“What are you doing here?!!” an excited Ryoko exclaimed as her mouth, wide from shock, had turned to an open smile. “You told me to drop by whenever, and I was in the neighborhood, so-“ She didn’t need to finish the sentence. Like a child opening a present on Christmas, Ryoko became overly excited as she laughed out loud, happy with the visit from an old friend, but kept herself from hugging the bounty hunter. “So, can I come in, or do I have to stand out here?” Nagi asked. “Oh! Yeah, come in!”
“You told me the place that you were staying in was big… but this is ridiculous.” As soon as Nagi walked into the front room, Ryoko noticed someone just as she leapt up at her face. “Ryo-Ohki!!! Oh my gosh, I’ve missed you so much!!” Ryoko held her cabbit as it constantly mewed and licked her face with joy in seeing her master once again. All her friends had heard the commotion, and were confused as they watched from a distance. “Has Nagi taken good care of you?” “Mreow!!” the happy cabbit answered. “Good! I’m sorry – I missed you too!! Ha ha ha ha!! Hey! Cut it out!” She laughed as Ryo-Ohki continued to lick her face. She stopped, and Ryoko then held her close as she looked over to Nagi. “Thanks, Nagi.” “Yeah, that was the other reason why I came here. She kept saying how much she missed you, so I felt bad.”
She looked down at the red-haired boy who was partly hidden as he stood behind his mother, grasping her leg. “So, who’s this little guy?” Nagi asked. “Friend of yours?” “OH! I forgot to introduce everyone!! My bad. This is Ryan. He’s my son,” Ryoko said happily as she looked down at him. He looked over at Nagi shyly. “WHAT?! You- you gotta be kidding me!! He’s YOUR son?! YOU?! That-that’s impossible!! N-no way!!!” Nagi yelled in disbelief and shock. Ryoko smiled at her, then yelled over to the rest of her family. “Hey! Trunks! Minagi! Get over here!!” They quickly came over, interested in seeing whom Ryoko was talking with. “This,” she said putting her hand on Trunks’ shoulder, “Is my husband, Trunks.” Nagi’s eyes and mouth widened. “And,” she said pointing at Minagi, “This is my daughter Minagi.” Nagi gasped. “Wow. She sure freaks out easily,” Minagi said.
She continued to stare at Ryoko’s family, who stood and stared back at her until she calmed down from her shock. “I can’t believe it.” She was partly laughing now as she spoke. “You, of all people, settled down and started a family.” She looked over at Ryoko’s daughter. “Minagi,” she said. “Yeah?” the half Saiyan answered. “That’s a good name,” Nagi laughed. “Let me guess. Your mom didn’t name you, did she?” “Well, no. Actually, she didn’t.” “Heh,” Ryoko laughed to herself. Nagi picked on her whenever it was possible. But now, Nagi did something Ryoko had never expected her to do. She congratulated her. “Good for you, Ryoko.” Everyone else who still watched from afar remained beyond confused. Like always, it was Ayeka who broke the silence.
“What in the Universe is she doing here?!” she screamed, pointing at Nagi as she approached them; the others following slowly behind her. “I invited her. What’s it to you?!” Ryoko remarked. Past Ryoko then spoke up. “Why?” “Yeah, what’s up Ryoko? I thought you two were arch-rivals,” Tenchi agreed. “I guess I forgot to explain that part to you all!” Ryoko said, wondering why she hadn’t before.
