---- Copyrights, etc: Tenchi Muyo! and all corresponding characters are the properties of AIC and Pioneer. Joseph, Koros, and Loknar belong to me. They're restless, since I haven't done a new chapter in a heck of awhile. If you wanna borrow one or two of them for a story, just ask me. Notes, etc: This fanfic will also be quite light, as it focuses around their vacation. It takes place a week or so after Recovery, (OAV 20, OC Chapter 7). I've been a real lazy young man recently, and I apologize. In response, I will shorten my babbling on the intros of chapters. This fanfic will have a lot of mythological references, as many of the mythic creatures of Earth do exist on Orion/Jurai. I am borrowing the Kodamas from Princess Monokone, but just for a short while, to help diversify the life on Orion/Jurai. Kodamas are the property of whoever makes Princess Monokone, and they don't belong to me or anyone else. Oki. Here goes hours of my sleep and sanity.... (Update, 11/15/01) Wait, hold on a moment. Another reason why this was late was because of social problems, my inability to manage my time properly, and September 11th. I was planning to do a lot of work that day, but because of those things, I have been very fatigued and unable to write. Now, I can. I will finish this fanfic by the end of the month, and I promise that it will be my longest and greatest yet. Nevermind, I finished it now. (11/25/01). Following this fanfic, I will have several, small mini-fics, circling around possible romances that could have occurred in this chapter. These minifics will break off from the main timeline, founding separate branches, which I will return to from time to time. God Bless America. Loknar of Orion, 8/19/01 (God, I am lazy. I should have finished this thing a month ago. [11/15/01]) Fanfic Began: 8/19/01. Fanfic Finished: 11/25/01 (Finally! :D ) ---- Tenchi Muyo! OAV 21: A Well Needed Vacation (Orion Chronicles, Chapter 8) In the heat of the late morning sun, Tenchi blocked the sword, gritting his teeth. He was covered with sweat, as a recent heatwave in the middle of the spring decided to show its' full force when he was practicing with his bokken; the balmy temperatures really contributing to his already exhausted state, causing him to be more irritable, exhausted, and overall mood. Thwack! He hit back with his wooden sword, only to be blocked by the other bokken. It had been a week since Joseph had awoken from his slumber, and things essentially got back on what could be considered a normal routine. The two brothers got back to plowing the fields and picking the carrots, allowing Loknar to go back to work in the lab with Miss Washuu. Kiyone helped Sasami cook, which made meals even better than before. It seems that Kiyone's mother was quite a chef, and had taught her a lot of secrets for the perfect meals. Kiyone had obviously remembered every lesson. "You're getting better at this, Tenchi." Kasuhito said, suddenly whipping the sword out of the block, and gently bonking Tenchi on the head with it. "But you still need to work on it." "Geez, Grandpa. Can you please stop doing things like that?" "What do you mean, Tenchi?" "You know, doing tricks with the sword, fooling around during lessons." "It builds character." Kasuhito replied simply. "I don't need character!" Tenchi put his sword down. "Whining is not what a warrior does." "I'm not whining, Grandpa." Ayeka watched Tenchi from the porch, smiling warmly at him. He was exactly like how Yosho had been on Jurai, Tenchi evidently inheriting his grandfather's superb swordsmanship, able to block any attack, but also the ability to give it out in kind. Even though he was sweaty and frustrated, he still looked like her knight in Juraian armor, ready to sweep her off her feet and marry her, the chivalrous man he was. On the roof, Ryoko watched Tenchi work as well. He was getting quite good using the wooden sword, even though his grandfather rarely admitted it. She marveled at his grace and speed, the care he took to every move, every swipe, every gesture, and even every curse as the sword hit him. She giggled to herself as he did just that. Maybe one day, he could engage her in a fight with bokkens, the winner getting a kiss....But she knew it was a hopeless dream, at least for now. "Tenchi! Ayeka! Kasuhito! Ryoko! Lunch is ready!" Sasami called, walking out onto the porch. She smiled at Tenchi, much like her sister had. Tenchi was breathing heavily, looking a little silly with mud on his shirt and pants, his clothes plastered to him by sweat. However, he did look attractive to Sasami as well. But she knew that even thinking of eventually marrying Tenchi was a pipe dream. If she voiced her opinion vocally, Ryoko and Ayeka would have her head. The mellow voice of an acoustic guitar came from Joseph's room, the music drifting down to the ground like a warm breeze, cool yet warm, soft yet audible, beautiful yet mournful. Joseph was Sasami's other choice, Tenchi's brother being quite attractive himself, but with the soul and voice of an angel. Mihoshi clearly agreed with Sasami on this. The both of them loved Tenchi, like Ryoko and Ayeka, but knew that Tenchi was a goal impossible to achieve. Joseph, on the other hand, was not being stalked every hour of the day by an angry princess and a irritable space pirate. They grew on Joseph, soon loving him in their hearts as much as they did Tenchi. After Joseph had awoken from his sleep a week ago, exactly one month after the battle which had cost him so much energy, he picked up where he left off on the storybook that he read Sasami when she wanted. It was almost every night, as she loved the old tales of Orion and the early galaxy, and his father's exploits as a young man. As the four came in, she quickly went up the stairs to Joseph's room, to tell him that lunch was ready to be served. She hopped up the stairs, petting Ryo-Ohki and Ken-Ohki on the way, who had been snuggling on a step of the stairs. As Sasami got closer to the room, the soft guitar music became clearer and much more wonderful, every note itself seemingly like a masterpiece. She gently knocked on the door, as if not to disturb him. "Come in, Sasami." Joseph said warmly, still playing. She opened the door, smiling happily. Joseph sat at the windowsill, his guitar in hand. He continued to play softly, then looking at her, and smiling back. "Lunch is ready, Joseph." "I'll be down in a moment, Sasami." In the center of Joseph's room, there was a small table that hadn't been there before; a small workbench. On it were a few tools, and pieces of oddly colored metal, which seemed to respond to every note Joseph played. On each piece of metal, there was an Orion rune, each one a geometrical shape or collection of shapes. "What's that, Joseph?" Sasami asked, picking up one of the metal pieces. "Orion Story-chimes." Joseph replied, setting the guitar down. "I'm still assembling from this old kit that Dad had in pseduospace. The real thing looks much more impressive than pieces of metal with runes on them. In fact, once fully assembled, it can be set to either predict events, or tell stories of past ones." "When'll you be finished making it?" "Probably by dinner. Speaking of that, let's go down to lunch." Joseph continued, walking out of his room, Sasami nodding and following. She walked over to Mihoshi's room as Joseph went downstairs. "Mihoshi! Lunch is ready!" "Okay!" She replied, tip-toeing out of her room, with something in her pocket. "I have a suprise for everyone at lunch!" "Oh? What is it?" "You'll find out Sasami." She responded, smiling. Kiyone was already downstairs, helping Joseph set the table. She admired his natural helpfulness, and his warm, kind smile, that radiated across the room, making anyone it touched feel happy. He was as kind as Tenchi, always trying to make one of them feel better, settle arguments, and make sure everyone was happy. Unlike Tenchi, Joseph was able to stand up to things easier, the result of his past hardships. While Tenchi was unable to settle a big fight between Ryoko and Ayeka, Joseph just walking in, and pulled them apart, and calmed them down. He also had more of a sense of humor, cracking funny but appropriate jokes, and also more maturity, as he was older than his brother. Kiyone was close to loving him, but she did not know his opinion on her. Hopefully, she could find out soon, as the whole group was going somewhere in a few days. As everyone sat down for lunch, Mihoshi seemed a little nervous. "What's wrong, Mihoshi?" Tenchi asked. "I....um.......I have a suprise." "Could we see?" Sasami asked, eager to know. Out of her pocket, Mihoshi gently pulled out a small case. She opened it with a little click, and out popped a pair of glasses. She put them on, looking more beautiful than ever when them on. "You look great, Mihoshi." Joseph spoke, the first one to respond to it. "He's right, Mihoshi." Tenchi added. Mihoshi had gotten these glasses after the routine GP eye exam. On the eye chart, she read 'Purple Puffy Ponies' instead of 'For the People'. She had turned to Washuu and Loknar for help, and they gave her the glasses earlier this morning, happy to help. She still had that problem with knocking down and destroying inventions, something which Loknar and Washuu had to clean up after she left the lab. "She now has 20/20 vision." Washuu beamed, "Thanks to Tassi's innate ability to alter positronic visual perception ultra-retinas." "No my dear, it was your genius with Corenaic Obstanitor Combuster Devices." Loknar replied, hugging his girlfriend. "Well, allright. We both did it." She said, kissing him gently. "Could we please keep kissing out of the meals?" Joseph grumbled, not exactly fond of seeing his father kiss someone. Loknar and Washuu grumbled at this. The food was soon served, including Kiyone's special Miso Soup, which she had learned from her mother. Everyone ate heartily, especially Ryo-Ohki and Ken-Ohki, who loved their little bowls of carrot stew, which Joseph had learned how to make in the Galactic Marines, and had taught to Sasami. There were many conversations at the table, ranging from characters on Super Pretty Soldier Athena between Mihoshi and Sasami, to who is more lovable between Ryoko and Ayeka, and even Loknar and Kasuhito's recounts of past battles. After awhile, Tenchi spoke up. "...When should we leave for our vacation?" He asked everyone. All conversations ceased after he said that. The day after Joseph had woken up, he had proposed to everyone the idea of a vacation to Orion. The planet itself was indescribably beautiful, with many of the mythical creatures that Ancient Terrans claimed to see on Earth, huge forests, prairies the size of France, wonderful beaches, and thousands of silvery cities, with huge parks of all types. The only disturbing fact was that the planet had been deserted of all Orions since the great disappearance that Loknar had described last year. Everyone was very keen on the idea, as they had just defeated the brother of Kagato, Koros, a month before, and needed a few days of just pure rest. Ayeka was especially positive about the idea, as Orion was the sibling of Jurai, with many artifacts of Jurai present on the huge, lush planet. The single problem that everyone had was deciding exactly when to go there. "As soon as possible. I'm still getting Koros's stench off of me." Ayeka replied. "I agree. We all need some time off....Besides, I've always wanted to see it." Ryoko added. "But we need time to pack." Said Sasami. "How about tomorrow then?" Joseph asked. Everyone thought it over, and quickly agreed. Tenchi was about to ask everyone if they were sure if they wanted to go tomorrow, but before he opened his mouth, everyone had rushed off to their rooms to pack. Mihoshi, still apprehensive about her glasses, was much more careful than usual, and walked up the stairs while the others ran. She quietly went into her room, and packed, placing her clothing in her recently- purchased suitcase, along with a few stuffed animals. Kiyone was packing furiously, quite the opposite of what she normally did. She viewed this vacation as a chance to get closer to Joseph, and she was not going to waste any time. "From what I have heard, the planet is unimaginably beautiful, and that everything about it is very romantic." She thought, smiling. "I hope I can get a minute alone with Joseph. From what I have seen in the past month or so, he is the husband that I've dreamed of having...." Meanwhile, Joseph sat at the workbench, and continued working on his windchimes. He cautiously attached each chime to the central spindle, each one emitting a nice ringing sound when attached. Using a special paint, he painted in the correct runes on each chime, so that the story produced by them would be coherent and correct. The metal shined in the sunlight, the finely polished metal sparkling like water. Once the chimes were attached to the spindle strings, he lifted the completed project up. Each chime was about three inches long, made of a cylinder of pure silver. In the center of the cylinder, multiple Orion runes were drawn, each signifying an emotion, letter, or word. There were about five chimes connected by metal wire to one small spindle, each made of a blue letter. There were about three small spindles, and they were all connected to the central spindle, made of gold. As Joseph lifted it up, the chimes brushed against each other, a beautiful sound coming from it. The small decrypter on the desk came up with the words that were within the sound. The decrypter itself was made solely of wood, with a thin papery screen on which the words were clearly projected. Under the screen were the actual decrypting components, also made of wood. This was quite reminiscent of Juraian technology, and it should, as Orion and Jurai are sibling worlds. The words that had come from the sound were a simple sentence: "And thus the great warrior awoke, stretching her tired muscles." Joseph smiled, seeing that it had worked. He carefully placed it in his suitcase, along with some clothing and books. Several old Orion tomes would be on Orion, so he wanted to compare the original books with the other editions there. There was suddenly a knock on the door. "Joseph?" Mihoshi asked, gently opening it. "Yes, Mihoshi?" "Are you.....Are you sure I look allright with these glasses?" She asks quietly. Joseph smiled warmly at her, hugging her very lightly. "You look beautiful, Mihoshi." He replied. She blushed. "Thank you, Joseph." She went back into her room, feeling much better. Ryoko and Ayeka also began to pack. Ayeka folded her clothing very neatly, placing it meticulously in its' proper position within the suitcase. She finished it, and closed the suitcase without any trouble. Sasami was having some problems with hers, so she politely assisted her sister. Ryoko, on the other hand, piled clothes into hers, throwing some unopened bottles of sake in as well. She jammed it shut when she finished, but it wouldn't close. "Stay down, ya damn thing!" She called. She tried pushing it down, but it didn't work. Sitting on it wasn't much help either. She finally tried jumping on it, and it worked - But her bed was now quite crooked. "Miss Ryoko, can you please keep it down?" Ayeka called. Ryoko ignored her, and began packing another suitcase, in the same way as the previous one. "Miss Ryoko!" "I don't care, Princess!" Ryoko replied. Ayeka growled, Sasami trying to calm her down. "Ayeka, please.......You know how Tenchi doesn't like you two fighting." She said, trying to keep her sister from arguing with the space pirate. "But Ryoko is........." She sighed. "If Lord Tenchi does not want me to quarrel with her, I will not." Ayeka sat down for a moment, thinking about the man she loved. Ryoko, having heard that, thought of Tenchi as well. To the both of them, he was a shining light in a dark world, a single beacon of love, the epitome of the perfect mate. They had spent many nights dreaming of him, how he would love them back, how he would raise their children, and the like. They would do anything for him, even if it meant harm to themselves. Then they thought about each other, their expressions changing. To the space pirate, the princess was an annoying little girl. To the princess, the space pirate was an uncouth harlot. They soon forget about