Disclaimer: “Tenchi Muyo!,” its characters, and any related images, written
or otherwise, are the properties of AIC/Pioneer. Their use is not, nor is it
intended to be cannon, and no monetary compensation was given for the
creation of this work. All other characters are the creation of Alexander
Curtindolph and Luis Angelo Rojas III, and are not to be used without proper
credit in any work. Thank You.
][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][
Beelzebub: Lord of the Flies
Chapter Six: A Need For The Truth
][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][
        Liam opened his eyes. His vision was blurred, but it became clearer
as he tried to focus. He was in the Realm of Spirits. It was a dark, bleak
place. The atmosphere looked like the inside of a blackened snow globe.
There was no ceiling, or floor, or walls. He was suspended in nothing.
Around him he could feel the presence of millions of restless souls, seeking
methods to complete their unfinished business so that they may continue into
Heaven. Or Hell.
        Liam peered to the left to see Sasami. Superimposed over her small
form was a transparent being. It looked like her, only older. Her soft pink
eyes conveyed a hidden wisdom and power that was greater than he. Her long,
sky blue hair was unbound from their pigtails, instead tied into one long
ponytail that reached the small of her back. She wore a beautiful blue and
white kimono that would have covered her feet, were they visible. The two
forms were running away from a silhouetted figure.
        As the two, or rather three, beings came closer, Liam could plainly
see that the mysterious shadow was actually Wasp the Beelzebub. Wasp grabbed
Sasami by the hair and pulled her back to him. He then proceeded to slash
brutally at the girl, leaving only the ethereal woman who was with her. Wasp
bound her with a silken thread, and brought her to another woman. This woman
also wore a long kimono, and was as see-through as the bound spirit. Her
hair was a fiery red in the front and golden yellow in the back. The whites
of her eyes were actually red, and her pupils were as blue as any ocean. She
looked upon Beelzebub with a bloodlust that sent shivers down Liam's spine.
She reached out to Wasp and patted him on the head. She took the tied woman,
looked again at the Shadow Demon, and rent him in twain with but a flick of
her hand.
        The other woman had gotten free from her binds and did battle with
the spirit. From the corners of his eye, Liam could see the ghosts of
William DuBarre and Xander Tyrann swoop down towards the two other entities
and attempt to break them apart. "Now there's a weird sight," Liam said.
"Will and Xander, working together."
        Before Liam had a chance to make heads or tails of the situation,
another person appeared before his line of sight. It was Washu, looking at
all that transpired with an expression on her face that was a horrid mix of
fear, disbelief, and perverse interest. Suddenly, a large shadow loomed
above the fighting spirits. The entities continued to attack and counter
attack each other, oblivious to the amorphous blob of darkness above them.
It began to take the shape of a hooded man. His cloak was as dark as the
rest of his body. The only visible aspects of his being were two yellow eyes
that floated within the hood of the figure. The eyes then stared at Liam,
intently, for what seemed like hours. A voice came from the direction of the
hooded man. It said, "I do this for you, Liam, my prodigy." The shadow then
began to encircle the group of brawling ghosts and Washu. She screamed in
horror as the darkness swallowed her up. Liam could not stop himself. He
floated to her aid, grabbed her hand and tried to pull her out of the
darkness. It then began to consume him too. His head was almost completely
swallowed in when he thought, 'At least I'll die doing something good.' With
that, he closed his eyes and prepared for the worst.
][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][

        Washu woke up in a cold sweat. She had not been that frightened of
anything in all twenty thousand years of her life. Of course, being one who
has lived life from one scientific query and observation to the next, there
were very few insignificant moments that she did remember. She did remember
her dream, vividly. This was odd, for most dreams are forgotten as soon as
the dreamer wakes. The auburn haired genius realized that there had to have
been more to the dream than simply a nightmare. She shrugged that thought
aside as she attempted to return to sleep.
        For the next two hours she tried to sleep, but rest never came. She
tossed and turned underneath her cotton blanket and sheets. No matter what
position she laid in, she could not become comfortable. She decided to do
some research instead. There were many unsolved query about Chima, and she
was never one to leave a question unanswered. She arose from her queen-sized
bed and walked to the door
As Washu walked out the door and into the hallway, she bumped into Rose.
