Disclaimer: Pioneer owns Tenchi Muyo! and all creatures and characters contained within. Claimer: Tenrin is mine. ==-==-== Tenchi Muyo! Tenrin STRIKE TWO: Prolog to the Future Brian Burke The_krane@hotmail.com http://members.xoom.com/Tenchiii/Homepage2.htm (The Crystal Shrine!) ==-==-== ~Being the First Princess of Jurai...~ In the darkness of night, the former First Princess of Jurai lies awake on her futon. Ayeka looks to one who usually sleeps next to her. Her younger sister who takes up such responsibilities for someone her age. Ayeka looks to her other side and finds the newest member of her family sleeping quite soundly. Had she not been a part of Ayeka's immediate family, she may not have allowed it. However, Tenrin was persistent in wanting to sleep with her newly found sisters. Finally, Ayeka closes her eyes to escape reality and to expedite the arrival of morning. ==-==-== In the hallway of the palace she has known for so long, she walks slowly and carefully. The ceiling is hidden by the darkness of night. As far up as it is, even daylight may not be enough to see the stone canopy. Along the marble floors, she walks with bare feet. Her only covering, in fact, is a thin wrap which she usually wears under her kimono. The cold air breezes past her exposed knees and gently pulls on the edge of her covering just above. Still, she moves forward. Unlike earlier, a red ribbon puts her brown hair into a short ponytail. She turns her head, and the raised hair swishes behind her. She looks to her other side, and the hair moves in the opposite direction of her head. She stops near a door. One single door which grabs her attention. A simple, wooden door she walks to with as much a pace as before. Again she stops. She looks in another direction as something has caught her attention elsewhere. But, she turns back to the door. She opens the door slowly. What is strange is that the door makes no noise. It just opens. Inside, she finds someone standing in the small room. A white, hooded cloak conceals her body, not allowing anyone to see any feature of this person. Not height, weight, hair, or even gender. Yet, in her mind, she knows who it is. Something tells her who it is. "Mother?" she asks quietly. Even in the small room, her simple question is amplified and echoed. The figure turns. As the hood is turned to view, something is very wrong. Where one would expect some hair to stick out, there is only space. The person turns more. And, with that turn, reveals itself. The hood is indeed hollow, save for an old skull held up by a stack of dusty vertebrae. The entering girl does nothing. Nothing to show emotion of any kind. Not fear or hatred. But, in her mind, she's scared stiff at the horrific sight. The figure stops turning and shows that the front of the outfit is identical to the back. All white. A brilliant white. "Tenrin..." it gasps, snapping its jaw down and up again. Its very voice echoes throughout the room and beyond. ==-==-== Tenrin snaps up to a sitting position on her futon after such a ghastly sight. "Mother..." she gasps between irregular breaths. Finally, she closes her eyes and calms herself. "It was only a dream..." she says to herself. Finally, her breathing slows to normal. As she sighs out her last breath of fear, Tenrin looks about the room. The room is brightly lit by the sun. Gentle, warm rays of light flow into the room through a small window. Nearby, Ayeka is tying the large bow on her back. The bow, made of the sash which keeps her kimono in place. She turns politely, yet concernedly considering how her sister awoke. "Good morning, Tenrin," she says quietly. "Did you not sleep well?" In response, Tenrin stretches up her arms as tight as they will go. A short yawn escapes her lips as she begins to wake up normally. "I slept alright, but I'm not used to sleeping on the floor," Tenrin says. "But, I'll manage." Tenrin bends up her legs to push out any stiffness. "However, there was one consistent problem I had for awhile." "And what was that?" Ayeka asks curiously. "Ayeka, are you aware that you snore?" "I DO NOT!" "I'm sorry that you had to find out, Ayeka," Tenrin says apologetically. "But, wouldn't you rather find out from a sister than a stranger? Or even