Masaki - Chapter 3, Part 3

Deep in the forests behind the Masaki shrine stood a beautiful camellia tree, well-tended and grown proud for about 60 years.  However, while the oaks around it were only starting to lose their leaves, the camellia's lush leaves and elegant flowers had already fallen, leaving its aging branches bare.  It had lived a good life in this soil and had long watched over its mistress since their arrival decades ago.

Masaki Katsuhito smiled sadly to himself as he gazed upon the camellia.  This had been Haruna's tree when they left Jurai, when he discarded his title of crown prince in favor of her love.  He thought of how happy they were together aboard Funaho, planning for their life on their new home, Earth.  He remembered how she cared for this cutting of her family's tree, helping it grow strong and independent.

While he reminisced, the legendary warrior heard a clumsy rustle of branches behind him, which drew his thoughts back to the present.  Glancing back, he noticed his son-in-law wading through some of the underbrush to the clearing around the camellia.  Masaki Nobuyuki waved to his late wife's father before he stumbled out from the bushes.

“Hey, Dad,” he said, hopping over a bramble to regain his footing.  “Sasami said she saw you coming up this way.”

“Did she now?” the old prince commented.

“Yeah, it's almost time to see Tenchi and Ryoko off.  What're you doing up here?” Nobuyuki asked before glancing to the old tree.

Katsuhito turned to face his daughter's husband and clasped his hands behind his back.

“Just visiting some old memories.”

“Really?” the architect questioned quizzically.  “I don't think I've seen this tree before from my walks with Achika.”

“She never really liked this spot,” the Juraian man stated as he began to walk back toward the family's home.

“What didn't she like?” the Terran inquired as he followed.

“She followed me here once years before she met you,” Katsuhito explained, “and she thought she saw a ghost.  She never quite got over it.”

As both men vacated the clearing, neither noticed the faint figure standing near the camellia.

Meanwhile at the Masaki home, Jurai Nagi leaned against a nearby door frame, her feline eyes closed as she reflected on her predicament.  Having lost her grudge match with Ryoko, the huntress was obligated to join her half-sister and the Masaki boy on their jaunt to the throne-world of Jurai.  There, she must “have a date with” the crimson knight, Kamidake.

Folding her arms, she scoffed at the idea.  Agreeing to Ryoko's stipulation had only been a pretense so that Nagi could defeat her, humble her.  Sadly, the purple-haired woman now had to honor her agreement.  As a feared bounty hunter, she had very few suitors and little opportunity to pursue those who dared, not that any were worth her time.  Moreover, she did not need her piratical sibling forcing her toward a man.

Then, there was Kamidake himself.  He came from another Jurai, different from the one she had known in her childhood.  He lead his life more simply, holding to ideals that the empire as a whole had long forgotten, such as chivalry and courtesy.  Admittedly, those aspects made him endearing, but also seemingly naïve.  Could he understand the harsh life she has lead, or the daily horrors seen in her occupation?  A highborn man likely had no inclination to sully his garments with a dirty world like hers.

When she was taken from her father as a child, Nagi had dreamed someone would save her, take her home, keep her safe.  The subsequent years had destroyed that innocence, and the hardened woman who remained needed no savior.

What a waste of time, Nagi stewed.

Her eyes opened and gazed at the proud prow of Funaho extending over the lake nearby the Masaki house.  They were to leave 15 minutes ago, but everyone seemed to be lagging behind.  No doubt, Ryoko was still lazily sleeping, likely with her boyfriend at her side.  Sasami and the cabbits had gone to rouse them while Nobuyuki had wandered into the forest to find his father-in-law.

Just as well, she thought.  Maybe they will cancel this ridiculous venture before it starts.

The door opened as Hakubi Washu stepped out and stretched, enjoying the warm sunlight falling on her face.  She and the huntress exchanged glances, the scientist snickering while the huntress sneering.

“In a hurry to get to your date?” the redhead chuckled.  “I never would have pictured you as a pining maiden.”

Coldly, Nagi replied, “How long would it take me to drop you?”

“Threats?” Washu scoffed.  “You've got it bad then.”

