------------------------------------------------------------------------- Many thanks to: Jen-chan, who is my best friend no matter what happens. Arevik, who speaks her mind and makes sure I do the same. Kale, my precious pre-reader!! Not to mention the most adorable cheemunk I have ever had the pleasure of knowing. Lita, who has been my inspiration and my friend. Daniel-kun, just because he's so overworked. To all the people who have lost someone they love. By losing them to someone else, by changing and growing apart, or by losing them to death, which is as natural as life. Disclaimer: Tenchi Muyo! and all it's characters are property of Pioneer Entertainment and AIC except for any plot changes, background ideas and characters that are mine. If you can't tell the difference, watch Tenchi Muyo!: Ryo-ohki OAV episodes 1-13, Tenchi Muyo Universe, Manatsu no Eve, TMiL 1&2, etc. etc. etc. So without further babbling on my part, I give you the story! ::waits for any sign of Jen-chan or Daniel-kun:: Ryoke:.......*phew* HANDS OF FATE (Chapter 1) by Little Ryoko ^.~ (a.k.a. Ryoke) (please send C&C to ryokochan3@aol.com) ************** Why must it begin in blood? Her sacrifice will not be made in vain...but it will cause so much pain. She will lose everything. The time has passed and she must face her first trial. But why, oh why must she face it alone? There has to be another way. There has to. Pain sinks deep in the hearts of mortals. They fear so much, yet trust so little. How can they hope? Will a few simple scraps of love they try to weave back together form their lives, their sanity? How can they live like this? ************** Ryoko scanned the horizon of the new dawn. High in the air she inhaled the fresh air left off by the dew that sparkled on every tree, every leaf. She felt a warm glow pulse through her arm, and then into the palm of her hand. Suddenly a burst of yellow light came forth. It shaped into a long sword/staff that radiated it's own intense heat. She flew down to the stone bricks and stood tall, gleaming sword in hand. She shifted her weight, balancing herself on her right foot placed a little ways behind her, while she semi-leaned on her left foot in front of her. Her opponent stood opposite her. A burst of light revealed his own gleaming sword. With a howl she leapt at him. Coming at him with blinding fury and blazing speed. He quickly dodged to the right, barely evading her attack. He struck against the small of her back as she twirled around him. She blocked with her sword and pushed him off and stumbled, only for a moment. They parried, danced, and sprinted around each other. Circling each other, swords drawn, skills matched. If not for the small loose brick behind her opponentÕs foot, she surely would have fought him for hours, maybe even days. He slipped, just as she flew around him to strike. He fell over on his back and groaned in defeat. A seering hot yellow blade pressed just beneath his chin Ryoko stood above him triumphantly, wearing a victorious smile. She picked him up by his garments with ease and looked in to his eyes, "Game over Ten-chan" she whispered cunningly. "You win." Tenchi sighed. He didn't like losing, but it wasn't so bad when he was losing to Ryoko. She pulled him in closer for a kiss, their noses barely touching. As soon as he closed his eyes, she released him, letting him drop to the ground. She twirled around him playfully and taunted, "Better luck next time!" Tenchi got himself up and let Tenchi-ken fade away with a fzzt-zap then walked toward the house. It had been three months since he told Ryoko how he felt. It was great. The comfort, the support, the good times made him feel whole. Yet through it all, it still didn't seem to feel right. Something was wrong. He dismissed it as early-relationship jitters. He also had another kind of jitters. The How-To-Tell-Your-Family-And- Those-You-Care-About-That-Youv'e-Fallen-In-Love jitters. Long title. Bad result. It would hurt Aeka the most, but what about the other girls? Do the others care about me as much as Aeka, or Ryoko? Would I be hurting them as well? Maybe. *Maybe* I should stop talking to the voices in my head. Not voiCES, one voice. And besides, then where would you get all the *brilliant* advice I give you? >From my own thoughts, my own mind! Man your whacked, you realize your arguing with your subconscious? How's that for mental dialogue? Are you *trying* to be contradictory? I thought you said I should listen to you. I never said you HAVE to. Tenchi walked up the stairs to his room. As he passed Mayuka's room he paused. Aeka was inside, describing a story about a legendary warrior who gave up his glory and his honor for the woman he loved. "And he