PART 2: AKIKO Written by the BatCat, A.K.A Laurel J. CHAPTER 1: THE FIGHT Akiko looked out the window of her classroom once again. Her teacher was going on about something she all ready knew. Her mind wandered to thoughts of the weekend as she watched a few leaves fall from the trees outside. Autumn; it was her favorite season. Cool air, warm sun, and brightly colored leaves. She didn't even mind raking them up, as long as she could keep a few of them to look at. She sighed and turned her attention back to the front. Kero watched the cyan-haired beauty look out her window for the fifth time that period. He flashed his award-winning smile at a cheerleader and watched with satisfaction as she melted in her seat. He grinned and turned his attention back to his prey; Akiko Masaki. As soon as the bell rang, Akiko bolted out of her seat and to the door. She grinned; lunch was her favorite period. It was the time when she got to do one of her favorite pastimes; eating. She fiddled with her locker combination for what seemed like forever. No matter how smart she got, Akiko always had trouble with her locker, everyone did. It was like some sort of school-wide plague. She grabbed out her lunch and made her way to the back of the school where you could eat outside in the grass. She chose a shady spot under a tree and started on her auntie Sasami's famous dish; a big hamburger with lots of her special sauce. She grinned and munched while she did the last of her homework for the weekend. Most of the kids around her were sitting with their friends, boyfriends, or girlfriends. She sighed; even though Akiko was really nice, really funny, and really smart, no one wanted to be friends with her because she made them feel inferior. Sometimes Akiko hated being special, but other times, like when she practiced fighting with her parents, she thought it was the coolest thing in the whole world. She resolved her predicament like she did every day. If you make friends, they'll just die on you later. She packed up the remains-if any-of her lunch and relaxed under the tree while she watched the leaves fall. Kero eyed Akiko from a table across the way. She'd just finished her lunch and was now relaxing like she did every day. He flashed his smile at another cheerleader and enjoyed the way she collapsed into her friend. Soon, his lackeys came to join him and he motioned for his favorite one to sit next to him; Amagi Kumashiro. "So Kero, is today the day?" he asked in his sly way. Kero liked Amagi because he was easily manipulated, but very sneaky himself. "Yes my friend, today is the day. No man has ever dared to approach the cyan-haired beauty for fear she would reject him, but I, Kero Numosuki, am not afraid." his speech got much applause from his crowd of lackeys. He popped a breath mint in his mouth and studied his prey carefully. She had long, slender yet muscular arms and legs, beautiful golden cat-like eyes that seemed to glitter in the sunlight, long, smooth cyan hair that shined in the sun, and skin that seemed to have no flaws. Her face was dainty, but had a dangerous look to it. She was strong, smart, beautiful, kind, and funny. She could outrun Kero in a foot race-the sport he excelled in-, throw the hugest guys over her shoulder in karate class, and then she could sit down and finish a weeks worth of homework in a matter of minutes. She was, well, perfect! The only thing that kept Kero from melting when he was near her was her cold attitude towards him. He tried almost every day to get her to ask him out, but she would always give him the cold shoulder. He knew why too, because despite the fact that he was so cute he made every girl in school faint, and that he had straight A's, and that he could run faster than any guy in the entire school, Kero was a total jerk. He took pride in his rep as a womanizer and a sexist, egotistical creep. He'd worked hard to keep his rep as the only guy in school to have gotten some almost every weekend, and from a different girl each time for that matter. He grinned; he'd gotten almost every pretty girl in the school except for one; Akiko Masaki. He was confident that he'd wear her down one day, maybe even today. He had to have her no matter what it took to get her. When she'd first come to their school near the end of her junior year, he'd just thought of her as another girl to use then dump like all of the rest. But after weeks and months of her rejections, she became more than just another girl; she became his ultimate goal for high school. Now, in her senior year with the rest of them, she was the only girl in school that didn't melt or faint when he smiled his award-winning smile at her. She intrigued him to the point of madness. Every guy in school was warned not to attempt to ask her out or Kero himself would beat the crap out of him; and so far only one guy had tried, but Kero had taken care of him and he was still in the hospital. He'd gotten away with it too because no one would dare say who did it. Kero flashed his smile in her direction, but she just rolled her eyes and tucked the strand of hair, that always seemed to fall out of place, behind her ear. He grinned; he would have Akiko Masaki, no matter what it took to get her. Akiko sighed and tucked the strand of hair that always fell out of place behind her ear. School was out and it was time for her to enjoy her weekend, but she couldn't get her stupid locker open. She looked around to see if anyone was watching, then she used her limited psychic abilities to make the lock fall to the ground as if she just opened it. She grinned and picked it up. Perfect! She thought happily as she pulled out her stuff and re-locked her locker. She walked outside and put her bag next to her feet while she did her daily ritual; she rolled down her socks, un-tucked her white shirt from the blue uniform skirt, rolled up her sleeves, unbuttoned the top two buttons, then she took off the annoying blue vest and stuck it in her bag. "Much better!" she cried to herself as she put her school bag over her shoulder and kept walking. She decided to stop in the park and watch the leaves fall so she sent a message to her mom through their mind link and headed over to sit on a bench. The park was empty and the trees were almost bare of leaves, but it was still beautiful. She put her bag next to herself and stood up to walk around. She walked over to a small cluster of trees but as she was about to wander further a familiar male voice called her name, making her blood boil. She turned to face Kero and his lemmings as they approached her. "Hey Akiko!" he cried, jogging up to her. Akiko tried not to glare, but it was so hard. He was really cute; tan skin, brown hair, green eyes, nice build, but he was a total jerk, which made it easy for Akiko to hate his guts. She'd watched girls cry because he refused to talk to them after he'd used them just the other night, then they'd melt later when he smiled at them; they were such fools. His lemmings crowded behind him while his favorite lemming stood next to him. Akiko eyed him warily; Amagi Kumashiro. He was cute too with nice black hair and pretty brown eyes, but he had this creepy smile that made Akiko's skin crawl. He did it whenever he was helping Kero do something creepy; he was wearing it right now. Akiko sighed and counted the number of lemmings; ten including Amagi. If she had to defend herself she'd have no trouble. She kept her eyes on Kero as his lemmings made a circle around her. They acted as if she was as dumb as the others, but she wasn't, she just decided to pretend for now. "What do you want?" she asked, her voice heavy with exasperation. He didn't get the hint, he just flashed his best smile and looked her up and down, stopping at areas of interest and making her want to rip his eyes out of his skull and shove them down his throat. "I want a date with you of course." he said smoothly. Akiko rolled her eyes. "Not a chance." she scoffed. His smile faded for an instant, but he put it back on. "Oh come on Akiko, don't be so cold." he said slyly, putting a hand on her shoulder and making her get the urge to beat the crap out of him. She grabbed his wrist gently and took his hand off her shoulder then she let it go and he put it in his pocket. She glared at his lemmings and then turned her attention back to him. He was trying his move that never failed to get him any girl; he took a step closer and picked up her hand in his then kissed it gently. Then he held it in both of his hands and smiled his best smile. "Come on, let's go somewhere a little more private eh?" he asked smoothly, doing the next step of his little act; he placed one of his hands on her shoulder and stroked her hair a few times before placing it on her shoulder again. "If I was to go anywhere it would be home and it wouldn't be with you." she said coldly, her eyes piercing his skull. His lemmings snickered and formed a tighter circle; Akiko knew this routine too. It was his intimidation technique; scare the girl into going somewhere with you. It wasn't working on Akiko though; she wasn't scared in the least. Her hand burned where he'd kissed it; he was probably the devil in disguise. He did the last faze of his little technique; he wrapped an arm around her waist and then he held one of her hands. "Don't we make a great couple guys?" he asked the lemmings while moving his hand so it was on the small of her back. The lemmings nodded and grinned creepily while Kero finished up his technique; he moved his hand down so it was almost touching her butt, then he gripped her hand tighter. He looked over at her because she was as tall as him and smiled a weird smile. She knew what was coming and she didn't like it. He leaned closer and turned her so that she was facing him. He leaned down as if he was going to kiss her but stopped inches from her face and smiled, waiting for her reaction. "The day you kiss me is the day I die." she whispered coldly, but he just grinned and wrapped his arm tighter around her; as if that would stop her from avoiding his lips. He closed his eyes and leaned closer. She grinned evilly and waited until he was almost pressing up against her, then she jabbed her knee into his gut and stepped back as he doubled over and coughed violently. "Cute... real... cute..." he said between coughs. His lemmings glared at her and he