This chapter is the tying up of loose ends. Tenchi Muyo! is owned by AIC and 
Pioneer.


Epilogue:  Eternity Beckons.


	In the twilight of the seasons, in the twilight of the day, they arrived 
home. So changed were they that the Earth failed to recognize her protectors, 
the ones who had strode her soil for so many years. They had returned, the ones 
who had shared so many years of laughter and tears upon her crust. 
	They came to the place where they had consummated their love so many years 
before, a windswept bluff that overlooked the valley that had been their home. 
Their journey had been long, but being here made all their troubles, if spirits 
could have troubled thoughts, melt away. At the apex of the hill they paused, a 
mass of shimmering lights, the color of the sky, the color of a storm cloud, 
mixed intimately together. They separated and became two distinct masses, their 
colors shimmering starlight upon the newly fallen snow. Kyokki and Yosho had 
come home. 
	For many moments they hovered there, while the sun painted crimson upon 
the powder. Then something began to happen. The two separate masses of motes 
began to come together, forming the figures of a man and a woman, etched in 
color. Then the figures began to accumulate flesh, coppery hair tumbled down the 
back of one, black hair down the other. Their newly acquired feet pressed into 
the frost. Then it was complete, the universe rewards those who serve her. 
	Kyokki stared at her husband in astonishment, as he stared at her in 
shock. 
	"Yosho?" She questioned. She reached her hand out to hesitantly touch his 
chest. 
	"Kyokki!" He cried joyously as he caught her hand and clasped to his 
heart. They fell against each other, sobbing their joy amid the drifting snow. 
	"Oh, Yosho," Kyokki exclaimed once she was again able to speak, "How?"
	He shook his head. "I don't know." He grinned and kissed her on the 
forehead, then took the stance of a stern monk, a great feat considering they 
were both nude. " But a wise man once said, 'when a man gifts you with a dragon, 
do not attempt to check his teeth.'" She laughed as they kissed, agreeing that 
they did not really need to know. It was enough that they were there, together, 
alive.
	Suddenly she exclaimed, "The others, we need to tell them."
Yosho hugged her comfortingly, "Don't worry, I'm sure your father and Washu are 
here, they can pass it on." 
	"You're right, dear. Let us go down to the house." 
	Yosho took his wife's arm as they trod through the soft snow, not feeling 
the chill of the air. As it was, Yosho was surprised when a blanket materialized 
over his other arm. 
	"Yosho, do you remember what we were doing before all this happened?" 
Kyokki asked coquettishly.
	Yosho laughed and slung the blanket like a cape across her shoulders. "My 
lady," He stood amidst the snowflakes, "Would you allow me to escort you on your 
tour of the countryside?" He bowed deeply.
	Kyokki flourished her makeshift cape, "My good sir, I would be delighted." 
	She turned and pointed down the snow-covered stairs. "Let us make haste, 
else...no," She turned to face the other half of her soul. " There is no need 
for haste. For eternity beckons and we have forever to heed her call. Let the 
world revolve around us." 
	Yosho reached over and tilted her chin back, "My lady, thine words are 
wise beyond all measure." They kissed among the barren trees.
...


