Disclaimer: This here Fan fic is a work of complete fiction, which was created by me, myself and I from the chaos that dwells in my mind. Although everything that happens is made by me, the charcters that it happens with, (other than ones original to this fic), are in fact NOT mine. But you already knew that, and you don't care, do you? So less sueing, more reading. Author's Notes: Although this is starting to sound like a broken record, and you'll be completely skipping this by the ninth chapter, I'm going to say it anyway. This fic simply would not be possible without the help of my prereaders and their suggestions and pointers. Thanks a hell of a lot! Quote of the Day: "Look here! It seems that I happen to have the racquet right here! Oh dear, I suppose this means that I was the one who switched Miss Lina's racquet!" - Xellos (Slayers NEXT) On your shore I swear Created from inside me More than love I trust Wash away your pains of love Whichever words you speak of yourself Which came from a song of a god? We are the children of the same rhythm To know you to know a part of you The smallest unit in the world Knew we would meet a thousand years ago It was in our genes We are the children of the same rhythm We were together for a thousand years -- "Pulse" -- from 'Macross Plus' *********** JUNE MERMAID Chapter 4: Atropos and the gift from Lachesis *********** "EEEAAAAAAARRRRRRRGGGGHHHHHH!!!!!" The battle cry resounded throughout the streets of New Centra, as the raiders charged in headlong into the battlefield. Ashley screamed, and all of his men jumped into action. Swords were drawn, spears were brandished, and bows were readied. The stampede of men was like an avalanche as they massed into the completely unprepared city below them. Women and children screamed in terror, and men ran to fight back, but none were spared. Any and all people in the way were cut down where they stood. Ashley ran at full speed with two of his closest comrades at his side. They split off from the main force, and took a path down a side road. Without looking up or slowing, Ashley began to bark orders. "Rijuta! Go left at the intersection! Grey! Right! MOVE!" The three men split up and ran full speed in their direction. Ashley was running down a narrow street at full speed, when he came upon two men who had their backs to him. He stopped running. "You are Yushiro Matsumoto, correct?" he bellowed. It wasn't a question. The man and his bodyguard turned to face him. Ashley smirked, and then unsheathed his katana, and silently charged. The bodyguard stepped in front of Yushiro, and drew his own sword. "Knave! I will kill you!" he cried, as he charged after Ashley. The bodyguard jumped as he neared Ashley, and performed a massive overhead chop with his sword. Ashley easily stepped to the side, pivoted, and drove his katana deep into the bodyguards neck. The man let out a gurgled cry as blood sprayed from the wound, and then fell to the ground. Ashley withdrew his sword, and then flicked it harshly downward, to clean it of the blood. He turned to face the man. "Where is Dycroft?" he shouted. The other man had his sword drawn, and he was in a rather sloppy battle stance. He was shaking from fear. "I'll ask you only once more! Where is Dycroft?!" The man took a hesitant step back from Ashley, but still said nothing. "Fine then." Ashley ran swiftly and silently towards the man, katana ready at his side. The other man shook his head quickly, attempting to banish the fear, and stood his ground, ready for the attack. But the attack never came. Ashley ran past the man to his left, still going at full speed. The man turned, and swung his sword at Ashley. Ashley came to a full stop, and easily blocked the slash with the hilt of his sword. Holding the sword back for a few seconds, Ashley quickly spun in a full circle, swinging his blade at waist level. The blade connected with the man just above his waist. Ashley pushed, but he felt resistance when the blade reached the man's spine. So, using his other hand to help guide the blade, he pushed harder, successfully severing the man's torso. Ashley sneered at the man's corpse in disgust. "Centra scum..." he muttered as he pulled a cloth from his battle garb, and began to slowly clean the blood off of the blade. As he did, he could hear the sounds of battle all around him. He put the cloth away as Grey ran up to him, a drawn blade at his side. "Sir!" Ashley regarded the man. "What is it?" "I found Dycroft." Ashley nodded. "Good. Bring him to me." Grey shook his head. "I am afraid that is impossible." "Why?" Grey sheathed his sword. "The traitor and his men have committed seppuku." "Cowards..." Ashley snorted in disgust. "Very well then. Forget about the traitor. Regroup with the main force to keep the rear guards at bay. We must keep up the distraction long enough for the priestess to enter the palace unchallenged." "Sir!" he shouted, before he took off running. Ashley sheathed his sword, and pulled out a small, white pen shaped object from his garb. He twisted the top. "Yuka-chan?" he spoke. Slight static and muffled cries could be heard from the other end. "Yeah, Yuka here. What's up, Ashley?" "The traitor has been terminated. How are things on your side?" There was slight hesitation as the sound of a blaster going off repeatedly could be heard before there was any response. "Heavy. These bastards are really coming out in full force. So far we've only lost a handful of men over here, and we've managed to keep them occupied at the least." she shouted back. "Good. Ashley out." Ashley clicked the communicator off, and took off running towards the dying sound of combat. He sprinted quickly down the street, and he was joined by Rijuta. "Sir! I was unable to locate Dycroft!" Ashley shook his head as he continued to run. "Not to worry, he's dead. Let us return to the battle!" The two of them ran full speed into the fray. Washu stared at the data on the screen, with a puzzled look on her face. "Where did they go...?" she asked aloud. Washu had suspected that Tenchi and Ryoko would have introns in their blood system, but she found no trace of such. And even more startling...was the fact that the intron residue in *her own* blood... ...had completely vanished without a trace. No Urobolus Ring, no autonomical destabilization, no carbon trail, nothing. Washu sighed, and scratched her head. How could that of happened? There was perfectly accurate evidence of introns merely half an hour ago! How could an entire *body* simply repel *all* of the *millions* of introns? It was mind boggling, to say the least. Something was *definitely* going on. "Where could I find more information on this...?" Washu thought to herself aloud. There was no where that contained a large amount of information on introns in the entire universe, for several reasons. Firstly, there really was no need. Introns were simply so rare that there was no need to have information on them. The only beings that were ever found to have introns in their bodies were higher priests and Priestesses of Tsunami, and even then, there was only 3 or maybe 4 people recorded in the history of existence to have an intron. Secondly, the fact they were such a rarity was another reason. There simply was no way to truly study them in great detail, since they were so hard to find. Washu tapped her finger against the corner of her mouth, and tried to think of some sort of place where she could find a suitable database on introns. Suddenly, such a place occured to Washu. There *was* a place where she could find the information she needed. Washu remembered doing extensive research on the introns in Ryoko's body, but, like a lot of things lately, she couldn't remember anything about the research. But, one thing Washu *did* remember, was that Kagato left the facility in tact. It should still be online, she hoped. Washu began to quickly type commands over her computer, a determination that had been renewed from her desire to find out what was going on. She accessed the database for the system of planets where her lab was. She displayed the information on screen. - The Kuga System Database - Washu clicked the enter key. - Access Which Database? - Centra archive number 10111010110. - Access Denied. Password Protocol in Effect. Enter Password. - ###### - Access Granted. Accessing Centra System. - Washu watched as the satellite scanned the various regions of the Centra planet. "Centra? Why does that name sound so familiar?" Washu thought to herself. - Centra System Accessed. Select Database. - Washu chose the area where her lab was situated. - Confirmed. Landscape: Centra-Alpha Archipalego. Accessing Island #4. - Washu watched as the screen surveyed a various island structures, all surrounded by crystal clear blue water. It came to a stop on one with an old, decaying structure in the middle. - Island #4 Accessed. Database detected within Lithospheric Stratum. Enter Command. - Access Archive. - Enter Passward. - esrevinuethnitsitneicstsetaergehtuhsaw. - Access Granted. Preparing Neurological Hookup. - Washu typed in some extra commands, and a large helmet appeared out of subspace. Washu took the helmet, and pressed a button on the back of it. Four small circles on the top opened like shudders. Washu placed the helmet over her head, then pressed a few more commands on her computer. Four long, thick cables then protruded from the computer, and Washu delicately hooked them into the holes in her helmet. Washu then slid down a small latch on the side, and a black glass like covering Washu eyes. Pressing a few more commands on the computer, the glass then illuminated with information. - Neural System Activated. Initiate Protocol at User Convenience. - Washu pressed a few more buttons, and then the program was activated. It felt...strange. She hadn't done a neural jump in a long time...thousands of years, in fact. It felt...good. Her consciousness had left it's body, and was now floating around inside an infinite sea of electrons, where information was shared, and no holds were barred. What life was like without a physical body. Washu swam/guided herself through the information to one area. Words, numbers, voices, and other collective unconscious streamed passed her like a drop in a river. Colors swam, diverged, convulsed, and shifted thoroughly and splendidly in front of Washu's own mind, waves of information crashing against the shore of the conscious. Information was shared, and all that was known was accessible to anyone. Pushing through the barrier of information, Washu guided herself towards what she saught. It took a while. Getting used to being without a body again took some adjusting to, especially since she was so used to having one again. Washu vividly remebered she would spend months on end, simply letting her mind roam free inside the sea of electrons, allowing herself to flower and reach her true reach and potential. Simply think, and you shall find. So, she thought. Introns... At the mere thought, the information began to radiate towards her. Washu was overwhelmed, and nearly consumed by the incredible vastness of information that began to assault her consciousness, perpetuating a myriad entrancement of psychological dischord. Regaining a semblance of control over her ego, Washu managed to control herself into absorbing the information rather than being absorbed *by* it. Washu merely let the knowledge gather into her being, filling her with a sense of wholeness and completeness. A state of absolute sentience that could simply not be achieved within a body. Only when the flesh had detatched itself, allowing the restraints on the mind to be removed, could such a state of being be achieved. It felt as if a man had stopped becoming a man, and had become a god. Washu slowly began to retract from the database, all of the knowledge she needed being obtained, she now needed to detatch herself from her state of benevolence, and retract herself into a state of incompleteness. A state where she belonged. A state where she deserved to be. A state in which she could be hurt by others, and she could hurt others. Washu finally completely detatched herself from the network, and shut off the satellite hookup. She unhooked the cables from her helmet, and then tossed the helmet off, letting it bounce on the floor with a loud clang. She collapsed into her chair, breathing heavily and sweating profusely. After several minutes of getting used to having a body once again, she sat up, and wiped her brow. Washu looked at her computer screen with a look of sheer determination. "Alright, this time, we're going to find out what's really going on." Sydney looked back and forth between the two women, and sighed. "Alright, then. But I still think this is crazy." Yoko nodded. "It is, but how else are we going to get any info on the guy?" Sydney scratched his head. "I don't know. I wish Nez was a little more specific with his info. All we have is the name." "Hammond..." Raven reiterated. Sydney nodded. "Right. Well...let's go look." Yoko shook her head. "We can't leave just