Rose wore a long, blue silk nightgown. Her blonde hair was placed into a
small bun at the back of her head. She held a candlestick in her left hand,
and a large, leather bound book under her right arm. Washu, in her plaid,
oversized night tee-shirt, looked at Rose and said, "Hey watch where you're
going. You never know when someone is coming out."
        "I am sorry, Washu," apologized Rose, "But I'm in a bit of a hurry.
I mustn't be late for my midnight lessons."
        "Midnight lessons?" Washu said, as if to ask what the princess
meant.
        "Sage Marius and I meet in the royal library here in this castle,
and we discuss the history of Chima. The topics often range from the origin
of life on our world, to the relations our ancestors have had with other
planets."
        "Sounds interesting," Washu said. "D'ya mind if I join you tonight?"
        "Are you willing to keep an open mind?" asked Rose. "Most of our
conversations turn philosophical after a while."
        "Of course," boasted Washu. "All geniuses are willing to learn new
things."
        "Good," said Rose. "Come with me."
        Rose led Washu down the corridor where the guest rooms were to a
small room filled with doorframes. The doorframes were built into the brick
walls of the circular room. Each doorframe had a sign above it, written in
Latin, which told of where it was supposed to lead. Rose took Washu to the
doorframe immediately to their left.
        "Why are there doorways without doors?" asked the scientist. "Why
isn't there anything except a brick wall on the other side?"
        "All of these doorways are actually portals to other areas in the
castle," explained Rose. "There are no stairs to the floors above this one.
So portal-doors were installed to access those parts of William Castle." As
they stepped towards the doorframe, the bricks began to swirl unnaturally. A
mixture of red and ivory light blended together within the space of the
doorway. Rose placed her hands within the nexus of the portal and pushed her
way through. Washu was pulled by her hand into the doorway. She felt a force
like that of a gentle wind pushing in the opposite direction as she walked
through the doorway into a tunnel of soft, white light.
        When Washu exited the tunnel, she noticed that she was surrounded by
rows of bookshelves. Most of the bookshelves were stacked with books of all
kinds. Down the aisle that she was standing in was a shelf filled with
ancient scrolls. The ceiling above her had a painting of a globe. The planet
was apparently Chima. She took note that the planet had nine continents, but
only six had been discovered and named. She looked back down at Rose, who
was seated with Sage Marius at the end of the aisle.
        "Ah, I see you've brought a guest with you tonight," said Marius as
Washu took a seat to his right. They were seated at a round table made of a
hardwood. Their chairs were made of the same lumber, and lined with plush
velvet cushions. The table sat in the middle of the library, and all shelves
in the immense room radiated from there.
        "What is the topic for tonight's vigil, sage?" asked Rose.
        "The topic is P.B. history," Marius answered. "Specifically, we will
talk about the secretive meetings between the Illuminati and the Imperial
Family of Jurai." Washu's eyes began to sparkle with a wild, ravenous thirst
for information. She summoned her holographic laptop, and prepared to take
extenuous notes on the conversation.
        "Ha ha. I knew that would catch your interest," chuckled Marius. He
took the book that Rose had been carrying with her and laid it on the table.
He opened it up to the first page and looked to Washu. "Do you know how to
read Western Chiman?"
        "Yes," answered Washu. "On Earth this language is called Latin. I
studied it while I was there."
        "What the Terrans call Latin actually derived from our language,"
said Marius. "But that is a lesson for another night." He silently cleared
his throat and began to read.

"The Arcanum Intergalaxium. A journal kept by the People of the Light,
documenting the interactions of our people with the fledgling society of
Jurai, from Chiman year P.B. 7781 to P.B. 7765."

“P.B.?” asked Washu.
        “Pro-Bellum,” explained Marius. “This journal was written over
one-hundred-thousand years ago, before the great wars in the eastern and
western hemispheres of Chima tore our world apart.”
        “The current year is Anti-Bellum 10793,” said Roseri.
