Okay, as promised!
Now arriving at Jurai! Please remember to take your towels with you or you will be fed to the Bug Blatter Beast of Traal
The next morning I learned that Jurai is a waterworld.
Mostly.
There were a few rocky islands, but they were covered with trees,
every one of them of Tsunami's descent... not the 'Royal' trees, but
the massive, towering variety had held cities and towns within their
boughs, and all at nearly stratospheric altitudes where the air was
kept breathable only by the trees themselves. But while breathable,
it was still very cold, dry air.
No wonder the Juraians all wore such heavily layered robes.
The tallest of the these trees was Tenju - the capitol of Jurai and
the home of the Imperial Palace. It had its own spaceport, which was
where we docked the Hinase.
Unfortunately for me, it was winter here on Jurai.
Fortunately, I had access to my entire wardrobe.
So, I went out in style wearing black wool trousers, my favorite
cable-knit sweater, a gray trench coat, and a beige, woolen
longshoreman's cap with ear protectors. Yuki wore a mock-turtleneck
with her jacket and wool skirt, and some light-pink stockings.
Everyone else wore the usual. They were all used to the cold, living
up on the mountain. The only reason I wasn't was because I am bred
for warm weather. I could only acclimate so much.
We exited Hinase and walked over the gangplank and onto an
open-air platform that I immediately labeled as a pier in my mind -
large, flat, open, and has ships moored to it. Pier.
And waiting for us was none other than the Emperor, as well as his
two wives. While Misaki all but tackled her two daughters, Funaho
approached us with a smile, and to my surprise she opened up her arms
for me.
Smiling back, I gave my adoptive mother a firm hug.
"I'm so glad you're safe, my son," she whispered.
"You and me both," I whispered back.
Funaho and I let go, pausing just long enough to smile at each other,
before she then turned to Minagi and Yuki.
"Welcome to Jurai, everyone. I'm glad we're all here together
now so we can meet in person at last."
"It is a great privilege to be welcomed in your home, honorable
mother," said Yuki formally as she bowed deeply to Funaho.
"Please, take good care of me."
Funaho smiled. "Don't worry, Yuki-chan. You are welcome here
not only as Garrick's fiance, but as one of my former countrymen. I
honestly look forward to getting to know you." Funaho then
turned to Minagi, smiling. “Minagi, it's good to see you again as
well.”
Minagi smiled back and bowed politely. “It's good to be here, your
Highness.”
Funaho then turned to give Yume a curious look. “Miss Yume,” she
said cordially. “Is there something I should know about? You seem
to be standing unusually close to my son.”
Yume all but glared at Funaho. “He isn't off-limits for courting
now, is he?”
Funaho gave Yume a wry grin. “Not to my knowledge – that is more
for Garrick himself to decide.”
“Good,” said Yume with a smug grin.
At this, Funaho did lean over and spoke softly. “Although, it
would be advisable to comport yourself in a manner that doesn't
ruffle too many feathers. His adoption alone is going to stir things
up as it is.”
Yume looked around Funaho to the Emperor. He only gave a flinty
stare right back at her. She then looked back to Funaho giving her a
smile, but we all knew the true feelings hidden behind that smile.
“Right,” said Yume with a nervous smile. “There shouldn't be
any trouble at all.”
“That's wonderful to know, Yume,” Funaho replied.
"Sooo~oooo, are you Garrick?"
I turned and almost started. Misaki Masaki was hovering right at my
shoulder giving me a speculative look.
"Ah. Hello Lady Misaki. Nice to meet you-GHRK!" At that
point, Misaki wrapped me in a bone-crushing hug to rival the ones I
gave the girls on a regular basis. So, with a smile I returned the
hug in full force.
"OOo~wwwweeeEEE!" squeaked Misaki. She then let me go,
then turned to Funaho. "Okay, you were right about this one Big
Sister. He actually gets it. He's a keeper~!"
"So, you really think so, Misaki?" said Azusa suddenly,
bringing all attention onto him as he approached. "Garrick
Grimm. In person." The Emperor gave me a long and searching
look. "When Sasami said we should adopt you, I thought she was
simply letting her feelings get ahead of her again. But then Seto
took a personal interest... and found you worthy. After that, Funaho
decides she needs to see you for herself. And she comes back to tell
me about this sad and lost child. And then there is all the
stories... How you shrug off your close brushes with death, how fast
you learn things, how you bested Yakage and became his student, and
how you fight like a cheating bastard and punish your enemies..."
"Minaho has yet to hear from me about her choice of words,"
Funaho said suddenly, a glower on her face somehow conveying that the
scar I gave her would not be sufficient.
Azusa grunted noncommittally. "Indeed. You are fortunate that
she drew against you first, young man, or else there would have been
serious repercussions. Regardless, I am thankful that you spared her
life. Despite her abrasive personality, my Granddaughter is an asset
to the Empire. I only wish that her Father had her sense of
responsibility."
"I merely desired to teach her a lesson she will not soon
forget. If I am to be apart of your household, your Majesty, then I
must establish myself as a man to be reckoned with."
"Indeed," Azusa replied in a low tone. "Though I
wonder why you did not take more direct action. It does not seem
like you to remain in the shadows."
"I do as I must for Tenchi's sake. I already know what it means
to take charge. Tenchi does not. I remained aside as much as
possible and urged Tenchi toward the limelight so he may gain greater
confidence in his capabilities. Would you not say, your Majesty,
that Tenchi has acquitted himself rather well?"
"I would," said the Emperor flatly. "Except that it
is as you said: you had to push him there."
"All young fledglings need to be pushed out the nest before they
learn to fly. I myself was no different when I was younger."
"So I see," Azusa intoned. "Then in that case, I
believe you do deserve credit, Tenchi. It should go without saying
that it takes courage to open your wings to catch the wind for the
first time. And you flew rather well on your first time. It is
regrettable that things were interrupted by the likes of Dr. Clay,
but even that taken into account you did very well." Azusa then
scowled. "Try not to screw up too badly in the future."
Tenchi smiled nervously as Asuza turned to address me directly.