yet." "Why?" he asked. "Because we still haven't got all the 'okays' from the Jurain government." "But this is a black project. The government isn't going to support us." Raven said. Yoko turned to her. "Yes, but it *was* initiated by the emperor himself. And if we're gonna do this, we need the parts from Hammond, and more men from Jurai." "So, what's the hold up?" Sydney asked. Yoko sighed. "Well, Nezeer had to get permission to let us use some Jurai soldiers first from the Intelligence Agency, then from the Self Defense Force, and then from the emperor himself." "Beaurocracies..." Sydney muttered. "Alright then. Raven, you're with me." She nodded. "Red, you stay and wait for any messages from Nez. Deal?" Yoko growled, but nodded. Sydney turned to Raven. "Let's go." The two of them drove to the rougher area of the town that the legendary smuggler of ship parts Hammond was rumoured to live. Sydney stopped the car, and turned it off. He turned to Raven. "You ready?" She leaned over a kissed him. "Anytime." They stepped out of the car, and began to walk down the street, asking everyone they passed about Hammond. The results were...unfortunate. "Hammond? Oh, he's that alien dude!" "Hmm? Hammond, you say? I think he was some old basketball star." "Oh, he's tall, I tell you! Stands well over 10 feet, at least!" "Heard his face was ultra deformed in some space accident." "Yes. He contributed to the Shrine of Tsunami repeatedly, and offered everyone guidance from the goddess herself." "Oh, Hammond? Heard he's some miracle hacker guy!" "I just got *majorly* blasted with him last night! Whoa, did I just say somethin'?" "Oh yeah, I know Hammond. He's a green skinned midget who's into everything from guns to yogurt smuggling." Sydney plopped back into the seat of his hover car and sighed. Raven phased in through the door and sat next to him. He was rubbing his temples, and Raven turned to face him. "So what now?" she asked. He sighed. "Now we get some help." He picked up a communicator off the dashboard of the old hovercar, and flipped it on. "Hey Red, this is Sydney. You there?" She responded in kind. "DAMMIT, HOW MANY TIMES...yeah, I'm here." He sighed. "We could use a little help, here." "Don't tell me you guys couldn't get any info, now." she scolded. "It's not like that! We got *plenty* of info!" he retorted. "Then tell me." He cleared his throat. "We found out that Hammond is an alien-super-tall-midget- ex-basketball-pro-ultra-deformed-Tsunami-guru-hacker-dope-addict." He sighed. Several seconds of silence ensued, and then Yoko breaking into a fit of laughter could be heard from the other end. "Oh...oh yeah...heh heh...good work, guys..." she said through her maniac giggles. Sydney shook his head in frustration. "No need to make this difficult, Yoko." "I...I'm sorry..." she said, calming her laughter down. "Alright, so what do you want me to do about it?" "Run a background check on all black market purchases in the area. We'll go straight for the area with the largest cluster." Sydney said into the communicator. "Gotcha." Yoko said, back in control of herself. There were several moments of silence, and Raven leaned against Sydney. "You know, I wonder if he's forgotten?" Sydney faced her. "Hmm? Forgotten...?" She met his gaze. "Remember? Two or three months ago, that little incident outside the asteroid field were you..." she trailed off. Sydney's eyes widened. "Hmm...I forgot about that. Let's just hope he doesn't take crippling his subordinates ships personally." The COM crackled as Yoko's nasally voice came back over. "Okay, I think I found him." Sydney brought the the COM to his mouth. "Right. So where?" "Ummm....a couple of blocks from where you are now, there's a bar called 'Zero Hour'. There is a *large* cluster of black market purchases from there." "Thanks, Red. Any word from Jurai yet?" "Nope. Not yet. Well, that's about all the info I got. Yoko out." Sydney clicked the COM off, and turned to Raven. "Well, shall we?" "Hmmm....Zero Hour. Yup, this is it." Raven said as she read the Neon Sign. Sydney pushed open the door, and the two of them stepped inside. It was a dark and seedy place, that was easily descernable. The lighting was almost next to nil. Several pool tables were scattered about the bar, and there was a heavy amount of smoke in the air. Sydney and Raven slinked their way through the various bar patrons, and over towards the bar itself. They sat down, trying to fit in as best they could. A chubby man addressed them from the other side of the bar, cleaning a beer mug with a slightly dirty cloth. "So what do you want?" He asked in a gruff voice. Sydney met the man's gaze. "Info. Do you know where we can find a man named 'Hammond'?" he asked. The man squinted at them for a moment, then anwered, "Just a minute." He put down the mug, and walked out from behind the bar, and off to some other bar patrons. Sydney looked over to Raven. "I have a bad feeling about this." She faced him, smiling. "Oh? And that is?" Sydney casually fingered a hand held blaster at his belt, next to a beam saber. He cleared his throat. "I have a feeling that Hammond is going to be the violent type." "Why do you say that?" They turned as 5 or 6 large men approached them. He looked at her. "Just a hunch." They walked up to them briskly, and stopped a few feet in front of them. They sneered down at the couple. "You the people asking about Hammond?" Sydney nodded. "Yeah, that's right." One man stepped forward, and without a word's warning, belted Sydney in the jaw. Sydney's head flew back, but he remained fairly still. He slowly turned back to them, with a large grin on his face. They looked at him, puzzled. He stood. "Mistake, boys." Sydney belted the man in the stomach who punched him, then grabbed his hair, and slammed his head into the bar, rendering him unconscious. The others started to move in on Sydney, but Raven was there first. With the speed of a cheetah, she elbowed one of the guys in the spine, causing him to crumple to the ground soundlessly. Sydney wasn't idle, either. He leapt into the air, and spun his foot around, kicking the other three men in the face, knocking them to the ground, also out cold. The majority of the other patrons were starting to slowly, if not hesitently, move in on them. Sydney and Raven just stared back at them with grins on their faces. Sydney cracked his knuckles. "What's the matter, boys? Come on, I like the work-out program you got here." The other men looked at each other, then as one, turned to the couple, and drew blasters