righted himself and looked at her angrily. "Do you want a fight?" she asked coldly. "Yeah! And when I'm done beating the crap out of you, you're coming back to my place." he said evilly, grinning wildly. So he's a rapist now? She thought, not at all surprised. He yelled and sent a series of punches at her face, each one missing as she moved her head around easily. She ducked under one and punched his gut, sending him flying into his lemmings. They scrambled up and made a wider circle to accommodate for the fast-growing crowd of teens. They were cheering Kero on, while some of the quieter girls cheered Akiko on. He readied himself the sent a kick to her face, but she jumped straight up and did a roundhouse in the air, sending him flying as it connected with his face. The lemmings caught him and shoved him back in while one grabbed Akiko's arms and thrust them behind her back. He advanced on her and she waited until he had his fist going at her face. She kicked the guy holding her in the kneecap and jumped straight up, making Kero's punch connect with the guy's face instead of Akiko's. She did a flip in midair and landed behind Kero. He mumbled an insult and turned around, but she kicked him right in the gut, the crowd jumped away and he went flying into a nearby tree, making its trunk crush like paper machete'. Satisfied, she walked through the crowd, picked up her bag and walked out of the park, ignoring the angry shouts from the crowd. She ducked behind a building and teleported onto the roof of the school. She sighed and dropped to her knees, emotionally exhausted. Will it ever end? She wondered hopelessly. She stood up and teleported to sit in a tree with her bag resting on a nearby branch. She watched as a few junior high kids walked under the tree, holding hands. Some high school kids came behind them, talking and giggling. After they had passed, Akiko jumped out of her tree and started walking to her house. A few girls from school passed her quickly by, staring at her with open mouths and wide eyes. Akiko took a sharp turn to the short cut and teleported to stand atop a boulder. She drew up an energy ball and threw it angrily at the mountains. "Damn! Why do people have do be this way!?!" she yelled angrily. Although Akiko liked a good fight, she didn't like to hurt, even if the person desperately deserved it. She waited until the urge to cry subsided then she teleported to float just over the lake in front of her house. She flew swiftly to the front door and went through it, literally. After she kicked off her shoes, Akiko ran upstairs and changed into a pair of shorts and a t-shirt. Then she went through the floor and into the kitchen where her aunt and uncle were making dinner while their daughter Daiami played with Ryo-Ohki on the floor. Daiami was only about ten in earth years, but she looked to be about 12 or 13. She had blonde hair that was tied back in two pigtails and pretty pink eyes that glittered in the sunlight. She received schooling from Washu like Akiko had. "Hey uncle, hey auntie." Akiko said glumly. They looked at her, surprised. "Why the long face?" asked her aunt Sasami. Akiko smirked; her aunt was always so carefree, even after she'd fully assimilated with Tsunami, her aunt was still like a giddy little girl most of the time. "I finally got in a fight with Kero." she said sadly. Her uncle sat across from her at the counter, willing her to go forward. "He tried his intimidation technique, but I ended up having to fight him to get out of it." she explained. Her uncle patted her hand and smiled. He still looked as young as ever, just like everyone else in the house. His hair was still in the same mushroom cut and he was still the same old shy little boy that had courted her aunt years ago. "It'll be all right, but I think you should talk to your parents." he said firmly. Akiko nodded and patted Daiami's head before teleporting to the front yard for her walk to the shrine. Her parents were usually there, cleaning up so Akiko knew she'd find them there. When she reached the shrine she took a good look around and spotted her parents sweeping the path. Her mother was wearing her working clothes and looking radiant as usual, her father still looked as he had the day Akiko was born. Her parents greeted her with warm hugs and then stood next to her as they started their walk home. "I got in a fight with Kero." Akiko said quietly. Her parents sighed and looked up at the sky. "What happened?" asked her father. Akiko took a deep breath and explained while her parents listened quietly. When she'd finished her parents gave her a big hug. "We're very proud of you. You defended yourself in the only way you could have." said her mother proudly. "Ryoko is right. You were only defending yourself so there's no reason for us to be angry with you." explained her father. Akiko breathed a sigh of relief and watched a few more leaves fall from the trees. CHAPTER 2: THE PARTY? WHAT PARTY? Akiko sighed again and watched as another leaf fell onto the ground; she'd been out all Saturday morning raking leaves on the porch, but she didn't care. She picked up a leaf and twirled it in her hand. Suddenly she heard the phone ring from just inside the door. She listened in as her aunt picked it up. "Hello? This is Sasami, who is this? Oh Hiroshi. There's a what? Oh a party, yes I'll tell her, it's when? Okay, where? Okay, are there any parents there? Chaperones oh okay, that's good. Well I'll give her the message, goodbye." her aunt finished and hung up the phone. Akiko ran down the steps and acted as if she hadn't heard. "Akiko? Oh there you are. There was a message for you from a very fast- talking boy named Hiroshi. Here you go." said her aunt, handing Akiko a slip of paper. "Thanks auntie." Akiko said, reading it carefully. her aunt nodded and walked back inside. WHAT: PARTY WHEN: FROM 6:00 SATURDAY NIGHT TO 10:00 SATURDAY NIGHT WHERE: HIROSHI'S HOUSE, HE SAID YOU KNEW WHERE HE LIVED CHAPARONES ARE PRESENT Akiko read the paper over again; her, invited to a party? Akiko smirked and teleported to stand in the living room where her parents were playing with Daiami and Ryo-Ohki. "Hey mom, dad? Hiroshi invited me to a party." Akiko said, handing her father the paper. Her dad read it and nodded his head. "You can go if your mom says its okay." he said, handing the paper to her mom. She read it a few times and smiled. "It's all right with me!" she cried cheerily, handing Akiko the note. Akiko smiled; her, invited to a party at the house of one of the nicest guys in school. She smiled and bowed to her parents before going into the kitchen to help her aunt prepare lunch. Hiroshi grinned; Akiko might come to his party, his party! Ever since she'd rejected Kero on Friday, Hiroshi had realized that she was all his. Kero no longer had the right to claim her because she openly rejected him in public, in front of half the school. But for safety sake, Hiroshi reasoned not to invite Kero. Ryoko grinned as her daughter dug through her closet. "What am I gonna wear mom? I've never been to a party before!" Akiko cried desperately, trying on shirt after shirt. Ryoko smiled. "Come into my room, I've got just the thing for you." Ryoko said cheerily, teleporting her and her daughter to stand by her closet. Ryoko opened the doors and dug around until she found what she was looking for. She held it up to Akiko who got wide-eyed and hugged her mother. "It's perfect!" she cried happily, looking it up and down. It was a casual sundress made of several layers of sheer with one bottom layer of obviously fake silk. It was cyan blue to match Ryoko's hair and had little, yellow, cloth flowers that dotted each layer, making a neat effect. The dress had no sleeves, just noodle straps, and it came to just two inches above the knee. Ryoko pulled out a pair of blue shoes to match and Akiko hurriedly changed into it. Once she was done she twirled a few times to her mother's delight. "You look so cute!" Ryoko cried, giving her a bear hug. Akiko grinned and the two rushed downstairs where her aunt was waiting to do her hair and what not. "Oh, you look so pretty cuz!" cried Daiami excitedly, jumping up and down. Akiko smiled and sat down in a chair while her aunt, mother, and grandma ran about her, busy as bees. After the hustle and bustle was over they showed Akiko to the mirror. Her hair was pulled back from her face by small blue barrettes and her lips were daintily colored with pink lip-gloss. Akiko hugged them all and they all went to the door where her father and uncle were waiting with Ryo-Ohki. "Be careful! And if there's any-" Akiko cut her father off. "If there's any drugs or alcohol I'll stay away from them. And don't worry, I'll be fine." Akiko reassured him, flexing her muscles. Her father smiled and hugged her. She descended the steps and waved one last time before teleporting to stand behind the school wall. She peeked around it and saw no one coming so she started walking to Hiroshi's. She saw several other kids walking along the street on their way to the party. Most of them pointed and whispered at her, but she kept her head down. She hurried along at an easy pace and made it to his block. She could hear the music drifting through the street; it was a song by some band she'd forgotten the name of. She kept walking and made it to his door at exactly 6:00. The door was all ready open so she stepped inside. There was a long, blue cloth that ran along the floor with yellow arrows painted on it. She shrugged and followed it out to a door. She turned the knob and peeked in; it was just the backyard, but a very large backyard at that. There was lots of music and kids dancing and laughing. There was a table set up with food and a few rows of chairs were set up around a stereo. She closed the door behind her and looked around. She was obviously one of the first guests to arrive because there was only about five or six other kids, not even Hiroshi was there. She walked over to a chair and sat down. There wasn't anyone she knew there yet. Akiko groaned and kept her head down and her ankles crossed in her usual manner. She wasn't noticed, thank god. Her patience kept her waiting until the party was full. She stood up cracked her neck thankfully before going around to say hi. She talked to one girl whose boyfriend had come on to Akiko a few weeks ago-he