Remember that disclaimer from way back at the opening to the last chapter? Yep, still in full effect. Brand new Author's Notes, though. First off, I actually intended this to be a one-shot. I left it as "incomplete" by purest accident, and never thought of it. And then...people happened. Suddenly I had an influx of people adding this to Story Favorites and Story Alerts. Well, folks, flattery gets you everywhere. I decided that before I wrote anything else, I'd finish this(and also that I'd make sure to mark stories 'complete' in the future). And, eventually, the Muse struck me with the Inspiration Hammer.
Anyway. Another reason it's been left so long was trying to work around what I realized was a plothole in the last chapter, but I'm hoping none of you did. Fortunately, the Hammer of Inspiration revealed that my problem was also my solution. So, let's get started, The first paragraph is world building and can be safely skipped if you're just looking for Chiaki/Makoto Plot.
Now the Masters of Earth did not administer the whole of the planet as a group. Most, excepting such as Overlord, Master Yama and Mistress Mundi, had settled in one of the major megalopolises and established administrative fiefdoms. However, these left large swaths of populations outside the fiefdoms. To remedy this state, four of those Masters who had chosen not to establish a fiefdom were dubbed the Lokapalas, The Administrators Of The Four Corners, and given the duty of administering the regions not enveloped in a fief. So, The Nineteenth Master, The Suryavanshi, was over the South-East Quarter, the Southern half of the Eastern Hemisphere, The Eighteenth Master, The Diana, was over the North-West Quarter, The Seventeenth Master, The Zaryan, was over the South-West Quarter, and The North-East belonged to the Twentieth Master, The Shofet.
And so it was to the halls of the Shofet's palace that Chiaki was brought to answer for the crime of breaking the Immutable Law, for allowing someone in the past to know of time travel. Such was the Masters' skill at theatricality and stage management that even knowing ahead of time exactly what The Shofet was going to say, he was still terrified. His trial had been the day before, and today was his sentencing. So there he stood, alone, before the brazen throne of his judge, arrayed like a classical angel of judgement, bearing a golden spear in his hand and a silver trumpet across his lap as his symbols of office, the Shofet stared down through his mask.
"Chiaki Mamiya. You understand that the law you have been accused of breaking is a breach of Solar Parliamentary Law, and that as such it is a bench trial, with right to trial by jury in suspension, and you cannot appeal on this, or any other, count?"
Deep breath. "Yes, Sirrah Judge."
"Chiaki Mamiya. You understand that for the same reason, the Masters are accorded the right to wiegh in, each in their turn, that any decision is not mine alone, and borne instead by all the Masters? And, thus, any decision I hand down today is considered the decision of the full government of Earth, and will further be accorded the position of Law by all organization within the Solar Parliament, as per the Temporal Proclamations and the Universal Extradition Treaty?"
"Yes, Sirrah Judge."
"The hear this, Chiaki Mamiya, for this is the judgement of the Masters. We have, this past night, spoken and debated at length on your fate. We have found you guilty on the sole count of the State's Charge, which is the breach of the Immutable Law of Time Travel."
There was an audible intake of breath from the gallery.
"Your sentence was the primary source of debate, for the fact of the charge is irrefutable. The decision was two fold. First, that you did what you did from Love. As there are legal precedents for what are typified 'crimes of passion', even if this does stretch the term, and the Masters have no desire to discourage the pursuit of Eros and Kama among their subjects, this being deemed to deny them future subjects..."
Now there were audible snickers and chuckles, including a smirk from the Shofet himself. All told, he was one of the most approachable Masters, frequently giving lectures at universities throughout his Quarter on subjects of Religion, Philosophy and Law. But his face grew stern again.
"...We deigned to show mercy. However we also cannot, and I stress this, CANNOT, permit such actions to be undertaken ever again, we have also deemed that your punishment must still be severe. So know this, Chiaki Mamiya. You are hereby, now and forever, forbidden to ever time travel. If you are found to have done so, even unto five minutes into the past, you will be immediately seized, and, without further trial, shall be taken to a public place, whereupon a scaffold shall be erected and, like the traitors of old, you shall be hangéd by the neck until dead."
Chiaki knew it was coming, but still grew pale. "Yes, Sirrah Judge."