The purple-haired woman ground her teeth as a vein in her forehead throbbed, her irritation sufficiently plain.

“Considering your own obsessions, Hakubi, I don't see how you would have any background in the frailties of the heart.”

The scientist's green eyes closed while she smiled knowingly.

“Just because I've dedicated my life to my research doesn't mean that I haven't explored other horizons.”  Washu then distantly leered up at Nagi.  “I could teach a class if you needed some tips.”

Nagi's breath hissed through her teeth before she demanded, “What business do you have here?  I trust you aren't joining in this nonsensical voyage too.”

“Who?  Cute little me?” Washu sarcastically answered, smiling brightly and running her fingertips down her dimpled cheeks.  “If you wanted me to come along, all you had to do was ask.”

“And, if I want you to vacate?”

“Well, that might cost you a sample or two,” the genius said, her eyes gleaming.  “I am still very interested in how a Juraian/Ryoan hybrid differs from the the two parent races.”

As Washu snapped a latex glove onto her hand, Nagi's rapier already aimed at the researcher's nose.  While the diminutive Ryoan's eyes traced up the blade to Nagi's face, the huntress's eyes burned fiercely with her heated words.

“Keep your probes and sensors to yourself.  Understood?”

“Aw, you're no fun,” Washu pouted.

From the path to the shrine, Katsuhito's voice called out, “Making friends, I see.”

The two women glanced over to see the grandfather and his son-in-law circling the lake toward them.  Eying Washu one last time, Nagi reluctantly sheathed her weapon while the genius chuckled to herself and quickly slid a few meters farther away.

“Where are Tenchi and Ryoko?” Nobuyuki asked.  “They were going to leave today, weren't they?”

“If anyone could rouse them from their sleep,” Nagi quipped.

“What's the big hurry, Sis?” came Ryoko's voice from the door.  There, she emerged with Tenchi and Sasami in tow.  Dressed in his finery from one of their trips to Jurai, Tenchi stood holding one last duffel bag over his shoulder.  Sasami was likewise nicely attired with Ryo-Ohki and Ken-Ohki on either shoulder.  Garbed in her more usual relaxed blue and gold striped dress, Ryoko rested a hand on her hip and scoffed, “It's not like we're on a schedule or anything.”

“Some of us want this escapade over quickly, Ryoko,” Nagi fumed.

The former pirate grinned slyly as she walked past her sibling and added, “Come on.  You'd have a better time if you'd just loosen up.”

“Ladies,” Tenchi pleaded, sweat beading on his brow, “can we at least get on the ship before you argue?”

The huntress glared at the pleased smile on her half-sister's lips, letting each venomous thought glide past her mind's eye.  How she wanted to knock that damned look off her face, with a slap to her cheek or a punch to her jaw.  However, she was obligated and simply stewed as she shook her head and walked toward Funaho.

Ryoko stretched her arms and wedded her fingers behind her head, pleased with herself.  Tenchi stepped to her side and whispered, “You two never get tired of that, do you?”

“What?” Ryoko replied.  “It's true.”

“Will you try to behave on this trip?”

“Yes, yes,” she sighed.  “Of course I will.”

Admittedly, Ryoko had grown more fond of her half-sister.  After standing side-by-side with her in Manhattan, and toe-to-toe with her in their duel a couple weeks ago, the former pirate increasingly saw how similar they were, how one reflected the other from different sides of their broken family.  Still, she could not resist pecking at Nagi's sensibilities.  It felt nostalgic to the happy times before the dark energy, when Ayeka still lived here on Earth.

While Ryoko and Washu followed Nagi in wandering toward Funaho, Tenchi rubbed the back of his neck and joined his father and grandfather.

“This is going to be a long trip,” the teenager commented.

“No kidding,” Nobuyuki added.  “Keeping those two hellcats from fighting is gonna be hard.”

Katsuhito nodded sagely while sweat rolled down the young man's cheek.

“Yeah, lucky me,” Tenchi lamented.  “Any advice?”

“Your mother didn't have any sisters,” his father chuckled uneasily.

“Your grandmother's siblings all moved to the cities after the war,” his grandfather stated, “years before I began to court her.”

“So, you guys have nothing here?”

