Sketches of Tenchi 3: Unanticipated Complications
A Tenchi Muyo! OAV fanfic
by HKMiller
6 December 1999; rewrite 7-10 December
chapter originally titled "Complicating the Plot"
Featuring characters created by Hiroki Hayashi and Masaki
Kajishima, also copyright AiC and Pioneer.
- - - - - - - - - -
Funaho and Misaki were back for a visit. The two sat on the sofa in
the main room of the Masaki residence, with Tenchi, his five fiancees,
Youshou, and Kiyone. Mihoshi snoozed in a corner crib, cuddling the
baby Mayuka, also asleep.
Funaho began apologetically, "I'm very sorry for the delay, Tenchi,
girls, but we're facing some unusual problems, not all on Jurai.
The Emperor has given his personal approval to your list, you
understand, including Aeka and Sasami; but his official approval
is on indefinite hold, pending certain matters. The first of these
concerns Mihoshi."
Aeka's face fell. "What is the problem?" She asked. "Normally
it only takes a few days to approve such a list."
"What's the matter, _Princess_?" said Ryouko in a low voice,
smirking. "Getting anxious for a little horizontal exercise?
Won't do it without Daddy's final approval?"
Aeka blushed furiously. Tenchi blushed, but attempted to
ignore the comment. Ryouko laughed aloud.
With a brief smile, Funaho glanced at Misaki, who took up the
explanation. "It really is just *too* preposterous, Tenchi-chan,
but there's some silly internal political problem in the Galaxy
Police holding up the approval of Mihoshi."
...who snoozed on, oblivious, in the corner...
"Our sources," Funaho said gently, "believe that factions within the
GP are opposed to the Marshal, Mihoshi's grandfather, being the
sole focus of the new ties to Jurai. They want to balance this by
supplying you with another bride from the Galaxy Police, one
allied with certain opposing factions."
Tenchi twitched. "..._another_ bride?"
"This young lady," Funaho commented, touching a button. A moving
hologram sprung into the middle of the room, showing a lively
red-haired woman in a Galaxy Police uniform. "Her name is..."
"Mitsuki!" hissed Kiyone. "How dare that conniving bitch get
involved in this!"
The group watched the hologram as it moved through the hallways
of the Galactic Police regional office and spoke to passing
officers.
"Oh, Ritsumi, it must be _so_ awful to still be a
patrolling detective..." Mitsuki smirked and snickered.
"Oh, Supervisor Arinfu, I've admired your work for
_such_ a long time. You're so _wonderful_!"
Mitsuki hugged the supervisor's arm and rubbed her
chest against it, 'accidentally'.
"You there, clerk! Pick this trash up immediately!"
Tenchi's face grew longer and longer as the recording
played. When it finished, he turned to look at Funaho.
"No way. I don't care what the repercussions are."
"Boy, what a witch. She's actually worse than Aeka."
Sasami looked unhappy. "I don't think I like her."
"I agree, Sasami. A woman of such character must never
be married to Tenchi-sama."
The ghost of a smile played on Funaho's lips. "I see.
I can't say that I don't understand your decision, Tenchi.
May I have your permission to deal with this as best I
may, given that you've already given your word to
Mihoshi-san?"
Tenchi glanced at Mihoshi, who was now sitting up and
staring at where the hologram had been. She started
crying. "Wahhh! Tenchi will hate me now!"
Tenchi looked back at Funaho with a pleading look.
"Please do."
Kiyone, looking faintly disgusted, tried to quiet Mihoshi.
"The other matter holding up the Emperor is with the House of
Nobles," explained Funaho. "The five girls on your list, plus
this Tokimi entity, equal six, which is the largest number of
brides for which we have historical precedent: Prince Ejiki,
some five thousand years ago. He had two brides from the Jurai
royal family and four from well-chosen noble families of Jurai.
Only two of your intended brides are from Jurai, and they are
both from the royal family. You can see why the nobles are
trying to get their own daughters added to the list."
Tenchi twitched. Youshou chuckled. Aeka bit her lip.
Ryouko clenched a fist. Sasami frowned doubtfully.
Misaki continued, "and the silly thing is, Tenchi, that if
the Galaxy Police force a seventh on us, we'll be outside
all existing precedents. Every noble family on the planet
will take this as free license to try to get their daughter
onto the list of your brides. Of course we can turn most of
them down..."
Funaho finished, "...but three or four of the most powerful
factions will have to be appeased. Certainly no more than
five."
"Six, absolute tops," Misaki quipped, grinning.
Tenchi stared, appalled.
- - - - - - - - - -
Two hours later, Mihoshi's immediate supervisor at the
Galaxy Police received a message via a channel which
wasn't supposed to be there. After listening to it, he
went to see his supervisor.
