Standard Disclaimer: It's there just in little teeny, tiny, fine print. Trust me. Ever After Chapter 2 : No Need for No Needs. Sasami regained consciousness, blinking to clear away the salt left over from the tears she had shed. Without moving, she attempted to figure out where she was. The place looked to be all white. The bed, the walls, even the curtain dividing her from the rest of the white room, were of that color. The brightness of the white room was overpowering and hurt her eyes. Unfortunately, she knew that if she closed them, she would fall asleep and that was a much worse fate then anything in a white room. Voices seemed to creep into the little white area. One was obviously crying. She, there was no doubt of the sex, was profusely apologizing. Another voice was trying to act like a mediator. Obviously male. And the third voice, female, was angry. Not that this third voice was talking. Its whole conversation seemed to be made out of hisses. The person hissing was also the closest person to Sasami, forcing the other two voices to keep away from where she had been sleeping. "Ryo-Ohki" she tried to choke out. It sounded more like a gurgle then anything a Jurian would make. Somehow though Ryo-Ohki heard her and stuck her head through the curtain and seeing that Sasami was awake, shouted "Miya" and jumped onto the bed forgetting her size and her anger in a moment. Not that it mattered to Sasami, who pulled the overgrown cabbit close and hugged with all of her might, crying softly again while stroking Ryo-Ohki hair. She wished that Ryo-Ohki could shrink down into cabit form, but knew that would only make more trouble in the long run, even if it did soothe for the moment. After a while of just being cuddled Sasami noticed that she was being observed by two other people. One face belonged to Sakura who was sporting thin lines of blood where someone had scratched her face with a set of finger nails. She appeared to have been crying as well, long trails of tears crossed her face, clearing and mixing with the blood. The other face belonged to a skinny man wearing thick impossible to see through glasses. His expression was that of professional concern. Adjusting his glasses he took just a few second glance at Sasami and then ducked his head back into the rest of the room, his look of concern replaced with that of satisfaction. Sakura finally noticed that Sasami was aware of her presence. For a second it looked like she was going to flee and then stealing herself slowly approached the bed. She looked a little older then before, as if she had aged five years in the last hour. The way her face was set with worries. Ryo-Ohki noticed Sasami stopping the stroking of the brown hair that adorned her head. Looking up, she hissed, and arched her back. Sakura worriedly started to back away from the bed. "Shush, Ryo-Ohki." Sasami scolded resuming the stroking of Ryo-Ohki's hair till the cabbit calmed and eased back into a relaxed position, still keeping a wary gaze on Sakura. "I'm sorry Sasami, I had no way of knowing you were claustrophobic. It was a harmless joke." She paused stopping herself from rambling knowing that once started would not stop until she was crying again. "I'm sorry." She bowed waiting for a reply. Sasami looked at her new friend over Ryo-Ohki's head before she replied. "Don't worry about it." She forced cheerfulness into her voice trying to get back the good mood she had felt earlier. Letting out a breath Sakura hadn't known she was holding happy that her new friend wasn't angry. "If you girls are done can I see to your scratches Miss Lee and Miss Masaki I contacted your uncle and he should be here soon to take you home." He turned and forcefully escorted Sakura out of the curtained area into the nurses office. Ryo-Ohki was giving Sasami the reproachful look. The one cats had mastered when they domesticated humans. "Ryo-Ohki you need to apologize to Sakura as well." Sasami said threateningly. As she hugged the oversized and human bodied cat. Taking any bite out of her words. With one final hug, she sat up and eased Ryo-Ohki off of her. Then straightening her uniform into a somewhat respectable manner though far less then that required for a Princess of Jurai. The curtain parted for Sasami and for the first time she got a look at the rest of the nurses office. It was about what she had expected... white. *I guess there's a law or something. Though they really should change it. The place hurts my eyes.* Sakura was now sporting a number of Band-Aids over her face. She smiled at Sasami looking better now that the blood and tears were washed away. Noboyuki entered the room looking decidedly out of place in his salary man suit. "Ah Sasami... There you are I've been looking all over for you." He paused, starring at the other people in the room for a second as the wheels in his head turned. "And Ryo-Ohki is here as well. Doctor is everything ok." The spectacled doctor nodded. "Then we should be going home." He said trying to hurry the girls along. His goal now that everything was fine, to get home and relax. This being the first day in a long time he had gotten off work early. Now that Noboyuki was the boss of his own company, he seemed to get even less time off from work then before. But the commute had improved to that of just about half an hour. Also as an added benefit using a few gadgets Washu had given him for Christmas he was now one of the most demanded and respected architects in the prefecture. "Just a moment *uncle.