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      Chap 3 - A Return to Familiar
      ============================================


      "Tenchi!  Get dressed!  Quickly!" commanded Katsuhito.  The door
slammed shut at the end of his comments.

      "Umm..."  Tenchi was still in bed, it was still rather dark
outside but the first hints of sun were starting to approach the
upcoming day.  Tenchi could hear the birds as they chirped at their
view of the morning.

      Tenchi managed to get himself quickly out of bed and threw on
some clothes from a couple of days ago.  Putting his socks on, his
inpatient grandfather re-opened his door.

      "Tenchi, meet me downstairs," were his orders.  The grave look on
his face meant he was indeed in serious trouble, thought Tenchi.

      "What this all about?"  asked a puzzled Tenchi.  Instead of
answering his question, his grandfather closed the door again and
marched himself downstairs.

      Tenchi quickly finished up, quietly tiptoeing by the girls' rooms
as he followed his grandfather out of the house toward the shrine.

      Still early, the morning fog had not left the hills of the Masaki
residence.  Tenchi could see the footprints his grandfather had made in
the grass.  A bit of cold from the moisture and rain from last night.
He reached the top of the shrine stairs where his grandfather waited
for him.

      "You know of the Masaki legend." started Katsuhito as they walked
into the shrine.  "About an ancient warrior fighting a wicked demon and
imprisoning it in that cave."  He stopped and continued his speech.
"When you took my keys..."

      "Umm..."  Tenchi gulped at the accusation.  Boy, he was in hot
water now.  But how come his grandfather had mentioned something that
had happened over a year ago.  Why now?

      "You didn't find anything, did you."  They were now in the shrine
office where grandfather was going through one of his drawers.  Tenchi
nodded to his question had grandfather pulled out a familiar set of
keys.

      "I've always had a strange feeling about that place; that I was
safe there for some reason..."  Tenchi stopped his train of thought as
they exited the shrine and walked quickly in silence toward the cave.

      The entrance of the shine cave door was wide open, from plain
view it looked like someone had literally ripped the iron gate off its
hinges.  A few large boulders had fallen over the mouth of the cave,
making it far from accessible.

      Katsuhito stooped near the ground.  "Hmmm..." he whispered, as he
sifted through the sediment near the cave opening.  "It seems we've had
company very recently."  The rain from the night had not been able to
wash most the recent sediment away.

      He stood up and faced the entrance.  It was going to be a very
difficult day, a day he thought that would never come in his lifetime.
His life had been unexpectedly long.  Today, his secrets would be
finally revealed.  First, he would explain as much background as there
was to Tenchi as he retrieved his sword.  Sneaking out of the house so
early with his grandson would also easily alert Ayeka, she would soon
as be here as well.

      Reaching out with his right hand, Yosho seemed to be grasping
right out of thin air.  "Tenchi-ken," he whispered.  And long ago power
finally answered his plea.

      The cave shook with as if it was under attack from within.  Rocks
and pebbles bounced from the ground, dust unsettled and formed small
clouds.  A soft, blue light was now emitting from the cavern,
illuminating the local landscape.  It soon heightened and engulfed
Katsuhito in a bathe of radiance and power.

      A sliver of blue, like a rod of energy emerged first; then the
handle of the fine sword, made of dried bark and wood.  Coming
vertically, it turned midair, until it silently landed horizontally in
Katsuhito's outstretched hand.  The energy that made up the blade
disengaged, and Katsuhito lowered the weapon.

      "What is going on?"  Tenchi asked.

      "Tenchi, it has been a long time since I've had to retrieve this
sword."  He had stayed at the shine last night, it was through Funaho
that Yosho had learned that Ryoko had escaped and been to Masaki
household last night.  He turned and faced away from troubled grandson.
"I heard a strange woman came to visit you last night." he asked in a
higher pitched voice.

      Figures, Tenchi thought, that he would hear about that already.
"Who is she?"

      "Her name is Ryoko.  Seven hundred years ago I took her powers
away and locked her in this cave.  With this sword I maintained her
entrapment as to a key stick in a door.  But last night, a greater evil
was able to nudge Tenchi-ken out of the keyhole, freeing her."

      Tenchi couldn't believe his ears.  He started to piece
Katsuhito's words together with the local legends and the stories that
Ayeka had told him.  He quickly came to a defining conclusion.

      "You're Yosho, aren't you."  Katsuhito continued to face away
from Tenchi, nodding in agreement.

      Tenchi continued this line of questioning.  "Then why hide from
Ayeka, you know it means to so much to her.  Why, instead of trouncing
out here day and night at the shrine."

      It was the very first time Tenchi had ever lashed out at his
elder, his grandfather.  He had joined Ayeka on her search quite a
while ago, he had shared in practice their failures in their search for
Yosho with his grandfather.  Meanwhile, Katsuhito had continued to
avoid Ayeka and the rest of the girls, like they had never came.

      Tenchi's love for Ayeka only made Yosho's confession that much
harder.  He carefully considered the ramifications of his grandfather's
past life.  He *lied* to me, for months.  But if I would of known that
Ayeka was so directly related to *me*, I might never have fallen for
her in the first place.

      "I knew this day would come." answered Yosho after quite a long
time.  "I just never thought these circumstances would dictate a
revealing of my past."  He paused again and continued, still facing
away from Tenchi.  "A power feud had started between myself and Ayeka
for succession of the Jurai Royal throne.  Ayeka wanted to share royal
power with me, but I wanted nothing to do with the ruling party.  So I
purposely chased Ryoko across the galaxy to this world.  I was able to
imprison her on this planet, the former home of my mother.  In the
process of battle, I let Ryoko's counterattacks removed any trace of my
path here and my existence.  After imprisoning the pirate, I decided to
stay and not return to the royal duties of Jurai."

      "Yosho..." scolded Tenchi, but quietly.  "She loved you, didn't
she."