was the one in the hospital- "So you're the famous Akiko Masaki eh? My name is Kaori, you know my boyfriend I presume?" she asked coldly. Akiko grimaced and tried not to loose her dinner. "Sorry about that whole thing, is he feeling any better?" Akiko asked meekly. The girl sniffed and walked away, leaving Akiko slightly peeved. I'd better get out of here before I find another girl with a grudge. Akiko thought glumly. She was about to go when the music suddenly stopped. She turned and saw Hiroshi walk out of a curtain that was covering a door. He walked over to the stereo and plugged in a microphone. Akiko made herself scarce by hiding in the back of the crowd. "I'd like to welcome all of the seniors to my first high school party! Eat all you want and dance till you drop!" he cried loudly. He unplugged the mike and the music blared again as the crowd cheered and started dancing. Akiko groaned when she saw Hiroshi making his way towards her. He was really cute, maybe even cuter than Kero. He had nice dark eyes and long, dark purple hair that he kept in a loose ponytail like her great grandfather did. He was wearing a pair of baggy black pants and a nice green collared shirt; he looked pretty good. He walked up to her, blushing like he always did. "Hey Akiko, I'm glad you came. You look really nice tonight." he said in his quick and quiet manner. Akiko smiled meekly. "Thank you for inviting me, you look pretty good yourself." she said calmly, desperately trying to think of an escape. Akiko liked Hiroshi, but she didn't exactly consider him dating material, especially since he was a mortal. For a while Akiko wasn't sure if he was because of his strange hair color and length. Most Juraians had strangely colored hair that was always kept long, except for her uncle's and father's. But she waved off the thought on the fact that it'd be too much of a coincidence. "So, um, do you want to dance with me?" he asked as soon as a slower song started up. Akiko sighed; she just couldn't turn him down. "Okay." she said, trying to sound happy. He bought it and took her hand, leading her to a more open area. She mentally thanked her mother and father for teaching her how to dance and took his hand while putting one on his shoulder. He placed his free hand on her hip and they started dancing in slow semi-waltz circles. He looked about ready to burst with pride while she looked for a way out. Everyone was watching them now and Akiko could feel jealous male eyes boring into her back, while angry girls whispered around her. She turned her attention back to Hiroshi and tried to make conversation. "So this is a great party..." she said softly. He grinned. "Yeah, my parents finally let me have one." he said happily. Akiko smiled; he was really nice, a lot nicer than Kero that was for sure. When the song ended Hiroshi let her go and bowed slightly before heading off to boast to his buddies. Akiko sighed painfully and went to sit down in a chair. Suddenly a few shouts were heard over the music and someone shut off the stereo. Akiko's eyes grew wide; Kero stood by the door with an angry Hiroshi held up by the collar, struggling. Although Hiroshi was strong, he was surprisingly light. Akiko knew this cause she'd thrown him over her shoulder hundreds of times in karate. Kero look absolutely peeved, and so did Amagi who was standing next to him, eyeing the crowd. All of Kero's lackeys were behind him and the partygoers had now backed up about six feet from the door. Hiroshi glared at Kero through clenched teeth. "Beat it Kero!" he shouted, his feet about a foot off the ground. Kero smirked and pulled back his hand for a punch. "You know little man, you really should've invited me, but what you shouldn't have done is dance with my Akiko." Kero said icily. Hiroshi's face turned to stone and he glared menacingly at him. "She's not yours, and she's not anyone's. A person cannot be considered a prize Kero." he said through clenched teeth. "Oh, look who's the mister nice-guy boys!" Kero cried, ending in a creepy laugh. Kero grinned evilly and his lackeys snickered, as he was about to punch. Akiko couldn't let them do it. She shoved her way through the crowd and thanked god she'd worn sneakers because pumps would not help her now. She moved until she was at the front, ignoring the guys who pinched her butt every few steps. "Kero, put him down." she said icily, her eyes narrowed into slits. Kero looked at her and a weird smile crossed his lips. Hiroshi was dropped to the ground and he quickly picked himself up and ran over to Akiko. "Go stand in the crowd." she ordered. "But-" he started. "Just do it, I'll be fine." she whispered, smiling at him. He nodded slowly and backed up to stand behind her. She turned her gaze at Kero, clenching her fists and cracking her knuckles. "Now, are you and your lemmings going to leave, or do I have to throw you out, literally?" she asked icily, her voice intended to pierce his skull. He didn't flinch and his lemmings gathered in clusters on either side of him. There were about ten or eleven including Kero; no biggie. Kero smirked. "You got one lucky hit Akiko, but you won't be so lucky tonight!" he yelled angrily. Suddenly one of his lemmings charged. Akiko waited until he was a foot or two from her, then she sent him into orbit with a kick to his gut. Another one charged and met the same fate, but then three charged at once. Akiko eyed them and jumped high in the air. They stopped as she came down hard on one of them with a punch to his shoulder, then another received a foot in the face. The last one attempted to punch her but she grabbed his wrist and thrust a knee into his stomach, sending him flying. The five remaining lemmings grew angry and charged at her. The only ones who managed to retreat was Amagi and some football player; the others were lying in the grass or were nowhere in sight. Kero looked angry, but he sent the football creep at her, Akiko simply punched his nose, making blood spurt out. She shook the blood from her hand and someone threw her a towel, which she used to wipe the rest of it off before tossing it on the guy's face. Finally, Amagi came after her. He was the second best in karate class, second to only her. She would have a bit of trouble with him because he knew all of her moves and techniques. Amagi and her circled for sometime, Akiko wishing she hadn't worn a dress. He suddenly came at her with a flurry of punches, she knew this attack. He used his adrenaline to allow him to throw hundreds of punches in a matter of seconds. She avoided each one by ducking and jumping. Soon he ran out of gas and backed up, sizing her up. She took a fighting stance and waited for his attack. He ran and jumped at the last second, sending a kick at her face. Akiko smirked; she knew this attack too, it was meant to knock her out. She just grabbed his foot in mid-kick, making the crowd and Amagi gasp. His eyes bulged out as she grabbed his foot with both hands and tossed him back to the ground. He picked himself up quickly and sent another few kicks at her. She blocked each one with her arm easily, and then she jumped over one and did a kick to his face that sent him flying into the fence, knocking part of it down. When she landed she turned to Kero and re-cracked her knuckles, but he'd all ready run out the door and was after her. She blocked a punch and then knocked him in the ribs with her knee, sending him coughing to the ground. "Give up?" she asked coldly. Kero sat up and got to his feet. "Nope." he said evilly, running at her. He sent a punch to her gut but she jumped over it and used his shoulder as a springboard. She did a flip and landed easily behind him. As he turned to face her she punched him in the chin so hard he spun around in the opposite direction and landed on his ground with his nose bleeding. "Are you done now?" she asked, picking him up by the front of the shirt. He nodded meekly and she dropped him and stood to face the group. She faced Hiroshi and bowed slightly. "I'm sorry I ruined your party, I had fun." she said simply, then she turned and walked away. She headed to the street and teleported to the park where she fixed herself then she teleported herself into the air so she could fly home. She zipped easily through the clouds, tears streaming down her face. Her first party, ruined by that jerk Kero. She sighed and stopped flying to float over a cloud. She looked at the moon and wiped the tears off her face. She was about to turn and leave when she saw a small shadow pass over the moon. She flew towards the tiny black dot while drawing a plasma sword for protection. As she got closer she realized in was a cabbit-ship. She recognized the design from when Ryo-Ohki would take flight for fun. This one was much different though; it was a bit larger and was white with a purple sphere instead of a red one. She waited as it ducked below the clouds and headed towards her home. She gasped and teleported to stand over the lake as it came. She pulled off her blue, round earring that her grandma had given her and placed it to her wrist. Although Akiko herself needed no gems, to transform she needed one. In an instant she was wearing her battle suit. It was similar to her mother's (the one she wore when she was taken over by Kagato) only the red parts were blue instead of red and her hair was tied back in a ponytail, the black face-mask was the same though. "Mom, dad! Auntie, uncle, gram, Ryo-Ohki!" she yelled. They ran outside and stood by the lakeshore. Akiko flew over to them and waited while her parents got into battle gear. She liked her father's uniform, it was really cool. He had the Tenchiken and her aunt and uncle were dressed in Jurai battle wear too, prepared to fight. Her gram-who was always in adult form because of her relationship with Cero-was dressed in fighting gear similar to Akiko's and her mother's, only the red was green; plus she was wielding a deadly-looking beam sword. Ryo-Ohki was hissing menacingly at the ship; tonight was going to be exciting. CHAPTER 3: DAUGHTER OF NAGI! The ship loomed overhead for a moment and then a purple beam appeared and a cloaked figure was lowered down to float over the lake. The ship de-transformed into a tiny black cabbit with a purple forehead gem and white-ear hair. It landed neatly on the figure's shoulder and the figure disappeared