's eyes as
he runs with his full might, yelling in fear through the corridors of the house.}
Nobuyuki: Oh god!! Help me!!
{Behind him, a pink flash is seen as Nagi flies after him wearing that modesty towel, with her
Key flaring its violet blade from around her hand. She bares her teeth even as she yells after
him.}
Nagi: YOU DIE!!
{Soon after these words are uttered, Yosho slides open the front door and watches Nobuyuki run by
with Nagi in close pursuit into another house corridor. He mildly adjusts his glasses and
sighs.}
Yosho: Even with most of the girls gone, this house is rather loud.
{Upstairs, the chaser and quarry pass by Sasami's room just as Nagi screams out to Nobuyuki
again.}
Nagi: HOW DARE YOU!!
{Sasami's door slams open as the teen pokes her head out to watch Nobuyuki and Nagi disappear
down the stairs again. She blinks in surprise with a gasp as she dashes out after them.}
Sasami: What happened?!
{The Juraian princess sees Yosho standing by the door and joins him as the chase speeds through
the kitchen. Calmly, the elderly man explains.}
Yosho: Oh, Nobuyuki accidently looked in on Nagi while she was bathing. I think she's also
getting her frustrations out from earlier.
{Sasami furrows her brows in worry.}
Sasami: But, she could hurt him really easily with that energy blade! She needs to stop!
{The legendary warrior nods as he steps into the path of the incoming chase, extending his right
hand. To that hand, emerald energy pools together before he closes his hand around it, forming a
katana of Jurai Power. Sasami blinks in surprise at this hidden ability that Yosho now
implements. He jumps up to the rafters and makes a quick swipe before falling back to the
ground, immediately dashing at Nobuyuki and Nagi in the distance.}
{Sasami gasps at the legendary man's next motions. He ducks and sweeps Nobuyuki's legs, causing
the architect to fall over Yosho's back while Nagi flies over them both. She stops in midair and
blinks in confusion at them while Tenchi's grandfather grins at her.}
Nagi: What the...?!
{Without warning, a sliver of the slat above Nagi falls towards her and hits her head. Sasami
winces watching this as Nagi falls to the ground with her eyes swirling. The violet blade of
Nagi's Key fades away while the Juraian device unwrap from the warrior's hand. The legendary
warrior watches the Key's reaction to Nagi's unconsciousness with some interest before the young
princess runs to the hunter's side and checks her condition. Yosho stands and aids Nobuyuki to
his feet as Sasami calls with great concern to bring Nagi back to consciousness.}
Sasami: Nagi?! Are you okay?! Can you hear me?!
{Nobuyuki looks back to the young hunter on the ground with some fear while Yosho shakes his
head.}
Yosho: She's still got a way to go...
End Scene 4
Scene 5
{Waning sunlight filters through soft white curtains hanging around a single-pane window.
Outside, crystalline buildings stand proudly and shimmer a rusty hue from the light of the
setting sun. Even the walls around the window itself reflect a minor portion of this light.
Inside the small room which the window allows this gorgeous view, a bed rests against an adjacent
wall. The upper portion of the bed is inclined upward such that its single occupant can rest and
still see out to the shadowed clouds of the outside world and the crystalline pillars of
civilization.}
{The woman covered by the bed's sheets smiles gently watching the sunset from behind her spiked
locks of auburn hair. Her blue eyes gleam with experience and kindness but also are somewhat
somber. She wears a white gown while a small monitoring device stands next to the bed and beeps
with her calm heartrate. Closeby, a fluid bag hangs from a metallic pole with a small,
transparent regulator. This small device allows drips of the translucent, crimson material into
a tube implanted in the woman's arm. The chart folder at the foot of her bed reads "Ryua,
Ryoshu" in plainly written characters, as well as "Prognosis: Terminal".}
{Across the room, a tone is heard, harbingering a set of interlocked doors to separate and slide
apart. There, a young girl stands looking inward quietly, only about twelve-years-old but fairly
developed as a young woman in appearance. She wears a white split-dress which is very low-cut
and decorated with various blue buttons and red trim. The stylized sleeves of this garment end
in crimson gloves that flare back up into the white cloth. Around her neck, a simple red choker
accentuates her natural beauty while a black belt holds her dress in place. Also, her legs are
covered with ruby leggings that are skin-tight, concealing even her toes.}
{Her face is easily recognizable by her feline features, particularly her golden eyes, and her
fiery cyan mane, young Ryoko. At her sides, two fellows of her Ryoan race stand guard, flanking
the door while she walks into the room. The door slides and seals behind her as Ryoshu turns to
her with a wider smile.}
Ryoshu: Ryoko...
