Here's the end of Destiny's Balance.  This wraps it up.  Tenchi Muyo
is the property of AIC and Pioneer LDC.  The author owns only the
writing.  Ssedrey is the property of Daniel Powell and is being used
with his consent.  Thanks go out to Cav, Meg, and Bobert for
prereading this for me.  Thanks, guys.



Destiny's Balance Epilogue:  Restoring the Balance


	"Lunch is ready!"
	Ryoko looked down at her daughter and smiled as she rocked
the baby back and forth.  "Looks like lunch ready.  Wanna go
downstairs?"
	Little Achika giggled in her arms.  Ryoko smiled and carried
her daughter downstairs.  Sasami was setting out plates for them.
Ryoko sat down at the table and smiled as she heard the front door
open.  Tenchi entered the dining room and bent down to kiss his
fiance.  Ryoko leaned up and gave him a quick kiss.  Achika began
to cry.
	"Awww,"  Ryoko said, shushing her daughter.  "What is it?" she
cooed, "Huh?  What's wrong?"
	Tenchi smiled and made a face at his daughter.  It didn't seem
to have much of an effect.  "I think someone's hungry,"  he said.
	Ryoko rolled her eyes and undid the buttons on her blouse.
"Easy for you to say."  She shushed Achika and positioned her so
the baby could suckle at her breast.  "Ow!  Hey!  You're not
supposed to have teeth yet!  Ouch!"
	Washu laughed as she entered the dining room.  "I warned you,
didn't I?  You had teeth at her age too, ya know."
	Ryoko held the baby while she spoke to the scientist.  "Yeah,
well how would I know?"
	"Have you been bottle feeding her?"
	Ryoko nodded.  "Yeah, but I don't think she likes it.  She's
still very young, Washu.  It's only been five months."
	Washu nodded.  "I know, and it's tricky given that the baby
is descended from three worlds, but you're just going to have to
trust me."
	Yosho nodded as he entered the room.  "Yes.  By this time,
both Tenchi and Achika were starting on solid foods."
	"Sasami,"  Washu prompted.  The blue haired princess appeared
with a small bowl of strained carrots.
	Ryoko rolled her eyes and said, "Okay."  She repositioned the
baby and spooned up some carrots.  Ryo-Ohki watched from the table
top.  "Okay, Achika,"  Ryoko cooed, "Here comes the spaceship into
the hangar."  Achika squirmed in Ryoko's arms...
	And spat.
	Ryoko wiped some carrots off her face while Achika giggled.
	"Yes, little girl, Mommy made a funny,"  Ryoko sighed.  She
turned to Washu.  "I guess she doesn't like carrots as much as
Ryo-Ohki."
	Tenchi grinned and took the spoon.  "Here, let me try."  He
made some airplane noises and placed the spoon in his daughter's
mouth.  "Yum yums," he said.
	Washu shook her head.  "Baby talk.  It happens to even the
most intelligent, civilized people in the universe.  Put 'em in a
room with a baby, and they devolve into a series of 'goo goo's'
and 'ga ga's.'"
	"Which explains why you do it whenever you watch the baby,"
Yosho said.
	Washu facefaulted, but recovered.  "Like I said, 'the most
*intelligent* people.'"
	"Tomorrow's the big day,"  Tenchi whispered.
	Ryoko nodded.  "Everything's ready, right?"
	He nodded.  "I took care of all of it.  All we need now are
the guests."
	"And they're coming today!"  Sasami cried happily.  "Ayeka and
Achi and Mihoshi and Kamidake and Meg and Davner and Cavis and
Ssedrey!  They're all coming back!  I can't wait!"
	"It *has* been awhile,"  Tenchi said.
	"When are they due to arrive?"  Washu asked.
	"Sometime today,"  Ryoko said as she scooped up another
spoonful of carrots.  She smiled down at her daughter as she fed
her.  Achika was only five months old, but it was already obvious
that she was taking after her father.  Soft, black hair covered the
top of her head, and her facial features were Tenchi's gentle curves,
not Ryoko's angular, feline features.  The only hint of her mother
was in her yellow eyes, but while Ryoko's often appeared predatory
and dangerous, Achika's were softer, more light-hearted.
	Achika giggled at her.  "Oh, we like that, huh?"  Ryoko asked,
spooning up more carrots.  "Let's see if we can actually get some
into our mouths, huh?"
	The all looked up as they heard several rumbles from overhead.
Achika began to cry at the strange sound, but Sasasmi ran to the
door excitedly.
	"They're here!  They're here!"

	The ship set gently down on the grassy field near the Masaki
Shrine.  Another ship flew overhead and landed nearby as the hatch
opened and a set of steps appeared, leading down to the ground
below.
	Booted feet landed nimbly on the ground.  Davner took a quick
look around at the scenery that met him.  He had to admit that
Earth was one of the more beautiful planets he had visited, and one
that reminded him a lot of Mollidon.  He took a deep breath and
savored the smell of fresh air.  He heard someone stirring in the
hatch behind him and turned quickly, reaching up to help that person
down.
	A slender, feminine hand reached out of the hatch and smacked
his away.  "Will you stop doing that?"  Ayeka asked again as she
descended the stairs.  "I swear, ever since we got the results of
that test back, you've been acting as if I were made of glass!"
	Davner grinned.  "I wouldn't say glass, Neria," he drawled,
"More like a very fragile crystal..."
	She turned on him and glared, power logs appearing on either
side of her.  "Would you like to see how fragile I am!?"
	Davner smiled at her.  The sides of Ayeka's mouth began to
quirk up in a smile.  "Don't do that," she told him.  "You know it's
not fair!"  He continued to smile at her.  She sighed, and the logs
disappeared.  "Fine," she said, offering him her arm.  "But I want
you stop treating me like I'm going to break."
	He patted her arm.  "No deal, Neria."  She sighed again.
	They looked to their right as the hatch of the other ship
opened.  A blonde torpedoe in a Jurain Guardsman uniform shot out
of the hatch.
	"KIYONE!  I MISSED YOU SO...Huh?"  She noticed that no one was
there to receive her hug and tripped, falling on her face.  Mihoshi
got to her knees, her head snapped from side to side in confusion.
"Kiyone?"  she began to blubber.  "KIYONE!?"  Seeing no sign of her
friend, Mihoshi's hands went to her face.  "OH MY GOD!  SHE'S
FORGOTTEN ABOUT ME!!"  She shot to her feet and started running
back to the ship.  "KAMIDAKE!!!"
	A Jurain Knight stepped out of the ship and caught her.
"It's okay, Mihoshi.  I'm sure she just didn't know we were coming
right now, that's all,"  Kamidake told her.
	Ayeka and Davner shook their heads in mild amusement.  "Never
a dull moment,"  Davner commented.
	"Hey there!"
	They looked up and found Tenchi and Ryoko waving as they
approached, Achika in Ryoko's arms.  Yosho, Washu, and Sasami
weren't far behind.  Sasami saw her sister and ran forward.
	"Ayeka!"
	"Sasami!"
	Ayeka knelt down and embraced her sister.  By the time the
little girl released her, the others had arrived.  Davner hugged
Ryoko and gave her a peck on the cheek.  He looked down at Achika
and grinned.
	"Hello, little darl'n," he cooed.
	Tenchi hugged Ayeka.  "How are you, Ayeka?"
	"Simply wonderful, Tenchi."
	The two separated, and Davner shook Tenchi's hand.  "How's
family life, Tenchi?"
	Tenchi grinned.  "Great.  How's married life?"
	"Better than I remembered," he told him conspiritorially.
	Before they could go any further, Ayeka spotted Achika.
"Oooooh!  She's so cute!"  Ryoko held Achika while Ayeka cooed at
her and made funny faces.
	"OH!  I WANNA SEE!"  Mihoshi cried as she ran past them and
joined the two women.  Azaka and Kamidake joined Tenchi and Davner.
	"Women,"  Davner commented.
	"Davner, don't start!"  Ayeka ordered.  He grinned.
	"Come on, let's go inside,"  Tenchi said.