* Could you and the doctor step outside for a second please." Pouring into the command every bit of royal voice she had learned from Ayeka, a master at getting people to do what she wanted them to do, and knowing her whatever she wanted was in her opinion the best thing for them at the time. For once the voice worked for Sasami and the two men left without even trying to put up a fight. "Sakura, Ryo-Ohki has something to tell you." She said still using the voice to make sure that Ryo-Ohki wouldn't back out of apologizing. The whole time giving a stern expression to Ryo-Ohki. "Ryo-Ohki is sorry that she scratch you. Please forgive Ryo-Ohki?" She asked grudgingly staring at Sasami. "It's ok, I know that it was really my fault. Ryo-Ohki will you forgive me for what happened?" Sakura asked starring at her until Ryo-Ohki had to turn and face her. "Ryo-Ohki forgive you." "Good, now that's out of the way. Ryo-Ohki and me really need to be going. Do you need a ride Sakura." She said hurrying. Noboyuki would not be that patient in the empty halls of a girls school and that after a few minutes he might go searching for the gym or a club room. She shuddered at the thought. "No, I can still make the next train. I'll see you tomorrow Sasami." She left the room allowing the two men back into the nurses office as she wandered down one of the already dark hallways. "Lets go *uncle.* We need to stop by the store anyway and pick up a few things for this weekends dinner. After all this will be the first time since Christmas that Tenchi returns from college." She said forcing that good thought to the top of her mind. "Sasami can't you do that on your way home from school tomorrow." Whined Noboyuki seeing his hoped for few extra hours of off time being sucked away. "No, there might be to much to carry especially on the bus." She replied once again resorting to the voice. Aeka had told her that she should practice it while Aeka was away with Tenchi, especially if Noboyuki tried to do anything funny. Sasami had a very good idea what Ayeka would have consider funny. Anything that got in her way. "If we have to." Dr. Tofu heard as the salary man and the young ladies wandered down the hall. *** "Thank you, Tsunami, for joining us." The King of Jurai bowed deeply to his guardian deity. He waited a few seconds for her to take a seat and then followed her example. Which was followed by everyone else still standing in the room. Tsunami looked radiant, it was usually hard to believe that this body was just an astral projection. Though today she appeared just a little translucent as if her concentration was else where, her perpetual calm face, the mirror of Sasami's, a little uneasy. "People, we are here to discuss the same concerns that have been discussed for the last three years, this time though we have an extra one to add to the kettle. These meetings are to find solutions to our problems. Not to mourn over them." Azusa paused, these meetings had been fruitless for the past three years and he have found a pressing concern somewhere else to avoid this one if not for the disaster earlier today. "Admiral Sagami could you please sum up our current situation." Azusa mumbled under his breath. "In less then two hours for once." The Admiral must have heard part of that mumble for his speech the same one he had made for over two years now, was promptly cut to the bare facts. "My Lady Goddess, My King, honorable and respected members of the Jurian Court. Three years ago we took horrible losses against Tokemi's fleet losing approximately two thirds of ours. As you are all aware it takes some twenty thousand years for a space tree to grow from a sapling to a fully operational battle ship. With those constraints we are seriously under manned. The home fleet is a tenth of it's original strength and the rest of our fleet is on continuous patrol in the warm areas. Piracy is on the rise again and even with the help of the Galaxy Police certain portions of our territory have not seen a patrol for months now." He paused wetting his lip. "You are all aware of this, as you are all aware of how this is affecting the trees, there has been an increase in the number of mechanical as well as biological components breaking down. The Lady Tsunami has infused the trees with a little more of her self and that has helped lessen the problem slightly." He bows towards her. "But I fear that this is only a stop gap solution. We need more ships." Pulling out a folder marked with the Jurian equivalent of top secret, a red tree that had shed its leaves, he opened it and pulled out a disc which he slid into the central holographic unit. "What you are about to hear is the reason why this meeting has the presence of such agust persons." The hologram projector fired up and a picture of a small craft appeared and began rotating in front of them. The ship was long and thin obviously designed for war. Its shape would have been sleek if not for a number of round bulges spaced around the exterior. "This is an unknown type of craft that has been making reconnaissance through our space. It or it's sister ships have been spotted at least four times usually in erratically patrolled sections of our space. It was pure luck that we saw any of them at all. "I issued orders recently to the effect that the next time one of these ships was spotted it was to be captured. The Soyokaze interrogated and when it received no response latched on to the ship with a force field." A screen appeared showing the Jurian ship's status. Another display came up showing one of the unknown craft being held by a Jurian Force Field. Seconds later it was discharging something from it's front. The missile raced towards the Soyokase increasing in size until an explosion was seen at the bottom of the camera. The