	Some time later they approached the house, the blanket now wrapped around 
them both. They were surprised when they heard sounds coming from within, and 
the windows glowed in the darkness. They came around to the sliding glass doors 
and looked in, everyone was there, everyone. Tenchi, Ayeka, Sasami, Ryoko, who 
appeared to have been drinking a lot of toasts, Mihoshi, Noboyuki, Washu and 
Tentousama, Funaho, Misaki, Azusa, Tengai and Hokushin. They were all gathered 
together in the family room. 
	Mihoshi looked up at some strange inner instinct, and saw the snow-
shrouded forms of Kyokki and Yosho at the window. Being a thorough minded 
professional, Mihoshi promptly fainted. Everyone paused for one shocked instant, 
then they all looked towards the doors. They were too surprised to move as the 
doors slid open and Yosho and Kyokki calmly stepped in; brushing snow off of 
their shoulders and hair. 
	Tenchi took a hesitant step forward, "Grandpa? Kyokki?" He asked in 
disbelief. 
	"Tenchi!" Kyokki exclaimed happily. 
	Satisfied that they were not ghosts, Tenchi did the only thing that he 
could do, he fainted as a trickle of blood escaped his nostril, joining Mihoshi 
on the floor.
	Kyokki looked up. "What was that all about?" Yosho, who had, without 
thinking, held on to the blanket, grinned and whispered in her ear. She laughed 
and was abruptly wearing her favorite golden kimono. Then she turned to Yosho 
and clothed him as well. 
	He sighed in relief and unwrapped the blanket from around himself. Only 
then did the onslaught begin. 
	A cacophony of voices raised in earsplitting decibels as the two home-
comers were mobbed. Misaki reached them first "Oh, Yosho. Oh Kyokki!" She cried 
as she very nearly crushed the newly regained life out of them.
	"Hi, Misaki." Kyokki gasped. Yosho's face was rapidly turning red as he 
strove in vain to pull air into his rapidly deflating lungs. 
	"Now, Misaki," Funaho disengaged Misaki's arms from around the two with an 
ease that made Ayeka's eyes bulge.
	"How did she do that?" She whispered to Ryoko.
	"I don't know," The ex-space pirate turned princess whispered back. "Maybe 
she could demonstrate for us later.
	Funaho continued, "You cannot monopolize them." She clasped her son and 
her daughter-in-law in her arms; her eyes shining with unshed tears. "Never die 
on us again." She said softly.
	"Don't worry mother," Yosho assured her. "We aren't planning on it."
	She embraced them for a long moment. Kokuten was next, and he licked 
Kyokki's face while in wolf form, making joyful little whines. Then he made way 
for the others, each took their turns, either in groups or individually. Once 
Tenchi and Mihoshi regained consciousness they joined in. While Kyokki was 
talking with Sasami and Washu, Yosho was faced with his father.
	"So, Yosho, you've returned I see." Azusa needlessly commented. Yosho 
remained silent. His father cleared his throat nervously. He turned to look out 
the window. "Nice night isn't it." Yosho shrugged, his face stoic. Azusa 
continued, "This is a lovely planet." He sighed and bowed his head, his 
shoulders shaking, Yosho was beginning to become a little concerned over his 
father's health. 
	"Father...I," He said, taking a few steps toward the monarch. Suddenly 
Azusa turned with tears streaming down his face, and caught his son in an 
embrace reminiscent of his wife's. 
	"My, son!" he exclaimed brokenly. "I am so proud of you." 
	"Guh?" Yosho's eyes bulged in utter astonishment as his father discarded 
his formal resolve and, for once, acted like a dad.
	The room grew very quiet as the two hugged. They parted and turned to face 
the others. Everyone was looking at them with tears streaming down his or her 
face. "That was so sweet," the women chorused, their eyes sparkling. The men had 
nervously backed to the other end of the room. 
	"Uh..." Yosho and Azusa said as they were hit by an affectionate female 
tidal wave.
...


	The sun rises, the sun sets on many years. And the universe glides on in 
unconcerned splendor. 
...