- - - - - - - - - -
That evening, Washuu, Ryouko, Aeka, Sasami, and Kiyone met
privately.
"Kiyone, can't you do something about this Galaxy Police
mess?"
Kiyone smiled as she leaned against the wall. "Trust me,
Washuu, sticking my neck out on this would accomplish
nothing except bringing my name to the attention of the
G-P brass. I'm sure none of you want that, any more
than I do."
Washuu grunted. Aeka and Ryouko sighed in relief.
Washuu turned to Aeka. "Well, Aeka-dono, any ideas? This
marriage doesn't need another five Jurai noblewomen, that's
for sure."
"Yeah, especially if they're all as stuck-up as you are."
Aeka took a moment to stick her tongue out at Ryouko in
a lady-like fashion before responding. "I think Mother
and Funaho-sama are correct. We have to either keep this
new Galaxy Policewoman out of it or..."
"Or what, Oneesama?" wondered Sasami.
"Maybe there is some way we can not count this Tokimi
person?" Aeka asked. Continuing to herself, she muttered,
"Oh, this is intolerable! What is the proper, polite way
to refer to this person?"
Ryouko, leaning on Aeka's shoulder, smirked as she replied.
"Just plain 'Tokimi' works for me."
Washuu dismissed the suggestion. "Not if she shows up at
the wedding the same way she showed up in Youshou's office.
The wedding's sure to be broadcast; all of Jurai will know."
"Hell, half the galaxy. The Jurai Royal family wouldn't
spare the expense."
Aeka elbowed Ryouko in the ribs. "It's your wedding
too, you know." Turning to the others, she continued.
"We could pretend we didn't know about Tokimi in advance.
Adding her as the seventh at the ceremony itself will not
give the House of Nobles any time to register complaints."
"My instruments indicated that she's a higher-dimensional
life-form. She may not even manifest a physical body in
this dimension. Does she even count as a wife under
Jurai law?"
"That is a possibility," said Aeka thoughtfully. "If the
House of Nobles believes that marriage cannot be consummated
with this person, they may allow us not to count her."
"I have a question, Oneesama," said Sasami, pulling on Aeka's
sleeve. "What did Tokimi mean when she said she wanted to
'join her sisters' in marrying Tenchi? Is she our sister?"
"She is not related to us, Sasami!" snapped Aeka. Then,
as she looked at Sasami thoughtfully, she continued in a
slower voice, "or at least she's not related to me..."
Ryouko started, then also studied Sasami. Washuu
sweatdropped.
- - - - - - - - - -
Somewhere else, Tokimi summoned D3. Her tinkling voice
sounded through a higher-dimensional hall as she asked,
"Have you completed the feasability study I requested
yet?"
"Yes, your majesty. Since the boy can generate the
Light-Hawk Wings, he will be able to survive occasional
forced extrusion into higher-dimensional space for
purposes of procreation. It will almost certainly not be
comfortable for the boy, however."
Tokimi smiled. "Comfort is not necessary."
- - - - - - - - - -
"Sir, I was wondering what side you were taking in
this flap about Mihoshi's engagement, now that Jurai
has turned Mitsuki down," Mihoshi's supervisor said,
as he brought a cup of tea to his canine-faced superior.
"Anything to get Mihoshi out of my hair! If we can
get rid of Mitsuki at the same time, great; but I'd be
willing to lose just about any of my officers in order
to finally be rid of Mihoshi."
"Perhaps, sir, just a suggestion in the Vice-Admiral's
ear: there is another young lady whom the Jurai
prince in question is said to like."
- - - - - - - - - -
The next day, Funaho and Misaki again met with Tenchi and
Youshou in the shrine office. Funaho frowned uncomfortably.
"There is one other matter I should mention, Tenchi. Your
'daughter' Mayuka: do you have any intention of marrying
the mother?"
Tenchi's jaw dropped. Youshou's jaw dropped.
"No! She tried to kill me!"
"Marry Yuzuha, the embodiment of the Dark?"
"We rather thought not. But this does raise a small problem
of legitimacy for the child, does it not? Do you plan to
acknowledge her as your..." Funaho trailed off with a
grimace.
"...bastard daughter?" Misaki glibly finished.
Funaho looked down. "There will be certain limits on her
royal prerogatives."
"Tenchi-chan would never torture his own daughter like that,
Sister. Think of the taunts; the limits on her movements!
Security following her everywhere, alert for subversion!"
Misaki shook her head.
Tenchi looked appalled. Youshou nodded grimly.
"True. Tenchi! You must legitimize Mayuka somehow!"
Tenchi stared at the three, stunned.
Misaki glanced at Funaho. "Could we use the Bride-in-Absentia
clause for Yuzuha?"