and reappeared on the bank. The group took a few steps back and waited. "Stop hiding behind that cloak and show yourself!" Tenchi cried angrily. The figure laughed menacingly and tossed its coat off and into the air. It was a beautiful young woman that looked to be about Akiko's age with light purple hair and deep red eyes with hints of pink and brown in them. They were very feline looking and had an evil look to them. Her hair was spiked like Ryoko's; only it was tied back in a ponytail-like fashion. She was wearing a battle suit that looked similar to Ryoko's and Akiko's only its colored pattern was around her waist and it a design that looked like theirs, just horizontal, and they were purple. Her sleeves had the same design on it only it started at her hands and went up, they too were purple. She had three purple gems, one on each of her wrists and one on her neck. She had the same black mask on the half of her face. Her cabbit still sat on her shoulder, hissing back at Ryo-Ohki. "Wh-who are you?" said her uncle. She grinned and smirked. "I am Yuay, daughter of Nagi, created by the genius scientist, Dr. Clay." she said evilly. Everyone gasped. "My mother raised me from a child to become a great fighter, then when the demon Ryoko beat up my mother and my creator, I had to take my revenge!" she yelled, laughing afterwards. Ryoko glared at her and drew a beam sword. "All right, let's go." Ryoko said coldly. Yuay smirked. "My quarrel is not with you, it is with your daughter Ryoko, I wish to have you feel the same pain I did when I had to comfort my mother after her defeat. She died shortly afterwards, she was the only thing I ever loved besides my little Lee-Ohki, and now I want you to feel the same pain. Die daughter of Ryoko!" she yelled angrily, drawing a purple beam sword. Lee-Ohki jumped off her shoulder and sat by while Yuay attacked Akiko. Akiko yelled and teleported behind her while drawing her beam sword; she had two options, she could use her regular powers or her Jurai power. She didn't know how powerful her enemy was so she decided to start simple. "Akiko! No!" screamed Tenchi. He tried to attack Yuay but Ryoko grabbed his shoulder and shook her head. "Tenchi, she will not attack you back, she wants to fight Akiko and no one else. I know you're worried about her but she's a good fighter, we have to let her do this Tenchi." Ryoko said firmly. Tenchi sighed and nodded, watching anxiously as the battle began. Akiko sized up her opponent as they floated over the lake. She looked well built and like she knew what she was doing. Akiko reasoned not to kill her, she didn't want to end a life that had just started. "Shall we begin then?" Yuay asked calmly, keeping an icy stare. Akiko nodded and readied her beam sword as Yuay came flying at her with a yell. Their swords met and the battle began. First it was just traditional Jurai sword fighting, and then Yuay drew back and let her sword dissipate. She then began shooting purple energy blasts out of her hands. Akiko let her sword dissipate and dodged them all, getting closer to Yuay as she did so. Suddenly, Akiko teleported behind her and kicked Yuay in the head, knocking her aside. Yuay regained control and flew at Akiko in a blind rage. Akiko grinned and met Yuay with a flurry of punches. Yuay got under one of Akiko's punches and punched Akiko in the stomach, making her cough violently. Akiko flew backwards and drew out a beam sword as she flew towards Yuay. Yuay grinned and started shooting beams out, but Akiko blocked each one with her sword easily. Yuay stopped firing and floated calmly across from Akiko. "It seems we are evenly matched." she said calmly. "It seems so." Akiko responded. Yuay grinned and laughed slightly. "My mother would've enjoyed seeing you destroyed. Time to die!" she yelled. Akiko cried out as she was hit with a purple bolt of energy, sending her into the lake. She fought but she couldn't move, her body was paralyzed. She tried to cry out, but no sound came to her lips. Her entire life flashed through her mind and then there was nothing. Ryoko's eyes went wide; Akiko was not dead, she couldn't be. They all stood by in horror when Akiko didn't come up; she couldn't be dead. "Akiko!" Tenchi screamed, falling to his knees. Ryoko had been wrong and now her daughter, her only daughter, was dead. "I'll kill you!" Ryoko screamed, tears pouring from her eyes. She flew up and drew a beam sword, intending to attack Yuay in a blind rage. "Die!" Ryoko yelled, coming down hard on Yuay's arm, slicing it off. Yuay yelped and floated back. She held her arm out straight and waited patiently as it grew back, suit and all. Ryoko growled under her breath and flew at her, shooting out beams and blasts as she flew. Yuay avoided them all, but one finally hit her in the side, sending her into the lake. Ryoko waited, breathing heavily, listening to the people screaming from her at the shore. Suddenly, Yuay rose out of the water and attacked with her sword. Ryoko blocked her attacks with her own sword then teleported to float lower. Akiko opened her eyes to see a white light. I'm dead. She thought sadly. She'd never go out on a date, get her first kiss, and she'd never see her parents or the rest of her family ever again. She fought not to go into it, but it looked so warm and inviting. Suddenly, she saw something in the light, no not a something, a someone. It stepped out and Akiko gasped; it was a strange-looking woman with light-brown hair and blue/purple eyes. She had claws for fingers; overall she didn't look like a friend. "Daughter of Ryoko and Prince Tenchi I presume?" she asked in a strange echoing voice. Suddenly the light vanished and Akiko was standing in pitch black, but she could still see the woman and herself. "Who are you?" Akiko asked carefully, readying a beam sword. The person looked slightly hurt, but replaced it with a neutral expression; the same one her aunt used all of the time. "I am your great aunt, Tokimi." She said simply. Akiko back off a bit. "What?" she asked. Tokimi smiled and suddenly the silhouettes of two women were behind her. Akiko looked carefully; one was her auntie Sasami, and the other was of her grandma Washu. "What does this mean?" she asked calmly, letting her sword dissipate but keeping her guard up. Tokimi seemed to loom over Akiko. "You have met both of my sisters have you not?" she asked calmly. Akiko looked at each silhouette carefully and nodded her head. "If my grandmother Washu and my aunt Sasami are your sisters, then yes I have, I know them very well." Akiko said calmly. Tokimi smiled slightly. "Funny, you call her Sasami when her name is Tsunami." She said with a small laugh. Akiko smirked. "She assimilated with Tsunami, but she is still Sasami." She said firmly. Tokimi sighed. "True, but she is also my younger sister. Washu is my older sister, making me your great aunt, same with Tsunami." She explained. Akiko backed away a step. "But gram has no sisters." Akiko said. Tokimi looked very sad and the silhouettes vanished. "She does not remember, neither of them do. I erased their memories for a reason I cannot remember. When I did I was severely troubled, but I am better now, after having been helped by an old friend." She said calmly. "Am I dead?" Akiko asked. Tokimi looked pitifully at her and rested a clawed hand on her shoulder. Akiko found it strange that Tokimi's hand felt so strangely cold. "No child, you are alive and well. I have brought your spirit to me so that I may return with you to the physical world." She explained, taking her hand off Akiko's shoulder. Akiko eyed her calmly. "No offense, but aren't you a little, well, big?" Akiko asked carefully. Tokimi looked surprised and then she laughed. "Well, it is true I am large in this plain of being, but when I return to the physical plain, I will once again go back to my normal size." She explained. Akiko nodded. "How can we return?" she asked. Tokimi smiled. "Simple enough, but I'm going to have to do something that will hurt very badly." She said seriously. Akiko gulped and nodded. Tokimi placed a hand on Akiko's face and she suddenly felt as if her heart was being wrenched out of her chest. The pain was so immense she couldn't speak. She looked at Tokimi before she passed out; Tokimi had a look of immense emotional pain; good. Yuay yelped as Ryoko sliced through her stomach with a beam sword. Ryoko was about to finish her off when she sensed something strange. Suddenly a loud scream occurred and Washu and Sasami were lying unconscious on the ground. They disappeared and reappeared in strangely adorned dresses, but they were now standing, facing a woman shorter than Washu in a similar outfit. Akiko was cradled in her arms, unconscious. Ryoko gasped and let her sword dissipate while Yuay started to dissolve. "Mother, I failed." she whispered as her body turned to dust, so did Lee-Ohki's. Ryoko teleported to shore and glared at the new 'threat'. "What have you done to Akiko?" Tenchi asked coldly. The woman walked over to Tenchi and placed his daughter in his arms, and then she turned to Washu and Tsunami with a smile. CHAPTER 4: THE RETURN OF THE GODDESS TRIO Tsunami eyed the woman warily. "Who are you?" Washu asked, staring at her garbs. Tsunami was used to this kind of clothing and ignored it. "I am your sister, Tokimi." She said simply, with a small bow. Washu looked her up and down, and then she looked over at Tsunami. "Whose sister are you?" she asked calmly. Tokimi sweat dropped. "Er, I'm the older sister of the goddess Tsunami, and the younger sister of the goddess Washu." She explained. Tsunami and Washu exchanged skeptic glances, and then Tokimi sighed. "Washu, you copied your powers and placed them into three gems which you gave to your daughter Ryoko. I have the copy of your powers and both your memories; if you wish to become whole again you need but say the word and I will return them to you, but there is a problem;" Tokimi explained, "during the time that your memories are returning, you will be unconscious, it may take days, weeks, or even months for your entire memory to return." Washu and Tsunami looked from one another and then back to Tokimi. Ryoko looked as if she wanted to beat the crap out of someone. "What will become of our daughter?" Ryoko asked coldly. Tokimi sighed and stepped towards Tenchi cautiously. She