"Garrick Grimm of Earth: a Second Generation Tree of the Royal
Line has called upon you to be bonded to it. As is the nature of our
trees, you do not have the option to refuse. Given your history,
Funaho Masaki Jurai has petitioned the Royal Council to sponsor your
adoption into House Masaki and therefore become your legal mother in
name. As head of said council, I have given the matter much thought
and I have decided to permit your adoption.
"Be warned, Earth Man, that your position in the household will
be one that has certain duties and responsibilities entailed,
including, but not limited to, military service, holding a political
office, and marriage for the sake of furthering the political agenda
of the Empire.
"Do you accept, Garrick Grimm of Earth?"
I bowed my head. "I do, your Majesty."
"So be it. The bonding ceremony shall be in three days time.
Take that time to prepare yourself." But as he turned away, he
subtly added, "Make me proud to call you my son."
"As you will... father." I turned to Funaho and saw that
she had an absolutely pleased smile on her face. Misaki, on the
other hand, was beaming and her joy would not be contained.
"EEEEEEE!" she squealed as she suddenly glomped me once
more. "I'msohappyforyou-welcometothefamily!"
I laughed softly and hugged Misaki back while everyone smiled at us.
"I'm glad to be here."
After that, we were shown to our quarters and told to take the rest
of the day to settle in. Sasami forcibly pulled Yuki and Yume away,
saying that under no uncertain terms that they would be spending her
first night on Jurai in her personal suite. I was pretty sure that
the Juraian equivalent of doujinshi manga would be involved at some
point.
Of course, Yume protested, but Yuki was quick to cut her off.
“C'mon Yume-chan!” wheedled the Earth-girl. “How often do you
get to pretend to be twelve again?” And with that, Yume
reluctantly allowed herself to be hauled off by the princess and the
schoolgirl.
Of course, everyone else wanted to be with Tenchi, and that was an
entirely different kettle of fish right there.
Minagi and I on the other hand... she and I simply retired to our
guest quarters, and immediately began to screw like rabbits trying to
repopulate the world after the apocalypse.
Hey, she was the one that started it.
Afterward, Minagi and I found the shared baths for family members.
Of course, she and I went in under the full expectation that we would
be interrupted. However, we'd already had our fun, so as far as we
were concerned it was a non-issue.
Minagi sighed as she slipped into the water with me. "This has
been such a nice day so far."
"Yeah," I agreed. "But it'll be even nicer to get the
guided tour later on. I'm pretty sure this is going to become home
for me, so I need to get to know it."
"Yes," said Minagi as she leaned against me. "But for
now, this is nice."
At that point we heard a group of feminine voices approaching. I
looked to Minagi and she smiled, nodding her head.
With that, I took a breath and called out, "HOOIII! Male in the
bath! Don't come in unless you feel like sharing!"
A pause and then another voice came out as a figure approached. "Do
my ears deceive me? My darling grandson in the shared bath?"
And then Seto Kamiki Jurai appeared through the mists, clad in
nothing more than a bath towel. "Oh this is wonderful!"
she said with an absolutely pleased look on her face. "Girls,
you can come out now. It's just Garrick. The one I've been telling
you about."
"Really? Garrick Grimm?" said another voice as a tall,
buxom, green haired woman with sharp features appeared.
"HIM!?" screeched a familiar voice and Minaho Masaki came
charging to the fore, her face going red in anger.
"The one that give Auntie Minaho that scar!? Oh this I must
see!" said yet another. An elegant platinum haired woman
appeared wearing the smile of the cat that ate the canary.
"Really? That Garrick Grimm?" said one more. A young
woman with Japanese features and dark hair appeared - her hair seemed
to have a slightly blue-ish tint to it.
"Good evening everyone," I said hospitably. "It's
nice to see you again, Grandmother."
Seto smiled back at me. "Likewise, Grandson."
"So are you just going to ignore me after what happened between
us!?" snarled Minaho.
"Honestly, I'd rather not ignore you, Minaho. I regret what
happened between us, but that was mostly your fault for insulting
me."
Silence.
"You told Seto I was cute," growled Minaho. "She
hounded me for weeks because she thought we would be good together."
"You know, big sister, you really should have just joined the
Galaxy Army like I did," said the one with the Japanese
appearance.
"Big sister?" I parroted. "But... I thought... You're
not Kiyone though!"
The girl giggled. "Well, at least you're not mistaking Tennyo
here for her mother. I'm Achika, the youngest of Yosho's three
daughters."
I felt my eyes bug out. Achika Masaki Jurai!? But she was never
part of the main Tenchi Muyo continuity! Not even in the Mangas -
the one time she did appear was a side-continuity story!
"Waituhminute!" I cried out in surprise. "Yosho had
three daughters!? Not two!?"
"Why do I feel left out here?" said the green haired woman.
"Of course he had three daughters! I should know - I gave
birth to all three of them!"
I blinked and looked at the woman a little more carefully. "Ah.
Then you must be Airi. My apologies for not recognizing you right
away."
"Oh? What does that mean?"
I looked to Seto. "They don't know yet?"
"Only that you have come across dimensions."
"I see. Ladies... you may want to get settled in first. What I
have to say can be a little unsettling."
The ladies all got settled in and I dropped the entire bomb-load on
them - what sort of world I came from, how I got here, Washu's
theories on Transfictionality, and how their story is a series of
anime and manga in my home world. About the only things I didn't
tell them were potentially sensitive information about their future
and the fact that I was, in essence, an infantile proto-god - didn't
want anyone to get the wrong idea, after all. No need for delusions
of grandeur here.
"So... you know all our secrets!?" said Minaho with a look
of pure horror.
"Not all of them," I soothed, somewhat annoyed myself.
"Your personal lives I know little about. You have to
understand that Tenchi and the girls back at the Masaki Estate on
Earth were the main characters. Though Kiriko and Seina get their
own series later on, Tenchi and his group remain the most popular
back in my home time-line. The main reason I know as much about you
ladies as I do is simply because you show up in Tenchi's life in one
way or another. Although you, Minaho, only made a cameo appearance,
I did see a lot more of you during Seina's adventures because you
were always with Grandmother."
"And that's why you warned my daughter with Sun Tzu," said
Airi as she began passing around some sake. "Know your enemy,
know yourself indeed."
I nodded in agreement as I accepted one of the small bottles for
myself and Minagi, offering it to her first. She accepted, poured herself a cup, and sipped
demurely.