on them. Sydney stopped cracking his knuckles. "Oh shit." The guns went off, and Raven and Sydney leapt behind the bar to seek cover. Sydney drew his blaster, and began firing over the top of the bar, and Raven was standing with her shield up, firing blasts at the other attackers. The two were doing fairly well for themselves, until Raven, out of the corner of her eye, saw a man walk through a door at the other end of the bar with a large weapon hoisted over his shoulder. Her eyes went wide when she recognized the weapon known for it's destructive power known as the Plasma Cannon. "SHIT!!!" she cursed, and dove right for Sydney, and then phased the two of them through the wall behind the bar, not a moment too soon. A large green plasma blast struck the bar, setting off a large explosion, blowing up half of the bar. Sydney shook his head as he held onto Raven. "Told you he would be the violent type!" Raven grinned. "I never said I doubted you!" It was midnight. Or at least, that is what is seemed to be like. Blackness spread from everywhere. In actuality, there was no time. There was no sky, there was no ground. Only a void. The void was like a body of pure darkness, which creeped over everything around it, completely trapping all light within it. Only, there were 2 entities within this darkness, who were in fact, completely unaffected by it. They stood, and watched. Tokimi sighed. "No change, sister. It's the same." Tsunami nodded, but said nothing. "Judas is still dorment. I think that we will be able to keep it that way for a while longer, I hope." Tokimi said, still looking down at the crystalis. Tsunami took in a breath. "It's a shame, really. A thing of such beauty..." Tokimi nodded. "I know. But it is from that beauty which our problems all originated." She sighed, and turned to Tsunami, her normally arrogant face now full of concern. "I heard, sister. About 'Adam' and..." "They are together...again. I suppose I shouldn't complain, after all, that's what I created them for, isn't it?" she said, not really sure if she believed it. Tokimi shook her head. "Don't worry about it, Tsunami. We're goddesses, we don't have time for love and other pathetic mortal emotions." Tsunami turned to Tokimi. "Why do you have such a grudge against mortals?" Tokimi grunted in disgust. "They are inferior, Tsunami! They live for only a twinkling, and they spend their time alive attacking and hurting each other. Their concerns are perpetual to us." Tsunami shook her head. "Then why do you want to enter and control this dimension so badly, Tokimi?" Tokimi sighed. "If I told you, you'd never believe me." She huffed in annoyance. "What does it matter, anyway? Why should *you* care all of a sudden what your *sister* thinks?" Tsunami narrowed her eyes. "What do you mean by *that*, Tokimi?" Tokimi looked back at the crystalis. It was spinning and changing color as fluidly as water ripples. "I may be the one who has always strived to control, but I don't think that your goals were so different, *sis*." "What?" Tokimi closed her eyes. "You create the Keepers of Time. Then, you create other sentient beings. Why? Why would you do this?" She returned her gaze to Tsunami. "Because you want to control them, too." Tsunami shook her head. "Nonsense." "Is it? I'm not saying you don't *love* them...you just want to control them." Tsunami shook her head. "Maybe. Maybe that is how it is. I don't know." Tokimi nodded, glad that Tsunami wasn't denying *everything* like she normally did. She returned her gaze back to the swirling crystalis. "It doesn't matter, anyway. After all, we're all just pawns of *him*." Tsunami turned to Tokimi. "What do you mean?" "Ever since Washu volunteered to be a Keeper of Time, he has taken the third spot of the trinity. And...he's been controlling everything." she said, almost sadly, if she could feel such an emotion. Tsunami blinked. "You mean...the wave existence?" "Yes. Spiraling out of control, like an enigmatic singularity, spawned from the 'other' dimension, where all have strived to be as a God, it arrives, and we cannot understand it." She turned to face Tsunami once again. "Sound familar?" Tsunami nodded. "When Washu first discovered the wave existence..." "Sometimes...sometimes I wonder. I wonder, what if this really is going to be the end? I mean, what if we *can't* stop Judas? And he devours us all? What then? What happens to us, the endless?" Tokimi whispered. "Tokimi..." Tokimi reflected her face off of the crystalis almost as if she was giving a sad smile, even though such a thing was impossible. Her eyes conjured a vision of almost extreme sadness and loneliness, perpetuating a feeling of sheer sorrow. "I...I can't stop *thinking* about that, Tsunami. I *can't*. Every time I look at the cradle, or every time I take a peek at Adam, or even now, when I am talking to my sister, I can't help but feel it!" she said, and her voice implemented an emotion that she was designed to never have. But it was clearly destinguishible within her voice. Fear. Fear of death. Fear of...not knowing. "I am of the endless! I shouldn't have to die! Every time I plan out how to take this dimension for myself, or everytime I talk to D3, I am overcome with the thought of what is going to happen!" Tokimi pleaded. Tsunami reached out with her hand, and placed it gently on Tokimi's shoulder. "It's alright, Tokimi. It's alright." Tokimi looked at Tsunami with a face of bewilderment. Tsunami gave a half smile. "It may in fact be for the best." "What do you mean by that?" Tokimi whispered. Tsunami sighed as she took her hand off of her shoulder. "Even though to those outside of the endless, we are goddesses, that still does not condone our previous actions, Tokimi. We've committed so many sins...all three of us..." Tokimi looked at Tsunami, as a tear lazily glided down her gentle and beautiful face. Tsunami wiped it away gently. "It's...not that I want to die, it's just that...we've been alive for so long...we've controlled everything, for thousands upon thousands of years." Tokimi's eyes widened as she realized something. "Is...is that why you really wanted to become mortal, sister?" Tsunami smiled sadly at Tokimi, and said nothing. "All that talk about you desiring Adam...was a lie?" Tsunami shook her head. "Not that much. I..." she thought about what she was going to say for a moment. "...I suppose I did, just a little. But, yes...I did want to become mortal...so I could..." "...End." Tokimi whispered. Tsunami nodded solemnly. "But...why? That is a world where