Disclaimer: Tenchi Muyo is the property of Pioneer and AIC. Blaw Blaw blaw. Important Writers note: No need for Tenchi, cause their anit no Tenchi here. Ok some of you may get mad at me. Why? Because this story you already know. You have all seen it on the show and you know what happens and how it ends. But the story was told in three segments and with three different characters narrating. Plus it was quickly done as flashbacks. My attempt here is write the whole story with all the whys and hows put in it. Do not worry their will be plenty of original writings within the story. So here is my rendition of the story that started the whole Tenchi Muyo saga. The tale of Yosho vs. Ryoko. In The Beginig Part one : Ryoko Attacks There are places in the universe where no mortal may enter without the aid of the great powers that be. In such a place, outside the boundaries of time and space their is a great complex. It is much like a grand palace though much bigger and on the scale of giants. The complex is segregated into three areas. Each area inhabited by one of the three powers that be. In one of the great halls of the palace witch looks much like a garden full of greenery and flowers stands a great tree that centralizes the hall and dwarfs everything else within. The goddess Tokimi walked in, her footsteps making her seem to glide over the floor. Tokimi did not have to look for she knew where her sister was. Walking around the great Jurian tree that was named after her sister, she spied Tsunami looking down into the large pool at the foot of tree. Walking up to her she looked down into the pool as she was. The water moved and swirled bubbled and churned. "It is almost time, she said. Will you not take my council?" Tsunami looked up from the water. Her ocean blue eyes taking in her sister. She moved a hand to brush the long locks of lush green hair away from her face. "Trying to persuade me one last time sister?" The two goddess looked not very much alike. Tokimi was short haired brunette with black within blue eyes and had a stone-like carved face like the finest white marble. Tsunami was blue eyed with the green of growing things hair that fell past her waist and a tanish complexion like the bark of the trees she had assimilated into herself. "Yes sister; time grows short. The events that are to come will be the end of things as we know it." "That is not certain Tokimi and it is more likely that all things will simply change into something different," Tsunami replied. "I do not want to be reborn into something different. I am a goddess. I am eternal. Why do you insist on going through with this?" "When this all began 10's of thousands of years ago I understood. I understood that you wanted your chosen to be strong and survive. I could understand wanting to be a mother to them and be close to them. But the price is too high I think. You are a goddess; you are above all other life forms. But you have assimilated with these trees and then assimilated to the Jurians. It has clouded your thinking. You have these irrational emotional thoughts." "You begin to feel as they do. You are becoming too much like them. You are loosing your grip on what it is to be a goddess." "No, Tsunami stepped in. I may feel like the humans do but I have not forgotten who or what I am like our sister has. You do not need to fear for me loosing myself." Tokimi stepped back from her sister and said," Even with what you know is coming you will not turn from it? You will not save yourself and cut the bonds?" "It is madness. I do not want to loose another sister Tsunami." "You will not Tokimi. I have set things in motion that should prevent it. And I will not forsake my people in their time of greatest need." "But what you do could set a series of events that could send your precious people into a dark age." Tokimi pointed at the water of the pool as to emphasis her point. "I know your people have prospered from you greatly but for every golden age there must be a dark age. It is the way of things." Tsunami smiled at her sister and said, "Your concern is dually noted Tokimi but my mind is set." "But Tsunami, it could damage you; make you weak. You are too closely linked to your people," pleaded Tokimi. "My jurians have a saying, that witch does not kill me makes me stronger." "Fear not sister all will be well. She paused waiting for a rebuttal but was distracted by the pool. Looking at the pool more intently then straitening up she turned back to her sister." "Time has caught up to me sister. Please go. I do not want you to see me when it happens." Tokimi turned without a word and left the great garden hall, looking back only once by the door and then was gone. * * In orbit around the planet Juri, there where a dozen military ships. A small operations fleet to secure the area of any hostile elements. On the flagship of this fleet a young lieutenant sat at his station on the bridge. The ships navigation officer grumbled at the screen in front of him. "See the universe they said." He grumbled. "Joined the military to go into space; and all the farther I got was orbit." "We got the dam planetary defense system why do they need a whole fleet to guard the Jurian system anyway?" "No enemy could get this far into the Jurian territory before getting intercepted by an other fleet." He sighed and leaned back in his chair, and stared at the screen that showed the forward view of the ship. He was bored. After staring at the view for a long time he blinked and then looked closer. Suddenly something did not seem right. He called back over his shoulder, "Com. Officer? Do we have a ship coming in at sector 2.2?" The com. officer looked up from his board and said, "No; everything is in orbit nothing is due in for hours yet." "Is there a problem Lieutenant?" Asked the captain. The Lieutenant said "I'm not sure Sir. I swear I saw something move out there. It crossed over a star and now its back." Turning in his chair the captain said "what do the sensors say ensign?" "Sir, the sensors show nothing in that area." The captain punched a couple of buttons on his control panel and the main screen moved to that area at high magnification. The whole bridge crew was alert and staring at the screen. After a several seconds went by the captain pointed and exclaimed, "There, I see it. He hit a couple of buttons on his panel and said, Attention all ships, Battle alert, Battle alert. We have a stealth ship coming in on sector 2.2." Switching off the speaker he turned to the Com.Officer. "Send a message down to Central command. And send one to the kings' ship." The captain knew that stealth technology was a high-energy drain and so only very large ships could have them. And an equal ship of the same size as his could wipe out half