Tenchi Muyo! Exile #9: Three Small Visitors ---------------------- "How can I not be worried about it?" Trakal shouted at Mihoshi who flinched back in nervous surprise. "Kain-Ohki is out there somewhere." "He hasn't caused any problems so far." Kiyone pointed out, coming to Mihoshi's rescue out of either friendship or a masochistic streak on her part, she wasn't sure which. "That could be just because at the moment he believes he's too small to do any significant damage." Trakal pointed out. "It's been five months at least." Mihoshi said, counting on her fingers. "Would you three shut up?" Ryoko shouted at them. "I'm trying to watch this movie." The Pirates of Penzance was showing on some satellite channel again. "You've already seen in two hundred times." Trakal reminded her. **cough cough** "You talked during every one." Ryoko pointed out. "Just making you pay for your crimes." Trakal told her. "Ahem..." "Statute of limitations is out, you know." Ryoko reminded him. "Well, there's still a matter of you destroying that park bench back in 1970, assaulting a galaxy police officer, namely me, interfering with a police investigation..." "AHEM!!" "My aren't we picky!" Ryoko taunted. "I owe everything to the Galaxy Police and the Jurai and you, I would like to point out, are a pain in the ass to both of them." "May I remind you that since I am married to Tenchi, I am a member of the House of Jurai." Ryoko pointed out, poking Trakal's chest with her fingertip. Something struck the top of Trakal's head and made him spin around, bringing himself into a defensive mode. Washu was standing there with a long bamboo stick in her hand. Trakal couldn't figure out how she was lifting it. "I hate to interrupt this cheerful converation, Trakal," she told him, "but Makiya just went into labor." "Where is..." Trakal began. Washu had anticipated this question and replied, "She's in the Shrine." before he had finished asking it. "Thanks!" Trakal called over his shoulder as he ran toward the temple. As he ran, Trakal used the transforming abilities given him by the Masses to change into his human appearance. He was a little concerned that his 'natural' appearance might be a little disconcerting for the infants about to be born, and it was a fairly hot day, being mid August and all. He arrived, threw open the door and rushed inside, coming to a sudden halt and panting, out of breath, at the side of the mat where Makiya lie, also panting, in labor. Washu was already there, patting Makiya's head witha damp rag. Naoki stared at her in amazement. "Washu!!" He wailed. Washu chuckled momentarily, then moved to the midwife's position to catch the babies while Naoki supported her back and kept her comfortable. Ryoko gritted her teeth and asked, for the nth time "When is Tenchi going to be here? He should've been home by now." Tenchi had taken a part time job in order to deal with any added expenses that might occur now that he was about to become a dad. "Oh, he's working late." Mihoshi told her casually. "He called an hour ago to say that he was going to be tied up this evening because he and his boss were doing inventory together." "He WHAT?!" Ryoko demanded, leaping to her feet. She stumbled suddenly and then fell to her knees with a shriek of pain. "What's the matter, Ryoko?" Mihoshi asked. "Nothing. Everything's fine." Ryoko replied in a cheerfully sarcastic tone. "Oh, okay." Mihoshi went back to watching TV. A moment later, one of Ryoko's blasts flew by her head. "What the?!" "MHOSHI, YOU IDIOT!" Ryoko shouted at her. "I'M IN LABOR!!" Mihoshi looked at the empty room... ...then back at the laboring Ryoko... ...then she panicked. Makiya bore down once more, crying out in pain as her first child made its way into the world. Naoki stroked her hair as Washu caught the baby. "It's a boy." She told the new parents. Makiya smiled briefly up at Naoki, who was beaming with pride. "Hey," she panted, "What are you looking so proud for? I did all the *hard* work." Naoki kissed her brow and smiled at her. Washu held the newborn upside down. She gave it a tiny swat to start it breathing and crying, then set it down momentarily on a number of towels on the mat so that she could concentrate on helping Makiya deliver the second child. ***** "Umm... okay... hold on just a second Ryoko... I know it's in my handbook somewhere." Ryoko would've wrung Mihoshi's neck if she wasn't too busy panting. "Ummm.... just a moment, Ryoko... I know the instructions are here somewhere... Um... where's my handbook." Mihoshi began twisting her cube. ***** "Just once more, honey... one more push." Naoki coached, excitedly, the joy of his son's first cry adding to the excitement of the impending birth of the second twin. Makiya bore down one final time and delivered her second child. "It's a girl." Washu told them. Washu cleaned off the second baby, then she picked up both infants and presented them to their parents. "I love you." Naoki told Makiya as he bent down to kiss her and the two babies. "I love you..." Makiya sighed as she drifted off to sleep. *** "Hold on, Ryoko!" Mihoshi called to her as she kept trying to find her manual. She twisted the cube again, and again. More and more items came out. Some large, some small. None of them an instruction manual. "I'll be just a minute." She said, cheerful. "Where IS IT?!" She cried out in frustration. A moment later. "Oh! I've found it!" She looked around. "Ryoko? Ryoko?!" "Under here." Mihoshi quickly move the pile of stuffed animals off of Ryoko. By the time she uncovered the pretty pirate, Ryoko was giving her an irritated look and holding a baby boy in her arms. Tenchi walked up to the gate of with Ryo-Ohki who was miya'ing happily with a few carrots strapped to her back. Tenchi was carrying the rest in a basket which he dropped when he saw Ryoko standing there, holding a new baby. She'd recovered quickly, which really didn't surprise Tenchi all that much. Tenchi ran over to Ryoko and their baby, forgetting the carrots, which Ryo-Ohki was only too happy to clean up for him. "Ryoko." Tenchi said, holding his arms out. Ryoko handed Tenchi the baby and kissed him, happily. "He needs a name, Tenchi." She told him. "I wanted to wait until you got home to pick one." Tenchi smiled and kissed her back. "I'm glad." he told her. "Thank you, Ryoko." They went to the back porch and sat down together. In the distance, Tenchi could hear another baby crying. "It sounds like Makiya had her twins. I wonder why I only hear one, though." "She's probably feeding the other." Ryoko shrugged. The baby in Tenchi's arms started to cry. "Speaking of which..." Tenchi hedged. Ryoko openned her kimono and took the infant to her breast while Tenchi watched her with pure adoration. "So, any ideas?" "Well, my grandfather named me." Tenchi suggested. "Perhaps we should let dad name our child?" "He'll probably end up with the name which is the Japanese equivalent of Peeping Tom," Ryoko remarked, grinning. "He will *not*!" Tenchi exclaimed. "Dad's not *that* bad!" "Tanteiko's finally sleeping." Naoki told Makiya. "That's a relief." Makiya replied. "I was worried that she would wake up Mitsuku. I'd just got him to sleep, too." She looked over at Washu, who wore a contemplative look on her face. "Little Washu?" "I'm a grandmother." Washu smiled. "Oh!" Makiya smiled. "Washu, why didn't you tell us. Go ahead and see your grandchild. We'll be fine." Washu grinned and vanished. "Well," Nobuyuki hedged as he looked down at his sleeping grandson. "let me see. Your ancestor Yosho was a samurai prince, and ...." he hedged a bit, then smiled. "Eureka!" He shouted. "I am *NOT* naming my child Eureka." Ryoko said, disdainfully. "No..." Nobuyuki explained. "I meant I've thought of one. "Well, what is it?" Tenchi asked. "The perfect name for a child of royal blood." Nobuyuki told them. "Mikado." Lt. Trakal Operative of the Galaxy Police SIU