what Sasami had said, and begin to fight. In the lab, Loknar and Washuu kiss each other on the floating couch, not packing which they said there were going to do. "You'll love it there on Orion, my dear." Loknar whispered, kissing his love on the lips. "I can't love it as much as I love you." Washuu replied, kissing back. "I love you more than anyone in the Multiverse." "I love you, my little guinea pig." "I love you too, my little lab mouse....." They hugged each other for awhile, love flowing between them like energy. "The place that we will be staying at has a few special rooms for lovers." He said after awhile, smiling at her. "Mmm?" She asks, arranging his long hair into a ponytail. "Huge bedrooms, with large stained glass windows, skylights, and a big bed." "Good. Is the area compatible with pseduospace, Tassi?" "Yes. Why do you ask?" "We don't need to pack then....All we do is simply pull up the lab's dimension." "I guess we won't need that large suitcase then...." "Probably not. Maybe, if everyone is packed, we could leave today." "Judging from observations, I don't think everyone will be packed just yet, my love." As they talked, Tenchi began to pack his suitcase. "Let's see..........Shirts, yes. Pants, yes. Socks, yes. Underwear, yes." He said, checking he had everything he needed. "T-shirts, yes. Homework, yes. Ryoko, yes. Ayeka, yes............Ryoko and Ayeka?!?!?!?!?" "Oooh Tenchi, I didn't know you cared. ^_^" Ryoko cooed, hugging him, only to be pulled off by Ayeka. "Greetings, Lord Tenchi." She said, only to be knocked out of the way by Ryoko. "Uh...Can we p-please not fight?" Tenchi stuttered. "Not till I settle this with little miss priss." "Do not call me that, you ruffian harlot!" Tenchi sighed, and continued packing as the two argued. In his recently rebuilt room, Noboyuki packed a small suitcase, a huge one sitting nearby. He filled the small one with clothing and a few books. The larger one remained empty. "Loknar told us that anything we ever wanted would be on Orion, so that probably means some interesting 'books' should be there." He thought, drooling at the very idea. "Noboyuki!" Kasuhito called, addressing his son-in-law much like his grandson. "Yes father?" Noboyuki asked, quickly wiping the drool off his chin. "Are you packed?" "Yes. Why do you ask?" Kasuhito sighed, embarrassed. "I don't know where a suitcase is." Noboyuki grinned, as this showed that his father-in-law was not perfect. "I'll help you find one." He beamed, still grinning, almost rubbing it in. By the time everyone finished packing, it was time for dinner. Everyone sat down quickly, all of them eager to see Orion. "What time do we leave?" Ryoko asked, flipping through an Eva manga. "10:00 AM should be allright." Loknar replied, sitting down at the table. "Why 10?" "Just sounds like a good time." Ryoko blinks. "I see. If you are so logical, why don't you have a reason?" Loknar rolled his eyes. "Sometimes things are good the way they are." "And tell me, Mr. Genius, how long are we staying?" "Two to three days. We want to get back to a normal routine as soon as possible, and three days, and two to three nights sound sufficient." Sasami was quite excited about the vacation, even proposing that they should leave tonight. She began packing some food, a few books for everyone, and two small cabbit beds. "Why tonight, Sasami?" Washuu wondered. "...I haven't had much of a vacation before. Ken-Ohki told me and Ryo-Ohki that I'd love it." "But we all need some rest if we're going on a trip. Even though the ride there won't be exhausting, it will still be tiring." "Speaking of that, what are we using to get to Orion, Lady Washuu?" Ayeka queried. Washuu and Loknar smiled. "They're sitting on Sasami's lap." Ken-Ohki and Ryo-Ohki didn't mind being used as transportation to getting to Orion, usually getting carrots as a reward, so they simply meowed a yes. They were snuggled up, very comfortable together, with their heads resting against each other, occasionally purring, and telekinetically talking in the cabbit tongue. The two cabbits were quite happy together, each having found their equal, their mate, the one which they would stay with forever. "How far is Orion from here?" "Towards the center of the galaxy." Everyone except for Loknar and Washuu blinked. "......That would take a week or two to get there, on a normal ship." Kiyone replied, having been an expert on ships herself. "Yes, but we're using something different. Ryo-Ohki and Ken-Ohki have the power to open a small wormhole, which we can cross onto the other side of the galaxy, if need be. We installed the add-on recently, and tests show that it does work. The total travel time will be less than twenty minutes." Mihoshi got an idea at that moment. "What kind of creatures live on Orion?" "You'll see tomorrow, Mihoshi." Loknar replied, a smile on his face. "Okay Tassi." That night, Joseph and Tenchi weren't really hungry. Tenchi had never been to another country before, the only exception going in space with the others. He was quite apprehensive about going, as the fields needed to be watered every other day, and the vacation would last awhile. He wondered how different Orion would be from Earth; if it would be very similar, with cities, forests, and oceans, or very alien, with massive plateaus, strange geographical forces, and the occasional anomaly. Joseph had been to Orion before, so he had no specific problems with going. However, he worried about how the trip would affect the others. For instance, he knew Ryoko really enjoyed sake, but with some Orion sake being stronger than some on Earth, it might make her quite drunk. The large amount of wildlife, especially those that would be cute would have an effect on Sasami and Mihoshi, who might become attached to some of creatures, or hug them too often, upsetting the entities. Hopefully, everything would still be allright. Everyone ate quickly, then racing to bed. Tenchi slept like a rock, falling asleep as soon as his head had hit the pillow. Ever since the destruction of Koros, and everyone getting back to normal, most of the fears Tenchi had in the past began to subside. His night-terrors were no longer existent, replaced with the occasional dream of being glomped or hugged to death by Misaki. Before Sasami fell asleep, Joseph read her another story, which was now almost every night. Joseph didn't mind; he was in fact thrilled at the amount of hugely creative literature by his people, as most of the stories that he had read to her were largely unknown to him. Loknar often lent Sasami translated Orion shoujo mangas, which were very well thought out, with amazing plot twists. After the story, Sasami fell asleep, while Joseph had a soda, and went to bed with a smile on his face. Ayeka went on the computer in her room for awhile, looking up information on Orion in the Juraian database. There were loads of information, as the GU association with the AGN was considerable, both allies giving the other almost all of their total information. As the databases had not been correctly organized as of yet, she sifted through small bits of information until she fell asleep. Ryoko sat in her room, drinking sake and watching the anime FuriKuri/FLCL for awhile, with the headphones on, laughing quietly. After the six-episode OAV finished, she watched some old, repeated soap operas until she fell asleep. Mihoshi and Kiyone watched the same thing, easily realizing that it was very poorly-made. As it was the better of most on late-night TV, Mihoshi began MSTing it. Kiyone was impressed by this, as Mihoshi's quotes were quite humorous. Loknar and Washuu easily fell asleep in their room in their lab, resting in each other's arms, the two cabbits snuggling next to them. Noboyuki fell asleep thinking about the shoujo mangas that might be on Orion, while Kasuhito thought about how Orion would effect them. Tenchi awoke quietly at 10:00 AM, his head feeling like a rock, but still well-rested. He blinked when he looked at the clock. Ten was the time when they were supposed to leave. "Sweet Tsunami!" Tenchi exclaimed, rushing to get his clothes on. He knew the others wouldn't leave without him, but he didn't want to anger them. He sprinted to the washroom, used it, brushed his teeth, and raced downstairs with his suitcase, nearly tripping on two sleepy cabbits sitting on the steps. "Is everyone ready? I'm sorry I'm late!" He said, opening the door. Only Kiyone sat on the couch. "Tenchi, it is only nine o'clock." She told him, stretching and yawning. "But.....But my clock said it was ten!" "Ryo-Ohki and Ken-Ohki must have pushed a button while they were playing around. You probably slept through it, but in the middle of the night, they playfully chased each other around the house, knocking things down, phasing through doors, you know." Tenchi sighed with relief, and sat down by her, smiling. She smiled back. Kiyone looked at him, curiously. To her, he was quite cute, but she knew she didn't have a chance. Joseph was just as cute to Kiyone, probably more, and much readily available. She figured that sometime on this vacation, she would bring up the courage to ask him out on a date. Tenchi and Kiyone waited for half an hour or so, talking, while the others got dressed and brought their luggage down. Around ten, everyone was ready and packed. Sasami brought some snacks for the trip, as well as a good supply of carrots for the cabbits, as she didn't know what kind of carrots might be on Orion. Loknar and Washuu, coming down the stairs, smiled at the assembled group. "Everyone ready to go?" Washuu asked, holding Loknar's hand. They all nodded. Loknar then whistled as Joseph opened the door, the two cabbits running outside, jumping, and transforming into their ship-forms. Their metal spikes were very reflective in the early morning, the light bouncing back onto the ground, warming it, and providing more than ample light on an already bright, sunny morning in the Kurashiki countryside. Everyone went outside, and was either teleported into Ken-Ohki or Ryo-Ohki. In Ryo-Ohki were Kasuhito, Ryoko, Mihoshi, Noboyuki, and Sasami, while Ayeka, Tenchi, Joseph, Loknar, Washuu, and Kiyone were in Ken-Ohki. Tenchi looked out the window, and saw the three Juraian trees. "See ya in a few days, guys!" He said on his ships, the trees emitting a small goodbye using beams of light. The two cabbit-ships rose in the air, soon reaching orbit. "Let's go." Washuu said to Loknar, initiating the Pseduospace Warp Protocols. "This is going to be a quick ride, everyone; on most conventional ships, a trip to the center to the galaxy would take weeks, up to months, while the fastest could get there in one week. We will get there in less than twenty minutes. As Orion is in Tassi and Joseph's realm, we will have to enter a multiversal portal before we enter a pseduospace warp. Unlike most, this portal will be semi-transparent, meaning that glimpses of other universes will be visible for brief seconds." Washuu said, putting in the last command on a control panel. "Ready?" Loknar asked everyone. Most of the group didn't understand the technobabble, so they just stared blankly. "I'll take that as a yes. -_- " Loknar added. As the last button was pressed, a huge portal opened next to the two ships. It was shimmering in ring-like formations, much like when a stone is dropped into a puddle of water. They entered the portal, slowly, ripples forming where they touched it. Inside, it was a hollow tube of energies, of thousands of different colors, and many bands, in unthinkable formations. On parts of what could be the ceiling of the tube were written a single word, in a language that Joseph didn't have the slightest idea was, while Loknar and Washuu seemed to understand it. Tenchi looked out the window, at the infinite swirlings of colors. Suddenly, part of the wall became transparent. What could be seen was a huge expanse of what could be loosely called blue sky, in which unimaginably huge orbs floated, each filled with galaxies, nebulas, stars, and other structures. The number of the orbs was infinite, from what Tenchi could see. "Are those.....Universes?" He asked Loknar, gulping a little at the scope of it all. The others didn't seem to see it, most of them just talking, or listening to music. "Quite an astute observation, my boy. Those are in fact, universes. Don't try counting them. I have, and I know from talking with some people in the Council that there is an infinite, and ever-expanding number of them. The substance that bathes them is the Holy Void, made up intirely of Molecular Foam. Try turning on this radio, you might hear some interesting things." Loknar replied, handing him an old radio. "Council?" "Eh? Oh, them. Don't worry about it." Loknar seemed to avoid the subject, but smiled about it. Tenchi saw that Loknar had to keep some information a secret, most specifically the existence of this Council. Maybe he would learn more about it on Orion... Tenchi took the radio, and turned it on, quietly. It was a very interesting radio, having digital dials with numbers and co-ordinates that seemed infinitely complex. Tenchi just pressed the 'Random' button, and a station from some far-away universe came on. "...That's one small step for man, one giant leap for bowties......I mean man." A voice said, an alternate Neil Armstrong botching the opening statement on the moon landing. Tenchi pressed another button, and got a station in an incomprehensible language, with no real start or ending. "Please rise as the President of the United States of America, Miss Usagi Tsukino, steps onto the platform, and accepts her fourth term in that position, which she won in a landslide victory over meek Republican Candidate Shinji Ikari, and his running mate Sana-chan in both the electoral college, and votes. Vice President Di Gi 'Digiko' Charat is a little excited at this moment, having had too much sugar before coming to the ceremonies. " Another station said, while Hail to the Chief played in the background. "I don't want to know about that..." Tenchi thought, changing the station once more. "I promise that by the end of this decade, we will put a man on Mars!" An alternate John F. Kennedy spoke. Tenchi decided then to turn off the radio. The end of the portal was in sight, and they were soon in the vicinity of Earth, in Joseph's universe. Joseph turned on a small television, and picked up GNN, the Galaxian News Network. "In the news today we will follow our breaking news, Galaxian Prime Minister Nui Erika stepped down, as he felt that there he was not doing an adequate job, despite the poll numbers showing the opposite. This just in, the lower house of the Galaxian Council has refused his request of resignation." A Mrrshan newscaster reported, showing live pictures. "That guy had always been too damn modest." Joseph mumbled, watching it. "He is a good Prime Minister; he kept Oynik's policies going after he had been assassinated. He helped us win the war." "Everyone hold on tight..." Washuu said, as they suddenly entered a warp into pseduospace. Traveling at speeds that seemed impossible, they raced through solar systems in blinks of an eye; Ryo-Ohki and Ken- Ohki didn't seem to be effected by it. As they continued on, Loknar brought a very dusty control panel from a drawer built into the wall. Entering some access codes in Orion, the screen blinked and displayed 'Evia', the word 'Success' in Orion. In under twenty minutes, they began to slow down, entering normal space. Everyone gasped, especially Ayeka and Sasami when they saw the planet, except for Loknar, Joseph, and even Washuu, who had seen it in the past, and weren't very suprised. The planet was nearly a mirror image of the Jurai and Sasami and Ayeka knew; the planet was a little over the size of a quarter of Jupiter. It was very much like Earth, huge freshwater and salt-water oceans more than many Earths covered parts of the planet, clouds the size of Neptune floating over them. The continents were massive as well, covering a fourth of the planet, just like on Jurai. From what could be seen, they were very clean and unspoiled; forests covering entire planets could be seen, the possible amount of life inside staggering. Prairies that would have easily humbled North America lazily spread about on some of the continents. Small patches of