The next day two Juraian knights in full uniform arrived
at Soja.  They formally greeted Kagato and declaired
that he was to appear before the King Yosho with his
nieces.  He was to arrive in style. Kagato walked down
the hall of the thrown room with his head help high.  He
was sure the announcement would be made that Tenchi was
to marry Ayeka.
        “Soon,” he thought to himself, “ I will have
access to the thrown and I can use the power of the gems
to take the power of Tsunami.  He stood before Yosho who
sat on the thrown with Tenchi beside him.
        “Your Majesty,” he began grinning gleefully as
she bowed.
        “Lord Kagato,” Yosho began, “ is it true that
you lied to the King of Jurai?
        Kagato stopped in mid bow and looked up, “ your
majesty, I assure you I have no idea…”
        Yosho continued, “ I have been lead to believe
that you have been plotting the overthrow of the
thrown.  I must have you know that the charged against
you are very serious, choose your words wisely, they may
be your last.”
        Kagato looked around at the court who glared at
him with apathy and disgust.  He then looked to Ayeka
and Sasami.  Ayeka looked straight at him.
        “Your majesty,” he began, “is it a crime to wish
for my own niece to ascend to royalty?”
        Yosho smiled, “you seem to have had your eye on
that crown for yourself.  It is a crime to commit
treason.”  Yosho stopped for a moment and studied
Kagato, “ I hearby sentence you to life in a Juraian
prison without parole or bail, that is…..unless someone
will speak for you.”
        Kagato looked around at the court.  He looked
around grasping for a murmur, a hint of pity in the eyes
of one noble, but found nothing but cold glances.
Suddenly he heard a door open from behind him.  The
nobles began to bow and curtsy at once.
“Don’t look at me,” a familiar voice laughed, “I hope he
rots in there.”
        Kagato looked to his nieces. Sasami curtsied at
once and then looked to Ayeka who with some hesitation
smiled and did the same.“Your majesty,” they sang.
He turned to face Ryoko who wore royal robes.  On her
forehead was painted three green triangles, a symbol of
Tsunami.  She took her place next to Tenchi who held her
hand and kissed it.
        “Lord Kagato,” Tenchi smiled,” I do not believe
you have met my wife.”
        Kagato then noticed Washu who had emerged from
behind the thrown.  She grinned at him tauntingly.
        “So you had gotten free,” he hissed.
“Ryoko and I are not under your power anymore,” she
stated smiling.
He turned back to Ryoko with pure disdain.  His
expression once would have chilled her blood to the
core.  She did not move though.  She stood up to face
him.
        “Lord Kagato,” Yosho queried, “where are your
manners?  Do you dare not bow before Juraian Royalty?”
        Kagato gritted his teeth and began to slowly
descend to a bow, “ your majesty,” he growled as he
reached into his boot and grabbed a dagger lunging
forward towards Ryoko.
        Ryoko simply held out her hand and sent a red
ball of energy hurling towards his chest knocking him to
the ground.  Kagato leapt up in shock.  He lunged back
towards her only to be met with a red energy sword aimed
between his eyes.  She held it firmly in front of her.
“Don’t touch me!” she commanded.
It was then he noticed the three gems she wore upon
her.  He looked towards Ayeka to whom he had trusted
them, “I would hate to think you had anything to do with
this.”
Ayeka smiled serenely, “ why uncle,” she began, “all my
life you have taught me to respect royalty.  It would be
against your lessons if I did not return the Princess’s
stolen gems.”
Kagato turned back to Ryoko, “so,” he began, “ it looks
like the shrew has been tamed.”
“Shut up,” Ryoko barked, “for once you are going to be
silent and you will hear everything I have to say.  For
seventeen years you treated me as if I was an expendable
machine.  You have degraded my mind, body, and spirit. I
will leave here today and never think of you again, but
you will think of me everyday for the rest of your
life.”  She turned to Yosho, “ make sure that he is
shown the same courtesy he has shown me.”