        Marius turned the page. Sketched on to the page was a picture of a
large castle. Its carapace walls had several watchtowers that lined it. The
castle itself, grand as it was, did not seem to be made of brick or wood,
but an organic substance. This castle had several futuristic elements, which
looked similar to some buildings Rose had seen while watching sci-fi movies
with Liam on Earth. The doors of the palace were not made of any material
that she had ever seen. Its towers were oddly dome shaped. Even its windows
were made of a strange, alien glass. The castle was embedded to a large
tree. In that respect, the palace in the picture and the castle they were
currently in were similar.
        To Washu, this place was not foreign; it was home. “It’s Jurai
Castle,” she breathed. “This is a very accurate illustration of the palace.
To think that your people have documented evidence of Jurai from over one
hundred millennia ago; it’s astounding.”
        Marius turned to a dog-eared page that he had selected. He looked
for the entry that he had been reading that day and began to read aloud.

“The month of Oncen, twenty-fourth day, 7775.
        Today, we spoke to King Ranmaru Jurai of the virtues of charity, and
how it may help the economy of his people. I walked about the grounds of
this grand city, teaching of the beneficial consequences of regularly
contributing to the denizens of his kingdom. ‘For example,’ said I, ‘If you
were to purchase food and clothing from the people of this city, then they
could use the money to produce more, high-quality wares. The greater the
goods the markets have, the more people will want to buy them. Adding a
larger base of consumers to the economy, in turn, will yield a greater
income for the people and, after taxation, you.’
        “We also held a discussion on their culture and beliefs. What we
found shocked and surprised us. Although the majority of the people believe
in the same deities, there is no true religion for them. We were then told
of the legend of the three goddesses, and the great battle that ensued
between them.
        “According to this legend, a greater deity, perhaps our own
Patriarch, sent a trio of lesser spirits to protect the galaxy. Each deity
had its own field of expertise, so to speak. Tsunami was the goddess of
nature. She brought balance and harmony to all natural things in this part
of the universe. She also was the protector of humans and human-like beings.
Tokimi was the goddess of energies and resonance. She controlled the flows
of power, ethereal or otherwise, in the galaxy. The third being was named…”

        “Why did you stop?” asked Rose. Marius looked up from the book and
glanced at Washu. She was busy typing notes on this session, and didn’t
notice that Marius, and now Rose, were staring at her.
        “Um, Washu?” called Rose.
        “Yes?” answered Washu as she looked up from her computer, still
typing.
        “The name given here is yours,” said Marius.
        “Yes, what of it?” asked Washu.
        “Are you a goddess?” the sage replied.
        “No! Don’t be ridiculous. I was just named after her, probably,”
said Washu, defensively. “You’d be surprised how many girls are named
Tsunami on Jurai.”
        “But are there any named Washu?” inquired Rose.
        “…No.” replied the genius, after a long silence.
        “Who named you?” asked Rose.
        “I don’t know.” Washu said.
        “Who are your parents?” the princess queried
        “I don’t know…” said Washu, sadly.
        “You couldn’t have just appeared out of thin air, could you,” said
Marius
        “That is a scientific impossibility,” said Washu.
        “You would know,” the sage responded. “According to this book, Washu
is the goddess of knowledge and wisdom.”
        “That would explain a lot of things,” agreed Washu.
][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][

        Liam was in the royal kitchen, getting a snack. The kitchen was a
big, brick room that looked similar to a kitchen at the fancy restaurants
back in San Francisco. He looked at the pots and pans hanging on the racks
above him and thought of that town. He hated it. He hated the constant abuse
from his peers. He hated the ignorance of his foster parents. He hated the
loneliness and ostracism that he had to endure for fifteen years of his
life.
        He hated thinking about it on an empty stomach.
        Liam walked to one of the long, wooden tables in the middle of the
kitchen and prepared himself a sandwich. As he added some thick slices of
ham to his midnight snack, he heard a series of light footsteps against the
marble floor of the kitchen. A dark figure went to the large metal freezer
in the back of the room and pulled out a big rack of lamb. He set it on the
counter and went to look in the cabinets for bread.
        “Where’s the bread?” a familiar voice asked.
        “Third cupboard to your left, behind the oregano,” answered Liam.