      "Yes, I did not know.  But now you know the circumstances that
caused me to leave Ayeka's life.  But I couldn't face them again, even
when they were here, so close.  Even after 700 years."

Tenchi was trying to get the bottom of the issue, but had heard
enough to satisfy him for now.  "So, then what do we do?" asked Yosho's
grandson.

      "It is my duty, and yours as well, to find out who released Ryoko
from her slumber.  By my son's fanciful story last night, Ryoko's
entrapment seems to have changed her from what I remember, for I do not
know why.  It is important that we find her, she can be very dangerous
if unchecked."

      "My duty?" questioned Tenchi.

      "Yes, Tenchi!  You are the successor to the first crown prince of
Jurai.  Even thought you are only part Jurdain, you are still of royal
blood."



      Ryoko, still in a daze from the last day's events, could not
sleep until the rays of light had filtered down into the inner depths
of her sanctum.   She had set off a couple of floating energy balls
with her emergency energy, giving the cave some much needed
nightlights.

      This time, being her physical body, she realized how much this
place had seemed like home for the last year.  She thought about her
previous life in the Masaki household with Tenchi, Ayeka, Sasami, and
the rest of the group.  That history started to feel like a fine-woven
story, a place she had never visited.  Instead, her place of pain was
still going on, trapped in a place and time that seemed out of sync,
one where Tenchi had fallen in love with Ayeka, one where mortal
enemies still existed, one where her friends weren't with her, one
where Washu; her mom was not even part of her life.

      The other history that she knew was the last 700 years being
locked in this cave.  But that also didn't feel right anymore, even
though it was a past that happened, it was more distant than from a
year of two ago.  It was this last single year, trapped in isolation
with her alternate memories of Tenchi that had to be the strongest of
all.

      An unusual blue glow from the mouth of the cave interrupted her
deep thoughts.  She recognized the energy of Jurai and in slightly
better spirits she flew out of the cave in curiosity.

      Floating swiftly out of the cave and landing a few feet from the
entrance, Ryoko stared down at her visitors.  There stood Yosho, with
Tenchi closely behind him.

      "Ah," answered Yosho, "You have previously been set free.  I
see."  Yosho paused and turned around.  "You've already met my
grandson, Tenchi."

      Ryoko blushed at Yosho's comments but didn't say a word.  With
her mind tired and her body with little energy, there was no reason to
argue, no compelling to fight any longer.  Instead, she just stood
there with her head down, arms hanging at her side, in a rather
defeated position.

      "Come with us, Ryoko." asked Yosho.

      She didn't have to be convinced otherwise.  "Why not."  And
without looking into Tenchi's eyes.  Ryoko quietly followed Yosho and
his grandson back to the shrine office.



      The three of them came around from the back of the shrine in the
front patio.  Yosho was leading the group, with Tenchi and Ryoko
scuffling behind.  Waiting for them was an impatient Ayeka with the two
Jurdain guardians.  She was very upset about being left out of their
morning plans.

      "What you doing...with that woman, Tenchi!" shot Ayeka as they
approached her direction.  "I want an answer-"

      "Ayeka!" interrupted Yosho, clearly distressed from the
situation.  In his hand, he held up Tenchi-ken for Ayeka to see.  The
gleam from the three jewels from the bottom of the hilt reflected off
the sunlight into the eyes of Ayeka.

      That sword!  Ayeka recognized it immediately as Yosho's sword and
put the pieces together rather quickly.

      "Yosho!"  stuttered Ayeka, followed by stunned silence.  Once,
she might have run up to her brother and hugged him.  But not this
brother, the person that had hidden himself from her in the last year.
Shocked, she no longer knew what to do.

      "Ayeka," injected her brother, grabbing hold of the situation.
"Come join me for tea." commanded Yosho.  He led her up the steps into
his private office.

      "Yes, brother."  Following orders were her only option.  So Ayeka
slowly followed her living relative into his office.

      The guardians popped in close to Ayeka again.  "Yes, princess
Ayeka?" they asked.

      "Go home.  Now!" she commanded.  They quickly disappeared as the
princess entered the shrine.

      Yosho came back to the screen and began to slide the door closed.
However he stopped halfway, paused, and directed his grandson once
again.

      "Tenchi, come here." ordered Yosho.

      "Yes..." was the answer from Tenchi as he ran up the steps to his
grandfather, his head look up.

      Yosho pulled out Tenchi-ken from his hand and placed it into
Tenchi's grip while giving Ryoko a glaring look.  "She doesn't go
anywhere, Tenchi.  Make sure."

      Tenchi nervously took hold of the ancient weapon.  "Uh...I don't
know how to use this!  What if she decides to...ah, blast me!"  gulped
Tenchi.

      "You will know what to do."  snapped back his grandfather.
Tenchi was about to ask another question, but Yosho swiftly slid the
screen door closed.



Yosho could not have imagined this day had finally arrived on his
doorstep.  In the years as he disguised his identity by becoming a
Shinto priest in Earth's past, he had never been discovered.  He once
did imagine that one day his sister would come to his doorstep, but
that was back, oh, five or six hundred years ago.  How surprised he was
to find out that the gems had given his tree Funaho as well as himself
virtual immortality.  Now, seven hundred years later, time was up.
Today, he had to face the truth.

Sitting down with Ayeka across the table was for once a familiar
sight.  She had been here a year, and Yosho had managed with much
difficulty to avoid a direct confrontation.  But now with Ryoko loose
and Ayeka in contact recently with Jurai, he could no longer afford to
dodge her questions.

      Rather royal but to a purpose, Ayeka waited for her brother to
start.  "Some tea, Ayeka?" Yosho asked.

      "Yes, I would." commented Ayeka, sitting and alert, patiently
awaiting every word.

      Pouring a cup for Ayeka and himself, he finally started his
story, a tale that began seven hundred years ago.



