*****

The Fantaria Legend

     Disclaimers:  Tenchi Muyo belongs to AIC/Pioneer, not me, and
I do not own the characters used in this story.  I am simply
borrowing them for the time being - don’t sue me.  This is based on
the TV Continuity - that is to say, post TMiL, but before Shin.
Some knowledge of the Tales of Nagi Series could be helpful to
understanding the events here, but is not required. Comments,
quips, flames, and death threats should be sent to
Platinum_Dragon@usinternet.com

*****

     “That’s it!  The next time either one of you even look like
you’re about to start fighting, I’ll throw you out!” roared Tenchi,
as the smoke from Ryoko and Ayeka’s latest fight began to clear.  Why
had it started?  He’d made the simple mistake of saying good
morning to both of them at the same time, instead of to each
individually!  They had decided to argue over who he had said it
to.  Of course, if he had of said good morning to them separately,
they would have argued over who he had said it to first, the fact
of which only served to make him angrier.  The two girls in
question were staring at him in open-mouthed shock.
     Tenchi tried unsuccessfully to reign in his temper.  In
unison, they turned to him, and began to bow, starting to
apologize.  He slammed his fist down on the table so hard that
there was a sharp snap, and a small crack appeared from under his
hand, cutting them off in mid-sentence.  Drawing in a deep breath,
and forcing himself to cool down - he was literally quaking with
anger, he abruptly realized - he looked at them.
     “No.  No apologies that won’t last past noon, if that.  I’ve
had it, and I meant what I said.  Either one of you, one crackle of
energy, one smart-alec remark, one smirk in the other’s direction,
and you will be gone.  Period!  I don’t care how you solve your
problems, just find a way to do it!”  With that, Tenchi had stood
up, and left the living room, leaving the girls to stare after him
in stunned amazement, and walked  to the cliffs over looking the
forest to calm down.  He still couldn’t believe how angry he had
been, and that had been nearly a month ago.  They had been walking
on eggshells around him since then, but at least there hadn’t been
any fights.  An entire month of peace and quiet.  Tenchi just
couldn’t remember the last time he had been as relaxed as he was
now.
     Adding some to the tentative peace and quiet had been Washu.
Tenchi’s father had brought home a computer from work for them;
foreseeing problems, Washu had made copies for each of them, so
nobody fought over who’s turn it was to use the things.  He shook
his head, and wondered if he hadn’t been a little too harsh with
them.  He knew they didn’t mean any harm, but it was so maddening
when they fought like that, especially when they used him as their
excuse.
     Sighing again, Tenchi rolled over in bed and flipped the tape
that he had been listening to over.  It had been mailed to him a
year before by a friend in America;  in third grade his class had
been involved in a pen pal assignment, and he’d kept in touch with
the boy over the years.  The tape had songs by half a dozen
American artists; thanks to Washu and a small earpiece that he
almost never took out anymore, he could understand the songs with
no trouble.  He had thought about asking his friend to send him
more of the music; Tenchi had acquired a taste for one of the bands
named Aerosmith.
     The house abruptly began to shake; a couple of pictures fell
off the wall, and Tenchi rolled aside as the glass of his skylight
shattered and rained down on the bed.  Slowly, the shaking stopped,
and Tenchi groaned.  A whole month... so much for peace and quiet.
His expression firmed.  He had warned them, and they had stopped
fighting for almost an entire month.  Now it seemed it was time to
put up or shut up.  Standing from the bed, and brushing away a few
shards of glass that had landed on him, Tenchi sighed, and went
down the stairs.  He found Sasami at the side of an out cold Ayeka,
and Mihoshi and Kiyone helping Ryoko up.  She was bleeding from a
nasty looking cut in her forehead.
     “Who started it?” he asked softly.  They looked at him in
surprise.  He noticed that the damage to the house seemed worse
than usual - or was it just because it had been a month since their
last fight?  The living room was a shambles, pictures fallen from
the walls, books and other things knocked off of shelves.  The
couch had been overturned completely, and the TV was laying on its
side, the glass smashed.
     “It wasn’t us, Tenchi - really!” said Ryoko, gingerly feeling
at the cut.  He scowled.
     “You really expect me to believe that?  Who are the only two
here with the ability to shake the entire house like that?” he
asked, pushing down a wave of anger.
     “Ryoko, and Ayeka.  And the earthquake set off by Mt. Fuji
erupting.”  He blinked and looked at Washu as she came into the
living room holding a medical bag.  She walked over to Ryoko and
pulled out an odd-looking tool; turning it on, she held it over the
cut on Ryoko’s head.  It slowly began to close.
     “What earthquake?”  Washu summoned her keyboard and typed at
it with her free hand; a screen appeared with a shaken-looking
anchorwoman.  She was giving details on the blast that had taken
off the top one hundred feet of Mt. Fuji, and set off a major earthquake
that
had partly leveled Tokyo.  Tenchi’s frown turned to one of concern
as the damage reports started coming in.  “I hope dad is alright.”
He looked back at Ryoko as Washu took away the tool, the cut having
vanished, leaving only a trail of quickly drying blood to mark its
existence.  Tenchi winced as he saw the likely culprit, a large
crystal duck that usually sat on the shelf behind her.
     “I’m sorry.  I should have known you wouldn’t start fighting
again.”  She shook her head, and grinned weakly.
     “Who could blame you?”  Tenchi blinked at the surprising show
of humility, but before he could wonder at it, Ayeka groaned, and
slowly sat up, looking around, and rubbing at the back of her head.
     “Are you alright, Ayeka?” asked Sasami.  She looked at her,
and blinked.
     “I’m sorry little girl... Do I know you?”

*****

     “It’s a total wipe.  She’s lucky to even be able to speak.”
Two hours later, Tenchi, Ryoko, and Kiyone stood before Washu in
her subspace lab.  On the other side of a partition, Sasami was
sitting beside her sister, with Ryo-Ohki napping nearby, talking to
Ayeka.  She was doing her best to tell Ayeka what had happened, and
who she was.
     “But I don’t understand.  How could she have lost her entire
memory from just a simple bump on the head?” asked Ryoko.  Washu
sighed.
     “It wasn’t so simple a bump.  As near as I can figure, when
the earthquake hit, it knocked the duck off the shelf.  You partly
blocked it, but not before it cut you.  By reflex, you threw it
away with a shield - accidentally, it hit Ayeka in the back of her
head.”  Ryoko paled, and Washu sighed.  “It gets worse.  The duck
just scrambled her up a bit.  But when she fell, she must have hit
the table too.  There were hairs and a little blood on one of the
edges.  When she did, it erased parts of her mind entirely - there
is no way to get them back.”  Tenchi frowned.
     “What about the pieces still there?  Don’t you have some way
to bring them back?”  Washu shook her head and sighed.
     “There are ways, yes, but only at the extreme risk of erasing
more than what has already been lost.”  Kiyone frowned.
     “So the only thing to do is wait and see what, if anything,
comes back.”  Washu nodded, and they looked through the glass, as
Ayeka paled and looked at Sasami in shock.
     “Is there any way to help her get her memory back faster?”
asked Ryoko.  Washu shrugged.
     “Familiar sights, actions - there’s really no telling what
might trigger a memory.  For each person it’s different.”  She
nodded thoughtfully.  Washu looked like she was about to say
something more, but before she could, an alarm started going off.
She blinked, and summoned her keypad.
     “What’s that?” asked Kiyone.  Washu grinned at her.
     “After the visit by Kain, I installed an early warning system
in the asteroid belt.  Let’s see...  Uh-oh.”  Tenchi, Ryoko, and
Kiyone all looked at each other, and sighed.
     “Who’s coming after us this time?” they asked in unison.
     “Well, Ken-Ohki is inbound from one direction, and a Juraian
royalty ship with three battleships as escort is coming from the
other.”  Ryoko sighed.
     “Great.  Nagi again.  I thought she was a little late showing
up this month.”  Tenchi frowned.
     “Who is coming on the Juraian ship?”
     “I don’t - wait a sec, there’s an inbound call.”  A moment
later, a screen appeared with Azaka and Kamadake on it.  The two
ancient knights smiled warmly.
     “Lord Tenchi, Ryoko, Washu, Detective Kiyone.  It is good to
see you again.  I only wish that we brought better news,” said
Azaka.  Tenchi sighed.
     “Somehow, I think you two are only going to be the icing on
the cake.  What brings you all the way out here?” They sighed.
     “Emperor of Jurai Azusa is deathly ill.  It appears to be
only a matter of time before he will pass on.  He has requested the
presence of his daughters immediately.”  Tenchi sighed.
     “When it rains...  There’s a problem.  Ayeka was injured
today - no, she’s not hurt badly, at least, not physically.  She’s
lost her memory.”  The two knights stared at him in shock.
     “How... how did this happen?”
     “It’s a long story.  We’ll come up and fill you in.”  Kiyone
frowned.
     “Aren’t we forgetting about Nagi?”  Tenchi blinked, and
started to rub his temples.
     “We can handle her once we reach the ship.  Probably better
to meet her in space anyway.”  Ryoko nodded.
     “Right.  With three Juraian battleships?  Not even Nagi is
that crazy.”  Tenchi looked through the window, and saw Ayeka
laughing at something.  He sighed, and wondered if he had time to
go grab a bottle of aspirin.
     “I should have stayed in bed.”

*****

     Ryoko scowled as they appeared on the bridge of the Shukuen,
the ship Azaka and Kamadake had arrived on.  Ayeka looked around
herself in amazement, as though she had never been on a spaceship
before - Ryoko caught herself.  Technically, she hadn’t, having
lost her memory.  Sighing, she turned to Tenchi.
     “But why do I have to be the one to tell Nagi we’re busy?”
she asked.  He sighed, looking at her.
     “Because you’re the one that she’s after.  She at least
listens to you - the rest of us she acts like she can’t see, unless
we get in her way.  What are you worried about, anyway?  It’s not
like I’m asking you to do it alone.  I’m going to be here too,
remember?”  She scowled again.
     “How about Sasami?  She seemed to like Sasami well enough.”
     “Sasami has to stay with Ayeka,” he countered.  Ryoko sighed.
     “I know, I know...  Can you blame me for not being to happy
about seeing Nagi?”  Tenchi grinned.
     “No.  But then again, this time at least you don’t have a
hole in your side the size of your fist.”  Ryoko winced.
     “Don’t remind me.  That makes me fair game in Nagi’s book.”
Tenchi looked at her, and smirked.
     “The mighty space pirate Ryoko, afraid.  There’s something I
never thought I’d see.”  Ryoko frowned at him.
     “Are you trying to get me angry, Tenchi?” she asked.  He
grinned slightly.
     “It would be easier to handle than the depressed girl I’ve
been watching for the past two and a half hours.  It was an
accident, Ryoko.  Lighten up a little,” he said.  She looked at
him, and sighed.
     “That obvious, huh?”
     “I saw your face when Washu said what had happened.  It could
have been any one of us in either place.”  She looked at him,
sadly.
     “No, it couldn’t have.  Only Ayeka and I can make shields
like that.”  Tenchi winced.
     “You know what I mean, Ryoko.”  She sighed, and then smiled
at him.
     “Yeah, I do.  Thanks, Tenchi.”  He smiled, and then looked
over as Azaka and Kamadake appeared.  The two knights of Jurai
bowed; Sasami tugged Ayeka’s sleeve and pointed, naming them and
explaining who they were.
     “We have sent the message to Nagi, as you requested, Lord
Tenchi.  She accepts, and is coming to join us now.”  Ryoko sighed,
as Tenchi nodded.  Azaka looked at Ayeka; she was studying the two
knights in curiosity.
     “How bad is the memory loss?” asked Kamadake softly.  Tenchi
sighed, and spoke in the same hushed tone.
     “According to Washu, total.  Some may come back with time,
but parts have been erased completely.  She didn’t even remember
who Sasami is, much less any of us.”  Ryoko sighed as Tenchi
finished, and Kamadake nodded.
     “It will not help the Emperor to hear this.”  He glanced to
Tenchi’s side as a floating orb came toward them.
     “Bounty Hunter Nagi has arrived, and is awaiting permission
to board.”  Kamadake frowned, as Azaka looked at them.
     “We shall wait for you in the lounge.”  Tenchi nodded; they
turned, and led everybody save herself and Tenchi away.  Ryoko sighed,
as she looked up at the orb.
     “Tell her she may board,” she said.  The orb flew away; a
moment later, the bounty hunter appeared with Ken-Ohki at her side.
She was wearing her usual thick black cloak, though the hood was
thrown back.  Smirking, she coolly looked at them, her red eyes
hiding any hint of her intent.  For a moment, they stood there,
staring at each other; Ryoko felt the hair on the back of her neck
stand on end in the tension.  Only Ken-Ohki moved, looking around
for Ryo-Ohki, likely.
     “Thank you for coming, Nagi,” said Tenchi quietly.  She
looked at him, that smirk never leaving her face.
     “Save your thanks for somebody who cares.  I’m here because
it’s less trouble than trailing you all the way to Jurai.  Where
are Ayeka and Sasami?”  They blinked, and looked at each other.
     “You aren’t after me this time?  That’s a first,” said Ryoko.
Nagi glanced at her.
     “I am always after you.  But I have other business which
takes precedence for now.”
     “What business?” asked Tenchi.
     “It is none of your concern!” she snapped.  Ryoko frowned.
     “If you intend to try hurting either of them, that makes it
our concern.”  Nagi looked at Tenchi, scowling.
     “I have no wish to harm them.  They have information that I
need.  Stop wasting my time and tell me where they are.”  They
looked at each other again.
     “They’re both here, but I doubt they could help.  What
information?  Maybe we’ve heard something,” he said cautiously.
She scowled again, but slowly nodded.
     “Emperor Azusa lays ill.  This, I’m sure you know, or you
wouldn’t be here.  There is a legend of a plant which heals all
illness, great or small, but the legend is incomplete.  It is said
that the whole is passed down in the royal family.”
     “You’re trying to find this plant?  Somehow, you’ve never
quite struck me as a good Samaritan, Nagi,” said Ryoko.  Nagi
looked at her, and Ryoko blinked.  For a moment, there had been
something...
     “Let’s just say that I owe Azusa a favor.  Where are they?”
Tenchi sighed.
     “A moment, please?”  Nagi scowled, but looked away, as Tenchi
stepped close to Ryoko.  He spoke quietly.  “A plant that cures all
illness?  I wonder if we could use that on Ayeka?”  She blinked,
and looked at him.
      “You can’t seriously be considering believing her!” Tenchi
sighed.
      “She did help us before...  I suppose we at least owe her
that.”  Ryoko frowned, but finally nodded, and looked back at Nagi.
     “We’ll take you to them - but there’s a catch.  Ayeka was
hurt, and lost her memory.  You’ll have to make do with just
Sasami’s help.”  Nagi frowned, but agreed.