	King Tenchi of the planet Jurai sat pensively in an ornately carved chair. 
As he sat he held his granddaughter on his knee, giving her a horsy ride as she 
laughed in glee. 
	Across the room Tengai sat by one of her little brothers, building a tower 
of blocks that he could knock down. It came down with a crash and Tengai 
laughed, glancing up at her husband, who held one of her nieces in his arms.
Tenchi sighed, there was no end in sight. After three hundred years, you would 
think...he thought of Washu and all of Ryoko's little brothers and sisters. He 
cursed softly. 
	"What did you say grandpa?" his granddaughter asked. 
	He caresses her purple hair gently, "Nothing little one," Why don't you go 
play with your aunts." He gestured off to another corner of the room where a 
group of little girls, looking like a field of multi-hued flowers, were 
clustered. She scampered off.
	"One, two, three..." Tenchi gave up counting. It appeared that, in the 
years since Tokimi had been vanquished, that she had been causing Ayeka's and 
Ryoko's infertility. 
	The emperor stood up and cracked his back. He looked around the room. He 
now had three daughters with Ayeka and two sons, and two daughters and four sons 
with Ryoko. Sasami had said that she would let things die down a bit before she 
had another child. 
	Tengai was by far the oldest of their children, the youngest...Tenchi 
looked at one of the doors that led to a side chamber, would be born today. He 
took a stroll around the room, trying to still some of his tension, this never 
got any easier. He passed Tentousama, Washu and Kyokki. They were standing next 
to Washu's second eldest daughter, who had a golden haired child in her arms. 
They gave him encouraging smiles as he paced by. 
	Next he passed Ryo-Ohki and Kokuten, whose odd looking pups were tumbling 
around on the floor. They were what all the little female members of his family 
had been gathered around earlier. 
	"Kokuten, can this one come live with me?" One of the little flowers 
asked.
	"Maybe when you're older." Kokuten replied. 
	"And when she is older," Ryo-Ohki added.
	Kokuten looked up as Tenchi passed and gave him a wolfish grin. Tenchi 
smiled back then returned to his pacing. Thirteen grandchildren. He felt dizzy 
for a moment, and glanced up as he passed a mirror. Yep, he still looked twenty-
five. It was hard to believe that he was a grandfather, let alone a great-
grandfather. 
	He had asked Washu about it some years after the battle over the universe. 
She had told them, after summoning a classroom into existence, that when the 
power had been drained from Tokimi, it had been absorbed by everyone present. 
That explained why none of them had aged physically past that day; they were all 
now immortal. 
	Tenchi sighed and continued pacing, passing his father and Mihoshi, who 
carried a little boy with black curly hair on her hip. One of Tenchi's little 
siblings. He paused for a moment, looking at his father, who looked just the 
same as he did 300 years ago. When his father had also stopped aging he had 
asked Kyokki about it, confused. 
	She had said, "When I altered your father's physiological traits, I made 
them in sync with Mihoshi's. So since she will not age, neither will he."
	He sighed and moved on, coming at last to the chair he had earlier 
vacated. Where he plomped himself down again and observed the chaotic room. 
	Yosho and Azusa entered the room with Misaki and Funaho. Misaki made a 
beeline to where the pup-kits were engaged in a wrestling match, "Oh, so cute!" 
Funaho rolled her eyes and followed her after sending a smile Tenchi's way.
	Azusa looked much more relaxed since he had stepped down and handed the 
throne to Tenchi. Tenchi rose again and greeted them.
	"How long have they been in there," Yosho asked. 
	"Forever." Tenchi replied.
	Azusa patted him on the shoulder in sympathy, then he looked around the 
room, "Well, it's not the first time." He laughed. "Coming, dear!" he responded 
to Misaki's wild beckoning gestures. And he walked off to join his wives. 
	Yosho settled in a simple chair next to Tenchi's. "Well, all we can do is 
wait it out." The two of them chatted for a while and Kyokki came over and 
joined them. 
	"How are you holding up Tenchi?" She asked.
	Tenchi held out a shaking hand, "Not too well, I'm afraid." 
	She smiled, and sat on Yosho's lap. "You've been through battles and worse 
and this always gets to you."
	Tenchi nodded mournfully when suddenly the door to the birthing room 
opened. 
	He jumped up, anticipating.
	Ryoko came out with a huge smile on her face, a small bundle in her arms. 
"It's a girl!" she announced to the suddenly hushed room. It erupted in a chorus 
of laughter and chatter. Ryoko came over and handed Tenchi his new daughter. She 
whispered in his ear, "Now we're going to have to have another one, I can't let 
Ayeka beat me." 
	Tenchi gulped nervously and peeled back the blanket to reveal soft dark 
hair and pretty ruby eyes.
	"What will you name her, Tenchi?" Kyokki asked.
	Tenchi looked up, scanning the faces of those surrounding him, five 
generations and more of his family, all in one room. The numbers were 
breathtaking. He smiled again at the little bundle in his arms. "Are there any 
names left?" they all laughed. "Okay, okay." He held her so they all could see. 
"Her name will be, if Ayeka agrees, Eitai." 
	Everyone cheered as Tenchi left the room to see his wife.
After he left, Kyokki and Yosho stayed for a few moments, then exited as well.
... 

	They stood on a small balcony overlooking the planet of Jurai. They stood 
there, holding each other's hands. * We have done well, Yosho. * Kyokki thought.
	* Yes we have, my love. Yes we have. *  He thought back. They greeted the 
Jurian sunrise with a long and passionate kiss, the joyful noises of their 
family in the background.

	The sun rises, the sun sets on uncountable years. As for eternity, she is 
still waiting. 

...Fin

Author's notes:

Well, this is the end. (cue song) I hope you have enjoyed this Speculative third 
Tenchi OAV fiction. I got a great deal of satisfaction out of writing it.

As always: Questions, Comments, Suggestions. E-mail me at kyokki21@yahoo.com

Huggles: Patricia 'Kyokki' Lucky