	"You're hungry again?!"  Ryoko asked as she held Achika up
over her head.  "You're just a little eating machine, aren't you?!"
Achika giggled.  Ayeka, Mihoshi, Sasami, and Washu watched her and
smiled.  "Okay, let's see what your crazy Aunt Washu made for you."
	Washu's eyes narrowed at the 'crazy' remark, but let it pass
in favor of the 'aunt Washu' remark.  She handed Ryoko a bottle of
formula.  "Here, her vitamin formula."
	"Ryoko, may I?"  Ayeka asked.
	Ryoko blinked and shrugged.  "Sure, Ayeka, here ya go."  She
put Achika in the princess' arms.  Ayeka took the squirming infant
and listened while Ryoko instructed her on how to hold her.  Soon,
the princess was rocking the baby while she fed her.
	Ryoko smiled at her.  "You look good like that, Ayeka."
	She smiled.  "Thank you, Ryoko.  You have a beautiful
daughter."  Ryoko beamed in pride.
	"Ryoko,"  Mihoshi asked.  "Where's Kiyone?"
	"She's out on patrol, Mihoshi, but she'll be back later."
	"How is Kiyone?"  Ayeka asked.
	"She's doing great,"  Ryoko told them.  "She and Toshio stop
by for dinner every now and then."
	"How does she like her new parnter?"  Mihoshi asked, a little
unsure.
	Ryoko smiled.  "I think she misses you, Mihoshi."
	Mihoshi smiled.  "I miss her too!"
	"Where did Tenchi and the others go?"  Ryoko asked.
	Ayeka smiled.  "Davner and Cavis have plans for him tonight.
One of their primitive, male rituals."
	"So you've seen Cav?"
	She nodded.  "We bumped into him on the way here.  He, Meg,
and Achi were on Caldor Prime, shopping for wedding gifts."
	"They'll be here soon, right?"  Sasami asked excitedly.
	Ayeka nodded.  "Yes, Sasami, and I need to talk to you alone
later, okay?"
	"Sure."
	Achika began to cry.  "Awww.  What's wrong, little one?"
Ayeka cooed.
	Achika spat.
	Ayeka stood there with regurgitated formula dripping down her
kimono.  Sasami and Mihoshi laughed.  Achika giggled.
	"Sorry, Ayeka,"  Ryoko said as the princess plucked a napkin
off the table with one hand and wiped away the formula.  "I'll take
her back now.  She has to be burped."
	"I'll do it,"  Ayeka told her.  "I need the practice."
	Ryoko's eyes went wide.  Mihoshi and Sasami blinked in
surprise.  Washu's face held no reaction.
	"Ayeka?"  Ryoko asked with a smile.
	Ayeka smiled at her.  "It appears that the royal family will
be getting another heir."
	"Congagulations, Ayeka!"  Ryoko told her.
	"Wow, Ayeka, you mean you're going to have a baby!?"  Sasami
asked.
	Ayeka nodded.  "We just found out."
	"How did Davner take it?"  Ryoko asked with a grin.
	Ayeka rolled her eyes.  "Men," she murmurred.  "All of a sudden
it's as if I'm dying, constantly hovering over me like some kind
of mother hen.  At first I thought it was cute, but now it's just
plain annoying."  She smiled as she said this and shook her head.
"And Mother!"  Ayeka shook her head.  "You should see her, Ryoko.
She cries whenever we're at the palace and wails about how old she
is, and I swear to you she is *loving* every minute of it!"
	They all laughed.
	"Hey everyone!"
	They looked up and found Cavis and Meg standing in the
doorway.  Ryoko rushed up and hugged the pirate.  After a round of
hello's were made and the two newcomers got the opportunity to coo
at Achika, Cavis asked where Tenchi was.
	"He's outside with Davner, Azaka, Kamidake, and Yosho,"
Ryoko told him.
	Cavis gave Meg a quick peck on the cheek and started outside.
Ryoko looked at her suspisciously.  "What are you planning?" she
asked.
	"You'll see,"  Meg told her.
	"Sasami!"
	"Achi!"  The two girls hugged.
	Washu looked at LKT, perched on Achi's head.  "Well, well,
well...My tentacle of Doooooom got big, didn't he?"
	LKT, now almost a foot longer than the last time Washu saw
him, patted the scientist on the cheek in greeting.
	"Girls,"  Ayeka began, handing Achika back to Ryoko.  "Can I
speak to you both for a moment?"
	The girls nodded and followed Ayeka out of the room.

	"Hey guys!"
	The group of men walking along the lake shore turned and saw
Cavis trotting up to them.
	"Cavis!"  Tenchi greeted with a smile.  "When did you get in?!"
	"Couple of minutes ago,"  Cavis told him.  "Landed on the other
side of the lake so we could sneak up on you."  He turned to Davner.
"Is he ready?"
	"Oh yeah,"  Davner told him.
	"Ready for what?"  Tenchi asked.
	The two pirates grabbed him by either arm and began leading
him down the path towards the street.  "Don't ask questions,"  Cavis
told him.  "Just go along with it."
	"Wait!  What the hell are you doing?!"
	"Tenchi Masaki,"  Davner proclaimed ceremoniously, "Before we
can allow you to marry our beloved Ryoko, you must endure the
pre-marriage ceremony!"
	"WHAT!?"
	"Yes,"  Cavis said seriously.  "It's tradition.  You must
endure one night of drinking and lewd temptation!"
	"Did you find an appropriate place for your ceremony,
Mr. Darktower?"  Yosho asked.
	Cavis grinned.  "Looked all morning, Lord Yosho.  Found one
not far away."
	"Then I will go get Achika."  Tenchi's grandfather started
toward the house.
	Tenchi's mind was whirling.  "Wait!  You said you just got in!"
	"I lied,"  Cavis told him.
	"What about Ryoko?!  I can't just..."
	"Ryoko has her own problems,"  Cavis said smugly.