"That's part of why I apologized in the first place, Minaho. I
did have an unfair advantage in knowing how you'd react once I'd seen
you'd become hostile towards me."
Minaho grunted. "Fine, I get it. I shook a bush and instead of
getting a quail I got a honey badger, and then I began to
antagonize it. Got it. Won't ever happen again."
Achika then giggled. "My my! Is big sister tsundere for
Gar-kun?"
"I AM NOT!" snapped Minaho in outrage.
"Coulda fooled me," I mumbled as I poured my own glass of sake and took sip.
Minaho slid a deadly look in my direction. "...Are you mocking
me again, Mr. Grimm?"
"You make it too damn easy,” I replied flat-out. “Besides,
you should honestly calm down. You're not presenting yourself very
well. Even worse: it's a well known fact that love and hate are just
flip-sides of the same coin. Quit giving them so much ammunition,
dammit."
Seto chuckled heartily as the others made scandalized noises while
Minaho fumed impotently.
"Sweet Tsunami's Fruits!" cried out Achika in gobsmacked
amusement. She then looked to Minagi. "Is he always like
this!?"
Minagi smiled. "Only when someone is annoying him. You should
have seen it when he and I first met. I couldn't tell if he was
coming or going."
"I heard about it from Yosho," said Airi with a smile. "He
got her so wound up she tried killing him."
All the others looked at Minagi in askance.
Minagi blushed. "Well... I was under programming at the
time..."
"Hmm..." said Tennyo thoughtfully. "I wonder if that
means that Minaho will fall for Garrick next since she tried to kill
him?"
"SHUT UP!" snarled Minaho.
Tennyo and Achika then looked to each other and smiled.
"Ho boy," I muttered under my breath.
Suddenly, the two women grabbed Minaho by her arms.
"You know, big sister," said Achika coyly, "it's
really unhealthy for you to let your stress accumulate the way you
have been lately."
"Oh yes," agreed Tennyo. "You really should relieve
that stress. And what better way than with a strong, handsome, and
virile man like Garrick here?"
Minaho was horrified as the two began to try and foist her onto me.
Seto and Airi laughed uproariously. I sighed and shook my head as I
moved towards the struggling trio - Minaho was too focused on fending
them off that she didn't notice me coming until I had scooped her up
in a bridal carry, causing her to freeze up and squeak adorably.
I gave Tennyo and Achika my best REALLY? look. "That's enough
you two," I said as I brought Minaho to my side of the bath and
set her between Minagi and I. "Welcome to the Dark Side. We
have sense and snarkability here."
The others laughed as Minaho tried to process what the hell just
happened. Minagi offered her our bottle of sake. Minaho took it
without thinking at first, and then suddenly drank down the entire
thing.
"Okay," she said as her cheeks began to flush. "Why
in the cursed depths did you do that? I probably could have killed
you just now."
I sighed as I stretched out in the bath and leaned back to let myself
float.
"Debatable," I stated flatly. "With all the
monomolecular reinforcements in my body it would be quite a feat.
Though you could probably give me some spectacular deep-tissue
bruises. Minaho, even though you are annoying me, I have to admit
that I still find you attractive."
"HEEEHHH!?" cried out Minaho as she shot out of the water
to give me a startled look.
"Shush, he's not done yet," said Minagi as she pulled her
back down into the water.
"You a beautiful woman, Minaho, but the most important thing
about you that I like is that you have a lot of passion. Passion is
good because when I marry a woman, I want it to be because she burns
for me. Just like Minagi and Yuki do."
"Well sorry to disappoint you, but I just don't like you."
“That's fine. Regardless, I just wanted to get you out of reach of
your lecherous little sister and niece."
There was a scandalized gasp from Achika. "Did he just..."
"Why yes," said Tennyo with a grin. "Yes he did."
Achika then broke out into a peal of laughter. "Oh wow. I have
never met a guy who had the guts to put me down like that, ever!
Keep it up and I might fall in love with that sassy mouth of yours."
"Oh, so it's just my mouth she likes," I grumbled.
Minagi giggled. "At least it isn't for the other things you can
do with your mouth," she said with a saucy wink. She may have
been a lot more demure than her sister, but Minagi was definitely
every bit as carnal as Ryoko.
"Did I really need to know that?" said Minaho faintly with the expression of a person that desperately wants to 'un-see' what they have just seen..
"Yes, you did," said Minagi primly. "He's also
excellent with his hands. Why, just earlier today he was running his
finger along my -ulp-..." Minagi looked at me in askance as to
why I had suddenly reached past Minaho's rather startled face to
cover her mouth all the sudden.
In answer, I turned to the other side of the bath. "Tennyo,
Achika? You two may wanna take care of those nosebleeds before they
contaminate the bath water."
At their shocked expressions and frantic reactions, Seto started
laughing so hard that she had to grasp at the edge of the bath, else
she'd slip and drown.
Minagi began shaking her head ruefully once I removed my hand.
"There you go, Gar-kun. I can never tell if your coming or
going once you get like this. And I was your unwitting accomplice.
Again!"
I smiled over at Minagi. "You just have a profound sense of
naivety," I told her. "Really, it's adorable on you.
Besides, you kinda caught me by surprise there, too."
"Okay, you guys got us good there," said Achika once she'd
staunched her bleed. "Unwitting accomplice or not. Tennyo and
I will play nice now."
"We will?" asked Tennyo innocently. "What a shame."
"We can't have a battle of wits here in the bath, Ten-chan.
He's just proven himself a worthy adversary... and a dangerous one,
too - Grandmother would have made us scrub the bath if we got any
blood in the water."
Tennyo's eyes widened at the sudden realization. She then turned to
Seto, who replied with a look of evil intent. Devil Princesss of
Jurai indeed.
"Good point," Tennyo replied. She then sighed and said,
"All joking aside, I personally feel it's only fair to tell you,
Garrick: Seto has told us, that is Achika, Minaho, and myself, to
consider ourselves marriage candidates for you, and that we should
actively pursue you."
"Ahh," I replied. "Honesty. I appreciate that. I
really do. So many misunderstandings in life can be averted if
people were more straightforward with each other. You, miss Tennyo,
have earned some merits in your column.