*****

     “The Fantaria legend?  I’ve heard it a few times, but it was
when I was a really little child, and Nanny hadn’t taught it to me
yet when I left to find Ayeka.”  Nagi frowned, as Sasami shook her
head, and took a sip of tea in order to give herself a moment to
recompose.  Tenchi and Ryoko were watching circumspectly from a
short distance away; Kiyone had made no effort to hide the fact she
was watching, taking out her blaster and cleaning it with a rag.
     Farther off, Mihoshi and Washu were talking to Ayeka; as soon
as she had seen the elder princess, Nagi had known that Tenchi and
Ryoko had not been lying to her.  There had been no light of
recognition when she had seen her.  Nagi had seen Ken-Ohki
disappear away with Ryo-Ohki; she knew that she would have to find
a way to rein him in on that.
     “You don’t remember any of it at all?” she asked quietly.
Sasami frowned in thought, and Nagi sighed inwardly.  It was
impossible to not like the child.  She had noticed that the first
time they had actually met.  Poor girl... she depended heavily on
Ayeka, but now that she had lost her memory...  Nagi shook her
head.  Just what did she think she was doing?  These were Ryoko’s
friends, and thus, her enemies.  True, she had helped them regain
Jurai, but only because otherwise she wouldn’t have had another
chance to take Ryoko’s head.
     “There was... a poem.  I think I remember a part of it...
umm...  ‘Twice and twice round the weeping moons, and halfway to
the golden rose...’”  Sasami sighed.  “I know that there is more,
but that’s all I can remember.”  Nagi frowned again, and opened her
mouth to speak, when Ayeka suddenly came over to them.
     “Could... you repeat that, please?” she asked, frowning.  To
the side, Tenchi and Ryoko looked at each other.  Sasami nodded.
     “Sure...  ‘Twice and twice round the weeping moons, and
halfway to the-”
     “ -to the golden rose, a giant’s fist clears the way, and a
shining heart shall light the path to the temple of Fantaria.’”
Ayeka stopped, and then blinked, looking at them.  “Is that right?”
she asked.  Sasami nodded, smiling.
     “Can you remember anything else, Ayeka?” asked Tenchi gently.
Ayeka sighed.
     “No...  When Sasami spoke, that just sprang into my mind.”
Nagi nodded.
     “Twice and twice round the weeping moons, and halfway to the
golden rose, a giant’s fist clears the way, and a shining heart
shall light to path to the temple of Fantaria,” she repeated,
committing it to memory, and then frowning.  “Weeping moons?  Just
what are those?” she asked half under her breath.
     “Oh, that’s easy!  Canon and Alania, the moons above my
homeworld.  They’re so close to each other that they share an
atmosphere.  Clouds go between the two, and look like tears from
the surface,” said Mihoshi cheerfully.  Nagi blinked and stared at
her, as did everybody else.
     “Was it just my imagination, or did Mihoshi just actually do
something useful?” asked Ryoko.  Nagi stood, and looked at the GP
Detective.
     “What is your homeworld?”
     “Fantasia Prime.” Nagi frowned, but Ryoko beat her to the
punch.
     “Fantasia, and Fantaria?  Sounds like that’s where we’re
going.”  Nagi blinked, and looked at her, raising her eyebrow.
     “We?” Ryoko smirked.
     “If this plant of yours heals all, it might help heal Ayeka.
So we’re going to get some too.”  Nagi scowled at her.
     “Not a chance.”  Tenchi looked at her, frowning.
     “I don’t remember asking if we could.  You’re welcome to ride
with us, or fly by yourself, but we are going.”  Nagi frowned, but
reluctantly agreed.  Tenchi had the same look in his eyes as he had
had when he had gone to save Ayeka.  She hadn’t been particularly
interested in getting in his way then; seeing that look now only
reminded her of that fact.  It was a determined, unstoppable
expression...  He’d had that look when he had gone to kill Kagato,
and Kagato was dead now.
     “Since it’s Mihoshi’s world, would you take us there in the
Yagami, Kiyone?  Washu can stay with Ayeka and Sasami.”  The
officer nodded, tucking away her blaster after wiping away one last
spot.
     “Yeah, Tenchi.  Just give me enough time to signal for
somebody to watch the area while we’re gone.”

*****

     “But it will take-”
     “Don’t argue with me!  This is a direct order, and it has the
backing of the Juraian government, Mitzuki!  Get somebody here,
now!  I don’t have the time to wait while you cut through the red
tape!”  The red head sighed, and nodded as Kiyone cut the
communication.  She looked at Tenchi, and sighed herself.  “You’d
think it would kill them to send someone to cover for Mihoshi and I
for a little while.”  He nodded.
     “Thanks for taking us, Kiyone.  We owe you.”  She smiled.
     “I’ll add it to your tab.  But are you sure it’s wise to
bring Nagi with?  Especially in close quarters with Ryoko?”  Tenchi
sighed.
     “No.  But would you rather have her flying out there?  At
least in the Yagami, we can keep an eye on her; she did promise not
to bother Ryoko, and Ryoko is just trying to stay out of her way.”
Kiyone frowned.
     “She agreed to that pretty fast.”
     “I know.  But no sense asking why, as long as they aren’t
trying to kill each other.”  Kiyone nodded, and then sighed.
     “What scares me is that I actually feel more sorry for Ryoko
than I do for Ayeka and Sasami...  She’s taking this harder than I
thought she would.  Sasami seemed to be handling the accident
pretty well.”  Tenchi smiled sadly.
     “I think we both know that neither one of them would ever
admit they’d be lonely without the other.”  She nodded.
     “That’s an understatement.”  They sat a moment in silence,
and then Tenchi looked at her.
     “So do you know anything about Fantasia Prime?”  Kiyone
frowned.  Until Mihoshi had spoken up earlier, she hadn’t even
known that the blonde had come from Fantasia.  She hadn’t even
known where she had come from at all.
     “Oddly enough, no.  Now that I think about it, Mihoshi has
never really said anything about her home.  I didn’t even know that
was where she was from.”  Tenchi raised his eyebrows.
     “Hmm...  I guess we’ll have to ask her later.”  He stood up
from the co-pilot’s chair.  “I’m going to go check on Ryoko and
Nagi.”
     “You want to borrow my blaster?” she asked, smiling.  Tenchi
shook his head.
     “I don’t think I’d live long enough to use it if either of
them went after me,” he answered, grinning.  Kiyone nodded, and
waved him off.  The cockpit doors closed behind him, and she sighed
again.  She abruptly realized that not only hadn’t she known where
Mihoshi came from, she really didn’t know anything about her before
meeting her in the academy at all.  Frowning, Kiyone punched up the
bio of her partner.
     “Family background...  Birthplace...  Homeworld...  All
unknown?  How did she even get into the academy without all this
information?”  Frowning again, and sitting forward a little, she
scrolled down, and abruptly blinked.  “Sponsored by Detective
Shirow?”  She brought up his bio.
     “Detective Special Class Aarin Shirow, born GFY 2008...
Officer for twelve years, Detective for eleven of them...  Whoa,
this guy ranked up fast...  Hmmm...  Left in GFY 2044 to become a
bounty hunter.”  She scanned his record, and it was an impressive
one.  Over a thousand criminals captured or killed in his twelve
year tour of duty, and that didn’t include his record as a bounty
hunter.  Abruptly she blinked, and stopped the scroll.  “Half-
brother of Jurai Emperor Azusa?”  Frowning, she scrolled back up,
and requested any photos.  The computer came up with one.
     As it opened, Kiyone’s eyes widened.  Three people stood in
the picture; in the middle was Detective Aarin.  To his left stood
a Lionel, one of the highly treasured race of catpeople that made
such excellent commanders.  This particular one she recognized
well; his name was Raghat, and he had commanded the station that
she and Mihoshi had gone through academy on.  But to Aarin’s
right...
     “Nagi...” she breathed.  The bounty hunter was younger, and
there was something much more human to her features, her eyes, than
the woman that they knew now...  Still, there was no mistaking the
strength in her red eyes, and Ken-Ohki sat on her shoulder.
Frowning, Kiyone locked in their course, and then stood up.
     “Mihoshi to the bridge on the double,” she called over the
intercom.  A moment later, the blonde came into the cockpit.
     “What’s the matter, Kiyone?”  She smiled slightly.
     “Nothing.  I need you to watch the bridge for a bit - and
don’t go to sleep, ok?”  Mihoshi nodded, grinning.
     “Ok!”  Kiyone nodded, and then hurried down the hall.

*****

     Nagi frowned, as she idly scratched Ken-Ohki behind his ears.
The entire situation had her in a bad mood.  That she had been
forced to ask them for help was bad enough; now she had been all
but beaten into a truce with her worst enemy.  Scowling, she
considered for the umpteenth time taking off in Ken-Ohki, but
dismissed it yet again.  She knew she had strained him getting to
Earth so fast; better to take the ride and let him regain energy in
the event she was forced to make a quick departure.
     “Ciao?”  She looked down at her companion, and her scowl
softened slightly.
     “I’ll bet you’re just loving this, aren’t you?  An entire
week to spend with Ryo-Ohki.”  Ken-Ohki looked at her, and she
sighed.  “Get going.  But be ready to leave on short notice.”
     “Ciao!”  The cabbit scampered away, phasing through the door.
Damn.  Of all the cabbits in the universe, why did he have to get
his eyes on Ryo-Ohki?  She blinked as the chime on her cabin door
rang.
     “Go away.”
     “Open the door, or I’ll open it myself, Nagi,” came the
reply.  She recognized the voice of Kiyone, and frowned.  She had
no choice, she supposed; all that Kiyone had to do to get in was
enter the master over-ride code.
     “Fine.  Enter.”  Responding to her voice, the computer slid
open the doors.  Kiyone stepped in, frowning.
     “What do you know about a former Detective named Aarin
Shirow?” she asked, after the doors closed.  Nagi blinked, caught
completely off guard.  It took her a moment to recover.
     “Why should you care?  He’s been dead almost twenty-five
years.”  Kiyone frowned.
     “Because I’d like to know why he sponsored Mihoshi into and
through the Academy.”  Nagi blinked again, but shook her head.
     “You’re asking the wrong person.  He trained me to be a
bounty hunter; beyond that, I don’t know.  He never said much about
his past.”  Kiyone scowled.
     “Bull.  He’s Emperor Azusa’s half-brother, and now you’re out
looking for this cure?  Too much of a coincidence, Nagi.”  Nagi
frowned.  Kiyone was too sharp a detective for her to convince with
a simple story.  Her frown deepened into a scowl.
     “Aarin and I were lovers.  After he was killed, I found out
that I was with child.  When he was born, Azusa offered to see that
he was taken well care of, in memory of his half-brother.  Bounty
hunting isn’t the best of ways to raise a child, I think that
you’ll agree.  I named him Sagami, and left him with Azusa.  Beyond
that, I don’t really know what happened to him, save that he was
raised by one of the nobles.”  Kiyone blinked.
     “Sagami?  He would be twenty-four now...  I wonder if he’s
the one that helped us off the checkpoint station.”  Nagi frowned.
     “Is there anything else you want?”  Kiyone shook her head.
     “If you really don’t know why he might have sponsored
Mihoshi, then no,” she answered.  Nagi shook her head.
     “I never even knew that he had.”  Kiyone nodded, and then
left.  Nagi sighed as the doors closed.  Damn.  As though she
didn’t have enough to worry about already.  Nagi sighed again.
Having told Kiyone was as good as having told Tenchi, and thus,
Ryoko.  Something the pirate could use to try and control her.  She
already had a tie on Ken-Ohki with Ryo-Ohki... Damn!

*****

     “Nagi, with a kid.  I always thought she was too cold to have
one.  Probably lucky that he didn’t freeze solid in the womb,” said
Ryoko, grinning.  She glanced at Tenchi, and winked seductively.
“You don’t want to be the last one we know to have a child, do you,
Tenchi?” she purred, snuggling up to him.  Tenchi sighed.
     “So, at least now we know why she’s after the plant.” Ryoko
frowned.
     “Do you really think that we can trust her?” asked Kiyone.
Tenchi sighed again.
     “She’s never lied to us, has she?  Threatened, kidnapped, and
attacked us, but never lied.  And we owe her for helping us reach
Jurai.  I don’t see how we can’t trust her.”  Ryoko sighed, and
nodded.
     “As much as I hate to admit it, I’d trust her with my life -
that is, if she wasn’t trying to kill me.  I can think of worse
people to trust...”
     “I think that we may be asking for trouble, but alright.  If
you two think that it’s safe.  We should reach Fantasia Prime in a
couple of days.”  Ryoko grinned.
     “It’ll fun to stop there again.  I haven’t been by there in a
couple of years.”  Kiyone blinked, and looked at her.
     “You’ve been there?  Why didn’t you tell us?”
     “You never asked.  I’ve been a lot of places as a pirate.
Fantasia is sort of a resort planet.  One thing though - nothing
there is ever what it appears to be.”  Kiyone nodded.
     “We have just enough fuel to get there, so there will be
about a day of lay-over while we refuel.”  Tenchi looked at her.
     “Why so long?”
     “Fantasia Prime is pretty close to the edge of the known
universe.  I’m going to pick up some extra fuel cells and supplies
just in case this Temple of Fantaria is in the unknown area.”
Tenchi nodded, as Kiyone stood up.  “By now Mihoshi is probably out
cold, so I had better go and make sure everything is alright.”  She
left, and Ryoko looked at Tenchi.
     “A whole day on what amounts to one big amusement park.
Sounds fun, doesn’t it?” she asked, smiling slightly.  Tenchi
blinked, and looked at her.
     “Ryoko, we’re out here for a reason, you know.”  She sighed.
     “I know...  But if we’re going to be there anyway, why not
take the time and enjoy ourselves a little?  We don’t often get a
chance like this.  What could it hurt?” she asked.  Tenchi frowned
a moment, but slowly he smiled slightly.
     “I... suppose it couldn’t hurt to at least look around a
little.  The last time we were doing something like this, we didn’t
really have the chance to look around, did we?  I guess I would
kinda like to see another planet, and if we have to stop, why not
this one?”  Ryoko grinned, although she was a little surprised he
had agreed so quickly.
     “It’ll be fun, Tenchi.  Trust me.”  He looked like he was
about to say something, but before he could, the doors swished
open, and a scowling Nagi stepped through into the room.  Ryoko
automatically shifted, ready to move if she had to.  Beside her,
Tenchi sighed softly.  Nagi looked at her.
     “By now Kiyone has passed on what I told her, I’m sure.”
Ryoko smirked, and shrugged.
     “Yeah? So?” she asked coyly, though she watched to bounty
hunter closely.  Nagi scowled a little more.
     “Don’t get any ideas about trying to get to me through him,
Ryoko.”  Ryoko stood up, and frowned at her.
     “Come on Nagi.  You should know me better than that by now.
You’re the one that stooped to kidnapping, not me.  I don’t
blackmail.”  Nagi frowned, and Ryoko grinned slightly.  “You could
at least give me fair billing, if you’re going to keep coming after
me.”
     “I don’t think there’s anything you wouldn’t do to save
yourself, Ryoko.”  Ryoko opened her mouth to reply, but abruptly
Tenchi was between them.
     “Enough, both of you.”  He looked at Nagi.  “You don’t have
to be here, and if you’re going to try picking fights, then leave,
because we don’t have the time to waste.  She said that she
wouldn’t go after him; that will have to do.”  Nagi frowned at him.
     “Ryoko has you blinded.  You can’t even see what she is.”
Ryoko scowled, but Tenchi shot back and answer before she could
speak.
     “Why don’t you enlighten me, then, Nagi?”  She blinked and
stared at him, caught off guard for a moment.  For that matter, it
caught Ryoko off guard too.
     “Enlighten you?  Why should I bother?  You wouldn’t listen
anyway.”  Nagi turned to leave.
     “You won’t tell me because you don’t think I’ll listen, or
because you can’t remember?  Maybe you’re the one blinded, because
the Ryoko that I know could never be the person you’re after,” said
Tenchi softly.  Nagi spun, snarling, her fist flying out.  Ryoko
gasped; Tenchi never even flinched as it stopped only just short of
connecting.  Nagi’s eyes were hard, rage burning in them, but...
there was something else, something deeper.
     “Who are you to tell me I’m the one blinded?”
     “I’m the one who saw her decide to spare your life even
though she knew it meant you coming after her again.”  Nagi
blinked, and then scowled.  She turned, and left the room.  Tenchi
sighed, and sank back down to the couch.
     “If I ever look like I’m about to do something like that
again, promise me you’ll hit me.  Maybe you’ll knock some sense
in.”  Ryoko stared at him, and then laughed.  She sat down in his
lap, draping her arms around his neck.
     “My hero.” Tenchi sighed.
     “This is going to be a long, long trip.”  She suddenly
noticed, though, that he wasn’t making his usual effort to push her
off.