returned back to his home, to finally take the woman destined to be his bride. He gave up his title and glory to return to a quieter place, of equal beauty to his home, but with it's own kind of beauty. He went with his lady, there they spent the rest of their days, basking in the beauty of their love, and enjoying every second they spent with each other. They loved each other till the day they died, and even in death, they held each other close. When their bodies grew pale, their feet turned into roots, their skin stiffened and their fingers spread and hardened. They became two trees, sharing the same roots and stump. They were so close to each other both in body and spirit, they became one, to share each others souls forever and ever." Hmm. An ancient story with a personal twist. Was Aeka still hurting over the pain of Yosho's rejection? She loved him immensely and expected that she would spend the rest of her days with him. Then he left and unlike the story, never returned. Then she turns her attention to Tenchi, whose kindness she found so easy to adore. She suffered so much pain in her past and hoping to finally start over and rekindle her heart, she expects empty hopes. Only to have her heart broken again. How could she take it? Would she break like some fragile flower in the face of a bitter frost? Tenchi sighed as he slid open the door to his room. Too many questions, not enough answers, and one big headache. He collapsed on his bed, blinked a couple of times, and slept. ************** I sat gazing at the window. I couldn't see anything but clouds. I turned back to my book spread open on the tray before me. "Basic Japanese Dialogue for the Wary TravelerÓ I had not been to Japan since I was five. The little I do remember is not a pleasant memory. The screech of the tires, the sprays of glass, the twisting metal, the blood. Oh God, why am I going back there? They *died* there. They left me there. I was born into this world with two "loving" parents. I was raised in Japan with them. And I was deported to the United States without them. I leafed through my wallet. I pulled out my driver's license. Medium length layered reddish brown hair. Hazel green/brown eyes. Obviously Caucasian. Pretty nice lips. I took the picture without my contacts though. So all I saw was a fuzzy flesh colored mass asking me to look into the camera and smile. But I didn't smile; I gave my worst possible scowl. Not a disgusting look, but an angry pitiful look. The look I so often saw my mother wear. He would slap her across her face. As she sat on the floor covering her face she would whisper to herself softly. The chant that she whispered has haunted me all my life. "Nearest to heaven, farthest from earth." I often repeated the same thing too, as Rich came to my apartment drunk and totally out of control, screaming at me, yelling at me. Telling me that I was worthless, stupid. Oh God, why am I going back there? I'm running, that's what I'm doing. I am running back to the place that I wanted to get away from so long ago. I'm leaving a fresh horrible memory for a new horrible memory. The plane touched down and the next few hours seemed like a total daze. I decided to stay in a small hotel in Okayama, I didn't want to face the hectic air of Tokyo, I needed to escape, to visit the country for awhile. I awoke in the morning to find myself staring at a bunch of dark blurry words. I pulled the book off my face and tossed it aside. I stood up and stretched in the morning sun. It felt so good to finally see some sunshine. Real fresh sunshine. I walked the main lobby of the hotel and picked up a few brochures to read while I waited for breakfast which was "to be served promptly at 8:00". Well, 8:00 felt like right now because I was hungry. Even tired still because my body had yet to get really used to the Japanese time frame. I flipped through the first brochure describing the excellent hiking trails found in the hills and mountains of Okayama, then the next described the nearby town's quaint history and "eastern charm". I finally came to the last brochure. It was a simple piece of plain paper folded three times. On it was written a small inscription in kanji and the rest described the several shrines scattered across the landscape. Including the famous Masaki Shrine, home to the cave that contained a legendary demon who was finally captured by the warrior, Yosho. What a great place to see. My Japanese history is a little rusty, heck, who am I kidding, a lot rusty, but I studied only world history and culture as a separate course in my sophomore year at college. Plus, I still had to go back. Maybe these shrines would help my research in anthropology, the study of human culture via