Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters except for Chasy, who doesn't even appear in part one. Anyway Pioneer, I guess I should ask you not to sue me for all I'm worth (HAHAHAHA), so here it is: 'Please don't sue me for all I am worth.' There, with little or nothing else to be covered in the disclaimer, the story shall now commence! ________________ Sasami sat up in her bed, drenched in sweat. She pulled on the pink slippers and walked silently onto Ryu-Oh's bridge. She looked out into the vast void of space, seeing Earth in the distance, and thought, `Tenchi, I need you. Why didn't you come with us?' A tear trickled down her face. `I'm so lonely...without you...Tenchi...' More tears came silently as she returned to her room and cried herself to sleep. *** Kiyone walked slowly through a long metal corridor. She quickly pushed herself against the wall covered by small walls on each side. A large, robotic, Minotaur-like creature walked past, obviously under the impression it was chasing Kiyone. She swung out of the small enclosure and pulled her pistol from its side-holstered position. In one fluid motion, she aimed it at the monster and fired four charges into its turned back, dropping it quickly. Suddenly, bright lights flashed on around Kiyone, and she was in a bright, white room. A door opened, and a familiar face stepped in. "Congratulations Kiyone. You completed level ten of the VR training course, a feat accomplished by few," the Marshal said as he shook Kiyone's hand. "Thank you sir. it's an honor to have you taking an interest in my progress," Kiyone said quickly, a practiced remark. She was truly impressed, however, by the Marshal actually thinking that this case was important enough for his involvement. "Stop the formality. You're like a granddaughter to me, Kiyone. I'm very proud to have somebody I really know get this job offered to them". "Thank you sir, I mean, Mister Kuramitsu. I would never turn down an offer like this. If I'm successful, maybe this department will get a little respect for once, I mean, with you-know-who, and all..." "Yes. Thank God the section chief had the smarts to promote Mihoshi to well, the person that tells you where to go...haha, paperwork..." "So when do you think she'll catch on?" "To what?" "The fact that it's not a real job. I mean, she is told what to tell me." "Oh, probably never..." They laughed as they walked to Mihoshi's office. Mihoshi sat in a large cushioned, hovering chair. "Oops," she explained as she dropped an important piece of fragile evidence. "Oh no, now that's not good!" The evidence shattered. "Oh God!" A door slid open. Kiyone and the Marshal walked in. They were obviously having a good conversation until they saw Mihoshi. She was lying on the floor, trying to pick up one of a hundred-thousand shattered pieces. She looked up and grinned sheepishly. "Mihoshi!! the Marshal yelled. "You may be my granddaughter, but that doesn't get you (many) special privileges." "But then how did I get this job?" "I guess you got lucky," the Marshal said, winking at Kiyone. "Anyway Mihoshi, tell Kiyone what her final training mission is." He handed a paper to Mihoshi. "Well, Kiyone," Mihoshi stood reading, "You gotta' go negot-nego-," Mihoshi stuttered, "What's that say?" "NEGOTIATE!" The Marshal yelled. "Okay. Negotiate with a team of terrorists on a GP space station, Station B to be exact. Three officers are being held hostage. Wow! I sound so dramatic! Do you think I could be a drama actress Kiyone?" The Marshal was strangling Mihoshi as Kiyone started out. "I know what to do sir." Kiyone left. *** Tenchi sat at a couch in his new apartment room. He watched TV Suddenly, the phone rang. Tenchi got up, walked to the phone, and picked it up. "Oh, hi grandpa. Yeah, I'll be over for dinner. Bye." He clicked the phone's `off' button and sat it onto the hook. As he walked through the connecting door to his grandfather's room, he thought, `Why did Ryoko have to go and do that? Now we're in this dump..' He sighed as he entered the next room. "Hi Grandpa." His grandfather