swampland, each the size of Alaska, lazily hung in between the prairies and the five-plus Earth-sized Rainforests, in which billions of species lived. Large grasslands could be seen next to brilliant patches of silver, the shining towers of the cities of Orion reflecting light like a greeting to the visitors. Infinite amounts of small lakes, streams, and rivers dotted the landscape, each pristine and seemingly untouched, despite cities by some of them. There were some mountain ranges, showing that the planet was active geologically. There were only a few deserts, evidence that it was a planet with a squeaky- clean bill of health. Even the icecaps were small, each one at each pole only about the size of Earth, each surrounded by Taiga forests. On small patches of the planet there seemed to be large forests of crystals, reflecting light just like the cities. "Sweet Tsunami...You were right. Orion is the sibling world of Jurai." Ayeka whispered, just watching the planet. Everyone else was too amazed to speak at the moment, so Loknar and Washuu just smiled, and started to enter the atmosphere. They steered toward a northern continent, specifically to a large city. "What area will we be staying?" Mihoshi wondered. "Utop-T'aan, which translates to Utopia City, my home town." Loknar said, grinning. "I grew up there when it was just a tiny mountain village...It's a great town." As they came in closer, the general surroundings of Utopia City could be seen; It existed on the eastern coast of the Northern continent, a very moderate area, with temperatures like that of Kurashiki and Okayama. Between the freshwater ocean and the city was a large beach, extending several miles down the coastline. Surrounding the city was a moderate amount of suburbs, followed by a few miles of clearing, and then huge, untouched forests, brimming with wildlife. The trees there were unlike those of Earth; many of these trees were huge, a fair amount of them dwarfing the mighty Redwood. This was exactly how trees were on Jurai, and Ayeka and Sasami recognized them on sight. Extending through parts of the forest was a small range of tall hills, which were perfect for sledding in the wintertime. The city itself was huge, about the size of the state of Rhode Island, with towering buildings made of metal, glass, and crystal. There were several buildings that seemed to be part of a tree, each with a unique Orion rune on them. Large crystal pylons, thousands of times the size of the one Joseph kept outside the Masaki home loomed over the parked cars, reflecting light and generating energy, both physical and psionic. There were quite a few trees around, small parks around every corner, and a large one every few blocks. They could see schools, markets, hospitals, museums, universities, houses, apartment buildings, and even statues from the ships. As they drew in even closer, they headed toward the beach, a medium-sized building made out of a tree soon coming into view. The tree was very much alive, its' branches filled with green leaves, photosynthesizing at an even greater rate than usual. The structures inside seemed to actually help the tree rather than harm it. This was evident as a message appeared on the viewscreen, showing the tree close up. "Greetings, Lord Tassixar, Lady Washuu. It's been a long time." A voice said. "Good morning to ya, Narif." Loknar replied, smiling. "...You're talking to a tree..." Joseph said, confused. He knew of Tsunami and the other tree-ships that were sentient, but this seemed ridiculous... "Oh, this is my son, Joseph, and my family. You already know the lovely Miss Washuu, my future wife. He has some knowledge that Angiosperms can be sentient, but not of sentient Angiosperms that are hotels. By the way, how is that root problem? Last time I checked, a few Wood-Eating Gazelles were still at it." Loknar told the tree/hotel. "I took care of it.....The matience bots gave them some parts of old branches that fell off in that storm a few millennia ago. Anyway, greetings, Joseph, Washuu, and family...Oh." Narif stopped when it seemed to see Sasami. The branches on the image rustled a little, and Tsunami's rune appeared on her forehead for a moment. "Greetings to you, my Lady." Narif said happily, apparently speaking to Tsunami for a moment, while Sasami had no clue as to what was happening. "Anyway, your ships can land in the main ship-ports by the beach." Narif said, once again talking to the group. "Righty-Oh." Loknar replied, the ships soon gently floating above the landing pads. Everyone was teleported down, and Ryo-Ohki and Ken-Ohki changed back into their cabbit forms. Kasuhito sniffed the air, the scent very familiar. A faint smile crept onto his face. This world was just as he had hoped; Almost exactly like Jurai, except no one to bother him. The scent of the nearby mountains felt easy on his soul, which now felt rejuvenated and healed. Ayeka and Sasami did the same, smiling. Everyone else looked at the landscape, and the beach. Sasami tugged on Ayeka's kimono. "Yes, Sasami?" She asked. "We should have Azaka and Kamidake here; they need a vacation too, and they can make some friends here." She replied. Ayeka smiled. "Azaka, Kamidake." "Yes ma'am!" The two guardians said. "I wish you two to be on vacation, and to forget your duties for the next few days." "But...Miss Ayeka..." "Please. You deserve it. You've helped us countless times, and we can't exactly pay you." She said, going up to them and hugging them, something she would not have done on Jurai. "Well....allright." They said, happiness in their voices. They could now see Narif up close; It was about ten stories high, its' branches extending far above it. On the front of the building was inscribed a large Orion rune, very geometric in shape, a semicircle inside a pentagon, cut vertically by a thin line. There were large skylights that seemed to be built into the tree, many entrances, and even television antennas and dishes on the top of the tree. From what could be seen in the north entrance, near where they stood, it looked very much like a normal expensive hotel inside, with the exception of it being in a giant tree. A small amount of humanoid robots, about two feet tall, in bellboy outfits, waddled over, stopping when they reached the group. "Very good to see you again, Lord Loknar, Lady Washuu." One said in a very-humanlike voice, kneeling, and tipping his hat. "Very nice to see you too, ZEI274284." Washuu replied, shaking the robot's hand, amazingly remembering the individual name of each robot. "May we take your party's bags inside? You can head on over to the beach if you want afterwards." It said, smiling at them. "Yes you may. Hope it isn't too much trouble...My daughter has a little sake problem, so she packed some full bottles with her in her suitcase -" "Hey, MOM! I do not have a sake problem!" Ryoko exclaimed. "Then why is the suitcase filled with Weikana sake?" "I don't know! Maybe one of your crazy inventions put it there." The robots sweatdropped, just like living beings would in a confusing situation. "We'll be careful, Miss...Let me see the tag...Ryoko, yes, Miss Ryoko Hakubi." The robots began to carry the luggage...Except for one, which was being hugged by Mihoshi. "You're so cute!" She said, smiling. "Miss...Miss Mihoshi..." It said. "You know, you sound like Yukonojo." "Who is this...Yukonojo?" "A computer that Mihoshi sometimes fights with." Kiyone replies, walking into the hotel with everyone else. "I have a little suprise for you in the lobby, my love...^_^ " Loknar told Washuu. "I have one for you too...^_^" She replied. The lobby was quite normal, with a check-in counter, chairs, and a few paintings, with one exception - On one wall, there was an extremely detailed painting of Washuu, and on the other wall, one of Loknar. Both of them gasped as they saw them. They looked at each other, smiling and blushing. "Thank you!" They said at the same time, before kissing. Joseph and Ryoko sighed. It was embarrassing for them to see their parents show their affection out in the open. "Can you two please not do that in public?" Ryoko asked. "Narif doesn't mind." Washuu replied. "It's a hopeless cause." Joseph mumbled. He and Tenchi helped the robots carry some of the bags, which only seemed to be a small burden for him. "Where are our rooms?" Kiyone asked, looking around the area of the lobby. "Right at the top of the building. Since no one else is exactly on Orion at the moment, we have some of the most spacious and elegant suites." Washuu replied. "Each one's main room is slightly bigger than ours on Earth. It has a Galaxian television connection, T-9372872 Internet Connection, large beds, a big balcony, and hot tubs, which Tassi and I will probably use. ^___^" Loknar smiled, holding Washuu's hand. "We will." He said, grinning. Ryoko groaned again. They walked over to the elevator. It was made of a golden material, and shined significantly in the early afternoon. Tenchi pushed the up button ever so gently, and an instant later, the elevator car arrived. As it opened up, everyone stepped inside. The inside of the car was very elaborate, with stained glass on parts of it, plain windows on others. The button panel was covered in Orion numbers, which like the normal Orion script, looked like geometric patterns. Loknar pushed the top button, and the doors closed, then reopening. In the space of a second, the elevator seemingly traveled a few half dozen floors. Only Tenchi, Joseph, Mihoshi, and Kiyone looked suprised by this, as most of the others had seen the same technology on Jurai or other parts of Orion. The door opened to reveal a skylight corridor, with plain carpeting on the floor, small lights near door numbers, and information panels. There seemed to be ten rooms or so, which would be sufficient for the group. On the doors, the name of its' new occupants appeared. Excited, everyone opened their doors, so they could see their room. Each one was exactly how Washuu described it, except that each one had a fantastic view of the surrounding scenery. Sasami gazed out the window that she shared with Ayeka and the cabbits. She looked particularly at the beach, which looked quite wonderful, each ripple of the waves glowing with light. "Ayeka, can we go to the beach after we unpack?" She asked her older sister. "Of course we can, Sasami. We can ask the others to come along, too." Ayeka replied, unpacking Sasami's bags first, then the cabbits, and her own. Her politeness followed Ayeka wherever she went, as that showed. Joseph stared out into the landscape from his room. What attracted his attention was a large, pyramid-like stone megalith in the middle of the forest. He could not think of what it could be, so he decided to ask his father. He opened the door on the adjoining room. He sighed when he saw his father on the bed with Washuu, in the middle of a long kissing session. Joseph simply grumbled and closed the door, sitting on his bed. "Damnation, those two are in love." He thought, his mind turning to that subject. "I don't understand love. I don't understand women. I don't understand everything. I am feeling like Holden Caulfield now..." Out of his suitcase, he took out the windchimes he had made on earth, gently re-assembling it. He put it up on his window, the wind gently touching the chimes just enough. They gently moved against each other, the resulting sounds seeming to be more fit in an orchestra than just windchimes. He turned on the decrypter, which quickly analyzed the sound, the Orion letters soon displayed on it, revealing the sentence "And thus, love shall come to him." "Joseph, do you wanna come to the beach with us?" Sasami called. Joseph didn't have time to read the sentence, as Sasami had just called him right as he turned the decrypter on. "Sure. Let me just get some shorts on." He responded, then beginning to undress, and change into some shorts. At the same time, Ryoko was exploring her room, looking through everything. She was quite delighted to find a fully stocked fridge full of sake next to the sink. There was a note attached: "I hope ya like it. Orion sake is mighty tasty. Save a little for you and Tenchi, 'kay? :-) -Mom" Ryoko smiled. Yes, her mother did care about some of her interests. She gleefully pulled a bottle of it out, and began to drink it. At that moment, Mihoshi and Kiyone sat in Mihoshi's room, right between Joseph's and Tenchi's. "Thank God for the "Hero's Vacation" the GP gave us. We haven't had a vacation ever since we joined the GP, right Mihoshi?" Kiyone wondered. "I think so." Her partner replied, who was flipping through a shoujo manga online. "Do you think we should hit the beach in a bit?" "Okay. Lemme just get my swimsuit on." She got up for a moment, stretching. "I wonder who's in the room right next to -AH!" Mihoshi thought out loud, inadvertently opening Joseph's door, where he had just begun to undress. Blood flew out of Joseph's nose, and he blushed deeply. Mihoshi and Kiyone blushed the same way. "S-Sorry Joseph!" Kiyone called, closing the door. "It's...okay." He said through the door. "Mihoshi, we should knock before we open another - Oh, no." The frustrated GP officer told her partner, who had just opened Tenchi's door. He was doing the same as Joseph was. "Gyaah!" He exclaimed, tripping over his pants, and landing on his bed, blushing a deep crimson. "Sorry!" Mihoshi said, closing the door again. "I'm on vacation, and I'm already stressed out." Kiyone mumbled, her head in her hands. -- A little later, Ayeka, Sasami, and the cabbits were the first ones on the beach. Ayeka spread herself out on a beach blanket, sunglasses over her eyes, while Sasami played ball with the cabbits. It was quite relaxing for her, laying out on the warm blanket, in the middle of the Orion summer. A calm breeze blew gently over her, the calm sound of birds flowing by. A few seagull-like birds sat on the short, their legs in the water. One or two were about the size of earthly seagulls, the other one a little bit bigger. It was so peaceful that she nearly fell asleep, until. "Hey, Princess." Ryoko called, pulling her sunglasses off. "Why did you do that?" Ayeka asked, only slightly angry, but now well awake. "Meh." "What is meh?" "It means I don't know." Ryoko said, putting a beach blanket next to the princess, and lying down on it. There was a brief silence for a bit, until Ryoko spoke again. "So, you're going to try it this time?" She asked, looking the princess in the eyes. "Try what, Miss Ryoko?" "Try to make Tenchi fall in love with you." Ayeka blushed, thinking to herself, for what seemed like seconds for her, but were minutes. "You there, Prissy McPriss?" Ryoko said to her. "Yes, I am. Please don't call me that, you ignorant tramp." "Well don't call me that. Anyway, answer the question." "Yes. I know you will, too." "That's true, missy. I'll get him." "That is untrue. I will!" "He loves me." "He loves me!" "Girls, could you please calm down?" Tenchi asked, just walking in, wearing his swim trunks. One second later, they were attached to him. "Tenchi, come sit with me, mmm?" Ryoko said to him. "Sit with me, Lord Tenchi." Ayeka also said. "Uh...I'm going to sit closer to the waves to make sure Sasami is okay." He told them, putting his beach blanket about ten feet in front of them. He blinked, and then found that each of them had moved their beach blankets right next to him, one on either side, glaring at each other, and growling. "There is no need to fight, girls." Kasuhito announced, sitting on his loungechair near the waves. He simply enjoyed the serenity of the landscape, and wished for it not to be disturbed by harsh words. "Hi everyone!" Mihoshi beamed, Kiyone following behind. She suddenly tripped on a seashell, falling onto the sand, Kiyone falling right on top of her. "Ouch." She mumbled quietly. "Mihoshi, you gotta watch where you're going!" Kiyone exclaimed. "I know, I know, sorry." "It's okay. Just remember next time." The two female GP officers set their blankets up by Tenchi and the others. Joseph came in whistling, setting his up around the same area. He looked around, and simply smiled. All of the women there looked astonishingly beautiful, as usual, that fact enhanced by the fact that they were wearing swimsuits. Tenchi felt the same way, as he too gazed around at the assembled