looked down at Akiko with a warm smile. "She will be fine, she needs but rest and regain her strength. I suggest that you just let her sleep for now. The energy bolt that hit her only paralyzed her, it did no internal damage." She concluded. Tenchi and Ryoko nodded calmly. Ryoko took a glance at Hoku; he was looking at his wife with a pained look on his face; when he saw Ryoko staring at him their eyes locked. Ryoko nodded slightly and Hoku nodded back. "What will become of my wife, Sasami?" he asked softly. Tsunami looked at her hands sadly while Tokimi continued to look at Akiko. "Sasami is now Tsunami, she is the same Sasami you once knew, but she now has more knowledge and more power. When her full memory is returned it is up to her where she will go. If my sisters choose to stay here, so be it. I will stay nearby and may be reached through a portal I wish for Washu to create." She explained, not tearing her eyes away from the unconscious young girl. Hoku look over at his wife and she took his hand. He squeezed it and gulped before nodding. Tsunami looked at Washu; she was keeping her eyes on Tokimi, her face an unreadable mask. "Tokimi, why are you in this form?" Washu asked seriously. Tokimi looked at her surprise. "I cannot enter the physical plain without making my body solid. I look different and less, how do you say, menacing in this form also." She explained calmly. Washu looked down at her adult form; she'd gotten accustomed to it long ago and had let her hair grow until it almost touched the ground. She sighed and took Tsunami's hand in a firm grip. Hoku let Tsunami's hand go reluctantly and stood with Ryoko and Tenchi. Ryo-Ohki jumped onto Ryoko's head and watched in awe as Tokimi held out her hand, making three red gems appear. She took one and placed it on Washu's forehead, then she placed one on Tsunami's, and lastly she placed one on hers. Tokimi raised her hands to her face and a moment later everyone was in Washu's lab. Tsunami and Washu were sitting in chairs across from Tokimi's. Tokimi waved everyone out and they scooted away, Hoku and Ryoko taking one last worried look at their relatives before leaving. Washu grinned; maybe this wouldn't be too bad, at least she'd have more family and more power. Tokimi looked at her and Tsunami and placed her hands on her lap. "Get comfortable, this is going to hurt at first. Now Tsunami must think about Washu and myself, Washu must think about Tsunami and myself while I shall think about Tsunami and Washu. Understood?" the two women nodded in response to her instructions and settle back. Washu let her thoughts drift to her two 'sisters' and waited patiently. Suddenly Washu felt her forehead burn, but she didn't cry out. She heard no one else cry out so she felt stronger and endured the fiery pain. She opened her eyes and saw her two 'sisters' gritting their teeth. Each gem was emanating a red beam that intersected with the others in the center of the triangle their chairs were making, giving off a brilliant red light. Suddenly Washu saw nothing but black, trying not to panic she looked around for her sisters-whom she now knew-and even tried to call out their names; but nothing answered. She sighed and stood still, waiting patiently. Shortly her two sisters came into view standing up as if they were in front of their chairs-which were now gone-, although it was pitch black around her, Washu could still see her sisters clearly. She smiled and attempted to step towards them, but she couldn't move. She remained calm and kept her thoughts on her sisters, still patient as always. Suddenly her sisters' eyes flashed open and Washu felt a great gust of air blow over her and she was standing at the shore of an ocean. She couldn't smell it or feel it, but she could see and hear the waves crashing calmly onto the shore. She dove into the waves and felt her memories flooding into her mind. Her sisters swam next to her although they did not acknowledge her. Washu decided to keep her eyes ahead and watched as the memories, both painful and good, came flooding into her mind. When Akiko opened her eyes she was lying on her bed. Her parents weren't around but Ryo-Ohki and Daiami were sleeping next to her. She smiled and tried to sit up but couldn't move; panicking she tried to cry out but only a small gasp came from her throat. She tried again and ended up gurgling, waking her cousin and Ryo-Ohki. They looked at her with worried eyes and Akiko realized for the first time that she could only move her eyes. "Akiko is awake!" Daiami cried as she jumped off the bed and ran to the door. Ryo-Ohki jumped onto Akiko's chest and nuzzled her cheek. Her mother and father were suddenly peering over her with her uncle holding Daiami next to them. "Akiko, it's okay. It's just momentary paralysis; it should wear off in a few moments. You've been out for three days or so, but don't worry your uncle went down to the school and got whatever information you'd need for the week, which wasn't much because you've finished almost everything for the next month or so." her mother explained, her voice trailing off to laughter at the end. Her father, uncle and cousin joined in momentarily then they all quieted when Akiko tried to speak again. "Eres ama Ashu an auntie Asami?" she asked, but her lips were so numb she could only really pronounce vowels. Her uncle put down Daiami and looked Akiko in the eyes. "Your grandmother and my wife are becoming whole again." he explained. Akiko shook her head slightly, ever so slightly. "Well, they were once Tokimi's sisters but then they lost most of their powers and memories. Tokimi is giving them back to them right now so they'll be out for a few more days." Her mother explained. Akiko nodded her head barely and suddenly felt a tingling sensation in her feet. She wiggled her toes and felt them move; the tingling sensation went all the way up to the top of her head where it ended. Akiko bolted upright and clutched her stomach in agony as it grumbled loudly. "I'm starving!" she cried, moving through her bed and into the kitchen. She dug in the refrigerator and pulled out some lettuce and made a quick, yet huge, salad, which she gobbled down. Her family-well almost all of them-came jogging downstairs. Her uncle made her some eggs and bacon, which she gobbled up gratefully, filling up her stomach to make up for three days of missed meals. Ryoko watched as her daughter finished up the last of her schoolwork at the table. She'd gotten all caught up and was ready to head back to school on Wednesday (the next day). Ryoko glanced at the clock; 8:00. Her mother and aunts had been in the lab for three days now; she was starting to get a little nervous. She looked over at her napping husband, sitting next to her on the couch with his head on her shoulder. She nudged him gently and he woke up with a start, but then he saw her and smiled. "What time is it?" he asked with a yawn. "About eight." She said simply, holding his hand. Her uncle was sitting on the lounge chair across from them with his daughter reading in his lap. Ryo-Ohki was reading a manga on the floor about some guy who turns into a girl when splashed with cold water. Ryoko sighed; things were so quiet without Washu causing explosions in her lab and Sasami laughing and playing with her husband and daughter. Ryoko looked at her hands; she just gained three aunts-including Ayeka-, two uncles, one cousin, and thousands of others in the Jurai royal family. She wasn't just related by marriage to Tenchi, but by blood. She thought hard. But if my mother and Ayeka are related and Ayeka is Tenchi's great-aunt, then what does that make me? She looked at her husband; he was smiling and watching Daiami struggle over some word in her book. She counted off the people in her head, trying to figure it out. Let's see, that would make me Tenchi's cousin, well distant cousin. She concluded. She smiled at him and sighed. Who cares, our relation is so distant it doesn't even matter. I'm technically not really blood related to my mother anyways. She thought happily. Suddenly her daughter appeared, floating on her back above them. "What're you thinking about mom?" she asked calmly. Ryoko sighed as Tenchi smiled calmly at her. "Nothing really, just all that's happened lately." She said calmly, watching as Ryo-Ohki giggled at a funny part of her comic. Akiko sighed and floated down to sit on the other lounge chair next to the couch. She sighed and leaned back, obviously trying to relax. Ryoko smiled and leaned her head on her husband's shoulder and squeezed his hand gently before drifting off into a peaceful sleep. CHAPTER 5: KERO SNAPS! Akiko sighed as she walked, not wanting to face Kero and his lemmings, if any were still going to the school. No one in her family had found out anything from the school about the party or about the fight in the park so Akiko figured that no one knew. She sighed and tucked her hair behind her ear before opening her locker. She stuffed some books inside and turned around to pick up her bag; as she did so she realized that she was sorely wrong about no one knowing. Everyone was giving her funny looks and some of them were whispering. Akiko picked up her bag and fought back the urge to run into the girls' bathroom and hide as she walked to her first class; math. She walked over and sat down in her seat in the way back while dropping her bag under her chair. Hiroshi was in math with her and sat in front of her. She prayed he was absent because she didn't want to deal with him; she was wrong again. He came in a few moments later and straddled his chair so he could face her. "Hey Akiko." he said softly, avoiding her eyes. She sighed and looked at her hands, her face covered in shadow. "Are you embarrassed to be seen with me Hiroshi?" she asked evenly, trying to keep the hurt out of her voice. Hiroshi looked at her quickly. "No, that's not it at all, I thought you were mad at me for not calling you." He said quickly. Akiko's head snapped up. "Why would I be mad at you for that?" she asked in surprise. Hiroshi blushed red and poked his index fingers together. "Well I just thought you'd want to talk to someone, you know, as a friend." he said softly. Akiko sighed; she hated it when guys did that. She looked him straight in the eyes and took his hand, making him blush redder-if possible-and hang his jaw