technical display showed a long red circle surrounding the Soyokaze as well as damage to one of its lower roots. The ship freed of the field swiveled around the Jurian ship and like a hound taking down a bear began firing missiles and lasers upon the much larger ship. The Jurian ship fired back as well but the shots were just absorbed by the opposing ships shield or missed all together. In thirty seconds the enemy ship had exhausted all of its missiles and was relying solely on lasers. Not that it mattered the Jurian ships singularity core had slipped its shielding the screen went blank and began showing the circling picture of the original enemy ship. "The wreckage was searched for survivors their were none." He grimly told his audience. "This disaster occurred less then two hours ago. And we have no way of knowing why the Light Hawk Wings were not activated. We can not afford any losses of ships or personnel at this or any time. According to what little data is available, the enemy ship alone would not have been powerful enough by itself to take down the Soyokaze if the Light Hawk Wings had deployed. Though the data does suggest that it's power was that of about a tenth of a Jurian ship. That is amazingly strong for any ship of that tonnage." Admiral Sagami heard a throat clearing behind him and cut short his speech. Sitting down he once again gave up the chair to his king. "This is a very serious matter. Lady Tsunami would you care to add anything." "I have seen ships like this before. A long time ago. They have appeared once every few hundred years for a few weeks and then disappearing as suddenly as they arrived but none have ever attacked one of our ships before. Nor have we ever attacked one of their ships before." A piercing gaze directed at the Admiral. "This worries me." She concluded. "About the Light Hawk Wings not responding. Is the same thing that happened when we fought Tokemi." The Admiral interjected. "No, this was different." Tsunami answered. "If you gentle men and ladies will excuse me I have some important things to do and must leave." Tsunami stood up. Everyone of course followed her example while she walked out the door. Which thankfully closed behind her allowing the body she was projecting to breath a sigh of relief. It had been unusual for her to attend a meeting, any meeting, even though custom required that she be invited. But this was one she had to attend. It was her fault that the Soyokaze had been destroyed. Tsunami had been watching Sasami. Feeling her joy at her avatar's first day of school. When she had panicked Tsunami had felt that as well and then the unconsciousness had engulfed them both. She had dreamed. For the first time in her entire existence she had dreamed. Dreamed of formless shadows and terrors. Echoes of Sasami's terror. But unlike Sasami, Tsunami had no way to cope with something this new and vivid. Even worse the Soyokaze had been destroyed because she had been unable to provide it with her protection. Right now the space trees were covering up the lapse, but she could feel them. They were scared as well, scared for her and for themselves it was a new experience for both trees and goddess. Even worse she could still feel Sasami and somehow now she couldn't stop feeling her emotions. Rather then Sasami merging with Tsunami it looked to be the other way around. Tsunami was experiencing a whole new emotion one that she had merged with Sasami to block from that little girl. She was terrified. *** "It would seem that after all are hard work at Tokyo. One day of school in the boonies paid off with remarkable results." He took a long drag on his cigarette as the rest of his face remained in the shadows. "We've finally found a weak link. One that should allow us to easily capture one of the aliens and hold it hostage." "Wasn't a human injured in the procurement of this information." Another person at the table inquired. "Not seriously, and the gain far out ways the loss." A young voice with an American accent responded. "More importantly, has anyone found out the reason none of our recording devices function near any of the aliens or their residences." He said stabbing out the cigarette and lighting another. One of the men in the rear wearing a white lab coat responded to the question. "No sir, we think that it is intentional though. We're still researching it." "This operation still requires more research by all of our departments. Their is no need to make a hasty decision. Recovery team please use the new information and come up with a plan around it. That is all people." He stood and exhaled a cloud of smoke before leaving the room. *** "Hey, Kiyone, do you think Sasami made Sukiyaki tonight." Mihoshi asked grinning at her partner. As they slowly headed back to Earth after a long boring patrol of the Sol System. "I doubt it after all she started school today." Kiyone paused and stared at the stars it was always a miracle when she survived a patrol without trying to kill Mihoshi. "Uh, Kiyone, doesn't the Earth look a little weird. Like a warped window. Or like you were looking through a glass. Or a ..." Kiyone turned her attention back to the monitor to see what her partner was babbling on about just in time to see the cloaked satellite smash into the forward view screen. "You know Kiyone I think were going to crash into the Earth again." Hit the back button on your browser now. Hi I thought I'd bore you with my thoughts since I promised myself I'd do five pages and I've got all this room at the bottom left. But hey I'm already boring myself. Please contact me with your criticism at STRIKESTWICE@HOTMAIL.COM This is Vers 2!