"On that note, I'd like to ask the three of you a serious
question: how do you all feel about that?"Achika and Tennyo
shot a look at Seto, who simply sighed and gave a rather Gallic
shrug. They then look to each other and Tennyo decided to go first.
"Really, I'd say that I'm probably the most eligible. I've
finished my commission with the Galaxy Police and I was planning on
taking some vacation time back on Earth before seeing if Grandma Seto
or Grandfather had something for me to do - probably take up command
of a flotilla or two. As for how I feel about it..." Tennyo
shrugged. "I've known for a while now that I'd probably be
asked to consider marriage with someone the Family wants closer ties
to. I'm glad that Grandma Seto is trying to set me up with someone
like you, though. I mean, you're definitely smart, you have some
interesting skills, you're good with children, you tend to avoid
fights but when you can't you definitely fight to win, and evidently
you're also great in the sack. You don't seem like a bad choice at
all, but I'd still like to see what you're really like."
I smiled at Tennyo. "I'm honestly glad to hear that you're
willing to give this a try, Tennyo. Whether things work out between
us or not, I hope that we at least become good friends."
Tennyo smiled back. "I don't think that will be a problem."
She then turned to Achika. "You're turn."
Achika sighed. "Well, I'm a little tied up with my own
commission in the Galaxy Army right now, but I'm pretty sure Grandma
Seto and Grandma Airi will pull some strings to make sure I have
some... free time." For the first time, Achika was starting to
look a little disgruntled. "I love what I do right now. I get
to beat up bad guys and date hot guys. No worries about obligations
to the Royal Family. Hell, I'm going by a monicker right now so I
don't have to deal with the stigma of being a princess. Ugh. But
anyhow... since it's you... Well, it might be okay for a while since
it's you. I mean, you're a pretty interesting guy. You've had it
real tough, but you bounced back and got stronger. Grandma Seto also
let me see recordings of what happened over on Yatsuka. That was
pretty damn good stuff there - you practically bled them dry and at
the final confrontation you had them so psyched out they ran with
their tails between their legs! Any guy that pulls something like
that and makes it look easy has got my interest."
I chuckled at that. "Well, things tend to get a little boring
back on the homestead after I got Ayeka and Ryoko to see eye-to-eye
on things... but I do have some fun projects. Besides, I could use
another super-powered highly trained combatant to help me sharpen my
skills. If you'll come along, that is."
Achika raised an eyebrow. "Aren't you afraid of getting hurt?"
I thumbed over at Minagi. "Her dad exploded my heart. You
should feel more sorry for Washu – she's the one that has to patch
me back together after one of my mishaps. It's become a running gag
over there."
Achika snickered. "Okay, you are officially fun. Count me in."
With that, all our eyes turned expectantly to Minaho.
Minaho sighed. "I'm only going because Grandmother Funaho, as
head of House Masaki, has ordered me to do so that I may gain an
appreciation for the part of my heritage I've been
neglecting."Minagi gently nudged Minaho in the ribs. Minaho
glared at her, but Minagi never wavered, simply giving her a Mona
Lisa smile.
"Oh fine!" Minaho declared in exasperation. "He is
attractive. Tsunami's sake, he should have been a damn underwear
model. Instead, he fixes relationships, makes swords, fights armies,
and even helps birth babies! What else does he do!? Walk on
water!?"
I winced at that, but then thought about it for a second. "You
know, that might be fun to do just so I can fuck with people's heads.
By the way, how do you know about that?"
"Primer to Earth Cultures," stated Minaho flatly.
"Required reading for all members of the Royal Family thanks to
the Emperor."
"Natch," I quipped.
"Anyhow, whether I like it or not, I guess I have to go. Just
don't you dare start walking on water or else, sacrilege or not, I
will kill you."
"By all means, you're welcome to try," I said glibly. "A
season back home just isn't complete until someone, intentionally or
not, makes an attempt on my life."
Minaho blinked. "Is he being serious?"
Minagi hummed thoughtfully as she cast her eyes upwards, as though a
list of events hung in the air over her head.
"Let's see, when he first got here Ryoko accidentally broke his
neck, and then a little bit later Mihoshi accidentally shattered
about half his ribs. About there, Washu and Garrick decided to
enhance his durability. So that's why with the monomolecular
reinforcements in his body. Then there was that assassination
attempt by a country on Earth called Iran. And then I showed up
and..." Minagi then blushed. "Well, you know. And then
my creator, Yakagi, exploded his heart... Also there was the guy
that tried to kidnap Yuki. And then there was you, Minaho, and then
Yume and her minions and then that freak, Dr. Clay..."
Minagi paused then gave me a look. "You've been busier than
usual. You should be good for about a year now."
"My my," purred Seto. "It seems my dear grandson is a
magnet for trouble!"
I snorted at that. "Grandmother,
even before I got here, Murphy's Law loved me like a red headed
step-child."
Seto tilted her head to the side. "I'm afraid I don't get the
reference."
"Ah, sorry. Two pop-cultural references in one. The first part
being Murphy's Law, a set of adages coined by one Doctor Murphy who
worked for the army of the USA. Basically, it states that anything
that can go wrong, will go wrong.
"As for the red-headed step-child bit, that has to do with a
racial slur against the Irish people back on Earth - they are known
for a strong genetic predisposition for the most outrageously fiery
red hair you can imagine. A red-headed step-child implied that a
woman had an illegitimate child by an Irishman before she got
married, and back when racism was more widespread on Earth the Irish
weren't looked upon kindly. Such children were usually harshly
beaten for even perceived slights by their step-fathers.
"So, combine Murphy's Law and 'red-headed step-child' as I do,
and what do you get?"
Achika giggled. "Someone the universe seems to hate."
Airi laughed. "I have to admit. That's a pretty colorful way
to describe it."
Minaho just gave me an astounded look, then shook her head. "You
know what, I give up. The universe hates you, and that's good enough
for me. I think that from now on I'll just sit back and enjoy the
show."
Sorry I explained the joke, but it felt right especially considering there's a new generation out there that doesn't know the meaning of Murphy's Law or what's so bad about being a Red Headed Step-Child.
Anyhow, I hope this scene was good for some laughs. I certainly had a blast writing it.