future lover?" Ayeka droops her head in regret, and partial shame. "I am sorry I shouted at you, Tenrin. I guess it is not your fault. But, tell me. How bad is it?" Tenrin stands and looks Ayeka in the eye. "Truthfully? I can't tell you. I do not want to cause anymore hard feelings." Her question is unanswered, yet "thank you, Tenrin. For being honest." Ayeka leaves the room quietly as to allow Tenrin some privacy. Sasami, of course, has already left long before either awoke. And, finally, Tenrin is alone. "How bad?" Tenrin mumbles to herself. "Sounded like a chipper-shredder on full power! Hmm. Now I understand why Sasami has nightmares!" ==-==-== About an hour later, Tenrin emerges from her room. Like the other members of the household, she sits with the rest of them to enjoy breakfast. Unlike yesterday, but like her dream, Tenrin has her hair tied up in a short ponytail. "Thank you for letting me stay here, Noboyuki," Tenrin says. The slick haired individual sets down his tea to respond politely. "It's not a problem," Noboyuki responds. "I guess it's fair to say we're getting used to it." "Tenrin?" Sasami asks curiously. "You never answered my question yesterday. Who was your mother?" "Yes, Tenrin," Kiyone adds. "Tell us!" Tenrin looks to Kiyone while trying to answer the question. Kiyone, who was away from the house with Mayuka yesterday. "My mother..." she begins. "My mother, Rekina, was a very responsible woman. She knew what had to be done, and she fought to GET it done. Still, she was also a very kind woman. Sometimes, what she felt in her heart outweighed what she knew was right. Because of this, she has had many successes in the Jurai Empire." "She sounds so sweet," Mihoshi says. "It's too bad she's gone..." "Yes..." she respondFrom - Fri Jul 07 10:23:28 2000 Received: from hotmail.com (f222.law4.hotmail.com [216.33.149.222]) by studio-kintora.com (8.9.3/8.9.3) with SMTP id IAA16959 for ; Fri, 7 Jul 2000 08:14:30 -0700 (PDT) Received: (qmail 89367 invoked by uid 0); 7 Jul 2000 15:13:57 -0000 Message-ID: <20000707151357.89366.qmail@hotmail.com> Received: from 209.18.196.112 by www.hotmail.com with HTTP; Fri, 07 Jul 2000 08:13:57 PDT X-Originating-IP: [209.18.196.112] From: "The Crane" To: gensao@tmffa.com Subject: Tenrin 2 Date: Fri, 07 Jul 2000 10:13:57 CDT Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed X-Mozilla-Status: 0000 X-Mozilla-Status2: 00000000 X-UIDL: 6ef024a7fd1dd7da8e736085fcc88f4d Hello, Gensao! Haven't talked to you in awhile. But, I've got something for you! This is STRIKE TWO of the Tenrin story. Two things that I need to mention. First, I forgot to mention last time (no harm done... yet) that this series will have some lemon elements. Not a lemon series, but some chapters will have that particular spice. Second, as for the individual chapters, I would like it if you could capitalize 'STRIKE ONE,' 'STRIKE TWO,' and so forth. I'm just trying to be different. This is part of it. -CIAO!! Brian Burke The_krane@hotmail.com Disclaimer: Pioneer owns Tenchi Muyo! and all creatures and characters contained within. Claimer: Tenrin is mine. ==-==-== Tenchi Muyo! Tenrin STRIKE TWO: Prolog to the Future Brian Burke The_krane@hotmail.com http://members.xoom.com/Tenchiii/Homepage2.htm (The Crystal Shrine!) ==-==-== ~Being the First Princess of Jurai...~ In the darkness of night, the former First Princess of Jurai lies awake on her futon. Ayeka looks to one who usually sleeps next to her. Her younger sister who takes up such responsibilities for someone her age. Ayeka looks to her other side and finds the newest member of her family sleeping quite soundly. Had she not been a part of Ayeka's immediate family, she may not have allowed it. However, Tenrin was persistent in wanting to sleep with her newly found sisters. Finally, Ayeka closes her eyes to escape reality and to expedite the arrival of morning. ==-==-== In the hallway of the palace she has known for so long, she walks slowly and carefully. The ceiling is hidden by the darkness of night. As far up as it is, even daylight may not be enough to see the stone canopy. Along the marble floors, she walks with bare feet. Her only covering, in fact, is a thin wrap which she usually wears under her kimono. The