of his fleet. The captain switched back on the speaker and said "move out of orbit and into attack pattern Bravo. And Deploy the Light Hawk wing shield." "Frigates 1,2,and 3 move to intercept that ship." They all watched the frigates speed ahead; seconds seemed like hours. Then when the frigates came into range the stealth ship uncloaked itself. As soon as the ship unmasked it fired its blaster turrets at the frigates. And as quick as 1,2,3 each frigate was blown to bits. The third frigate tried to send a message that was not really necessary for all could see. All knew of the dread ship; The Soja. The captain switched the comunicator back on, "all ships maneuver for attack, ahead full. He turned back over to the ensign, "scan for the Reo-oki she has got to out their somewhere." The ensign adjusted his scanners. It took only a few moments to give the update. "Sir the Soja is powering its main weapon, he paused, I have spotted the Reo- oki, It is on the other side of Juri from us." "Helmsman will we be in firing range before his gun goes off?" Asked the captain. In reply the lieutenant said "not by half sir." The crew all watched helplessly as the power charged in the Sojas main gun, growing into a sharp point of light. They all feared that this was their final moments of life since they where the biggest threat. The Sojas main gun could devastate a planet with a blast that could cause a year long winter, destroying the ecological balance. Not to mention what it can do to a cruiser or battleship. The Soja fired and a brilliant wave of energy sweaped out. The bridge crew where stunned that they where not the target. As they watched the blast head for the planet Juri. Then the blast moved past the planet seeming to narrowly miss it. The ensign double checked his readings. "Sir the Soja had fired at the planetary defense system. There is now a large section with no defense. And sir, the Reo-oki is headed right for it. It will enter the atmosphere before we can get within firing ark of it." * * * Inside the dread ship Soja stood one of the most feared villains to ever menace the universe, Kagato. Tall and ashen faced with wide shoulders and a great cloak for a mantel. Kagato stood in his vast thrown room watching as his plan played out. He was a complex man, refined in the many arts of gentlemanly pursuits. Plus he knew the deadly arts of swordplay and others, and he was very good at them. And he was a scientist. One of the greatest the universe has known. But for all that he was wholly evil. Being nice was not one of his virtues. Pain would be the better word to describe Kagato. For he was relentless in his pursuit for power. He cared not for glory or riches or fame. He wanted immortality and supremacy to rival the gods. He was so powerful that he played with mortal lives, mortal worlds, like a cat and mouse game. And he enjoyed the giving of pain. He needed no crew to obey his commands. Besides even if he found people competent enough for the job, they would not last long. They would not survive long either. Only his pet, Ryoko could give him some pleasure and come back from it. Only to give himself more opportunities. Ryokos' matrix was such that he could take its head and it would come back from it. Obtaining it was a masterpiece of setup and betrayal. And best of all he could gloat over its creator any time he wanted to. Professor Washu was incased within a stasis crystal. Placed down in Kagotos' trophy room. All Kagoto needed was at his fingertips. All his controls set within his clothing right down to his small round spectacles. Other wise anything he needed was in phase-space around him. Waiting at a gesture for his convenience. Like a wizard he cast his hands out in front of him preparing his ship for battle. He switched his front view display to show the Reo-oki entering through the hole his first attack made in the planetary defenses. "Go my Ryoko. You know what I want. Go get it. Bring me the master tree. Bring me Tsunami. Then I will have the greatest power in the universe. HAHA Haha." "And while I wait I'll have some toy ships to play with." He turned his view back toward the space fleet heading for him. "I do love the way they blow up." He said with a smile. * * * The Reo-oki moved through the atmosphere and into the Jurian ski. Moving at high velocity toward the Jurian palace district. Air defense platforms maneuvered toward the Reo-oki. Firing their crystal-like missiles at her. They exploded causing shrapnel damage. But the Reo-oki was fortified with extra defense systems. An extra precaution added by Kagoto. Plus the wild and skillful pilot swerved and dipped to avoid the onslaught. Given a moment the Reo-oki maneuvered her under belly and fired her blaster beams at the platforms. Each a direct hit and each platform exploded. The Reo-oki moved on to the next wave. On it went like that Dodge, swerve, and fire. Till finally nothing but a swath of smoking destruction with many small fires where in her wake. Next was, as expected, a group of ship moving to intercept her. Mostly nobles' yachts and some other small craft with weaponry. On top of that there where ground to air defense systems within the Jurian trees. The Reo-oki poured on the speed taking the few shots that hit and breaking up the formation of the ships. With Reo-okis' speed and maneuverability the ships tried to get a firing lock on her but few where successful. The Reo-okis' maneuvers brought the yachts in direct fire of the ground bases or into each others way. This gave the Reo-oki precious time to fire more destructive firepower onto the ground emplacements or onto the other ships. Many ground emplacements where destroyed and many more fires adding to the confusion. Several ships bounced off each other or barreled into one another sending them both spiraling down to the ground or into the great Jurian tree copses spreading more fires. By the time they discovered the Reo-okis' tactics there was too much damage done. The Reo-oki took out the remaining ships by destroying their engines and sending them down to explode on the ground. And that was the last of the air defense. The Reo-oki was battered but ready for another round or two. The Reo-oki turned and speed toward the Jurian palace. Heading for the front courtyard instead of one of the landing platforms. The pilot could see masses of people running every witch way, causing much confusion. "All the better for me". It said to herself. The Reo-oki hovered over the ground and beamed down Ryoko and a large blocky machine. Then The Reo-oki caved in upon itself till it was a small furry and cute looking creature. Reo-oki jumped into a bush for cover. And there stood Ryoko. The widely known and feared Space-pirate Ryoko. The She Demon. The