Disclaimer: This stuff is owned by other people, except for the stuff that isn't. If you own the stuff I've used, please do not sue me. Chances are you already have one hell of a lot more money than I do. The Legacy of Kain - Interlude (A Day in the Life) The sun rose. Dawn crept across the forest, the sunlight striking sparkles on the placid surface of the lake. It shone on the grounds surrounding the rebuilt house, green grass reclaiming the torn earth. It shone upon Ryoko, who sat upon the back steps staring into the sunrise with unblinking eyes, cradling a steaming cup of tea in her hands. Unconsciously, her hand kept creeping up to brush across the silver ring that she wore on a simple leather thong about her neck. Sasami watched her from the kitchen window, and worried. Ayeka wandered into the kitchen, absently rubbing the sleep from her eyes. "Oh, good morning, Sasami," she said. Sasami bit her lit, hesitating. "Ayeka," she said finally, "is Ryoko going to be all right?" Ayeka opened her mouth. She was going to say that the well-being of a space pirate was no concern of hers, that she didn't care what happened to Ryoko. She couldn't. It was unbecoming of her - and, as she was slowly starting to accept, it simply was not true. "I...don't know, Sasami," she said quietly. "I hope so." Sasami turned from the window and began to fuss with the utensils and ingredients that would become breakfast. "Why is she like this? I mean, Washu said that Kevin's going to be all right, didn't she?" Ayeka pursed her lips. In the chaos following the battle against Hunter, Washu had managed to pry Kevin's limp form from Ryoko's grasp and gotten him into a regeneration tank. She had resuscitated him, but it had taken time. That the physical damage could be repaired was certain, but...that had been two months ago, and Kevin was still comatose. In the absence of Kain's life force, his body was...changing. Rearranging itself, tearing itself apart and making itself into something new from the genetic level up. Even Washu had no idea what he would be like once he woke. If he woke. "Of course he'll be all right, Sasami," Ayeka lied smoothly. She reached a sudden decision that surprised her, and decided to act upon it before she had chance to change her mind. "I shall speak to her," she said, pouring herself a cup of tea. Setting her shoulders, she strode purposefully from the room. A small smile crossed Sasami's face as she watched her sister leave. "Sasami?" She stiffened, then turned slowly to face the owner of the soft, melodic voice. She stood in the corner, leaning against the counter as though bowed under a great weight. She regarded Sasami with a slow, sad smile. "Little one," Tsunami said in her gentlest tone, "we must talk." Ayeka stood at the back door, hesitating. Stop it, she told herself fiercely. You are a daughter of the Royal House of Jurai. You can do this thing. She walked down the steps, sitting down beside Ryoko, who gave no indication that she even noticed her presence. "Doesn't that hurt your eyes, Miss Ryoko?" Ryoko, staring eastwards, shrugged. Ayeka sighed. This was going to be more difficult than she thought. "Why are you doing this to yourself, Ryoko? Why do you sit out here every morning?" "Go away," said Ryoko in a low, grating voice. "No," Ayeka said. "Ayeka-" "I said no and I meant it, Ryoko. You do not eat, you do not sleep, you do not speak. Why?" "I need more time," muttered Ryoko. "You have had two months, Ryoko. It is time to come back to us. I am not leaving until you talk to me." Ryoko shot her a glance. "Aww, isn't that sweet. The little princess is worried about me." Ayeka fought down her urge to retort, and did one of the hardest things she'd ever done. She held Ryoko's gaze, and calmly said, "Yes. I am." Ryoko opened her mouth, then closed it again. She looked back towards the east. "Kevin...loved sunrises." Ayeka arched an eyebrow. "I was given to understand that Kevin is not exactly a morning person." "Nah," said Ryoko, the ghost of a smile touching her lips. "He hated mornings. Almost never got up in time for sunrise, but when he did he'd always take the time to sit down and watch. He used to say that each new day was a blessing, a new chance for fun and adventure and really wild things." Ayeka digested this. It was still hard for her to reconcile such sentiments with what she had been taught to believe all her life...the Anajurai. The Great Enemy, the