Now arriving at Jurai! Please remember to take your towels with you or you will be fed to the Bug Blatter Beast of Traal
The next morning I learned that Jurai is a waterworld.
Mostly.
There were a few rocky islands, but they were covered with trees,
every one of them of Tsunami's descent... not the 'Royal' trees, but
the massive, towering variety had held cities and towns within their
boughs, and all at nearly stratospheric altitudes where the air was
kept breathable only by the trees themselves. But while breathable,
it was still very cold, dry air.
No wonder the Juraians all wore such heavily layered robes.
The tallest of the these trees was Tenju - the capitol of Jurai and
the home of the Imperial Palace. It had its own spaceport, which was
where we docked the Hinase.
Unfortunately for me, it was winter here on Jurai.
Fortunately, I had access to my entire wardrobe.
So, I went out in style wearing black wool trousers, my favorite
cable-knit sweater, a gray trench coat, and a beige, woolen
longshoreman's cap with ear protectors. Yuki wore a mock-turtleneck
with her jacket and wool skirt, and some light-pink stockings.
Everyone else wore the usual. They were all used to the cold, living
up on the mountain. The only reason I wasn't was because I am bred
for warm weather. I could only acclimate so much.
We exited Hinase and walked over the gangplank and onto an
open-air platform that I immediately labeled as a pier in my mind -
large, flat, open, and has ships moored to it. Pier.
And waiting for us was none other than the Emperor, as well as his
two wives. While Misaki all but tackled her two daughters, Funaho
approached us with a smile, and to my surprise she opened up her arms
for me.
Smiling back, I gave my adoptive mother a firm hug.
"I'm so glad you're safe, my son," she whispered.
"You and me both," I whispered back.
Funaho and I let go, pausing just long enough to smile at each other,
before she then turned to Minagi and Yuki.
"Welcome to Jurai, everyone. I'm glad we're all here together
now so we can meet in person at last."
"It is a great privilege to be welcomed in your home, honorable
mother," said Yuki formally as she bowed deeply to Funaho.
"Please, take good care of me."
Funaho smiled. "Don't worry, Yuki-chan. You are welcome here
not only as Garrick's fiance, but as one of my former countrymen. I
honestly look forward to getting to know you." Funaho then
turned to Minagi, smiling. “Minagi, it's good to see you again as
well.”
Minagi smiled back and bowed politely. “It's good to be here, your
Highness.”
Funaho then turned to give Yume a curious look. “Miss Yume,” she
said cordially. “Is there something I should know about? You seem
to be standing unusually close to my son.”
Yume all but glared at Funaho. “He isn't off-limits for courting
now, is he?”
Funaho gave Yume a wry grin. “Not to my knowledge – that is more
for Garrick himself to decide.”
“Good,” said Yume with a smug grin.
At this, Funaho did lean over and spoke softly. “Although, it
would be advisable to comport yourself in a manner that doesn't
ruffle too many feathers. His adoption alone is going to stir things
up as it is.”
Yume looked around Funaho to the Emperor. He only gave a flinty
stare right back at her. She then looked back to Funaho giving her a
smile, but we all knew the true feelings hidden behind that smile.
“Right,” said Yume with a nervous smile. “There shouldn't be
any trouble at all.”
“That's wonderful to know, Yume,” Funaho replied.
"Sooo~oooo, are you Garrick?"
I turned and almost started. Misaki Masaki was hovering right at my
shoulder giving me a speculative look.
"Ah. Hello Lady Misaki. Nice to meet you-GHRK!" At that
point, Misaki wrapped me in a bone-crushing hug to rival the ones I
gave the girls on a regular basis. So, with a smile I returned the
hug in full force.
"OOo~wwwweeeEEE!" squeaked Misaki. She then let me go,
then turned to Funaho. "Okay, you were right about this one Big
Sister. He actually gets it. He's a keeper~!"
"So, you really think so, Misaki?" said Azusa suddenly,
bringing all attention onto him as he approached. "Garrick
Grimm. In person." The Emperor gave me a long and searching
look. "When Sasami said we should adopt you, I thought she was
simply letting her feelings get ahead of her again. But then Seto
took a personal interest... and found you worthy. After that, Funaho
decides she needs to see you for herself. And she comes back to tell
me about this sad and lost child. And then there is all the
stories... How you shrug off your close brushes with death, how fast
you learn things, how you bested Yakage and became his student, and
how you fight like a cheating bastard and punish your enemies..."
"Minaho has yet to hear from me about her choice of words,"
Funaho said suddenly, a glower on her face somehow conveying that the
scar I gave her would not be sufficient.
Azusa grunted noncommittally. "Indeed. You are fortunate that
she drew against you first, young man, or else there would have been
serious repercussions. Regardless, I am thankful that you spared her
life. Despite her abrasive personality, my Granddaughter is an asset
to the Empire. I only wish that her Father had her sense of
responsibility."
"I merely desired to teach her a lesson she will not soon
forget. If I am to be apart of your household, your Majesty, then I
must establish myself as a man to be reckoned with."
"Indeed," Azusa replied in a low tone. "Though I
wonder why you did not take more direct action. It does not seem
like you to remain in the shadows."
"I do as I must for Tenchi's sake. I already know what it means
to take charge. Tenchi does not. I remained aside as much as
possible and urged Tenchi toward the limelight so he may gain greater
confidence in his capabilities. Would you not say, your Majesty,
that Tenchi has acquitted himself rather well?"
"I would," said the Emperor flatly. "Except that it
is as you said: you had to push him there."
"All young fledglings need to be pushed out the nest before they
learn to fly. I myself was no different when I was younger."
"So I see," Azusa intoned. "Then in that case, I
believe you do deserve credit, Tenchi. It should go without saying
that it takes courage to open your wings to catch the wind for the
first time. And you flew rather well on your first time. It is
regrettable that things were interrupted by the likes of Dr. Clay,
but even that taken into account you did very well." Azusa then
scowled. "Try not to screw up too badly in the future."
Tenchi smiled nervously as Asuza turned to address me directly.