	Yosho, Ayeka, Sasami, and Achi appeared at the kitchen door.
"Ryoko,"  Yosho said, "Have fun."
	Ryoko blinked.  "Huh?"
	Yosho stepped forward and took Achika from her arms.  "Sasami,
Achi, and I will watch Achika.  You have fun with your friends."
Ryoko turned and saw Sasami and Achi packing bags full of diapers,
formula, toys, and baby food.
	"What's going on?!  What are you doing?!"
	"Achika will be fine.  It's only for one night,"  Yosho told
her.  He held up the baby.  "Won't it?"  he asked Achika.  Achika
giggled at the old man.
	"In the meantime, Ryoko, we're going to open a few bottles of
schnaps and have ourselves a BACHELORETTE PARTY!"  Meg told her.
	Ryoko blinked.  "Huh?"
	Washu had opened a dimensional hole and was producing bottles
of sake en masse.
	"Have fun, Ryoko!"  Sasami called as they took Achika out of
the room.
	"What about Tenchi!?"  Ryoko asked.
	Ayeka cleared her throat nervously.  "Tenchi is...occupied."
	"Am I in time!?"
	Mihoshi looked up and saw Kiyone entering the kitchen.
"KIYONE!"  She got up to leap at Kiyone, but before she could...
	"MIHOSHI!"
	Mihoshi blinked.  "Huh?"  A second later, Kiyone tackled her
to the ground.  "EEEP!"
	Kiyone got up and sighed.  "I missed you, Mihoshi."
	Mihoshi was lying on the floor, dazed.  "I...missed...you...
too...Kiyone..."
	"How've you been, Kiyone?"  Meg asked.
	"Okay,"  Kiyone told her, taking a beer from the collection
of alcohol Washu was building.
	"How's your partner?"
	"Toshio?"  Kiyone asked.  "He's fine,"  Kiyone told her simply.
	"Fine?"  Meg asked with a grin.
	"Yeah, fine."  Meg didn't reply.  "What?"
	"Nothing," Meg told her, sipping at her own beer.  "So...have
you slept with him yet?"
	Kiyone facefaulted, but didn't reply.
	Ryoko was staring at the door that Yosho and the girls had
left through.  "Maybe I should go make sure that they have
everything before I..."
	Washu reached out and grabbed Ryoko's wrist as the pirate
tried to fly past her.  "Achika will be fine.  Now enjoy yourself.
This is your last night as a free woman!"  She grinned.
	"Well..."  Ryoko was still looking out the door.  "I...
guess..."
	"GET THIS WOMAN A COCKTAIL!"  Washu cried.

	"*This* is what you meant by a 'premarriage ceremony?!'"
Tenchi cried as the other men dragged him into the strip club.
	They pushed Tenchi into a chair in front of the stage.  Cavis
nodded with a grin.  "Yep!  Oh, and your father asked me to tell
you that he'll be here later."
	"Now then, young Masaki,"  Davner said as he reached into his
inside jacket pocket, "This is a solemn ceremony passed down from
generation to generation of men for untold aeons.  It must be
adhered to religiously.  It is a matter of deep social concern that
will affect you for years."  He stopped a waitress and offered her
some Japanese yen.  "Can I get a lap dance for my friend, here,
darl'n?  He's getting married tomorrow."  The waitress nodded and
left.  "Now, where was I?"
	"Deep social concern,"  Kamidake prompted.
	"Ah, yes!  It's a matter of honor, Tenchi.  One day, you'll
have to do the same for your son, so pay very..."  Tenchi's eyes
went wide as a dancer stepped out on stage in front of him.  Davner
grinned.  "...close attention,"  he finished.
	"WHAT I MISS!?  WHAT I MISS!?"  Noboyuki cried as he
collapsed into a seat next to his son.  He was breathing hard and
sweating as if he had run a great distance.
	"Nothing!  Jeez, Dad!"  The dancer's top fell, landing on
top of Tenchi's head.  "Well...almost nothing."
	"My boy's first stag party!  I can't believe it!"
	The drinks arrived.  "To the boy's first stag party!"  Cavis
said, raising his glass in toast.

	Ryoko lifted the leather outfit out of the box and blinked.
Meg grinned as Ryoko examined her gift to her.  "What the hell am
I supposed to do with this?"  Ryoko asked.
	"Well if you have to ask, you'll never know,"  Ayeka said,
nursing a glass of cranberry juice.  The other girls stared at her.
"What?!  Huh?!  What?!"
	"That husband of yours is a bad influence on you!"  Ryoko
accused her with a grin.  "What kind of wedding gifts are these
anyway?"
	"Wedding gifts?"  Meg asked.  "These aren't wedding gifts.
These are *honeymoon* gifts."  She grinned.
	Ryoko smiled.  "Oooooh....Bring on the next one!"
	Ayeka reached into a bag and pulled out a bottle of wine.
"Jurain plum wine,"  she said, holding out the bottle to Ryoko.
"From the royal wine cellar.  It's several thousand years old.  I
thought it'd be perfect for setting the mood."
	Ryoko took the bottle and examined it.  It was worth a
fortune.  The date on the bottle was stamped there almost sixteen
thousand years before she was born.  "Thank you, Ayeka."
	"Enjoy."
	"Okay, me next!"  Kiyone said, offering a box to Ryoko.
Ryoko opened it and found a small, purple bottle.
	"What's this?"
	"Belegeuse scented massage oil,"  Kiyone told her.  "They
say they act as an aphrodesi..."  She was interrupted by a knock at
the door.
	"Who could that be?"  Ayeka asked.
	Ryoko got up and went to the door.  "It's probably Noboyuki
hoping we're all liquored up and talking about underwear."  She
opened the door and found a GP standing there.  At first she thought
it was Kiyone's partner, Toshio Mizuno, but it wasn't.  He flashed
his badge.
	"Ms. Ryoko?"
	Ryoko blinked.  "That's right."
	"Ma'am, come with me, you're under arrest for violation of
Article two-three-six-oh-three of the revised divisions."
	"Excuse me?!"
	"Officer, what's the meaning of this?!"  Ayeka demanded.
	"Yeah, what the hell do you think you're doing!?"  Meg chimed
in.
	"I'm sorry, ladies,"  the GP told them, producing a pair of
handcuffs from his pocket.  "I'm afraid I have a warrant to take
her in."
	"She's getting married tomorrow!"  Meg shot.
	"One side, Meg, let me handle this,"  Ayeka said.  "There's
a special lingo you have to use when dealing with the GP.  Davner's
been teaching me."  She cleared her throat and addressed the GP.
"Beat it, pig, this is a private party."
	"Ayeka!"  Ryoko gasped.  Her eyes narrowed.  "He really is a
bad influence on you."
	"Ryoko, you are hereby placed under arrest under Article
three-five..."
	Meg glared at the GP.  "GRAB HIM!"
	Ryoko's eyes went wide as Meg and Ayeka grabbed hold of the
startled GP officer.  "What the hell are you doing?!"
	"We can stash him in the onsen until the wedding's over!"
Meg told them.
	"MEG!  AYEKA!"
	Suddenly, there was a tearing noise, and the GP's shirt
ripped off.  The two women holding him paused.  The enraged GP
pointed at Ryoko.  "YOU!"
	<This isn't happening!  This isn't happening!>  Ryoko thought.
	The GP walked up and grabbed Ryoko's arm, his torn shirt
hanging off his body.  He slapped one cuff on Ryoko's wrist and the
other on his own.  "Ryoko, you are under arrest for....getting
married tomorrow!"  He reached up with his other hand and tore the
GP shirt off, revealing a muscular chest.  A small music player on
a hover platform entered the house through the open door behind
them.  Ryoko blinked as the GP put his hat on her head.
	The other girls in the house squealed as the music began to
play.  Ryoko's eyes went wide as the GP stripper began dancing.