*****

     "Explain to me again just how we came to be living in such an
odd arrangement.  I’m afraid that I’m still not entirely clear on
that point.”  Sasami sighed, and smiled, starting back at the
beginning.
     “Detective Mihoshi was chasing Ryoko, who was a space pirate,
and they accidentally collided.  They crash landed on earth, near
Tenchi’s home, and wound up stranded there.  Mihoshi activated her
emergency beacon, and you were close enough to pick it up, so you
decided to go and check it out.  When you got there, though, you
recognized Ryoko, and you ended up fighting each other.  You crash-
landed onto earth, and ended up stranded there again.”  Sasami
paused, and grinned.
     “I came looking for you.  Ryoko was giving us an escort
partway to Jurai, except that I found a carrot that Ryo-Ohki had
been eating.  She saw it, and kinda forgot that she was in ship
form, and crashed into us.  Once again, we all ended up on earth.
Then, you and Ryoko released Washu when you got into another fight,
and then Kiyone came looking for Mihoshi, her partner.  After she
found her, they were assigned as resident officers.”  Ayeka nodded
slowly.
     “But why didn’t we ask them to take us back to... Jurai, I
think you called it?”  Sasami nodded.
     “Yep.  Well, the thing is, by the time Kiyone came to join
us, you had fallen for Tenchi, and had decided to take a vacation
from being First Princess of Jurai.  So you asked her to relay a
message that we wouldn’t be returning for awhile.”  Ayeka frowned.
     “I fell for Tenchi... but I thought that Ryoko loved him.  I
can’t believe that I would fall for one already taken.”  Sasami
giggled.
     “Well, you’re both in love with him - and vice versa.”  Ayeka
blinked.
     “Is that why Ryoko and I fight so much?” Sasami laughed
again.
     “Yes and no.  At first, it was.  Now it’s just because you’re
both too stubborn to admit that you’re friends.”  Ayeka sighed.
     “This is so confusing...”  Sasami smiled encouragingly; she
wished that she felt half as sure of herself as she was acting.
She knew that her sister was in there somewhere; all of Ayeka’s
formal training and mannerisms were apparent.  She wished that she
knew how to draw her out.
     “I know, Ayeka.  I can’t imagine what it would be like to
just lose everything like that...  But the sister I know would
never give up.  I know that Washu said that some... would never
come back.  But I know you!  You won’t stop until you get it all
back!” Ayeka smiled.
     “Thank you, two-tail.”  She blinked, even as the long unused
nickname came out, and Sasami smiled even wider then before.
     “See!  You are starting to remember, just like Washu said.”
Ayeka slowly nodded.
     “So it would seem.”  Sasami suddenly thought of something.
     “Hey, I bet Washu would have some recordings to watch.  Maybe
seeing things would help!  Wait here, I’ll go see.”  Ayeka nodded,
as Sasami stood up, and went to find Washu.

*****

     “This is Galaxy Police Cruiser Yagami.  We are here on
special orders, and are required to land in order to refuel and
pick up supplies.  Please give us a pad to land on immediately.”
     “I’m sorry Detective Kiyone, but Fantasia Prime has been
temporarily closed off to all off-worlders for a planet-wide
private festival.  You may not land here.”  Kiyone sighed.  It was
irritating talking over an audio-only connection, and more so
because her fuel indicator was flashing.
     “I’m sorry, but we have no-”
     “Fantasia Prime is temporarily closed.  Go to Fantasia Gamma
for your supplies.”
     “We don’t have enough fuel to make it there!  This is a
direct order from the Galaxy Police.  Give us a landing pad, or we
won’t be landing, we’ll be crashing!” shouted Kiyone.  Behind her,
Tenchi groaned.
     “The Galaxy Police does not have the power to circumvent the
government of a planet.  Break out of your landing pattern now, or
I will be forced to send planetary defense.”
    “Standby.”  Kiyone scowled, and looked at Tenchi.  “We’re too
low on fuel to reach Gamma, but she’s right; technically, I don’t
have the jurisdiction to make them let us land." He frowned,
thinking; behind him, the cockpit doors swished open as Mihoshi
came in.
     “Hi Kiyone!  Are we there already?”  Kiyone sighed.
     “It doesn’t look like we’ll be stopping, Mihoshi.  They won’t
let us land because of some festival.”
     “Oh!  I forgot about that!  It’s the Festival of Lights, when
Canon and Alania are at their closest to Prime.  It only happens
once every ten thousand years.”  Kiyone blinked.
     “Once ever ten thousand years?  Of course with my luck we
just happen to come when it’s happening,” she sighed.  Mihoshi sat
down in her chair, and opened the communication back up.
     “Hi!  Who am I talking to, please?”  Kiyone frowned, but
watched.
     “This is Lieutenant McClane.”  Mihoshi smiled.
     “Oh!  Of the second Trivata, right?  Open up visual, please.”
There was a pause, and then a video screen appeared.  Kiyone
gasped; the woman that appeared looked exactly like Mihoshi!  The
only difference was that her hair was a flame red, even redder then
Mitzuki’s.  She started, and stared at Mihoshi a moment.  Then she
blinked, paled to a shade whiter than her shimmering uniform, and
touched her wrists to first her temples and then her neck.
     “First Mihoshi.  I did not know that it was you, Mother.”
Kiyone felt her jaw drop.  Mother???  She glanced at Tenchi; he
seemed similarly stunned.  She turned back to Mihoshi as the blonde
giggled.
     “Oh, don’t worry!  Listen, I want you to clear...  Umm... Pad
eighteen.  We really need to land soon!”  The red-haired look alike
winced.
     “But Mother, we can not-” Mihoshi lost her smile, and
Lieutenant McClane stopped speaking abruptly.
     “Pad eighteen, Daughter.  Now,” said Mihoshi very softly, a
dangerous edge to her voice.  Kiyone stared at Mihoshi in surprise,
and noticed that the blonde’s normally baby blue eyes had darkened,
almost to black.  The redhead swallowed hard, and then bowed in her
seat.
     “Yes, First Mihoshi.  It will be done immediately.”  Mihoshi
smiled again, and her eyes went back to normal.
     “Ok, thanks!  Oh, and meet us out there with a couple people;
we’ll need some help getting the things we need.”  Mihoshi closed
off the communication as she bowed again, and sat in her chair for
a moment before standing up, and turning toward the door.
     “What was that, Mihoshi?  Why did she call you mother?” asked
Kiyone.  The blonde paused, and looked at her.  Kiyone blinked;
Mihoshi’s usual, slightly blank look had vanished, to be replaced
by...  what?  Kiyone just couldn’t quite put her finger on it.  It
was almost... longing, but something more.
     “Please, Kiyone, Tenchi.  Don’t ask me that.  Please,” she
asked softly.  Then she vanished out the doorway, leaving a stunned
Kiyone and Tenchi to stare after her.  Kiyone looked at Tenchi.
     “Yagami will land itself - would you watch here for a moment?
I have to find out what that was.”  Tenchi nodded; Kiyone stood up,
and went after her.

*****

     Mihoshi sighed as the cockpit doors slid shut, and started
walking toward her cabin.  It had been a long, long time since she
had been home, since she had been close enough to touch the Union.
She had refused to, when she had first sensed it, but when she had
gone up to the bridge, and seen how low on fuel they were...  She
had had no choice but to accept it once again.
     “Mihoshi!  Mihoshi, stop!”  She slowed as she heard Kiyone
call her, and sighed again.  She had known that there would be a
price.  Kiyone came up beside her, and stopped her.  “What’s the
matter, Mihoshi?  What do you know that you aren’t telling us?” she
asked.  Mihoshi looked away.
     “Kiyone, please...  I don’t...  I don’t want to say.  I
can’t.”
     “We have to know.  What if it’s something that could help us
find the temple, Mihoshi?” asked Kiyone gently.  Mihoshi blinked,
and sighed.
     “Fine.  You asked me why she called me Mother?  It’s because
I am.  Literally.  Her, and about seventy five thousand other
people on the planet.”  Kiyone repeated the number with an
incredulous look on her face.
     “How?  And why didn’t you ever tell me?”
     “My kind don’t give birth, at least, not in the way that most
races do.  We are capable of it, of course... but the bulk of our
race is born of the Planet’s will, with a very few exceptions.  We
are... its caretakers.  It made us, in order to protect it, and
keep it alive.”  Kiyone frowned.
     “You were made by the planet?”
     “Partly.  But there are... exceptions to the rule.  The
Festival of Lights is one of those exceptions.  Once every ten
thousand years, one male, and one female join, and a... crystalis
of sorts is born.  It matures, and when it opens, a First is born.
The First then aides the Planet in creating a new generation of the
peoples.  Like an sculptor would shape clay into, say, a pot, or a
figure.  It is much the same for a First.”  Kiyone slowly nodded.
     “She called you a First.”  Abruptly, a shocked look came to
her eyes.  “But if a First is born once every ten thousand years,
during the Festival...”  Mihoshi slowly nodded.
     “There are also other events.  On the whole, one is born
every two thousand five hundred years.”  Kiyone stared at her.
     “Then... how old... are you?”  Mihoshi sighed.
     “In a way, my title is truer than for the others.  I was the
original First... Over forty thousand years ago.  You see, the
Firsts are linked to Fantasia Prime.  It is known as the Union.  So
long as the Planet lives, so do we.  But there is more to it than
just that.  We... share a conscious with the Planet is the only way
I can put it.  Think of the way that one computer works when slaved
to another.  It can work on its own, but it also can use the
information from the master computer.  The closer that I am, the
stronger the link.  The farther... well, you’ve seen what I
become.”  She paused, and smirked a little.  “Away from Prime, I
can see, I just can’t... react as well.  In a way, it’s like an
addiction.  I don’t know what would happen if I were to stay away
for a long, long time.  I might die, or I might become something
between what I am now, and what I usually am.”  Kiyone started, as
she understood what Mihoshi had just said.
     “I... don’t understand.  Why leave, then?”  Mihoshi sighed.
     “There was... a change.  The Planet was forced to send
myself, and the rest of the Firsts away.  A force had come, and it
feared that if they were to capture one of us, they might find a
way to control the Planet itself.  The Union goes both ways - it
can act through us, or we can make it act.  After a time, they
left, and it called us back, but I was too far away, had been gone
too long - I had left a number of years before on another mission.
I heard the call, but didn’t want to return.  I had found something
that I liked too much to simply leave.”  Kiyone slowly nodded.
     “The Galaxy Police.”  Mihoshi nodded.
     “You remember when I requested a week’s leave, and wouldn’t
tell you where I was going, four years ago?”  Kiyone nodded.  It
had surprised her - Mihoshi told her everything, often to Kiyone’s
displeasure, but that one time, she had absolutely refused to talk
about it.  “I did come back, but only to ask to be released from my
duties here.  The Planet was... unhappy, but it let me go back,
telling me that it was sure I would eventually return.”  Kiyone
stared at her.  She remembered that when she had come back from
that trip, she had been far more coherent than the Mihoshi she had
gotten used to, but it had only lasted a couple of weeks.  After
that, the incident had slipped from her mind.
     “Ok...  Then how does Detective Aarin fit into all this?”
Mihoshi smiled.
     “He was one of my Sons.  As I said, I was sent out on a
mission before the rest of the Firsts had to be sent away.  Nearly
two decades before, it sent me to... negotiate with the Emperor of
Jurai before Azusa.  He was advancing on the Planet; my mission was
to create a connection that would prevent him from attacking.
Aarin was that connection.  The result of a union between myself,
and the Emperor.  When the Planet sent the rest of the Firsts away,
I went to him.  He was in the Galaxy Police; he arranged my
identity, and convinced the Marshal to say that he was my
grandfather.”  Kiyone sighed, and started to rub her temples.
     “Ok... This definitely ranks among the most strangest twists
in this partnership there has ever been.”  She paused, and then
looked at Mihoshi.  “I’m sorry...  I won’t tell the others, if that
is what you want.  I’m... sorry.  I shouldn’t have pressed you.”
Mihoshi looked at her, and smiled slightly.
     “No.  I would have told you eventually...  You’re my
partner.”  She sighed.  “And I suppose that I’ll have to tell
Tenchi too, at the least.”  Kiyone shook her head, and smiled,
though her eyes were troubled.

*****

     “We’re here... finally,” said Ryoko as she stepped off the
Yagami boarding ramp.  Looking around, she sighed.  “Usually, there
would be thousands of races here, but since they’ve shut down the
planet...”  The last time she had some it had been a non-stop
festival.  Now it seemed like a ghost town.
     “Not quite what I had expected for a resort planet,” said
Nagi.  Ryoko glanced at her; the bounty hunter was scowling.
     “I’ll arrange for the supplies.  They said that they would
send an escort to us to take care of our needs,” said Kiyone,
busily scribbling down notes on a data pad.  Tenchi nodded, and
then pointed past Ryoko.
     “That must be them now.”  Ryoko turned to see four young
women, all wearing the shimmering white and blue uniforms of the
Fantasia Prime military, coming toward them.  Abruptly, she
blinked; two of them were duplicates of Mihoshi, save one had flame
red hair, and the other hair just a shade darker than Ayeka’s
lavender.  Ryoko looked over at Kiyone; the detective was staring
in shock.  Ryoko couldn’t blame her.  Three Mihoshi’s?  She must be
in absolute terror.  Then she remembered something about Fantasia;
there were an extremely high number of identical siblings, with
cases of quintuplets and sextuplets very common.  The four walked
forward, until the reached, to Ryoko’s surprise, Mihoshi.  She took
a moment to look at the other two.  One was a short blonde, pretty
enough, but tough-looking.  The other was an average height brunet
that might have been mistaken for Ayeka at a distance.
     “Welcome home, First.  I am Captain Tiannia, commander of the
third branch space port.  Will you be staying long?” asked the
blonde.  Mihoshi shook her head.
     “No.  We are here only to get supplies and fuel.  Detective
Kiyone will tell you everything that we need; please bring the
items here as quickly as you can.  I am sorry to have interrupted
your part of the Festival, but we need to hurry, and could not
reach Gamma on the fuel we had.”
     “Of course, First.  It will be done within the half day.”
One of the Mihoshi look alikes stepped forward.
     “Mother, will you be returning to us soon?  You are missed.”
Ryoko blinked; she looked at Tenchi, and he shrugged.
     “No, Daughter.  Please, we must hurry; it is unlikely that
Emperor Azusa will live long, so our time is short.”  All four
bowed.
     “Yes, First.  It will be done.”  Kiyone scribbled down a
couple more things on the datapad, and then handed it to the
Captain.  She looked at it momentarily, and then nodded, handing it
to the brunet.
     “I’ll put you in charge of getting these.”  She nodded, and
then hurried away.  Captain Tiannia turned back to them.  “You are
the First’s guest’s; ask, and we shall provide what you need.
Otherwise, you are welcome to explore, though I am afraid very
little will be open, as most are at the Festival of Lights.”  Ryoko
nodded, as Ryo-Ohki miyaed.
     “Did she have any carrots on that list?”  The woman shook her
head.
     “How many did you need?  They are in season, here.”  Ryoko
grinned.
     “A hundred, please.”  The blonde blinked.
     “A... hundred?”
     “Make that two hundred,” said Nagi.  “Separated into four
sets of fifty each.”  She blinked again.
     “Two... hundred carrots.  Yes, uh, I think I can get... that
many,” she said, staring at them.  Ryo-Ohki and Ken-Ohki miyaed
happily.  “Is there anything else that you need?”  Tenchi frowned a
moment.
     “Can you bring me some maps of the local constellations?
Ones that you would see looking up between the moons?”  She
frowned, and shook her head.
     “We do not have such maps, however...  There is an old
planetarium which should suffice.  I can take you there, if you
wish.”  Tenchi looked at Kiyone.  She shrugged.
     “It will take a few hours to get things loaded, Tenchi.  But
why would you need to see star maps?  We have those on the Yagami.”
Tenchi grinned.
     “I’ve been thinking about that poem; and I’ve got an idea,
but it will be easier to check on local starmaps than the GP maps.”
Kiyone nodded, and then looked at Mihoshi.
     “Loan me your communicator, Mihoshi.”  She nodded, and took
the bracelet off her wrist.  Kiyone handed it to Tenchi; he put it
on.  “We’ll be in touch if there is a problem.”  Tenchi looked at
Ryoko.
     “I’ll need a hand.”  Ryoko blinked, but nodded.
     “How could I resist?”  Nagi snorted.
     “This should be interesting.”  Ryoko scowled at Nagi, and
jumped when Tenchi touched her shoulder lightly, shaking his head.
     “You’re welcome to come along, if you’re going to help.”
Nagi smirked at him.
     “Why not?  Better than standing around here, and I can keep
my eye on Ryoko.”  Tenchi sighed, and turned back to Captain
Tiannia.
     “Can you take us out there, please?”