Betrayers. Still. He had brought Sasami back to her, and that counted for something. No. That counted for a lot. "He is...a most remarkable man. I feel I have not been entirely fair in my treatment of him." Ryoko shot her a blank look. "Too late now, hmm?" "I beg your pardon?" "Come off it, highness. Kevin was dead. Flatline. For two minutes," Ryoko said flatly. "Do you know how much brain damage can happen in that amount of time?" "I'm sure Miss Washu can-" "She can't do anything, Ayeka. She's a genius, not a goddess. And even if she could, there's...there's Kain. He was in them for centuries. Changing them. And without that power to fuel him, his body is eating himself alive." "I am sure he'll be fine, Ryoko," said Ayeka stoutly. "You must believe that." The teacup shattered in Ryoko's grasp, startling Ayeka. "Dammit, Ayeka," breathed Ryoko, "how the hell can you be so stupidly optimistic? What do you think we are, superheroes?" She stood abruptly. "Sasami and Tenchi have both come back from death. How many times you think that's gonna happen, huh? We've gone up against Kagato, Kain and Clay...each time hopelessly outgunned. How many times are we going to push our luck, Ayeka? One of these days we're going to run out, and then no one's going to make it back." Ayeka shot to her feet. "What would you have us do, Ryoko? Turn coward? Run away? Split up and leave each other to founder?" "If that's what it takes? You're damn right!" shot back Ryoko. "You're my friends. The only family I've ever known. I couldn't take it if any of you died." She turned away. "Not even you." "Ryoko?" No response. "Ryoko," said Ayeka firmly, putting all her years of training into her voice, "look at me." Ryoko turned. Her eyes were bloodshot from lack of sleep and weeping, her shoulders stooped in defeat. Ayeka stepped forward and put her arms around her, enfolding Ryoko in a fierce hug rivalling those of her mother's. Ryoko stiffened, then slowly, slowly relaxed and allowed herself to be held, shaking as the tears started to come. Sasami bit her lip and nodded, once. She even attempted a brave little smile. So brave, Tsunami thought, her heart nearly breaking. Can there ever have been anyone so brave? She reached out. "Will...will it hurt very much?" Tsunami smiled gently. "No, little one. It won't hurt you at all." "What about you?" Tsunami hesitated. She was unaccustomed to having a physical body, and no experience whatsoever in hiding her emotions. Sasami read the fear and worry that crossed her features like a book. "There may be some...discomfort for me. But it will be quickly over. Are you ready?" "Yes," said Sasami. She lay her hand on Tsunami's shoulder. "It's gonna be okay." "I wish it were that certain," said Tsunami. And then she touched Sasami's forehead, once, and so it was done. And for better or worse, it could never be undone. They stood that way for some time, until finally Ayeka gave her one last squeeze and released her. She put her hands on Ryoko's shoulders and looked into her eyes. "We are family, Ryoko. We look after each other. Always." Ryoko eyed her warily. "Is this the part where I say 'thanks, I needed that?" Ayeka drew herself up. "What you say or do not say is no concern of mine, monster woman," she said haughtily. Ryoko's face creased in a genuine smile. "Spoiled brat." "Pirate." "Stuck-up bitch." Ayeka stuck out her tongue, and Ryoko laughed for the first time in months. "Y'know, I guess I did need that," said Ryoko, sobering. "Thank you." "You're welcome," said Ayeka, smiling. "Are you going to go and see him?" Ryoko looked down. "I guess I should," she sighed. "We stick together, right? I'll see ya round, Princess." She vanished. Ayeka smiled and stretched, looking into the sunrise. She patted herself on the back and walked off, into the house. Kevin lay in the bed, his long red hair spread out over the pillow. His breathing was deep and regular and, aside from the muted beeping of the heart monitor, was the only sound in the stark white room deep in the bowels of Washu's lab. A small bank of monitors sat against the far wall, their screens flashing and scrolling thousands of characters in an alien tongue, tracking and cataloguing every minute change in Kevin's body. For though Kevin seemed to be resting, his body was hard at work, strands of DNA splitting and reforming as it rewrote itself. And as he changed, Kevin dreamed. It seemed to Kevin as though he had dropped through the