	"So..."  Cavis said, leaning on the bar and trying to stay on
his bar stool, "I said, 'Married?  Hell, I thought I was buying a
car!'"  Davner began laughing hysterically, pounding his fist on
the bar.  They looked over at Tenchi, who was in middle of getting
a lapdance.  He seemed to be staring off into space in a hypnotic
daze as the stripper danced in front of him.
	"Think he's dead yet?"  Cavis asked.
	"Let's check,"  Davner told him.  He stood up and called out
in a loud voice,  "HEY, RYOKO DARL'N!  WHAT'RE YOU DOING HERE!?"
Tenchi jumped and fell out of his chair onto the bar room floor.
	Cavis and Davner broke out into another round of laughter as
they watched Tenchi climb to his feet.
	"So,"  Azaka began as he sat across from Kamidake and Noboyuki
at the small table, "The purpose of this ritshual," he slurred,
"Is to celebrate Loooorth Tenshi's final night as a shingle man?"
	"You'fe nefer been to a bashelor party, Azaka?"  Noboyuki
slurred.
	"I believe that is what we are to do,"  Kamidake told him.
He hadn't drunk as much as the other two men.
	"No, Nord Loboyuki..."  Azaka slurred, and Noboyuki began
laughing hysterically.
	"What do you fffind so amushing?"
	"You efer notish,"  Noboyuki said, "That, 'nord,' is a really
ffunny shounding word?"
	Azaka began laughing, his shoulders shaking  uncontrollably.
"Nord!" he said.  "That ish funny!"
	"Nord,"  Noboyuki said again through laughter.
	Back at the bar, Cavis and Davner were watching them.  "What's
a nord?"  Cavis asked.
	"It's a cheese, my dear Cavis, a cheese."
	"Ah!"  And with that, Cavis' head hit the bar.
	"What'll it be?"  Davner heard the bartender ask someone down
the bar.
	"What is your strongest beverage?"  a familiar voice hissed
out.
	"Whiskey."
	"I will have eight."
	Davner smiled at the bartenders incredulous whistle.  "All
at once?"
	"Yes,"  Ssedrey told him.  Davner heard the man begin to pour
shots of whiskey.  "Stop,"  the lizard ordered.  "What are these?"
	"Shot glasses."
	"I prefer mugs."
	Davner turned and saw a very tall, cloaked figure conversing
with the bartender.  The barkeep was blinking up at him in shock.
	"Hey, Scales.  Didn't think you'd make it."
	"I would not miss Ryoko's wedding, nor would I wish to miss
the defiling of Lord Tenchi."
	The bartender placed a mug of whiskey in front of the lizard.
Ssedrey took a slug and grimaced.
	"Have you anything stronger?"  he asked.
	Cavis shot up in his stool a moment later.  "Officer!  I
swear!  It's not even my ship!"
	"Cavis, wake up!  Ssedrey's here."
	Cavis blinked at the lizard.  "Oh, hey Ssedrey.  When'd you
get in?"
	"Moments ago,"  Ssedrey told him.  The hooded cloak hid his
reptilian face in the dark strip club.  "I received your message
with your plans."
	"Haven't heard from you in awhile, Scales,"  Davner drawled.
"How's home?"
	"Strong and beautiful, as is my sister."  He turned to Cavis,
"Who sends you her best."
	"Why, Cavis,"  Davner said with a grin, "Was there a romance
involved during your stay with Ssedrey?"
	A reptilian hand snagged Davner by the throat.  Ssedrey's eyes
narrowed in front of his.  "Let's not go there."
	"No, let's not,"  Davner agreed hastily.
	Tenchi joined them at the bar.
	"Resting?"  Cavis asked with a grin.
	"Something like that,"  Tenchi told him.  Davner waved down
the bartender and had him place a shot in front of Tenchi.  "What
is it?"
	"A special drink they make here.  It's called, 'Kaboom.'"
	"Why?"
	Cavis answered him.  "'Cause that's what happens between your
ears when you drink it."
	"I'm not sure..."
	"Go ahead,"  Davner told him.  "One can't hurt."  He grinned.

	Sasami and Achi looked down into the crib.  Achika was smiling
and playing with a small Ryo-Ohki doll Washu had made for her.
	"She is *SO* cute!"  Achi said, making a face for the baby.
Achika laughed.
	Sasami nodded.  "Yeah."  She looked at the clock and started
for the bag of formula they had brought with them.  "It's almost
time to feed her again."
	Achi wasn't paying attention.   She was tickling Achika's
stomach with her finger.  "Cootchie cootchie koo!"  she said as
Achika continued to giggle.  Achi laughed.  "Hey!  Look!  I think
she recognizes me!  She's pointing at me!"  She felt someone grab
the back of her dress and pull.  Achi was pulled away from the crib
just as a red beam of light shot from the crib and struck the
ceiling.
	Achi blinked in amazement and looked up.  The ceiling wasn't
damaged, but that was *definitely* an energy blast.  She turned and
found Yosho standing behind her.
	"She does that every once in awhile," he explained casually.
	Achi turned back to the crib.  Achika was giggling inside.
"THAT LITTLE BRAT!"
	"She's just a baby, Achi,"  Sasami said, reappearing with
the formula.  "And it doesn't hurt, just takes you by surprise."
She picked Achika up and began to feed her.
	Achi looked out the window and down at the house below.  "What
do you suppose they're doing down there?"
	"Women things,"  Yosho told her quietly.
	"Hey!  We're women!"  Achi told him.  Sasami nodded in
agreement.
	Yosho cleared his throat uncomfortably.  He had a feeling it
was going to be a rather long night at the shrine.

	The wedding march they hummed on the way back from the strip
club turned into the funeral dirge by the time they made it to the
door.  The lights were out.  It was close to three in the morning.
	"Guess the girls went to sleep,"  Davner said.
	The group stumbled inside.  Cavis nearly tripped over
someone's leg.  "What the hell..."  He looked down and found a
half-naked man asleep on the floor, handcuffed to the coffee table.
"Don't see one of those every day,"  Cavis muttered.  "Well,
tomorrow's the big day, Tenchi, you'd better get some..."  He saw
Tenchi collapse on the couch, unconscious.  "...Sleep."
	"Guess it was a bigger kaboom than we thought,"  Davner told
him.  They laughed.
	"It would appear so,"  Kamidake agreed.
	"Is that my brave captain!?"   a rather tipsy Mihoshi called
from upstairs.
	"Uh oh, she's pulling rank,"  Cavis told him.
	"Oooooh, my Caaaaaaptaaaaaiiiiin!"
	Kamidake bowed to them.  "It was an...intriguing night.  I
will see you on the morrow."  He walked up the stairs.
	"Lucky schmuck,"  Noboyuki muttered.
	"I'm going back to the ship,"  Azaka told them groggily.
"I'll see you tomorrow morning."
	"Don't count on it,"  Noboyuki said before passing out next
to his son.
	Ssedrey was looking around him fearfully.
	"Scales?"  Davner asked.  "What's wrong?"
	"*She*...is here."
	The two of them blinked.  "She?"
	"Yes....*She*."  Suddenly, a bunch of metal tentacles shot
out and grabbed him by the legs.  Ssedrey fell on his face and was
pulled toward an open dimensional doorway that used to be the
Masaki's closet.
	"SSEDREY!  I missed my big, cuddly, wuddly lizard sooooooooooo
much!"  Washu's voice came from the door.
	Ssedrey cried out as he was pulled inside, his screams
muffled as the door closed behind him.
	The remaining two men looked at each other.  "I'm going to
get some coffee,"  Cavis said.
	"I'm going to bed,"  Davner told him, holding his head.
"I'll see you tomorrow."
	Cavis entered the kitchen and was promptly attacked!  His
assailant pushed him against the refrigerator and kissed him.
	Cavis saw who his attacker was and smiled.  "Hello, Meg.  How
was the party?"
	Meg grinned at him.  "It was a blast!"  He could smell the
alcohol on her breath.  She took his hand and began to lead him
outside.  "I have a surprise for you."  Cavis grinned and followed.