expression through religion and mythical tales through the progression of time. Yes, I would especially try to visit the Masaki Shrine. I want to see this demon cave for myself. Maybe if I were lucky, the shrine priest would be able to tell me a few details about this intriguing story. Yes, I would go tomorrow. Okayama, here I come. ************** *Flash* A woman stands over her child as she tries to hurry her into the car. The roads are slick with rain and Tokyo has just started its rush hour. An older man tries to get in the car but the woman yells for him to stop. He grabs her arm and wrenches her suitcase away from her. The child begins to whimper as the man rushes into the car and yells at the woman to get in. The woman stands wet and cold in the rain. Her damp hair clings to her face. She shivers and walks meekly to the other door and gets in. The child stands there crying silently in the rain. The man yells at the woman to get the child. The child walks up the side of the car and gets in herself. She sits wet and crying in the back seat while her mother is crying in the front. *Flash* Who are these people? Why is that child crying? Where am I? *Flash* A car speeds through the crowded streets of Tokyo. The driver is yelling something at the woman sitting next to him. The woman breaks down sobbing, covering her face with her hands. The man turns to her and lifts his arm as if he were about to strike. *Flash* What's happening? Is he going to hit her? What is this? *Flash* Suddenly a truck appears at the intersection. The child screams as the man struggles to swerve. He loses control and hits a telephone pole before flipping over and sliding into an oncoming car. The windshield shatters, the bumper twists and breaks. The woman looks up only to face a twisting column of metal, ready to jab at her head. *Flash* Oh my God, what's happening to these people?! Please, stop! *Flash* Blood is everywhere. An ambulance rushes to the scene and twists the car open with the Jaws of Life, struggling to rescue the people inside. They pull out the body of a man. His face, frozen in terror, is swathed with blood. The woman, her entire face is smashed in. Covered in blood and broken bits of glass. The paramedics pick up their bodies and place them in stretchers, covering them in plastic wraps. A man yells and the medics rush over. Someone is alive. A small girl of five appears. Short brown hair and pale skin. They try to wipe the blood off her face but she screams and runs to her parent's bodies, still lying on the stretcher. They pull her away and try to console her. She runs from them. She doesn't understand. She runs after the first ambulance truck and screams when they pull her away. She gets loaded into another truck. She sits there, cold and shivering, covered in blood not of her own. She sits in the ambulance huddling, staring at her bloody hands with dead, bloodshot eyes. She whispers to herself over and over, the same thing... *Flash* Oh. God. That kid...oh no, not another one... *Flash* A lone girl stands dressed in black in the arms of an elderly couple. She walks up and picks up a single white rose from the pile to her left. She walks forward. The grave seems endless. The only sign of a casket is the gold handles on the edge. The girl heads toward the first grave. "Elli Camson b.1956-d.1987 Our Angel On EarthÓ The child drops the single white rose into the dark abyss containing her mother's body. Maybe if she looked hard enough, she could see her mother's spirit floating up to heaven. She stared as hard as she could at the cold, dark grave. Nothing. Just the abyss. The single white rose. She walked towards the second grave. No flower in hand. The headstone read, "Federico Camson b.1942-d.1987 We are poorer for having lost himÓ The child stares hard at the grave, as if she could shoot fire through her eyes. Make his body burn. She stares so hard it makes her cry, cold and silent tears. She spits into the grave, drawing a nervous and shocked gasp from the crowd around her. Hateful and silent, she is led away by her shocked grandparents. As she quietly crawls into the car, she stares at the graves. Even as they drove away, she stares at them till they are no longer in sight. *Flash* Was that driver her father? Her parents were the people that died? What does this all mean? Who is that girl? Who is she? *Flash* Tenchi wakes up with a start. Sweat poured down his face and his hands shook uncontrollably. He stood up, pausing to take a breath. What a horrible dream. No, a nightmare, that's what it was, a nightmare. Just a nightmare. He walked slowly towards the door and noticed the clock to his right. 