Ever After: Chapter 7: Dark clouds on the Horizon.

By: STRIKESTWICE@hotmail.com

	The fleet of ships slowed as they approached the unseen barrier that marked 
the beginning of the Far Reach’s System’s gravity well.
	The ships were broken into three different distinct groups. The Jurain Tree 
Ships, the Tigeran Dreadnoughts, and the Galaxy Police Destroyers without 
enough time to practice combined fleet maneuvers it had been decided that 
each fleet would fight under their own command with entire fleet level 
maneuvers controlled by the Jurains.  This gave a large number of possible 
strategies for the fleet admirals and their commanders using ships that they 
knew and formations they had already practiced.
	Engines at full power, the fleets rapidly pulled away from each other.  
Giving the enemy the choice of splitting their forces or attacking one fleet 
and having the remaning two attack their flanks.  The fleets stopped 
dividing after a few million miles and turned their engines to full power 
towards the system.  They now appeared in roughly a pyramid formation the 
Jurains taking the top position as seen from the system plane.
	The ships inertia began to build, as they gained speed using only their 
reaction thrusters.  Before them a line of enemy ships still invisible to 
non-F.T.L. radar waited.

***

	Night slowly changed to dawn, blissfully unnoticed by the occupants of the 
large house with a red roof.  Those, inside the house, that had partaken in 
the Saki snored happily unaware of something so evil as sunrise.
	By the time that the sun had cleared the surrounding mountains a few of the 
houses occupants had left their dreams behind awakening to the new day and 
its different kind of dream.  The smell of food and the sound of laughter 
removed the last cobwebs of sleep as the occupants of the house reclaimed it 
with life.
	From a distance two young women approached the house casually chatting as 
they circled the lake preparing to intrude on the solitude of the house and 
its occupants.