cold air breezes past her exposed knees and gently pulls on the edge of her covering just above. Still, she moves forward. Unlike earlier, a red ribbon puts her brown hair into a short ponytail. She turns her head, and the raised hair swishes behind her. She looks to her other side, and the hair moves in the opposite direction of her head. She stops near a door. One single door which grabs her attention. A simple, wooden door she walks to with as much a pace as before. Again she stops. She looks in another direction as something has caught her attention elsewhere. But, she turns back to the door. She opens the door slowly. What is strange is that the door makes no noise. It just opens. Inside, she finds someone standing in the small room. A white, hooded cloak conceals her body, not allowing anyone to see any feature of this person. Not height, weight, hair, or even gender. Yet, in her mind, she knows who it is. Something tells her who it is. "Mother?" she asks quietly. Even in the small room, her simple question is amplified and echoed. The figure turns. As the hood is turned to view, something is very wrong. Where one would expect some hair to stick out, there is only space. The person turns more. And, with that turn, reveals itself. The hood is indeed hollow, save for an old skull held up by a stack of dusty vertebrae. The entering girl does nothing. Nothing to show emotion of any kind. Not fear or hatred. But, in her mind, she's scared stiff at the horrific sight. The figure stops turning and shows that the front of the outfit is identical to the back. All white. A brilliant white. "Tenrin..." it gasps, snapping its jaw down and up again. Its very voice echoes throughout the room and beyond. ==-==-== Tenrin snaps up to a sitting position on her futon after such a ghastly sight. "Mother..." she gasps between irregular breaths. Finally, she closes her eyes and calms herself. "It was only a dream..." she says to herself. Finally, her breathing slows to normal. As she sighs out her last breath of fear, Tenrin looks about the room. The room is brightly lit by the sun. Gentle, warm rays of light flow into the room through a small window. Nearby, Ayeka is tying the large bow on her back. The bow, made of the sash which keeps her kimono in place. She turns politely, yet concernedly considering how her sister awoke. "Good morning, Tenrin," she says quietly. "Did you not sleep well?" In response, Tenrin stretches up her arms as tight as they will go. A short yawn escapes her lips as she begins to wake up normally. "I slept alright, but I'm not used to sleeping on the floor," Tenrin says. "But, I'll manage." Tenrin bends up her legs to push out any stiffness. "However, there was one consistent problem I had for awhile." "And what was that?" Ayeka asks curiously. "Ayeka, are you aware that you snore?" "I DO NOT!" "I'm sorry that you had to find out, Ayeka," Tenrin says apologetically. "But, wouldn't you rather find out from a sister than a stranger? Or even future lover?" Ayeka droops her head in regret, and partial shame. "I am sorry I shouted at you, Tenrin. I guess it is not your fault. But, tell me. How bad is it?" Tenrin stands and looks Ayeka in the eye. "Truthfully? I can't tell you. I do not want to cause anymore hard feelings." Her question is unanswered, yet "thank you, Tenrin. For being honest." Ayeka leaves the room quietly as to allow Tenrin some privacy. Sasami, of course, has already left long before either awoke. And, finally, Tenrin is alone. "How bad?" Tenrin mumbles to herself. "Sounded like a chipper-shredder on full power! Hmm. Now I understand why Sasami has nightmares!" ==-==-== About an hour later, Tenrin emerges from her room. Like the other members of the household, she sits with the rest of them to enjoy breakfast. Unlike yesterday, but like her dream, Tenrin has her hair tied up in a short ponytail. "Thank you for letting me stay here, Noboyuki," Tenrin says. The slick haired individual sets down his tea to respond politely. "It's not a problem," Noboyuki responds. "I guess it's fair to say we're getting used to it." "Tenrin?" Sasami asks curiously. "You never answered my question yesterday. Who was your mother?" "Yes, Tenrin," Kiyone adds. "Tell us!" Tenrin