cracks of reality at some point. Images of of things that never were, things that might have been appeared before him, assembling themselves and dissolving again. There was one vision where it had been Washu, not Ryoko, who had been imprisoned in the cave, and Kagato had seized the throne of Jurai. And another, where the entire family had moved to California, of all places. They became progressively stranger, and Kevin watched as Tenchi married Ayeka, and Ryoko, then both, then a Ryoko from an alternate world, and there was one where he became a being of colossal power to save the universe - The flashing images shattered, and Kevin found himself floating in soft grey mists. There was a white light shining in the distance, and he began to move towards it, wondering idly what kind of name Cyraqs was. The world shimmered and changed again as he stepped into the light, and then he was standing in a stark white room, looking down at his own sleeping body. There was another person there, a shorter, slender man with dark brown hair and soft, rounded features, dressed in a simple dun robe. "Hello, Kevin," he said. "I've been waiting for you." "Ayeka! Hey, wait up!" Ayeka turned to see Mihoshi jogging towards her up the path towards the carrot patch, clutching a wicker basket. She smiled. "Good morning, Miss Mihoshi," she said. "Hi!" piped Mihoshi, stopping and trying to catch her breath. "Where are you off to in such a hurry?" "Oh!" Mihoshi held aloft the basket. "Tenchi left without lunch, so I thought I'd bring him this. How 'bout you?" Ayeka fought off a brief surge of jealousy. "Just...for a walk. I thought I might visit Tenchi later on." Mihoshi looked at Ayeka, her eyes widening. "You guys have been spending a lot of time together lately..." she lowered her voice conspiratorially. "You aren't...you know... together, are you?" Ayeka blinked. It had been two months. Surely even Mihoshi would have to notice...? "Yes, Mihoshi," she said patiently. "I suppose we are." Mihoshi shrieked, dropping the basket and leaping upon Ayeka. "Ayeka! That's so wonderful!" "Mihoshi..." "I'm so happy for you!!" "Can't...breathe..." "Oh, I'm sorry," said Mihoshi, releasing her abruptly. Ayeka staggered a little, regaining her balance. "Tell you what," gushed Mihoshi, "why don't you take Tenchi his lunch? You could have a picnic. It'll be SO romantic!" "Uh...thank you, Mihoshi. I will." Ayeka picked up the basket and started off down the road. Mihoshi watched her leave, the smile fading from her features. She sniffed, once, and wiped a tear from her eye. "You be good to him, Ayeka," she whispered, and began the long walk back to the house. Kevin blinked. "Who the hell are you?" The stranger smiled. "That's really not important right now. If you need a name, I suppose you can call me Primus. But the question is, who are you?" Kevin crossed his arms, looking unimpressed. "Ah, I get it. This is one of those near-death, introspective visionquest-like dreams you get in bad made-for-TV movies, right?" The smile vanished. "This is not a dream, Kevin Walker. True to your name, right now you walk the thin line between life and death, between this world and the next. That is the reason I can speak to you now, and I am the only thing keeping you from stepping over the boundary." "Sure you are." Primus frowned. He looked pointedly at the sleeping form on the bed. It jerked, suddenly, the heart monitor beeping wildly. Sudden, intense pain burst in his chest. He fell to his knees. "What...?" gasped Kevin. "Showing you," said Primus. "Your body is trying to rewrite itself. It can't take the strain. Your heart, all your organs, should have failed long ago. I'm helping out a little. Does this seem like a dream to you? Shall I withdraw my aid?" Kevin twitched, clenching his teeth. "You've made your point. Bastard," he hissed. Primus waved his hand over Kevin's body. The pain stopped instantly. Kevin climbed slowly and shakily to his feet. He looked down - his body was at rest again, his heartbeat regular. "Will you listen to what I have to say?" Kevin glared at him. "Yeah? I have a choice?" He smiled. "Not really, no. I have a proposition for you." "I'm all ears," growled Kevin. "Hey, mom," said Ryoko, phasing through the wall of the lab. Washu blinked. She'd been staring at her screens, not really watching it. Something had distracted her from the monitors, but what...? I'm getting old, she thought. She turned to face her daughter. "Heya, kiddo. Wondered when you'd make your way down here." Ryoko shook her head and walked to the small window that separated the small hospital room from the rest of the lab. she asked silently, her concern and worry coming clearly through the link. Washu replied. replied Washu. Ryoko nodded absently. <'course.