harbinger of death. Looking up at the great Jurian palace. It was in the guise of a woman. Tall and rail slender. With wild long spiky Platinum hair. Its eyes glowed an angry red, and showed evil menace in a down turned brow. Upon its face, showed the blackish side effects of power. The black covered a quarter of one whole side of its face and the other side with a large claw of power and a second smaller thorn of power. It wore a red body suite of Blood red and black that form fitted to its sleek body. It looked over its shoulder at the hissing and still sparking machine. "So much for the beam dispersal field. It served its purpose." "Heh, the great Jurian planetary defense system. Ha. What a joke. And they don't even have the curtsey to have an entourage waiting for us. What say we go find them Reo-oki"? "Myia" Reo-oki replied and scampered through the brush as Ryoko took to the air. The courtyard was huge with a large shrubbery maze in the middle of it where Ryoko and Reo-oki set down. Now Ryoko flew from that spot to view several troops Heading in their general direction. Also several young brash and or naive nobles brandishing Tenchican. Ryoko seem to hesitate long enough for a blaster shot to riccosa off its power bubble shield. Ryoko teleported to another location. Arriving as planed right in the middle of a group of nobles and guards that had just entered the maze. Its Face was a mask of rage, its power claws and glowing eyes adding to the effect, as it attacked the group with blinding furry, howling its rage. It left as quickly as it came leaving behind death and the pain of the dying in its wake. Moving from group to group in a calculated furry of battle lust it slew, dodged, parried, jabbed, spun, thrust, dodge, sliced. All so fast it almost could not be followed. It moved closer and closer to the great entrance of the palace. Flying up into the air it surveyed the surrounding area. It had cleared away several would be combatants and now waited for a second wave. While it waited it shot lighting balls randomly at masses for fleeing people in order to create even more destruction and confusion. The great entrance, which had stood for thousands of years, at this inopportune time, was under renovation. It was being reconstructed, and half of the new structure was missing; looking exactly like the old one; how uninventive. . Ryoko moved toward it and shot more lighting balls to create fires and caused the mass of people milling about to flee. * * * The first hit gave a shock to Tsunami. Though none of the deaths where of the noble blood and not attached directly to her, she still felt the pain of loss. But the loss of men and ships where only the beginning. The deaths that mounted where nothing compared to the deaths created when Ryoko started her assault on the planets surface. The pain started to stab at Tsunami and tears formed in her blue eyes. Her hands covering her face as if to stop the flow of tears. Feeling as her human children do it was right to greave for the dying. But her plight was much worse than that. As her Holy tree was mother to all other trees of the nobility also they where connected to her. Just as the trees where bonded to the noble family members. Thus creating a host of benefits to both the semi-sentient trees and to the humans. Benefits such as longevity and magic-like power to wield. But what happened to one would have effect to the other. And Tsunami was connected as well. So as the dying mounted the feelings would travel from host to tree to Tsunami-tree to Tsunami. Tsunami had carried the burden of emotional pain before but never on such a scale. As the battle went on Tsunami felt the pain of every person left for dead or wallowing in agony, and the dying. Shock and horror, panic and fear ruled within the hearts of the Jurians. Tsunami stood leaning against her tree that was both her and plant at the same time. Also it was here and in the Royal Jurian palace too. She trembled as she sobbed. Her children died by the score and the emotional pain was too much for even a goddess to bare as she slid down the trunk of her tree feeling the pain and loss, shock, and fear. She wailed in pain as her tears ran down her face in rivulets. She wailed louder and longer as if it would cause the pain to stop. But it only continued to mount as each new pain hit her like a drop of fire onto her tender heart. And each drop reverberated from her children to her and back with a name. Ryoko, RYOKO, RYOKO!, RYOKOOO!! * * * Young Princess Ayeka was beautiful; now into her middle teen years. She had formed very nicely into the shape of womanhood. Her long dark tresses with purplish highlights reached down to her waist. One of her two ponytails had its binding missing and her hair flew loose. The look of fear on her face was mirrored be everyone else she passed. Every one from servant to dignitary or ambassador where in a panic that griped them. They all where running back and forth in fear trying to get away from the destruction. People where scrambling in every direction. Explosions from Ryoko tossed the panicked mobs into mass confusion. Princess Ayeka was being shoved or tossed around on the wide walkway out front of the palace. Her finery of clothing, her statues nor her beauty stopped any in the terrified crowds of people. "Please stop! Out of my way! I must get to the palace!" she yelled. It was so noisy she had to yell to hear herself. But it was all to no avail as she continued to fight the masses of people trying to flee. As she fought in one direction she noticed that the explosions seemed not to be centralized as if they where meant to create the mass confusion. But she had not time to really think about this. Suddenly a big commotion started ahead of her. Blaster fire erupted overhead and in front of her. Within the commotion she herd someone yell "the Demon". And the whole crowd moved in the opposite direction of where Ayeka was headed. It was like a wave of panicked human mass that moved past Ayeka. With mass hysteria and fear Ayeka was knocked to the ground where she curled into a ball to avoid getting trampled. Looking past her knees she tried to look past a statue that was part of the entrance to the palace. There she could see blaster fire was being shot seemingly at random and heard the shouts of battle. Then the statue exploded in front of her. Shards of stone flew with great force in all directions felling the people too slow to flee. Then all seemed quiet and Ayeka began to move and then froze. Fore suddenly out of nowhere a figure appeared atop of what once was the statue. The smoke was thick and partly blocked out the sun, casting the figure in shadow. Fire from behind it reveled its feminine form. The shadowed face set with