*****

     “We haven’t used this facility in several decades, so the
maps may not be very up to date,” said Captain Tiannia, as the
hovercar flew over the ground.  Ryoko looked at her, as Tenchi
nodded.
     “That’s alright.”
     “What are you looking for, Tenchi?” asked Ryoko.  She had
somehow ended up in the backseat next to Nagi; Tenchi twisted in
his seat to look back at her.
     “That poem - I think it might have been talking about
constellations,” he said.  Ryoko nodded slowly.
     “Not a bad idea,” she agreed, and then looked at Tiannia.
    “Hey, what was with all that ‘First’ and ‘Mother’ stuff with
Mihoshi?”  The woman glanced at her in the mirror.
     “You do not know?  Mihoshi is one of the eleven leaders of
our people.  A twelfth will be born during this festival.  The
Firsts help the Planet to create the rest of our race by guiding
their births and the making of their forms.”  Ryoko blinked.
     “So you mean that she literally is the mother of those two
that looked like her?”
     “In a sense, them, and some twenty other forms that live on
this planet.  But First Mihoshi has been away for a long time.  How
is it she comes to travel with you?”
     “It’s sort of a long story.  See, she was chasing me, and our
ships collided.  We ended up stranded on a back-water planet, and
then she got assigned there as resident officer with her partner.”
Tiannia nodded.
     “Detective Kiyone, I assume?”  Ryoko nodded, as they pulled
to a stop before a small, domed building.  “If you like, I will run
the machinery for you - it is very similar to the equipment used at
headquarters.”  Tenchi nodded.
     “If you don’t mind.”  They got out of the car; Captain
Tiannia opened the doors.  Ryoko frowned at the darkness, and
formed a fireball.  Nagi eyed her.
     “Afraid of the dark, are we?” she asked, smirking.
     “Yes, actually.  Unlike some people, I don’t crawl under a
rock when I’m not pestering someone trying to put away the past.”
Tenchi looked back at them, and raised a warning eyebrow.  Ryoko
nodded; just ahead, Tiannia came to a stop, and pointed at a panel.
     “Can you bring that light over here?”  Ryoko nodded, and
walked over her, holding the fireball over the panel.  Tiannia
studied it for a moment, and then tapped the touch pad.  A deep,
loud whirring started, and then abruptly the touch pad started to
glow.  It ran through a couple of start-up diagnostics, and then
beeped loudly.  There were several metallic clicks, and abruptly a
huge hologram appeared above them, of the stars.  A few of the
other planets in the system appeared too.  She looked at Tenchi.
    “Ok, what are you looking for?”
     “Can you change the view so that we are looking between the
two moons?”  She nodded, and typed; the stars rotated until the
twin moons appeared.  They slowly zoomed in, until their surfaces
filled the edges, and the star field between them was huge.  “Ok...
are there any constellations in this field?”
     “Not that I can think of...  Here, I’ll activate the
outlines.”  She pressed a button; on her screen, which showed more
than they saw above, the out-lines of several constellations
appeared.  But nothing appeared on the hologram above them.
     “I was so certain...”  Ryoko frowned, and studied the map
closely.  She suddenly pointed at the screen.
     “Can you enlarge that?”  Tiannia nodded; a moment later, the
star field there had grown to fill the planetarium.  She tracked a
finger over several stars; the computer left a blue line where she
had touched.  “Could that be it?” she asked; she had outlined what
looked like a badly misshapen petal.  Tenchi frowned.
     “It... could be.  It resembles a leaf, I guess.”  Suddenly,
Nagi laughed.
     “We’re forgetting something.  This legend is ancient.
Captain, zoom back out, and then take the view back... say ten
thousand years.”  Tiannia looked at Tenchi; he slowly nodded.  She
did so; slowly, the stars began to change.  Abruptly, eight stars
appeared inside the zone that Ryoko had pointed out.
     “I remember now; about eight thousand years ago, eight stars
all went nova at once.  It destroyed a star formation known as the
golden blossom.  It was considered a dark omen, as the first
appearance of the blossom was the marker of the time to till the
Planet, prepare it to be reborn in the new year,” said Tiannia.
Tenchi nodded.
     “Ok, next we need to find something like a huge fist.  It
should be on a line between here, and the center of the blossom.”
The captain nodded, and after a minute, three circles appeared on
the starmap above them.
     “There are three possibilities.”  One of the circles came
near; inside was an asteroid field.  “The first is an asteroid
field called Cha’katra’s Fist.  From time to time, a rock will
stray from there toward the Planet.”  That circle moved away, and a
second came up to them.  It was a set of stars that looked like a
fist.  “The second is the formation of stars that make up the
Hunter’s fist.”  That circle moved back, and the last one came
forward.  Inside of it was a planet.  “The last is a little off the
line, but it fits what you’re looking for.  It’s a derelict planet-
ship we ran across nearly twenty thousand years ago.”
     “Planet-ship?” asked Tenchi.  Ryoko looked at him.
     “It’s a ship made by hollowing out the inside of a whole
planet, and then putting in a twin singularity based engine system.
Usually, they are used as juggernauts; they can bash through just
about anything.”  Nagi raised her eyebrow at Ryoko.
     “I’m impressed.  I didn’t think you would know about
something like that.”  Ryoko favored her with a scowl.
     “Before you started hunting me, I used to study some advanced
propulsion systems, but now I’m a little out of practice.”  Nagi
shrugged.
     “This particular ship’s name was Hand of Prometheus,” said
Tiannia before they could get too far into it.  Tenchi grinned.
     “In Greek mythos, Prometheus was a Titan who helped man by
giving him fire, and a few other abilities - such as the ability to
heal himself.  Which way was it coming from?” asked Tenchi.  The
circle dropped back into the map, and a line appeared from it.
     “What’s the third part?  ‘A shining heart shall light the
path.’” Said Ryoko, frowning.  Suddenly, she looked up.  “I’ve got
it!  Are there any nebulas along that line, or super novas?”
Tiannia nodded, and a blinking arrow appeared.
     “This is the Bengston nebula.  It’s a binary; one went nova
six thousand years ago, but the other one survived.  There is a
single planet there as well; it was not destroyed in the blast, but
it was termed inhospitable.  Too much greenery.”  Tenchi grinned.
     “That’s gotta be it.  Good thought, Ryoko.”  She grinned at
him.  Tiannia nodded, and pressed a few keys on the pad.  There was
a whirring, and a moment later a data crystal popped up.  She
removed it, and gave it to Tenchi.
     “That includes a direct path to what we just worked out.”  He
nodded, smiling and tucking it away.
     “Thank you for your help.”  Ryoko winced as she blushed
slightly.  It wouldn’t be so bad if he didn’t do that without even
trying.  At least then she could try to get him to stop.  But no,
it seemed all Tenchi had to do was smile at a girl and they started
after him.  Abruptly, she blinked, and looked around as the hairs
on the back of her neck stood on end.  Not far away, Nagi tensed as
well, hand dropping to her sword.  Tenchi looked at them.  “What is
it?”
     Tiannia gasped in shock and pain as an odd looking double-
bladed knife blossomed from between her breasts.  She began to sink
to the ground even as Ryoko threw up a shield around them all.
There were three distinct clangs, and then one knife dropped to the
ground at the edge of the shield for each of them.  Around them,
masked, black swathed shapes melted out of the darkness; Ryoko did
a quick count and came up with ten.
     “I don’t think they like us much, Tenchi,” she said, forming
her force blade in one hand and a fireball in the other.
     “Whatever gave you that idea?” asked Nagi dryly.
     “Who are you?  Why have you attacked us?” asked Tenchi.  As
answer, the faceless attackers leapt forward, striking at them with
glistening metal claws.  Ryoko blasted the nearest; he groaned, and
crumpled to the ground.  A second charged up in his place; he
blocked her first strike, but wasn’t expecting the knee she brought
up between his legs.  He gasped in pain; she punched out and
connected solidly with his chin.  There was a satisfying snap, and
he dropped limply to the ground.
     Nagi's  first target dove in, claw aimed to slash at her
throat; she spun, and let him skewer himself on her blade.
Yanking the sword out, she leapt back as another jumped at her.
Slightly too slow, she grimaced as she felt his claw draw lines
across the back of her hand.  Nagi growled, and introduced her
knee to his face, followed by a solid blow to the back of his
neck.  He went down hard; Nagi blinked as one of Ryoko's fireballs
flashed over her shoulder, and frowned as she heard the thud of a
third attacker falling to the ground.
     "Now you owe me."  Nagi scowled at her, and raised her
blade, thumbing the fire control.  Ryoko winced as she heard one
of the assassins drop with a surprised gurgle.
     "Now we're even."  They looked over as Tenchi knocked down
the last of his opponents and leveled his sword at the man's neck.
He reached forward, and lifted the black mask that had hidden his
face, revealing a tattoo of a leaf that covered his nose and right
eye.  Tenchi scowled.
     "Who are you?"  The man laughed and threw himself forward,
impaling himself on Tenchi-ken's blade.  Tenchi sighed, and let
the sword go out.  He turned to Tiannia's prone form, kneeling,
and Ryoko stepped forward.  He looked up at her, and shook his
head.  "Too late.  She's already cold."  Ryoko nodded, and sighed
as he picked her up.  They quietly left the planetarium.

*****

     Ayeka stared in disbelief as she watched herself and Ryoko
get into yet another fight.  Washu had indeed had an entire
library of tapes, pulling them out of a hole in space that had
appeared at a button press.  This particular fight was over
whether or not she had been sneaking snacks when nobody was
looking.  She honestly couldn't believe that, first of all, she
would get into a fight like that over simple chips.  And for such
little provocation!  It was so obvious that Ryoko was just teasing
her for a little fun, yet this was hardly the least reasonable
fight they had had so far.
     "And we were like this all the time?" she asked.  Sasami
blinked, looked at her, pink eyes sparkling, and grinned.
     "Usually.  This was one of the worse fights, but there was
always a little something."  Ayeka sighed, and shook her head.
     "This must stop immediately.  When she comes back, I will
apologize for being so unreasonable.  I can't imagine that Lord
Tenchi was very happy with us for it."  Sasami shook her head.
     "He usually didn't say anything about it, although last
month he said if you didn't stop, he'd throw you out.  I guess
that he really was mad that time, even though I don't think he
would have actually done it.  Tenchi isn't like that.  He just
doesn't like to see any of us fight, or get hurt."  Ayeka nodded.
     "Yes, I had begun to notice that.  He does appear to care
deeply for all of us."  Sasami beamed a smile at her.
     "Yes, he does.  After Kagato attacked, and was defeated by
Tenchi, you were going to stay on Jurai - we were all going to go
back to what we were before, really.  You and I stayed on Jurai,
returning to our duties.  Kiyone and Mihoshi got promoted and took
their new positions.  Washu was named head of the science academy,
and Tenchi went back to Earth, along with Yosho and Nobuyuki."
Ayeka frowned.
     "What happened to Ryoko?"  Sasami paused, blinking, and
frowned.
     "You know, she never did tell us.  See, she was hurt badly
when Kagato kidnapped you, but, hurt as she was, she still helped
Tenchi to reach the palace."  She paused, a far off look on her
face.  "Tenchi said that during the flight in, the wound broke
open again, and that she could barely stand by the time they
reached the landing pad.  Ryo-Ohki took off...  The next time that
he saw either of them was almost four earth months later.  She was
the first one of us to come back, just like she was the first one
of us to find him."  Sasami laughed suddenly.
     "What's so funny, Sasami?" asked Ayeka.
     "I was just thinking that most of this wouldn't have
happened without Ryoko - and Mihoshi too, but mostly Ryoko.  If
not for her, Mihoshi wouldn't have had to send that distress
signal, you would never have answered it, I wouldn't have come for
you, we wouldn't have released Washu, and Kiyone wouldn't have
come after Mihoshi.  So much in our lives would be so different
without her."  Ayeka blinked.
     "But you said that she's caused so much trouble...  I'm
confused again.  After all, if she's the one that marooned us..."
Sasami grinned.
     "Well, look at it this way.  If she hadn't have marooned us
there, we never would have met Tenchi, and Kagato probably would
have killed us when he took Jurai."  Ayeka blinked again, but
slowly nodded.
     "When you put it that way, it does make sense.  We do owe
her quite a bit," she said, smiling.  Sasami grinned again, and
the looked up as Azaka came into the room.
     "Princess Ayeka, Princess Sasami.  We have reached the inner
marker of the empire.  We will arrive on Jurai in another two
days.  Sasami nodded.
     "Has there been any word from Tenchi and the others?"  The
knight shook his head.
     "Only that they had reached Fantasia Prime."  She sighed.
     "I hope they hurry...  I hope that Nagi is right."  Azaka
nodded, and excused himself.  Ayeka looked at Sasami.
     "That reminds me of my next question.  You all seemed
somewhat...  mistrustful of Nagi.  Why?"  Sasami sighed.
     "Well, you see, Nagi isn't exactly one of our friends,
although she's not quite one of our enemies, either.  See, she's a
bounty hunter, after Ryoko's head.  She's kidnapped Tenchi once,
trying to get at her..."  Ayeka frowned.
     "Why help her, then?"
     "She's helped us, once, by distracting the fleet while Ryoko
got Tenchi in, so we owe her, for that at least.  Anyway, she is
trying to help Father now, so..."  Ayeka nodded.
     "I think I see."  She sighed.  "You tell me so many
things... Some so wild that they are... difficult, at best, to
believe, yet sometimes I'll get a feeling...  I wish that I could
remember..." she said, before sighing again.  Sasami patted her on
the shoulder, smiling comfortingly.
     "You will.  I promise not to give up until you remember it
all."  Ayeka smiled sadly.  She couldn't remember a sister, beyond
one simple nickname...  She was glad to have gained one like
Sasami.