open. "Hiroshi, I appreciate your concern for me, but I'm fine." She said calmly, letting his hand go. He held it on the desk for a while as if trying to find something to say. "Better face the front, here comes the sensei." She said calmly. He nodded, still looking at his hand, and turned to face the front. Akiko sighed and listened closely to the sensei, thanking the gods that Kero didn't have math with her and dreading the rest of the day. At least Hiroshi had every period with her so she'd have someone to sit with if she didn't want to sit too close to Kero-he sat almost right next to her in every period-. After a drawling math period, Akiko slowly made her way to science, dreading each step. She got her books and spotted Hiroshi sitting next to some girl she didn't know. She walked over to her desk, the one two desks behind him, and sat down while dropping her bag under her desk. She waited calmly, watching for Kero. She didn't have to wait long; he came stalking into the class, his head low. He took his seat next to her and didn't seem to notice her. She was amazed at how many rude looks he got, but she figured it was because he busted in on Hiroshi's party. Her happiness was short- lived; he noticed her. He gave her one of the coldest looks, obviously intended to make her cower in her seat, but she just stared right back. "You got a problem Kero?" she asked evenly. He didn't break eye contact; this kid had guts. "No." he said quietly, turning away. Never mind, he was a total chicken. Akiko smirked and faced the front. Shortly after Kero came Amagi who sat right in front of her. Why did she have to sit near all of the creeps? Amagi seemed to be a bit on edge because when some guy said hi he practically jumped out of his skin. Akiko grinned, wanting to tease him so bad her mouth watered, but she suppressed the urge. Amagi kept his eyes on his desk and his hands in his lap; he looked so pitiful. Kero glared at the girl next to him, wanting to rip her to pieces. She'd ruined his entire rep with one simple punch to his jaw. He growled under his breath; Akiko Masaki would pay. Akiko sighed and packed up her lunch, not even being able to eat any of it. She was too nauseous to even think about food so she just decided to walk around the grass. She picked up her bag and walked over to where some guys were kicking a soccer ball that one of them always seemed to have handy. She smiled and walked past them to the small group of benches and tables used for eating. She saw Kero and Amagi, minus most of the lemmings, sitting at a table, eating quietly and whispering amongst themselves. She passed them up and spotted Hiroshi talking to a few guys by a tree. They'd obviously finished their lunches because she saw a few of them tossing left over sandwich bread to a few doves and pigeons. She smiled and waved at Hiroshi who waved her over. She blushed slightly, not knowing why, and walked over to sit next to him. She put her bag next to her and sat in the position she sat in at the tea ceremonies her aunt Sasami would sometimes practice with her. "Guys, you know Akiko. Akiko this is Tagashi, Kane, and Terren." Hiroshi pointed to each guy as he spoke; Tagashi was a stereotype baseball player with unusually blonde hair-obviously not natural-and bright green eyes. Kane had light-brown hair and deep brown eyes, while Terren had strange reddish-orange hair and black eyes. They all had relatively short hair except Terren's had some sort of little braid in the back, making him look like some guy she'd seen in Ryo- Ohki's comics. They grinned at her and shook her hand. She smiled cheerily and looked over at Kane who was tossing bread to the birds. Akiko grinned; she'd always had a connection with animals and could recognize one she'd seen before by scent, sight, or what their voice sounded like. This one was a male dove that'd always perch on a branch in the tree she sat under at lunch and eat the bread she'd toss up to him. He'd landed on her hand many times before and let her feed him by hand; he was like a school pet. She held out her hand and waited patiently as he toddled quickly over to her. He did a weird bird jump and landed easily on her hand, and then he perched there and cooed. "Wow, how'd you get him to do that?" asked Kane in amazement. Akiko laughed and petted the bird's back with her index finger. "He knows me because I feed him every day I come to school, he's almost like a pet." She said happily, stroking his chest and making him coo again. Kane grinned and held out his hand slowly. Akiko nodded her head and he put his hand under the bird's feet and it stepped onto his hand. He laughed and fed it a piece of bread. "You should take him home and find him a girlfriend or something." Hiroshi suggested, gently petting the bird's head. It cooed and watched something only its little eyes could see. "I like having him here to play with if I get bored." She explained, holding out her hand for the bird to fly on. It did and then it toddled up her arm and perched on her shoulder. She pulled out her lunch and fed him a piece of bread, which he gobbled down greedily. Suddenly a huge flock of them surrounded the four of them, making loud cooing noises and strutting about. Tagashi held out a piece of bread and one of the birds took it before he could even get his arm all the extended. Terren laughed his head off while the birds scrambled about trying to get the pieces they threw. Pretty soon the ground was littered with birds trying to get at bread. They ended up having to throw most of Akiko's lunch to them before they'd vamoose. Akiko's dove cooed once more into her ear before flying off with his friends. Akiko watched him fly and wished she could go with him, but that would mean ditching school and letting out her secret. She sighed and faced the guys again, intending to say something but the bell rang. She stood and dusted herself off before picking up her bag. She righted herself and saw Hiroshi and his friends waiting for her. She smiled and ran up to walk next to him. Kero grinned eerily; Akiko Masaki was going to pay no matter what. He didn't care if she was stronger or faster than him, he had something that not even she could beat. He checked his pant leg by patting it to make sure it was still there. Good. He thought evilly. Just because she was a strong martial artist didn't mean he couldn't beat her. She was still just a woman, and in his eyes women were weak, pitiful creatures that were on this planet just for men. Akiko waved goodbye to Kane, Tagashi and Terren before catching up with Hiroshi. She had agreed to get a soda with him before she went home so they were crossing through the park to get there. She looked over at him and smiled; he was such a nice guy, it was a shame he was a mortal. I wonder why queen Funaho is immortal though, she's a human. But she also married the former emperor of Jurai as his first wife. I wonder, no, I'm only half Juraian. She thought sadly, watching as the last of the leaves left the trees. She smiled and watched as a few birds flew about in circles. Suddenly she sensed something and her mind snapped back to attention. "Look out!" she yelled, grabbing Hiroshi by the waist and jumping aside with him as some guy with a short katana swiped at them. They rolled to the ground with Hiroshi on top of Akiko. He blushed and scrambled off of her to help her up. Akiko looked at Kero and his lemmings, including Amagi of course. He had a wild look in his eyes, all of them did. That's when Akiko realized it; he'd snapped. He'd literally gone berserk. "What in the hell is your problem?" Hiroshi yelled angrily, standing next to Akiko with his fists clenched at his sides. "Are you trying to kill us?" he yelled. Kero grinned eerily and put the katana at his side. "Yes," He said simply, "you two ruined my rep in one single night, you need to pay." He ended it in a growl. Akiko looked at the way he held the katana. He held it in a tight grip; thank god. He obviously didn't know how to use it because a katana shouldn't be held so tightly, your knuckles didn't need to turn white for you to hold onto it. He was obviously na‹ve about the weapon, which would give her the advantage. His lemmings approached slowly as Kero nodded his head. They came towards Hiroshi who tried to punch one of them, but they just picked him up by his shirt and held him back as Kero approached Akiko. Akiko saw Hiroshi struggling helplessly out of the corner of her eye. "No, leave her alone!" he yelled, trying to kick at one of the guys, but they had his arms and legs in a firm grip. Akiko looked about and saw that Kero had them in a very secluded part of the park. "No! Akiko! Helmphf!" Hiroshi was cut off by one of the guys clamping his hand over his mouth. He yelled and struggled harder but they held him fast; Akiko was on her own. She turned her attention back to Kero and glared at him as he stood across from her, not more than three feet away. With a yell he swiped at her but she jumped easily aside. He swiped again and again but each time she just easily jumped away. Soon she was close enough to the guys who were holding Hiroshi to where she could help him. Kero was a bit tired from chasing her around so she had some time. She punched a few of them, knocking them flat. Hiroshi was released and she smiled at him, but he just got wide eyed. "Look out!" he yelled, shoving her aside. Akiko hit the ground just as she heard the metal slicing through flesh. There was a loud male scream and the katana was pulled out, then there was a sickening thud and a raspy cry. "Akiko. I'm. sorry." she heard Hiroshi whisper next to her. She cried out and looked over at him. His eyes had tears streaming from them and they seemed to be fogged over. Then she looked at his chest and felt tears come down her cheeks. He was run through, the katana had gone directly through, slicing through important muscles and veins. Hiroshi was dead; he couldn't have survived a katana directly through the heart. He'd died trying to save someone who could've survived it to the back, maybe. She looked at Kero; he was staring at the bloody katana in utter shock. Akiko stood and glared icily at him, her face contorted between rage and utter depression. "Kero, you will pay for this!" she yelled angrily. She could feel the demon side her mother had told her about before