	Ryoko lay splayed out on her futon on the edge of
unconsciousness.  It had been a fun night.  No one had ever done
anything like that for her before.
	She listened as a giggling Mihoshi dragged Kamidake back to
her room.  She shook her head.  Who would've guessed that the ditzy
former GP and the serious Jurain Knight would make such a cute
couple?  She wondered when Tenchi would be up.  Not that she was in
any condition to do anything if he did show up, but she was used to
feeling his warmth in bed next to her, took comfort from it.
	She heard someone walking up the stairs and waited for some
sign of who it was.
	"Well, well, well," she heard the Jurain princess say outside
her door.  "Finally decide to come home?"
	"Why, Neria,"  she heard Davner drawl.  "You're still up."
	"Well, I had to make sure you came home, after all," she said
in mock annoyance.
	She heard Davner chuckle.
	"What are you doing?"  She heard Ayeka ask.  "You're drunk!"
	"Why...so I am!"  Davner told her.  "Come now, Neria.  If you
like, we can play marauder and the kidnapped princess."  She could
practically see Ayeka blushing.
	"Hmmph!"  Ayeka answered.  "You just stay away from me.....you
fiendish scoundrel."
	Davner laughed.  "'Fiendish scoundrel.'  You know I love it
when you call me scoundrel."  Ayeka giggled.
	Ryoko shook her head again.  <He really is a bad influence on
her,>  she thought.
	She heard their door open and close and went back to wating
for Tenchi.  She was so nervous.  She was getting married tomorrow.
She could hardly believe it.  She had her kimono ready, hanging in
her closet.  Yosho was going to perform the ceremony.  Everything
was ready.
	It would be a small ceremony, nothing like Ayeka's, which was
simply extravagant.  She and Tenchi *wanted* simple.  She groaned
and rolled over.
	<Where is he?>
	She realized that this was the first night in half a year
that she was sleeping totally alone.  Tenchi was still gone.
Achika's crib, standing near the window, was empty.
	She was lonely.
	Before she could dwell on it any longer, she was asleep.

	The sun woke them up.  Well, the sun and the sound of Achi's
voice.
	"C'mon, Grandpa Yosho!  I wanna see!"
	Cavis' head popped up.  Yosho, Sasami, and Achi were standing
on the grassy path not far away, facing away from them.  Sasami
was carrying Achika, and Yosho had his hands over the two girls'
eyes.
	Cavis soon realized why.
	He was naked.
	So was Meg, for that matter.  She yawned and rolled over on
the grassy floor.  Her eyes opened as she smiled at him.  "Good
morni....AHHHH!"  She screamed this last part when she realized
they weren't alone on the path.
	Meg reached out and grabbed the closest article of clothing,
Cavis' shirt, and used it to cover herself.
	"Pervs,"  Achi muttered.
	"I take it a good time was had by all,"  Yosho told them, not
turning to them.
	"Yeah, you could say that!"  Cavis told him as he pulled his
pants on.  Beside him, Meg was hurriedly dressing.  He got up and
picked up his trench coat, what they had used as a bed last night.
	He and Meg finished dressing.  "Okay," she said, "We're
decent."
	"About damn time," Achi muttered as they all turned back to
them.
	"How was your night with Achika?"  Meg asked.
	"The little brat tried to blow my head off!" Achika cried.
	They all laughed.
	"HEY!  IT'S NOT FUNNY!"
	"We're on our way back to the house now,"  Sasami told them.
"I have to get started on breakfast and the food for the wedding,
and I have to get dressed, and...."
	"I doubt anyone will want breakfast, Sasami,"  Cavis told her,
holding his pounding head.  "And I think the rest of us can handle
damage control and the drunk tank, so you go ahead and do what you
have to for the wedding, okay?"
	Sasami nodded.  "Thanks, Cavis."
	"Well,"  Yosho said to the blushing couple, "Shall we
continue on?"

	Davner woke up with the familiar headache that accompanied
a hangover, but at least this one wasn't as severe as the others.
After he had married Ayeka, he had cut back on his drinking,
eliminating it altogether after learning she was pregnant.  If it
weren't for the special occasion, he wouldn't have drunk at all
last night.
	He looked over at his wife, still asleep next to him.  He
smiled.  He would do this sometimes, wake up before her and just
watch her sleep.
	<Which of the Gods could love me so much as to make her a part
of my life?>  he asked himself for the hundredth time.  She rolled
over towards him.  He leaned over and kissed her forehead.  She
smiled in her sleep.  He bent over and planted a gentle kiss on
her stomach.
	"What are you doing?"  her groggy voice asked him.
	He looked up at her.  Her eyes were sleepy, only half awake.
She was smiling at him tiredly.
	"Just saying good morning to the little highness," he told
her.
	"How about a good morning for me?"
	He smiled and kissed her.
	"What time is it?"  she asked.
	"Almost eleven."
	"Eleven?!"  She threw the covers off of her and got up.
"The wedding is only a few hours away!"  She quickly put on her
kimono and started for the door.
	"Where are you going, Neria?"
	"I have to go see what kind of damage you and Cavis made with
that party of yours."  She opened the door and smiled back at him.
	"Meet you in the baths?"  he asked.
	"Ten minutes," she promised.  She walked out the door.

	Ayeka walked downstairs and sighed at the sight that met her.
Tenchi and Noboyuki were asleep on the couch.  She blinked.  There
were marks on Tenchi's forehead.  She examined the marks and sighed
when she recognized letters.  Someone had stenciled the words,
	"Better dead than wed."
	She sighed as she recognized her husband's handwriting.  She
reached out and gently shook him awake.
	"Tenchi,"  she said.  "Tenchi."
	He blinked awake.  "Good morning...Ayeka," he rasped.  His
hand went to his head, and he moaned.  "I...am...*so*....hungover."
	She shook her head.  Before she could say anything, they were
joined by Yosho, Sasami, Achi, Cavis, Meg, and baby Achika.  They
saw Tenchi and began to laugh.
	"What?" he asked.
	Washu stepped out of her lab and yawned.  She saw Tenchi's
head and laughed out loud.
	"What?!"
	Azaka came stumbling inside a moment later, hand on his head.
"Owwww..."
	"Hi, there, Achika,"  Tenchi said, taking his daughter from
Sasami.  Achika laughed at him.  "What?!"  he asked.
	"ACHIKA!"  Ryoko came flying down the stairs.  She grabbed her
giggling daughter and flew three feet into the air with her.
"How's my little girl?!  Did you miss Mommy!?  Did you!?"  Achika
laughed.  "I missed my little girl!  Yes I did!  Let's go for ride!
Okay?!  You wanna go for a ride!?"  Without another word, she flew
up and through the ceiling.  The others blinked after her for a
moment.  Suddenly, her head poked back through the ceiling.  "Oh,
and good morning!"  Then she was gone again.
	"Is it just me?"  Ayeka asked, "Or is Ryoko different?"
	Tenchi nodded painfully.  "She *has* mellowed quite a bit."
	Washu spoke up in agreement.  "Well, childbirth has been
known to change the behavior of most creatures, even humanoids."
She turned to Tenchi.  "Now, come here, Tenchi.  Unless you want
to get married with that stuff on your forehead."
	Tenchi blinked.  "Huh?"