      Now what, thought Tenchi.  This was really turning into quite a
day.  He was curious what Ayeka and his grandfather were speaking
about, but he also knew of his new duties.  He stepped down the office
steps and approached his new detainee who was sitting on the far wall,
almost sleeping with her head down.

      "Ryoko..."  That's her, remembered Tenchi.  The soft cyan hair
spikes gave his mind a familiar feel.  Even though he couldn't see
enough of her face, it was enough to spark the memories of last night.

      It was as we were matched set had been brought together, thought
Tenchi.  More than curious, he walked closer to Ryoko and lowered his
guard.  He just couldn't get her out of his mind.  Tenchi felt his
bottom lip warm as he rested his fingers over his chin.

      It was that moment, that point, he lost his self control.  The
soul of that...kiss...was still stuck in his inner body, shaking his
mortal core.  And it felt natural and eternal.  And before he was aware
of his actions, he had lightly spoken.

      "That kiss, I can't believe it, so wonderful..." spoke Tenchi,
under his breath.  He almost didn't realize it, not that his mind had
told him to say such words, but that his ears had heard it.

      Ryoko, still in her daze, nearly missed Tenchi's words of
expression.  But ever her super hearing skills could not fully
understand and string Tenchi soothing voice into a meaningful phase.
The only part Ryoko heard clearly was "kiss".  And with the slimmest of
hopes and prayers with the great chance of fear, Ryoko brought her head
up and looked into Tenchi's eyes.

      Those eyes are matched with the soul that doesn't know me,
remembered Ryoko.  But it did matter to her, because Ryoko's breathing
became caught in her mouth so quickly that she nearly starved herself
of oxygen.  The look Tenchi gave her meant the whole world as it sent
major chills down her spine.

      In this time, he doesn't even know me.  He does even know how I
feel about him.  Then how can he look into my eyes is such a way.  She
knew her own cheeks were really starting to blush, but alas there was
nothing she could do.  For Ryoko knew Tenchi very well indeed.

      "Tenchi..." Ryoko spoke, almost near tears.  The strain of the
last twenty-four hours had been too much on her.  Every time I have
such thoughts, Ryoko remembered, they come back to haunt me.  What do I
have else to try?

      Tenchi, hearing his name from Ryoko's lips began to feel the
spell of something in the air.  He took another step closer.  His
actions in the last minute had been not from his mind, but from his
soul.  He was hoping for more enchantment.

      But reason once more filled his heart, his mind taking control of
his body once again.  He quickly wiped away the spell that Ryoko had
set and protected himself once again.

      Taking out Tenchi-ken with his hands clammy, the master key
immediately burnished itself as a sword of energy.  Ryoko, looking down
at the tip of Tenchi's blade, composed herself quickly but said
nothing.

      "Ryoko," asked Tenchi, rather forcefully.  "What is going on?"
Looking into her eyes, Tenchi couldn't understand why he had questioned
her in such a manner.  Either way, he was taking control of the
situation.

      Ryoko looked again into his eyes, and at last spoke.  "Tenchi, I
have known you for several years now.  I have lived here with you once
before."  Rather shocked from her answer, the master key almost fell
out of Tenchi's hands.  But he quickly grasped his feelings and
reaffirmed his question by bringing the blue blade closer the Ryoko's
face.

      "I love her."  stammered Tenchi.  "What's why.  Ayeka had given
me completeness."  Tenchi knew that with Ayeka around, he had become a
stronger person.  The choice of falling and not falling for her took
almost a year, but it had finally happened.  The coupling of the two of
them had given Tenchi a new perspective, and perhaps a bit more than a
little backbone.

      Tenchi brought the sword that much closer to Ryoko's neck.  She
did not flinch.  "What makes you think differently?" asked Tenchi.  The
blue energy of the sword was so close the Ryoko's face that Tenchi
could see the energy reflection in Ryoko's red-lined eyes.

      After a moment of looking up into space, Ryoko answered.  "This
time, in this existence, fate seems to deal me cards that I don't
understand.  Instead of you releasing me from my slumber, it was-"
Thoughts of her former impounder swept through her mind in a flash,
only in be answered right away.

      "Me." answered the green-ball energy from the sky, now descending
and touching the Earth.  Ryoko just looked up in horror to see the form
of Kagato emerge from his traveling ball and land safety onto the close
side of the shrine courtyard.

      Very much alive and alert, Kagato proceeded to throw a few energy
shots in their direction, but they aimlessly missed and faded away
quietly into the ground.

      "Kagato!!  You fool!!!"  Ryoko got up off the wall, flying into
the air.

      "Nice to see you up and about, Ryoko!"

      "Tenchi!  Stay away from him!" yelled Ryoko.  She tried powering
up as much as she could, but without any jewels, it was a useless fight
for her.

      "What do you want!" demanded Tenchi.  He flashed the master key
in Kagato's direction and gritted his teeth, all ready for battle.

      "So tell me boy, do you know that Master key has all three gems
on it.  I see..."  explained Kagato as he hurled a few more shots in
Tenchi's direction.

      "Please Tenchi, let's run.  You can't fight him now."  Ryoko was
scared that Tenchi was not ready to fight Kagato, even if her Tenchi
had defeated him once before.  But she was powerless to stop him.

      "Aaarrr..." was the charge of Tenchi as he ran toward his target
Kagato, swinging and widely missing his figure a few times.  Kagato
lighted his sword ablaze and struck at Tenchi rather quickly and
violently, striking his form to the ground, unconscious.  The master
key, now off, dropped harmlessly out of Tenchi's grasp and landed quite
close to Kagato.

      "Tenchi!" cried Ryoko, she ran to Tenchi's side as he lay
sprawled on the ground.  But she had to stop the when a blast from
Kagato shook at her feet, keeping her away from her goal.