people hurt each other. That is the place where no matter where one is, there is always pain and sadness!" Tsunami shook her head. "It's alright...really. I'm sure I can find happiness." "But...you can't just conjure up memories into some kind of rosary for yourself, Tsunami! In that world, you'll *die*! Don't you really understand what the means? You will *cease to exist*!!" Tokimi shouted. Tsunami smiled. Tokimi just blinked in confusion. "I'm...lonely, you know?" she said. "Lonely...?" Tokimi repeated. "Yes...here, it is lonely. I know there is you, but..." she paused, "...we haven't really had the greatest of relationships, Tokimi." Tokimi shrugged. "I...want to have a relationship with another. Like I have seen in Adam and Eve. The way they have always come together...I wanted that. They seemed..." Tokimi sighed sadly, and turned away from Tsunami. "...they seemed...happy." Tsunami said, with unmistakible sorrow in her voice. "Do *you* know what that's like, sister? To see your *own* creation have an emotion that you so desire, but you aren't even *allowed* to feel it? Do you understand what that feels like?" "No, I don't." Tokimi said, looking at the crystalis. "That is why *I* never created anything." Tsunami wiped away a tear. "What do you mean by that?" "I mean...just what you're going through. After all, it is your creations that are the cause of *all* of this, right?" She sighed. "If you hadn't created them, you wouldn't want that feeling you so fervently desire, Washu would still be with us, and Judas wouldn't be about to awaken and bring about our utter annihilation!" "I...I'm sorry, Tokimi..." Tsunami said, bowing her head slightly. Tokimi looked back at Tsunami out of the corner of her eye. "That's why I wanted to take over your dimension, Tsunami." "Hmm?" Tokimi crossed her arms, and stared into the crystalis. "You're mistakes... they are what's costing us everything. They cost you your tree all those years ago, and now they will cost you your life." She turned to Tsunami and spoke acidly to her. "And as your older *sister*, I wanted to make sure that you were doing things *properly* for once!" Tsunami nodded sadly, and Tokimi's hard gaze softened. "And...what of the All-Father? We haven't even *seen* him since he sent us the wave existence. Why? Because of those *sapiens* born out of the antithesis of your blantent foolery. *Your* mistake in creating such a petulent race of mortals has cost us almost *everything*, sister." Tsunami nodded, and simply stared at the crystalis. "Don't you remember? All those billions of years ago? When there was that time...when we were with Him? The All-Father? How everything was so...perfect?" Tsunami nodded. Tokimi sighed at the memory. "Now we can't even reach him. And we will die because of that. Our sanctity has been rebuked." She looked over to Tsunami whose face was streaming with tears. "I'm sorry, sister. I shouldn't speak so harshly of your creations. I just wish that..." "So do I." Tsunami cut her off. They both returned their gaze to the swirling crystalis. Tsunami closed her eyes. "So do I." There really was not much else to do. So, she sat. It was cold...but that didn't matter. Ryoko sat on the roof of the Masaki house, as the snow gently fell to the ground, blanketing the country with it's white beauty as if they were tears from angels. Ryoko sighed happily to herself, warming herself in the memory of what Tenchi had told her. He had said it. And he wasn't lying! He really said it! Ryoko pulled her knees up to her chest, and dreamily rested her face on them. She looked out over the valley as the snow fell, and couldn't help but feel a certain degree of awe as she watched the lake slowly be covered by the white angelic tears. She never used to think about things like that. Even what Washu had done to her last night was already a thing of the past. She was still mad, true, but the darkness from that incident was nothing compared to the warmth of Tenchi. She sighed. She wanted to be with Tenchi now, but he had gone off to be by himself. He said that he needed some time to be alone for a little bit, and Ryoko respected that. Ryoko rubbed the spot where Washu had used the syringe on her absent mindedly. It had completely healed up, but it still itched a little. After taking Ryoko's and Tenchi's blood samples, Washu had gone into her lab, and hadn't come out since. Frankly, Ryoko really didn't care if she ever came out again. Ryoko closed her eyes, and allowed memories of the past to flood to her... Ryoko blissfully sighed, as a tear flowed lazily down her cheek, but she didn't even notice. All those years. All those years of being *waste*. Of being *trash*. Of being useless, and *ending* human lives. All of that, was now a thing of the past. Because, she had atoned. It wasn't her fault. She could finally see that. And after all Kagato had done, there was Tenchi, to undo everything. Ryoko smiled as tears began to descend down the gentle contours of her face at a more steady pace as she continued to think of exactly how much Tenchi meant to her. She was interrupted from her introspection, by the sound of someone climbing the ladder at the side of the house. She turned to see who it was, and gasped slightly when she saw Aeka's head pop up over the side. Ryoko thought. Aeka looked over at Ryoko as she crested the ladder. "How are you feeling now, Ryoko-san?" she asked, as she timidly walked over towards her. Ryoko smiled, and returned her gaze to the lake. "Better than ever, Aeka." Aeka nodded, and sat down next to Ryoko. "That is good. Earlier, you certainly looked distressed. It was most concerning." Ryoko nodded, trying to contemplate her relationship with the princess. If she really didn't care about her, she'd just come out and say what happened between her and Tenchi. But...she *did* care. Because, she saw herself in Aeka. It could just as easily have been Aeka having to tell Ryoko that Tenchi loved her. And Ryoko took sympathy on the princess. The two of them sat in silence, simply watching the snow fall, and feeling it fall on their bodies on the cold, gray autumn day. Ryoko sighed as she looked out over the lake. Aeka turned to Ryoko. "What is it?" Ryoko looked over at Aeka, right into the princesses eyes. "I...I..." Aeka blinked. "It's alright, Ryoko. If you don't want to talk about it, I understand." Ryoko shook her head. "Ummm...Aeka, listen, there's something you should know." she said as she sat up, and looked at the other woman, face to face. Aeka blinked. "What is it?" Ryoko