{Ryoko nods with a sad grin while she takes a chair and seats herself next to the bed.}
Ryoko: I'm here, Mom...
{The mother glances at her daughter's clothing and shakes her head solemnly.}
Ryoshu: You've grown up so quickly...
{The cyan-haired girl takes the elder's hand into her own gently and nods.}
Ryoko: I take after you...
{Ryoshu nods her head with a slight happiness in her expression.}
Ryoshu: Yes, you do... But, you're far more like your father was... You have his courage...
One day, you'll find that in the man you'll love...
{Ryoko sighs some and shakes her head.}
Ryoko: Not here on Ryua I won't. Everyone in my generation fears the GP. Nobody has the same
spirit Dad did.
{The mother grips her daughter's hand and shakes her head.}
Ryoshu: You have that fire in you, Ryoko... Don't forget that...
{The stubborn girl nods before her expression changes to a playful smile.}
Ryoko: How was it for you and Dad? What'd you see in him that made you love him?
{The mother closes her eyes with a pleased and happy smile.}
Ryoshu: His bravery was what I loved about your father... Akuno would single-handedly fight a
squad of heavily armed Galaxy Police officers... He could fly Kaze-Ohki through blockades
without getting a scratch on the little cabbit's hull... and, he feared only one thing...
Ryoko: What was that, the priests?
{The auburn-haired woman looks back at her daughter and shakes her head.}
Ryoshu: Losing me or you... That's why he wanted to make sure you were taken care of...
{She sighs in memory.}
Ryoshu: Akuno dreamt of crossing swords with a Juraian noble one day... but even then, he was
such a quiet man...
{Ryoko shakes her head with a smirk on her face.}
Ryoko: I don't want a quiet life, Mom. I want to live free and have fun.
{Ryoshu grins to herself as she releases Ryoko's hands and touches her daughter's cheek with her
fingertips.}
Ryoshu: I said that once... You'll understand when you get older...
{Those words echo in Ryoko's mind as Ryoko awakes beneath the sheets of her marriage bed in the
present onboard Funaho. She stretches when she hears a sigh from across the room. The Ryoan
woman blinks and glances in the distance to see Tenchi with a playful frown on his face. The
young man wears a light green t-shirt with some brown pants while his black hair is unbound
instead of tied behind his head.}
Tenchi: You had to move.
{She notices a spiral notebook in his lap and a dulling pencil held by his right hand. She looks
at him curiously when he grins pleasantly. He raises the notebook to face her, showing a sketch
of her laying in the bed asleep between the sheets. The lines are still rather angled, but the
image shows that he was beginning to smooth the image, starting along her legs. Though it is not
a masterpiece, the picture shows that the young man has definite burgeoning talent. Ryoko scoffs
in surprise as she blushes with a grin of flattery.}
Ryoko: Tenchi...! When'd you start drawing that good?
{He lowers the sketch, smiling to himself.}
Tenchi: I picked it up after everything in Manhattan. I started studying art from books and
then off the internet when Washu hacked that American ISP. I'm still far from good at it.
{He sets the tablet on his lap again and shakes his head.}
Tenchi: I thought I could doodle some and maybe capture some of that peaceful look on your face
from when you're asleep.
{Ryoko's mind echos with the words her mother spoke in the dreaming memory as the young woman
gazes at her husband.}
Ryoko: A quiet man...
{Tenchi closes the spiral notebook and sets it to the side before he stands and stretches
himself. Ryoko watches him quietly before questioning him.}
Ryoko: How long were you sitting there, anyway?
{The young artist grins.}
Tenchi: Not too long. I'll see if I can finish it later.
{She smiles slyly at her husband.}
Ryoko: When I'm asleep again?
{The young man laughs to himself as he walks to her and sits on the side of the Juraian bed.}
Tenchi: That's the only time you keep still, my dear.
{He kisses her lightly on the cheek before their gazes lock together. Within Ryoko's mind, she
remembers when she yielded her crimson power to this young man. The day was when they had first
met. She floated above Tenchi and Mihoshi with the red lightning of her original Ryoan power
flaring between her hands. Below her, Tenchi stands firm holding a garden hoe, protecting
Mihoshi who had injured herself. In his eyes, she sees a solid determination and fearlessness
that resists even her great power. The young pirate is taken aback as she returns to reality,
knowing now what her mother had meant.}
Ryoko: Blind courage...
{Ryoko smiles in the face of her beloved.}
Ryoko: Well, you'll just have to learn to draw motion the rest of the time, huh?
{The young man blinks and grins playfully as he nods to her.}
Tenchi: I guess I should, shouldn't I?
{The two lean together and kiss again on the lips.}
End Scene 5
End Act 2