"Garrick Grimm of Earth: a Second Generation Tree of the Royal
Line has called upon you to be bonded to it. As is the nature of our
trees, you do not have the option to refuse. Given your history,
Funaho Masaki Jurai has petitioned the Royal Council to sponsor your
adoption into House Masaki and therefore become your legal mother in
name. As head of said council, I have given the matter much thought
and I have decided to permit your adoption.
"Be warned, Earth Man, that your position in the household will
be one that has certain duties and responsibilities entailed,
including, but not limited to, military service, holding a political
office, and marriage for the sake of furthering the political agenda
of the Empire.
"Do you accept, Garrick Grimm of Earth?"
I bowed my head. "I do, your Majesty."
"So be it. The bonding ceremony shall be in three days time.
Take that time to prepare yourself." But as he turned away, he
subtly added, "Make me proud to call you my son."
"As you will... father." I turned to Funaho and saw that
she had an absolutely pleased smile on her face. Misaki, on the
other hand, was beaming and her joy would not be contained.
"EEEEEEE!" she squealed as she suddenly glomped me once
more. "I'msohappyforyou-welcometothefamily!"
I laughed softly and hugged Misaki back while everyone smiled at us.
"I'm glad to be here."
After that, we were shown to our quarters and told to take the rest
of the day to settle in. Sasami forcibly pulled Yuki and Yume away,
saying that under no uncertain terms that they would be spending her
first night on Jurai in her personal suite. I was pretty sure that
the Juraian equivalent of doujinshi manga would be involved at some
point.
Of course, Yume protested, but Yuki was quick to cut her off.
“C'mon Yume-chan!” wheedled the Earth-girl. “How often do you
get to pretend to be twelve again?” And with that, Yume
reluctantly allowed herself to be hauled off by the princess and the
schoolgirl.
Of course, everyone else wanted to be with Tenchi, and that was an
entirely different kettle of fish right there.
Minagi and I on the other hand... she and I simply retired to our
guest quarters, and immediately began to screw like rabbits trying to
repopulate the world after the apocalypse.
Hey, she was the one that started it.
Afterward, Minagi and I found the shared baths for family members.
Of course, she and I went in under the full expectation that we would
be interrupted. However, we'd already had our fun, so as far as we
were concerned it was a non-issue.
Minagi sighed as she slipped into the water with me. "This has
been such a nice day so far."
"Yeah," I agreed. "But it'll be even nicer to get the
guided tour later on. I'm pretty sure this is going to become home
for me, so I need to get to know it."
"Yes," said Minagi as she leaned against me. "But for
now, this is nice."
At that point we heard a group of feminine voices approaching. I
looked to Minagi and she smiled, nodding her head.
With that, I took a breath and called out, "HOOIII! Male in the
bath! Don't come in unless you feel like sharing!"
A pause and then another voice came out as a figure approached. "Do
my ears deceive me? My darling grandson in the shared bath?"
And then Seto Kamiki Jurai appeared through the mists, clad in
nothing more than a bath towel. "Oh this is wonderful!"
she said with an absolutely pleased look on her face. "Girls,
you can come out now. It's just Garrick. The one I've been telling
you about."
"Really? Garrick Grimm?" said another voice as a tall,
buxom, green haired woman with sharp features appeared.
"HIM!?" screeched a familiar voice and Minaho Masaki came
charging to the fore, her face going red in anger.
"The one that give Auntie Minaho that scar!? Oh this I must
see!" said yet another. An elegant platinum haired woman
appeared wearing the smile of the cat that ate the canary.
"Really? That Garrick Grimm?" said one more. A young
woman with Japanese features and dark hair appeared - her hair seemed
to have a slightly blue-ish tint to it.
"Good evening everyone," I said hospitably. "It's
nice to see you again, Grandmother."
Seto smiled back at me. "Likewise, Grandson."
"So are you just going to ignore me after what happened between
us!?" snarled Minaho.
"Honestly, I'd rather not ignore you, Minaho. I regret what
happened between us, but that was mostly your fault for insulting
me."
Silence.
"You told Seto I was cute," growled Minaho. "She
hounded me for weeks because she thought we would be good together."
"You know, big sister, you really should have just joined the
Galaxy Army like I did," said the one with the Japanese
appearance.
"Big sister?" I parroted. "But... I thought... You're
not Kiyone though!"
The girl giggled. "Well, at least you're not mistaking Tennyo
here for her mother. I'm Achika, the youngest of Yosho's three
daughters."
I felt my eyes bug out. Achika Masaki Jurai!? But she was never
part of the main Tenchi Muyo continuity! Not even in the Mangas -
the one time she did appear was a side-continuity story!
"Waituhminute!" I cried out in surprise. "Yosho had
three daughters!? Not two!?"
"Why do I feel left out here?" said the green haired woman.
"Of course he had three daughters! I should know - I gave
birth to all three of them!"
I blinked and looked at the woman a little more carefully. "Ah.
Then you must be Airi. My apologies for not recognizing you right
away."
"Oh? What does that mean?"
I looked to Seto. "They don't know yet?"
"Only that you have come across dimensions."
"I see. Ladies... you may want to get settled in first. What I
have to say can be a little unsettling."
The ladies all got settled in and I dropped the entire bomb-load on
them - what sort of world I came from, how I got here, Washu's
theories on Transfictionality, and how their story is a series of
anime and manga in my home world. About the only things I didn't
tell them were potentially sensitive information about their future
and the fact that I was, in essence, an infantile proto-god - didn't
want anyone to get the wrong idea, after all. No need for delusions
of grandeur here.
"So... you know all our secrets!?" said Minaho with a look
of pure horror.
"Not all of them," I soothed, somewhat annoyed myself.
"Your personal lives I know little about. You have to
understand that Tenchi and the girls back at the Masaki Estate on
Earth were the main characters. Though Kiriko and Seina get their
own series later on, Tenchi and his group remain the most popular
back in my home time-line. The main reason I know as much about you
ladies as I do is simply because you show up in Tenchi's life in one
way or another. Although you, Minaho, only made a cameo appearance,
I did see a lot more of you during Seina's adventures because you
were always with Grandmother."
"And that's why you warned my daughter with Sun Tzu," said
Airi as she began passing around some sake. "Know your enemy,
know yourself indeed."
I nodded in agreement as I accepted one of the small bottles for
myself and Minagi, offering it to her first. She accepted, poured herself a cup, and sipped
demurely.