“Not a thing,” the two men admitted in unison.

Tenchi groaned sadly as the trio followed the others toward the Juraian vessel.  Sasami smiled warmly behind them, listening to all the exchanges.  Like Ryoko, the banter and prodding resurrected fun memories of the household before Ayeka left Earth.  Beneath her hard exterior, Nagi shared a few similar sensibilities to the elder princess, though hardly as refined.  The verbal sparring between the two sisters brightened Sasami's recent melancholy.

However, Nagi was not Ayeka, and the azure-haired teenager still missed her dearly.

Below Funaho, the household gathered and were enveloped in an emerald orb, teleporting them all to the ship's bridge.  There, the central tree stood proud and lush, once more connected to her sensors and propulsion systems after 60 long years.  Her cameras panned over the attendees, identifying the members of this new generation.  Most she knew from the recent action in Manhattan, particularly Ryoko, Nagi, and Washu.  Of course, she recognized the cabbits immediately, having conversed with them during the sortie.

Naturally, Funaho knew her master, Yosho, as well as his family.  She remembered well the many walks “Katsuhito” had taken to let her see his family as it grew.  She had watched in silence as he strolled by her, talking with his daughter and son-in-law, discussing their wedding plans.  She had also stood over Tenchi as the boy would rest beneath her branches after running through the paths around her resting place.  Even while she had been stripped of her shell on this planet, Katsuhito had shared his life with her.

Today, however, marked the end of their bond.  Katsuhito walked to her trunk and rested a hand on her bark.  After knowing one another for over 70 years, both felt the sadness of the other, and Funaho was still reluctant to break the connection.

And yet, she could sense a great joy in her master's heart.

Master Yosho, she softly spoke to him, is he ready for this responsibility?

You have watched him grow, he answered her, just as you did me.  He glanced to Tenchi standing alongside Ryoko, the young man continuing to manage the peace between the Ryoan sisters.  You know the kind of man he will be.  He will be a good master for you.

Yes, she admitted, though he is still young and inexperienced.

More reason he should be in your care, my dear, he smiled.  I trust you with him just as much as I trust him with you.  I know you will show him the way.

While Funaho did accept his points and was flattered at his thoughts, she had been joined to his mind for many decades, far longer than the mere 15 years she was bonded to Emperor Takeru.  Part of her was not quite ready to leave her current master.

Katsuhito nodded, feeling her mixed emotions as he responded, Part of me will always be with you, my dear, but my time is over.  Theirs has only just begun.

She too could sense a somberness in him mixed with his pride and joy for his grandson.  She felt how he missed flying through space with her on grand adventures.  Nevertheless, he accepted his mortality, that despite his great physical prowess, his time was waning.  There, she could see his hope for her to protect Tenchi and his family as it begins.

I will miss you, Master Yosho, she whispered to him, Katsuhito.

As will I you, Yumiko, he answered.

With that, the grandfather rested his forehead against her trunk, savoring these last moments bonded.  Steadying his emotions with a breath, he turned to the others and motioned to his heir.  Tenchi peeled himself from between Ryoko and Nagi and approached his grandfather.

“Might I have the sword?” Katsuhito asked, outstretching his hand.

“Of course,” Tenchi replied, pulling the implement from his robes.

As the young man handed his elder the sword key, Washu was already tacking away at her ethereal laptop, readying her monitoring systems.  Nobuyuki peered over her shoulder and raised a confused brow.

“What're you doing with all that?” the architect inquired.

“Well,” the genius began, “few outsiders have the opportunity to witness the bonding ceremony between a Juraian and a royal tree.  In particular, none have ever had the opportunity to scientifically study such an event.”

“There's a reason for that,” Nagi scoffed as she glanced aside.

“And that is, Sis?” Ryoko retorted.

The huntress rolled her eyes with a settling breath.  “The connection between a nobleman and his tree is deep, intimate.  Father always told me it was like marriage in a way, being of one mind, rather that one flesh.”

“So, it's like how you two are with the cabbits?” Nobuyuki commented.

“I would expect it would be similar,” Washu chimed.  “A cabbit and its master share an exclusive telepathic link to one another.  Ideally, the two work as a single unit, barring conflict between the two bonded parties.”