        The figure grabbed the bread and walked over to where Liam stood,
slicing tomatoes to put in his sandwich. When the soft light of the
chandelier above then hit his face, Liam could see that the figure was
Tenchi, in a tee shirt and boxers.
        “Thanks,” said Tenchi. “What’re you doing up so late?”
        “Bad dream,” answered Liam. “Two ghosts fighting each other, then
this shadow came. It looked like the Calgio. The shadow was all like, ‘I’m
doin’ this for you,’ and it ate the ghosts. And Washu. I jus’ couldn’t sleep
after that, so I’m makin’ me a san’wich.”
        “You too?” asked Tenchi.
        “Yep,” said Liam.
        “I had the same dream. I couldn’t sleep either. I stopped by Washu’s
room to see if maybe she could interpret the dream or something, but she
wasn’t there. I looked into Sasami’s room too. She had the dream also. I
don’t think it’s a coincidence.”
        Liam had just finished making his sandwich. He had eaten half of it
by the time Tenchi had told him about the dream. “Was Manji there?” Liam
asked, with a mouth full of bread, ham, tomato, and lettuce.
        “Yeah,” answered the Juraian Prince. “He was trying to sing Sasami
back to sleep. Ha-ha. He’s trying so hard to be a good guardian for Sasami.
I wonder if he has a crush on her.”
        “I doubt it,” Liam responded. “Manji is kinda naïve. He’s probably
just trying to show her that he’s a friend. He tries so hard to be
everyone’s friend, or little brother. It’s all that keeps him going; that
and fighting. He misses his family so much. That’s why I can kinda empathize
with him. He only wants someone who he knows will always be there. He thinks
it’s me but… I got my own problems to worry about. I gotta deal with demons,
and honor, and bein’ a prince. It sucks. All I really wanted was a real
family, and instead, I get a headache the size of Topeka. All because I ran
away from home and…
        “I’m ranting again, aren’t I?” asked Liam. “I’m sorry. I just needed
to vent, y’know? I don’t wanna bother you with my sob story.”
        “No, no,” said Tenchi. “I just wanna know why you ran away from
home.”
        “I, I needed to get away. This Japanese-American couple, Yuriko and
Akira Satoshi, found me. They raised me and took care of me, but they never
told me they loved me. Not once. I guess I was just their li’l tax write
off. Anyway, at school, the kids were mean, real mean. Anyone that didn’t
fit into one of their little cliques was an outcast. They treated me as
though I didn’t exist. And if they found proof of my existence, they would
beat me until they felt as though I didn’t exist anymore. Plus, my so-called
parents found out two years ago that I suffer from depression. Then they
started paying attention to me-- they treated me like I was a diseased child
and stayed away from me. We wouldn’t even eat together anymore. I couldn’t
take it. I either had to run away, or slit my throat. I was afraid of death,
so…”
        “You ran,” said Tenchi.
        “Yeah. All I really needed was one good friend that would understand
me. When I ended up in Chima, I gained several. But many of the people who
call me friend now do so because I’m a prince, or because I’m the Great
Knight of Draconus. I hate it.” Liam looked at Tenchi with a pain in his
heart. “Then I found Nick, and lost him before I even got a chance to know
him. Aricelli said that he was just like me. I woulda liked to have known
him. Or at least have had one decent conversation with him where we didn’t
end up at each other’s throats.”
        “I’m really sorry,” said Tenchi, as Liam began to cry, softly. “I
think I know how you must feel. You lost someone before you really got to
know them. I lost my mom when I was very young.” (Of course, I didn’t kill
my mom, Tenchi thought.) “Then, after I released Ryoko, all of these alien
women started living in my house. I thought it was a gift from my mom, so
that I wouldn’t be lonely. But, I know that Mom would never send me anything
that could destroy my home, or my planet, or me for that matter. I feel so
alone, even though I got all of these beautiful girls under the same roof. I
just want a friend or someone who cares.”
        “Yeah,” said Liam. “It’s kinda like that.” Liam then looked at
Tenchi sideways for a minute as he finished off his lamb sandwich. “Would
you be my brother?”
        “Huh?” said Tenchi, who thought he didn’t hear him right.
        “Would you be my brother?” asked Liam. “I know you can’t replace
Nick, and I’m not asking you to. But I need someone who understands me. Me,
Liam. Not Prince Liam, or Liam the Knight. I need a real friend.”