> Ryoko faded through the wall without a backwards glance. Washu sighed and went back to work. "There are...certain rules as to how we can act on your plane of existence. Direct interference is forbidden. But we can invest a certain amount of ourselves in people, giving them access to a part of our power and allowing them to act on our behalf." Kevin crossed his arms. "So, what, you want me to be one of these...these avatars?" "Avatars," repeated Primus. "An apt word. But no, Kevin, I'm not saying that. I'm saying that you always have been." Kevin blinked. "Beg your pardon?" Primus smiled. "What makes you think you could fight off the power of Kain on your own? The first of the Anajurai to keep himself whole and sane after generations of madmen and murderers? What makes you so special?" "Clean living," retorted Kevin. "I'm afraid not. It was me, Kevin. I gave you the strength to retain your self under the pressure of Kain's taint. I was the one who showed you that your people were hopelessly twisted and had to be stopped. And mine is the voice that you heard when you faced your brother, telling you how to be free of Kain forever." Kevin hesitated. He HAD heard something then, in that instant when Hunter's blade had leapt for him, just on the edge of his consciousness. "Your point?" Kevin said shortly. "Just this. I can restore you to life, whole in mind and body. In return, you will act on my behalf in the conflict to come." "And if I refuse?" Primus met his gaze evenly. "The you will die in your sleep. A shame, really, considering how much you have to live for." At that moment Ryoko walked through the wall. Kevin, his eyes stinging, watched her waft through the air, sitting down in the chair beside Kevin's bed. She sighed deeply, looking down at his sleeping form. "I miss you," she said softly. "I miss you too," whispered Kevin, swallowing. He turned to Primus. "What about them?" "What of them?" countered Primus. "Do they have a role in what's coming? Will they be hurt?" Primus pursed his lips. "Yes, they do. And they may well be hurt. Whether they will live is...not mine to see." "In this conflict...would I have to fight against them?" Primus folded his hands before him. "It's possible," he admitted. "This decision must be yours and yours alone, Kevin. Do not allow thoughts of them to sway you." Kevin looked at Ryoko, then at Primus. "I can't," said Kevin. "There's more here than just me. I'd die for them. And if I had never met them, I would still say no. I'm free now. And I'm not going to compromise that. My decisions, my soul, are mine alone." Primus nodded, not betraying any emotion. "I see," he said. And then he was gone. Kevin's sight began to dim rapidly. His last thought, before the darkness claimed him, was 'I'm sorry, Ryoko'. Then he saw the light - "I miss you," said Ryoko softly. She sat for a time, listening to the beep of the monitor, the sound of his breath. She sighed. "I know you're supposed to talk to people in comas, y'know, but now I find I don't have anything much to say." She got up. "I'll tell ya what. I'm gonna go and get some tea, and then we'll talk, 'kay? I'll fill you in on some gossip." She turned to leave, calling jokingly over her shoulder, "You want some?" "No thanks," said Kevin. Ryoko stopped. She turned to face the bed. Kevin's eyes were open, bright, crystal blue, and he was smiling at her. He was smiling at her. "It keeps me awake," he finished. Ryoko took a step, then another, and then she was flying, throwing herself into his arms, burying her face in his chest, clutching him so tightly he could barely breathe. My life, you bastard, thought Kevin fiercely, and held Ryoko tighter. Primus, far away, heard, and merely smiled. AUTHOR'S NOTE: This fic marks the end of the Legacy of Kain story arc and the beginning of the second, called Ghosts and Avatars. I'm shooting for a three-arc series, the third act of which I'm hesitantly calling Free Earth. So if you happen to like the work I've done so far, there's plenty more to come...and if you don't, hey, let me know how I can improve. My email is kakapo101@hotmail.com. Thanks for readin'.