“They can also network between themselves,” Ryoko added, glancing to the two cabbits on Sasami's shoulders, “provided everyone is friendly enough.”

Ryo-Ohki mewed softly and blushed while Ken-Ohki glanced to the side, grinning wryly.  The azure-haired princess petted them both and smiled warmly before she added her own insight.

“It's similar.  The bond to a tree is familial, particularly since the tree is typically descended from a tree owned by the same family.”  She lowered her eyes as her memory thought back to Ayeka and her bond to Ryu-Oh.  “The tree can be like a sister, younger or older.  Your tree is often your confidant and friend when you have none of your own.”

Ryo-Ohki meowed softly and nuzzled to Sasami's cheek while Ryoko and Nagi both glanced to one another.  With a nod, Ryoko stepped to the teenager's side and patted her back.

“You know, you could come with us,” the former pirate offered kindly.  “I bet Nagi could use someone to talk to on the way.”

Sasami turned to Ryoko and then to Nagi, who nodded welcomingly.  However, the young princess shook her head.  “No, I don't think I should yet, but thanks.”

Ken-Ohki smiled at the teen, as did Nobuyuki and Washu, who stood parentally at her side.  Tenchi and Katsuhito listened to this exchange, the junior of the two smiling somberly.  The elder, however, added his own experience.

“I have known this tree most of my life.  She has taken many roles:  mother, sister, friend.”  He turned to Tenchi, meeting his gaze with his own.  “A royal tree is neither a pet nor a slave.  She is a partner, a confidant, an ally.  Bonding with a tree is as much a responsibility as it is a liberation.  Are you ready to accept this role, Tenchi?”

In his Juraian finery, the black-haired prince traced his eyes upward along the magnificent flora at his side.  Admittedly, he felt a bit overwhelmed, despite his previous experiences.  Four years ago, he would have expected to be taking the keys to a car, not command of a spaceship, let alone a sentient one.  Since he has only really seen Ayeka's Ryu-Oh closeup, he did not have much reference for this.  When Katsuhito first approached him with the offer, Tenchi had been unsure about the arrangement.  After all, he would be sharing his thoughts with another being, as well as receiving them.

However, as he now looked up to Funaho's canopy, he thought of traveling the stars with Ryoko at his side, to see those sights she described to him, to share them with her.  Funaho would be teaching him and guiding him to those locales, not invading his private thoughts.  Hearing all the testimonies from his gathered family and friends, the young man took a breath and nodded to his grandfather.

“Yes, I am.”

Katsuhito grinned, proud.  “Good.”

Grasping Tenchiken in his hands, the legendary warrior pressed the guard of the sword into the bark of the mighty tree.  Taking a breath and closing his eyes, he connected his consciousness directly to Funaho's, the key glowing a soft emerald.  Each said their goodbyes, exchanging their emotions one last time before he withdrew his power, gently severing the 60-year-old connection.

As he released the key, a tear came to his aged eye, no longer hearing his companion's voice in his thoughts.  Having never seen tears in his grandfather's eyes, Tenchi was taken aback and began to speak when Katsuhito simply wiped the saline aside and motioned toward the hilt.

“Now is your time to grasp the future.”

As his elder stepped away, Tenchi advanced toward the sword and extended his hand to the device.  When his fingers neared the implement, a defensive field appeared, and sparks ran along his hand and forearm.  Concerned, Ryoko's eyes widened and started for him when Nagi grabbed her half-sister's hand.  The former pirate glared at her sibling while the huntress shook her head coolly.

“This is his test,” she whispered, “not yours.”

Nobuyuki glanced to Sasami.  “Is… that normal?”

The princess watched intently in silence, absorbing the event while Washu did the same with her many sensors.  Gritting his teeth, Tenchi pushed his fingers through the barrier and grasped the hilt.  A flash of light blinded his eyes as he focused his power into the sword, synchronizing his energies with the key, and the tree.