glowing red eyes and the fire illuminating its platinum hued wild hair and a power sword held in one hand without the aid of a tenchican. It could only be Ryoko. Ayeka had been feeling the fear and panic of the crowd before but now she looked upon the face of fear and death itself. And she began to tremble as tears began to blur her vision. Quick as a cat the Demon moved. Up the steps unopposed and into the construction holed palace. Ayeka was touched by a hand and lifted into a sitting position as a voice asked her,"Ayeka! Are you all right?" A tearful Ayeka looked up to the Jurian royal teardrop hued eyes of Prince Yosho. Ayeka's fear washed away at the sound of Yosho's voice. She gave him a big smile as she clamped onto his hand. Yosho looked back to the Guardians trailing in his wake. "Azaka, Kamidake, take charge of the princess, that's an order. Get her away from here." And then with a quick squeeze from his hand he was off running after Ryoko. "Come princess Ayeka, we will take you to safty",said Azaka. The attention of all three shifted suddenly as explosions erupted inside the palace foyer. Ayeka stayed standing rooted to the spot. Though the foyer was up a flight of steps and out of her sight. She looked, with hands clenched together at her chest, as if she could see the battle raging inside between her half- brother and fianc‚ and the demon Ryoko. "No, she said worriedly, I must know how it ends." "Remember Pricess Ayeka, Kamidake said, at the first sign of danger to your person we will bodily move you out of danger. Each of the large tree trunk log looking guardians moved along side the princess in preparation of this. "That's fine but I will not move before." Stated Ayeka. "Yosho, if anybody can defeat that monster you can, she said aloud to herself; but please be careful." From inside the foyer she could hear the demon woman shouting something and Yosho shot something back. There where more sounds of energy clashing and explosions fallowed by a banshee scream from Ryoko and still more energy clashing. On Board the Soja Kagato was enjoying his game. The carefully planed execution of the destruction of the fleet was going well. He chuckled to himself for every move they made, as if he knew they where going to do it. He treated it much like a leisurely game of chess. Though the taking of each piece cost the lives of hundreds. Even though they had faired better than he expected of them. His ship was not all that damaged. It was all ok with Kagoto, since he was winning and was going to win. He wanted them to have a false sense of hope before taking it away. Anyway, all he really needed to do was keep them busy till his pet brought to him what he wanted. A beeping light caught his attention on his holo-control board. "WHAT?!" He shouted out load, his good mood vanishing. "Dam! They where to be farther away than this!" Kagoto pulled out a small box and pushed one of many small buttons on it. "Ryoko, He shouted into it angrily, we have about 10 minutes before the kings ship and a full battle fleet get here. Where are you?" A muffled voice of Ryoko came from the box, I'm in the palace. But I have been blocked from passage." "Your blocked by what?!"demaned Kagoto. " I cannot pass through the walls. I don't know why. And I have been stopped by a formidable warrior." Ryoko replied sounding ashamed and vexed at the same time. "You have got 7 minutes to get what I want. Get me tsunami or die with the rest of the palace." Kagoto shouted into the control box. Then, in a fit of anger, he through the box at the floor away from him. Its casing broke but it stayed intact as it skidded across the floor and out of sight. Kagoto waved his arms his fingers dancing over an unseen control board. The huge ship Soja began to move into another vector. And the sound of the great main gun powering up made Kagotos dark mood lighten, a little. Princess Ayeka continued to listen to the battle waged within the foyer. At times she could see the combatants as they moved back and forth between construction materials. Her attention was mostly drawn away from the battle though. There where people wounded from reckless blaster fire or from the exploding statue or a list of other reasons. Ayeka helped those in need as best she could, under the circumstances. Using her torn cloak of silk-like material, she made some bandages for another woman that was attending a wounded noble. Ayeka had never received any formal training in first aid. There was never any need nor was it ever expected for the first crown princess to act as a nurse. Ayeka kept on looking over her shoulder at the battle waging just meters away. It kept her distracted from the other horrors going on around her. Her concern for Yosho kept her from slipping into shock like so many others around her. It seemed like hours had passed while the two battled, even though only a few minutes had gone by. She mused to herself, "So this is war. And I... We were caught unprepared." "I swear that will never happen again." "We will be safe as soon as Yosho takes care of Ryoko." "I swear that I will never be unprepared again. After today I will never be helpless again." A look came over Ayekas features. One of fire eye determination. Inside the foyer the combatants were using power based attacks. The amount of energy being discharged was enormous and frightening. And the foyer could not hold such power as it was holed and broken peace by peace. Ayeka was distracted again by the exclamations of some of the other milling about. Looking up as they pointed. Like the largest of the Jurian ships in the fleet the Jurian palace was fitted with a light hawk wing shield generator. Someone had finally remembered that the palace had one. It was a shock to Ayeka who like so many others did not know that it had one. The massive wings stretched out and then began to turn forming the shield. Princess Ayeka looked down at the foyer and saw that Ryoko had left what remained of the foyer. Yosho followed right behind it. Ryoko turned in mid flight and shot a lighting ball at Yosho. Yosho jumped as Ryoko shot and flew through the air passing the shot to exchange a quick attack at Ryoko before falling back to the ground. Yosho was dusty and his robes where singed and cut in several places around his sleeves and hem. But yosho looked unfazed by the ferocity of the battle. He had a furrowed brow of determination and showed not a bit of fatigue despite the impressive moves and power he had used. Ayeka had several times watched Yosho practice his swordplay but she had never seen him do such incredible maneuvers of agility, stamina and control. Though Ryoko had the ability of flight and teleportation Yosho fought the demon blow for blow. Ryoko charged Yosho with a barrage