*****

     "What has happened to Captain Tiannia?" asked an alarmed
voice.  Kiyone glanced up, and blinked in surprise as Lieutenant
McClane hurried over to the hovercar as it pulled up.  A moment
later, Tenchi climbed out, cradling the limp body of Tiannia in
his arms with a sorrowful expression.
     "Mihoshi!" she called, and then jogged over to Tenchi.
     "We were attacked at the planetarium by men in black masks.
We fought them off, but it was already too late for her...  I'm
sorry."  Ryoko came up beside him, holding a black, double bladed
knife.
     "They all had a tattoo of a leaf on their faces, and carried
these...  This is the one that killed her."  She handed it to the
Lieutenant; she scowled.
     "Tak'ni'tfar."  Nagi raised her eyebrow.
     "I haven't heard much out of them in a long, long time."
Kiyone looked at her.
     "Do you know who they are?" she asked.  Nagi nodded.
     "They're an assassin clan - some of the best, and one of the
oldest.  Thirteen years ago, they took a contract out on me.  An
upstart lord was trying to make a power grab from the king of
Quinetas - whom I was protecting."  She frowned.  "If it's them,
or even a contract, somebody really must want us gone."  Ryoko
looked at her.
     "Oh?  Why's that?" Nagi smirked.
     "Because after I killed half of their head council, they
swore they would never come after me again."  Ryoko frowned.
     "Pity that they didn't keep trying," she grumbled.  Kiyone
shook her head.
     "The question is, why?"
     "They didn't attack until after we had found our goal...
could they be trying to stop us from reaching the Temple?" asked
Ryoko.  Tenchi nodded slowly.
     "One of Azusa's enemies?" Nagi frowned.
     "Maybe; that list is long enough to wrap around Jurai two or
three times.  But something about that doesn't feel right.  And
the tattoos... the ones that I met didn't have tattoos.  It's too
identifying a mark."  Kiyone blinked.
     "Wait... Maybe it isn't Tak'ni'tfar - maybe we're just
supposed to think that."  Ryoko nodded.
     "Of course - we should think about what we're doing.  This
temple has probably got some sort of protection - the assassins we
just met."
     "What's wrong - oh dear..." exclaimed Mihoshi, as she joined
them.  "Set her down, Tenchi.  How long ago was she hurt?" she
asked quickly, stepping to his side.  He blinked in surprise, but
did as she asked.
     "About... Forty-five minutes ago. We came straight back."
Mihoshi nodded.
     "Good."  She looked around, and sighed softly; Kiyone
frowned.  What was she going to do?  "Please, stand back
everybody..."  They all stepped back; Kiyone watched as Mihoshi
knelt beside the corpse.  She lay a hand over the blood stain that
had soaked Tiannia's once shimmering white and gold uniform
     "Father.  Return now this Daughter's breath.  It has been
stolen unfairly; do not punish her for the sins of others," she
said softly.   They stared in surprise as she bent down to kiss
her on the forehead.  For a moment, nothing happened as they
watched on in silence; then abruptly Mihoshi's hand began to
shimmer with an azure light and Tiannia gasped and started
coughing violently.  Mihoshi helped her sit up, and patted her on
the back lightly.  The coughing subsided; Captain Tiannia stared
at her, but with no more surprise in her eyes than shock was in
theirs.  Mihoshi smiled, and then swayed, falling to the side.
Kiyone hurried over; Mihoshi seemed to have passed out.
     "That... was impossible," said Ryoko in an awed voice.
     "The Firsts are granted the power of the Planet.  For them,
the impossible is nothing," said Lieutenant McClane in a reverent
voice.  Kiyone looked at her, frowning, as they helped Captain
Tiannia up, and blinked in surprise as Nagi handed her a small
capsule.
     "Smelling salts.  Hard to interrogate a criminal if they are
out cold."  Kiyone nodded, and held it under Mihoshi's nose,
breaking it open.  She jumped and twisted away from the foul
smelling stuff.  Groaning, she sat up, a last few flecks of black
vanishing from her eyes.  She looked at Kiyone, and grinned
weakly.
     "I'm a little out of practice...  It took more than I
remembered."
     "Are you going to be alright, Mihoshi?"  She nodded.
     "I just need a moment to recover," she said softly.  She
looked at Tenchi, as he came over.  Kiyone turned to him as well.
"Did you find what you were looking for?"  He nodded.
     "I'm pretty sure that we found the location of the Temple."
He looked at Tiannia for a moment.  "How did you do that?"  She
sighed, and looked at Kiyone.
     "I will tell you... once we're in the air."

*****

     "We're on course for the nebula, Tenchi.  I'm glad that we
picked up those extra fuel cells - even with the extra fuel, I hope
that we don't have to do too much searching around."  Tenchi
nodded.
     "I suppose it's probably lucky that we have both Ryo-Ohki and
Ken-Ohki along.  At least we know that we'll have a ride back."
Kiyone grinned.
     "If we can find them.  Fantasia Prime was the first time that
I've seen either of them since we first came aboard, and I haven't
seen them since."  Tenchi chuckled.
     "Good point."  He paused, and then frowned thoughtfully.
    "Who would have thought that Mihoshi was...  For lack of a better
term, a Goddess?"  Kiyone sighed.
     "Not me."  She shook her head.  "We've been together fourteen
years...  I never even thought to ask about her past.  It's kinda
embarrassing, but I didn't really want to know.  I kept hoping that
I'd be rid of her before long.  Now...  I guess that I have a lot
of thinking to do.  And a few apologies to make."  Tenchi smiled
comfortingly.
     "No more than the rest of us.  We’re all guilty of not really
looking at Mihoshi."  She smiled slightly.
     "Still...  She's my partner.  I should know more than her
name."
     "Well...  Now that we do know, we can do something about it,
right?"  Kiyone nodded.
     "Right.  I'll let you know when we reach the nebula."  Tenchi
nodded, and then turned to leave.  He walked down to the lounge; as
he approached, he began to hear shouting.  Groaning, he ran the
rest of the way there, already fearing the worst.
     "You've run free too long!  This time I will kill you!"
     "You say that every time, but you never do.  Why don't you
put up or shut up?"  Tenchi entered the room just as Ryoko formed
her force blade.
     "Stop!" he shouted.  Ryoko blinked, and looked at him; Nagi
snarled, striking forward.  Ryoko twisted just in time to avoid the
attack being a fatal one, but the energy saber bit deeply into
Ryoko's shoulder.  She shouted in pain; Tenchi growled as he
reacted instinctively and hurled a wave of Jurai power at Nagi.
She gasped in surprise as it tossed her cleanly across the room to
slam into the wall.  Tenchi moved to stand between her and Ryoko,
his own sword drawn and powered; Ryoko stood there with a pained
expression, holding her shoulder.  Nagi pushed herself up,
scowling, and wiped her fingers at the thin ribbon of blood from a
split lip.
     "How dare you-" Tenchi cut her off.
     "How dare you!  We've shown you nothing but courtesy, even
though you've never given us any reason to.  You've attacked us,
kidnapped me, all for some personal vendetta.  Now you've broken
your word to me, which was something even Ryoko was sure that you
wouldn't do, and damn it, I was sure you wouldn't do.  I'm going to
warn you one last time.  Try attacking, kidnapping, or harming any
of us - ANY of us - again, and I won't stop at just throwing you
across the room."
     "You'd never do it.  You don't have the stomach for it.
You're proving that right now just by giving me yet another
chance."  Tenchi scowled.
     "Maybe I'm human enough to give a person another chance, even
if they don't deserve it, or maybe I just don't want to let myself
sink down to your level.  One way or the other, if you don't think
that I mean it, you go ahead and try me, and we'll see if I can
stomach doing what I have to do to protect those I care for."  Nagi
stared at him, rage roaring in her eyes, and then wordlessly left
the room.

*****

     Ryoko winced in pain as the doors slid shut behind Nagi, and
looked at her shoulder.  Lucky for her, energy sabers cauterized as
they cut; otherwise, she would likely have passed out from blood
loss by now.  Damn... was she getting slow?  Nagi shouldn't have
even come close on that strike, much less actually wound her.
Tenchi turned to her, still scowling, as he lowered his sword.
     "What were you trying to do, Ryoko?  Get us all killed?  You
know damn well that if you and Nagi were to fight on the ship,
you'd destroy it in the process!"  She blinked, and stared at him.
     "Hey!  She threatened me!  I was in the right to fight back.
What, don't you think that I can handle Nagi?"  He shook his head.
     "No, actually, I don't.  Otherwise you and I both know that
she wouldn't be here, now," he said, looking at her.  Ryoko blinked
in surprise, and then frowned.
     "I've been fighting her off for years.  I've beaten her every
time she met," she growled.
     "No, you've escaped her.  You know it, and I know it.  Even
on Mars, you wouldn't have won if Ayeka hadn't distracted Nagi."
On the point of shooting back an answer to that, Ryoko paused, and
realized that he was right.  Tenchi's scowl softened, and he
continued quietly.  "I'm not going to be here every time, Ryoko.
The only reason that I made it here this time is because I was
going to my quarters, and wanted to get something to drink."  Ryoko
sighed, and then groaned as the movement touched her shoulder.
Tenchi sighed.  "We better go down to the infirmary, and get that
wound checked."  Ryoko nodded.
     "Yeah.  Tenchi..."  He looked at her.
     "Yes, Ryoko?"
     "Thank you... for being there to help.  I... know that I can
be a pain, but I don't think that I could do this without your
help.  I don't think that I'd want to."  He smiled slightly.
     "You, a pain?  I never noticed."  She smiled, but her
expression turned serious again.
     "I mean it, Tenchi.  Thank you."  Tenchi looked at her a
moment.
     "Yes, I think you could have.  You've got the will to do it."
He paused, searching for words.  "I think you could have done it;
all the same, I'm glad to have had the chance to help," he finished
softly.
     For a moment, they stared at each other.  The throbbing pain
from her shoulder faded from her mind, until it was distant, as
though only a remembered echo of something felt by somebody else.
For a moment, there seemed to be nothing else; even the silence
faded to nothing.  There was just herself, and Tenchi.
     Already standing close together, they both leaned forward
slightly.  She felt herself tremble slightly, as she stared into
his eyes, and saw...  An impossible jumble of emotions.  Surprise,
willingness, curiosity... the love she had always know was there,
hidden deep inside.  Their lips brushed.
     "Uhh... did I come at a bad time?"  They jumped, spinning to
see Mihoshi standing in the doorway, grinning slightly.
     "Uh, well..." stammered Tenchi.
     "Nothing, nothing," said Ryoko.  They looked at each other,
both of them blushing slightly.  Mihoshi's grin grew slightly.
     "Uh-huh.  Kiyone sent me to tell you that we're almost to the
nebula."  She paused, and frowned slightly.  "Say, what's up with
Nagi?  I saw her coming out of the infirmary, she looked like she'd
been crying or something."  Ryoko raised her eyebrow and looked at
Tenchi.  He seemed as surprised as her.
     "Dunno.  When she left here, she was angry because Tenchi
stopped her from trying to kill me again."  Mihoshi chewed on her
lip for a moment.
     "I'm gonna go talk to her."  She paused, and then giggled.
"After all, if there is one thing that I'm good at, it's talking,
right?"

*****

     "What do you want?" snarled Nagi, as Mihoshi entered her
quarters.  The blonde grinned, and sat down in an open chair.
     "The door was open.  Hope that you don't mind."
     "Would you leave if I told you I did?" she snapped.  Mihoshi
shrugged.
     "No.  I wanted to know if Aarin still kept up his garden.  He
was always better with plants than me.  I guess it was the Juraian
blood."  Nagi scowled.
     "Yes.  When he died, I buried him in it and jettisoned it
from the ship."  Mihoshi nodded.
     "I'm sure that he appreciated that.  Thank you."  She smiled
cheerfully at Nagi.  "Did he still favor his left leg?  He broke
his right when he was two, and learned to walk while he was still
in the cast, so he always leaned a little to the left."  Nagi
frowned, but felt her anger at being intruded upon starting to ebb
slightly.  She nodded.
     "He used it to his advantage, walking like that to throw
people off guard.  They wouldn't be expecting him to plant his
right and kick with is left."
     "Aarin always was good at acting.  I lost track of the number
of times he convinced me to do something or other."  Nagi nodded.
     "I never could figure out how he was able to run so many
cons.  Some days he would play a dozen different roles in the space
of an hour."  She paused, and looked at Mihoshi.  "Why are you
here?  You didn't come to talk about Aarin."  She smiled.
     "My only true son, among thousands?  Who says I'm not?"  Nagi
began to frown, and she gestured with her hand.  "You're right.
Although I want to know what happened, that isn't why I'm here.  I
want to know why you are so set on killing Ryoko."  Nagi did scowl
then.
     "A police detective, and you ask that.  Her criminal record
is taller than you."  Mihoshi nodded, grinning.
     "By about four feet.  But that isn't what I asked.  I asked
why you are so set on killing her.  I've seen that sheet more than
a couple of times.  She's never done anything to warrant death,
certainly not with the amount of personal hatred you have.  In
fact, if I remember correctly, she once risked capture in order to
save a child that had wandered under the building she had just
destroyed; she got her away just before it collapsed on top of them
both."  Nagi was on her feet before Mihoshi was even done speaking.
     "You don't -"
     "Sit. Down."  Mihoshi said it very softly, but it cut through
the shout Nagi had started like a hot knife through butter.  She
found herself abruptly sitting again, hands folded before her on
her lap, and blinked in surprise.  Mihoshi was looking at her,
still smiling cheerfully, but the smile no longer touched her eyes.
     "Thank you.  Now, something else that Aarin had been was an
excellent judge of character, and I know that he wouldn't have
given you the time of day if you had have been like this when he
found you, even if you did save his life."  She stared at her, and
Mihoshi raised her eyebrow.
     "Surprised I knew?  Aarin was very good about keeping in
touch with me.  And what he said about you was that though you had
had a very difficult life, you were a very kind, fair person deep
inside.  Strong, proud, and self-critical to a fault, but kind and
fair.  Unless he lied to me about all that, which I doubt, because
he hated lying.  So what is it that you hate so about Ryoko?
Because she didn't deserve to be hunted down before we all met
Tenchi, and I know that she doesn't now."  Nagi scowled.  She could
feel her back against a wall.
     "Do you know the name Garan?" she asked finally.  Mihoshi
frowned.
     "A warlord.  He disappeared twenty-five years ago; his rap
sheep was longer than Ryoko's.  My academy instructor used it as an
example of a typical warlord...  If I remember correctly, he was
responsible for the deaths of four hundred and twenty-three
people."  Nagi nodded.
     "Four hundred and twenty-four.  Aarin and I tracked him to my
home planet of Falaris.  We found his hideout, and infiltrated it,
but Aarin was captured.  I found my way to him, and was able to
free him.  But Garan had been prepared.  He had hidden a blaster
within easy reach.  Aarin shoved me out of the way; he was hit with
the full force of the blaster bolt."  Nagi paused, and sighed.  She
reached up, and unclasped a shield shaped locket from around her
neck.  Opening the catch, she tossed it to Mihoshi.
     "I fought Garan; I lost it, completely.  Then I found that
around his neck."  On one side of the locket, there was a holo-
picture of her parents; on the other, one of Aarin.  "My parents
were killed when I was eight, and I never knew who did it.  That,
though, was my mother's; she never took it off."  Mihoshi nodded,
understanding, and Nagi smiled coldly.  "He's dead now, and leave
it at that."  She sighed.
     "That still doesn't explain why you hate Ryoko so much."
Nagi nodded.
     "Ten years later, I was hunting a bounty when I overheard a
story about a young space pirate.  She had taken a few banks;
brought down a couple of particularly corrupt governments; not the
thing I would have normally gone after.  But there was one defining
thing that made me go after her.  The name of her father."  Mihoshi
slowly nodded.
     "Garan, right?"  Nagi nodded.
     "I swore I would see his line was ended."  Mihoshi frowned.
     "So you want to kill her just because of who her father was.
Did it ever occur to you to think she might not be anything like
him?"
     "Yes.  I just didn't give a damn."  Mihoshi frowned.
     "I think maybe you should take the time to look again; no,
look for the first time.  You don't have to do it for Ryoko, me,
even for Aarin, even though I think that he would agree.  Do it for
yourself.  He told me about a proud, fair, kind woman, but what I
see is one full of spite and vengeance."  She grinned, standing.
"I think you'd probably like the original better than the current,
and I know that you would be welcome here."  Before Nagi could make
any sort of reply, Mihoshi had disappeared out the door.
     For a while, she sat on the bed, still rooted in place as if
chained by the blonde's order to sit.  That was twice she had been
told that she needed to look again.  Nagi slowly frowned.  What
if... they were right?  Her mind turned to when she had helped them
to reach Jurai.  She had been quite surprised when Ryoko had
decided to take Tenchi and the knights to Jurai, wounded as she
was.  At the time, she had assumed that had assumed it was just
Ryoko hoping to duck away while she was distracted.
     Yet the more she had thought about it, the more that she had
come to realize that it truly had been a selfless act.  Still, she
had reasoned, she was Garan's seed, and a pirate by her own choice.
But now...
     Nagi scowled, deeply in thought.