group. Small amounts of blood trickled out of their noses when they saw them. Noboyuki sat by his father in law, taking more interest in the women than anyone else there. Kasuhito saw that odd grin on his son in law's face. "Don't even think about the old 'suntan lotion' routine. You did that five years ago and you almost got your internal organs crushed by that female jujitsu expert in the 'cute bikini', as you described it." "Aw." Noboyuki whimpered. Tenchi was about to lie down for a bit, but stopped when he saw Loknar and Washuu coming, holding a large retractable lounge chair. They set it up a few feet away from everyone else, then instantly lying down on it, cuddling. "Geez, Mom." Ryoko said, her mother not really listening to her. Azaka and Kamidake floated over, carrying an old volleyball net with them. "Anyone up for a game?" They asked, using themselves as the poles. "Sure!" Sasami said, most of the girls following. "Watch them for a moment, okay?" Loknar asked Washuu, kissing her gently. "I'm going to show the boys how to build a real airplane." "allright." She said, smiling. Loknar went over to Tenchi and Joseph, who were watching the girls play. "I want to show you two something." He whispered. "What? And why the heck are you whispering?" Joseph replied. "Something I built when I was your age. The three of us are going to build it." "What are we building?" Tenchi asked. "You'll see. Follow me." The genius said, heading off into the nearby forest. The two brothers shrugged, and followed him. As Tenchi was walking, the girls were still playing ball. It was then that Sasami happened to dive to catch a ball, landing right on him. He blushed, especially when he saw that Sasami had seemingly grown since they arrived on Orion. She was a few inches taller, her sweet voice sounded a little more mature, and his face had landed on two things that were not there before. Sasami hadn't noticed it before, and the others, preoccupied with everything else, did not see it. "....Oh boy." He mumbled, a small amount of blood coming out of his nose. Sasami blushed too, backing away, right into Washuu. "Hmm...Yup, just as I thought." She said, looking around her. "What happened?" Tenchi asked, the others watching. "Her contact with air from her native world accelerated her growth - After all, she didn't grow much in that stasis chamber, and not much on Earth either. It has been known for growth hormones to carry around in the air, but this is incredible." She replied. She then turned to Sasami. "You'll have to talk to Ayeka about some things. She will know what they are. You understand, don't you?" Sasami nodded, still startled. After that, it was a relatively short walk to a nearby clearing, where an old toolshed stood, with materials nearby. Loknar showed Joseph and Tenchi a picture of what they would be building: It seemed to be a hybrid of a smaller version of the Wright Brothers' plane and a bicycle. "It's one of the earliest airplanes on Orion. It uses only a small amount of reusable fuel, leaves no exhaust, and requires no engine. I got us a kit, and we can get one built in an hour." "It does look pretty complicated, Dad." "You, Tenchi and I can build it in half an hour I bet, Joseph." "How does it work, and how high can it fly?" Tenchi wondered out loud. "Powered by pedaling, just like a bike. It moves the wheels on the bottom for takeoff, moving like a normal bike. That's to start it off. Then, you activate the cell of Psionic energy in the back, which increases the speed. It takes off like a normal plane, and acts like one too. You pedal throughout the flight to keep the wings flapping, and the Psionic cell increases the power you create tenfold, keeping it aloft." "Seems simple enough." Tenchi said, looking for the plans, which Loknar handed to him. "I took the liberty of personally translating it into the language that all three of us can understand." "Good." Tenchi said, looking over the plans. "I think we can do this." They set to work on it, attaching parts of the wooden frame from the kit together, then connecting the gear mechanism inside. That was the main difficult part of the project, as each gear had to be properly placed in order to transfer the kinetic energy from the pedals to the wings. "Ciao?" Something asked. "Oh, hi Ken-Ohki." Loknar smiled. "Ciao, caao. Ciaaooo." The cabbit replied, indicating that Ryo-Ohki was playing volleyball with the others, and that he decided to see what was going on. "We're building a plane. Want to help?" "Cao!" The cabbit said, transforming into his adult humanoid form, and looking over the directions with them. He didn't understand much of the writing and diagrams, so he mainly helped screw things in, and bringing tools back and forth. The wings soon were attached, along with the wheels at the bottom. Tenchi and Joseph tightened all the latches and screws on it and attaching the propeller, while Loknar attached the Psionic cell in the back of the plane. A few minutes later, they finished, the whole project taking only fifty minutes. "We did a good job. Of course, when I was a boy, we didn't have kits. It took me a few months to build mine." Loknar said. He looked at the three sets of pedals on it. "Should we try it out?" "Cao!" Ken-Ohki responded, changing back into his cabbit form, and jumping on Loknar's head. "Okay." Tenchi and Joseph added. Loknar got four helmets out from the shed, putting two normal ones on Tenchi and Joseph, one on him, and a small one for Ken-Ohki. "Contact." Loknar said, sitting in front. They began to peddle, and the propeller began to spin as they moved down the clearing, gaining speed. "Turn on the core." Loknar added, Tenchi pushing the button behind them. They sped up significantly, taking off. "Wheels up." Joseph said, pulling a lever. "Let's head over to the others!" Tenchi announced, as they flew high up, pedaling the whole time. They were soon above the forest, going at fifty miles per hour. As they approached the beach, they saw a similar one in the air, carrying Washuu, Ryoko, and Ayeka, with Ryo-Ohki on Washuu's head. "Hi Honey!" Washuu said, smiling. The two planes circled each other. "Hello! How are you, dear?" He asked, grinning. "Great. This was all planned, probably." Ryoko and Joseph said at the same time, Tenchi and Ayeka blinking. "Ya know, we could race these things." Ryoko thought out loud. "No. Washuu and I know that we both have excellent craftsmanship and skill, and that our planes are superb. There is no need to get into a competitive match with the possibility of injury." Loknar said to her. "I agree with Tassi." Washuu added. "Besides, we can use these back on earth once we get back home. Let's land, and then we can talk." They did just that, gently landing on the beach near the others, the tires on the wheels rough enough to operate in such conditions. Everyone on the ground smiled, and clapped. "Didya just build those?" Mihoshi asked. "Yup!" Washuu replied, hopping off the plane. "How?" "With kits." "How big a kit?" "Pretty big." "How much is that?" "I don't know. It doesn't matter." "I see." "You see what?" "You guys must be able to move at the speed of life." Washuu sweatdropped. "It has preassembled parts, Mihoshi." "What does that mean?" "Parts of it were already made." "But that means you were half-building it then." "What is 'half-building'?" "Half building." Washuu sweatdropped again. "Tassi, help." She said, hugging him. "Joseph and Ryoko can explain it to you, Mihoshi." He said. "Mom!" "Dad!" Ryoko yelled, followed by Joseph. The two geniuses grinned mischievously. "Who, us?" Ryoko and Joseph grumbled as Mihoshi, still confused or unconvincable, went over to them. The sun had begun to set, the sky a mix of purples, oranges, yellows, reds, and pinks, with the setting sun itself glimmering like the gold of Troy. Birds and small animals began to go back to their nests to sleep, while the nocturnal creatures stretched their legs, and ventured outside. It was in this period between day and night when Joseph and Ryoko tried to explain the circumstances to Mihoshi about the planes, how they were built, etcetera, while Loknar pulled his girlfriend aside, who was about to do the same thing. "How about we get dressed, my dear. I know this old restaurant in town that I want to show you. It is fully automated, so there is food there. The place itself has holographic costumers all the time to keep it busy, what with the entire population of Orion vanishing. You and I know why. We both know they will be back sometime, though." He said to her. "Sure." She said, smiling, and kissing him gently. "Where are you going, Washuu, Tassi?" Sasami asked. "We're going on a date. We'll be back after supper." Washuu responded, smiling. "Okay. You two have fun!" "We will!" Loknar said, the two now heading back upstairs. Mihoshi, now somewhat satisfied with an answer provided by Ryoko and Joseph, went upstairs to get dressed herself, the others finishing the volleyball game and going up too. Loknar and Washuu got dressed quickly, but dressed different than normal; Washuu wore high heels and a long black dress, while Loknar wore a suit and tie. "What's the occasion?" Joseph asked, opening the adjoining door. "Oh, nothing. Just going on a date." Washuu said, putting some earrings on. "What should we do for supper?" "Sasami needs a vacation too, so I suggest you all go down to the restaurant on the first floor. It's pretty good." Joseph smiled. "allright. I'll round everyone up and we'll go down there. You two have a good time, okay?" "We will, son, we will." Loknar replied, hugging Washuu. The two of them went downstairs via the elevator, at the same speed as before, the door opening as soon as it closed, revealing the lobby. They said goodbye to Narif for a few hours, heading outside. Loknar opened up his transparent computer, entering a few commands. A sleek black car appeared before them; they had stowed it in subspace before they came to Orion. They got in it, with Washuu at the wheel, and Loknar's arm around her, and ready to give directions to the restaurant he told her about. They sped down the streets of Utopia City, passing many things on the way. Near Narif, there was a huge parkway, clean and virgin, with a few fountains, sidewalks, and benches. Wildflowers grew around the edge of the road, most blue or red, a few purple, the result of interbreeding. They passed several houses, with the automatic lights still on. They were quite beautiful, with Japanese-like roofs and American-like architecture, each with a large backyard, most having swingsets for children. As they went down the main road, they saw a few statues of famous Orions, one of Loknar himself. They stopped there for a moment, as Loknar added Washuu to that monument, the two of them in an embrace. Further down the road, they saw a school, with robotic guards still keeping watch over so many years, still maintaining it and keeping it clean. They soon reached the restaurant. It was made of a mix of steel and brick, the sign displaying the name, "Lovers' Lounge of Utopia City", in big red Orion letters. Washuu smiled as she saw it, as she could read the Orion language. In the large windows, a seemingly bustling small restaurant could be seen. People sat at tables, ordering food and drink, talking to one another, playing music, and dancing. It was semi-formal, with the people dressing in a similar attire. The two of them parked their car, and walked in, their arms locked. "I love you, Washuu." He whispered. "I love you too, Tassi." Washuu replied in kind. They walked in, a matre'd at the poteum nearby. "Reservations?" "Yes. Two, under Lokubi." The matre'd smiled, helping them to a private booth. The seat was very similar to that of restaurants on Earth, quite comfortable and secure. The two geniuses sat down, just smiling each other and holding their hands. "May I take your order?" A waitress asked, breaking them out of their trance. "Yes. I'll have a Yia steak, Turkaan soup, and your finest wine." Washuu told her, the waitress writing it down. "I'll have the same as my beautiful Washuu." Loknar added. The waitress smiled at them, made sure she had the orders right, and went to the cooks. The lovers talked for awhile, about science, their family, the Multiverse, television, and each other. They joked, whispered, and laughed, smiling the whole time. The only lull for a moment was when their food came, but they talked once again. After they finished eating, there was a pause as the singer on stage changed songs. "Would you like to dance, my dear Washuu?" He said. "I would love to, my wonderful Tassi." She replied, taking his hand as they both got up. They went over to the dance floor, very quietly. As the music began to start, they both saw that they already knew this song by start. They started to dance, the singer, Ai Orikasa smiling at both of them. "I am lonely like the moon...You are as far away as the Earth...Now you say I light your thoughts, night after night; You soon forget..." She sang, the two lovers dancing close together, very slowly, but very beautifully. They moved as if they were one entity, all moves in step, the dance all attuned to them. They looked perfect together, each one's attire complimenting another, the two looking quite attractive to the crowd. "I love the warm emotion you bring - Though there is pain, I don't complain - How you can inspire me - Whenever we're together - Ev'ry time it's like a new song - You move me so - I think you know - I won't even say a word - In your arms or far from sight - I'll be your light - Like the lonely moon....." Ai sang, finishing the beautiful song. Loknar and Washuu finished their dance with a long kiss, the others in the restaurant both applauding them and the singer at the same time. "There is someplace I want to show you, my love." Loknar said quietly, Washuu knowing what it was and blushing. They left the building, having paid the bill and tip and leaving it at their table. They got back into the car, Loknar driving, this time with Washuu's arms around him. He drove towards the outskirts of the city, taking a right and heading towards a large park. It was quite unusual; huge crystals dotted it, of all shapes, colors, and sizes, with trees usually next to them. As they drove closer, they starting up an old hill, soon parking and getting out, walking up the rest of the way, holding hands. At the top, they could see the whole park, the crystals seeming to reflect the starlight and moonlight. The stars were quite visible in the sky, nebulas and belts of stars easily made out, with not a cloud in the sky. Several of Orion's moons were out, some earth-like, others like Earth's moon, others completely different. Their light didn't detract from the view of the sky, instead actually enhancing it. At the top of the hill, there was a large patch of beautiful flowers, the color of the sunrise. The flowerbed's corners had a long, crystal column, the top of each connected by a top row of similar design. Loknar and Washuu sat down in the flowerbed, just looking at each other. "There is a question I want to ask, my dearest." They said at the same time. They both knew what the question was, and they both blushed furiously, their hands even trembling slightly. They both kneeled, each taking a small box from a pocket. They opened the boxes, slowly, each taking out nearly identical engagement rings, one male, one female. The male one was made of gold, with the words "For my true love, my dearest Tassi. - Washuu Hakubi" engraved on the backside. A beautiful diamond-like crystal was on it, too, the crystal seeming to glow. The female one was also made of gold, with the words "For my true love, my lovely Washuu." engraved on it, and a gem that seemed to shift colors attached to it. "Will you marry me?" They both asked each other. The reply? "Yes, my love." They said at once, placing the ring on the other's finger. Instinctively, they kissed, very gently, his lips on hers, hers on his. Love poured through them, not needing their tongues to show it through a kiss. While they made a holy kiss, the crystals and flowers nearby, feeling the huge outpouring of positive emotion from them, began to glow. The whole park seemed to be alight; the trees, the flowers, the crystals, the grass, they all emitted pure light. Then they