      "I see you care about this boy, Ryoko.  And you've only known him
for a day.  How wonderful it is for him to follow you around like a
lost puppy."  Kagato's eyes were however distracted at the Master Key
on the ground.  His plan had been to attack the boy and Ryoko and grab
the key before Yosho came out and defended the group.   Yes, he could
stand up to Yosho, but he didn't want a confrontation.  Instead, this
quick attack had gone exactly to plan.  The Master key await at his
feet, ready for his embracing.

      Ryoko, still a few yards from Kagato, spoke up.  "You know, your
little sneak-up didn't work exactly like you wanted it to." explained
Ryoko.  "I know you can't touch the Master key."  Even thought it was a
bold-faced lie, Ryoko was hoping Kagato wouldn't forget the terrible
pain from just a day ago.  Now, to lie was her only chance to avoid
Kagato's grip of the master key and Jurdain power.

      Kagato felt the sting of Ryoko's words in his newly formed left
hand.  The key, glistening in the sunlight, was his, ready for the
taking.  But restoring his body had been a very painful affair.

      "Argh," he growled.  Kagato did not want to repeat the process.
Somehow, he was going to need to separate the key from the gems.  It
was the gems that he needed to power Souja to finally capture the final
Jurdain power of Tsunami.  Yes, the boy...

      So Kagato in one motion, swept down and grabbed the unconscious
Tenchi from the ground.  "I will be taking my prize now, Ryoko.  I
believe you will know where to find me."  And he laughed horribly as he
slowly ascended into the air.

      "Kagato!  Come back here with Tenchi!" yelled Ryoko, still on the
ground dazed from her latest loss and her inability to fight.

      Yosho and Ayeka had just emerged from the shine to find Kagato
floating right in front of them.  With one hand, Kagato held the
unconscious limp form of Tenchi by the back neck of jacket   "What are
you doing to him!" commanded Ayeka, shocked from this latest ordeal.

      "Ah, so the First Crown Prince of Jurai and his little sister
have found each other again.  How touching." iced Kagato in his
monotone voice.  He enjoyed toying with the new visitors, but feared he
did not have the time.  "One false move," and Kagato raised his other
hand, charging his palm with a small ball of energy.  "This boy dies
before your very eyes."

      "YOU!" screamed Ayeka, ready to let loose a blast of energy.

      "Let him go, Ayeka," commanded Yosho, in a glaze of isolation.

      "But..." answered back Ayeka, in astonishment.  "Why?"

      "We have no choice!" countered Yosho.  Tenchi-ken was well too
far away in the courtyard to call upon.  His best defense was his
tongue.  "Or we all die."

      "That's right," explained Kagato.  He felt well in control of the
battle.  However, his quick round of actions have lacked the taste for
blood he so desired.  His calculated moves had been ruthless to a
point, but the moment blew at the rational center of his mind.  In
control no longer, Kagato fought with unchecked power.  He decided to
deal one of his enemies a card of fate: death.

      "You don't have any choice," finished Kagato, at the end of his
thoughts.  He swiftly ignited power in his palm and fired off an energy
bolt in the direction of Yosho and Ayeka.

Yosho was ready for the onslaught of force.  However, without the
Master key in his hands, his personal light hawk shield would not be
able to defend both himself and Ayeka.  Even though his body was young,
his mind was old.  He didn't mind that the fates had dealt him his
death, instead he prepared his powers to protect his sister.

But just after Kagato had fired his blast of power, he felt the
collision of a fast-charging flying Ryoko hitting his back with total
authority.  His body, not prepared for the physical contact, had not
phased into an ethereal plane, bent upwards like a sapling.

The energy blast from the movements in his body arched upwards,
finding the Masaki shrine roof instead of its intended targets.  The
roof promptly shook and shattered, large boulders of clay tile and rock
fell onto Yosho and Ayeka.  It resulted quickly in a dust and pebble
cloud that engulfed what was left of the shrine.

Kagato, not holding onto Tenchi, tumbled in a heap into the stone
floor, somersaulted and recovered rather quickly onto his feet.  He
looked back to find the boy facing down on top of Ryoko.  It was almost
a miracle that Ryoko had been able to catch Tenchi.  They were now both
knocked out, Ryoko with major gashes on her back, arms, and thigh, was
bleeding profusely and had paid the price for her rescue.  Tenchi had
made it through the ordeal with a nasty cut on his head, but otherwise
he was mostly just banged and bruised.

"You are such a fool, Ryoko.  I will welcome you later, if you
survive," murmured Kagato, as he digressed into a sinister laugh.  He
proceeded to pick up Tenchi and transport himself and his find away.



Mihoshi was running up the shine steps at full speed, with Sasami
close behind.  Mihoshi had thought nothing even happened on this
'backwards' world that Ayeka had described.  It had taken almost a year
for her Galaxy Police fellow officers to find her here.  But tranquil
and peace was one of her recent goals, she had been very happy here
with Tenchi and the few other houseguests.

Yes, even though Tenchi and Ayeka were at last bonding as a
couple before her very eyes, she was happy to stay here.  Her passions
for Tenchi remained hidden from the rest of the world.  Instead of
returning to headquarters, she realized it was this place, not just the
people that had filled her heart with contentment.

It was during a quiet lunch with Sasami that Mihoshi's bracelet
emitted warning noises of danger.  Her scanner bracelet quickly
identified the energy signature of the intruder as one of the most
dangerous criminals in the known galaxy: Kagato.  She quickly changed
into her GP suit and rushed to the door.

"What's going on?" questioned Sasami, coming out of the kitchen.

"I have to go, Sasami.  Stay here." commanded Mihoshi.

"Where are you going?" asked Sasami, unsatisfied with Mihoshi's
first answer.  She had stopped mixing some batter and was looking up at
Mihoshi as she cradled her GP pistol.

"I'm going up the shrine.  There's something dangerous going on
and I want you safe."