“Ok. Well, let’s see… where do I start?” They all sat in the living room; the girls comfortably sipping tea, except Nagi who requested some hard liquor, and Mirai Ryoko with her beer. The two Ryo-ohki’s curiously greeted each other, while an interested, but confused Ken-ohki watched. Ken-ohki is Nagi’s cabbit. “Uh, well, when I was alone traveling from planet to planet, or colony which was often the case, I began the project which you now know as my spaceship. This was 3 years after Tenchi and everyone were killed. Ryo-ohki here, is my ship, but I felt bad about making her travel around so much and decided to give her a break by building a ship. Plus, I needed a better place to live. While on Rotan, I was able to finish up my ship while working for Koji at the space port check-in station. Hey, how’re Koji and the guys doin’, anyway?” Ryoko asked in the middle of her story. “Same as always,” Nagi answered. “Actually, there’s something I wanted to tell you about, but finish your story first.” “Oh, alright. Anyway, I ended up running into Nagi on Rotan. She was at a bar, as usual. Didn’t recognize me cause I was in my Super Saiyan form to keep from being recognized. Something bothered her about me though, so she followed me and cornered me in an alley. I changed back for pure amusement, and she tried to take me down. Years later, and she was still searching for me! I forced her into giving up as soon as she realized what I had become, and figured she didn’t stand a chance.” Nagi grumbled at Ryoko’s remarks, but didn’t say anything. “She heard about the ‘incident’ on earth from the tabloids. There was a lot of controversy going on in Jurai, and the rest of the galaxy. I filled her in on the details, and what I had planned to do now. I decided that it would be best for Ryo-Ohki to stay with Nagi and Ken-Ohki. She didn’t deserve to have to go through all the pain I went through. She was upset with the idea, but obeyed my wishes nonetheless. And that’s basically it. I hadn’t seen the two since then, and that was 13 years ago.”
“I see,” Tenchi said. ”So you two put your differences behind you and became friends!” Ryoko and Nagi looked at each other. Friends, huh? Well, maybe that’s putting it a bit too boldly. Ryo-ohki jumped back into her master’s lap and sat happily as Ryoko fed her a carrot. “All I know,” she said, “is that we’ve had too many unexpected visitors lately.” “OH! I forgot!!” Sasami exclaimed. “Dinner’s ready!” “So tell me,” Ryoko asked Nagi. The two sat on the couch and ate because there wasn’t enough space at the table. “What was it you wanted to say before?” “Oh, right. Well, I have a message for you from Koji. Says he wants you to come and help him again.” “Help him? What for? He knows I work at Capsule Corp now; we trade all the time.” “Yeah, but don’t be too certain it’s for that kind of work. Now because of your powers, you seem to be useful for other types of jobs.” “What do you mean?” Ryoko asked suspiciously. Minagi had finished her meal, all except for a roll that she quickly stuffed in her mouth as she left the table. She stood quietly behind her mother and Nagi, listening attentively to their conversation; she loved to hear about the adventures Ryoko had in space.
Rotan Helix was a completely man-made colony in the far depths of the Eastern Quadrant – same quadrant in which Jurai, and the parallel Earth (where Tenchi lives) is located. The Earth they currently are on now is located in the Northern Quadrant. Rotan originated from its home planet, Quintar. Quintar has two moons, Sarsh, and Bedi, which is so small, it’s sometimes thought to be an asteroid that fell into orbit accidentally. The scientists from Quintar first made Rotan to help the economy. This backfired when Rotan gained such a population increase, the people there rebelled and Civil war broke out. Rotan eventually gained independence, but lost its support from Quintar. Less and less people wanted to live there as the once high economy dropped. Rotan eventually became a haven for outlaws, the Casino Capital of the Universe. The colony was basically run by money, which came mainly from tourists and the casinos. Various races were held annually to keep bidders’ interest. Because of the lack of reinforcement, Rotan was a gold mine for bounty hunters. No wonder Nagi has almost made the place her permanent home. With the money earned from all the pirates and outlaws there, she could retire in a year and be on vacation in Ryuten or Hawaii for the rest of her life. Ryoko is the most wanted criminal in the universe, and yet she couldn’t care less about the dangers in Rotan.