12:00. He had slept all through the morning. Tenchi hurriedly skipped down the stairs and walked into the dining room. Sasami noticed that he had finally come in for lunch and said, "Oh, Tenchi! I thought you were still asleep! I'm sorry I didn't wake you." "That's okay Sasami. I'm just glad I woke up in time." Tenchi answered as he sat down next to Ryoko. His hands were shaking as he picked up his chopsticks. "Tenchi, are you alright?" Ryoko asked. Flickers of concern crossed her eyes as she reached for Tenchi's shoulder. "Lord Tenchi?" Aeka asked. As she prepared to get up to see if he was all right, Tenchi stiffened. His blood grew cold and his hands shook as his body began to convulse. He closed his eyes and dropped to the floor. As soon as he landed his eyes flew open. Pain, rage, anguish, and fear swirled in the mists of those dead eyes. It seemed to add more chill to the words he quietly whispered over and over again, "Nearest to heaven, farthest from earth...nearest to heaven, farthest from earth..." ************** "I'm sorry, we're rather busy today, maybe you could come back next week." Here I was sitting in the shrine office drinking tea with an elderly Shinto priest. We spoke in a sort of half English half Japanese dialogue, only when he saw how horrible my Japanese was. His glasses flashed in the noon sun. He had an almost, youthful look to his eyes. As if he were a young man trapped in an old man's skin. I continued to observe him as he stood up and slid the door closed. "Miss, I am rather sorry I cannot help you with your paper but right now we have somewhat of a crisis." "Oh, what has happened?" He spoke in a slow, exhausted voice, "This shrine is a family shrine, passed down from generation to generation, and yes, there is a family in the house next door." He paused to see my reaction. So that was why there was this huge house so close to the shrine. I nodded for him to go on. "My grandson is in, somewhat of an ill health you see, the family is doing their best to take care of him right now so I am terribly busy managing everything they cannot." "Why don't you just take him to the hospital in town?" "It's not the kind of illness you can treat there." ************** Tenchi sat alone in a cold metal room. The walls contained a small chair and table nailed to the floor. He ran and flung himself against the wall. He bounced back with enormous force but was carried by a seemingly invisible cup of energy. "Please, Tenchi...any force directed at the walls or furniture will result in a doubled amount of force back, don't make this any harder than it is." said a voice seeming to come from everywhere. Tenchi moved in nervous circles around his cell. *Flash* A crying child, a broken vase...*Flash* "Stop!" he yelled. *Flash* A lone girl pulls out a gleaming knife from a bag.*Flash* "No!!" *Flash* A small woman sits in a chair shivering...*Flash* "Stop!!!" *Flash* A menacing man stands above, holding a bottle...*Flash* "I said stop it!!!" *Flash* A little girl stands in the rain, staring at the blood soaking her hands. She lets out a horrible scream, yelling to god to please let her die, to end the pain, end the suffering. *Flash* "NOOOOOOOO!!!!!!" Tenchi collapses on the floor and tucks his hands under his arms. Suddenly a young girl appears at a door coming from nowhere. She runs to Tenchi who is still shaking on the floor. "Tenchi! He's going catatonic again, Kiyone!" the young girl yells. She struggles to lift Tenchi up so he can sit up but he refuses to take his hands from under his arms. Kiyone appears from the same seamless door and carries a small metal tube with a tiny notch in the front. "Professor Washu, is he going to be alright? What's happening to him?!" Kiyone asked. Please let him be okay. Who are you? I said who are you?! ANSWER ME!! "Kiyone...Kiyone?!" Washu yells worriedly. Kiyone's eyes seemed to flicker for a second. She looked at Washu with a determined gaze and handed her the tube. "This rupturadermic spray should ease the elixir into his system. After that, we will conduct more tests." Washu said as she eased the tube to the throbbing vein on Tenchi's neck. It released bile of green liquid with a quite hiss as she wiped her brow and stood up. Kiyone shakily kneeled down next to him. Her hands shivered as she grasped his wrists and pulled out his hands. They were covered in blood. Crimson beads seemed to weep from his fingertips as they dripped all over the floor, onto her skin. Kiyone let out a frightened yelp and backed away, her hand drawing to her face in horror until she saw the blood it was covered in. Tenchi was doubled over on the ground, his head hung low and his hands continued to weep tears of blood on the floor. Washu watched silently from a far corner of the room. She