began to sing; some the most beautiful music ever written echoed onto the landscape, seemingly played by the most professional musicians ever born. There seemed to be the sounds of singing in the background, unspeakably beautiful, like those of angels. They gently pulled away from their long kiss. "I love you, my Washuu." Loknar whispered, transparent, angel wings on his back. "I love you too, my Tassi." Washuu replied in kind, the both of them with tears of pure joy and happiness in their eyes. The future husband and wife just held each other, sitting in the middle of Heaven on Orion, in the Singing Gardens. -- Back at Narif, Joseph walked up to the group assembled in the lobby. Everyone was in their normal clothing, some a little tired. Joseph scratched at his chin a bit. He hadn't shaved for a few days, so it had gotten rough and wiry. He knew he would have to soon, but he did not know where he could find a razor of any kind. "Everyone here?" He asked, walking around. "Yup! Let's go eat." Mihoshi said, followed by the sounds of growling stomachs from the group. "Okay." He began walking towards the restaurant, the others following. They walked down a small hallway, and found themselves in a tiny, but comfortable little eatery. It looked like a restaurant of Ancient Orion would; the walls were made of worn brick, the chairs made of Reawa wood, the tables made of the same, and several windows on the walls. As they all looked around, they sat down at a large table, arranged on the spot as they got there by matience robots. "May I take your orders?" A small humanoid hologram asked. "We aren't really familiar with Orion food...Do you have any food of earthly origin?" Kiyone asked. "Lady Washuu and Lord Loknar knew that that specific question would be asked, so they brought a whole stock of earthly food with them." "Good. I'll just have some rice balls, Miso soup, and coffee for now." Everyone placed their orders, mostly for earth food, except for Ayeka and Sasami, who were familiar with Orion/Juraian food because of their past experiences on Jurai, whose foods were similar to Orion's. Joseph knew some Orion foods, so he ordered some for the whole group, knowing they would like it. The food came almost instantaneously, several little chibi-robots bringing it in. One of the orders was a tray of strips of a plantlike substance. "What is it?" Tenchi asked, poking at it. "Dera tree bark. It's quite good." Joseph said, taking a bite of it. It didn't seem to be that hard, and from the expression on his face, it was good. Ayeka and Sasami knew what it was already, and took a few strips of it. Everyone had some, and most generally had a good opinion about it. An idea crossed Mihoshi's mind, on a topic completely different than the delicacy that was being discussed. "Where are all the people? We haven't seen many people since we got here." She asked, looking around, above, and even under the table, oddly. "Loknar and Washuu know why, but they won't tell us." Tenchi replied, while eating his meal. "All they can say was that it was for a good reason, and that the Orions all will be back eventually." "But they aren't dead, right?" "They're very much alive, according to Loknar and Washuu." "Then wouldn't they leave a note or something?" "I'm not sure." "Well, they're being irresponsible then." Tenchi sighed, once again slightly confounded by Mihoshi's reasoning. Ryoko went over to the bar nearby, sitting down. A hologram of a bartender appeared. "Whatcha want, lil' lady?" He asked. "Some light sake." "Will do." A full sake bottle popped out of a hole in the bar, and next to Ryoko. She took it, opening it, and beginning to drink. "Tenchi, come over here, willya?" She asked the man she adored. "Not right now, Ryoko." He replied, in the middle of a conversation with Sasami. Ryoko closed her eyes for a moment. "Not right now, Ryoko." The words felt like knives stabbing her heart. Tenchi never could talk to her, without being amazingly awkward. It had been this way for awhile, and he looked like he wouldn't change. All she wanted was to talk to him, to tell him how much she loved him. She didn't know if he could understand love anymore. She left subtle clues when she was able to talk to him, such as telling him that he was really cute, kind, and wonderful. Yet she couldn't help teasing him, playing with him. He didn't take it as playing. To her, Tenchi must simply have viewed it as unnerving, annoying, or even idiotic. She knew she crossed the line a few times, such as when she deliberately came into the bathroom while he was using it, or when she hugged him and reached for places that she shouldn't. She knew seduction wouldn't work to get to know him, either. Many times, she had stood in the baths, naked, while blood flew out of his nose like a waterfall. She knew he found her arousing and beautiful, but he always turned away, heading off, embarrassed. She handed the sake back to the bartender. "Give me the strongest you got." She whispered. "Can do." A bottle of Drea whisky popped out of the little hole in the bar, landing into Ryoko's hands. She opened the cap with her teeth, spit it out, and drank some of it down. It was times like this when she felt that only alcohol could solve her problems. Though she and Ayeka teased each other a lot, in recent months since Koros's attack, had consoled each other on problems. Ayeka was her true friend, and Ayeka knew that. At the moment, Ayeka was furiously trying to clean up a large spill made by Mihoshi, when she slipped and fell onto the table, all the drinks spilling. Even if Ayeka wasn't busy, Ryoko was pretty sure that even she couldn't help. She felt quite depressed right now, like no one cared about how she felt. She truly loved Tenchi with all her heart; why couldn't he realize that? Even if he didn't love her, he could at least tell her so; tell her that he loved her as a friend, but not as a girlfriend. Sometimes she felt that he viewed her as a sex-starved maniac, trying to take his virginity. But that was all an act, all a tease. If she presented how she truly felt up front, she felt she would mess up somehow, embarrassing herself, and making him hate her. She drank down more of the whisky, not caring that some of it ran down her cheek. "Why?" The question reverberated in her mind like an echo in an old cavern. Why couldn't he see what she meant? Why couldn't he understand? Most of all, why couldn't he love her? He was so vague in his comments that she couldn't tell if he loved any of the girls that stayed with him sexually. He was attracted to them, and loved them like family, but it seemed that he couldn't tell which one he loved. Ryoko herself couldn't understand why she was making a big deal out of the issue. Was it because of past traumas? Being in the cave too long? Being abused by Kagato? Never knowing her mother until a few years ago? Or was it just her fault. She sat at the bar, her head down, and one or two tears in her eyes. At the table, Ayeka saw what was happening. She sighed, and got up, walking over to Ryoko, and sitting down at the seat next to her. "What's wrong with Ryoko?" Tenchi asked. "She's just drunk." She replied, making up an excuse. She could see the tears in Ryoko's eyes, and she knew why. It was about Tenchi, she could see in her eyes. "I don't care anymore." Ryoko mumbled, in a depressed, drunk state. "Don't say that, Ryoko. You are one of the strongest people I know of, both mentally and physically. Let's take you up to your room, and we can talk, okay?" "You can't help. Washuu can't help. God can't help. No one can help except for Tenchi." She mumbled, drunk. Ayeka helped Ryoko up, paying the bartender. "Lord Tenchi, Lord Joseph: May we go upstairs early? I need to escort Miss Ryoko to her room." "Sure...Just make sure she feels better." Joseph said, still trying to explain to Mihoshi some other undeniable fact. He hadn't seen Ryoko in that state. If he did, he would have gone right up with them. If Tenchi knew what was happening, he would apologize right then and there. Ayeka helped Ryoko walk to the elevator, pushing the button, and bringing them back to the top floor. Her stomach growled a little, but it didn't matter; before she did anything else, she wanted to help Ryoko calm down - Everything else would have to wait. She brought her into her own room, putting her on the couch. Ryoko laid down on it, crying a little, still drunk. Ayeka pulled up a chair, and sat by her. "It's all right, Ryoko." "No it isn't. He doesn't understand. He doesn't love me, and I doubt he even likes me." "That is not true, Ryoko. Lord Tenchi does care about your feelings." "Then why does he sometimes treat me like I'm a monster?" "You aren't a monster, Ryoko, and he does not treat you that way. He acts oddly towards you because he has trouble dealing with those that he cares about. He at times does that to all of us, and he isn't always that way to you. It's normal to be awkward at his age; he's a teenager after all." "Then why does he treat you nicely, and not me?" "Not always, Ryoko. When you were depressed or down, and he knew it was about something related to him, he always came and talked to you. When Kagato attacked, he helped you up, he comforted you. The same when Dr. Clay attacked us, or when Koros did. He showed that he loved you as much as he loves all of us on those occasions, and I'm not even mentioning the thousand upon thousands of times that he helped you outside of the times you were in battle. He does the same for you as he does for me." "But he never understands..." "He's a teenage boy with little or no experience with women before we came to him. As he told Joseph, he had only been on one or two dates before us, and they always failed. He's having quite a time learning about how women work, even though we've been with him for years. I certainly don't blame him." Ryoko sighed, sobering up a little, her head still down on the couch pillow. "Ryoko, it pains me to see you like this. You are usually one of the strongest and most funny people that I know. I care about you, Ryoko. You are like a sister to me, if you know it or not. Though we may tease each other, we are friends, best friends, I might add. On Jurai, I never met any girl who had the stamina and toughness to go through what you did. You are a wonderful person, Ryoko, and never deny yourself that fact." She said quietly, lifting Ryoko up and hugging her, who hugged back, tightly, crying a little more. "Thank you, Ayeka." "You are perfectly welcome, Ryoko." Ryoko said goodnight, and went back to her room, sprawling out on her bed, and soon falling asleep. Ayeka too fell asleep, Sasami coming in soon afterward. Loknar and Washuu came back into the hotel around the same time as everyone finished their meals. Smiling to themselves, the future Mr. and Mrs. Lokubi had their hands in each other's pockets, so no one else would see the rings until the next morning. They greeted everyone, who were also pretty exhausted. The two geniuses went to their rooms, got undressed, and went in bed. They didn't make love that night, instead just holding each other, cuddling, and staring into their eyes, kissing every once in awhile. Kiyone and Mihoshi fell asleep almost instantly, but Kiyone kept waking up; Mihoshi's snoring came into her room. She sighed, and covered her ears, knowing that Mihoshi had to work on that. Joseph go straight to his room, instead reading quietly to Sasami, then going back to his room, and reading silently to himself. He fell asleep a short time later, book in hand. Sasami slept peacefully, while Ryo-Ohki and Ken-Ohki, sensing Ryoko's despair from before, cuddled with her, trying to calm any depression from before. Kasuhito and Noboyuki, quiet for most of the night, sat and talked for awhile before going to bed, the faint smell of sake drifting into the other rooms. Outside, a woman stood on the beach. She was transparent, the beach behind her only partially obscured. She was very beautiful, looking like a cross between Ryoko and Tsunami, her long hair, in Ryoko's style, reaching the middle of her back. She wore normal clothing, but parts of it were stained with tears. She stood there, unmoving, unblinking, her eyes fixed on the building, specifically on Joseph's room. "....Joseph?" Miri asked quietly, fading slowly before disappearing, the night once again calm and unchanging, except for the twinkling of the stars, and the flow of the tide, and the brush of the waves. -- The sun rose lazily the next morning, taking its' time, the vibrant oranges, golds, reds, and pinks replacing the eternal blue of the night. In Utopia City, the pylons began to shine, beams of light shooting out from parts, reacting with some of the trees in the parks, who sent beams of light back, just like Juraian trees. All the beams of light converged on one central building, who sent a enormously powerful beam straight into the very early morning sky. Tenchi awoke to the sound of knocking at his door. He got up, rubbing his eyes, and stretching. "Who is it?" He called. "Washuu. Tassi and I were wondering if you and Joseph would want to accompany us to see Tassi's father for a little bit. We'd both really appreciate it." She replied. "Okay. Let's eat breakfast first." Joseph awoke the same way, his father knocking at the door. "Who's knocking? I'm trying to sleep." Joseph mumbled. "It's your father. I'm wondering if you and Tenchi would want to come talk to your grandfather with Washuu and I." Loknar replied. Having never met his grandfather, Joseph was curious. "Sure. Let me get dressed and have breakfast first. What do you want to talk to him about, anyhow?" "You'll see." Joseph and Tenchi got dressed, but found that everyone was already downstairs, eating brunch, as they had once again slept late. Not wanting to miss out on breakfast, they quickly went down the elevator, and arrived at the restaurant. Everyone was almost done with their meal. "You guys slept late." Kiyone said, drinking her coffee. "Did we miss breakfast?" Tenchi asked. "Yup." She replied. The two brothers sighed. "Point us to the leftovers." He continued. There was only a little bit left, as the restaurant had only taken a small amount of food out of pseduospace for that meal; Ayeka, Ryoko, and Mihoshi were a little hungry that morning. Joseph and Tenchi quickly ate their meals, then going over to Loknar and Washuu. "Where is he, anyhow?" Joseph queried his father. "Your grandpa is in a building a few miles down the road. We'll take the scenic trip; you two will like what you see outside." Loknar replied, his arm around Washuu. "Aw man, I really do not do well on hikes." Tenchi told them. "You'll do fine, kiddo." Washuu replied, grinning. She then turned to the others. "We'll be back in a little while!" "Okay! I'll hold the fort!" Kiyone replied, waving. They walked outside, the sun shining down on them. It was a nice day out, about 70 degrees. The sky only had a few clouds, in the normal shapes. One or two moons were out, Miaki and Sorfogus, two binary moons that circled each other. Birds sang quietly in trees, most of them looking not too different from those of Earth. A few mouse-like creatures scurried around, one of them chasing another. "Which way do we head?" Joseph wondered out loud. Loknar removed a branch from a nearby path. "allright." They started walking, the path cutting directly through a dense forest. Half of the sky above them was covered by the leaves of thousands of trees. The sunlight came through large gaps in the natural ceiling, as well as small holes left by space between the leaves. Some of the trees were very small, the size of flowers. Others were the normal size for Earthly trees, others as big as redwoods, others far exceeding redwoods in size and scope. As they moved, nature began to show herself. About five minutes into the walk, Tenchi spotted some creatures in some of the trees that seemingly disappeared and re-appeared. They were ranged from about half a foot to two feet high. They were all humanoid in shape, but seemed to lack hands or feet, instead just having arms and legs. They were completely rounded, not possessing any real outstanding features. They were all white or pale yellow, their eyes small and black, the same for their mouths. "What was that?" He asked Washuu, who had seen it too. "Kodamas; tree