Silence and whiteness surrounded the Juraian prince, enveloping him in a comforting warmth.  Subtly, he could hear the sound of running water around him and feel a gentle breeze against his skin.  Opening his eyes, Tenchi found himself standing at the holy tree of the Masaki shrine, the same as it had been most of his life.  Crickets chirped as fireflies flew around the tree's trunk, the moon hanging high above amongst the stars.

“What happened to everyone?” he asked.

The wind blew against his ear, carrying with it a woman's voice.

“They are still here.  Please do not worry about them.”

Tenchi recognized the timbre of the voice:  mature, maternal, wise.  However, he could not place its owner, though it seemed familiar.  He scanned the area again, looking for the speaker.

“Then, how'd I get here?”

The woman giggled to herself.  “You have not left my bridge.  You are merely seeing my home as you remember it.”

The realization slowly came to the prince as he turned his eyes back to the great tree before him.

“So, you're Funaho?”

“I have been since the day your grandfather gave me that name.”

The scene around Tenchi shifted to Albireo V, where Emperor Takeru XXI stood against the monster Kain.  Tenchi could see Funaho's memory of the event, the warrior king holding Tenchiken at the ready, the beast holding its claws ready to strike.  Taken aback, the young prince took a breath in awe.

“His grandfather named me 'Yumiko', and I stood by him in his darkest hour.”

The environment changed again to the gardens of Yumiko, where the child prince Yosho and his cousin Kagato ran and played.  The two boys clacked their bokkens as they dashed, playing at some historical battle from their studies.  Tenchi took a moment to recognize his grandfather, and some simple extension of logic lead him to the other boy's identity, the man he himself killed to save Ayeka.

“I watched him grow, to become the legendary warrior the people hailed him to be.”

She then showed him his grandfather as a young man standing before the tree on her bridge, synchronizing with her through the key, bonding with her.  Tenchi saw Yosho's parents, their knights, and a few others from the royal court of that era joining him, supporting him.  The part-Terran prince smiled, feeling the same familial atmosphere from his own household.

“And, I also saw both you and your mother as you were raised here on Earth.”

He was treated to a sequence of memories around the holy tree of the Masaki shrine:  his mother Achika as a young girl, running around the cobblestones; her as a young woman, guiding a young Nobuyuki on a walk through the shrine's paths; her as a mother, watching over her toddler son as he splashed the water around the great tree.  Tenchi's heart ached as he saw his mother again, happy in her different stages of life, much like when he saw her so briefly in 1970.

“Neither of you were very aware of my presence, but I was always there.”

The scene then shifted back to the holy tree in the silvery moonlight.  Tenchi's eyes focused on the cobblestones scattered throughout the small pond surrounding Funaho's roots, reflecting on the memories given to him.  Likewise, each memory shared Funaho's emotions:  fear, pride, affection.  Indeed, he could see clearly into Funaho's very being, who she was and what she had been.

However, she could see him just as clearly.  She knew of his conflicted affections for Ryoko and Ayeka, his recent reservations in his relationship with his girlfriend, even the distant guilt he harbored for killing Kagato and Mecha-Nerti.  Moreover, she saw how overwhelmed he was with the tree's presence.

“I thought it would be the other way,” Funaho whispered, “me overwhelmed by the Lady's champion.”

“I'm not anyone's 'champion', really,” Tenchi said with a shake of his head.  “I mean, you've been all over the galaxy, fought important battles…”

He felt a slight touch under his chin, raising his head to her again as she added, “… Just like you, my prince.”

In that moment, the young man recognized the voice speaking to him, so similar to his mother's reassuring tone.  For a moment, he could that he could see her standing before him, raising his chin and smiling warmly, though different in some ways.  This vision was dressed in Jurai's finery with her hair cascading down her shoulders and back, yet her eyes were the wrong color, light hazel instead of a deep brown, or even the blood crimson of her transformed state.  Her face was more round, even a bit more mature than any picture he had seen of Achika.

With a shiver, Tenchi realized who this woman was.  From the memory he saw moments ago, this was Yosho's mother, the Empress Jurai Funaho, the tree's namesake.  Her voice was the one carrying the tree's words and feelings.

As the vision faded, she whispered, “Despite all the good you have done and all the adventures you have had, you still think so little of yourself.”