***

	The princess fought with the mounds of food left over from yesterday.  She  
sorted that which would survive being dragged out on the picnic, that which 
was best thrown away, and that which was going to be left over for the next 
week.  At the same time she prepared a simple breakfast, while Ryo-Ohki set 
the table.  Sasami also efficiently made sandwiches that were carefully 
wrapped and placed into the two large picnic baskets Washu had produced late 
last night.
	Everyone except for Yosho had attached themselves to Tenchi’s intimate 
little picnic. Even the two new G.P. officers for some unknown, but probably 
duty bound reason.
	Pulling out a gong, that had been a poorly thought out gift from Ryoko one 
Christmas.  Sasami announced breakfast to everyone, including Yosho up in 
the shrine.  After about twenty good whacks and dodging two empty plastic 
Saki bottles that Ryoko had tossed at her from the rafters, breakfast was 
served, much to the enjoyment of all who had not overly partaken of last 
nights activities.
	High spirits about the upcoming picnic seemed to bubble around the table as 
the picnickers listened to the weather forecast by one of Washu’s ‘bots.  
The day was sunny and nice and promising to remain that way.  Washu to the 
amusement of all had guaranteed them that the event would be problem free, 
especially from the terrestrial ants famous in their ability to destroy 
picnics.  Yosho, to no ones surprise, had elected to remain at the shrine 
along with Azaka and Kamidake to guard the residence.
	The door bell rang as Sasami scooped another bowl full of rice for Ryoko.  
Sasami stood in one fluid move and headed down the short hall way still 
listening to the conversation behind her, going to answer the door.
	It was kind of sad in how much Ryoko and Aeka had settled down after the 
war.  Since they had arrived the two hadn’t been in one serious argument.  
Sasami had always hoped that the two would someday stop their fighting but 
not in the complete stopping of their rivalry, snd Tenchi looked so much 
more relaxed now that the decision had been taken from him and solved by 
Tsunami.  What did that leave her?  She realized that she had been deluding 
herself.  Tenchi had been released from the Jurain hospital a few days 
before he had rushed off to college and she hadn’t had the time to really 
observe the three.
	That left her with the question of what to do with her own life.  She 
wasn’t going back to Jurai that was for sure, nor any world with in Jurai’s 
Power sphere or the Galaxy Polices either.  That just left those uncharted 
or barbarian worlds like Earth.  This wouldn’t be that bad of a place to 
hide.  But, sooner or later Tsunami would ruin it for her.  After all she 
was just a body Tsunami had giver back life to so that sometime in the near 
future Tsunami could wear this skin and feel what it was to be a Jurain.  
Their was no distance she could run, no shelter or defenses she could find, 
to stop the inevitable from happening.  With too much practice she swept 
those thoughts aside to the happiness that the upcoming picnic was going to 
bring.  It was great to be back together again with everyone that was the 
only thing to fill her mind.
	With a fixed smile on her face Sasami opened the door, revealing a casually 
dressed Sakura and Autumn fidgeting uncomfortably in the bright morning sun.
	“Hi, what are you two doing here?”  Sasami asked slightly afraid of the 
answer.  *They came to sneak a look at the rest of the aliens.*  She thought 
sighing internally.
	“Autumn thinks she left her Kawaii here.”  Sakura shrugged apologetically.
	“Have you seen him?”  Autumn asked curiously.
	“Have you seen it.”  Sakura corrected automatically.
	“No, I mean him.”  Sakura and Sasami both gave each other a knowing look 
and then giving into the inevitable Sasami let them into the hall only to be 
met by a rabbit/cat mix.  The weird looking gray thing took one look at the 
two girls and took off in a run/hop back towards the family room.  Its large 
ears dragging on the floor.
	“Uh... what was that?”
	{“What the hell?”}
	“Ugh...”  *Come on Sasami!*  “Ryoko’s pet.”  *Why did I lie?  You didn’t 
lie, you just didn’t tell the entire truth.  And telling them that one of 
there friends is a space ship is just too much to ask.*  She smiled weakly 
at the two girls as they proceeded down the short hall to its end and the 
living room.
	Where everything looked normal.  There were still a number of girls with 
weird colored hair and Motashiwa looking relatively happy eating some of the 
left over Bebrean from last night.  Ryo-Ohki in human form had taken up 
Sasami’s place and was slowly but determinedly eating the bowl of rice, 
Sasami had left.  To the amazed stares of the majority of the people at the 
table.
	“Sis, Tenchi, I’d like you to meet Sakura and Autumn two friends of mine 
and Ryo-Ohki’s from school.”  Ryo-Ohki put down her chopsticks and stood up 
using both of her hands to steady herself.
	“Sakura, Autumn, its nice to see you.”  She paused then noticing everyone’s 
stare tilted her head and with a smile added “Miya!”
	Sasami sighed.  “Come on lets go check my room for Kawaii.”
	“It’s nice to meet you.”  Aeka said, standing and then bowing formally with 
her hands clasped together and held at her waist.
	Sakura bowed in return followed by Autumn half a second later.
	“It is a pleasure to meet you, too.  Sasami rarely even mentions you.”  
Sakura told the older princess.
	“Really?”  Aeka asked as Sasami laughed nervously.  “Then why don’t you 
join us for tea.  Sasami is there any of that cake left over from 
yesterday.”  Aeka had some how slipped the voice of command into the 
sentence.  With an air of failure, Sasami went to the kitchen to make some 
more tea.  Somehow she knew that by the time she had returned both Autumn 
and Sakura would have heard a very embarrassing story about her.
	She had been worried all day.  It was a great day, perfect for a picnic.  
Tenchi, Aeka, and Ryoko were here, what could there be to worry about and 
yet she was uneasy.  Her dream from last night had been confused random 
event, a montage of battles all centered around the Tsunami.
	She had extended all ten wings at the battle of Togara Ya'dar.  Then the 
dream had changed and she was maneuvering in the Jurian system frantically 
trying to avoid fire from Tokimi’s ships.  Than a long forgotten battle 
against an alien race that had unwisely slaughtered  a colony
	She pushed the button on top of the tea strainer forcing water into another 
cup.
	Was Tsunami trying to tell her something?  It was obvious they were her 
memories.  She had been the ship, her eyes had been the sensors, her teeth 
lasers, and her heart the Light Hawk Wings.  Not literally their was no 
direct conversion for what a Jurian mind was never supposed to think like.  
She had thought in so many ways at once but she had been the ship.  She had 
felt pain when lasers had impacted onto the hull.  She had been blinded when 
a sensor tower was destroyed.  Even more disturbing she had felt people 
inside her on the rare occasions the Tsunami had carried important people 
with in her.
	The dreams didn’t make any sense and they hadn’t felt like the prophetic 
dreams she had on occasion.  She knew what those were like and this was 
different.
	Sasami divided what remained of the cake into perfect little pieces and 
added it to the tray that already contained the warm tea and the three new 
cups for Sakura, Autumn, and Ryo-Ohki.
	*I have to be cheerful this is after all not my day to ruin.*  Sasami 
thought as she grabbed up the tray and walked out of the kitchen.
	“Your telling me that Sasami used to follow Tenchi around everywhere?  
That’s just so cute.”  Sakura squealed as Sasami sighed again plastering the 
smile everyone expected to see onto her face.

***

	Captain Konaka woke up with a throbbing headache and a bitter taste in his 
mouth.  The enemy, whoever they were, had left him unconchouse on the floor 
of an empty room.  With more strength then he felt he should have, he stood 
and walked around the room tapping his wife on the shoulder until she was 
awake.
	Why was he alive?  The Soyakaze’s crew’s escape pods had been cruelly 
destroyed one after another.  His rifle was gone.  No surprise there but 
they had left him the heart wood, still carefully wrapped in it’s bag.  Why 
did he still have it?  Where they just too lazy or did they know it posed no 
threat.  He pulled the little piece of wood out of the bag and reverently 
examined it.
	“I guess we won’t have any more adventures together will we girl?”
	The odd pieces of electronics on the abalone colored wood began to beep at 
him.
	“What happened?”  Mia asked touching him on the shoulder used to his 
somewhat brisk manner in tense situations.
	“They must have hit the pod with some kind of stun ray.  The last thing I 
remember was the core blowing.”  He patted the heart wood sadly.
	“I am not a pet.”  A voice told him softly.
	“Sorry gir... Huh?”  The ghostly outline of Gilvilyko started to form 
before him.  The scar on her throat the most vivid part of the image. It 
seemed to stand out and float by itself.
	“You in the cell get on the ground, put your hands on your head, and close 
your eyes.  Failure to comply will result in severe punishment.”  A loud 
accented voice yelled over a speaker set in the ceiling.  At the first sound 
of the voice Gilvilyko disappeared like the ghost she had appeared to be, 
leaving the two humans, behind.  Konaka hurriedly stuffed the heart wood in 
its pouch.
	“I’m not going to...”
	“Just follow their instructions.  It beats learning how to breath vacuum.”  
He carefully got onto the ground watching her follow his example before 
closing his eyes.
	A few seconds later the roomed filled with the sound of a pressure door 
opening.