neither flinched nor even let out a word as she took out a small metallic object from her pocket. She pressed it a couple of times and the floor suddenly sopped up the blood like a sponge. She walked out the door and turned to call to Kiyone, "Come on Kiyone. First wash yourself up then join me in the main lab. We have some blood tests to run." ************** Everyone waited. And waited. And waited. And suddenly Sasami was so tired of waiting she walked up to Washu's lab door and yanked at the knob that appeared. Washu came popping out just as Sasami was ready to get in. "Washu, what is going on in there? Is Tenchi going to be alright?" Sasami asked in a quiet voice. Washu ignored her and walked to the middle of the room. "I have some very disturbing news...Kiyone and I have uh...collected some samples from Tenchi and is has been revealed that the blood flowing in his system right now is not his own." Everyone gazed in shock as Washu continued to explain. "Not only has these memory flashes seemed to affect his mental stability but the also seem to be affecting his body. His cells are going into a state of molecular breakdown in which the DNA coding is being ripped apart in a sense. The same process happens in cloning or hybreeding but the DNA is not being replaced unlike my previous two examples. In the most literal of terms..." Everyone held their breath for an answer. "...Tenchi is dying." ************** "I'm sorry." "It's alright Miss, but I hope you can come back at a more...gracious time. Goodbye." I walked out the shrine doors and looked at the large house facing the lake. What a beautiful house. The Masaki Home. Maybe I should stop by and at least give my condolences. I walked up to what I thought was the front door and knocked softly. I heard no noises from inside but I pressed my ear to the door. Suddenly the door was opened and I practically fell through. A young girl appeared. She looked to be about 12 and had bright pink hair and dark green eyes. Japanese fashion trends? I picked myself up and bowed in respect. Even if she was a child, it was only proper. "I am sorry to disturb you but I was just talking to the shrine priest and-Ó Suddenly I was cut off as the girl grabbed me by the arm and dragged me to a doorway that seemed to appear out of nowhere. Suddenly she took a metal tube from her pocket and pressed it against my wrist. She then took out another tube and pressed it softly against my neck. The whole room started to grow fuzzy and the edges of my vision became blurry. I felt my legs go weak as I collapsed on the floor. The last thing I remembered before blacking out was the girl staring at my face saying something. I think she said... "Hello little guinea pig." ************** "Oh my God." Sasami said. She stood there trembling and clutching her apron. Sobs came as her back arched and heaved with the sounds of her gasps and tears. Aeka stood there, covering her mouth with her hand. She sat down on the stairs and began to shiver and cry. Mihoshi wailed as she clung desperately to Kiyone, who had just appeared out of the lab. Kiyone blinked as her tears stung her eyes. This could not happen, it isn't right. Everyone showed their signs of grief. Noboyuki sat down on the couch silently and ran his fingers through his already graying hair. Suddenly his shoulders also shook and he broke down as well. Ryoko could not be seen anywhere. Apparently she had faded out of sight as soon as she heard the news. Ryo-ohki suddenly came into the room. She sensed the mood that everyone was in and tapped into Ryoko's memories. She also began to cry and mewed constantly. Suddenly Washu walked in. Determination shone in her eyes and she walked with an air of confidence. "First of all, Aeka, please quit crying and take care of Mayuka. Second, Kiyone, get back into the lab and run an analysis on the genetic sample I just recently collected and be prepared to give me the results in...about an hour or so. Third, everyone else, quit weeping and listen to me a sec." Aeka ran upstairs to get Mayuka, Kiyone dashed into the lab and everyone else huddled closer to Washu. She looked into each of their eyes. Their dread, their fear, it clouded their minds, it spoke across their faces. Washu inhaled a long deep breath and began, "Now, just because I said Tenchi is dying doesn't mean he's going to. What kind of greatest scientific genius of the universe would I be if he did?" Washu smiled as she noticed that they weren't so tense. Now there was hope. A tiny ray of light at the end of this tunnel of darkness they had all been pushed into. She cleared her throat and continued, "If we could find the reason for these memory flashes, this odd blood phenomena, and the reason as