	A goose honked at them as they flew past.  Ryoko and Achika
stopped a hundred feet above the Masaki shrine.  Ryoko rocked her
daughter and pointed down at the Shinto shrine.  "See that, Achika?"
she asked.  "We're going there, today.  Mommy and Daddy are getting
married, and you're going to be there."  Achika squirmed in Ryoko's
arms, but the former pirate kept a good hold on her daughter.
	"Ooh!  We have to start getting ready!"  She and Achika
started back to the house.  Tenchi was waiting for them when they
arrived.
	He offered her a quick kiss.  Thankfully, the marker on his
head was gone.  "I have to feed her," she told him.  She took a
sniff.  "And change her too, I think."
	"I'll feed her,"  Tenchi volunteered.
	Ryoko's eyes narrowed.  "Nothing doi'n, pal!  This time, you
change her and I'll feed her."
	Seeing no escape, Tenchi relented.
	"Where are the others?"  Ryoko asked.
	"Sasami and Achi are in the kitchen.  The rest are getting
ready."
	"I haven't seen Ssedrey around this morning,"  Ryoko told him.
	Tenchi blinked.  "Well...Ssedrey is probably....."

	"I wish to propose...a deal."
	Washu was upside down...well...upside down to Ssedrey, who
was hanging from the ceiling by his feet.  Washu was typing at her
holotop.  She looked up, intrigued.
	"A deal?"
	Ssedrey nodded.  "Yes.  A deal."
	"I'm listening."
	"As you are aware, I returned to my homeworld not long ago."
	She nodded.  "Yeah."  She reached out and pushed him.  He
began swinging back and forth.
	"Er...well..the reason for this was two-fold," he told her as
he swung toward her then away from her.  "The first was to visit
my family in observance of a millenial holiday."
	"RiSshta Nii,"  Washu supplied the name.
	Ssedrey's eyes narrowed.  <How did she do that?> he thought,
perplexed at how she could know so much.  "The second was to see
Her Majesty and secure a gift for you."
	Washu stared at him.  "A gift?"
	"Yes,"  Ssedrey said, becoming ill from swinging back and
forth.  "*If* you are willing to stop these insane experiments on
me."
	She grinned.  "But Ssedrey!"  she exclaimed.  "I *like*
experimenting on my cute, cuddly, weptile!"
	Ssedrey was nauseous now.  "Could you please stop me?" he
asked woozily.  Washu reached out and stopped him from swinging.
He took a few breaths.  "Anyway," he said, "If you agree to end
these pointless experiments, I will give you my gift, a full entry
and exit visa for Asconia."
	Washu's eyes went wide.
	Ssedrey nodded.  "Good for one year.  You may land on my
homeworld and conduct archaeological and anthropological research."
	Washu thought it over.
	"Do we have a deal?"  Ssedrey asked.
	Washu reached out and pressed  a button on her holotop.
Ssedrey fell to the ground with a crash.  "It's a deal...on one
condition."  Ssedrey waited.  "I want *you* to be my native guide!"
she announced with a grin.
	Ssedrey began to cry.

	Ayeka drew the razor down Davner's neck and washed it in a
small basin of water.  She examined her work and nodded.  "Done,"
she told him.
	Davner rubbed his chin and nodded.  Ayeka turned her back to
him, resting her arms on the edge of the bath.  Davner removed the
towel covering her and began to wash her back.
	"Davner, we need to talk," she told him.
	"What about, Neria?"
	She turned to him.  "The baby."
	Fear came over his face for a moment.  "Neria, is something
wrong with..."
	"Oh, no!"  she assured him.  "Nothing like that.  What I
mean is..."  She took a breath and began again.  "Davner, since
our wedding, we've done everything according to Jurain
traditions..."
	"As it should be,"  he assured her.  Davner had done
everything according to her traditions and beliefs.
	"We had a Jurain wedding, we live on Jurai, you even changed
your name."  He had decided to take her family name instead of
following the Mollidoni tradition of having her take his, forever
abandoning the last elements of his heritage.
	"But you're not Jurain, Davner,"  she told him.  "Our children
are going to be descended from two cultures, and I want them to
know where their father came from.  I want them to have the best
of both worlds."
	"What are you getting at, Neria?"
	She smiled.  "Exactly that," she said.  "'Neria.'  You
address me with a Mollidoni name, and I love it.  I want my
children to know where their father comes from and I want them to
be proud of that heritage.  Just as proud to be Mollidoni as
Jurain."
	Davner still didn't know where she was going with this.
	"I would like the baby to have a Mollidoni name," she told
him.  "They're going to grow up on Jurai, but part of them will
be Mollidoni."
	Davner reached out and caressed her cheek.  "I love you, Ayeka
Jurai."
	She smiled and kissed him.  She turned around again and
rested against the side of the bath.  Davner began scrubbing her
back again.  "So what's the Mollidoni tradition when it comes to
names?"
	"The first child is named for one of his or her grandparents."
	Ayeka closed her eyes.  "Hmmm," was her reply.
	"So I suppose there are only two choices if the little
highness is to have a Mollidoni name."
	Ayeka relaxed as he scrubbed her back.  "Hmmm,"  she agreed.
	Suddenly, she was doused with cold water.
	"AAAUUUGGGGHHH!!!!"
	She whirled on Davner.  "What was that for!?"
	Davner smiled slyly.  "You were falling asleep."
	"I was not!"  she shot back.
	"Was to," he replied smugly.
	"Hmmmph!"
	He came face to face with her.  "Arin for a boy.  Elara for
a girl."
	She stared at him, her anger forgotten.  "Arin or Elara," she
repeated.  "You know, Mother told me about your parents and your
brothers and sisters...I would've liked to have met them."
	"They would've adored you," he said.
	"Davner,"  she whispered.
	"Yes, Neria?"
	Ayeka leaned forward...
	And dumped a basin of cold water over his head.
	"I was *not* falling asleep,"  she told him, turning away
from him again.
	Davner took a breath and grinned.  "'Course not, Neria,"  he
said as he began scrubbing her back again.

	Ayeka descended the stairs in the kimono she would be wearing
as Ryoko's maid of honor.  She found Tenchi and Noboyuki in their
own kimonoes, waiting.  Tenchi was pacing nervously.  She had to
smile at that.
	Tenchi saw her and smiled.  "Ayeka!  Sasami just told me the
good news!  Congragulations!"  He hugged her.
	"Thank you, Tenchi.  We're both very happy about it."
	"Looking forward to it, Ayeka?"  Noboyuki asked.
	She nodded.  "Yes, Mr. Masaki.  Especially after seeing how
happy Tenchi and Ryoko are with Achika in their lives.  I must
admit to being somewhat nervous about it."
	"Ah, the miracle of childbirth,"  Noboyuki said.  "It's a
beautiful thing."  He blinked.  "Hey!  I got an idea!  You wanna
see the tape I made of Achika's birth?"
	Ayeka blinked.  "There's a tape?"
	Tenchi looked at his father in fearful confusion.  "I thought
that tape was destroyed."
	"Nah!  C'mon!  I'll show it to you!"
	Tenchi and Ayeka sat on the couch and waited as Noboyuki
placed the videotape in the VCR and pressed play.  An image of Ryoko
lying in a hospital bed in Washu's lab appeared.  Tenchi was
standing next to her bed, and Ryoko had a fistful of his collar
while she screamed at him.
	"YOU SONOFABITCH!!!  YOU DID THIS TO ME!  I SWEAR I'LL KILL
YOU IF IT'S THE LAST THING I DO!!!!"   She looked up and noticed
Noboyuki taping her.  "HEY!  WHAT THE HELL ARE *YOU* LOOKING AT!"
She pointed her hand at him.  There was  a flash of red light, then
static.
	Ayeka's eyes were wide in shock.  Noboyuki pressed stop and
turned to her apologetically.
	"Unfortunately, that's all there is."
	Ayeka swallowed dryly.  "I...I see."
	"Dad!  You're scaring her!"  Tenchi admonished him.  "It
really wasn't that bad,"  he told her.
	"Like hell,"  Washu said as she entered the room, adorned
in her own kimono.  "Forty six hours of sweating, screaming, and
threats against my life!  Last time *I* ever agree to deliver a
baby.  I don't have the insurance coverage for it!"
	"Um...Where is Ryoko?"  Ayeka asked, eager to change the
subject.  "Don't we have to leave soon?"
	"She's upstairs with Meg, getting ready."