Funaho looked glumly back. "That's one more, Sister.
In-Absentia brides count as a full bride, and we're in
enough trouble with the numbers now."
Youshou rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "I suppose you could
always just adopt Mayuka, pretending she's not your real
daughter and removing her from the succession."
On Youshou's desk, a small, decorated box flipped open.
A hologram of Yuzuha appeared in the air above it. "You
will never get away with that, Prince of Jurai! If you
don't acknowledge Mayuka as both your daughter as well as
the daughter of the Dark, I will! Ha-ha-ha-ha!"
With a guilty flinch and a sigh, Youshou shut the box back up
and fastened it closed.
"Geez, grandpa." Tenchi glared at Youshou. "You still have
that thing around?
- - - - - - - - - -
The three top officers of the Galaxy Police sat down together.
The Marshal started. "We're all losing too much time to this
Jurai mess. Let's just settle it once and for all. Who has
an idea we can use?"
The Vice-Admiral passed out copies of a resume. "A name has
come to my attention. A young lady we can propose as a
replacement for Mitsuki, a very professional officer, not
aligned with either of your factions."
The third man grunted. "Will she accept? And can she work
well with Mihoshi?"
The Marshal looked over the dossier and gradually smiled.
"No problem. My granddaughter says she and this officer are
the best of friends. And I think I can make her an offer she
can't refuse."
- - - - - - - - - -
That night, during dinner, Funaho's communicator beeped. At
Washuu's gesture, a giant monitor appeared in the dining room,
displaying a split screen with the Jurai Emperor on one side
and the Marshal of the Galaxy Police on the other.
"Ah! Husband!" Misaki crooned. "Marshal; handsome as
always, you old devil!"
Funaho smiled. "Have you decided?"
"Mihoshi's engagement to Tenchi stands," insisted the
Emperor.
"Agreed. And the Galaxy Police agrees to withdraw our
nomination of Mitsuki." The Marshal's eyes turned towards
Kiyone. "Detective First-Class Kiyone."
Kiyone, who hadn't quite been paying attention, leaped
to her feet and saluted. "Yes, Sir!"
"You understand that, under the circumstances, your current
position is being phased out. We have had some difficulty
in placing you in a position appropriate to your skills.
One possibility is as assistant to Detective Mitsuki."
The Marshal paused just long enough to let that register,
then continued. "The other possibility is a newly created
position, one involving substantial challenges. Some
might consider it a substantial promotion. It involves
great personal danger and sacrifice, and will require every
bit of your considerable professional skills. Do you accept?"
"A promotion? Substantial challenges?" (They've GOT
to be kidding. When the alternative is underling to
Mitsuki?) "Sir, I accept!"
"Thank you, detective. You are hereby appointed to
permanent detached duty as liaison to the Royal House of
Jurai. Congratulations on your engagement, Princess
Kiyone!"
Kiyone froze, stunned. Tenchi took a deep breath and
looked around him. Washuu gave a judicious slight nod.
Sasami looked overjoyed, as did Mihoshi. Funaho silently
mouthed at Tenchi, "Take it. Best deal we'll get."
Aeka and Ryouko thought it over, glanced once at each other,
then, more assessingly, gave Kiyone's face and body a good
once-over. Grudgingly, they nodded acquiescence.
"She's got you beat, Princess, but I'm not worried."
"Kiyone's loveliness easily surpasses yours, Ryouko-san, but
I doubt she shall usurp me as Tenchi's favorite."
Tenchi, with a rueful smile, turned back to Kiyone. He
stuck one hand out in Washuu's direction. Washuu started
typing on her holographic laptop and a Juraian earring
appeared in Tenchi's hand.
Tenchi got down on one knee as he reached up and grasped
Kiyone's hand. "Kiyone, will you please marry me?"
"Yayyy! Kiyone, wow! Now we'll be partners forever!"
said Mihoshi, dancing and clapping her hands.
Kiyone turned to Tenchi, sparing a moment to glare at
Mihoshi. Gritting her teeth, she muttered, "yet another
mess she's gotten me into. Now I'm stuck with her for
the rest of my life."
Smiling sweetly at Tenchi, she took the earring and
put it on. "Now, Tenchi, tell me more about this position.
What are the benefits, the retirement package, the salary,
and when can I expect my next promotion?"
Tenchi groaned.
THE END (for now).
This and other fanfics stored at:
http://www.geocities.com/Tokyo/Dojo/5058
Notes: It has come to my attention that various people
interpret the end of "Manatsu no Eve" differently. My
own interpretation is that Washuu simply re-grew Mayuka,
genetically identical to the original but missing Yuzuha's
additional controls. Also, Yuzuha was defeated, not killed.
(
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