        “What about the Saga?” asked Tenchi.
        “I love those guys,” said Liam. “But they don’t really understand
what I’ve been through. People on Chima are treated more equally than they
are on Earth. You’ve been through the ‘big popularity contest.’ You can,
like, empathize.”
        Tenchi looked at Liam for a while. Earlier today he was so jovial
and active. Was it all just a ruse put on by Liam so that no one could see
the pain and angst within him? Why did he hold all these things back for so
long? Was it fear? Bashfulness? Whatever it was, Tenchi knew that it was not
healthy for Liam to hold it all inside like that. He leaned closer to Liam
and placed a hand on his shoulder. “I would be happy to be your brother,
Onii-chan.”
        “Domo arigato gozimasu, Onii-san,” said Liam.
        Unbeknownst to them, Ryoko had stepped into the kitchen to fix
herself a snack. She saw the entire scene while munching on a leg of
cockatrice, a giant chicken. As she gazed on, she faintly remembered the
conversation she had with the golem, Pierce. She wondered whether Chimans
naturally have the ability to open people’s hearts as she looked at Liam and
Tenchi talking about their sordid pasts. Hoping none of the other Saga
members spoke to her of feelings or her past, she teleported back to her
room.
][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][

        “So if I’m a goddess,” asked Washu, “how come I don’t remember
anything about it?”
        “I believe that we may find the answers in this book,” said Marius.
“But this revelation is not the reason I chose this book. That comes a
little later.” Marius once again read from the journal, this time picking up
from the next paragraph.

        “The goddess Tokimi, had recently discovered a new type of energy
that had come from another dimension. This great power was that of space
itself. Anyone possessing this power could bend the very planes of sub-space
to their will, allowing them to produce up to twelve small planes of energy.
These planes, which were called Light Hawk Wings, could be shaped into any
type of matter known. They could also be used as an offensive or defensive
force, depending on the personality of the one using them. She shared this
power with her sister, Tsunami, believing that it may help her protect her
people better.
        “Tokimi and her sisters began experimenting with this new found
power. Tokimi, in particular, enjoyed this power so much that she started
craving more. She would travel to other galaxies, seeking out energies and
devouring them. She depleted whole worlds of their life force, causing them
to die.
       “Tsunami and Washu saw the carnage that their sister had committed
and confronted her. A terrible battle ensued that shook the entire galaxy to
its core. When the battle finished, Tokimi was sent into another dimension,
and stripped of much of her power. The goddess Washu, however, disappeared
from all existence. Tsunami had taken Tokimi’s powers and abilities and went
to Jurai. There, she implanted her power into a tree. This tree still stands
in the royal arboretum.
       “It breaks my heart to think that this beautiful planet was once in
danger of being stripped of its life force. It is good that our ancestors
had come to this world several thousand years ago and planted those trees.
We have simply come to observe and aid the progress of this great empire. We
know that Tsunami, at the very least, is a real entity. She has come and
imbued our own tree, from which the Royal Trees were spawned, with the power
of the Light Hawk. The radiation of the energies in the tree has given the
residential family of Arborous Castle, the DuBarres, with incredible psionic
traits. We are very proud of this accomplishment, as I am, for I am a
DuBarre.”

       “So that’s how Liam’s family gained their powers,” gasped Washu. “And
that’s probably why I couldn’t find this planet. It was coated by a Light
Hawk Wing.”
       “Yes,” said Marius. “This journal continues to say that Tsunami gave
us the Light Hawk Wing in thanks for giving her suitable items of storage
for the power. She had feared that if she herself kept it, the power would
corrupt her as it did Tokimi.”
       “Do you realize the ramifications of what would happen if this
information were to fall in the wrong hands?” asked Rose.
       “Chaos would reign throughout Jurai, and the person who has this
knowledge would be able to control the empire,” said Marius.
       “If they could play their cards right.” Said Washu. “Later, I’m going
to have to corner Sasami and force my sister to talk about my past.”
       “Believe it or not,” said Marius, “it gets more complex. Let us read
on.” He flipped to another dog-eared page and proceeded to dictate for the
ladies who sat with him.