took in a deep breath. "Ummm....Tenchi and....well...that is..." Aeka slowly blinked, as she had an idea of what she was going to say. She took in a deep breath. "What *about* Tenchi?" she whispered. Ryoko sighed. "He...he loves *me*, Aeka." Aeka closed her eyes, and held them shut tight for a few seconds before opening them. She looked into Ryoko's eyes, but found no trace of mischief, pride, malice or even dishonesty. No, what she saw, was honesty...and pity. "I...I see..." Aeka managed to say. Ryoko put a hand on Aeka's shoulder. "Listen Aeka, I'm sorry..." Aeka looked at her hands, which were folded in her lap, and felt the tears begin to cascade down her face. Her heart had just been torn asunder, and it was no one's fault. She just sat, and wept, letting the hot tears from her eyes fall into her lap. Ryoko watched, with her hand still on Aeka's shoulder. She remembered how earlier that day, how Aeka had thrown aside her rivalry with Ryoko, and stepped up to be a friend to her in her time of need. Ryoko decided that she should do the same thing. Slowly, Ryoko moved next to Aeka, and embraced her. Holding her loosely, Ryoko held Aeka's face to her shoulder, and patted her on the back, trying to reassure her. Aeka didn't fight it. She wept into Ryoko's shoulder, and found that she had embraced Ryoko back as she did. "I'm sorry, Aeka." Ryoko whispered into her ear. Aeka didn't acknowledge that Ryoko had said anything, she simply continued to gently weep into Ryoko's shoulder. Ryoko looked up into the sky, again, letting memories come back to her. Ryoko choked back a sob, but was unable to hold back the tears, and she began to cry with Aeka. She continued to stare into the sky, as tears descended freely down her face. Aeka thoughts, were of something else. Aeka pulled back from Ryoko's embrace, and looked at her face. She was only a little surprised to see that Ryoko had been crying, but she obviously made nothing of it. "Th...thank you, Ryoko." Aeka said. Ryoko just smiled sadly at Aeka, and nodded. "I w...would like to talk to Tenchi-sama, if possible. Do you know where I might be able to find him?" Aeka asked. Ryoko wiped the tears off of her face, and nodded. "Yeah. He went into the woods over there." she said, pointing out in the direction that Tenchi had gone. Aeka stood and bowed politely, her face still lined with tears. "Thank you, Ryoko-san." she said, and then she briskly, but gently, walked to the edge of the roof, and then climbed down the ladder. Ryoko simply sat and watched as Aeka desceded the sturdy piece of wood, and said nothing. She gave a small, sad smile for the princesses benefit, and then returned her gaze to the lake, which was now almost completely blanketed by the snow. "Tenchi..." she whispered, as she laid her head back onto her knees. Yuka looked back and forth, and nodded in confirmation. "Right! Move in!" she yelled. Hundreds of Jurians cried a viscous battle cry, and began to swamp the next area of the city. Yuka aimed her blaster and fired a few shots off before running in alongside her comrades. She didn't get very far. A Centra soldier came up on her left, and screamed as he dove for her, katana first. Yuka gasped, then leapt to the side, but not in complete safety. The katana struck her leg, and she cried out as blood began to flow freely from the wound. The man looked down at her in anger. "YOU DIE!!!" he screamed as he raised his katana. Yuka fumbled with her blaster, and quickly pointed it up and fired. The blaster bolt struck the man in the side of the head, sending brain tissue and skull fragments flying in every which direction. Yuka was breathing heavily, while clutching the wound on her leg. Two officers ran to her side. "Yuka-san!" they cried in unison. Yuka shook her head. "Go on. I'll be okay." "We can't do that, ma'am." One of them said. Yuka growled. "That's an order, soldier!" she barked. "Y...Yes MA'AM!!" They cried, and ran back to join their fellow troops. Yuka sighed, and brought the Communicator up to her mouth. She gently twisted the top, turning it on. "Hey, Sumirei? This is Yuka. Come in." There was slight static, but eventually the rich voice of the priestess came over the communicator. "Sumirei here. What is it, Yuka-chan?" "How are things going for you?" she asked, struggling to stand on her own. "Very well. Both you and Ashley have provided an excellent distraction, and we have managed to infiltrate the palace successfully." She paused. "How are things going for you, Yuka-chan?" Yuka coughed, then answered. "Alright." She rubbed at her wound. "One of the bastards managed to get me in the leg, but I'll live." "How is Ashley? He hasn't reported in to me as of yet." "Dunno. He called in about twenty minutes ago, but I haven't heard from him since. I think he's alright." she said, coughing afterwards. "I hope so. Take care, Yuka-chan. Sumirei out." The sound of the communicator disengaging from the other end could be heard, and Yuka twisted the white cap, and put it back into her battle garb. She wiped her brow. "I'm getting to old for this..." she mused. Yuka leaned up against a tree, still breathing heavily. She watched as her forces were battling heavily against the Centra forces. She smiled sadly. They were *losing*. That was very apparent. They had been doing alright for a while, but now, the majority of her men had been killed off by the more skilled, and numerous, Centra troops. Yuka watched as her men were dropping like flies. She snorted in disgust. "Tsunami, you should have trained them better..." She sighed, knowing that her job was complete. And, with that, so was her life. Reaching into her battle garb once again, she pulled out a black hand held cylinder like object. She smiled. "This baby should do the trick." Yuka looked up to see several Centra troops swarming in on her position. She raised her blaster, and took a few shots. She managed to drop a couple of them, but there were more. And her blaster was out of power. She looked down at the object in her hand, and smiled sadly again. "I hope that you can live on, Ashley and Sumirei..." she said. She squeezed the object, and a high pitched 'click' was heard. The sound start to grow louder, and came at a more rapid pace. The Centra troops were almost on top of her now. She grinned, and threw the object into the air, then looked at them and yelled, "If you think that you can kill Yuka, the greatest scientific genius in the universe so easily, you've got another thing coming!" And with that, everything went white. Ashley