Yosho nodded and motioned for several Juraian knights to
restrain Kagato, and bring him off to jail.
“Goodbye!”  Washu called after him, “ don’t drop the
soap!”
“Miss Washu!” Ayeka gasped approaching the thrown, “was
that comment necessary?”
Kiyone, Mihoshi and Seiryou stepped out from the crowd
and stood beside Washu, Ryoko and Tenchi.
Later that day the close members of the bride and groom
where gathered in a small room.  Tenchi and Ryoko kissed
once more and looked out the window onto the vast empire
they would rule together.
“But Kiyone!” Mihoshi whined,” I just still don’t
understand!  What would happen if Kagato dropped the
soap!”
“I’ve explained it to you a million times Mihoshi!
Remember what I told you about prisons for only men?
Just men…get it?”
“Ummmmmmmmm nope I don’t get it at all,” Mihoshi
giggled.  Kiyone fell over with frustration.  Seiryou
looked at Ryoko and shook his head, “I still cant
believe it, your majesty.  You’ll have to promise to let
me do all your shopping and try on your gowns.”
 Ryoko smiled and wrapped her arms around her husband, “
well hopefully I won’t be spending much time dressed.”
She joked.  Sweatdrops formed on Tenchi’s forhead.
“That reminds me,” Washu began picking up a big box and
handing it to the newly weds, “I haven’t given you two
your wedding gift yet.”
        Tenchi and Ryoko opened the box and both picked
up an odd looking metal rod.  It did nothing.  Both
Tenchi and Ryoko stood a moment staring at it.
        “Ah yes, I see my virgin detector works,” she
cackled, “ and speaking of working, looks like you two
have gotten to work already to give me grandchildren.”
        “Good job son,” Nobouyuki laughed proudly
slapping Tenchi on the back.
        “Mom!”  Ryoko yelled as Tenchi’s face flushed
completely.
        “Awww you called me mom! Music to my ears,”
Washu sang.
        “You are impossible,” Ayeka scoffed, “you
haven’t been wed twenty four hours and already you two….”
        “You’re just jealous,” Ryoko taunted, “you’d
have done the same if it was you.”
Tenchi’s face flushed even more as his sweatdrops grew.
Ryoko looked over to her husband and softly put her arms
around her kissing his lips, “you my prince,” she
laughed, “ are supposed to be charming!”
        Tenchi smiled as his face melted into a smile at
her touch, “and we princess are supposed to live happily
ever after.”  He whispered in her ear.
        “Says who,” she sighed.
        He answered her with an intense soulful kiss.
        *************************************************
********************
                EPILOGUE:
                Soon after Tenchi wed Ryoko, Ayeka found
a long lost relative of hers who was even closer
relation than Tenchi.  The two are now happily married
and live with Sasami in the Palace.
                After days of explaination Kiyone gave
up on explaining to Mishoshi the meaning of “Don’t drop
the soap,” she went on an extended vacation to a
tropical planet with her live in therapist to recover
from the stress of living with a dimwit.
                Washu with her newfound freedom returned
to her lab and found a market in her patented virgin
detector .  She often visited Ryoko and Tenchi when she
needed guinea pigs for her other ventures and of course
to catch up for lost time with her daughter.
                Ryo –Ohki now lives next to the royal
carrot patch…needless to say she’s happy.
                Nobouyuki was banned from the west wing
of the palace after being caught spying on Ryoko and
Tenchi with a video camera.
                Seiryou became Ryoko’s fasion consultant
and now has his own magazine and clothing label as well
as a franchise of hair salons called, “Parlor of Pink.”
                Sakuya returned to Uranus where she
happily wed her Tenchi doll and retreated to her bedroom
where she kept nothing but pictures of Tenchi on the
walls.  She didn’t seem to notice she never married the
real thing.
                Kagato, with his long hair, was the most
popular man in cell block C.  The inmates fondly refer
to him as Kiki.
                And although Ryoko and her Prince did in
fact live happily ever after, the point is…they lived.