	Ryoko looked at herself in the mirror.  The white kimono she
wore was beautiful.  It had once been Achika's, Tenchi's mother and
the young lady she had befriended during the fight with Kain.  Meg
straightened it for her and gave her a once over.
	"Beautiful," she said.
	Ryoko took a deep breath.  She was so nervous.  She heard
Achika begin to cry from her crib.  Ryoko went to her and picked
her up.  "What is it, little girl, huh?"  she asked softly.  While
she calmed Achika down, she turned to Meg.  "I want to thank you
for last night.  I had a great time."
	Meg grinned.  "It was the least we could do."
	Ryoko smiled.  "Where did you find that GP stripper?"
	"That wasn't me,"  Meg told her.  "Geminites have different
traditions when it comes to weddings.  On my world, a bride spends
the night before her wedding alone in a room with her sister,
talking and discussing how their lives will be different after the
marriage."
	"So what happens now when you get married?"  Ryoko asked.
	Meg looked uncomfortable.  "I don't know.  I guess...I won't
do it."
	Ryoko regarded her for a moment.  "If you and Cavis ever
decide to tie the knot," she said, "Come find me.  I'll spend the
night with you."
	Meg smiled.  "Thanks, Ryoko."
	"So, who did hire the stripper?  Kiyone?"
	"Actually, he was Ayeka's idea."
	Ryoko gaped in shock.  "Ayeka?  Hired a stripper?"  Meg
nodded.  Ryoko shook her head.  "Davner really is a bad influence
on her."
	"Am not,"  a voice protested from the doorway.  "If anything,
she's corrupting *me*."
	Ryoko grinned.  "Hey, Dav!  Congragulations!  Ayeka told us
about the baby!"  Davner stood before them in a dark grey Mollidoni
tuxedo, complete with ash-grey cloak.
	"Thanks."  He looked at Meg.  "Meg darl'n, I think Cavis is
looking for you."
	"Okay.  Thanks, Davner."  Meg left the room.
	Ryoko continued to rock Achika.  "I told you it would work
out,"  Ryoko told him.  "Remember?"
	"I do,"  Davner said.  He walked up and made a face at Achika.
	"You were right, Dav," she told him.  Davner looked blank.
"About that one, perfect moment," she elaborated.  She looked down
at Achika.  "You were right."
	He reached out and rested his hand on her shoulder.  "Come
on," he said, "It's time to go get married."

	Tenchi and Ryoko stood before Yosho with bowed heads in front
of the Masaki Shrine.  The others stood behind them and watched
quietly as they read the words of committment and drank sake as
part of the ceremony.  As Tenchi recited the words, he smiled at
Ryoko, adorned in her white kimono and holding Achika in her arms.
	Sasami and Achi stood off to the side, baskets of flower
petals in their arms.  Achi looked from side to side and quickly
threw a handful of petals on Sasami.  Sasami stifled a giggle and
threw a handful back.  A quick look from Meg ended it.
	The smuggler turned back to the wedding and smiled.  Ryoko
was speaking now.  She turned as a GP came trotting up the path in
full dress uniform.  She saw Kiyone turn to him and smile.
	"Hey!" Toshio whispered, giving Kiyone a quick peck on the
cheek.  "Sorry I'm late."  He straightened his tie and stood next
to her, watching the wedding.
	Kiyone noticed Meg staring and turned red.
	"You slut!"  Meg whispered at her.
	Kiyone's eyes widened, but didn't reply.  Meg grinned.  They
hadn't started off on the right foot, but she and Kiyone got along
well now.
	Ayeka reached out and took Davner's hand, remembering their
own wedding as Yosho concluded the ceremony.  He gave her hand a
squeeze and smiled at her.  She had been worried that seeing Tenchi
marrying Ryoko would be difficult, but it really wasn't.  She had
been right a year ago.  They *did* belong together.
	"...Husband, and wife,"  Yosho concluded.  He stepped back.
	"Kiss her, ya twit!"  Cavis shouted.  Meg reached out and
twisted his ear.
	Rather than argue, Tenchi leaned forward and kissed Ryoko.
The others applauded.
	The group rushed up and began offering their congragulations.
Tenchi and Ryoko hugged them each in turn, grinning ear to ear.
	"Let's move this party back to the house!"  Davner suggested.
	"Yeah!"  Sasami agreed.  "Me, and Washu, and Achi made a
wedding dinner!  And *cake*!"
	"Cake!?"  Mihoshi cried.  She bolted down the shrine steps.
Kamidake watched her go and shook his head.
	Kiyone walked past him and smiled.  "She's all yours now."
She and Toshio walked arm and arm down the steps.  Kamidake and
Azaka followed.
	Sasami and Achi started running down the stairs.  "Sasami!"
Ayeka called after her.  "Don't run!  You'll trip!"
	As the remainder of the group started down the stairs, the
conversation turned to the next step.
	"Have you decided where to go on your honeymoon?"  Ayeka asked
Ryoko as they walked.
	"Well...no..."
	"May I suggest Pacifica?"
	Ryoko blinked.  "Pacifica?  That planet where we entered the
swimsuit competition?"
	Ayeka nodded.  "Yes.  Davner and I went there for our
honeymoon.  It is really very nice...when you're not selling
snowcones or getting jipped out of swimsuit competitions."
	On the other side of the steps, Cavis was talking with Tenchi.
	"Esuoe," he said, "It's a planet devoted totally to pleasure.
It's beautiful, quiet, pristine..."  He pulled two tickets out of
his pocket, "And it's on us.  Congragulations, Tenchi."
	"Actually,"  Noboyuki broke in, "They're going to Hawaii."
He showed Tenchi two airline tickets.  "It's on me and your grandpa.
Congragulations."
	Tenchi looked from one to the other.  "Well, we really aren't
sure yet..."
	"We've paid for everything,"  Ayeka was telling Ryoko as she
handed her two tickets to Pacifica.  "You'll love it.  It's perfect."
	"Um...Well...."  Ryoko was saying.

	The reception was soon rowdy as the alcohol level of the
group increased.  Noboyuki was soon weeping and crying up at the
sky.
	"Achika!  Our Tenchi is finally married!  Oh, my wife in
heaven, it's beautiful!"
	As Tenchi was shaking his head at his father, Davner and Ayeka
took him off to the side.  "Misy wanted to be here,"  Davner told
him, "But affairs of state have kept her at the palace."  He pulled
an envelope from his jacket pocket.  "She wanted us to give you this.
It's her wedding gift to you and Ryoko."
	Tenchi took it and opened it.  Several documents were inside,
but he couldn't read them.  "What is it?"  he asked.
	"A planet,"  Ayeka told him.
	"A *planet*!?"
	They nodded.
	"What are we gonna do with a planet!?"  he asked.
	Davner took him by the shoulder.  "I'll tell you exactly what
you're going to do, Tenchi,"  he whispered conspiritorially.
"You're going to take that planet and *sell* it back to the Jurain
government.  You're going to take whatever price they offer, which
will be exorbitant no matter how low they go, and have them pay
you in gold.  Then you just sell the gold here on Earth and live
comfortably off it for the rest of your lives."
	Tenchi blinked.  "That's not a bad idea."
	"Thank you,"  Ayeka told him.
	Tenchi looked at her.  Ayeka smiled.
	Davner grinned with pride.  "She gets sneakier every day,"
he told him.
	Tenchi smiled and hugged them both.

