Disclaimer:  All of these characters are mine.  They were my idea and AIC and
Pioneer are using them without my permission!  Oh wait a minute, that's
backwards.  I have absolutely no claim to these characters, although all
characters introduced within this series are my own creations.  Oh, and go ahead
try and sue me! It won't work, because I don't have any money!!! HAHAHAHAHAHA!!!
Um, on second thought, if it's all the same, I'd rather not be sued.  It's not
like I'm making any money off of this.

I'd like to thank Cav, Masa-ouki, MarvelBoy, Bobert, Nightfall, Battousai
Kawaii, Night, IrrCapT, Zyraen, Serajadeyn for pre-reading for me, Davner for
letting me borrow the name "Shikeiko" for my own Goddess, Phrosted for the info
on the McLaren F1, and everybody at the #TenchiFF chat room, for their help,
support, and suggestions.
Send comments and criticism to bkuhn@ucsd.edu

I'd also like to apologize to all the readers whom I promised to notify once
this chapter was finished.  Unfortunately, I had to reformat my hard drive, and
I lost the list of addresses.  Sorry.

For those of you wondering, this latest update is for Derai’s sake.  I’m sure a
couple of people have noticed that his introduction isn’t really in character
for him, so I’ve changed it.  The only really big change is at the end of
Chapter 2.  Chapters 3 and 4 only underwent minor editing to preserve
continuity.

Last Chapter: A lot has happened in the Masaki house.  Aeka has fled the planet
in the Yukinojo, Sasami and Tsunami have begun the final stage of their
assimilation, and Tenchi has managed to win Ryoko's heart back.  But while
everything seems well on Earth, what mysteries await Princess Aeka in the
Forbidden Zone?
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

				  Tenchi Muyo!
			    To Love and to Hate
				 by Brook Kuhn

				   Episode 4:
			    A Heart Still Beats

"This is the story of a girl,
Who cried a river and drowned the whole world.
And while she looks so sad in photographs,
I absolutely love her,
When she smiles."
						- "Absolutely" Nine Days

	Aeka awoke on a cold stone floor.  Or at least, that's how it felt.  She
opened her eyes, and saw her hands resting on nothing.  The vast stars of the
universe shone at her from beneath the invisible floor.
	Aeka tried to sit up, to get a better view of where she was.  And
immediately regretted it.  It was as if her entire body, suddenly reminded of
its existence, screamed out in pain.  Every inch of her body burned with
thousands of tiny cuts, but all of this was insignificant compared to intense
stabbing pain in her chest.
	The stars around her blurred as the pain grew more and more intense.  Just
as Aeka felt that she couldn't hold on any longer, an indistinct form
approached.
	"P-Please," Aeka managed to gasp, "Help... me..."
	The figure approached.  It was black, as dark as black could be.  Yet
somehow, even with her blurred vision, Aeka could clearly discern the figure
from the starry void around them.
	"It is not my place," a cold, feminine voice told Aeka, "I do not have the
right or the power, or even the desire, to help you.  There are only two beings
in this dimension who can help you, and I am not one of them."
	"Am... Am I dead?" Aeka asked, tears in her eyes.
	"That is not a question that can be answered, Aeka," the cold voice said,
"You have died, I can tell you that.  But you have not passed on to the world
where spirits rest.  You are neither dead nor alive.  Your question is
answerless."
	"Who... are... you?" Aeka said, fighting the pain.
	"I am Shikeiko," the voice said, "I am the one who watches as spirits
pass.  I am the one who guides them and judges them.  I am the Goddess of Death,
whom all mortals must inevitably bow before."
	"I hope you'll excuse me for my lack of courtesy," Aeka managed an empty
smile.
	"Let me tend to that," Shikeiko said, and suddenly, Aeka felt as if she
had just swallowed something very, *very* cold.  The pain in her body died down,
although she was still sore.  The stabbing pain in her chest was still present,
but it was now bearable.
	Aeka's vision returned to focus, and she looked at the woman who stood
over her.  She was tall, dressed in black kimono.  Her skin was pale, and her
jet black hair was held in place with a bone-white crown.  She regarded Aeka
from eyes so icy blue they seemed to pull the warmth from Aeka.
	"Gather strength while you can, Aeka," Shikeiko told her, lifting her to
her feet, "Suzaku comes to bring you back to the realm of the living, where you
will face yet more trials."  She looked at something over Aeka's shoulder.  "Ah,
he comes now.  Farewell, Aeka.  Until we meet again."
	Aeka, more confused than ever, turned to look at what Shikeiko had seen.
A bird, covered in beautiful gold and scarlet feathers, flew towards them
through the starry void.  As he approached, the icy coldness that had filled
Aeka began to burn away.  Aeka fought to remain conscious, but the pain was too
much, and she found herself collapsing into darkness.

	Ryoko walked softly across the field to where Tenchi lay on the grass,
stargazing.  Ryoko didn't say anything for a moment.  The night was so quiet and
peaceful, that speaking almost seemed like it would be an act of sacrilege.
	"Mind if I join you?" she finally asked, in barely more than a whisper.
Tenchi looked up, startled by her presence.
	"Uh... sure," Tenchi said, nervously.  He sat up, and Ryoko curled up next
to him.  She could feel Tenchi tense up.
	"What's wrong, Tenchi?" she asked.  If it was at all possible, Tenchi's
muscles tightened even more.
	"Oh, um.... nothing really," he babbled.
	"You need to lighten up, Tenchi," she told him, snuggling up closer to
him, "I mean, you said you loved me, right?  And I love you, too, so what's
wrong with just being together like this?"
	Tenchi mumbled a reply, not trusting himself to actually speak.  He was
just glad it was dark, because he could feel how red his face was.  Swallowing
nervously, he slowly stretched his arm out and, closing his eyes, placed it
around Ryoko's shoulders.
	Ryoko tried to stifle her laughter, but failed.
	"What's so funny?" Tenchi asked, blushing even further.
	"I'm sorry, Tenchi," Ryoko said when her laughter subsided, "It's just
that you're so tense, if I had sat up quickly, I probably would have snapped
your arm in two!" Laughter overtook her again.
	"Well," Tenchi muttered to himself, "Dad always said girls liked a guy who
could make them laugh."