looks to Kiyone while trying to answer the question. Kiyone, who was away from the house with Mayuka yesterday. "My mother..." she begins. "My mother, Rekina, was a very responsible woman. She knew what had to be done, and she fought to GET it done. Still, she was also a very kind woman. Sometimes, what she felt in her heart outweighed what she knew was right. Because of this, she has had many successes in the Jurai Empire." "She sounds so sweet," Mihoshi says. "It's too bad she's gone..." "Yes..." she responds, closing her eyes in thought. "It is unfortunate. Nobody really knew what happened. She just... disappeared three years ago. Right before our eyes! Nobody has seen her since that day. But, I can remember her as if she were standing right here. Her gentle face. Her long black hair. Her gentle embrace which she would give me. I miss her so." "Tenrin..." Ayeka says quietly. "Tenrin," Washu says responsibly. "May I ask a favor of you?" Tenrin looks to Washu in response. Somewhat curious, but still serious. "What kind of favor?" Washu smiles a bit. "I just need a simple hair sample for my research. Nothing superbly important. Just something I've done with all the residents here." Tenrin looks around, and finds each of the family members are nodding. All except for Ryoko, for obvious reasons. So, with a wince, she pulls out a strand of hair from her ponytail. Finally, she gives it to Washu. "Here you are, Little Washu," Tenrin says, placing it into the scientist's waiting hands. "Thank you, Tenrin," she responds with a smile. Washu looks to the rest of the family, "at least SOMEONE gets my name right!" She stands. She stands because she has what she came for. "Excuse me," she says politely before walking to her lab door. "One less person I have to turn into a water sprite," she mumbles quietly. "Now," Tenrin says enthusiastically. "Tell me. Who is Mayuka?" ==-==-== While the baby's story is retold, Washu slips into her lab to continue her research. Which project she intends on working on, however, seems quite decided. As she enters the lab, she takes a small vial from a nearby table and places the hair sample into it. From the same table, she takes a cap and seals the tube. "Something just isn't right..." She takes the capped glass tube and envelops it in a light blue field. A sphere of blue light that holds the tube in the air. Not far from the door, Washu sits on her floating cushion. As she sits, the vial floats in front of her. Washu types on her holographic keyboard in an effort to decipher this mystery. To determine what 'isn't right.' Above the keyboard, two more holograms appear. On the left, one DNA strand. "This kid's got power. And, to make things worse, she knows how to use it." Below the strand, a simple label appears. A rectangular box with Tenrin's name in it. To the right, the other hologram, another strand of DNA with yet another label: Azusa. "Yeah, that's his alright. The mother must've had an extremely strong power. Otherwise, Tenrin wouldn't be as powerful as she is." Yet another hologram appears before the mad scientist. Another, yet unfamiliar DNA strand. "Okay. This is the mother's DNA." She looks closer, lurching her body towards the floating representation. "Interesting... Three specific races! But, how is that possible?" Once again, she types. "Of course... One of them is Epicellian!" Washu sits normally on her cushion again. "Hmm... I don't recognize the other two races." She sighs heavily at the fact that she's been stumped. "Rekina..." she says quietly. "That was her name." ==-==-== He has not done this in ages. In fact, he has not wanted to. But, given the circumstances, there is no alternative. The weathered man in the garb of a Shinto priest holds a short, ceramic handle in his hands. At the top, two small wedges usually emanate a blue blade, turning the entire piece into a sword. But, there is no blade. The handle itself is covered in carved designs, resembling roots of a tree. At the other end, a small pommel in a circular shape. In it are three holes. Three holes which once held gems. Three very powerful, very dangerous gems. Ahead of the old man, a giant tree sits routed into the land. Around it, a small pond of water with several small logs