	They all posed for the photographer from Bobkay Stellar
Photography, a guy Cavis knew from Taneurilla.
	"Smile!"  Bob prompted.  There was a flash, and the party
continued.  Tenchi and Ryoko found themselves near the table
containing the wedding gifts.  Tenchi blinked.  There were a few
gifts there he couldn't account for.
	Cavis wandered over to them and saw the puzzled look on their
faces.  Tenchi picked up a knife with a gilded handle.
	"From De," Cavis commented.  "First time anyone's passed a
gift along to me from behind a blaster."  Tenchi arched an eyebrow
and put the knife down.  He picked up a bag and heard it jingle.
Opening it, he found several gold coins.  "From Nagi,"  Cavis
exlained.  "They're Carissian gold dollars."
	"Why would she give us money?"  Tenchi asked.
	Ryoko took the bag and emptied the contents out onto the
table.  They watched her as she quickly counted the one thousand
dollar coins.  She finished and shook her head.
	"And I didn't think Nagi *had* a sense of humor," she said.
	"Why do you say that?"  Tenchi asked.
	She pointed at the coins.  "There's thirteen thousand dollars
there."
	"So?"  Tenchi asked.
	Cavis' eyes went wide.  "The bounty on Ryoko's head was
thirteen thousand dollars."
	Tenchi whistled.  Ryoko just shook her head in grim amusement.
	"What about this?"  Ryoko asked, pointing at a golden scale.
The base and staff had a texture like scales.  One plate was white,
while the other was black.  Ryoko tried to move the weights, but
they wouldn't budge.
	"A balance of destiny,"  Ssedrey told them, stepping up behind
them.  "A gift from Drakna.  He asked me to give it to you."
	"Drakna?"  The two of them asked as one.
	"Someone you do not know, but who knows you," Ssedrey told
them mysteriously.  He wouldn't say anything more on the subject.
	They turned as music began to play.  Washu was standing next
to two giant speakers, a microphone in her hand.  A slow song began
to play, and she started singing.
	Kiyone took Achika from Ryoko, and Tenchi took his bride and
began dancing with her.  The others watched as they had the first
dance.  As the song ended, Washu bowed.  Suddenly, Sasami and Achi
rushed up and grabbed the microphone from Washu.
	"Now for something with more pep!"  Achi announced, as Sasami
fiddled with the karaoke machine.  As a fast song began to play,
Sasami stepped up next to her friend with her own microphone in
her hand.  The two girls began to sing a duet together.
	Davner took Ayeka's arm and twirled her into his arms.  Ayeka
gave a short squeal of surprise.  He grinned and swept her onto the
dance floor.  Mihoshi dragged Kamidake after them.  Cavis and Meg
joined them as well as Kiyone and Toshio.  Washu took Achika and
stood next to Ssedrey.  She gave a victory sign and nudged Ssedrey
with her elbow.
	"What?" he asked.  He looked up and saw a flash.  The
photographer, Bob Kay, was taking their picture.  He handed them
the holograph and grinned.
	"The picture perfect family," he noted.  Ssedrey's eyes went
wide.
	"So,"  Cavis asked, twirling Meg, "What about your honeymoon?"
	Tenchi and Ryoko suddenly felt rather trapped.
	"The tickets to Pacifica are good whenever you want them,"
Ayeka noted.
	"Tenchi,"  Ryoko said, "Can I talk to you alone?"
	Tenchi nodded.  "Sure."  The two walked away from the other
dancers, stopping off to pick up Achika on the way.  The rest of
the party-goers drank and danced in their absence.
	Twenty minutes later, Sasami came out of the kitchen with a
knife.  "Where are they?" she asked.  "It's time to cut the cake."
	"MIYAAAAAAAA!"
	They all looked up and found Ryo-Ohki speeding up into the
sky.
	The all blinked in shock.
	"THEY'RE GETTING AWAY!"  Mihoshi cried.
	"They're running off!"  Cavis said, shaking his head in awe.
	"I say we get 'em,"  Davner commented.
	Cavis grinned.  "Ssedrey?"
	"A good hunt is a healthy thing every now and then."
	"Achi?"
	Achi's eyes narrowed.  "Release the hounds."
	"Well, then,"  Davner drawled.  "That settles it!"  He
stepped forward, but Ayeka grabbed his arm.
	"And just where do you think you're going?"  she asked.
	"Um..."
	"Cavis,"  Meg said in warning.  "Just what are you planning
to do?"
	The two men looked to each other.
	"Ssedrey!"  Washu cried, grasping the lizard's leg.  "Don't
leave!"  She brightened.  "Or better!  Take me along!"
	Ssedrey began shaking.
	"You should be here,"  Ayeka admonished Davner, "Dancing
with *me*!"
	"Cavis,"  Meg warned.  "They're on their honeymoon.  Leave
them alone."
	"Ssedrey!  We can start on *our* honeymoon!"  Washu cried.
	"Er..."
	"Um..."
	"That is..."
	"Who wants cake!?"  Sasami cried out.
	"ME!"  the three, male pirates cried out, running for the
kitchen.
	Ayeka, Meg, and Washu watched them go.  Ayeka shook her head.
"They are so hopeless."

	Ryoko placed Achika in her crib and looked up at the ceiling.
"Ryo-Ohki, you keep an eye on her, okay?"
	"Miya!"
	Ryoko walked back into Ryo-Ohki's command area and found
Tenchi there, uncorking the bottle of wine Ayeka had given them.
She disappeared and reappeared in his arms.
	"I can't believe we're really here," she said.
	"Why not?" he asked.  "This is it.  The storybook ending.
'They lived happily ever after.  The end.'"
	"That's just it, Tenchi!"  she told him happily.  "It's not
the end!  Every day, the story begins all over again!  The carnival
will *never* end now!  There's a new story every day!"
	Tenchi thought for a moment and quickly picked his wife up
off the ground.  Ryoko giggled.
	"Wheee!"
	"Once upon a time,"  Tenchi announced as he carried her to
the futon nearby.  "There was a beautiful space pirate named,
'Ryoko.'"  Ryoko giggled.  "Who, for some reason that can't be
explained, fell in love with some scraggly dirt farmer from
Earth..."
	"Well,"  Ryoko said, picking it up from there, "The farmer
had a kind of naive charm, so she said, 'Hey!  What the hell!' and
went for it."
	Tenchi guided her down to the futon.  "The farmer was a
complete dunce who simply didn't understand how the pirate felt."
	"Luckily,"  Ryoko whispered as her head made contact with
the pillow, "The pirate had a good deal of patience, and waited
for the farmer to come around."
	"Finally," Tenchi whispered, his lips only an inch from
Ryoko's, "After many adventures, and after seeing the pirate risk
her life for him...the farmer realized just how much he loved the
pirate...and that he couldn't live without her."
	Ryoko looked into his eyes.  "I love you, Tenchi," she
whispered.
	"I love you, Ryoko."
	Their lips met and they kissed.  "The.."  Ryoko whispered
between kisses.
	"End.."  Tenchi whispered.
	As the party continued on the planet below, the cabbit ship
carried the newly married couple and their child through the sea
of stars...
	As they started on the next story.


Author's Notes:

I hope you enjoyed this series.  I loved writing it.

Thomas "009" Doscher
doscher009@hotmail.com