spirits." She replied. One of them shook its' head, a strange sound echoing through the forest. "Hello, little fellow!" Loknar said, smiling at it. It hopped off the tree and disappeared, reappearing next to Loknar. He shook its' hand, and it shook back, wagging its' head in that strange way. "They're so cute." Washuu said, hugging one. "Are you sure you should do that to wild...uh...'animals'?" Joseph asked. "They don't mind. They're a very docile species, derived from a creature similar to the mass. As long as you speak kindly to them, and not harm the trees without the reason, they will reply in the same way." Loknar said to his son. A few of them shook their heads, all of the others doing the same, a few flowers popping out of nowhere appeared planted on the ground. "They provide for the forest, and the forest provides for them. The trees and Kodamas live in complete symbiosis; that is how their name was derived, Kodama being the old Orion word for 'Tree Spirit'." Loknar said, a few Kodamas following them as they continued walking. "Why are they following us?" Tenchi said to Washuu. "They sometimes stay with people they like for a time." As they walked deeper into the forest, a few Kodamas tagging along, several dragons of different sizes flew overhead. They were a pale blue, like the sky, their eyes as green as the leaves on the trees that they flew over. Tenchi almost fainted as he saw them, especially as a phoenix tailed them. "Wha....wha......wha..........Oh my...." He spat out. "A lot of the mythical and extinct creatures of Earth's history are on Orion/Jurai. Dragons, phoenixes, gryphons, saber-toothed tigers, some dinosaurs, animal plants, sea monsters, unicorns, mastodons, unicorns, anything you can think of is probably here." Washuu replied, not at all suprised to see such mythical creatures flying around. They continued on, Joseph somewhat shocked, helping Tenchi along, who was still not used to seeing such things. Loknar and Washuu also weren't shocked when they saw a gryphon flying around, while Joseph and Tenchi had a hard time believing their eyes. "Had one of those as a pet once." Loknar added, smiling. Tenchi almost tripped on a really small horse, about five inches high. "You have to be careful about Kirnras. They're really sneaky, and will steal your food if you aren't careful." Loknar continued, the Kirnra just giving Tenchi a look before running off. "Am I dreaming all of this, Loknar, Washuu, Joseph?" Tenchi mumbled. "You aren't dreaming." Washuu replied, pinching him, proving that it wasn't a dream, as he felt a small amount of pain. "Don't do that!" "You wanted to know it wasn't a dream, right?" "That is how you tell." "I forgot." The path soon took a sharp right turn, and a large building could be seen in a clearing nearby. It was the pyramidal megalith Joseph had seen the previous day; It was a massive stone structure, about as high as Narif, and twice as wide, huge skylights letting large amounts of sunlight in, some of the skylights made of beautifully crafted stained glass, which displayed age-old tales of heroism, mythology, folklore, and history. Large glass doors were in front, an old bronze sign at the right of them obscured by a large, rosebush-like plant. "God...What is that place?" Joseph asked. "Where your grandfather is. Come on." Loknar responded, the four of them walking closer to it. When they approached the building, the Kodamas, didn't move further. "Why aren't they following anymore?" Tenchi whispered to Washuu. "They aren't allowed in there, except if they are pets of someone who is there." Small, glowing balls of light danced around parts of the building, and the parts of the forest that surrounded it. They seemed to be sentient, moving out of the way of animals, following each other, and silently talking, as it seemed. "What are those things?" "Spirits." "WHAAAAAAAAAAT?" Joseph and Tenchi said at once. Loknar, whistling, moved the rose bush from the sign, and let Joseph translate it. "Utopia City...House of Eternity? What?" He said, barely able to spit the words out of his mouth. "Hello there!" One of the floating balls of light said, transforming into a man about the age of 64, with brown eyes, gray hair, and normal clothing. Tenchi fainted as he saw that. Joseph didn't know what to think about any of this. "You've studied Orion technology, haven't you, Joseph?" The man asked. "H-How did you know my name, and yes I did. I thought that post-mortem communication was pseudo- science." "It ain't pseudoscience if I'm standing right in front of you. I'm the caretaker of this building, I'm dead, and I'm a friend of your father. He's told me all about you." He said, smiling. "My name's Qaev. I met your father during the Middle Orion period of history." He shook Loknar's hand, who didn't seem to be suprised by any of this. "Good so see you, old friend. Who is the lovely lady you got with you?" "Good to see you too, Qeav. My girlfriend, the beautiful Miss Washuu." "Hello!" Washuu said, shaking Qeav's hand, who also seemed to not be alarmed. Tenchi woke up, seeing Qeav and all the spheres of light around him. "...I see dead people..." He mumbled, "Just like that kid in that stupid Bruce Willis movie - His Japanese dub voice was quite bad..." "C'mon you two. Let's go inside." Washuu said, speaking to the two brothers. They quietly followed Washuu, Loknar, and Qaev inside, quite wary of the entire place. The large glass doors opened to a main lobby. The room was somewhat odd, as the stained glass reflected color onto everything, but it looked much like the lobby of an apartment or office. A secretary sat at a main desk, smiling as they entered. There was a map on the wall, paintings nearby it, and no scent of death at all. "Good morning!" She said to the newcomers and Qaev. "Mornin' Heiana. These are a few friends of mine. They're here to-" "Lord Loknar, Lady Washuu! Greetings!" The secretary interrupted, suddenly standing up. She temporarily lost her corporeal form for a moment, becoming a glowing ball of light before returning. "Sorry about that...Fast movements cause my presence to jump around." Tenchi and Joseph blinked. "I gotta get out of here..." Tenchi mumbled, running off, but only to be held at the collar by Washuu. "There is nothing to be frightened of, Tenchi." "But...But..." "They don't bite, and this facility is only for the good and righteous. There aren't any angry spirits here." "Well..." "What room is my father in, Qaev?" Loknar asked his friend. "87, First floor. I'll open the door for ya." He replied. Loknar nodded, and tipped his hat. "Thank you." He, Washuu, and Qaev began to walk, Tenchi and Joseph reluctantly following. They walked down the north hallway, which was quite long, and was filled with rooms. Within moments, they lost sight of the main desk and Heiana. The hallway was quite lavish, with expensive carpeting, beautiful paintings, spectacular skylights, sturdy old oil lamps, and engraved nameplates, showing dates of birth and death. The sounds of television, laughter, music, dancing, and talking could be heard from many of the rooms, showing that while their bodies may be gone, the dead were still very mentally alive. Loknar and Qaev waved to a few orbs that flew by, some materializing back into their human forms for quick greeting. After a few minutes of walking, they reached room 87. Engraved on the elaborate doorplate were the words "Yakatam Vornov Lokanda Loknar, Kari 1st, 8393 - Ke 34th, 8543 AW (Awakening)" and "Orcia Nikaah Hakunar Loknar, Ke 5th, 8392 - Yot 10, 8543 AW." Loknar rang the bell, which sounded much like the clink of windchimes. Waiting for the door to open, he smiled, holding Washuu's hand, who rested her head on his shoulder. The door slowly opened, revealing a man in his forties, with long purple hair, a beard, mustache, and eyes with the like color. He wore the clothes of a blacksmith, yet he looked oddly like Azusa, the distant king of Jurai. "Sonny boy!" He said, grinning, and hugging Loknar, who hugged back. The man sounded exactly like the king of Jurai, too, with the exception that he had a much happier tone. "How're ya doing, dad?" Loknar asked. "Well, I'm dead." The both of them laughed, hugging each other again. "Really, how are you doing? And where's mum?" "Quite good. I rigged up an old car that had been stuck in a gully for a few thousand years. Your mother is off playing bridge with some of her friends up at our house in Heaven. Say, who is this beautiful young lady you got with you, and these two kids? Hey, Qaev." Yakatam said, seeing Washuu and the others. "Morning, Mr. Loknar. I'll let you guys be alone for a bit...I have to do some management work." He replied, heading back down the hall, waving. "The Goddess right next to me is my fiancee, the lovely Washuu Hakubi." Loknar told his father, showing him the rings. "Behind us is my son Joseph, and his Juraian brother, Tenchi." Joseph and Tenchi lost it then. "Fiancee? Heaven?" They blurted, quite startled, Joseph nearly fainting this time, as he had not expected his father to propose to Washuu on this vacation. Washuu hugged Yakatam too, shaking his hand. Seeing that Tenchi and Joseph weren't the type to be hugged, Yakatam gave them both hearty handshakes, as they all went inside the room. It looked very much like an expensive apartment, with elaborate carpeting, furniture, electronics, plants, a bathroom, kitchen, bedroom, and rec room. It was decorated quite nicely to boot. They all sat down on a few couches, Loknar and Washuu on one, Joseph and Tenchi on another, and Yakatam on the third. Joseph tried to get used to the idea of watching his father and soon-to-be stepmother talk to his dead grandfather, who was currently pouring everyone expensive wine, but it was quite hard. "Are you saying that Grandmother Orcia can come back from Heaven to this...place at will?" He asked, replying to a previous comment. "Quite so. If you've lived a good life, been kind, helped people, you are allowed to, after a few thousand years, come back and forth from Heaven to the mortal world at will. It also helps if you have descendants still alive - But they are not allowed to try to speak to you for personal gain. If they do, they will be dealt with." Loknar replied to his son, sipping some wine, his arm around Washuu. "It's been a year or so since we last talked, Tassixar." Yakatam said to his son. "What have you been doing since then?" "Joseph, Ken-Ohki and I fell through a portal, and ended up at Tenchi's house, on Earth, in the Jurai dimension. Washuu and I fell in love a little bit afterwards, and we discovered the near-perfect genetic and emotional similarity between the two boys. Simulations proved that they were alike in every way, except for physical and historical differences. Both Yosho, Tenchi's grandfather and I share responsibility of paternal authority, as Tenchi's father is rarely home. The two are brothers now, both living with us in a house full of wonderful women. Because of the fragile emotional circumstances of the girls, both of them have yet to find the right girl among them yet." He replied. "I'll send you all the data a little bit later. What are your thoughts on it?" Yakatam smiled at his grandsons. "Back when Tassixar was around the age of you two, I had first became a Psionic Mage, specifically one that specialized in precognition, which he now is, too. Lemme think for a moment, and I'll find a prophecy for ya." He told them, an odd smile on his face. He lay back on the couch for a moment, stretching his arms, then putting them behind his head. After about a moment, he sat up again, a semi-serious look on his face. "I would like you two, Tenchi and Joseph, to listen to what I will now say carefully, because I will not be able to explain this prophecy further. Do you understand?" The two nodded, wondering what he was going to tell them. "The beach on which your hotel is located is often known as 'We Fuyaya', which means 'Lovers' Beach'. Legend says that it is blessed as one of the few places on Orion in which love occurs to most who come there, both those who do and don't expect to find it there. Millions, if not billions of relationships have been formed there, all of them never broken. To my knowledge, it is likely that the two of you will fall in love with one or two of the girls that you know, on this night." He told them, looking in their eyes, completely unmoving. There was a long silence; even Loknar and Washuu were suprised by the prophecy. "You can't tell us any more than that?" Joseph asked after awhile. Yakatam shook his head. "What did you mean by 'one or two of the girls that we know'? Are you saying that each of us could possibly fall in love with two? If so, how would that work?!?!?" Tenchi asked, now as confused as Mihoshi normally would be. "I can't tell you any more than what has been said. I know what I said may be hard to comprehend, but it is possible that this day may be one of the most important of your lives. Let's move onto another subject, okay?" He replied. After that, everyone made casual conversation, the two geniuses and a grandfather making jokes that only seemed to be funny to them, while Joseph and Tenchi stared blankly at their feet. The whole idea of falling in love on that day, specifically with one or two of the girls, seemed completely unexpected, unpronounced, and unbelievable. After about half an hour, with Loknar, Washuu, and Yakatam a little drunk on wine, they waved goodbye, and went out the door. "I'll holophone Mum before I leave Orion, okay?" Loknar called. "::Hic::Sure!" Yakatam said in response to his son. Joseph, Tenchi, and Qaev had to help the two geniuses outside, who were a little tipsy. "Next time we come here, remind me to ask Yakatam not to serve wine to my Dad and Washuu?" Joseph asked his brother. "I will." They walked back through the forest, the Kodamas rejoining them, helping to sober Loknar and Washuu up. As they did, they saw the same beauty as before; the great trees rose up into the sky, the sun gently bathing them in light, while birdsong echoed throughout the mystical land. The sights and sounds got their minds off of their prophecy for awhile, and the two brothers smiled, and tried to forget what had been said for a time. While it wasn't ominous or disturbing, the news was just startling, just as much as Loknar and Washuu's engagement, which Joseph and Ryoko predicted would have happened on Earth, and not on Orion. Loknar and Washuu, with their arms around each other, lead the way back to Narif and the beach, which could soon be seen on the horizon. -- At around that time, Ayeka stood at the front desk in Narif's lobby, smiling at her surroundings. "Excuse me, Sir Narif, do you happen to know the location of the Orion equivalent of the Royal Tree Room?" She asked politely. "Yes ma'am. The Holy Tree Temple is just a few miles north from here. I can get an automated cab to take you and some of your friends there." He replied. "Thank you, Narif. Let me see who wants to come with." She said, walking back to the elevator, and to the rooms, where everyone was. "Who would like to see the Holy Tree Temple?" "I would!" Sasami called, smiling, and bolting out of her room, Ryo-Ohki and Ken-Ohki happily tagging along. "Not right now." Was the general reply from everyone, except for Ryoko, which seemed odd. Usually, Ryoko was disinterested about such things, rather wishing to lie around and keep to herself. "I'll come with. I gotta see some of the sights, ya know, Princess, as long as it isn't formal and royal and stuff." She told Ayeka, coming out of her room. Ayeka frowned for a moment at the former Space Pirate's disrespect for Juraian/Orion traditions, but smiled, as Ryoko did want to do something other than lounge around and drink. Ayeka also thought that Ryoko needed some time outside, especially after what she had the previous night. After all, she was her friend. "Okay. Narif will have a cab take us there." "What's in it, anyhow?""It is the Orion version of the Royal Tree Room on Jurai. Uncountable numbers of powerful, sentient trees sit in a giant room, each on its own platform, with connecting pools on each, where a visitor could hop from one to another. It's as high as a skyscraper, the surrounding walls of the room made of ancient rock that had existed from the