Sasami shot back, rather quickly.  "But my sister is up there..."
Mihoshi could see that she was close to tears of worry.

"Come on.  But stay behind me." said a swayed Mihoshi.

Now they were both running up the steps to see what danger they
could find.  As Mihoshi approached the top step, a cloud of dust from a
recent explosion descended down the steps, temporary blocking a clear
view of the shrine courtyard.

"Sasami.  Stay here."  whispered Mihoshi as she turned of her
bracelet beacon.  Sasami nodded in agreement to Mihoshi's request.
"I'm going to check on the others." And Mihoshi cleared the top and ran
across the courtyard.  And she was almost to the other side when she
tripped---

"Ooof," exclaimed Mihoshi, as she landed on something rather
soft.  Catching her bearing, she saw that she had tripped over the
strange cyan haired woman that had interrupted their sleep last night.
The dust had finally settled and the broken shrine build could be seen.
Only the far left and right wings were still standing, the rest of the
shrine was a jumbled heap from where it had been.

Ryoko started to come around and open her eyes.  "Sasami, come up
here and give me a hand." yelled an hysteric Mihoshi as she surveyed
Ryoko's broken body.

"Where's...Tenchi..." were the only words that Ryoko speak.  Her
mouth was very dry and parched.  The earth from the shrine collapse had
caked most of her body and her now disheveled hair.  The few wounds
that could be seen oozed a dirty mix of dried blood and dust.

"Sssh..." spoke Mihoshi as she broke out her gauze bandages from
her portable first-aid kit.  She wasn't sure if her small supply would
be enough.  The years of GP training for once had finally taken over in
her mind, she was on auto pilot now.

"Where is Katsuhito and Ayeka?" asked Mihoshi, holding onto
Ryoko's hand.  Ryoko wasn't in the mood for talking, however, she
nodded her head toward to collapsed shrine.

"Can I help?" asked Sasami as she took position besides Mihoshi.

"I've got to check on the collapsed building.  Stay here with
her." said Mihoshi.  The mystery girl wasn't exactly going anywhere in
her condition.  She approached the rubble to find Ayeka digging at her
feet.  Her skin had a couple of small cuts, but otherwise she seemed
unblemished.  She immediately piped up.

"Is Sasami all right?" questioned Ayeka as she saw her younger
sister treating the wounds of Ryoko.  She was still actively moving
some clay shards around.

"She's fine...is something wrong?" said Mihoshi, leaning over the
fragile Jurdain princess.

"I can't find my brother-" said Ayeka, but she interrupted
herself when she pulled away a large piece of clay tile, discovering
her objective.  "Come on, help me here..." as the both of them Ayeka
continued to remove rubble that covered her unconscious brother.

"Where's Tenchi?" solemnly asked Mihoshi.

Tears were streaming down her face, Ayeka was already in grief at
the drop of a hat.  "I don't know...I think he took her..."  were the
only words she could say.



Ryoko, still sprawled out over the stone floor of the shrine,
looked up to see the familiar vision of Sasami tending to her wounds.
Still very much weak with energy, her body throbbed with pain.  For
once, she felt that water might help her thirst.

"Are you alright?" asked a worried Sasami.

"Hey kid..." was the soft answer from Ryoko, as she turned her
head toward Sasami.

With little strength to fully answer Sasami's question, Ryoko
tried getting her body up but there was little reaction from her chest
down.  She took her hand to feel the developing moisture along the side
of her back, when she brought her fingers to her face, they were lined
and moistened with human blood.

How can I be injured and not heal myself, thought Ryoko.  A
couple of drops of blood from her fingers dripped down and landed
softly on her body.  Real Blood.  I've lived for over two-thousand
years.  Even without any of the gems, I can repair my wounds and re-
grow my limbs.  Why am I so mortal now?

The weakness continued to put a strain on Ryoko's mind, but she
stayed awake.  "Tenchi...not again..." she caught on her breath,
swallowing her words.  She was sure that Kagato had taken Tenchi back
to his ship.  Losing Tenchi once again brought her to tears.

Tenchi, why do you leave me now.  My body is now broken, my
spirit ripped away.  It took all my energy to save you, at the expense
of my physical self.  But I don't have the strength to come after you.
Ayeka or my former incarcerator will surely strike me down.  I promise,
I will do anything to save you once again, even if I don't survive this
body.  No matter what the cost.

And Ryoko, without the strength in her body to keep herself
mentality active, rolled back into familiar oblivion.



      "There, come on...easy." said Mihoshi as she and Ayeka removed
the last of the tiles covering Yosho's body.

      "Ayeka..." spoke Yosho, rather hoarsely from the dust in the air.

      "Yes, I'm fine..." answered Ayeka.  She leaned down and examined
her brother, placing her hand on the side of the face with
introspective.

      "It is good to see your ok." said Yosho, coughing slightly
between words.  "Now please help me up, Ayeka."

      With Ayeka and Mihoshi each taking sides, they helped Yosho to
his feet.  He gingerly started to walk on his own power, only to find
his left ankle collapse under his body's weight, he promptly fell into
Mihoshi.  For once, she did not fall under the additional weight and up
righted Yosho against her body once again.

      "I believe you have a sprained ankle, among some other injuries."
answered Ayeka rather tersely.  Yosho in fact also had a couple of
broken ribs, a minor concussion, and a strained shoulder, but he
refused to show weakness in front of his younger sister.

      "Umm, yes," commented Yosho.  No use in fighting the issue if he
wasn't going to be right about it.

      Sasami had turned and ran over to Ayeka, hugging her and hiding
her head in her sister's chest.  "There, there, I'm all right..."
soothed Ayeka as she stoked her younger sister's hair.

      "It just that Tenchi is...gone.  And you were hurt, with
Katsuhito..."

      Yosho coughed.  Sasami continued after a quick pause.  "...and
that girl from last night, she's not doing well at all..."  and she
finally separated and stepped away from her older sister.