of small lighting charges to soften him first. Yosho used an energy shield to block them and set for Ryokos attack. Ryoko used a combination of sword blows teleports and lighting shots at Yosho. It was incredible that Yosho could keep up with the barrage. Then the dust clouded them from Ayekas sight. The barrage stopped and things stopped as if waiting for it to start again. Yosho moved out of the cloud and scanned for Ryoko. Spying the demon flying away from him Yosho quickly following behind the demon. Moving at a sprint and jumping an incredible distance over hedges of the maze in pursuit of Ryoko. Ayeka shouted "Yosho" and took off after him. As she ran she got some glimpses of Yosho running after Ryoko. Ayeka almost chastened herself but she really did not argue with herself for running after the pair of combatants. She had this uncontrollable fear that she would never see Yosho again if she let him out of her sight. She new it was an unreasonable fear probably set on by all that has happened but that did not calm her feelings. She continued to run after him calling "Yosho! Don't leave. Wait for me!" She new she sounded like a small child but did not care. She felt the need to be close and comforted by the ones she loved right then. And aside from her mother and aunt, Yosho was the only one that would. But she only fell further behind till she could only hope she was going in the right direction. * * * Kagoto smiled as he watched the command ship die. It expanded in several places bubbling out till the bubbles of screeching metal popped with fiery explosions. "Ha ha ha ha , only three cruisers left. They wont be a problem. However time has run out. He set some controls for scanning. He waited but the scan showed no activity of Reo-oki. Though there was plenty of activity of Ryoko. "Blast it! Its still combating? Ryoko you had better be on your way back." In a calm and deadly voice he added, "we will be haveing some more lessons about your ineffectiveness." As the seconds slipped away he continually looked at the time. And finally he had run out of it. "If I cannot have the power then no one will." The main cannon was armed and charged. The Soja had completed it maneuvers. Kagoto motioned his hand and the main cannon fire with a thunderclap of energy. " Goodbye ruling house of Juri." The Soja maneuvered into an escape vector. Still firing at the three cruisers The Soja made a fast getaway. The three cruisers did not follow, choosing to remain near what was left of the planetary defense system. However, Kagoto was very disappointed to discover that his last blast at the Jurian palaces was useless. The palace had a set of light hawk wings guarding over it. And the most powerful one yet. But Kagoto had no time to batter it down with a full battle fleet and the Kings ship and escort barring down on him in a very few minutes. And worst it appeared that he had lost his pet pirate too. He shouted his rage and looked for something to take it out on but there was nothing at hand. * * * Princess Sasami wandered down the great halls of the palace. A small child within her toddler years. She had the distinctive dark royal hair with purpleish tint. But it was so washed out that it looked like a light blue. And with her washed out red hued eyes that where more an vibrant pink, the combination made her look even more adorable and cute than most toddlers. She was frightened by what was going on around her. She did not understand what all the commotion was about but the fear was evident in the faces that ran past her. Princess Sasami was very young and had never feared before, nor even seen fear before today. She was separated from her nursemaid in the mass rush of people. Now the halls seemed empty and quiet again but she was completely lost. She kept walking down the hallway calling for her mother or for nana. It was the name she gave to her nursemaid. Sasami had been speaking full sentences for several months now but still was having trouble saying many words correctly. So she ether made up words or shortened them into something she could speak. Sasami came to an intersection of hallways. She spied the huge double doors to her left and instantly knew where she was. She ran to the great doors and gave a shove to one. As large as the huge doors where they where also perfectly balanced. Sasami pushed the door easily enough to permit herself inside. She stood within a great cavernous room. Spread throughout the room where floating platforms with one or more of the great noble trees of Jurian royal families. She loved this room and the trees. She new that they where special trees and their significants; especially Tsunami. Tsunami was the greatest of all the trees and sacredly holy as well; she wanted to see it again. She giggled as she moved into the room. Headed toward the first teleport pad she stood in its center and vanished to reappear at a lower level platform some distance away. She laughed as she went to greet the fist tree she saw. She new that the tree where alive and sentient though they could not speak. She did not understand why they where cooped up in this big room and people where not allowed to visit or play their. Though it was set up to be a holy place she treated it like a walk in the park, visiting friends. Sasami especially liked Tsunami. Sasami always felt safe in its presents. The last time she was caught playing around Tsunami she was severely scolded. Then she was forbidden to come back till she learned proper respect for the sacred tree. But Sasami felt that Tsunami tree liked her playing by her. Whenever she came near Tsunami she felt a warm and gentile presents. She believed that Tsunami was kind of lonely with the whole room set up symbolically as a giant tree with Tsunami at the bottom of everything. Sasami said goodbye to the tree and headed for the next teleport pad. Rematerializing onto the next platform she moved over to the next tree to say hello. Giggling with delight at her own seeming silliness she moved over to the edge to pear down. "I don't want to get caught again," she said to herself getting down onto her knees to look over the side. "I wonder if anybody is here?" Peering back and forth she did not see anybody on any of the other platforms. She grinned and moved to get up. She had several more platforms to go through before she reached the bottom. Right then a thunderous rumble hit the palace with a jolt. Sasami tried to keep her balance but was pushed forward by the jolt. Sasami fell over the side of the hover platform into nothingness. Sasami screamed as she fell to the bottom far below. * * * * Princess Ayeka continued to run through the grounds of the palace. Distant explosions and small fires where her markers for where the