"That's part of why I apologized in the first place, Minaho. I
did have an unfair advantage in knowing how you'd react once I'd seen
you'd become hostile towards me."
Minaho grunted. "Fine, I get it. I shook a bush and instead of
getting a quail I got a honey badger, and then I began to
antagonize it. Got it. Won't ever happen again."
Achika then giggled. "My my! Is big sister tsundere for
Gar-kun?"
"I AM NOT!" snapped Minaho in outrage.
"Coulda fooled me," I mumbled as I poured my own glass of sake and took sip.
Minaho slid a deadly look in my direction. "...Are you mocking
me again, Mr. Grimm?"
"You make it too damn easy,” I replied flat-out. “Besides,
you should honestly calm down. You're not presenting yourself very
well. Even worse: it's a well known fact that love and hate are just
flip-sides of the same coin. Quit giving them so much ammunition,
dammit."
Seto chuckled heartily as the others made scandalized noises while
Minaho fumed impotently.
"Sweet Tsunami's Fruits!" cried out Achika in gobsmacked
amusement. She then looked to Minagi. "Is he always like
this!?"
Minagi smiled. "Only when someone is annoying him. You should
have seen it when he and I first met. I couldn't tell if he was
coming or going."
"I heard about it from Yosho," said Airi with a smile. "He
got her so wound up she tried killing him."
All the others looked at Minagi in askance.
Minagi blushed. "Well... I was under programming at the
time..."
"Hmm..." said Tennyo thoughtfully. "I wonder if that
means that Minaho will fall for Garrick next since she tried to kill
him?"
"SHUT UP!" snarled Minaho.
Tennyo and Achika then looked to each other and smiled.
"Ho boy," I muttered under my breath.
Suddenly, the two women grabbed Minaho by her arms.
"You know, big sister," said Achika coyly, "it's
really unhealthy for you to let your stress accumulate the way you
have been lately."
"Oh yes," agreed Tennyo. "You really should relieve
that stress. And what better way than with a strong, handsome, and
virile man like Garrick here?"
Minaho was horrified as the two began to try and foist her onto me.
Seto and Airi laughed uproariously. I sighed and shook my head as I
moved towards the struggling trio - Minaho was too focused on fending
them off that she didn't notice me coming until I had scooped her up
in a bridal carry, causing her to freeze up and squeak adorably.
I gave Tennyo and Achika my best REALLY? look. "That's enough
you two," I said as I brought Minaho to my side of the bath and
set her between Minagi and I. "Welcome to the Dark Side. We
have sense and snarkability here."
The others laughed as Minaho tried to process what the hell just
happened. Minagi offered her our bottle of sake. Minaho took it
without thinking at first, and then suddenly drank down the entire
thing.
"Okay," she said as her cheeks began to flush. "Why
in the cursed depths did you do that? I probably could have killed
you just now."
I sighed as I stretched out in the bath and leaned back to let myself
float.
"Debatable," I stated flatly. "With all the
monomolecular reinforcements in my body it would be quite a feat.
Though you could probably give me some spectacular deep-tissue
bruises. Minaho, even though you are annoying me, I have to admit
that I still find you attractive."
"HEEEHHH!?" cried out Minaho as she shot out of the water
to give me a startled look.
"Shush, he's not done yet," said Minagi as she pulled her
back down into the water.
"You a beautiful woman, Minaho, but the most important thing
about you that I like is that you have a lot of passion. Passion is
good because when I marry a woman, I want it to be because she burns
for me. Just like Minagi and Yuki do."
"Well sorry to disappoint you, but I just don't like you."
“That's fine. Regardless, I just wanted to get you out of reach of
your lecherous little sister and niece."
There was a scandalized gasp from Achika. "Did he just..."
"Why yes," said Tennyo with a grin. "Yes he did."
Achika then broke out into a peal of laughter. "Oh wow. I have
never met a guy who had the guts to put me down like that, ever!
Keep it up and I might fall in love with that sassy mouth of yours."
"Oh, so it's just my mouth she likes," I grumbled.
Minagi giggled. "At least it isn't for the other things you can
do with your mouth," she said with a saucy wink. She may have
been a lot more demure than her sister, but Minagi was definitely
every bit as carnal as Ryoko.
"Did I really need to know that?" said Minaho faintly with the expression of a person that desperately wants to 'un-see' what they have just seen..
"Yes, you did," said Minagi primly. "He's also
excellent with his hands. Why, just earlier today he was running his
finger along my -ulp-..." Minagi looked at me in askance as to
why I had suddenly reached past Minaho's rather startled face to
cover her mouth all the sudden.
In answer, I turned to the other side of the bath. "Tennyo,
Achika? You two may wanna take care of those nosebleeds before they
contaminate the bath water."
At their shocked expressions and frantic reactions, Seto started
laughing so hard that she had to grasp at the edge of the bath, else
she'd slip and drown.
Minagi began shaking her head ruefully once I removed my hand.
"There you go, Gar-kun. I can never tell if your coming or
going once you get like this. And I was your unwitting accomplice.
Again!"
I smiled over at Minagi. "You just have a profound sense of
naivety," I told her. "Really, it's adorable on you.
Besides, you kinda caught me by surprise there, too."
"Okay, you guys got us good there," said Achika once she'd
staunched her bleed. "Unwitting accomplice or not. Tennyo and
I will play nice now."
"We will?" asked Tennyo innocently. "What a shame."
"We can't have a battle of wits here in the bath, Ten-chan.
He's just proven himself a worthy adversary... and a dangerous one,
too - Grandmother would have made us scrub the bath if we got any
blood in the water."
Tennyo's eyes widened at the sudden realization. She then turned to
Seto, who replied with a look of evil intent. Devil Princesss of
Jurai indeed.
"Good point," Tennyo replied. She then sighed and said,
"All joking aside, I personally feel it's only fair to tell you,
Garrick: Seto has told us, that is Achika, Minaho, and myself, to
consider ourselves marriage candidates for you, and that we should
actively pursue you."
"Ahh," I replied. "Honesty. I appreciate that. I
really do. So many misunderstandings in life can be averted if
people were more straightforward with each other. You, miss Tennyo,
have earned some merits in your column.