      "Umm, Sasami," Ayeka pointed out delicately.  "This is Yosho, our
brother..."  Sasami's eyes just lit up like big saucers at her older
sister's words, her smile just as wide.

      Mihoshi quickly interjected, "Then where is Katsuhito?"

       Ayeka, Sasami, and Yosho almost fell flat on their faces.

      Ryoko, remembered Ayeka as she separated from the rest of the
group to take a closer look at the space pirate.  There was her mortal
enemy, thought Ayeka.  She was still face-up, with her head bent over
and twisted into an odd position.  But it was the face that not at
peace, but instead it was one that raged of an inner war.  With her
eyes lids closed, Ryoko seemed to hide a great amount of the battle.
Still, the demons are in her, thought Ayeka, and they don't leave when
they can.

      There were wraps and bandages around Ryoko's arms and legs, many
of them hiding wounds too big to cover with small gauzes.  A small pool
of blood had formed to the close side of Ryoko's body where Ayeka was
standing.  Ayeka could even make out the dried blood from Ryoko's
fingertips.

      She looked at her old enemy, now defeated and almost annihilated
from the last battle.  She wanted to pounce on Ryoko to finish her off
for the crimes that she had committed.  But the instinctive measure
soon dissolved rather easily as Ayeka's heart considerably softened.
Looking down at the broken body of her enemy, she fell to her knees,
grabbling a hand of the space pirate and holding it in close to her
chest.

      "You saved my Tenchi...and I can't imagine why."  Ayeka sobbed.
Tear of pain started to flow from Ayeka eyes.  Her Tenchi, her love,
was in the hands of a madman that was far in the past.  Why did he want
Tenchi?  He doesn't have any special powers.  He's just a pawn...

      "Ayeka!" said Yosho, from the far side of the beaten temple.

      Ayeka quickly refocused her energies at hand.  "What do we do
with her now?"

      "Save her." was the stern voice of Yosho, now standing over
Ayeka.  He was being supported by Sasami.  "Mihoshi, get me that sword
that lies on the ground over there."

      "There's nothing here but pieces of bark and tree." answered back
a confused Mihoshi.

      Yosho groaned.  "Just bring me the piece of bark over there," and
Yosho pointed to a longer slender piece in front of Mihoshi.

      "I'm, I don't know which one..." and Mihoshi started to gather
all the pieces of wood that were near her feet, including Tenchi-ken.
She quickly came back to Yosho with a thicket of wood.

      "Here you go.  I guess we can make a fire now to keep her warm."
nodded Mihoshi, handling the large bundle to the unprepared Yosho.

      "I'll take that." answered Sasami.  Taking the bundle, she
quickly pulled out Tenchi-ken and handed the sword hilt to Yosho, then
quickly discarded the rest of the thicket.

      "Do you think this is a good idea, Yosho?" asked Ayeka.  She
blinked again without saying another word as Yosho carefully waddled
over to Ryoko.

      "We do not have a choice.  We need her to save Tenchi." explained
Yosho.  "And she will help us, for that much I am sure."  Yosho coughed
from the ever-present dust and continued.  "I'm not just healing her
with Jurdain energy, but I'm giving her powers back to her."

      And Yosho laid out the hilt, closing his eyes, focusing his
energy.  Tenchi-ken slowly glowed and hummed in response.  The three
gems on the hilt flashed with red energy and faded away.  They, for
once, were returning home.



      Pain and torment were currently her friends.  No longer wanting
to embrace the present, her mind chased back into the past.  More than
a year ago, she had her love in her arms, even at the expense of
aggrieving the princess.  But now, she was in a place where Tenchi was
no longer possibly hers.

      And without Tenchi, there was no use fighting any longer.  That
darkness that visited her enclosed here eyes and filled her heart once
again.  The emotions turned from little hope she had to more despair
and loss.  And only the silence of the darkness could she find comfort
in.

      But from out of the darkness, she saw it.  It started from so far
out as it began to swirl around her body, in a white haze of sparkle
and light.  The space she was in was familiar yet dark, it was a place
she had been to a long time ago.  The sensation was life flying in
space among the stars in perfect silence.

      Still, the haze continued to come much closer and cover her body,
like a loose cloth of fine silk.  It throbbed with life and a soul.
She felt her body absorb the sheets of haze, like a plant gathers
sunlight from the sum.  And in a final movement, the silken haze came
ever so close and touched her.

      It touched her wrists, quickly forming into a little button.
Sucking the regional haze from around her arms, forming slowly into a
gem, changing color to red and depositing it on her skin.  The rest of
haze formed around her head, swirling around faster and faster, until
it finally cascaded into a red gem of it own.  And it placed itself on
the nape of her neck.

      It took awhile to register the new sensations.  Familiar yet
intense power flowed through her veins, arching in her arms and behind
her neck.  How much she missed the power was almost indescribable.  It
gave her existence, for without the three gems she had always felt a
bit naked.  It was good to be whole once again.

      With her body healed, her mind let her out of unconsciousness
toward the light.  But just before she left her place, Ryoko swore she
heard the fluttering of wings.



      "What happened..." said Ryoko hoarsely, her mouth dry from her
experiences, save from the lack of water that she never needed.  Was it
all a dream?  A dream that had lasted a year without anyone, and a day
of pain at the end?  But with the sight of the figures standing around
her body, her personal nightmare marched onward.

      Again, she was facing up at the sky, except she had visitors look
down at her this time.  She could see a tired and worn Yosho being
supported by Sasami, Ayeka with a strong look of determination and
will, and Mihoshi...well, you could never get a look and tell what she
was thinking because there really wasn't much up there, after all.

      Oh yeah, the power, Ryoko remembered.  Oh was it true?  Instead
of feeling for the gems in her mind, she took her hands up to her neck
and felt for the third gem.  It was there!