“Things are changing in Rotan,” Nagi said with a slightly grave tone to her voice. “The Galaxy Police are finally cracking their whip.” “Good!” Ryoko said, then took a bite out of some Teriyaki chicken. “Doeshn’t mhatter ta meeh,” she added while chewing. “Don’t talk with your mouth full.” Ryoko swallowed. “Yeah, but they affect my work. No criminals equals no money. Anyway, Koji knows the whole story. You’re just gonna have to talk to him. I’m not even sure if it’s the Galaxy Police that’s really behind all the controversy there lately. A huge zillion-dollar corporation of some sort supposedly runs Rotan. He thinks they’re involved or responsible somehow.” “That’s that huge place in the middle of the city, right? It even goes down underground for miles I’ve heard.” “I guess so. Like I said, talk to him. I don’t really know. I’m assuming he wants you to get the colony’s income back on track by wiping them out- something diplomatic like that. Affects his job too; and there’s nothing the residents of Rotan hate more than a salary-cut. The universe is run by money. You know that better than anyone.” Ryoko smiled as she thought about that. “What the hell? Alright, I’ll go. It’d be nice to go back in space again. I can only stand being stuck on land for so long. Other than that, it sounds like nothing’s really changed since the last time I went to Rotan.”
“You’re going?!” Minagi blurted out, catching the two off guard. “What are you doing there?!” Ryoko yelled back. “Let me come with you!” she said, then plopped down on the couch in between them. “I’m sorry Minagi,” Ryoko sighed, “but you can’t come.” “Why not?! Remember how much help I was with the androids yesterday?” Ryoko didn’t want Minagi to come when they went to the Red Ribbon Base, but she ended up saving her life. If Minagi wasn’t there, Ryoko would’ve died. She was willing to admit that. But bring her to Rotan? No. Minagi could definitely take care of herself, and everyone else on occasion, but something about this didn’t feel right. “No. I’m going by myself. I trust you, but I can’t get you all involved with this. It doesn’t concern you, and it’s dangerous. I’m not even going to let Trunks come.” “But..” “That’s the end of it!” Minagi hurtfully hung her head and sulked. It just wasn’t fair. Ryoko felt bad. “What can I do to make her feel better?” she thought to herself as she rested her hand on Minagi’s bowed head. “If she becomes busy with something, it’ll keep her mind off my absence.” “Remember how you wanted to build your own bike and use all those expensive new parts and tools we just got?” Ryoko began saying out loud. "And I told you that you have to wait until your birthday?" Minagi quickly caught on to what her mother was getting at and excitedly poked her head up. "Well, if you be a good girl and stay here - and take care of your brother for me - you can start your project whenever you like. I'll take the costs for the parts out of my salary." "Really?!" she exclaimed happily. "Are you serious?!" Ryoko nodded her head. "Thank you!!" She squeezed Ryoko well beyond what was needed to cut off her air supply, then let go to run off and start instantly.
Ryoko laughed and coughed as she caught her breath. "If you ask me," Nagi insisted. "that's spoiling her a bit." "First of all, I didn't ask you. And secondly, compared to how Bulma treats little Trunks, I'm tough on my kids. Trunks is going to grow up to be a spoiled brat." She declared, not caring if Bulma heard or not. She did, and simply shrugged it off. "Besides," Ryoko added smiling, "she deserves it. She's been through a lot. She's had amnesia, lost her father, watch me die... twice; she takes good care of Ryan, works really hard, saved my life yesterday while catching a fatal disease, and that's just an overview." "I see your point," the bounty hunter agreed. "I guess I was right." "About what?" "I assumed Minagi wasn't Trunks' daughter. Seems I was correct." "What gave that away? The fact that she looks like she's just about the same age as him?!" Ryoko laughed. "Partly."