fight with Ryoko was headed. Finally turning a corner she saw Yosho running away from her. She was heaving for breath but kept up her pace to pursue Yosho with the guardians in tow. They where nearing the edge of the grounds by one of the many docking platforms that stuck out from the gargantuan platform that made up the palace complex. The palace, suspended above the ground by being built among and within the great Jurian tree cops. The two guardians came up to Ayeka from behind. They moved to either side of her. "Princess Ayeka stop. Their's danger."intoned the guardian Azaka. Princess Ayeka obeyed immediately. "What is it? Azaka?" The guardians created a force field around Ayeka. Ayeka looked around for a sign of danger but did not see one till she looked up. Far away she could see a light in the sky moving toward her. It was seen through the light hawk wing shield that the palace had made but Ayeka stood at the edge of the covered area. Ayeka took a sharp intake of breath and surprise etched across her face as she realized what this must be. The tremendous energy blast hit the Jurian palace with an impact that shook the whole tree cops it was in. Energy cascaded down and around the light hawk wing shield. The two guardians where moving with their charge shielded between them when the blast hit. But it was to no avail. Cascaded energy swept down and engulfed them. Ayeka watched in horror as electrified death swept over them like a wave. Ayeka screamed, or though she did, as the light surrounded her. Her whole body tingled with it. And then the light swallowed her and sweaped her away into oblivion. * * * * Tsunami sat huddled next to her tree. She was still weeping from all the death and pain. But it had stopped mounting and the shock did not hurt so much anymore. She was getting control of herself again. She looked bad for a goddess. , she though to herself. It was true that she was still red faced and her eyes where puffy and red rimed. Tears had run so much that her robe-like gown was stained by them. She though to her self. She got up and back on her feet. Snuffling and straightening herself she stepped to the pool. Looking down into the pool again and wiping away a fresh tear she smiled optimistically. "My plan is working. They will be safe soon enough. But the price was so high." Tsunami was still coming to grips with the torture of the feelings the onslaught gave her from her people. Tsunami heard a scream that brought her head around. It was very close. (relatively speaking) She reacted to it with immediate hast; she moved to the Jurian palace physically. It was much fround upon for a goddess to be on the mortal plain. Tsunami had not been on the mortal plain physically since the days of prophecy when she first gave the tree Tsunami to her people. But Tsunami just reacted like any human would. As she stepped into the Jurian palace she made it just in time to watch the screaming Princess Sasami fall to the ground and bounce with a sickening thud. "NOOOOO!" She cried as she jumped to the quiet unmoving Sasami. Kneeling down and scooping the little princess in her arms. Turning her over to look at her face tears burst out of Tsunami's eyes anew. There was blood leaking out of her nose and mouth and a large indentation on Sasami's crown that was seeping blood too. Tsunami started to rock the dying girl in her arms feeling a new pain much closer to her that all the others. A pain of close personal loss, and too witness it happen. "NO NO NO NO." She sobbed as she rocked back and forth. "Not Sasami!" A flash of memories flew into Tsunamis head. Memories of Little Sasami playing near the Tree Tsunami. Talking to the tree like a friend. No one had done that in many millennia. And Tsunami had watched her from her tree whenever she did visit. She found herself drawn like a mother to daughter to the little princess. Sasami was a rare an precious girl that Tsunami took a personal interest and liking too. In other circumstances she would call her friend. Now with the power of godhood Tsunami looked into Sasami to see the indented skull pushed into the brain. The brain functions going haywire. The breath caught in her throat, unable to breath. The heart taking its last beat before it began to vibrated an slow and become still. And the miracle spark of life began to dim and fade. Tsunami leaned her head back. The gushing tears streaming back past her ears, She Howled. "NOOOOOOOO AWWWha." She coughed a lung full of air as she moved to her feet. Again she howled to the heavens. "NNOOO I WON'T LET IT HAPPEN. DAM DESTINY, DAM FATE. I WON'T LET HER GO. I will pay the price." Tsunami spun on her heals still clutching the dying child to her. She moved toward her tree and phased into it. Again within her domain of power she set to work. Acting quickly she began poring power from within herself into the body of the child. Tsunami was reacting irrational and very emotional. She did not think of this nor did she care at the moment, she just reacted. All she knew was that she must give of herself in order to save Sasami. All things must follow certain laws else complete chaos would rule. One such law is for every action there will be a reaction. Sometimes that reaction can be quit unpredictable. Tsunami's head jerk up so quickly that locks of her Green hair fell out of place. Her ocean blue eyes big and wide open as far as they could. Tsunami's breath locked in her throat and her knees wobbled. She fell to her knees and clutched the still form of Sasami to her chest spasmodically. Tsunami tried to breath but could not. All she could do was kneel there uncomprehendingly at what she had just done. Looking up at the branches of her tree as if pleading, but the tree could not do anything. It came very slowly at first. It started in the pupil of the eye. It spread out into the iris, eating away at the blue and leaving behind a vibrant pink in its place. Tsunamis tannish skin began to crack and peel like old bark. It crumbled away like sand on a windy day leaving behind a new pale milky skinned complexion. From the roots of her hair it started like a wave. The lightish blue color of new straight hair flowed over Tsunami's crown and down to the ends of each hair at her waist. Tsunami's chest heaved with a hiccup and she breathed. As she did this she collapsed to the side and one arm reached out to catch herself. Tsunami took a deep breath and looked down at Sasami. Sasami was moving and began a long wailing cry. Tsunami was so overjoyed she smiled big and wide as she could. She hefted Sasami onto her shoulder and held her their. "She's Alive, She's Alive" See said aloud as her tears of pain turned to tears of joy. She rocked Sasami back and forth as a mother would do as Sasami continued