*****

     "That is absolutely beautiful."  Tenchi nodded in silent
agreement, as Ryoko pointed at the gold, purple and blue clouds of
the nebula.  Thrown off in the death rattle of a star roughly the
same size as Sol, they formed a nearly perfect ring of glowing
gasses.
     "We're having some sensor trouble, but I think I found a
planet near the stars.  Looks like it could be inhabited; there's
definitely a lot of plant life," said Kiyone.  They were all in the
cockpit; Ryoko's shoulder had been bandaged up.  Tenchi was still a
little angry about that; he watched Nagi out of the corner of his
eye.  She had a thoughtful, distracted frown.  Even the two cabbits
had come out of hiding.
     "Looks like a good place to start."  Kiyone nodded, and they
sped toward the twin stars.  The nebula clouds passed by, and the
binary system came into sharper view.  Tenchi frowned, and pointed.
     "Is it just me, or does that look a little odd?"  Kiyone
tapped on her keypad, and a viewscreen with an enhanced view of the
stars came up.  She whistled softly.  A long trail of gasses snaked
away from the larger, bluish star to swirl around the tiny white
dwarf in a whirlpool of shimmering gases and plasma.  Kiyone
frowned a moment.
     "The white dwarf is siphoning material off of it's companion
star."  Typing in some more, the computer beeped, and she paled.
"The computer projects that in seven hours, both will go super-
nova."  Tenchi winced.
     "How long till we arrive?"
     "Ten minutes.  But to reach a safe distance, we'll have to be
out of here in five hours."  They nodded.
     "Um, Kiyone, I'm picking up a very large structure on the
northern continent," said Mihoshi abruptly.  She opened a screen,
and then blinked in surprise.  "That looks a lot like the
ceremonial temple on Prime."
     "It's gotta be there," said Ryoko.  Kiyone nodded.
     "Probably.  There are some nasty seismic distortions in that
area...  I'm surprised it's still standing.  You better get
ready...  We'll be landing shortly."

*****
     Ayeka sighed quietly, and stood with a straight but relaxed
back as Sasami had shown her.  They had just arrived on Jurai
moments before; now, dozens of people had lined up before her.  All
of this, just for her?  It was so strange, and yet...  It felt
almost natural.  She blinked when Sasami nudged her lightly, and
realized that the assembled people were waiting for something.
What had Sasami told her to say?  Ah yes.
     "The waters still flow, council members, yet we still watch
the coming tide."  It all seemed a simple mess of words, but the
assembled people seemed happy enough.
     "May the River run forever, though we shall always watch the
tide."  All save an elderly man - Ayeka thought he looked very
familiar - bowed, and then left.  After the last had gone, he came
forward, smiling warmly.
     "Ayeka, Sasami.  Thank goodness you made it.  Azusa is
still...  Ayeka, what's wrong?" he asked in deep tones.  Ayeka
frowned.  She was certain she knew his name...  It was right on the
tip of her tongue.
     "U... Uncle.  You are my uncle Keichi, correct?"  He blinked
     "Of course I am!  Don't tell me you have forgotten me just
because you haven't seen me for a couple of years?"  Sasami sighed.
     "Uncle... she has.  She's lost he memory.  She can't remember
anything - even me.  A couple of things have come back but... not
much."  He blinked in surprise, and looked at her.
     "Is this true, Princess Ayeka?"  She nodded slowly.  As she
had finally remembered his name, she had suddenly remembered a huge
garden maze that he had led her through too.  He sighed, a deep
rumbling.  "This truly is a sad day for the house of Jurai...
first my brother, and now my niece."  Abruptly, though, he blinked,
and then smiled slightly.  "Ah...  I would like to reintroduce you
to somebody, however.  Please, come over here," he  said, signaling
somebody behind them.  Ayeka and Sasami turned; Sasami suddenly
laughed in surprise.
     "Sagami!"  Ayeka recognized the tall, brown-haired man from
the tapes of when they had sneaked through the checkpoint station.
     "A pleasure to make your acquaintances again, Princesses.
Tell me, how is Miss Tenko?  I... trust that she is well," he said
cheerfully, smiling.  Ayeka frowned.  He reminded her of
somebody... Sasami laughed.
     "Tenchi is fine - oh, I almost forgot!"  She turned back to
their uncle.  "We have good news.  Before we left Earth, we were
contacted by Nagi.  She said that she was looking for something to
help Father.  Tenchi, Ryoko, Kiyone and Mihoshi went with her to
help find it."  Nagi...  Ayeka looked closely at Sagami.  Nagi...
He blinked and looked at her with a confused expression.
     "Is there something I can help you with, Princess?" he asked
politely.  Suddenly, she had it.
     "Nagi... You have Nagi's eyes."  Sasami looked at her; Sagami
blinked.
     "What do you mean, Ayeka?" she asked.
     "He resembles Nagi - his eyes, mostly."  Sasami blinked, and
looked at him.
     "Hey... You're right.  He does remind me of her sorta."  He
stared at them in confusion.
     "What are you talking about?" he asked.  Behind them, their
uncle sighed again.
     "They're talking about your mother.  Your real mother."

*****

     "How are scanners?  Anything out there?" asked Kiyone.
Mihoshi shook her head.
     "Plants.  More plants.  Even more plants.  This place would
make a great salad."  Tenchi leaned between them.
     "How long?"
     "We've got four hours and a half hours tops.  Then we have
to leave."  He nodded.
     "Alright.  That doesn't leave us much time, so let's not mess
around."  He turned to Nagi and Ryoko.  "No fighting," he
emphasized.  Ryoko shrugged; Nagi scowled but nodded.  He sighed.
"Any aspirin in the med bay, Kiyone?"  She grinned, shaking her
head.
     "Sorry Tenchi.  Mihoshi and I are both allergic to it."
Tenchi laughed roughly.
     "That's my luck for you."  They followed him out, and down
the loading ramp.  Just as Mihoshi had said, there was a lot of
plant life; Ryoko, Nagi and Tenchi used their swords to cut a path
through it.
     "The temple is about twenty meters away from here."  They
pushed through the vegetation; it was very slow going.  The foliage
was extremely dense, and most of it was covered in long, sharp
thorns.  Tenchi winced as one scratched the back of his hand;
Kiyone said that it was non-poisonous.  Abruptly, Nagi spoke.
     "Considering just how fatalistic our assassins were, they
were probably trying to protect the fact that there are more of
them here, which probably means we're walking into a trap."  Tenchi
frowned.
     "Reasonable enough.  So how do we turn the tables?"  Nagi
glanced at Ken-Ohki; he miyaed, and hopped off her shoulder,
disappearing into the undergrowth.
     "You spy on them, and turn their trap into a duck-shoot."
After a few minutes, the cabbit came back, and miyaed at Nagi.  She
nodded.  "Three watchers on the north flank, and three dozen
archers on either side of the entrance.  I think it's..."
Suddenly, she trailed off, and looked around.  Slowly, she motioned
a circle with one finger, and then described a larger one around
it.  Tenchi nodded, understanding; they were surrounded.  "I think
it's a reasonable assumption that we're in the wrong place.  Maybe
we should try due east.  Didn't Mihoshi pick up five or six
structures there?"  Tenchi frowned a moment, before understanding
that she was telling them where they were.
     "Hey Nagi... do you remember when we ran into each other on
Kalos 7?  Those marionettes you thought were me?"  Nagi scowled;
Tenchi winced.  Why now?
     "Are you wanting a re-enactment of that, Ryoko?"  She
shrugged, and grinned mischievously.
     "If you really want to make a fool of yourself again, be my
guest and try."  Tenchi was about to move to stop them when Kiyone
lightly touched his arm, shaking her head just slightly.  Nagi
growled, and suddenly drew her weapon, firing.  Ryoko teleported
away, laughing and sticking out her tongue as she reappeared.  Nagi
spun, and fired again; again Nagi flashed away.  They repeated the
process two more times, before suddenly Ryoko appeared laying on
her stomach, facing the east.
     "Drop!" she exclaimed; surprised, Tenchi dove to the ground.
Half a dozen blasts sailed over his head, and Ryoko sent a volley
of her own into the bushes.  The smoke cleared; after a long
moment, one man stumbled out, and then pitched forward, dead.
Slowly, Tenchi stood up, frowning at a smirking Ryoko.
     "I won't ask if you were actually trying to hit me, Nagi."
The bounty hunter scowled, as she slung her sword.
     "Don't think the thought didn't cross my mind."
     "This one has a leaf tattoo," said Mihoshi, from where she
was kneeling over the body.  A moment later, Kiyone came through
the wall of foliage that he had stumbled through.
     "Six more back there, all with the same tattoo."  Tenchi
nodded.
     "We had better hurry."