dawn of time. Many of the trees there have not yet found Juraian partners as of yet, so they are not on any ship. My whole description may be different here, as I know of how it looks on Jurai, and not on Orion." "Why didn't you just tell me you didn't know?" Ayeka sighed. "You're right about that...Let's go outside." She said, gathering a few things in a pack, then going to the front gate, Sasami, Ryoko, and the cabbits following close behind. The cab was already out there; there were no wheels on it. Instead, it simply hovered slightly over the ground, making no sound at all. It was painted a robust yellow, much like on earth. A display on top signified the company that it belonged to, as well as writing on the doors. The seats were made of a leathery substance, strong but comfortable. A small robot sat at the wheel, its' arms on the wheel. "Where're you guys goin'?" It asked. It looked very much like an Earthly cab, except for the exceptions above, as well as the driver. "Could you please take us to the Holy Tree Temple, sir?" Ayeka asked, opening the door and stepping into the car. "Sure. No one's been around there in awhile, though." "That's because your whole damn planet is deserted." Ryoko mumbled. "Exactly. Anyway, Narif paid for your ride already, so I don't have to turn the meter on. Seatbelts on?" Everyone had theirs on, even the cabbits. "allright then..." He said, the car beginning to move at an incredible speed. It flew down the usually empty streets, flying past parks, shops, houses, apartment buildings, schools, and any building imaginable. "Sir...Are you sure this is the right speed for this road?" Ayeka asked the driver, a little worried. "Nope. It'll get ya there faster, though." Everyone else sweatdropped, but smiled as they reached the Holy Tree Temple in only five minutes. The cab driver dropped them off and waved, saying that he would be back in half an hour or so. The building was cylindrical, about fifty stories high, and an acre or two wide. It was made of hard, polished white rock, easily reflecting the sunlight. Huge windows, at least five stories high, were arranged in columns around the building, all of stained glass. The designs on them were staggeringly beautiful, testament to the Orion's claim as the greatest glassmiths in the Multiverse. The designs were at times geometric, floral, natural, historical, and even mythical. There seemed to be no entrance to it, only large pools, filled with bluish water. They were a few feet from it, directly north, south, east, and west, and smaller ones at the northwest, southwest, northeast, and southeastern directions. "How do we get into this building?" Ayeka said to no one in particular. "The blue pools. They have the same kinda thing inside, so it's only natural that they'd have it outside." Ryoko replied, heading over to one. "She's probably right." Sasami added, following her and the cabbits. Ayeka, being careful not to get wet, followed them with caution. They stepped onto it, and were teleported directly onto a large platform at the top of the building. Above them was a large skylight, the sunlight pouring in like water in a bottle. The light from outside made the stained glass windows spectacular, all of them glowing. Directly below them were thousands of Holy Trees, each on its' own platform, much like on Jurai. Small matience robots were always by it, constantly grooming it, repairing it, and checking for any possible sickness, so it could be cured. The uncountable number looked as if they extended even below-ground, as there were no windows down there. It was still very light in there, the sunlight easily passing through the huge room, even reflecting off the connecting pools. The particular platform that Ryoko, Ayeka, Sasami, and the cabbits stood on was small, a tiny seeding on it. There was a glass case around them, so there would be no possibility of falling. There were many of these at the top, so they could collect sunlight for the infant plant. There also was a control panel, so they could be gently steered around other trees, and even visit some of them below. Sasami was quite nervous at the moment. The memories of her 'death' still effected her, and to return to the place where she nearly died was quite uncomfortable. She tried to hide it, sitting down and hugging the cabbits, who knew how she was feeling. Meanwhile, Ayeka and Ryoko stood in awe at the site, which looked just as beautiful, if not more, than the Royal Tree Room in the Juraian Palace. "Holy Crap..." Ryoko said quietly, then whistling at the sure size of the place. "Let's take a closer look at some of the trees." Ayeka said, going over to the controls. She pulled a few switches, and the platform slowly floated down to the nearest tree. They landed right next to it, a door opening for them to get out and see it. Ayeka and Ryoko walked out, but Sasami didn't. As she was about to, she saw a large number of red petals, taken from some nearby plants, in a pile. They looked very much like a pool of blood, and that caused her to see her own near-death again. It all came back to her - the horror, the pain, the sadness, the helplessness. She began to cry quietly, the cabbits trying to lick her tears away, meowing softly. Ryoko saw this immediately, and tapped Ayeka on the back, who was currently talking to the sentient Holy tree, who had just asked her who she was, telepathically. "What is it, Miss Ryoko?" "Your sister is reliving her past..." Ayeka remembered instantly. "It's nice meeting you, sir, but I have to attend to my sister." She said, running back onto her platform. "Nice to meet you too." The tree replied, expressing its message both telepathically, as well as the standard beams of light. "Sasami, are you allright?" Ryoko asked quietly, sitting by Ayeka. "...I'm fine." "Sasami, please tell us the truth. If you have bad memories resurfacing, we can go." Ayeka added. "...But I don't want anyone to miss out on some fun because of me..." "We won't, Sasami. We know what you've gone through, and we all had similar crap happen to us. 'Sides, it can get kinda boring talking to dumb trees for an hour, anyhow. I don't care about this damn place, anyhow. I just wanted to spend some time with you and Ayeka, which I rarely do." Ryoko said, hugging her. Sasami smiled, hugging back. "Joseph, Tenchi, Washuu, and Tassi are probably back by now." "Probably. I do wonder where they went, however..." Ayeka replied. "Dunno. Let's find out." They closed the door of their platform, and brought it back to its' proper place, then teleporting back outside. The cab arrived moments later, even though the driver said it would be back half an hour from then. "How did you know that we would be out so quickly?" Sasami said to the driver as she got inside with the others. "I only wanted to get a beer." "But robots don't drink..." "I got usually not much else to do, so I drink." "Now I've heard everything." Ryoko mumbled, putting the seat back, and her feet over the driver's chair, her arms folded under her head. Her relaxed position was compromised as the drunken robot began to drive. This time, he was more erratic in his movements than he was previously, jerking back and forth, circling around buildings at high speeds, flying under tunnels, doing aerial stunts, and flipping midair a few times before they reached Narif. They got out, nauseous, dazed, and off balance. They went back into Narif, and he sensed how they felt. "You didn't get the driver called Crazy ZIM372-01, did you?" He asked. Ayeka had looked at the nameplate on the car, and Narif's description matched. "We did. He gave us a hell of a ride." Ryoko replied. "They should have repaired him long ago..." "No kidding, woody." Joseph and Tenchi came in just as they finished. "Hi guys! How are ya doing?" Joseph beamed. "Peachy." Ryoko replied, trying to keep Ryo-Ohki from getting too sick to her stomach from the ride, then glomping Tenchi. "C'mon, cut it out. Where did you go to get you guys in a mad mood?" He blushed, just as Ayeka hugged him. "Holy Tree Temple or something. It was okay, but Sasami had some memories from her past about it, and our driver was worse than Mihoshi at the wheel. Where did you guys go?" Asked the space pirate. "A large mausoleum, where the dead are technically still alive. We talked to Loknar's father. He's a real nice guy, and he gave some prophecies to us. We also learned something about Loknar and Washuu that you probably don't want to hear about." Ryoko frowned. "Tell me what it is." "My dad and your mom proposed last night. They're engaged." Joseph replied. "Oh, God." Ryoko said to herself, putting her head in her hands and sitting down. Ryoko marched into Loknar and Washuu's room, and began to argue with her about how she hates weddings. "Well, you're gonna like 'em. You're one of the bridesmaids, you know." "WHAT?" Ryoko said to her mother. "It's a great honor to be one. I was a bridesmaid at a few weddings." "I know, but I still don't like weddings." "Would ya rather be a test subject for me and Tassi? That could work out as well." Ryoko blinked. "I'll just go to the wedding." She said, going back out of the room. She turned to the others. "Don't ask." Joseph had taken the whole thing calmly, distracting himself with books and other forms of entertainment. He yawned, quite tired. The long walk had tired him out, even if it only was a few miles. He was usually able to run that much and still not be this tired. He didn't understand why; did he not get enough sleep, or it Yakatam's prophecy take a toll on his energy? He checked his watch - 3:00 PM. Tenchi felt the same way. He didn't do much hiking at home, except for on emergencies, such as when Sasami disappeared. His legs felt like jelly, and his head like a pile of Ryo-Ohki's carrots. "Sasami, everyone, I'm going to take a nap for a little while." They both said at once, barely even hearing each other, then heading up to their rooms. They both went to their rooms, falling asleep as soon as their heads hit the pillows. While they slept, the prophecy that Yakatam had predicted floated through their heads, causing them to be fitful in their sleep. It wasn't an unpleasant thought, just somewhat suprising, coming from a man they had never even met before. How would he know that it was highly probable that they would fall in love with one or two of the girls on this date? They didn't even tell him the names of the girls, yet he knew that it was possible that something might happen. Even more, he was dead when they talked to him, and that was startling enough. Several possibilities crossed their minds through series of dreams, of what would happen if they fell in love with one of the girls; how it would effect others, the future, and themselves. All that needed to happen was one small change, and each possibility could be reality. One step, one second, one word, one possibility. -- Tenchi awoke first, very lazily. He got up and stretched, yawning very loudly, sounding like he hadn't in years. He fully opened his eyes, and looked around. It was dark outside, just after sunset. The sky was a rich mix of deep blues and faint pinks and oranges. It looked more like a picturesque painting than real life to Tenchi, who was still not fully awake. He got dressed, putting some jeans and a shirt on, then fumbling with his shoes. It was then that he decided to check the clock. It was now about Seven forty-five. He had slept past dinner. "Crap." He muttered, a little bit more awake now, but not awake enough to see the shirt he had left on the floor the previous night. He slipped on it, banging his head against the door. He growled, and kicked it, only to have his foot hurt. "There isn't any justice anymore." He mumbled. He went down the hall, to see if anyone was up there. He knocked on each door, only to get empty silence. Figuring that everyone was still eating dinner downstairs, he went down the elevator, barely having to step into the car before it arrived on the first floor. "Hello? Guys?" He called. "Hi Tenchi!" Sasami replied from the restaurant, the cabbits meowing a hello as well. He went there, seeing Sasami help some of the maintenance robots with cleanup from dinner. Apparently, there had been a food fight between Ayeka and Ryoko, so there was food stuck to the walls. The robots themselves cleaned up the scraps distributed throughout the room, while she washed dishes. The cabbits sat on a couch, snuggling and purring with each other. "Why'd you miss dinner?" Sasami said to Tenchi, as he sat down next to the cabbits. "Overslept my nap, I guess. I'm really sorry, Sasami." "It's no problem - You probably would have been covered with food had you come to dinner; Ryoko and Ayeka had a food fight for some reason. I can fix you some leftovers, if you'd like." "That'd be great, Sasami!" "Where's Joseph? Is he still asleep upstairs?" "He didn't answer his door, so I assume he is." Sasami quickly finished cleaning the dishes, and warmed up some food for Tenchi, then sitting down with him at a nearby table, Ryo-Ohki and Ken-Ohki having a dish each as well. "What'd you dream about?" Sasami said, an interested look on her face. "I don't really remember. It was about all of us, me and Joseph marrying someone...It's really strange." He replied, trying not to divulge the prophecy. "Who did you guys marry?" "I'm not really sure...I remember that everyone else got married, too..." "What else happened?" "Something about everyone at Jurai..." As he could not lie to Sasami, he told her about one of his dreams, or at least what he remembered of it, while still keeping the prophecy to himself. Tenchi pat the cabbits for a moment, who purred and licked his fingers, Sasami giggling. "Speaking of marriage, we should have a marriage for Ryo-Ohki and Ken-Ohki." She suggested. "Maybe. How do you guys feel about it?" "Mow!" They replied happily, indicating a positive answer. Sasami giggled again, hugging them, and then Tenchi, who hugged back, blushing a little bit. "Where is everyone else?" "Mihoshi and Kiyone are on the roof, Ayeka is on the balcony in our room, Ryoko is going back and forth from there, fishing at the same time, Tassi and Washuu are in their room hugging, grandpa and your papa are looking through a nearby library, and Joseph should still be upstairs, sleeping." She said to him, smiling. "I wonder how Joseph is doing..." She thought to herself. -- The pinks and yellow hues were gone from the sky by the time Joseph woke up, only to be replaced by the ocean-like blueness of the night sky, the stars like little pebbles, reflecting light. He awoke to find himself on a chair near the window, fully dressed, though he distinctly remembered falling asleep on his bed. This was somewhat disturbing - He wasn't a sleepwalker, and he would have heard if anyone had come into his room. He got up, feeling very relaxed, yet quite alert. He grabbed his glasses off his desk, putting them on. He looked in the mirror of his bathroom, and frowned to realize that his four o'clock shadow had returned. He considered taking it off with a razor, but he really did not feel like it at the moment. Yakatam's words still floated through his mind in an endless circle, as if they went in one ear, out the other, and then back in the first one again. He looked out at the sky, frowning as he realized that he had completely missed dinner. He backed that up by checking his watch, which said it was 8:30. "I sleep too damn hard." He said to himself, cracking his knuckles before going out the door, and listening for any sounds in the hall. It's amazing how one simple step, one second-long hesitation could lead to an entirely new possibility, the changes being either far-reaching, or minute, effecting lives or moments, worlds or people. Joseph walked quietly down the hall, listening very closely, his steps deliberately silent, so not to interfere with what he could hear, or interrupt anyone's conversation. Ayeka and Ryoko talked quietly, Joseph unable to hear them. "It isn't the matter about the breed of the Tzardi fish, but the coloring, which is not specific to any. The brown ones are poisonous, the red ones sour-tasting, the green ones tasteless, but the silver ones are tasty." Ayeka explained to the space pirate, who had just brought back a silver Tzardi fish from the beach. "So all the red, green, and