slashed the Centra man across the neck, just as the large explosion went off. He shielded his eyes, as almost everything went white. A massive vibration was sent along the ground, a sonic boom that knocked him off his feet. People all around him stopped fighting, and began to cry out in terror, as they were flung back, and particles from buildings began to be ripped from their foundations, cast in every which direction. Ashley simply looked in the direction of the explosion, and realized what it meant. It was where Yuka was fighting. Yuka had inventions that caused magical explosions. She promised to only use one if she *had* to. Ashley felt tears come to his eyes as he realized the ramifacations of what had just happened. He heard something coming from his communicator, and he removed it from his battle garb. "...a-chan! Yuka-chan! Please, Tsunami, answer me Yuka-chan!" Sumirei was pleading into the communicator. Ashley closed his eyes, and twisted the top. "Man down, Sumirei. Man down." He could hear sobs coming from the other end of the communicator, and he felt his own tears beginning to fall down his face. Yuka was his *friend*. Ashley didn't have many friends. And now, not only had the Centra people taken Ashley's parents, his home, his city, and Tsunami's tree... ...they had taken his friend. With a cry of rage, Ashley leapt to his feet, and charged at any Centra soldier he saw in his sight. For a slight moment, he had ceased to become a man anymore. He had become a demon. Mercilessly, his sword began to tear into the bodies of other men, killing them without even the slightest hint of remorse. No, in fact, it was more like... ...release. With each stroke, he felt his anger being pacified as he repeatedly and wordlessly took lives from man after man. Each time, his anger clouded his judgement, and he felt nothing as he killed them. Nothing. It was almost as if something was whispering to him, telling him that in order to avenge his friends death, he had to kill everything. Blood almost completely encompassed Ashley's battle garb, but he didn't even notice. After almost five minutes of mercilessly slaying his enemies, he heard something. Something that made him stop. Someone's voice... It was calling his name, again, and again, and again. He looked down, and saw the communicator still clutched in his free hand, and he heard Sumirei's voice coming from the other end. "Ashley! Stop! Please! Don't do this! Stop, Ashley!" she begged. He realized that he had left the communicator on, so she was able to hear him mercilessly tear asunder the lives of his enemies. Like a demon. Engulfing everything. Trembling, Ashley dropped to his knees, not really caring that fierce combat was going on all around him. He began to weep, and the commincator was still on. "It's alright, Ashley. It's going to be okay..." he heard Sumirei say from the other end of the COM. "...is it...?" he whispered to himself. The entity was lying there, as if there was no life within it, when in fact, there was more potential life within it that any other being alive in any universe. Within...his mind was at a debate. [But...they killed her! They killed *both* of them!!] [Maybe...but isn't that why we are like this? Because *they* are dead?] [You're one to talk. After all, you aren't even REAL anymore! *You* have become the fake!] [I think that maybe we have been lying to ourselves.] [But...*why* not? There is nothing I want more than to be with her again... but that is impossible! Because now, Tsunami has reinitiated the cycle, and I am simply a missing link...a missing link that has no place.] [I came because I thought I could destroy the cycle. But now I know that Tsunami could never destroy her own cycle.] [Convincing enough? How much more convincing could I *be*? Don't you even understand what this all *means*?] [But then...we had to include our other selves, as well.] [I will admit that our sorrows are great. But I hardly think that they are so great that we must *end* the *endless* because of them! After all, weren't you the one saying that such concerns were perpetual?] [I know. That is why I came to you.] [Must you be so petulent? A being such as yourself giving into feelings of such decadence...I find that you are feeling more out of avarice than out of righteousness.] [Are you sure? Or can only the *original* be devoid of those feelings? Remember, you are outside of the cycle now, too.] [But you still won't be able to return! You could only return when you were in your original form. Now, you can't. So why?] [Why? You were once a god. You could've persuaded Tsunami to end the cycle if you so wished.] [No...there's no way.] [I...can't imagine that Tsunami would do such a thing.] [And what does this mean, exactly?] [......have you been interfering?] [With the cycle. Have you been interfering?] <.....yes.> [What have you done?] [You mean the latest advent of 'her'? And without my consent?! WHY?!?] [.......I hope you're right. About everything.] These were the thoughts that were running through Aeka's mind as she brushed through the snow covered woods, almost frantically, searching for Tenchi. She had to know. Did he...love Ryoko? Not Aeka? Was Ryoko a better person than Aeka was? Was Aeka simply not worthy of Tenchi's affections? Was Aeka too worthless in Tenchi's eyes, to even be compared to Ryoko? Aeka brushed a tear away from her eye, and continued her search with increased vigilance. She sniffled, and barely even noticed the cold. She didn't even feel the cold snow against her soft skin. None of that even mattered. After looking for a few minutes, she came upon a small clearing, where she came across the object of her search. There, on a rock, staring up at the cloudy grey sky, sat Tenchi. Her voice caught in her throat as she looked at him, unsure of what to do. Any semblance of a planned question had completely left her, and she was simply left with the pain and the fear of not being loved by Tenchi. Eventually, she managed to gain control over her voice. "T...Tenchi-sama?" she asked timidly, clutching her fist close to her heart. He turned to look at her, his face was somewhat contemplative, but that changed when he saw that her face was lined with tears. It took him about a second to realise why. He sighed. "Yes, Aeka-san?" She sniffed, and took a timid step towards him. "Umm...is it...true?" That was all she could ask. There were no other words that came to her mind. Any other words were drowned out in a pool of accumulating sorrow, that were beginning to