      The gems on her neck glowed a soft red in response to the full
awakening of Ryoko's mind.  No longer a puzzle with an incomplete part,
she knew she was whole once again.  She took a long breath to realize
the order of the situation.

      She reached behind her back to check for her mortal cuts.
Nothing!  reaching around with her hand to look at it, the dried blood
had disappeared.  Her body, now whole, had healed thyself with amazing
ease.

      "Get up Ryoko!  We don't have all day," ordered Ayeka.  With her
hands on her hips, she was an impressive sight indeed as her shadow
stood over the demon.

      "Take it easy, princess.  Don't get your feathers all in a bunch
now."  Ryoko elevated from her lying position on the ground to take a
slightly overhead look at Ayeka, floating a few inches off the ground.

      "Now, are you going to follow my directions, you pirate."  and
Ayeka's eyes just lit up with power.  "Or are we going to have a
demonstration like last night?"

      Ryoko finally settled onto the ground, turning comfortably away
from the rest of the group.  "Well, if you want a piece of me now, why
don't you just try.  I will blow you away to pieces."  Red energy
arches though Ryoko veins, cascading off her body in hot, red sparks.
And Ryoko powered up a small red sphere of energy and threw in the
direction of Ayeka.

      Ayeka managed to dodge the powerful sphere before in landed
behind her and blew the what was of the temple to the ground.  Instead
of answering, she stared down the pirate.

      "Why?  Don't you like my sample?"  Ryoko answered.

      "I see you have a little more firepower now, but not the mind to
go with it."  And Ayeka closed her eyes and mind as a ringlet of logs
appeared around Ryoko.  In response, Ryoko summonsed her field of
energy balls as well.

      "Enough!"  was the sudden shout as Yosho walked right between the
two of them, freezing the moment in time.

      "Brother! What are you doing?" questioned the princess.

      "Hey! Get out of the way!" directed the space pirate.

      "Ryoko!  I did not give back you powers as a plaything.  You do
want to rescue Tenchi, don't you?"  said Yosho, turning in Ryoko's
direction.

      Ryoko just stood there, knowing the answer in her mind right
away.  There was no doubt that in the last year her life she had lived
for Tenchi.  The choice was easy.  Ryoko willed her body to power down
her energy.  At Ryoko's response, Yosho then turned his attention to
the princess.

      "Ayeka!  Without her, you will not get Tenchi back alive.  Do you
just care for vengeance at the sacrifice of Tenchi?"

      More than anything, she wanted Tenchi back.  But at the cost to
her family, to her friends on Jurai that had been hurt in Ryoko's
treachery 700 years ago?  Was the vengeance worth the price of her
love, her Tenchi?  Thoughts continued to swirl around in her mind.

      For all this time, she had been at the will of her father and her
family.  She would have done anything for them.  Obey them.  Marry
someone she didn't love because it was the political move.

      But not this time.  And Ayeka gave into her brother's wishes,
shutting down her energy logs.  "Tenchi..." was the whelp of Ayeka as
she was close to tears.

      A shuffling from the bushes was followed by some familiar voices.
"Can we come out now?"  was Sasami from behind a tree to the side of
the shattered shrine.  She turned away from the group and spoke to
another bush behind her.  "You didn't hurt your head too much when
diving with me for cover, did you?"

      Ayeka could hear the groans of Mihoshi from the bushes as well.
"Ouch..." and more groans.

      "Come on Mihoshi," and Sasami ran out to the outstretch arms of
Ayeka, shortly followed by the dizzy blond.

      "Is everyone all right?" asked Mihoshi, who was wobbly at best.
Twigs were still sticking out of her hair when she finally regained
most of the balance she would ever have.

      "Are you ok, Ayeka?" asked a hugging Sasami once again.

      "Yes, I am Sasami"  Ayeka cleared her face as the five of them
got closer together in a group.  She squeezed her sister's hand in
love.  "Thank you."  And Sasami looked up at her sister, smiling and
supporting her emotionally.

      "So it's agreed," said Yosho, now standing up without assistance,
his arm crossed and his chin up rather high.

      "Agreed to what?" asked Ryoko.

      "That we're in this for Tenchi." answered Ayeka.

      "For Tenchi!" ringed in Sasami.

      "Tenchi!" chimed in Mihoshi.

      And all eyes looked to Ryoko.  After a awkward moment, she looked
up into the sky and spoke. "Yea...for Tenchi!"



      Ryoko followed Mihoshi around the lake.  Ayeka and Sasami were
helping Yosho clean up the temple as much as they could.  They were
also moving some the surviving ancient valuables to the Masaki
household for safekeeping.  They would be down here in a hour or two
anyway.

      "So where is your loaner ship, Mihoshi?" asked Ryoko.

      "Umm...I think its over here."  And they both cleared a path to
surprising uncover a GP shuttle craft, fully buried in the silt.  A
small red opening was soon revealed as Mihoshi came to it.

      "Why is it buried in the sand..."

      "The other GP didn't want the locals to umm, find it.  So they
buried it for me.  It has autopilot directions back to Jurdain space,
but I'm under orders not to change the pre-set navigation plan."

      "That's ok, because I'm changing it." wisely answered Ryoko.

      "I guess that's ok."  Using her cube, she turned a couple of
segments.  In an instant, the space hatch flew off its hinge, high into
the air dropping with a wet splash on the far side of the lake.

      "Oops...Did I do that?" commented Mihoshi.

      "Yea, you did.  Wait here, I'll go get it..."

      "Fool..." spoke Ryoko under her breath.  "I should remind myself
to fly that thing." as she flew across the lake.

      After retrieving the door, it took only a few minutes at the
navigation computer for Ryoko to become thoroughly pissed off.  The
computer, mounted along the side of the cockpit, wouldn't deviate from
its arranged flight plan, since it was under 'Mihoshi alert.'