"On that note, I'd like to ask the three of you a serious
question: how do you all feel about that?"Achika and Tennyo
shot a look at Seto, who simply sighed and gave a rather Gallic
shrug. They then look to each other and Tennyo decided to go first.
"Really, I'd say that I'm probably the most eligible. I've
finished my commission with the Galaxy Police and I was planning on
taking some vacation time back on Earth before seeing if Grandma Seto
or Grandfather had something for me to do - probably take up command
of a flotilla or two. As for how I feel about it..." Tennyo
shrugged. "I've known for a while now that I'd probably be
asked to consider marriage with someone the Family wants closer ties
to. I'm glad that Grandma Seto is trying to set me up with someone
like you, though. I mean, you're definitely smart, you have some
interesting skills, you're good with children, you tend to avoid
fights but when you can't you definitely fight to win, and evidently
you're also great in the sack. You don't seem like a bad choice at
all, but I'd still like to see what you're really like."
I smiled at Tennyo. "I'm honestly glad to hear that you're
willing to give this a try, Tennyo. Whether things work out between
us or not, I hope that we at least become good friends."
Tennyo smiled back. "I don't think that will be a problem."
She then turned to Achika. "You're turn."
Achika sighed. "Well, I'm a little tied up with my own
commission in the Galaxy Army right now, but I'm pretty sure Grandma
Seto and Grandma Airi will pull some strings to make sure I have
some... free time." For the first time, Achika was starting to
look a little disgruntled. "I love what I do right now. I get
to beat up bad guys and date hot guys. No worries about obligations
to the Royal Family. Hell, I'm going by a monicker right now so I
don't have to deal with the stigma of being a princess. Ugh. But
anyhow... since it's you... Well, it might be okay for a while since
it's you. I mean, you're a pretty interesting guy. You've had it
real tough, but you bounced back and got stronger. Grandma Seto also
let me see recordings of what happened over on Yatsuka. That was
pretty damn good stuff there - you practically bled them dry and at
the final confrontation you had them so psyched out they ran with
their tails between their legs! Any guy that pulls something like
that and makes it look easy has got my interest."
I chuckled at that. "Well, things tend to get a little boring
back on the homestead after I got Ayeka and Ryoko to see eye-to-eye
on things... but I do have some fun projects. Besides, I could use
another super-powered highly trained combatant to help me sharpen my
skills. If you'll come along, that is."
Achika raised an eyebrow. "Aren't you afraid of getting hurt?"
I thumbed over at Minagi. "Her dad exploded my heart. You
should feel more sorry for Washu – she's the one that has to patch
me back together after one of my mishaps. It's become a running gag
over there."
Achika snickered. "Okay, you are officially fun. Count me in."
With that, all our eyes turned expectantly to Minaho.
Minaho sighed. "I'm only going because Grandmother Funaho, as
head of House Masaki, has ordered me to do so that I may gain an
appreciation for the part of my heritage I've been
neglecting."Minagi gently nudged Minaho in the ribs. Minaho
glared at her, but Minagi never wavered, simply giving her a Mona
Lisa smile.
"Oh fine!" Minaho declared in exasperation. "He is
attractive. Tsunami's sake, he should have been a damn underwear
model. Instead, he fixes relationships, makes swords, fights armies,
and even helps birth babies! What else does he do!? Walk on
water!?"
I winced at that, but then thought about it for a second. "You
know, that might be fun to do just so I can fuck with people's heads.
By the way, how do you know about that?"
"Primer to Earth Cultures," stated Minaho flatly.
"Required reading for all members of the Royal Family thanks to
the Emperor."
"Natch," I quipped.
"Anyhow, whether I like it or not, I guess I have to go. Just
don't you dare start walking on water or else, sacrilege or not, I
will kill you."
"By all means, you're welcome to try," I said glibly. "A
season back home just isn't complete until someone, intentionally or
not, makes an attempt on my life."
Minaho blinked. "Is he being serious?"
Minagi hummed thoughtfully as she cast her eyes upwards, as though a
list of events hung in the air over her head.
"Let's see, when he first got here Ryoko accidentally broke his
neck, and then a little bit later Mihoshi accidentally shattered
about half his ribs. About there, Washu and Garrick decided to
enhance his durability. So that's why with the monomolecular
reinforcements in his body. Then there was that assassination
attempt by a country on Earth called Iran. And then I showed up
and..." Minagi then blushed. "Well, you know. And then
my creator, Yakagi, exploded his heart... Also there was the guy
that tried to kidnap Yuki. And then there was you, Minaho, and then
Yume and her minions and then that freak, Dr. Clay..."
Minagi paused then gave me a look. "You've been busier than
usual. You should be good for about a year now."
"My my," purred Seto. "It seems my dear grandson is a
magnet for trouble!"
I snorted at that. "Grandmother,
even before I got here, Murphy's Law loved me like a red headed
step-child."
Seto tilted her head to the side. "I'm afraid I don't get the
reference."
"Ah, sorry. Two pop-cultural references in one. The first part
being Murphy's Law, a set of adages coined by one Doctor Murphy who
worked for the army of the USA. Basically, it states that anything
that can go wrong, will go wrong.
"As for the red-headed step-child bit, that has to do with a
racial slur against the Irish people back on Earth - they are known
for a strong genetic predisposition for the most outrageously fiery
red hair you can imagine. A red-headed step-child implied that a
woman had an illegitimate child by an Irishman before she got
married, and back when racism was more widespread on Earth the Irish
weren't looked upon kindly. Such children were usually harshly
beaten for even perceived slights by their step-fathers.
"So, combine Murphy's Law and 'red-headed step-child' as I do,
and what do you get?"
Achika giggled. "Someone the universe seems to hate."
Airi laughed. "I have to admit. That's a pretty colorful way
to describe it."
Minaho just gave me an astounded look, then shook her head. "You
know what, I give up. The universe hates you, and that's good enough
for me. I think that from now on I'll just sit back and enjoy the
show."
Sorry I explained the joke, but it felt right especially considering there's a new generation out there that doesn't know the meaning of Murphy's Law or what's so bad about being a Red Headed Step-Child.
Anyhow, I hope this scene was good for some laughs. I certainly had a blast writing it.