brown ones are worthless?" Ryoko asked, a little bit defeatedly. "Yes, except for some variations of the reds." "Then what am I going to do with all this stuff then?" Ryoko pointed to a small tank of fish nearby, filled with red, green, and brown fish. "Put them back into the lake." "Fine." She mumbled. "I'm going to put 'im back and read a scifi manga for a bit." Ryoko flew off the building with the tank, dumping them back into the ocean. Mihoshi and Kiyone sat on the roof, the two of them on lounge chairs. "What manga is that?" Mihoshi asked, looking at Kiyone's stack of comics. "Asuka and Kyo. It's a romance manga." "What's it about?" Kiyone sat up a little bit on her chair, looking at Mihoshi. "Asuka is a girl from around the Heian period who appears on modern-day Earth because of a wish she made to a goddess." "What was the wish?" "A better life. She was very poor, and she didn't have any friends. So she ends up on earth, and falls in love with Kyo, who fails high school history, yet tries to find ways to adapt to her cousins. It's really good." "And that other one?" Mihoshi asked, pointing to a manga with a blue cover, and white writing. "It's something a lil' bit naughty, but not that naughty. All of the boys really don't like manga of that type." "Is it shounen-ai?" "You guessed right." Kiyone replied, blushing and grinning. Joseph didn't hear anyone talking, or any sign of anyone there, so he just went downstairs, going straight into the restaurant, even though he wasn't that hungry. Most of the damage from the food fight was gone by now, only a small bit remaining. "Hi Sasami! Sorry I slept so late..." He said to her. "It's okay, Joseph. Ryoko and Ayeka had a food fight during dinner anyhow, so you missed having to take a second bath." "Okay." He said, hugging her, who then hugged him back. "I'm going to walk around for awhile. I'll be back soon." He waved, and walked outside onto the beach. The cool, early night air excited his lungs, as he breathed in deeply, enjoying the scent. He began to walk, just concentrating on the night, and trying to get the prophecy out of his head. He focused on the seagull-like birds that waddled around on their webbed feet, biting at fish, poking at small rocks, and digging up lost pieces of metal. He had a small box of crackers in his pocket, and he fed them some, breaking them up into small pieces. They ate hungrily, and looked up at him, as if thanking him. They weren't that hungry, but it seemed that they did enjoy any food they could get. He walked on, watching the waves crash against the rocks, always making variations of an eternal sound, one that would be heard forever, one that would never die. The seagulls swam in it, taking small baths, and pruning their wings, then flying off into the distance, cawing, their voices echoing in the landscape. He smiled, and walked on, soon a bit far from Narif's hotel, and the others. Everything was very quiet there; nothing loud, nothing talking, and no one else there. In front of him was the ocean, to his back was a silent forest, under his feet the beach, and above him the bosom of heaven. In this odd silence, nothing seemed to move, except for himself and the eternal waves. Very, very faintly, he could hear voices in the distance, but he wanted to be alone for a moment, so he decided not to go back for awhile. Joseph's mind drifted back to what Yakatam had said: That he would fall in love with one or two of the girls on this night, for no reason, the whole thing just coming out of the blue. It was incomprehensible to him why his grandfather would say that, without even having meeting him prior to that day. He looked up into the sky, which stretched for horizon to horizon, with no end in sight. It was an unending sea of stars, which harbored millions of planets, an uncountable lives. He looked at three of the Orion moons in the sky - Ari, Mitsukii, and Taro. They were in a triangular formation, which looked oddly familiar to Joseph. Ari was a shining, bright moon, Mitsukii was a dark blue, and Taro was very earthlike, with oceans, forests, and continents. He remembered why they seemed familiar to him. Sasami had once taught him a short verse, to be used only on special occasions, which formed a kind of heavenly triangle. Joseph began to say it out loud: "From heaven to ocean Ocean to the earth And earth back to heaven Show me the path engraved by the light." The words slipped off his tongue with great ease, gently echoing throughout the landscape. He saw a star twinkle in the middle of the triangular formation of Ari, Mitsukii, and Taro, but didn't take much notice. It was quite dark out by now, and Joseph was barely able to see his hands. He had been out for about half an hour, and it was around nine o'clock. He didn't seem to notice, though. It got strangely lighter outside, as he saw the star from the three moons begin to gently come down from the sky. He watched in awe as it got closer, then taking a humanoid form. He could not tell if it was a man or a woman, but he saw it land a few hundred yards in front of him, the light going out. He ran as fast as he could, not knowing what he would find. His legs ached from running at this speed, faster than he had ever ran in his life. He was unsure why he was doing this, but he just went where his legs carried him. He simply stopped at what he saw next. Standing right in front of him, right on the shore, stood a woman was very transparent, like a spirit or a ghost. She was about as tall as Joseph was, and wore normal, civilian clothing; worn, slightly dirty sneakers, faded bellbottom jeans, a plain black shirt, and a dark blue sweater. Her hair was a deep cyan, the color of the vast ocean that lay in back of her, shining a little in the moonlight, arranged in a long, intricately designed pattern, very similar to Tsunami's. She was undeniably beautiful, from her head to her toes, the kind of woman that would make men gasp, and women envious. Her appearance seemed to switch every other moment, her hair and her clothing fading in and out. In her second form, her hair was very spiky, sharp, and meticulously cared for, very much like Ryoko's. She wore the uniform of a Galaxian Marine: She wore old, yet still strong army boots, darkly-colored camouflage pants made of a tough material, and a long shirt and jacket of the same. She also wore an old army cap on her head, which didn't seem to be disturbed by her hairstyle. She still looked very beautiful like this, with probably having the same effects. Her face was the same, in both forms, which looked like a composite of Tsunami and Ryoko. One last, striking feature of her clothing was very visible; on the right side of her chest, a name tag had the word "Kerrigan" engraved on it. Joseph didn't say a word. He simply stood there, and looked suprised, his blue eyes staring into her deep, yellowish-greens. They stood there for minutes, just watching each other, unmoving, unblinking, unflinching, Joseph just watching as she switched between her two forms. "...Miri?" He said, after a little while. Her two forms were how Miranda was, one before the war, and one during, the Ryoko-form easily being the later. He looked into the eyes of the fiancee who he had watched being mutilated, raped, tortured, and killed before his eyes at the hands of Koros, while he was helplessly pinned to the wall, unable to help the usually powerful warrioress. There was a sad look in her eyes, as well as tears. It was if she wanted to respond, yet she could not speak. "Why?" He asked a minute later, still not getting a vocal response, tears welling up in his eyes as well. "Are you alive?" He asked. Still, only the sad eyes, her tears dripping off her face like condensation on a cold glass. She slowly nodded a yes. "W-Where are you?" He stuttered, the words barely able to come out of his mouth. He went up to her, and tried to touch her, but his hands almost went right through her. "...I still love you, Miri. I loved you ever since I laid my eyes on your blessed form, and even after....what that bastard Koros did. Miri, I will never stop loving you..." He said, sitting down, tears coming out of his eyes very easily. She leaned over, and kissed him, gently, going right through him, yet Joseph still felt her, her warm lips against his. As she kissed him, the nearby forest lit up, beams of light from certain trees flying to the top of the Holy Tree Temple, where light from trees all over the vast city met, shooting up into a fantastic barrage of light that hurtled into the sky. The only sounds were the beating of his heart, his breathing, the kiss, and the gentle movement of the waves, undying, eternal, unstoppable. Pale, angel-like wings were on his back, glowing in the dim moonlight and starlight. She leaned back, and looked at him one more time, very sadly. "Someday." The word came in a slight breeze, Miri's form disappearing from view almost instantly. "Someday." The word fell into his ears, echoing inside his mind. The word was in Miranda's voice, very gentle, yet firm. A small, ceramic tablet lay on the ground, painted in the most vibrant colors known to mortals. That single word was engraved on it, nothing else. Joseph picked it up with caution, very slowly, and held it to his chest. He cried for awhile, just sitting there. The immense loneliness and helplessness overpowered him, even though he had that tablet in his hands. As he calmed down, Tsunami appeared right in front of him, standing on the water. "Joseph?" She asked quietly, her words breaking the normalcy of sound in the area. "Yes, Tsunami." He replied, drying the last of his tears. "Please, don't be upset." "I just saw my dead fiancee. She's alive, somewhere, somehow. I long to be with her, to have her skin against mine, to talk with her, to kiss her...How else could I handle it?" Tsunami nodded. "She came to you for a reason, Joseph." "What reason?" "So you know that she still exists." "So this was planned?" "She told me today." "You have contact with her?" "Yes, but she cannot speak to you or anyone else." "I don't understand this." Joseph muttered, standing up. He shows her the tablet. "And what does it mean by 'some day'?" "Someday. Someday, she will return. She may not return in the forms you know her as, but she will return. Someday. I cannot say anymore right now, kind Joseph." She replied, gently touching her forehead to his, a symbol similar to Tenchi's appearing, and then glowing as it made contact with hers. She disappeared without a sound, just like Miri did. "Joseph!" Sasami called, the others following her. "Joseph, are you okay?" All of the women, his father, the cabbits, Kasuhito, Noboyuki, Azaka, Kamidake, and Tenchi stood under the three moons, happy to see him. "I...I'm fine." He replied, smiling, and getting up. "We didn't know what happened to you." She said, hugging him. "I just went for a long walk, and cleared my head. I'm sorry if I worried you, Sasami." "The main thing is that you're okay." Mihoshi said, smiling. "Let's go get some sleep now, okay?" They all went back to the hotel, Joseph still holding the tablet to his chest, no one commenting about it as of yet. As they got back to the hotel, they went upstairs, and got ready for bed. Noboyuki tapped Loknar on the shoulder before he went into his room. "Yes?" Loknar asked, smiling oddly. "You gave me and Kasuhito directions to 'Shoujo-ai Funhouse', but it only took me to a theme park for cabbits, way in the country. I want to know where the real Shoujo-ai Funhouse is. I've never been glomped by so many cabbits in my life" Noboyuki said to him, a little annoyed. "Shoujo-ai Funhouse, when translated into Orion, means 'Magical Fun Country', a cabbit theme park." Washuu replied, grinning. Kasuhito tried hard to contain his laughter, putting his hand over his mouth. "You were in on this too, dad?" Noboyuki asked. "Yes. You need to get away from reading about love in odd ways, and actually find a girl. You also need some exercise." He replied. "Fine. Make fun of the guy who likes reading comics about girls all the time. I'm going to bed." Noboyuki said, then sticking his tongue out. Everyone had a good laugh, and then went to bed, sleeping soundly, especially Joseph and Tenchi. -- The two of them were up early the next morning, ironically, and were the first ones to breakfast. Everyone ate quickly, barely talking, as they had to pack. Though they all loved Orion and Narif, that planet and Narif weren't their real home. They hoped to be back home by noon, and they ensured this by packing furiously. The girls were somewhat disappointed that they didn't fall in love with either Joseph or Tenchi, but they would still have a long, long time at home when they could try that. Everyone packed their clothing and luggage up, Joseph carefully packing his windchimes and the device associated with it. As Loknar and Washuu didn't have to pack, and they were now engaged, they simply sat on their bed and kissed as everyone else worked. They all soon went outside, the cabbits turning into their ship-forms. "Goodbye, Narif!" They all called. "Goodbye! I hope to see you back in six months or a year, allright?" He replied. "Okay!" With their luggage, they all teleported into the ships, and soon flew off into space. The portal appeared soon after, and they flew through it, once again in the Holy Void. It was at this time that Joseph and Tenchi pondered why Yakatam's prophecy did not come true. Was it because of something they did? Something they said? Was it fate? Was Yakatam simply making it up? "I don't understand it." Tenchi told his brother. "Neither do I. Highly likely. Highly likely. When someone says that, it usually means that something will happen." Kasuhito walked past them, speaking one sentence: "Any decision made by one, no matter how minute, can alter his or herself, others, the Multiverse, enemies, friends, or even the future." They stared blankly into the uncountable number of universes after hearing that cryptic message, now echoing through their head like Yakatam's prophecy. "Geez, I don't need anything else stuck in my head." Tenchi complained. Sasami turned on the radio, and listened, changing stations every so often. "It's the 'I love Misaki' show, starring Azusa Jurai as himself, Funaho Jurai as herself, and Misaki Jurai as herself. Don't forget the neighbors, Tassixar and Washuu Lokubi!" An announcer called, while the 'I love Lucy' theme played in the background, then showing some soundbytes from it. "Misaki, I don't think working in a chocolate factory is a good idea, especially stuffing chocolates in your apron to fool the supervisor!" Funaho said, a laugh track following it. In another soundbyte, Misaki calls out "But I wanna help in Azuza's band, Funaho! I'm a good singer!" In the third, Azusa mumbles "Why don't you just invite Tassi and Washuu over...God.", only to be greeted by the two opening the door, and saying "Hello!" Sasami, Ayeka, and Yosho were cracking up over all of this, as well as everyone else, except for Joseph and Tenchi, who were still deep in thought. It was like that for most of the trip home, and they hardly noticed when they reached Earth again, their home below them. "We're home!" Kiyone called, rousing the two from their thoughts. They all teleported down, stretching, and then putting their luggage back into the house, and unpacking. They were all very glad to be back home. A short time later, after he had put the windchimes on the roof of the porch, so they could work, and putting the ceramic tablet on his well, right near Miri's picture, Joseph went to the carrot fields, were Noboyuki was trying to plant something, Tenchi watching. "What the heck is he planting?" Joseph wondered. "Orion carrots. He got them from the theme park. They're huge carrots, about twice the size of those on Earth." His brother replied. "I'm sure the cabbits are excited..." "The two of them just ran off with a package, and headed towards Loknar and Washuu's lab. I think they're going to try to have them make the carrots grow instantly." Joseph smiled to himself; everything was back to normal - Except for one thing. He looked at Miri-Oh. The tree had grown a few feet since they left for the trip, and it was looking stronger and prettier every day. Joseph sat down under it, and laid back, and enjoyed the sunny day.