start to seep in and she ran at him, intending to punch his nose so hard the bone went into his brain; but she'd forgotten about the katana he was holding and had to jump over it. She sailed over his head and landed easily then kicked him in the back. The katana fell to the ground as he flew across the grass, landing on his side. She stalked over to him and kicked him in the stomach. "Get up!" she yelled. He stood up wearily and faced her with a face that could've only belonged to a complete and utter loser. He was holding his arm and his wild eyes darted between her and the katana that lay a few feet from him. She stood there, wanting him to pick it up so she could have a reason to beat the holy living crap out of him. He ran at it with a yell and grabbed it while rolling. He stood up and faced her with it held out in front of him. She stood still, waiting for him to come at her. He did; with a yell he ran and sliced at her arm with the katana, well where her arm should've been. Just as he was about to swipe Akiko used her flight advantage to jump high into the air. He looked about for her and she let herself fall. When she was a few feet from him she did a roundhouse to his shoulder, making him go flying. He held the katana like it was a life preserver and landed on his back with the katana by his side. He stood wearily and ran at her; he had one big adrenaline rush. Akiko yelled and ducked under his swipe while swiping with her foot, taking his legs out from under him. He fell hard on his back and the katana went spinning and landed in his left arm. He screamed and pulled it out slowly. Akiko stood back and was about to kick him in the face but she was grabbed from behind and sucked into a crowd of lemmings. They tried to hold her down while Kero stood, holding the katana, his arm dripping with blood. Akiko's mind flashed back to Hiroshi, lying lifeless in the grass, the tears still wet on his face. She screamed in frustration and emotional agony. She kicked out with her legs and sent two guys flying into trees. They all came at her and she just lashed out, feeling a familiar power coming to each punch, kick, and jab. It was a power she used only when she was either really pissed off, or really sad; right now she was both. She harnessed it easily and punched each guy until they were lying sprawled on the grass everywhere. She turned to Kero and tossed her hair out of her face before charging at him. He swiped once with great difficulty but she jumped and did a roundhouse to his head that made his neck snap and his body land on the ground with a familiar sickening thud. He then lay lifeless on the ground, the blood from his arm forming a pool around his body. Akiko walked over to Hiroshi and knelt next to his lifeless form. She picked him up easily, although he was heavier then she remembered. She teleported him and herself to float over the lake. She floated over to her home and went through the door with him. Her parents were in the living room with her uncle, cousin, Ryo-Ohki, grandpa and great grandpa. She stood at the entrance to the living room with Hiroshi in her arms. "Kero killed him with a katana so I beat the crap out of Kero and ended up snapping his neck. His lemmings and him are lying in the park." She explained calmly, looking at Hiroshi's lifeless eyes. She suddenly felt very weak and the last thing she remembered was her uncle grabbing Hiroshi from her arms before the floor came up to meet her. Washu sighed and looked at the lifeless boy before her. She'd woken from her sleep a few hours before Akiko had come home with him in her arms, a full goddess. Her and her sisters had discussed things for a while and finally decided to leave things as they were. So now Washu was trying to figure out a way to save him. Akiko was sleeping on an operating table nearby. She'd collapsed from physical and emotional exhaustion but would recover shortly. Her two sisters were busy in a corner trying to get the portal to Tokimi's realm working correctly while Ryoko and Tenchi watched Akiko sleep. Ryo-Ohki and Daiami were sitting next to Hoku in floating chairs, staring at nothing. Washu looked at Hiroshi again; he was dead and had been that way for about few days or so, Washu didn't think there was anything she could do. She looked around her lab, trying to find something to help him with, but there was nothing. Hiroshi's parents had called every friend, including Akiko. Tsunami had had to explain that Akiko's grandmother was an excellent doctor and might be able to save their son if they'd let her; so they were waiting in the living room, crying. They'd been staying at the Masaki house ever since they called. Yosho and Nobyuki were comforting them and serving tea to them. The police had called about Kero and his lemmings; they all ready knew Akiko had only killed him in self-defense because they found none of her fingerprints on the katana, just Kero's. The lemmings managed to survive Akiko's fury but they were going to have to be hospitalized for a few weeks. Amagi was going into a mental institution after admitting that he wasn't well. Kero's parents were found guilty of giving their son drugs that they themselves had bought. Kero had been on several drugs, causing him to snap. The parents of the lemmings were sending their children to a military school upon order of the courts while the parents of Amagi were going into psychology. It was surprising what could've happened in just a few short days. Washu sighed again; even though she had the technology to save him after this long, she didn't know if he would be the same. Parts of his memory might be gone and he'd be weaker. Washu sighed and looked over at Akiko just as she started to wake up. Moments later she was standing next to Washu, looking at Hiroshi. "The police are coming." Said Nobyuki who'd just poked his head in the door. "I knew they would." Washu said sadly. There was nothing she could do for him now. She looked over at Akiko; she was stroking Hiroshi's cheek absentmindedly. Tsunami and Tokimi came over and put a hand on Akiko's shoulders. "Can't you revive him auntie Tokimi, auntie Sasami?" she asked sadly, not tearing her eyes away from his lifeless face. Tsunami sighed. "I'm sorry, I cannot revive him because it would be too suspicious Akiko." She said sadly, looking at the boy's wound. It went straight through his heart and out his back. Washu had cleaned it and bandaged him up neatly. He was very pale now and Washu had closed his eyes. Akiko knelt by him and a floating chair came over and she sat in it. The three sisters backed off to let her have a few moments alone with him. Akiko sighed and stroked his hair. "Thank you Hiroshi, what you did was very brave." She said sadly, brushing tears from her face. He was gone, dead; his short life had been ended in a few moments. She felt very empty; he'd been her only friend, even if it had lasted only a few days, he was still a friend. He'd risked his life to save her, not caring whether he died or not. Akiko looked at his face and wished desperately that she had been the one to be stabbed; she could've survived it. Her fast healing would've prevented her from dying and Hiroshi and her would've destroyed Kero before he could've done anything else. She looked at his face and felt very, very empty. She may not have loved him in the way he wanted her to, but she loved him as a friend, and now he was gone. She burst into tears and let herself fall onto him. He was covered with a blanket but Akiko could still feel his cold form. She lifted herself off of him and brushed his bangs aside. She bent over and kissed his forehead gently. "Goodbye Hiroshi, sleep well." she whispered, tears welling in her eyes again. She got up and ran out of the lab, remembering her first dance, her first friend, and her first party, all with Hiroshi. She stopped when she got out of the lab and closed the door behind her. Everyone in the room turned to look at her. Stay strong. She thought firmly. She needed to tell his parents. She walked over and stood in front of them. They were worn out and very sad; Hiroshi must've meant so much to them. "I want you too know that I cared about your son very much and I wish that he hadn't decided to be so brave because he could've really done something for the world. I want you to know also that he was a very nice guy and he was my only friend. He gave me my first party, my first dance, and my first real friend. I'm sorry to say that my grandmother could not save your son's life. I wish you the best and I understand if you don't want me present at his funeral." Akiko said sadly. She was about to turn and walk away when his mother suddenly grabbed her hand and held it firmly. "We want you to come, he would've wanted you there. We'll call you with all of the details. We're glad that you held him so highly in your heart because you're a very good person. I'm glad he chose to be brave." She said firmly, obviously trying to hold back tears. Akiko burst into tears and hugged the woman tightly. She let her go after a few moments and bowed low before running up to her room to cry. Ryoko sighed; the poor boy. He'd died trying to save someone who could've survived the attack even if it went through her front. She watched as the medics carried his still form off under a blanket. Tsunami and Tokimi were talking to the police who had all ready gotten word that the parents had let them keep Hiroshi at their house. Washu was nowhere in sight and Akiko was watching it all unfold from the dock. She was dangling her legs in the water while her and her father stood on either side of her. Daiami and Hoku were standing with Tsunami while Ryo-Ohki was hiding in the costume of a rabbit while perching on top of Daiami's head. Soon the hubbub cleared and the police left after tipping their hats. Everyone went inside for a very quiet dinner and then Akiko went upstairs to get to bed early. Ryoko and Tenchi sat on the couch to cuddle for a while. Hoku and Tsunami were taking a walk while Daiami and Ryo-Ohki read manga. Washu was still in her lab and Yosho and Nobyuki were asleep. Tokimi had gone back to her own realm after dinner but could be visited whenever through the portal in Washu's lab-now working properly-. Ryoko felt very drained; she wished that Akiko could have Hiroshi back, but she knew it wasn't