grip at her like an unseen vice. He took a deep breath. "Are you talking about Ryoko?" She nodded. He closed his eyes, and bowed his head. "Yes." Although the pain she had felt when Ryoko had told her was extreme, this time, it was unbearable. The word he had said, it had torn open an excruciating hole in her heart. She choked, and then let the tears stream anew. It was true. Convulsing slightly, Aeka collapsed to her knees, and sobbed looking at the ground, not caring that any scraps of pride and dignity that she held with her had just been cast away. Tenchi walked over to her, and knelt down next to her, and put a comforting arm over her shoulder. He said nothing, he simply put his arm there to assure that he *was* there. Aeka continued to weep, doing nothing more than just that. Tenchi blinked back his own tears. "I'm...I'm sorry, Aeka." Aeka nodded, and rose up a little, to look him in the face. When she did, Tenchi felt as if his heart had been crushed. He felt as if the light that had shown him his feelings for Ryoko, had blinded him from everything else. Tenchi took in a deep breath, and wiped at his eyes. Aeka sniffed. "It's...the same..." "What is?" he replied, wiping at his eyes. Aeka did the same. "When Yosho left me...I thought that if I chased after him, I could find him, and destroy that sorrow. And then...when he was gone..." she trailed off, and wiped her eyes a bit more. "...I found you, Tenchi. You were there. And now, you aren't. Now, it feels the same as when Yosho left. The sorrow is the same." Aeka took in a deep breath. "I'm tired of carrying it." she said. Aeka slowly rose to her feet, and Tenchi stood with her. "Aeka-san...I'm really sorry...if there is something I could do..." "No. There is *nothing* you could do, Tenchi-sama. Nothing." She said sadly. She turned from him. "I'm...going to go to be on my own for a bit. Thank you...for telling me, Tenchi." With that, she hurriedly ran off, as the tears began to flow freely once again. Tenchi blinked sadly. "Aeka-san..." Sumirei burst into the large room, with two soldiers next to her. As she expected, and hoped, it was empty. She turned to her comrades. "Go now. I will carry out the rest of the plan." The nodded. "As you wish, Priestess." They ran off, and Sumirei watched with a sad smile on her face. As they ran through the palace halls, and further off out of sight, she closed the large doors behind her. She turned and faced the object of her search. Standing no more than 10 meters away, was Tsunami's tree. She walked up to it slowly, almost hesitently. As she did, a single tear fell from her face, and splashed into the water at her feet. But she didn't notice. She sighed. "I'm so sorry...Ashley..." she whispered. Sumirei walked up to the tree and gently rested her hand on it's trunk. When she did, she felt an indescribable amount of energy begin to course through her body. She withdrew her hand, and looked up, just above the tree, to see the ghostly existence of Tsunami herself. She sighed. "I am prepared, Tsunami." Tsunami nodded. "Thank you, Sumirei. And I am sorry." Sumirei blinked, allowing tears to flow from her face freely. "I know." They were interrupted as a voice began to holler over the communicator. "Sumirei! Sumirei! Report in, Sumirei!" Ashley called. Sumirei gently brought the communicator up to her mouth, cherishing the sound of Ashley's voice. "I am here, Ashley." "Thank Tsunami! You haven't reported in for a while, and I was getting worried." Sumirei sniffled. "I am afraid that this is goodbye, Ashley." "What?" he asked, his voice just barely above a whisper. Sumirei looked up at Tsunami, who nodded sadly. "I am at the tree. And in order for Tsunami to return to her tree, I must sacrifice myself. I'm so sorry..." "NO! DON'T, SUMIREI! PLEASE!!" He cried. Sumirei shook her head, even though she knew he wasn't there to see it. "I'm sorry, Ashley, but there is no other way...forgive me..." she wept. "There has to be another way, Sumirei! There has to! Please don't throw your life away! *PLEASE*!!!" He sobbed into the communicator. Sumirei smiled sadly. "I have to. Even if it's to save only a few lives...it is my duty. I can't just live for myself. Every day I have lived to restore Jurai, and I have always claimed that I would sacrifice myself if need be, and so..." Ashley said nothing. All that could be heard were broken sobs coming from the other end of the communicator. Sumirei looked up at Tsunami, and nodded. Tsunami nodded in confirmation, and descended down towards Sumirei. Just as Tsunami was about to touch Sumirei, Sumirei smiled, and lifted the COM to her mouth one last time. "Smile, Ashley." Ashley began to shake uncontrollibly as he heard the sound of Sumirei's voice, say "Smile, Ashley." ...followed by an intense, animal-pain filled scream from the same, gentle woman who he loved more than himself. Weeping, and shaking, Ashley's fist closed around the COM, and he squeezed it as hard as he could, as he wept. The COM cracked in his hand, and he fell to his knees. Yuka, his friend. Sumirei, his lover. Both of them, were now dead. Ashley fist began to tighten around the hilt of his katana, as he scanned the area with eyes of hate, searching for *anything* to take his emotions out on. That was when he heard the voice. Whispering to him. It was subtle. It was quiet. And... ...he couldn't resist. And once again, he stopped becoming a man... ...and he became... ...a demon. TO BE CONTINUED Author's Notes: Hey! This was a fun chapter to write! The first one with *combat*! Anyways, the fic is starting to move into high gear now. So anyway, the usual, C&C is *really* appreciated. Oh, and as an extra incentive, for those of you who don't know what 'Atropos' or 'Lachesis' means, email me with some C&C, and I'd be more than happy to tell you! Anyways, thanks to my prereaders. See you next chapter! MUSIC: Raid on Centra: "The Mission", from 'Final Fantasy VIII'. Washu in the Computer: "Network", from 'Front Mission 3'. Checkin' for info: "Chicken Bone", from 'Cowboy Bebop'. Bar Brawl: "Piano Black", from 'Cowboy Bebop'. Tsu and Tok: "Jume no Sukima", from 'The End of Evangelion'. Ryoko and Aeka: "The kid who stole the star", from 'Chrono Cross'. Yuka's suicide: "Farewell", from 'The Vision of Escaflowne'. The entity conversation: "Compression of Time", from 'Final Fantasy VIII'. Aeka and Tenchi: "The beautiful women of Alent", from 'Grandia'. Sumirei's sacrifice: "Quiet Life", from 'Rurouni Kenshin'. Thanks for Reading! email: bhoffer@home.com The_Entry_Plug