"Further, in part because it has been deemed that you might rush back in time to see your fair maiden once more, in spite of or even because of the threat to your life, you are hereby placed under probation, to be secluded for the next year to this Palace and its environs."
This was not unexpected. The Shofet's Palace was a city unto itself, containing this courtroom, public housings and schools, and sundry similar institutions. As The Shofet was known to have a skill for reforming wrong-doers rather than simply punishing them, this would be seen to take the sting from the death sentence.
"Yes, Sirrah Judge. Thank you for your mercy."
And, with that, and a few more traditional remarks from the Shofet, the bailiffs, the lawyers and so on, the Shofet banged the staff upon the floor, and court was adjourned . The Shofet pointed rather ominously at Chiaki, who had turned to go.
"No, no, Mister Mamiya. I'll be escorting you to your new quarters personally. I've a few choice words about your behavior, off the record."
Certain now that they would be missing the mother of all diatribes, the crowd filed out. After they were all gone, The Shofet held up five fingers, and silently counted down, to Chiaki's confusion. When he reached zero, he placed the silver trumpet on its stand by the throne, and motioned for Chiaki to follow.
"Wise man once said, always allow five seconds for people 'accidentally' forgetting to shut the door behind them. Any longer and someone's going to notice them eavesdropping, so they won't stay unless they can actually hear you talking."
Chiaki looked baffled. "What, really?"
"Maybe. What I was always told growing up, certainly. This way. We're running late; that paternity case took far too long. Which just means that bringing in the entire high school football team as evidence was inconvenient as well as bad taste."
He had motioned towards a wall, which Chiaki had noticed was now drawing back, revealing a descending staircase. As the approached it, what part of the Master's face that was visible through his mask took on a thoughtful look.
"You know, we Masters seem to put a surplus of hidden doors and passages in our structures. I don't even remember why I WANTED this staircase, just that I DID. I swear, this theatrical stuff gets into your head. Come along, lad."
As they reached the bottom, Chiaki jumped visibly as Overlord and Master Yama appeared from a side passage.
"Chiaki," said Overlord, "you're late."
"Indeed," said Yama, "punctuality is the politeness of princes, young man."
"Ah, tis my doing, gents," said Shofet, "for I had a cad in the dock trying to get out of paying for the rearing of the child he sired."
"Egad. Poor girl, is she alright?" asked Yama.
"Oh, I'm given to understand that she left the fool over two years ago, before the child was born, and has these past six months been with the childhood friend who always wanted her, and she finally started seeing him the same way he saw her."
"And the deadbeat dad?" quoth Yama.
"Hah. He thought to make her out to be the town bicycle; unfortunately, all the lads he brought in all thought he was a brute and she was a sweet girl, so they plead the Fifth! Hah, like the old joke, I said 'alimony' but I really meant 'all the money'."
Chiaki's state here is best mentioned. Imagine yourself in his position; three of the entities who you have been raised from birth to fear, revere and obey with a near-religious devotion, whose power you firmly believe is second only to God (and that a close race), to whom even the laws of physics are more 'guidelines' than proper laws, are standing before you. They're also laughing and joking around like three old college buddies. Chiaki's face, in short, was such that it cannot be adequately described in any language of Men, Elves, Dwarfs or Ents. There are a few words in Orcish that could cover it, but these are unprintable.
Overlord snapped his fingers in front of Chiaki's face, to no response.
"Lads, I think we broke him."
Yama smacked the lad upside the head, and he fell forward.
"Yama!" Overlord and Shofet cried.
"It worked. You alright, lad?"
Chiaki spluttered a bit, but managed an affirmative, and was able to follow the three down to a large door at the end of the hall. Finally, he plucked up enough backbone to ask the question that was burning in his mind.
"Um, Sires? Where are we going?"
Overlord looked back and seemed genuinely surprised, as he opened the door.
"Why, to meet your girlfriend, of course."
And there, in the room, being wrapped in a blanket by a number of medically garbed attendants, and with a few more Masters either seeing to her or the large mechanism she had just been brought from, was Makoto. She saw him and smiled.
Realization dawned on Chiaki, and he just had enough to time to ask "How?" before their bodies got the message that their eyes had sent their brains, and they rushed together and embraced. Overlord grinned.
"Funny you should ask. As it happens, I cheated more than a bit..."