to cry. Sasami reacted in kind clutching to Tsunamis' neck for comfort as she cried and wailed. Tsunami winced as Sasamis' wails pearsed her ears, but it was the sweetest sound she had ever heard. "Your alive, your alive, my sweet sasami. You are safe now. Shusshh. There there." Tsunami got to her feet and walked. Pacing back and forth rocking the still crying Sasami. Tsunamis' tears still fell but she gave them no mind. She focused all her attention on her charge. She walked over to her tree and reached out to it. She pulled a piece of bark that came off in a strip. With a whip, the bark transformed into a cloth. Tsunami wiped away her tear-streaked face and then proceeded to wipe Sasamis' face of tears and blood smears. It took a few minutes but Sasami calmed down and stopped crying. She moved back from clutching Tsunamis neck and looked at her. "Tsunami?" she tentatively asked. Tsunami smiled at her and replied, "yes Sasami?" "Why don't you look like all the pictures they have of you?" asked Sasami. Tsunami blinked at her for such and unusual question. Tsunami walked over to her pool and it glassed over for her as she looked down at her and Sasamis' reflection. She gasped at the pair of faces with pink eyes and blue hair looking back at her. Thinking back at the whole incident and what it was she had done. Tsunami stood still for several moments think upon it. Then she gasped at the realization of the magnitude of it all. Rolling her eyes up and over to her charge she blew her breath out. "Tokimi is going to have a fit when she sees this. Sasami just smiled and giggled at her. Tsunami arched an eyebrow at her and said, I don't think this is a laughing matter Sasami. Do you understand what I have done?" Sasami looked bashfully at Tsunami and tried to look away. But it's hard to look away when someone is holding you. Sasami was still trying to comprehend and deal with the memories and emotions of the last few minutes that she did not want to remember. Tsunami saw the confusion and mixed emotions cross over Sasami's face. Finally she hesitantly said, "y.. you caught me. You saved me from falling." Tsunami sadly shook her head. "No Sasami, I was too late. "Nno ,I don't want to die." Sasami cried tears welling up in her eyes again. Tsunami quickly sushed her. "No No Sasami. You are not dead. Far from it. What I have done is bonded with you. Just like with all the royal family members." "You see Sasami; Tsunami walked over to her tree and gestured to it, this tree is apart of me. And all the other trees are children of my tree. They get bonded with a person and the two become one. But because my tree is apart of me, you now have become apart of me too. You and I are one now. Do you understand?" Sasami knew part of what Tsunami was saying already but the implications of what she said eluded her. Tentatively she said, "I think so." Tsunami walked back over to the pool, "Eventually you and I will merge I suspect. But for now lets see what this will do to the future." Tsunami waved her hand over the pool and it began to churn and bubble. She looked for several minutes at it. Sasami got a little board and put her head on Tsunamis shoulder. Absent-mindedly Tsunami spoke, "The lives of several thousand have been radically changed." "I can see the possibility of a change in power in the galaxy too. This possibility is not as bad as we feared. Hmmm... Why?" "What's this? A lost line of kings? And it starts with, Yosho?!" "And Ryoko, she hissed the name, is there. But she is different somehow. Very different. How interesting". "And Princess Ayeka and Sasami?!" Tsunami looked at her charge in perplexed dismay."And also some other friends and...*" She stopped with a sharp intake of breath as she covered her mouth in surprise. Swallowing around the lump in her throat she whispered, "and sister." She took several moments looking silently at the pool before speaking again. "I see no other choices that lead to a better future for those involved. I must see... " She looked over at Sasami who was rubbing a tired eye. She smiled and corrected herself. "We, must see to it that these events come to pass Sasami. But that is for later. You must go back to where you belong I think." Tsunami moved back over to her tree and set Sasami down at its base. "It's all right Sasami. We will talk about it later. You should rest now. Go on, you will be warm and safe here." Sasami did as was suggested for her. She had gotten tired and so curled up at the base of the great Tsunami tree. She fell quickly off to sleep. Tsunami watched her as she willed her to sleep quickly. Then she moved her hand over Sasami and she phased away, back to the Jurian palace. Tsunami started to get teary eyed again with out Sasami their too focus her attention on but she did not care. She had more than enough troubles now to think about as she watched her pool churn. * * * * A female servant moved though the gigantic room very hurriedly. Once in a while she would call out in her hoarse and dry throat "Sasami!?" She was nearly at the bottom, one last teleportal to go. She had looked everywhere else the little princes could or would go in the palace. She even had some others looking with her too in other parts of the palace. When she got to the bottom she moved briskly but with a air of respect in a holy place that it was. When the great tree trunk came into sight all of her worries and frazzled nerves let loose with a great sigh of relief. There at the base of the tree was her charge that she lost in the chaos. She knelt down and touched the sleeping princess on the shoulder. Princess Sasami groggily woke up and said, "Nana" at seeing her serving nurse. She raised her arms for a hug, just like she always did. Giving her charge a big hug and scooping her up onto her hip she stood and started to take her charge away. "So this is where you have been. Honestly, you now that you are to have supervision when you come here. I was worried sick over you." "I'm sorry nana. I got lost. I new I would by safe here. I was with Tsunami the whole time." "Of course you were dearest. Lets get you back to the apartments where you cane get a real good nap in. Does that sound like a good idea to you?" Sasami mumbled and agreement as she rested her head on nanas shoulder. * * * Princess Ayeka opened her eyes to an all encompassing light. < Am I dead?> she wondered.