pointed at the leaves. The trunk of this obese tree has a thick rope tied around it which holds small papers dangling from it. Katsuhito taps the ceramic handle against the tree's trunk and watches many colors of lights dance about. But, finally, the colors coalesce in front him. The shape they form is a simple rectangular screen. "Let me speak to King Azusa," he says as someone appears on the screen. Tedious moments later, the desired individual appears on the small screen created by the tree. "Yes, Yosho?" he says sternly. "What is it?" "Father," Yosho replies, "who is Tenrin? She claims to be your daughter. Is this true?" A short period of grumbling soon follows Yosho's question. "Yes, she is my daughter. Your half-sister. I suppose that she went to Earth, then." Yosho nods once. "She has asked to stay here for some time while she acquaints herself with her newly found siblings. But, tell me: Why didn't you say anything before? Ayeka and Sasami should have been told right away. Yet, they weren't. What is going on?" Azusa's expression turns to a bit of sorrow. "Son, I loved Rekina as much as I do Misaki or Funaho. But, every time I think about telling you or your sisters about Tenrin, I think of Rekina. I wanted to take the lot of you home so that you could meet her in a more formal setting. But, none of you wanted to leave..." "Well, Father, she'll be staying here for awhile. Where all of us can find out about her." ==-==-== Over and over, the blade of the knife hammers down on the wooden cutting board with an unbelievable speed. It reaches the end of the vegetable and the blade slides everything, save the green sprout on the end, into a boiling pot of other vegetables. "You're really good, Tenrin!" Sasami says appreciatively while she sits to one side. "And I thought I was the only one of us that could cook!" Sasami watches in amazement as Tenrin starts on yet another vegetable. Tenrin finishes dicing a tomato and slides it into the pot. "Well, Aunt Misaki taught me quite a lot about cooking. My mother... Well, to be honest, she couldn't cook to save her life!" "Tenrin!" Ayeka gasps. "What if your mother heard you talk about her like that?" Tenrin smiles. "She'd agree with me. She admitted many times that she couldn't cook very well. So, I'm not really being rude, am I?" "I guess not..." Ayeka says quietly. The only other occupant of the room, Tenchi, says nothing to support either side. He merely watches the scene unfold as Tenrin puts Sasami's cooking skills to shame. Not something he thought he'd see easily done. Ayeka turns as she watches Tenchi rise from the corner of her eye. "Tenchi?" she asks simply. "What is it?" "It's nothing," he responds. "I just need to go get some air." A moment passes before Tenchi walks towards the main door of the house. Not a minute later, the others hear the fateful sliding of the wooden door. "You know, Tenrin," Sasami comments, "you have really pretty hair." "Thank you, Sasami," she returns. "My mother said it was HER mother's hair color." ==-==-== Not too much time passes for the young Juraian prince as he finds himself sitting under a tree. Not any specific tree, just somewhere he knows he won't be bothered. He sits at the base of the trunk and hopes that he isn't bothered by anyone. "Tenrin..." he says quietly. "A cute girl," he comments. "A sensible personality. And she can COOK! Something only Sasami has been able to pull off." He leans back against the tree and closes his eyes in thought. "Hmm... Tenrin... If I were to choose, it would probably be you. You're kind like Sasami, responsible like Ayeka... And as powerful as Ryoko." Unbeknownst to him, he is not as alone as he thought he was. Buried in the leaves of the giant tree, inside the shadow the branches create, someone lurks. In fact, hovering within earshot of Tenchi, a certain cyan haired woman looks to Tenchi with a cautious stare. One that would speak volumes if seen. she thinks to herself. "But..." Tenchi continues, "I've just met Tenrin. It would be foolish to think like that. Ayeka and Ryoko would both kill me! Still, there will come a time when I must choose. But, with everything that's happened, I just can't do it. I can't choose one and hurt the rest." -END TWO!-