Modestly, he smiled to himself.  “I'm not more special than anyone else.”

“Perhaps that is why I have always been close to your family,” she chuckled.  “You know the truth.”

With a settling breath, he raised his eyes to her trunk one again.  “Then, you're alright being paired with me?”

“Of course I am.  What I wanted to know is how you felt.”

“I would be honored to have you with me,” he admitted.

“… and Ryoko,” she teasingly added.

He blushed, “Oh, so you…”

“… know that you have made love with her?  Yes, I do.”

He glanced to the side, embarrassed.  “Are you… alright with that?  I mean, I know Jurai has problems with…”

“… with Ryua?” she completed.  “While some trees date back to the war, I do not.  It was millennia before my time,  and I harbor neither the world nor its people any ill will.”

“That's good,” he admitted.

“As to your relationship with her, I will admit to being a bit disappointed.”

Tenchi grimaced as he blushed more profusely.

“I would have hoped you to be married first.”

“Well, it sorta… just…”

“… happened?” the tree finished.  “Yes, I can see.  She is a very fiery woman, very different from those courted by your predecessors.”

Worry bred in Tenchi's mind listening to Funaho's analysis of his relationship before she chuckled to herself.

“Decades ago, I would have knocked you away,” she mused, “but living with your family, I know that strict doctrine and tradition is not always the best way.”

“So, you're okay with her and me… being together?”

“Yes,” she stated, “I am, but I want your word, Masaki Tenchi, that you will honor her.  I can sense the love you have for Ryua Ryoko.  Always be true to her, and when the time is right, take her hand as your wife.”

Since he and Ryoko had become intimate, Tenchi had worried about how their relationship could be construed, despite their affections for one another.  “Marriage” had crossed his mind, but as always, he was indecisive and had yet to broach the topic with Ryoko.  Besides, there was also the matter of customs:  Earth's, Jurai's, even Ryua's.  However, he did admit that Ryoko likely did not even care about formalities.

“Regardless of whether she cares,” Funaho added, “part of you cares.  You will have to address it eventually.”

“You're right,” he agreed reluctantly.

Tenchi could feel a joy in Funaho, increasingly more aware of her presence, thoughts, and emotions.  He wondered to himself if this entire exchange was the actual process of bonding with a tree, coming to know and accept one another.  Almost immediately, the leaves of Funaho's tree sparked with filaments of white light and shot into the water below, reflecting upward around them.  In his heart, he knew the flora had just answered him in the positive.  He smiled warmly as the brightness enveloped them both.

As the light dimmed, Tenchi found himself on Funaho's bridge once more, the household standing a distance behind him.  Katsuhito touched his shoulder and nodded.

“She has accepted you as her new master,” he proudly announced.

“I know,” the young prince acknowledged as he pulled Tenchiken free from the trunk.

As he did, the blue blade manifested, knowing its master before he held the device aloft.  Together, Sasami and Nobuyuki cheered his success while even Nagi clapped aloofly.  Washu chuckled to herself as she closed her phantom laptop and joined the celebration.

Ryoko ran to her boyfriend and embraced him closely, kissing him once before lightly punching his chest for worrying her.  Wryly, he grinned and scratched the back of his head, apologizing on instinct.

Then, Funaho spoke to his mind one more time, This ship is yours, master.  What will you call me?

Letting the sword vanish, he hugged Ryoko in return and thought to himself about the exchange he had with the tree.  He glanced to Katsuhito who knowingly rested his hand on his heir's shoulder.

“She will need a name, Tenchi.”

Considering the maternal nature of the tree and her relationship to his family, Tenchi considered his own mother's name.  However, he did not want simply to give out his mother's name, so he thought about the characters in her name.  The kanji for “Achika” translated individually as “knowledge” and “flower”, so he decided to change “flower”, the “-ka”, to “leaf” or “-ha”.  Together, Tenchi and Ryoko faced the tree as he spoke the ship's new name.

“Your name is 'Achiha' now.”

The tree was not surprised and whispered back to him, I love it, now in Achika's adult voice.  The great canopy became alight with a shower of filaments, outwardly displaying her approval of her new christening, a new beginning for her and them all.