***

	“I found him Sasami!”  Autumn yelled, displaying the poor lost pet dangling 
happily on its key chain.
	“That’s great Autumn.”  Sasami said with too much false cheer.
	{“Thank for helping me look.”}  Autumn told her happy to be able to talk to 
some one in Japan in English.
	{“No problem.  Come on, lets go back down stairs.”}
	{“Your sister really liked Sakura.”}
	{“It is a little odd Aeka can be very formal and yet she does seem to have 
taken a liking to Sakura.”}
	(“Then again Sakura can be very formal when she wishes to.”}
	{“Really, I haven’t seen that side of her except when she’s apologizing.”}  
Sasami smiled slightly remembering their first meeting.  {“We should hurry 
on down before we’re left behind.”}
	“Okay,”  the two girls, both apparently cheerful, walked down the stairs to 
find everyone gathered in the living room waiting to go.  The group had 
changed into less formal clothes it seemed.  Mihoshi was in her favorite 
blue jeans and pink top.  Kiyone in a matching pair of red shorts and shirt. 
  Motashiwa and Mitsuki had both scrounged up a pair of galaxy police 
athletic attire and looked oddly matching even out of uniform.  Someone had 
obviously taken Aeka aside and with enough style sense had put her in a 
lovely pink summer dress that seemed to match perfectly with her purple 
tresses.  Ryoko was wearing her formless baggy blue outfit and Washu a white 
T-shirt with the stylized picture of a crab and red shorts going for the 
child image she wished to project.
	Somehow all the rest of the men had ended up in a pair of blue shorts and 
T-shirt looking bland standing next to the wildly dressed girls and the 
feline alien.
	Ryo-Ohki walked up behind Sasami with Sakura and this time Sasami’s jaw did 
drop.  From somewhere Ryo-Ohki had acquired a nice light cotton sun dress 
that she had obviously not created using the Masu. Beside her, Sasami felt 
just a little jeoulouse of the cabbits good looks.  She quickly tucked the 
thought away as unbecoming of a Jurain princess.

***

	A light breeze moved through the leafs slowly shaking them on the trees and 
pushing one stray leaf from a branch.  It danced upon the wind enjoying the 
warmth and its exposure to sunlight after leaving the shadows of the forest 
and drifting across the sky before landing in a ripple of water.  The leaf 
slowly sank into the glass clear liquid.
	To Sasami this was as close as it came to pure peace.  The sunlight 
trickling across her face changed the light on her eye lids so that for one 
second she saw yellow and the next a red lined black.  Somewhere far away, 
but not to far, she heard the sound of happy laughter and the splash of 
water.
	A pair of feet softly tread on the ground next to her before quietly 
sitting down beside Sasami.
	“Sasami, are you awake?”  Aeka asked softly, slightly adjusting her 
position.
	“Hmmmm...”  Sasami gave a non-committal answer to the question.
	“The fleet left Jurai a few days ago.  I got the message from  Ryu-Oh when 
I checked on her.”  Aeka told her softly, trying to keep the worry out of 
her voice for the sake of her little sister.
	“I know.  Tsunami told me...”  Sasami mumbled still fascinated by the 
changing light and dark on her eyelids and the patterns that were created 
out of nothing.
	“That’s good that Tsunami’s with them.”
	“This entire incident has just reminded me how long its been since either 
one of us went back home.”
	“The earth is my home now Aeka, and as long as Tenchi is here, its yours as 
well.”  Sasami finally opened her eyes and looked at her sister.  A hint of 
envy had crept into her voice.  “You came here to find your love, sister, 
and you have finally succeeded.  But I came here to escape.  And as long as 
I can run away I’m going to.”
	“Sasami you can’t run away forever from your future.”  Aeka told her 
softly.
	“You think I don’t know that.”  Something was in Sasami’s eyes and she 
rubbed it softly.  Every conversation with Aeka after her return from Jurai 
with Tenchi seemed to end with Sasami in Tears.  Wobbly Sasami stood and 
walked off into the tree line leaving Aeka behind.  A concerned look on her 
face.

***

	From across the glen Autumn played with her Kawaii-chan rapidly inputting a 
set of commands.  The virtual pet on the screen disappeared replaced with 
just two words.  {“Message Received.”}

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