      "This isn't like Ryo-ohki at all!"  Eyes steaming, she powered up
and shot a few times around the navigation monitor, letting it fall out
until it hit the ground.  The screen went static, no longer attached to
the computer it had become temporary disabled.  "Well, that takes care
of that..."

      "What did you do that for, Ryoko?" asked a rather confused
Mihoshi, looking over the separated damaged screen.  "You know that all
the navigation controls are in there as well...if we don't use that, I
can't fly this ship."

      "Oops..."  Ryoko, flushed with frustration, straightened her
collar and tightened her stomach in. "Well, you want to save Tenchi,
don't you?"

      "Uh-huh.  I guess your right." nodded Mihoshi.

      "Yea, that's right"  Wow, thought Ryoko, and I almost poked a
hole through the side of the ship.  I've got to be careful about
wearing these three gems around...



      Not waiting for Mihoshi to finish prepping her ship, Ryoko flew
off to the Masaki house.  Finding Sasami along the path in front of the
house, Ryoko landed near the dock.

      "Hey..." she yelled, her hands in a bugle shape around her mouth
to the approaching Sasami from down the hill.

      "What is it Ryoko?" asked Sasami, her hands full of scrolls and
other wooden objects d'art.

      "Come here, Sasami.  I need to talk to you." Ryoko leaned down
close to the ground; she motioned with her finger for Sasami to come
closer to her.

      "I've got to drop this stuff off first at the house, can you wait
a second?" pleaded Sasami, still moving in direction of the house.  A
few pieces that Sasami were holding were about to fall out her grips.

      Ryoko, instead of answering, transported herself between Sasami
and the front door.  "I'm sorry Sasami, but I need your help.  And I
don't know if Ayeka knows..." and Ryoko reached down and held Sasami
fast.  In the process, Sasami needlessly dropped most of her holdings
onto the grassy ground, luckily unbroken.

      "Ryoko!  What are you doing!" yelled Sasami, not necessary scared
for her safety, but more to questionably to why Ryoko was acting so
strange.  An answer never came, for Sasami was no longer listening as
she fell under a sudden unconsciousness.  With her head down and out,
Ryoko still continued to shake her for answers.

      "Tsunami!  I know you're in there!" solicited Ryoko to the now
sleeping Sasami.  Still secured closely in her arms were a few
possessions of Yosho.  And out of pity, Ryoko laid Sasami on the
ground.

      And instead of a response from the young girl, a smallish white
cloud materialized next to her.  It grew in size and shape until the
familiar figure of Tsunami emerged, sweeping away the heavenly rays she
came out of.

      "Ryoko, I am here," said Tsunami, in a small bathe of light that
was now fading behind her image.  "Why have you called for me?" she
asked in her hollowed monotone voice.

      "It's Tenchi."  Ryoko knew that Kagato was setting a trap for
her, especially, to capture her gems, to use them to power Souja.
"He's the only one that can defeat Kagato.  I cannot."

      "You must.  Tenchi has not connected with the Jurdain trees.  He
is unable to display his true powers."  answered Tsunami.  Seeing Ryoko
had sparked a unknown tingle in Tsunami's mind.  She could no longer
focus on Sasami, but her mind was instead drawn to look at the former
space pirate.

      Tsunami continued with her thoughts from before.  "I am sorry
Ryoko, I cannot reveal myself without the protection of the one who can
transform materials.  There is too much danger."

      Tsunami unrelenting scrutinized Ryoko's reactions.  How strange,
thought Tsunami, to see Ryoko out of place with the rest of her
extended family.  With casual observing, Tsunami had been recently been
unable chart her family and friend's eternal path.  Still, direct
confrontation was to be avoided at all cost, for she was still very
vulnerable to Kagato's powers.

      Tsunami had waited a long time for an opportunity to presented
itself.  At last, a chance...  Here, deliberated Tsunami, was Ryoko.
No other humanoid contact around.  A chance, she had to see the path of
the future.  A perfect time to gain perspective with a look at Ryoko's
memory.

      Tsunami continued to dive deeper and gaze.  And via staring into
the space pirate's eyes, she felt herself lead deeper into Ryoko's
soul.

      Slow to converse, Ryoko feared her actions were going nowhere.
Not knowing Tsunami true intentions and with little choice, she forced
the issue onto Tsunami, grabbing onto her physical form with the power
of her three gems.  "If you do not help me," Ryoko charged, "then
Tenchi will die.  Then you forget about ever revealing yourself!"

      Tsunami saw so closely into those demon burning eyes memories
from another place.  And it spoke of answers.  Not that her destiny was
sealed, but seeing into Ryoko's eyes had revealed much of her own past.
And from those memories, Tsunami looked inside at her own expectations
for conflicting counters to Ryoko's own truth.

      She could find none.  For Tsunami could no longer look down the
eternal path and guess the next course of action.  Her fortune it
seemed, rested in the hands of Ryoko.  Thus, turning up toward her
caller, she told Ryoko of her will.

      "Very well.  I will do as you asked."  Tsunami continued to gaze
at Ryoko, still numb to the answers that lay in view.  Shocked never
less, Ryoko released Tsunami from the grip of the gems.  And nodding
her head in agreement to Ryoko, Tsunami dematerialized from sight.

      Tsunami's mind for once did not think about her children trees,
her Jurdain kinsmen, for even of Sasami.  It no longer had consequences
of her meaning.  Her fate wasn't necessarily sealed, but it very much
destined to change sooner than later.

      As a goddess, she had seen the unbelievable, been part of the
unimaginable.  The waterfalls of T'kril.  The trees and woodlands of
ancient Jurai.  The mountains of Capitkin IV.  The Oceans of Sear-Neas.
Countless planets, endless civilizations.

      All that aside, nothing had prepared her for what lay at her
feet.  For while looking into Ryoko's eyes, Tsunami saw that her truth
lay between dreams and reality.