to what they all mean, then there is a chance of a 'cure' of sorts." The look of hope on these people's face was almost too much to bear. What if they put too much faith in this? YouÕre the famous Lady Tokimi aren't you? I know you're doing this. With the fact that why else are you in my mind right now? And what praytell is that? Oh really? Who ARE you? Kinda conceited, aint'cha? ************** She walked into the cold metal cell, smelling of sunshine and open air. She walked slowly toward the other chair next to the shiny metal table in the middle of the room. She touched the cool metal ever so slightly with her fingertips. Her reflection stared back at her. Her golden eyes looked dull and worn out. Her cyan hair was limp and uncombed. She looked as if she hadn't slept for days. This is what a few minutes of grief has done to her? She sat down on the table and stared at him. He was lying on the ground clutching his knees. To her surprise, he shuddered and stood up once he felt her presence in the room. Their bodies, their minds, their souls were linked by something far more powerful than telepathy, or even science. She reached out to him and slightly raised her pinky, calling for some unknown compliance. He recognized the gesture and lifted his pinky and linked it with hers. Suddenly, tears began to well in his eyes. His eyes, the darkness that crowded his eyes played and danced there. Eating away at his very soul, while leaving the body weak and crippled. His eyes seemed so far away from this world, as if ready to carry his spirit to the next one. She pulled him closer and hugged him tight, as if never to let go. She felt his heartbeat pounding against hers in its eternal rhythm. The sound of their two hearts seemed to fill the room. Time froze in that moment. As if the world had taken a huge breath and refused to let go till it saw what happened. He picked his head up and looked at her. He breathed softly into her ear. Whispering a billion nothings of love and life together. He traced her cheek with his lips. When their noses touched, their lips met, soft and unyielding. The sound of their heartbeats pounding in their ears. Ryoko held him away and looked at his tired face. Her golden orbs seemed to ask a billion questions at once. Most of them were things like: Why? How? What is it? He couldn't answer her questions. He could only look into her eyes and tell her to be brave. That they would find a way. There was hope. ************** When I woke up, the ceiling was staring back at me. I tried to sit up, felt a crack in my spine, and lay back down. I used to see a lot of ceilings like this. The ceiling of the hospital where I got treated for those bruises I earned from Rich. The ceiling of the orphanage, my home after my grandparents died. Yes, I had seen a lot of ceilings like this. One's put there and painted in a certain way to look kind, comforting, reassuring. When in actually, they were always the ceilings of places you'd least want to be. The nurse told me I either better file charges or by next month I would be getting fitted for a cast, and in six months, a coffin. But I was scared. What would Rich do if he found out? No, WHEN he finds out. I had been dating Rich on off for about six months before he told me he truly loved me. "I love you Serena, you know that, I would die for you." That one statement changed my life. After that, Rich NEVER let me out of his sight. He told me I was worthless, stupid, but later on he would come and try to comfort me. Assure me that I made him do and say those horrible things and that he didn't mean it. I was so confused. I finally found the strength to break away. I moved back to California and changed my last name. I got a new job and transferred to UCLA, hoping never to see Rich again. Unfortunately, when I had barely begun to enjoy my life, he found me. Tracked me down to my friend Kate's house, which was the center for a huge party. He waltzed in, made a big show of introducing himself as my boyfriend and talked too loudly, drank too much, and made too many comments about how I looked. When we finally got out, he dragged me to his car. He slammed me hard against the door and pressed up close against me. So that I could see every ounce of rage that poured out of his eyes. "You little bitch, don't you ever try to run out on me again! If I can't have you, no one will." Thank God Katy came outside to see if I was okay. Suddenly Rich pulled back, adjusted his tie and put on the wolfish face and diplomatic charm he used to influence so many of the most prestigious judges. He was the head entertainment lawyer in his firm in New York and played his well-rehearsed act on Katy, who suspected nothing. She offered to