possible. Ryoko and Tenchi had decided that Akiko was going to start home schooling again; high school was too painful for her; there was too many memories for her there. Akiko had agreed and she was going to start home schooling on Monday with Washu after the courts had agreed that Washu was qualified enough. Ayeka was coming for her yearly visit on Tuesday (it's Friday) so they had three days to prepare for her. Ryoko was about to go to bed when the phone rang. She rushed to answer it; it was Hiroshi's mother. "The funeral is on Friday from 4 in the afternoon to 8 at night. Do you know where the Tokyo cemetery is?" she asked. "Yes." Ryoko responded. "Well it's there, that's where we're burying him. Your whole family is welcome to come." She said sadly. Ryoko said goodbye and the woman hung up. Ryoko sighed and teleported to sit next to her husband. Akiko walked slowly up to Hiroshi's coffin as her grandmother stepped away from it. Her aunt Ayeka was behind her, awaiting her turn to give her respects. Akiko stood next to the ebony coffin that held Hiroshi's body. He was wearing a nice tuxedo and his face had been done up slightly so he didn't look so pale. Akiko looked at his once smiling face and smiled sadly. She clasped her hands in prayer and knelt at the small alter that stood next to it. Hiroshi, you were my only friend and I'm going to miss you very much. Even if we were only friends for a short while I cherished it. Goodbye Hiroshi, sleep well. She prayed. She stood and bowed low then she walked over and placed the item she'd brought to put in his coffin. It was a royal teardrop brought from Jurai by her aunt. Akiko placed it on his chest and looked at the different pictures and flowers that were placed in the coffin. She bowed once more and walked away, tears flowing in steady streams down her face. Cero sighed and looked out at the lake water, waiting for his goddess to come. He had been waiting for some time now for Washu's appearance but she still hadn't showed. He smiled to himself; he loved this woman more than anyone in the world. She was so beautiful and smart, so kind and funny; he couldn't resist anything she asked of him. He patted his pocket and prayed to Tsunami that she'd give him the answer he was hoping for. Kendal was inside watching over the empress while he waited for Washu. "Cero." Said a husky female voice from behind him. His heart fluttered and he turned to face Washu. He'd heard about her becoming whole again and was not at all surprised that his girlfriend was a goddess. "Washu, I didn't hear your approach." He said formally, bowing low as she did so. Suddenly she grabbed him around the waist and kissed him in her usual manner. When she released him he felt the same way he always did; lightheaded. She was older than him, but not in physical age. He was glad she was a goddess because they'd be able to be together forever. He looked at the formal Jurai dress. It was mainly green with blue and yellow; it looked lovely on her. He knelt down on one knee and took her right hand in his while pulling out a small box and lifting the lid. "Washu, will you marry me?" he asked softly, holding out the simple silver ring with an emerald for the jewel. Washu put her left hand to her chest and took in a small breath. "Of course Cero." She said softly. He grinned and put the ring on her finger, and then he stood up and was again tackled by one of her forceful kisses. Akiko couldn't believe how beautiful her grandmother's wedding was. The cherry blossoms were just starting to fall, covering the steps of the shrine in pink. Her wedding kimono matched the blossoms, making her blend in with the carpet. The moment the wedding was over, Washu dragged off Cero to her lab, her shouting that they were taking their honeymoon in another dimension. The rest of the family was left with clean up duty. As Akiko swept up what was left of the mess, her mind wandered back to Hiroshi. She sighed and stopped sweeping to catch a cherry blossom as it fell. He'd been dead for a year or so but she still thought about him almost every day. Their friendship had been so brief, and yet she cared about him more than any other boy she'd ever met. If she had the chance to go back to the time where he was killed and take the stab for him, she would, in an instant. But Washu had said it would be too dangerous and that it wouldn't change her time line, just a different time line. She sighed; he was gone, never to be seen or heard from again. She couldn't understand why she thought about him so much; their friendship was only for a few days, so why did she care so much? Because he was my only friend. She thought sadly. Her aunt Ayeka had been very sad the day of his funeral. Even if she didn't know him, she didn't take any form of loss well. Akiko had never seen so much sadness in her life. Kane, Tagashi, and Terren refused to speak to her, like it was her fault; it hurt, bad. She sighed and finished sweeping before starting her walk back to the house. So much had changed; her aunt Sasami and uncle Hoku had moved to a small house about an hour walk from her house. Daiami had gone with them of course, but Ryo-Ohki had stayed. Her grandmother and new grandfather were going to live on Jurai. Washu had all ready set up a portal to her lab there. They were going to visit with aunt Ayeka and maybe even more than that because Washu was coming up with a new portal. Her grandfather Nobyuki had died six months ago from a weak heart. Her father had been depressed for months, but her mother and her had pulled him out of it. Her great grandfather Yosho was still around but was usually at the shrine. Akiko had no one except what was left of her family now. Their house had been returned to almost like it was when her father had been born, but it still had three stories and the onsen. So much change, it was hard to keep up with it. Akiko had all ready graduated from high school and her father and mother were trying to find a good college for her to go to. They were thinking about one on Jurai, that way maybe she could be on her own for a while, maybe meet some new boys. Akiko made it to the house and walked through the door. She missed Mihoshi (married to Kendal) and Kiyone (married to a man named Kikomen (long, loosely pony tailed brown hair, green eyes) a lot; they were always at head quarters with their husbands from Jurai. After they had married them, they got their own trees and were now like Funaho. Akiko looked around; it was so quiet now, so very quiet. Washu's lab was gone all ready, well at least the portal to it was. Life was going to be very dull now, very dull. She spotted her mother and father at the table with toddler Ryo-Ohki. They were the only four living there now. So many changes, so many changes. "Hey Akiko, come sit with us." Her mother said, patting a seat next to Ryo-Ohki. Akiko nodded and sat with her. Akiko hadn't changed too much at all, she'd just gotten slightly older and she'd let her hair grow to the small of her back so she kept it in a ponytail now. Her mother and father were the same way they had been all of her life, and they'd be that way forever, just like her. Ryo-Ohki was the same way too, so was Ken-Ohki, only he hadn't come around since the incident with Yuay. "Akiko, we've found a college on Jurai for you to go to if you want, but we also found a nice American college too." Her father said hopefully. Akiko sighed. "What is each of them like?" she asked calmly. "Well the American college is in New York I think, it's called Harvard. And the Juraian college is like the science academy your grandmother went too, it's called Tsunami Royal Academy. It isn't as stuffy as it sounds." Her mother said excitedly. "Are there any others?" Akiko asked hopefully. She didn't want to go to one on earth because she'd given up on humans, but she knew the ones on Jurai were as stuffy as they sounded. Her parents exchanged glances. "Well there was one other college, but." her father started. "It's a little less, how do you say, demanding." Her mother finished. "What do you mean?" Akiko asked flatly. "Well it isn't as challenging, and we know how you like a challenge." Her father said quietly. Akiko sighed. "Well, I guess I shouldn't worry about it now." She said glumly. Her mother smiled and looked around. Suddenly there was a beeping noise from the closet. Akiko got up and opened the door to see little Taro standing there. "Taro, what are you doing in our closet?" she asked, laughing a bit. Taro was Ayeka and Asatakae's ten-year-old son. He had long purple hair kept in the same style Yosho used to keep his in and nice green eyes. He was very hansom and looked older than he was. Ayeka wanted him to marry Daiami but Sasami was still debating over it. Taro smirked. "I'm here to give you a message from auntie Washu." He said calmly, handing Akiko a note. "How'd you get here? Did my grandma get her portal working?" Akiko asked, taking the note and putting it into her pocket. Taro grinned. "Yes she did actually, now we're able to come here whenever we like, except she hasn't been able to make it so anyone bigger than me can go through yet." he explained, looking at the floor. Akiko laughed. "See you Taro, I'll tell Daiami you said hello." Akiko said. Taro blushed slightly and bowed. "Thank you cousin Akiko, see you soon I hope." He said before shutting the closet door again. Akiko smiled and opened the note to read it. HELLO LITTLE AKIKO! I WANTED TO TELL YOU THAT THE ROYAL SCIENCE ACADAMY IS ACCEPTING NEW MEMBERS IF YOU'RE INTERESTED! HINT, HINT! SEE YA! WASHU P.S. I'M PREGNANT!!! Akiko grinned and handed her parents the note. Ryo-Ohki leaned over their shoulders and read with them. Moments later they were cheering and jumping up and down with Ryo-Ohki. Akiko laughed and looked at the note again. I'll make sure your sacrifice was not in vain Hiroshi. I will succeed and make something of myself, even if I have to go to college to do it. She thought happily. Akiko sighed and stared at her hands for a long time. "Akiko, you know you don't have to go to college. I mean, your father and I didn't go and we do just fine. You know what, why don't you get a summer job or something." Her mother suggested. Akiko sighed and nodded her head. I will make something of myself, I promise Hiroshi. E-MAIL ME @ http://www.thebatcat@hotmail.com/