       “The month of Trion, the tenth day, 7765.
       “My wife has become ill. My beloved Rinako is dying of a fatal,
cancerous disease. The doctors of Jurai have told us that they can do no
more for her. I was such a fool. Why did I marry a Juraian? I know that it
is a foolish question, but so much has went wrong since I have met her. Our
child was born deformed. My son, Calgio, is an albino, which is very rare in
humanoid beings. His skin is as pale as our world’s second moon, and his
eyes are as yellow as a cat. Even his hair is devoid of color. His teeth are
shaped like the fangs of a hellish beast. I love my child, but his
appearance has earned him the name Kagato, which, I am told, means ‘man of
darkness.’ They see him as a demon. It is despicable.
       “What is worse is that I cannot bring Rinako or Calgio home with me.
The Juraian king will not allow any citizen of Jurai to leave his realm with
out-worlders. I would want my son to know of both of his heritages. So I
have produced a copy of this book, and given it to his mother. She has
promised that this journal will be given to him when he is of age. Then he
can accept the truth and his birthright. However, the oracle has foreseen
his future; it is not a peaceful one.
       “He shall become a violent man, believing that since we have taught
the Jurai family how to control the power within the trees and themselves,
that Chimans should rule this empire. He will use deadly puppets to destroy
the imperial government. Only when a Chiman and a Juraian join forces shall
he be stopped.
       “I was also warned to write several instructions in this journal as a
closing. Therefore, to whomever reads this chronicle: Beware of when the ten
demons arise by the hands of the Shadow. Know their names and what they
represent. Your worst enemies must become your closest allies in order to
succeed. Above all, the wings of an eagle are nothing compared to those of
an angel. Acquire these and victory shall be yours.
        “Moreover, the coming battle runs deeper than you could ever
imagine. Your power is proportionate to your faith. Take care. Three enter
the fight, taking place in three realms, and only two shall emerge
victorious.”

        “Kagato,” said Washu, monotone. “He’s back. No.”
        “Worse than that,” said Rose, “he is of Chiman decent. A member of
the DuBarre family, no less. This is dreadful. Liam will be devastated to
fight another family member.”
        “We must tell the others about this,” said Washu, almost in a panic.
“Wait.” She rises out of her seat and paces in front of the two magi. “This
would explain the dream I had before I came here. I think the deeper battle
is between Tsunami and Tokimi.”
        “If so,” said Marius, “then why is the shadow swallowing the two
deities?”
        “How did you know of the dream?” asked Rose.
        “This vision occurred to me last night,” the sage explained. “What
of yourself?”
        “I had the dream while I was unconscious in the meadow two days
ago.”
        “This can’t be a coincidence,” Washu thought out loud. “If we all
had the same dream then…”
        “I have little doubt in my mind that Liam and Tenchi have had the
same dream,” said Rose. “Tomorrow we must tell the others of what we have
learned. But will the Illuminati approve?”
        “We have,” said Marius. “You may tell them of everything that you
have learned this night. We shall be there tomorrow to assist you in
informing the Jurai royal family. I believe they shall take this news the
hardest.”
        “Why do you need the Illuminati’s permission to tell us something
that is necessary for us to hear?” inquired Washu.
        “The Illuminati are not just a council of sorcerers,” explained
Marius, “We are also the historians for the western world. There are some
pieces of historical information that the people are not ready to receive.
We withhold that datum from the people until we believe that they are ready
to hear more of the truth. We do not supply them with lies, as the Earth
governments do. Rather, we simply tell the people that they cannot know this
or that at the time. This information has been declassified for the Saga and
Juraian family only.”
        “Then, in the morning, we’ll tell them about our enemy, and try to
formulate a plan,” said Washu. Marius and Rose got up and walked to the
portal-door back down to the second floor where the guest rooms were. They
looked back to see the diminutive scientist and goddess typing on her
holo-computer. She looked up from her reverie and looked to the two magi.