Ryoko stood up, grabbed their plates and cups, and walked over into the kitchen to rinse the dishes in the sink. Everyone else was already done with dinner. The two were talking for so long, they didn't realize how late it had become. "Everyone already in bed?" she asked Bulma who was still cleaning the mess. "Yeah. As soon as I finish here, so am I." "I have some business to take care of tomorrow. I'll be gone - I don't know - for three or four days?" Ryoko told her. "What? You can't just go whenever you feel like!" "This is important! I know I have to work on the new cruisers tomorrow; I'll just bring what I can to work on in my spare time, and catch up by working overtime when I get back, okay? Nobody's coming with me so it shouldn't take very long." Bulma sighed. "Alright, Ryoko." “Where do I sleep?” Nagi asked as she walked in. “Wherever you want,” Ryoko answered. “Just find an open room and bed – there should be plenty.” “Alright then. Come on, Ken-Ohki,” she ordered her sleeping cabbit and headed upstairs. Ryoko helped Bulma put all the rest of the dishes away, yawned, and said, “Goodnight then,” as she headed to bed.
Minagi sat on the floor of her room; pipes, tools, and other metal pieces were spread out all around her. “Time for bed,” Ryoko said as she stood in the doorway. She freaked Minagi out who had no idea that Ryoko was there until she spoke up. “Oh! Time already?!” “Yep. I know you’re eager to get started, but you’ll have to continue with that tomorrow! Get some rest now.” “Right. Ok,” she answered, pushing all the stuff on her floor out of the way with her foot. A blueprint-type sketch sat on her desk. Ryoko picked it up and looked at it, then looked over at Minagi who was trying to stuff a few last pieces under her bed. “This is really good,” Ryoko said sincerely, examining the drawing closely. “OH! Uh, thanks!!” Minagi answered nervously once she knew what Ryoko was talking about. “I like to draw, so I, uh, tried to design something that I could build someday.” “I didn’t know that,” Ryoko mumbled, sounding a little sad. Minagi sat down on her bed. “Yakage never let me draw,” she sighed. “Let me guess,” Ryoko stated while she sat down next to her daughter. “He thought it was a waste of time and that you should put your attention on your training, right?” “Yeah! How do you-?” “Yakage-and Kagato; both treated me the same way. Nothing was more important than fighting. But my mom was kind. She taught me how to build things. I became so fascinated with engineering and piloting… but all that ended when she was imprisoned. I want you to be able to do what you enjoy. You don’t have to prove anything to anyone but yourself.” With that note, Ryoko rubbed Minagi’s head, messing up her hair. She lay back in bed as Ryoko walked over to the door and flicked off the light. “Keep it up.”
………………………………
“Let’s get going,” Nagi said impatiently as she stood by the door. “What’re you in such a rush for?” Ryoko yelled back sounding irritated. It was early; the sun was just rising. “What’s taking you so long? We have to leave now! This is an all day trip, and that’s only if your giant metal-chunk of a ship can keep up with mine.” “Keep up? Pass is more like it!!” Ryoko yelled back as she grabbed whatever items she found would be useful and threw them in a crate labeled capsule Corp. She then minimized it into a capsule, stuck it in a pack with the rest, and stomped into the room by the door while Nagi impatiently waited. “Alright, let’s go.” “Go where?”
Ryan stood at the end of the hallway. His hair was messed and stuck up from sleeping on it and he was yawning as he rubbed his eyes. “Oh, you’re up? Sorry Ryan, I guess we were too loud,” his mom apologized as she walked over to him, then knelt down so they were the same height. “I have some off-world business to attend to. I’ll see you in a few days, ok?” Half asleep, he hugged her. Ryoko patted his head and added, “Your dad and sister are staying here too, so you be good and do what they say.” “Ok mom,” he said while yawning once more. “I love you.” “I love you too. Now go back to bed!” He let go, then slowly staggered back to his room. Ryoko smiled, still kneeling, until Nagi interrupted her thought. “Ready to go now?!” “Yeah. Let’s go.”
Next: Chapter 9 - "Dark Legacy Infiltration"
Jaz - September, 2003
http://saiyananimeplanet.cjb.net
Naluchik11@Hotmail.com
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