< Is this the after life? > Her tongue felt thick and dry. She swallowed and moved her head to find a tingling sensation on the back of it. She moved her hand to feel an egg-like lump on the back of her head as well as some other aches and pains. Rolling over onto her side she started to feel the ground underneath her. Taking some deep breaths to clear her head, she could smell the ozone mixed with smoke. Fuzzy dots started to dance in front of her vision. She blinked several times and tried to sit up only to find dizziness in her head. Faded colors began to swim before her eyes slowly gaining focus and color. A scraping mechanical noise came to her ears. " Azaka? Kamadaki?" "Yes your highness, they both intoned. "Are you all right princess?" Azaka inquired. "I will be. Thank you. What happened?" "We where bombarded by secondary affects of a massive energy wave from orbit." Explained Kamadaki. "I'm afraid that our shield did not hold. Are you sure that you are ok Princess Ayeka?" "Yes , I am fine. She said getting to her feet. Are you two fully functional?" "I am at 89% capacity intoned Azaka." "And I am at 93%," added Kamadaki. "Good, then we will continue to search for Prince Yosho. Do you think that he could have survived this?" "That is uncertain your highness. He would have to have some kind of protection for certain. The question is whether he found it or not," said Azaka. Ayeka had been sobered by the event. She pulled heavily upon her training not to let herself become hysterical like her frazzled emotions wanted her too. Their search did not go on for long, for they came to a large section of missing platform. Ayeka could see it far below on the ground. It was a massive chunk that completely blocked her way. Her hopes sunk of finding Yosho. She looked out instead at the capital city stretched out below her. Their where ships that had crashed into the city causing massive destruction. And fires spread everywhere. It was like a disaster of cataclysmic proportions happened. She mused to herself out loud. "So, the greatest people in the galaxy. With all their might and strength was brought down low, by a single enemy." Ayeka mourned for her people. She felt a great sadness and fear. For she knew that she mourned for herself most of all. Her teachers tried to teach her about hard choices and the importance of duty. And the price of duty as well. Ayeka however did not want to even think about such things. Ayeka was a princess. She had the adoration of her people. She had all the power she could want. Doors opened up before her without effort. What need did she have for these lessons? Ayeka was a very good student. She excelled in learning of the courtly social arts. She does very well in the sciences, even political science and government. But there where some lessons that she stubbornly refused to learn. Now, after the events that happened this day, those lessons where burned into her. The last remnant of innocents in her was ripped away. She reflected on this as she spoke. "Then it is up to me. If Yosho is dead then it will befall to me to find the demon who did this. And make it pay for what it has done." "Only my direct family has the power to stand against it." "I will need to train hard and become strong. I will do it for you Yosho, and for my people." The fires of the city reflected in Ayeka eyes. As they burned so did the last part of childhood that was Ayeka. A new course was set for her and she was determined to see it through. * * * * Yosho opened his eyes to see the fading image of the Reo-oki flying away into the distance. He got to his feet from the ground he was lying on. The memory of how he got their slowly coming back to him as the ringing in his ears decreased. The Demon Ryoko had gotten some distance in front of him. He continued to run after it though it continued to try and elude him. At last he came into a clearing where he saw the ship Reo-oki hovering above the ground. As he ran into the clearing he saw Ryoko surrounded by red rings of the Reo-okis' transporter. He thought to himself. Then is when he noticed the tingling sensation crawling up the back of his neck. < I am in mortal danger! But not from Ryoko or Reo-oki. > Through years of training this sensing became instinctive. And so he reacted instinctively. He power jumped, barely reaching a crystal jutting of Reo-oki. He held on as the Reo-oki moved through the air and over the edge of the great platform of the Jurian palace tree cops. The Reo-oki dropped swiftly down as Yosho heard a great electrified booming. A massive shockwave hit the Light-hawk wing shield of the palace. The shockwave reverberated out and shook the Reo-oki as it swooped down towards the ground. Yosho lost his grip and nearly fell before catching himself. Hanging by his hands to the jutting of Reo-oki Yosho watched the ground come up to hit them. At the last moment the Reo-oki stopped and changed direction. Unfortunately Yosho did not. The force of the stop knocked his hands loose and he fell the rest of the way to the ground. Yosho stood their still watching the spot that the Ro-oki had left his sight. He was bruised and shaken but very much alive from the ordeal. Aloud he said, "You got away this time but I will not let you go that easily Demon. There will be another time. I swear there will be a reckoning." Yosho turned and headed back to the lifts that would take him back up to the palace grounds. End of part 1 Writers note: Well, this took longer than I thought. The next parts should not be as long and I hope to get it done before my 4 month vacation. Any comments suggestions critiques don't hesitate to write a line. Next time we will delve into the relationships of Yosho and Ryoko. Reviling some of the reasons why certain decisions where made. We will look at life's changes with Princess Ayeka and Sasami. Along with appearances from Professor Washu. All Coming in Part 2 "Tortured souls". P.S. One thing I want to point out is that I have a hair thing. I believe that anima is a kind of art form and therefore a medium for interpretation. I've noticed that several people take hair color too literal. I've looked at a lot of pictures and they are not all the same. So for my stories the characters will have more normal hued hair. Let me stress this. Kiyone does not have green hair! It is black. It does have emerald highlights though. Ayeka does not have purple hair! It is dark. It's not black but close and she does have royal purple highlight. Whasu does not have pink hair! It is most definitely red. And not any artificial red eather. Sasami is the exception. Her hair cannot be anything other than a light blue. Ryoko's is the most difficult. I do not like the idea of her hair being blue or cyan or teal. I think of Ryoko as the most exotic character of the group. Keeping with this thought I think that her hair should be platinum. Platinum has a property of absorbing light and reflecting colors around it. Therefore Ryoko's hair can appear to be blue like the ski; cyan or teal like some tree leaves. Or even the fiery oranges and reds of a sunset. Just a little extra thought for you readers. Bye.