“Oh, don’t worry about me,” she said, absently, “I’ll be all right. I’m just
gonna stay in here for a while, do some reading.” With a shrug, Rose and her
mentor left Washu to her own devices. When she heard the familiar whooshing
sound of the portal-door, Washu released her true frustration. “Why did you
have to come back, Kagato?” she said. “First you haunt my dreams, then you
ruin my daughter’s life. Now, you want to destroy three worlds. Why, you
heartless hell spawn? Why?”
][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][

        The next morning was dismal. It was raining, so the local open
market, which occurred every week in autumn, was postponed for the next day.
Within William Castle, Tenchi and the others had sat down in a spacious,
eloquent dining area for breakfast. Sasami and Manji were the last ones to
sit at the long dining table. He pulled a seat out from under the table for
the little princess and seated her. Aeka and her parents looked at this
display with curiosity. Why was Manji acting so nice? He was only supposed
to be Sasami’s guardian, not her chaperone.
        “Wow,” said Tenchi, who sensed that the Jurai family didn’t like
that display of courteousness, “this is the first time in over a year that
we’ve eaten a breakfast cooked by anyone other than Sasami. I wonder what it
will taste like?”
        “It’ll taste like food, duh,” joked West. The young gremlin was
wearing a silver collar around his short neck. The center of the collar had
a jewel that looked like an amethyst set into it. The gem had a strange
golden mark on it. West sat on Liam’s right shoulder. “Seriously, it should
be good. We got the best cooks in Erosia.”
        “Yeah,” said Mihoshi, “but they don’t have Sasami.” The other
out-worlders nodded their agreement.
        “Do you really rely on a little girl to feed you?” asked Malcolm,
who sat with the Chimans on the other side of the table.
        “But I like to cook for them,” said Sasami, defensively.
        “Pitiful,” was all Malcolm could say.
        The servants arrived with trays of food covered under silver lids.
They laid the array of dishes in front of the two groups of aliens and
lifted the lids. Before them were revealed a cornucopia of hams, cheeses,
breads, breakfast soups and drinks. The Chimans bowed their heads to give
thanks for the meal. This time, so as not to be seen as rude, Tenchi, Washu,
Ryoko, Aeka, Yosho and Mihoshi bowed with them. Azusa and his wives just
stared at them in curiosity.
        “Amen,” said the group as they opened their eyes and began to
partake of the meal.
        “Why did you pray with them?” asked Funaho to Tenchi’s group. “They
have different beliefs than us.”
        “The last time we ate with them,” Ryoko explained, “we were put to
sleep by some plant Manji put in the soup. Who knows what the cooks may have
put in this stuff?” All eyes then turned to Sasami, as she took a small bite
out of the ham. The young princess then ate some of the soup and bread. She
looked up from the meal and said, “This soup needs a little less salt,
otherwise it’s great!” The Juraians gave a collective sigh as they too began
to eat. Malcolm shook his head in disgust.
        As they ate, a young woman entered into the dining area. She wore a
long, white robe with a coat of arms on each of its sleeves. The coat of
arms was a yellow cross on a blue shield. In the upper left and lower right
corners of the shield were sun symbols; while in the remaining corners were
wing emblems. Two angels in tunics held the shield, and behind the shield
was a red dragon. A simple banner was in front of the shield, with the words
“Scientia, Veritas, Fidei et Lux” inscribed on it. The woman herself looked
like an adult version of Rose, with long, blonde hair and soft green eyes.
She looked on Tenchi as he ate and walked behind him.
        “Good morning to you all,” said the woman, who was clearly a mage.
“I take it that you are enjoying your breakfast?”
        “Yes, Sage Gwynneth,” answered Liam. “What brings you here?”
        “I wish to speak with you all after you have finished with your
meal,” Gwennyth replied.
        Azusa looked to the mage and asked, “What do you need to speak with
us about?”
        “The past, and how it will effect the coming battles with
Beelzebub,” she answered. “And Kagato.”
        Everyone stopped eating. Liam then remembered West implanting
knowledge about the evil Kagato, and how Tenchi had defeated him. “I could
be wrong,” he said, “but that guy is as dead as my sense of humor. Tenchi
killed him.”
        “He has returned. Do you not remember seeing his face when you cut
his arm?” asked Gwynneth. Liam thought back on the events that occurred
three days ago. Everything that happened when he unwittingly used his Chaos
skill was a blur. He saw the face of Calgio. His skin was pale and pasty.