give me a ride home and I graciously accepted. I began to break down and cry as soon as we hit Heliotrope and she stopped to ask me what was wrong. I told her everything. About the fights, about Rich, the year we lived together, everything. As soon as I finished she sped off for the police station. Rich was eventually taken to trial, had a restraining order filed against him, and was fined for a fairly large sum, even for his tremendous funds. I didn't want any memories of Rich so I packed up and decided to take a yearlong break from college in the only other home I ever known: Japan. Now here I am staring at the ceiling, frozen. Suddenly, I heard a door open. I tried to turn my head but a zapping pain in my neck prevented me from moving an inch. I heard someone gasp and walk towards somewhere above my head. I heard her (I judged it was a "her" from her footsteps and gasp) mix something. A swishing of liquid. Tapping on something, probably computer keys. The computer warming up and processing. More footsteps, something picked up. I think I'm still in the Masaki house. But why am I paralyzed and left here to rot? More footsteps and a closed door. Silence. And here I am staring at a ceiling, frozen. ************** Kiyone hadn't expected that Washu had collected a sample AND kept the original "specimen". It wasn't right and Washu knew it. But Kiyone trusted her. And in matters concerning life and death, the greatest scientific genius in the universe did not play around. Kiyone walked into the living room to find Washu. She had been her mentor ever since Mayuka was born. The information and skills she had acquired made her very valuable as a Galaxy Police Officer and let her earn the rank of Sergeant First Class. She owed her career to Washu and she would not let her down. Washu turned around as Kiyone entered to room. She took the data pad and studied it. Her emerald eyes carefully absorbing the information. Analyzing it, correcting it, memorizing it to suit her needs. Suddenly her eyes widened with surprise. She ran all the way to the lab, leaving no explanation. Everyone was dealing with their anxiety in their own way. Aeka tried watering the plants. Mihoshi tried to watch a soap opera but broke down crying every time one of the main characters lamented, which was often. Katsuhito just heard the news and spent his time praying and meditating in a corner. Sasami could be seen as nothing but a flurry of blue-green hair, bustling around the kitchen, cooking up a storm. Ryo- ohki tried her best not to get stepped on so Kiyone decided to care for Mayuka, who had begun to cry do to all the noise Mihoshi was making. Nobuyuki couldn't stand to stay at home and decided to head to the office to finish up some work. All it was now, was a waiting game. ************** Aeka found a large tree in the middle of a clearing, it's leaves seemed to rustle with a breeze of their own. Aeka could hear sounds emanating from the tree. A low soft swishing sound seemed to be coming from it. Aeka stepped forward towards the towering tree. It was obviously an elm. It's long vines hanging low towards the ground. Young waxy green leaves hung heavy with the scent of sap. The markings of past years laced in the scars marked upon it's once smooth bark. A small pool of water surrounded it, the clear water seemed to be constantly feeding it's thick roots. Aeka stepped forward, drawn by the whisper of it's leaves. Her eyes looked a little shaky for a second. She touched it's bark and felt a warmth coming from the veins of the tree. She could feel a beating pulse beneath it's bark. Suddenly her feet came close to the water surrounding the tree and the swishing sound coming from it's leaves seemed to grow louder and more urgent. Aeka lost her footing on the edge of the pool and leaned forward, collapsing on the tree. In a flash of light that crawled up from the depths of the tree's roots, she was gone. ************** Tokimi. Tokimi, what have you done? What is the point of this? It's not over yet. ******************* THE END of chapter one ******************* Author's Notes: Well, I've received nothing but good comments about this fic except for the following: 1) NO I had no clue about Mano: Hands of Fate from MST 3000. ::shudders:: 2) If the text keeps dripping, I'm sorry but that's how it came out on the site for some weird reason. 3) I'll make sure to update the chapters with corrections and to tag the speech of the goddesses. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this and be sure to tell me what you think! Next Chapter: Beginnings and Endings... BTW: A separate website will soon be posted and there will be previews of the fic, fan art, and news. Till next time folks: BYE!