sat at the table, as did Washu. "I still can't get over what Ryoko did after Ayeka left for Jurai..." Washu quietly commented. She slurped a spoon of soup. "Aaaahhh..." Washu fell sideways off her chair. Oh yeah. No Sasami..." Tenchi thought, staring out the apartment window. *** Ryoko groaned quietly. She was sitting in a dusty, vacant apartment room. She sat in a dark corner, the only light coming in from a boarded up window. "Tenchi!" she cried out. "Why did you choose Ayeka over me? That bitch!" Ryoko growled. "She has nothing on me!" Ryoko stood up and paced, brushing tears from her deeply green eyes. She had given up on expecting Tenchi to find her. she thought. Ryoko's naiveté had gotten the best of her. All she had been doing for the past few days was hide in this apartment. Ryoko hadn't eaten in those days and didn't really care. She was truly depressed. "Oh...Tenchi!" she yelled, thinking about the fateful day... ----- Tenchi was sweeping the shrine ground. Ayeka came running up the shrine steps from the house, nearly tripping on her ceremoninail kimono. "Tenchi, Tenchi!" she yelled waving at Tenchi. "We're going to Jurai!" "What?!" Tenchi asked, looking confusedly at Ayeka. Sasami ran up behind her. "It's Startica Tenchi! Like Christmas!" she shouted joyfully. She also wore an oversized kimono and sandals. "uhhhh..." "Exactly, and I, Princess Ayeka, am taking position of Queen for at least a few weeks!" "ummm...okay..." "Yeah, sister Ayeka and I are going home!" "mmmhmmm..." "Oh yeah! My mother is in the infirmiry. She was found collapsed in her room a few days ago. My aunt, Funaho, is looking over her and can't tend to her queen duties." "And I'm figured in how?" Tenchi asked. "Well," Ayeka began. "My father has gone to another galaxy to check on an uprising, and there is no substitute king. Yosho would be next, but he refuses to return to Jurai, so...you're next in the line of succesion!" "Are you sure I should be in charge of one of the mast important planets in the galaxy? I mean, they don't train us for this in high school..." "Yes! Just, come on! It'll be fun! Just me and you..." "Sasami giggled. "Stop it Sasami..." Ayeka whispered. "Well, Ayeka...I'll see if Washu can bring everyone in a ship in a few days, but I can't right now...When do you leave?" "Today, Tenchi..." Ayeka said, looking at her feet, tears welling up in her eyes. "Well...maybe I can fill in as King for a while..." Tenchi put his arms around Ayeka. A moment earlier, Ryoko had been coming up the steps to bring Tenchi a cake she'd made. She caught the end of this conversation and saw Tenchi touch Ayeka. She stood silent in shock, watching Tenchi stand there, holding Ayeka... "Oh, hello Ryoko!" Tenchi shouted happily, waving to Ryoko... ----- "How could he?" Ryoko thought out loud. She slumped back into the dark corner, fresh tears coming out of her beautiful, green eyes... *** Ayeka stood on-board the Ryu-Oh, looking out into space, smiling. "Tenchi, I can't wait!" She laughed into the great void of space.... *** Sasami sat in a cushioned chair in the Great Hall, the enormous auditorium in the Palace Jurai. She looked around. She was sitting in her pajamas. She was on the great stage. Ayeka sat next to her in an equally wonderful seat. Kiyone stood farther away, next to a woman Sasami had never seen before. The woman appeared to be delivering a speech to the crowd seated in the Hall. The very odd thing was, no sound emanated from her mouth. Everything was silent. Sasami looked up to the balcony and saw Ryoko, a red energy knife hovering in her hands. She wore a strange suit of black armor. She threw the knife in slow motion. The knife flew slowly toward the stage. "Nooo!!! Ayeka!" The knife flew toward Ayeka. No one noticed Sasami's screams as the knife grew closer. ----- Sasami woke up, sweaty and scared. She sat up quickly. The dream she had just had...it was the same as the last, except for the knife and Ryoko. She sat for a moment in thought, then stepped out of bed. "Ayeka!" she shouted as she pulled on the pink slippers... To Be Continued...