*****

     Ryoko scowled.  Four hours after landing, they were now deep
into the temple, and had still found nothing.  After the attempted
ambush near the landing pad, they had seen nothing living save a
huge rat that had snarled at them and then slunk away.  Kiyone and
Mihoshi had returned to the Yagami to make sure none of the
tattooed men tried sneaking aboard to cause trouble.  Tenchi,
beside her, sneezed abruptly, startling them all.
     "I'm starting to think that the only thing here is dust."
     "What about those sentinels?"
     "Here to throw us off, maybe."  Ryoko frowned.
     "Half an hour left."  Ryoko glanced at Nagi.
     "We don't have to worry about getting back.  I can teleport
us back there in plenty of time."  Nagi scowled.
     "I know just how that would go.  You'd take Tenchi first and
then conveniently not have the strength left to come back."  Ryoko
opened her mouth to reply, but stumbled as the ground suddenly
leapt beneath her feet.  Windmilling, she wasn't quite able to
catch her balance before crashing into Tenchi.  They toppled over;
Nagi grunted as she fell not far from them.  Shaking her head, she
disentangled herself from Tenchi, grinning at him weakly.
     "What was that?" she asked.  Tenchi frowned.
     "An earthquake?  Kiyone did say that there was a lot of
seismic disturbances in this area."   Ryoko winced.
     "Isn't an earthquake what got us into this mess in the first
place?"  Tenchi grinned, as she pulled him up.
     "There's a light up there that wasn't there before."  Indeed,
a golden light had begun to fill the hallway; they slowly made
their way to it, and carefully looked inside.  They saw a huge
chamber; the walls looked like they were made out of solid,
gleaming gold.  In the center of the room, under a gigantic sky
light through which the suns shone brightly, stood a tall,
branching willow tree.  It's long, leafy branches stirred slightly
in an unfelt breeze.
     "It must have opened up during the quake," said Ryoko
quietly.  Tenchi nodded; one by one, they entered, and approached
the tree.
     "This must be it, right?" asked Tenchi.
     "It would appear so," answered Nagi.  Ryoko frowned.
     "Well," she said, reaching up and picking a few leaves,
"there's only one way to know for sure."  She loosened the bandage
so that they could see the wound, and looked at the leaves.
Shrugging, she opened her mouth.
     "Wait!" exclaimed Tenchi suddenly.  Ryoko blinked, and looked
at him.  He frowned, and pointed.  She followed his line of sight,
and saw the huge rat that had hissed at them earlier.  It lay on
it's side, dead, one of the willow branches still in it's mouth.
Ryoko dropped the leaves.
     "Trap," she said quietly.  As she did, the chamber vanished,
along with the willow, to be replaced by a smaller room.  Where the
willow had been, a small, twisted and sickly looking sapling stood.
A slow, quiet clapping began, and they turned.  To Ryoko's
surprise, she heard Nagi gasp in shock, and Ken-Ohki hissed loudly.
Ryoko frowned, and looked at the man who seemed to have put them so
off balance; he was tall, with brown hair and jade green eyes, and
he had the same leaf tattoo as the others.
     "N... No..." breathed Nagi, almost too softly to be heard.
The man's lips twitched slightly.
     "Traps.  What would you expect, for something that has the
power even to resurrect the dead?" he asked.  "Traps, and
challenges.  Four, to be exact.  The way here was the first; the
second was the attack at the planetarium.  Third, the ambush near
the ship, and last the illusion.  Congratulations.  You've
survived, and proven yourselves worthy.  Now, you are welcome to
take what you need."  He turned to leave, but then paused.
     "I would advise you to hurry;  the suns have stepped into a
far more intense phase of activity.  They will be going nova in
within the hour."  With that, he suddenly vanished, revealing a new
passage behind him.  Ryoko looked at Nagi; the bounty hunter's eyes
were wide with shock, and she was extremely pale.  Ryoko waved a
hand in front of her face.
     "Yo, Nagi, anybody home?"  She blinked, and looked at Ryoko;
for once, she didn't scowl or sneer; Ryoko was surprised to see an
almost lost look in her eyes.  In all the time that she had known
her, Ryoko had never seen a Nagi that seemed lost, or without a
sense of direction.
     "T-hi... Te-i c-e -n!"  Ryoko jumped in surprise as the
communicator on Tenchi's wrist crackled to life.  He looked down.
     "Kiyone, are you there?"
     "-nchi.  S-s go-g to e-pl-de in fo-y-ve m-utes!  G- -ack h-e
no-"  The transmission suddenly cut out completely.  He looked at
them.
     "Let's move it!" he exclaimed.  The squeezed through the
door, and found a small, graceful looking plant.  Ryoko plucked off
one of the tiny leaves, and then gasped as an icy chill rippled
through her from her fingertips to her toes.  As it passed, she
felt incredibly refreshed, like she'd gotten a week of rest.
Tenchi blinked, and pointed at her shoulder; Ryoko looked down to
see that the wound was gone, leaving only a faint, circular scar.
     "This is it.  Come on, let's grab some more, and get out of
here."  Nagi produced a small pouch; they picked off another dozen
leaves, and tucked them into the pouch.  After a moment's pause,
she handed it to Tenchi.  Ryoko looked around.
     "Alright, let's get gone."  Tenchi nodded; she wrapped her
arms around his waist, and fixed the Yagami in her mind.  "Be right
back, Nagi."  She harumphed loudly; Ryoko opened up to the energies
that allowed her to teleport...  And blinked, as she found that
they weren't there.  Nagi frowned.
     "What exactly are you waiting for, Ryoko?  A dramatic exit?"
Ryoko frowned, and tried again, with the same results.
     "I can't teleport!" Nagi scowled.
     "There mush be some sort of interference."  Ryoko let go of
Tenchi, as he looked at them.
     "What about Ryo-Ohki and Ken-Ohki?"  Ryoko looked at Ryo-
Ohki; she miyaed in alarm, echoed a moment later by Ken-Ohki.
     "No good."
     "We can still run," said Nagi.  They nodded, and dashed out
of the room.  The two cabbits lead the way out; they followed
behind, Ryoko in front and Nagi bringing up the rear.
     "How much time?"
     "Thirty minutes!" replied Ryoko.  As she did, the temple
started to shake again.  She looked up, and gasped, diving out of
the way as the roof began to cave in.  She heard a startled shout
from behind her; her vision was obscured by dust.  She coughed,
pulling to a stop.  Ryoko looked back, and frowned to see the
tunnel filled by stones, but no Nagi.  Tenchi came back to stand by
her side, and Ken-Ohki bounded to the pile, scrabbling at the
stone, but to no use.
     "Nobody could have survived that, Ryoko," he said quietly.
She looked at him and shook her head, sighing.
     "Get going Tenchi.  I've got to try to get her out."  He
blinked, and looked at her.
     "There's no time - ah, why am I even bothering?  I know that
look.  We better start digging."  She shook her head.
     "No.  You need to get to the ship; I'll be right behind you."
Tenchi sighed, but then smiled.
     "I'm proud of you, Ryoko."  She grinned.
     "I'll be damned if I'm gonna let her die thinking that I just
left her.  Then I really would be what she says I am.  Go, I'll be
right behind."  Tenchi nodded.
     "Don't be long."  He dashed away; Ken-Ohki looked at her for
a moment before following him and Ryo-Ohki.  Ryoko quickly began to
dig into the pile.  Stones and bricks flew out behind her; she made
good headway through it, clearing a path to the other side in just
a few minutes.  Shortly, she had cleared enough away to squeeze
through.  On the other side, she found Nagi, her legs buried under
the stone.  She was awake, though; scowling as she saw Ryoko.
     "Come to - ugh - gloat?"  Ryoko smirked, as she floated down.
     "You know me.  Can't resist a chance to tease."  She started
pulling stones away from her.  Nagi scowled.
     "Get out of here Ryoko; you've won."
     "Can't do that.  I've got a reputation to maintain."  Pulling
away one huge stone, Nagi winced in pain.
     "If you lift that beam, I think I can pull myself out, but my
right leg is broken.  I felt it snap."
     "One problem at a time.  On three."  Nagi nodded; Ryoko
counted three, and then strained upward.  The beam lifted off the
ground, and Nagi pushed herself back.   Once she was clear, Ryoko
let the support drop again, and looked at the leg.  Sure enough, it
was broken.  "Unbuckle your sword, Nagi."  She frowned, but did as
Ryoko asked.  She ripped a couple of long strips from the bounty
hunter's cloak, and then looked at the leg again.
     "I'm going to set it; this will hurt."  Nagi nodded,
scowling.
     "Just shut up and do it before those suns blow up."  Ryoko
took a deep breath, and then pulled it sharply, twisting it back
into place.  Nagi screamed; Ryoko winced and twisted one more time,
resetting the bone.  Quickly, she tied the sword and sheath as a
makeshift splint.  Nagi panted in pain, sweat glistening on her
forehead.  "You think that you can get up?"  Nagi slowly nodded.
     "I've walked on worse."
     "We've got ten minutes.  Once we get through the hole I'll
try and fly us out."  She nodded; with Ryoko's help, she stood.
They pushed through the hole, and Ryoko grabbed her around the
waist.
     "This doesn't change anything, Ryoko."
     "Aw, shut up and hang on, before I decide to leave you here
after all."  Ryoko reached out; to her relief, she floated into the
air.  "Tenchi had better have some aspirin ready when we get back."

*****

     "What's taking them so long?" asked Tenchi  Kiyone frowned.
     "Tenchi, we have got to go!  There's only three more minutes
left; not even the Yagami can get out of range of a supernova in
under two minutes!"  He looked at her.
     "We can't leave without her, Kiyone.  I can't."  He sighed.
"Go, I'll wait with Ryo-Ohki."  Kiyone sighed.
     "I must be losing my mind; if you won't leave, I won't
either.  You said that they couldn't take ship form earlier."
     "Hey!  I see Ryoko - and she has Nagi!" exclaimed Mihoshi,
pointing.  Kiyone turned to her as Tenchi looked out the window to
see Ryoko flying toward them.
     "Alright, cycle up the engines, Mihoshi.  Let's get the heck
outta here!"  The engines whined; a short crackle of static came
over the intercom.
     "We're here, go!"  Kiyone all too gladly pushed forward the
throttle, and the landscape burst into motion under them.  The
cockpit door slid open; Ryoko came through.
     "Nagi is in the medlab.  Her right leg is broken; she passed
out on the way back."
     "Two minutes!" said Mihoshi.  The Yagami broke free of the
atmosphere; Tenchi stared in surprise.  The binary stars seemed to
have shrunk; seemed to have moved closer to each other.
     "My god... they aren't going supernova...  They're
colliding!" breathed Kiyone.  She turned back to the control board
and quickly back entering commands.
     "What's the difference?" asked Tenchi.
     "About a trillion gigatons!  This explosion will make a
double supernova look like a pop-gun next to Washu's dimensional
cannon!" she answered.  She punched a button, and there was a loud
grinding noise.  Kiyone paled.  "The ultradrive isn't responding."
She unbuckled herself, and dashed off the bridge.  "Watch the
indicator Mihoshi!"
     "Only one minute to go," she said.  They all watched as the
timer slowly counted down.  Tenchi looked as Ryoko; silently he
slipped his hand into hers.  Forty-five seconds.  Ryoko smiled
slightly, and quietly spoke.
     "I love you, Tenchi."  Thirty seconds.
     "I know."  Fifteen.  There was a sudden crackle of static.
     "Try it now, Mihoshi!"  The blonde hit the button again; they
were thrown backwards as the Yagami exploded forward.  Tenchi
landed with a grunt in the corner; Ryoko on top of him.  The ship
began to shake alarmingly; Mihoshi started a countdown.
     "Ten... nine... eight...  brace yourselves things are going
to get really bumpy here!"  Kiyone came back up as she hit three,
and strapped herself back into the command chair.  "One...
Impact!"  For a moment, nothing happened; the rear monitor showed
the twin stars crashing into each other; blazing into a blinding
light.  They watched in shocked amazement as it dimmed slightly,
and then burst forth anew; the ship's auto-dampers strained to
compensate for the light level.  Then, the shock wave flashed out.
It crashed into the planet; it was vaporized before it could
explode, and the wave kept coming.
     "We aren't going to make it!" said Kiyone.  Suddenly, Ryoko
pointed.
     "There's another ship!  And it's opening a hypergate!"  Not
far ahead of them, a long, wedge shaped ship opened one of the
recently discovered gateways to hyper space.
     "Can we make that, Kiyone?" asked Tenchi.
     "I think so!  Hold on!"  They arrowed for the gate; for some
reason, it seemed like the other ship was waiting for them.  Behind
the Yagami, the shockwave just barely touched the ship making it
shudder wildly, and then suddenly they were in the gateway.  They
cheered raggedly as it closed behind time; the Yagami began to slow
down.  Kiyone brought up the damage report.
     "One thruster critically damaged and inoperable...  Some
major carbon scoring on the hull...  We lucked out Tenchi.  We can
hyper space all the Way to Jurai; we've got just enough fuel, and
there is a gateway there."  Tenchi just sighed in relief.
     "What about the other ship?" asked Ryoko.
     "No signs of it...  Must not have made it in..." said
Mihoshi.  They paused quietly.
     "I'm going to go check on Nagi," said Ryoko, pulling herself
up.  Tenchi stood as well.
     "I'll come with; one of these leaves ought to take care of
her leg."  Ryoko nodded.
     "After this, how about a vacation?  I hear that Fantasia is
nice this time of year."  Tenchi laughed.  They entered the sick-
bay to find Nagi sitting up, carefully applying a liqu-cast to her
leg.  She looked up, and frowned slightly.
     "I take it from all the shaking we just barely managed to
escape?"  Tenchi nodded.
     "We got a little singed, but aside from that we're safe.
Here."  He pulled the pouch with the leaves out of a pocket, and
tossed it to her.  Nagi caught it, and reached in, pulling one out.
She gasped, and shivered; after a moment she frowned and gingerly
tried putting some weight on the formerly broken leg.  After a
moment, she nodded, and stood up, looking at Ryoko.
     "Where did you learn to set a broken bone like that?"  Ryoko
shrugged.
     "I'm just full of surprises."  Nagi frowned, but let the quip
slide without comment.  Ryoko looked at Tenchi a moment, her
expression turning serious.  "Let me talk to her alone for a
minute, Tenchi."  He nodded; Nagi tossed the pouch back to him.  He
gave Ryoko's shoulder a squeeze and a quick smile, and then left
the room.

*****

     Tenchi left the medlab, and the doors swished shut behind
him.  Ryoko frowned and looked at Nagi.
     "Alright.  Out with it.  Who was that guy that appeared after
the illusion vanished.  And don't tell me you don't know what I'm
talking about, either.  I've only seen you that shell shocked once
before."  Nagi frowned at her, but finally nodded.
     "My trainer, Aarin Shirow."  Ryoko blinked.
     "I thought you said that he was killed."
     "He was.  But that was him.  I know it was."
     "Didn't exactly seem to recognize you.  But he did say the
plant could heal even death.  Maybe he was giving you a hint."
Nagi scowled.
     "As though you actually care."  Ryoko frowned.
     "Believe it or not, I do.  Granted I don't know enough of the
story to make any real judgement, but I do know you well enough by
now to know you wouldn't have let somebody close enough to have a
child with unless he meant a hell of a lot to you."  Nagi blinked
in surprise, but then her eyes narrowed.
     "Sure."  Ryoko shrugged.
     "Don't believe me.  Personally, I don't care if you believe
me or not.  Since we're on the subject, how did he die?"  Nagi
sneered at her.
     "You don't know?" Ryoko scowled, and forced down a wave of
anger.
     "Pretend, for one moment, that you haven't been trying to
kill me for almost ten years.  Jut pretend I'm someone that is
curious.  Can you manage that for a little bit?"  The bounty
hunter's sneer softened somewhat.
     "He was killed by Garan, your old man.  The same Garan who
also slaughtered my parents."  It was Ryoko's turn to blink.
     "Garan...  So the old coot actually had a name."  Nagi
frowned at her.
     "What do you mean?"  Ryoko smirked.
     "Let me tell you what I know about Garan.  I know he was a
rapist.  He raped my mother once a day for three years before she
became pregnant with me.  I know that he was particularly brutal;
when he found out that she was pregnant, he cut out one of her
eyes, slashed up her face, and broke an arm and a leg before
tossing her out of a hover car.  I know that my mother lived in
deathly fear of him, until the day she died, when I turned six.
Beyond that I don't know anything.  I don't know what he looked
like; what he sounded like; I also don't really care.  You want to
know how my mother died?  She thought that she saw him, and was so
terrified that she had a heart attack."  Nagi stared at her, and
Ryoko smirked again.
     "So that's what this was all about.  All the fighting, the
chasing..."  Ryoko suddenly started laughing.  It was funny; she'd
been condemned for the crimes of a man she'd gladly have helped
Nagi kill.  Shaking her head, she grinned, and looked at Nagi.
"Alright, then.  You've got your sword right there.  I'll make you
a deal.  You can kill me right here.  I won't put up a fight; I'll
even tell Tenchi not to try stopping you.  Free shot, Nagi.  Or, if
you don't, I'll forget you ever attacked me.  You can leave, never
see me again, or I'll be the first to welcome you as a friend.
Your choice, but one way or the other, it ends today."  Nagi
frowned; slowly, her hand closed around the hilt of her energy
sword.
     "No tricks?"  Ryoko shook her head.
     "No tricks.  No teleporting.  No raising my sword at the last
second.  One free shot; I won't try to defend myself.  No running
away."  Nagi stared at her for a moment, a thoughtful light in her
eyes.  Slowly, she nodded.
     "Agreed."  Abruptly, she flowed into motion.  It was
something fluid; too graceful to be human.  Strange, Ryoko realized
that she had never really noticed how smooth those movements were.
They had stood across the rather sizeable medlab from each other;
Nagi seemed to simply skip the intervening space and was abruptly
in front of her.  Ryoko smiled as Nagi brought her sword up, angled
to slice through her neck.  Time slowed down as the bounty hunter
started her attack;  Ryoko held her ground, and let her eyes slide
closed.
     "Good-bye, Tenchi."  She felt the sword touch her neck; bite
into it just slightly.
     And then it stopped.
     Ryoko slowly opened her eyes.  Nagi's face was inches from
her own; her own eyes closed, but silent tears slowly poured out
from behind them.  The sword clattered to the ground; slowly, Ryoko
reached up and touched Nagi's shoulder.
     "I think," she started softly, "that there is only one true
difference between us.  Garan was my father by blood...  yours by
action.  He was forced on both of us, unwanted, leaving us with no
choices."  Slowly, she pulled Nagi toward her; she offered no
resistance, putting her head on Ryoko's shoulder and crying,
silently.
     Ryoko glanced up as she heard the doorway swish open, and saw
Tenchi looking at them, surprise vivid on his face.  She slowly
sighed, as she noticed Ken-Ohki and Ryo-Ohki at his feet as well.
Ryoko smiled at him, and then slowly pushed Nagi back a bit.  The
bounty hunter looked at her, crimson eyes slightly confused.
     "It's your choice Nagi," she said, stepping back.  "If you
want to walk away, none of us are going to try and stop you.  She
paused, and glanced at Tenchi for encouragement.  He grinned, and
nodded to her, mouthing the words, I'll stick by what you say to
her.  Ryoko looked back at Nagi.  "Or I'll be the first to welcome
you... as a friend, or a sister I didn't know I'd had."
     For a moment, Nagi looked at her; her face was completely
unreadable, but her eyes were tumbling.  Emotions were flashing
through them too fast for Ryoko to catch them all.  There was pain;
pain older than Ryoko could account for.  Anger; like a raging
fire, but for once not aimed at her.  Sorrow, anguish, fear; they
flashed by in a hurricane of emotions.
     "Ciao?" They both looked down as Ken-Ohki slowly approached
Nagi, and sat down, looking up at her.  Ryo-Ohki wasn't far behind
him; she looked at Nagi quietly as well.
     "You think so, old friend?" she asked softly.  Ken-Ohki
miyaed quietly, and Nagi grinned slightly.  "You should give
Mihoshi more credit.  She's more perceptive than she seems."
Slowly, Nagi extended a hand to Ryoko.  Ryoko smiled, and clasped
it with her own.
     "Welcome... sister."