His eyes were yellow and cold. They looked like the eyes of the shadow in
his dream. His hair was gray and wavy. No, it couldn’t have been.
        “That was Kagato,” said Liam, almost as though he was hypnotized.
        “Over one hundred thousand years ago,” said Gwynneth, “the
Illuminati came to Jurai and planted some trees. Tsunami then came to Jurai
after a fierce confrontation with her sister, Tokimi. She saw that the trees
we had planted were suitable objects to store the power that she had taken
from her sister. She implanted each tree with some of the power and let
herself reside in one of the trees, so that she could tend to their growth.
Those trees came from _this_ tree, which we currently are in. The Juraians
had found the power but lacked the ability to use it. So, the next
generation of Illuminati came to teach them how to harness the ethereal
power.
        “During that time, a mage who came with them had fallen in love with
a Juraian. We were able to identify the mage as Alexander DuBarre. He and
the Juraian woman had a child, which they named Calgio. The boy was born an
albino, and because of his demonic appearance, the natives there called him
Kagato. Alexander had to leave Jurai, and he could not take his wife or
child with him back to Chima. He left the woman with a copy of the journal
he kept, which revealed all of the secrets of Chima and Jurai that were
taught to the king at that time. He made her promise that she would give him
the book only when she believed that he was ready to know of his heritage.
It seems as though Kagato found the book before it was time, and devoted
everything to finding the secrets of the universe as taught by the Chimans.”
        “Why?” asked Flint.
        “He believed that since the Chimans had the power and the trees came
from here, that we deserved to rule the Juraian empire, with him as
emperor.”
        “Why can’t Kagato stay dead?” asked Tenchi, outraged.
        “Why do all of the evil, undead guys come from my family?” asked
Liam, who was almost sobbing into his soup.
        “If the trees came from Chima,” said Aeka, “does this mean that we
have been living a lie? Am I simply a poseur princess?” She turned to her
father, in the hopes that he would know what to make of this situation. She
hoped that he would tell her that everything that the mage had said was a
lie. Even he lied to her and said that, she would have preferred that to the
reaction she was getting.
        Azusa stared at his plate, wanting desperately to defer the blame on
someone, anyone. He wanted to blame Liam, for being born into a family of
evil megalomaniacs, but that wouldn’t have made any sense. Liam could not
choose to whom he was born. He wanted to blame Tenchi, as he usually did,
for not making certain that the madman was dead. He could not. For all
Tenchi knew, Kagato was dead, and had found a way back. He looked to his
daughter and said, “I’m sorry that I did not tell you of how we gained our
power.”
        “I guess,” said Liam, “that now would be as good a time as any to
choose my guardian. Manji, gimme the gauntlets.” Manji removed the gauntlets
that held his weapons, the Claws of Fenrir, and gave them to Liam. “You have
a spare set of claws, right?”
        “Yes,” said Manji. I had the weapon smith coat them in Demonium
yesterday, after the battle. They should be ready in an hour.”
        “Good,” said Liam. “Kagato is from my family, so his death is my
responsibility. I will destroy him, and I’m gonna need all the back up I can
get. So…” Liam pointed the gauntlets in the direction of the Juraians,
“who’s gonna be my new guardian?”
][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][

NEXT TIME: Liam finds his newest guardian: Aeka! Training begins for the
upcoming battle with Beelzebub and Kagato. The Illuminati reveal the secrets
of magic and the Chaos skills. Are the Chaos skills the secret to Tenchi’s
control of the Light Hawk Wings? How will Liam’s relation to Kagato affect
him and his budding friendship with Tenchi? What is magic, really? Find out
in “Beelzebub: Lord of the Flies – Chapter Seven: No Need For The Arcane! Or
Magical Boy Handsome Tenchi!”

A/N: As if none of you knew that Calgio was Kagato! It took me over two
weeks to get this set up right and yet… As you can see, I’m not very good at
conspiracy and timing in stories. But one cannot get better unless they
practice. Give me some feedback at enigma@iamdstudents.com or
semi-great_enigma@37.com. Ja ne!
                                -Enigma.