*****

     Ayeka smiled slightly as the Yagami touched down on the
landing pad.  The rear of the ship was badly scorched and
blackened, but aside from that it appeared undamaged.  The boarding
ramp lowered; beside her, Sasami laughed in delight as Ryo-Ohki
bounded to her;  behind her, she heard Washu chuckle quietly.
Tenchi came down the ramp, grinning, with Ryoko floating beside
him.  Kiyone and Mihoshi followed them down.  The detective winced
as she saw the damage to the Yagami; Mihoshi patted her on the
back.  Last out was Nagi with Ken-Ohki on her shoulder.  Sagami
stepped forward slightly, studying her in curiosity.  The bounty
hunter blinked in surprise, and Ayeka was sure that she realized
who he was.
     Tenchi came up before her, and bowed, smiling.
     "Lady Ayeka.  Are we in time?  As we said in the message, we managed to
find it.  And have you remembered anything else?"  She smiled.
     "Some pieces, yes, though not very much.  But come.  Father does not
have much time."  He nodded and she turned and led them into the palace.
She headed directly to the royal bedchambers; Ayeka had gotten to know the
way quite well over the past few days.  In fact, she had completely lost
track of the number of times she had walked over it.  As they moved, Tenchi
produced a small pouch, and opened it.
     "These are the leaves," he said, and then looked over his shoulder at
Washu, grinning.  "We even brought some for you to study, Washu."  The
scientist grinned.
     "You know me too well."  He grinned again, and then turned back to
Ayeka.
     "Take one... it might bring back your memory, or at least part of it."
Ayeka slowly nodded, and reached into the bag, withdrawing the leaf.
     She gasped, stumbling in shock, as a blast of icy cold pounded into
her.  Distantly, she felt several hands grab onto her and carefully guide
her down to the ground.  Almost painful cold rocked her body, scoured her
mind; yet somehow, that was a distant feeling.  Images began to pour into
her mind in an absolutely
non-sensible storm.  Her and Tenchi; standing on a cliff; a wild-eyed man
with a glowing black sword.  A very young Ryoko and her, playing in a field
of flowers; an older Ryoko slapping her.  She saw Sasami tripping and
skinning her knee; she felt the pain as she saw herself fall and break her
own arm.
     There were people that she hadn't seen in years, people she had seen
just a few weeks before the accident.  Abruptly she remembered the accident;
she'd been watching a soap opera with Ryoko and Kiyone when the earthquake
had hit.  Slowly, the random images began to order themselves; form into
somewhat understandable sequences.  She began to make out sections of her
life; why she had come to Earth, her arraignment as First Princess.  Finally
they slowed, and began to trickle down to a stop.  Ayeka became aware of
some small holes in her memory; nothing really glaring, but just a peppering
of them.  Ayeka began to notice a loud buzzing in her ears; slowly, she
realized that they were voices.  She blinked, and was surprised to find that
she could.  Her vision slowly began to clear, and the blurry forms of
Tenchi, Ryoko and Sasami appeared, leaning over her.
     She slowly sat up, groaning, and shook her head, trying to clear the
cobwebs.  Finally, the buzzing of their voices started to resemble words.
     "Ayeka!  Are you alright?" asked Sasami.  She looked at her.
     "I'm sorry little girl..."  They all stared at her in shock, and Ayeka
suddenly smiled.  "I remember you!"  They laughed in relief.
     "Ayeka!" exclaimed Sasami, hugging her tightly.  She grinned, and
hugged her back.  Slowly, Sasami let go, and Ayeka stood up.
     "Oh...  Those really hit hard!" she said, shaking her head again.
     "I don't believe it... almost ninety-five percent restoration.  That's
even some things that I didn't think could come back," said Washu.  She
pulled away the scanner, and looked at her.  "How are you feeling, Ayeka?"
She frowned.
     "I can remember just about everything that ever happened to me, all at
once...  It's rather... unsettling."  Washu nodded.
     "That will fade back down to normal in a couple days.  Everything has
come back all at once; it's partly overloading your system."  Ayeka frowned,
and looked at her.
     "Are you suggesting that I, First Princess of Jurai, can't handle
something?" she asked softly.  Washu smiled weakly, and Ryoko smirked.
     "Oh yeah.  She's definitely back to normal.  You could hear high and
mighty for miles around in that comment."  Ayeka favored her with a frown
before she abruptly blinked and shook her head.
     "We don't have time for this.  I won't waste any more time on useless
fights."  Ryoko blinked, and looked at Nagi.
     "Jeez, first you, now Ayeka...  I wonder if I have any other old
enemies around.  I ought to find them while I'm still on a roll."  Nagi
smirked; Ayeka blinked in surprise at the verbal exchange, but wordlessly
led them the rest of the way into the palace, until they reached Azusa's
chambers.  Quietly, she led them inside.
     As was ordered by the ancient prescripts, the two knights of Jurai
watched over him.  Azaka and Kamadake bowed as they entered the room.
Behind them, Azusa lay sleeping; pale as the death which stood within a
finger's touch of him.  She smiled at them tightly, and moved to the side of
the bed.  Carefully, she knelt, and shook his shoulder.
     "Father... Father, wake up."  Slowly he stirred, and opened his eyes,
looking over at her.  He smiled weakly.
     "My daughter..."  She glanced at Tenchi; he silently handed the pouch
to her.
     "Take one of these, Father.  They will help you."  He slowly nodded,
and weakly reached up.  She guided his hand to the pouch, and opened it.  He
dipped his hand in, and withdrew one of the leaves.
     With a shout, he stiffened, his back arching up off the bed.  Azusa
began to shiver violently, beginning to thrash around.  Azaka and Kamadake
came in from the sides, and pinned him down; eventually the thrashing began
to slow, and stop.  Finally, Azusa simply lay there, breathing raggedly.
She looked at Washu, and the scientist raised her scanner.
     "Vitals stabilizing... no traces of the disease...  It's a little early
to be certain, but it looks like he's out of the woods for the time being."
Ayeka sighed in relief.

*****

     Nagi sighed, as she looked out over the balcony of the Juraian palace.
The last time that she had been here was almost twenty-five years prior.
She had never counted on returning; much less on meeting Sagami.  It really
was a beautiful view, taking in most of the city below.  The sun was just
setting; lights were slowly starting to come on far below.  Ken-Ohki sat on
the railing beside her, dozing as usual.  She sighed again.  A setting sun;
it was a disgustingly cliché way for an era of her life to end, and she
wanted to savor its last few moments as long as she could.
     Idly, she considered her drink.  Juraian brandy, she could remember
when she could barely even look at the stuff without getting drunk.  Now she
had to drink three or four bottles to even start to feel it.  Frowning, she
took a sip and tossed the rest off the balcony.  After a moment's thought,
the glass followed it.
     Twelve years, she'd been after Ryoko, and it had been one hell of a
chase; there was no denying that.  They'd traveled the width and breadth of
the universe in the hunt.  It struck her suddenly as funny that she and
Ryoko had probably done something widely considered impossible - seen every
inhabited world in the known universe in the span of a single lifetime.
Twelve years... over now.  In all that time, it had never really occurred to
Nagi that Ryoko might hate Garan as much, if not ore than her.  She had
condemned her on the assumption that the sins of the father were passed on
to the daughter.
     The sun finished sliding beneath the horizon; golden and purple and red
and blue clouds reflected some of it's light still.
     Aarin... he was alive.  It was impossible; she had held his dead body
in her arms, but there was no mistaking the man that had met them in the
temple.  He was alive.  She looked up at the stars, which were only just
visible in the early dusk light.  Alive, and out there somewhere.  Abruptly,
she smiled.  If she could track Ryoko across the known universe, then she
could track anything.  Could, and would.  Ken-Ohki lifted an ear; she sighed
softly as she sensed a presence join her on the balcony.  He cleared his
throat, and she slowly turned, to find Sagami standing behind her.
     For a moment, she studied him.  Like Aarin, he was tall; had brown
hair.  He had the same boyish handsomness as Aarin had.  Sagami was looking
at her too; a considering expression on his face.  For a few minutes, they
stood there quietly; the silence was finally broken by Ken-Ohki sneezing.
     "I've heard that they are extremely rare, but extremely loyal
companions," he said quietly.  Nagi smiled slightly and nodded.
     "Very rare, although I have the feeling if he and Ryo-Ohki are around
each other much longer, they may become slightly less rare."  Ken-Ohki
growled low in his throat, and she raised an eyebrow at him.  "You're
denying it?"  He looked away, and Sagami chuckled quietly.  Nagi sighed.
"Go find her.  I'll be in shortly."  The cabbit looked at her in surprise,
and miyaed a question.  She shook her head.  "I'll be fine.  You won't get
another chance for awhile."  Nagi got the mental impression of a shrug from
him before he scampered away.  She looked back up at Sagami as the cabbit
disappeared.
     "So," she said quietly.  He looked at her.
     "He... never hid the fact that I wasn't his real son, though he raised
me as I was."  He always said he would tell me when he thought I was ready."
Nagi nodded.
     "I asked Azusa as much when he offered to take care of you."
     "Why did you leave me?"  There was the question that she had been
waiting for; had been trying to find an answer for.  Nagi knew that the
answer she had come up with wasn't enough, but it was all that she could
offer.
     "I'm a bounty hunter.  It was a choice I made; a choice that I was able
to make.  It isn't an easy life; I've come closer to death than I care to
imagine.  I think by now he's got a special boat made and ready for me when
my day does finally come.  You couldn't make that choice; Azusa offered to
see to it that you would never have to."  She paused, and looked to the side
slightly, trying to find the words that she needed now.  "I... had lost more
then I ever had by the time I found out that I was pregnant with you; when I
gave you up, I lost you too, but... in a way, I made certain that I never
would."  He looked at her for a moment with a thoughtful expression.
     "I... think that I already knew that.  Somewhere; in my heart.  I...
guess I just had to hear it from you to believe it.  Will you be staying
now?"  She smiled faintly, sadly.
     "No.  I saw him, Sagami...  He's out there.  I need to find him first."
He looked at her in confusion.
     "Who is?"
     "Aarin."  Slowly, he nodded.
     "My real father."  Nagi nodded, looking back at the sky.  Full dark had
been achieved; the first of Jurai's three moons was beginning to come up
from the horizon, huge and green.
     "I thought that he was dead a long time ago...  If not, things might
have been different.  But now that I've seen him, I have to find him."
     "Do you know where you'll start looking?"
     "No.  Falaris, maybe.  That's where he first found me."  She blinked as
she felt his hand on her shoulder, and looked at him.  He smiled slightly.
     "I remember Keichi telling me stories about a bounty hunter.  He said
that she always found what she was after, in the end."  She smiled, and then
reached into the pocket of her cloak, and withdrew a small, pen-shaped
object.  She put it into his hand, and closed it around it.  He looked at
her.
     "He gave this to me when he first took me on as apprentice.  Press both
ends at the same time, and I will come."  Then she pulled away, and moved
toward the entryway into the palace.
     "Nagi!"  She paused, and looked back at him.  Sagami smiled.  "Good
luck... mother."  She smiled, and then left the balcony, telepathically
sending a message to Ken-Ohki to meet her at the landing pad.  It didn't
take her long to arrive there.
     "Leaving so soon, Nagi?  You'll miss the banquette."  Nagi jumped as
Ryoko spoke up, and turned to see the former space pirate leaning up against
the wall with her arms crossed beneath her breasts.  Next to her, Tenchi
stood, Ryo-Ohki perched on his forehead, grinning.  She frowned as Ken-Ohki
hopped toward her from near his feet.
     "Nice to know we can keep leaving private."  The cabbit miyaed
indignantly; Ryoko laughed.
     "Don't blame him Nagi.  Kinda hard to miss when Ryo-Ohki starts
bawling, 'he's leaving, he's leaving.'"  She stood up straight, and lobbed
something small to Nagi.  The bounty hunter caught it and blinked.  It was a
tiny carving of Ryoko's head, perfect in detail right down to the
mischievous look in her eyes.  Nagi raised a questioning eyebrow at her.
     "Well?  You always said you wanted my head.  There you are, in a nice,
easy to carry size," she said, grinning.  "Mission accomplished, Nagi."
Nagi stared at her for a moment, and then abruptly threw back her head and
laughed until tears started to stream from her eyes.
     "Touché Ryoko.  You win," she said finally, as her mirth died away.
Ryoko smiled at her warmly and Tenchi stepped forward.
     "Thank you, Nagi.  Without you, we never would have known about the
plant, much less have found it."  She shook her head.
     "Call it even."  Tenchi nodded.
     "Where to from here, Nagi?"
     "Falaris.  That seems the best place to start looking for him."  Ryoko
nodded.
     "Hey.  If you need a hand, you know where to come."  Nagi nodded
slowly, and smiled.
     "Yeah.  I know."

*****

     "Just who do you think you are talking to, monster woman!?"
     "I thought you said you weren't going to waste time fighting anymore,
little princess."
     "I'll decide what I'm going to waste time on, thank you very much!"
     "Oh, you mean you were trained to make decisions too?  You didn't
forget how?"
     The house rattled, and Tenchi sighed.  It sure hadn't taken long to get
back to business as usual.  He rolled over, reaching out to flip his tape
over as the side it was on ended, and blinked at his upside-down view of
Ryoko's face.  She smiled, and straightened; Tenchi raised his eyebrow at
the blue and white tunic and pants she was wearing.  A wide, orange sash
circled her waist; automatically, alarms started going off, but in the back
of his mind he wondered why he had never really noticed how beautiful she
could be when she wanted to.
     "Ready to go?"  He blinked, and looked up at her.
     "Huh?"  Ryoko smiled, golden eyes sparkling.
     "Well, Fantaria is a little out of the way, but there is a carnival up
in Tokyo today."  Tenchi sat up, and looked at her.
     "But what about Ayeka?"  Ryoko laughed.
     "What about her?  She'll be following my shadow for hours.  Don't
worry - she'll lead Ayeka back to the house around dinner time.  She'll come
in about the same time we get back."   Tenchi sighed, grinning.
     "Why do I get the feeling I don't really have a choice one way or the
other?"  Ryoko gave him a feigned hurt look.
     "Are you saying I would force you to go?"  She paused a moment, and
then her expression turned more serious.  "Seriously, though, Tenchi...  If
you really don't want to go, I won't force you to.  I... don't want you to
go unless you really want to."  Tenchi shook his head, and smiled.
     "I would very much enjoy going with you, Ryoko.  I promised you once
that I would take a trip with you, someday...  I think that it is time that
I started making good on that promise, before it becomes too late."  He
paused, and then smiled gently.  "I learned that while we were out there;
it's something that I should have learned a long time ago.  Mom told me too;
but until we were out there, waiting for you to come with Nagi, I never
understood what she meant by time being short."  Ryoko smiled at him, and
then suddenly leaned down and kissed him on the cheek.
     "We have all the time we need, Tenchi.  We just have to reach out and
take hold of it, instead of letting it slip by," she said, before smiling
and laughing.  "So let's get going.  Time won't wait for us to grab on
forever."