	Noboyuki put down the binoculars and sighed to himself.
	"The boy's absolutely hopeless," he muttered, turning to head inside.  He
crashed right into Kiyone, who was coming out to the garden at that exact
moment.
	"Sorry, Kiyone," Noboyuki said, helping her up.
	"It's all right," Kiyone said, massaging her back, "I was just on my way
out to water the garden.  What were you doing out here?" she asked, then she saw
the binoculars on the ground, and the two figures in the distance. "Nevermind,
I think I've got it."
	Noboyuki laughed, embarrassed.  "Gotta make sure he doesn't screw things
up, right?"
	"I think he'll manage on his own," Kiyone laughed, "But you're his father,
so I'll leave it-" Kiyone trailed off as a loud siren emitted from her
wristband.  The blood drained from her face as she looked at it.  Her legs gave
out, and she collapsed on the ground.
	"Kiyone?" Noboyuki asked, rushing to her side, "What's wrong?"
	"It..." Kiyone gasped, "This is... It's a priority 1 Galaxy Police
distress code.  It means that the Yukinojo has been.... destroyed."

	Minutes later, the entire household gathered at the table.
	"Okay," Kiyone said, "At 32:06 Standard Galactic time, the Yukinojo was
destroyed.  According to this signal, the escape craft failed to launch."
Akito's fist slammed on the table.  Sasami burst into tears.  "Don't jump to
conclusions," Kiyone told them, "As I said, the signal says the escape craft did
not launch, but that does not mean Aeka is dead."
	"But-" Tenchi began.
	"Do *not* jump to conclusions, Tenchi!" Kiyone snapped.  She rubbed her
temples.  <I've dealt with situations like this before,> she reminded herself,
<Granted, I've never actually known the missing person, but I can deal with it.>
"It is possible that even if the main computer was destroyed, that the craft
could remain intact.  It is possible that due to some glitch caused by damaged
equipment, the computer did not acknowledge the craft launching."  Kiyone didn't
tell them that the odds of any of these being true were infinitesimal.  <Now if
only someone hadn't told me that.>
	"It's also possible that Aeka abandoned the ship earlier, and sent it into
the Forbidden Zone to throw off her attackers.  Radar images show several ships
chasing after the Yukinojo."
	"The Forbidden Zone?" Tenchi asked.
	"The Forbidden Zone is an area based around the center of the galaxy.  No
one's quite certain what's in it.  Not even the Galaxy Police are willing to
explore the Forbidden Zone.  Anyone who goes into that area is never heard from
again."  There was a long silence before Kiyone continued, "The positive side,
is that we know where she is, so we can try our best to help her."  She didn't
add that they would most likely only be able to retrieve her body, if even that.
She rubbed her temples more, trying to force these dark thoughts from her mind.
	Akito got up and began to pace back and forth, looking very imperial.
"We'll need to be prepared," he said, "Whatever chased Aeka into the Forbidden
Zone would have to be very powerful.  I've seen the diagnostics for the
Yukinojo, and he was a powerful ship."  He stopped to brush his bangs out of his
eye.  His hair, as usual, refused to compromise.  "How many ships
have we got?"
	"We have the Yagami," Kiyone said.
	"Thank you," Akito nodded.
	"Miya!" Ryo-ohki cried enthusiastically.
	"Good," Akito smiled, patting the cabbit on the head.
	Derai got up, slowly.  Sasami looked at him, her eyes silently begging.
	"The Lightnin' Eagle is hidden near Tenchi's fields," he said, simply.
	"Yay!" Sasami cried out, "I knew you could do it!"  She smiled as she
climbed onto a chair in order to kiss his cheek.  Derai blushed.
	"It's nothin'," Derai said, "It be Vallo's wish that we help those in
need."
	"Thank you, Derai," Akito said, clapping a Derai on the shoulder, "I truly
appreciate this."
	"What about Tsunami?" Tenchi asked Sasami, but Sasami shook her head.
	"It's not allowed," Sasami said, cryptically.
	"All right," Akito said, resuming his pacing, "So we have three ships: the
Yagami, Ryo-ohki, and the Lightning Eagle.  So who's willing to come?"
	"Count me in," Tenchi said, his face brimming with determination.
	"Yahoo!" Ryoko said, lifting one hand in the air, "Finally a chance to pay
her back!"
	Kiyone lifted both hands in a gesture of defeat.  "It's because of
Mihoshi's bumbling that she's out there, so it's our responsibility to help.
Right, Mihoshi?"
	"Right!" Mihoshi agreed enthusiastically.
	Derai turned to face Akito.  "Ye'll be needin' me t' fly the Lightnin'
Eagle, right?  I'll teach 'em how t' play rough," he grinned wickedly.
	Washuu waved her finger.  "Someone's gonna have to come to keep all you
kids out of trouble," she smiled.
	"I'll come!" Sasami said.
	"No," Akito replied, sharply.  Sasami began to protest, but Akito cut her
off.  "This could very well be a trap to lure us all into the open.  Sasami,
Kanako, and Yosho will stay here.  If this is a trap, we're not going to hand
them the entire royal family, got it?"  Sasami nodded, meekly.
	"Hey, that's not fair!" Kanako protested.
	"You're right," Akito agreed, "It isn't," he turned back to the others,
"Derai, what kind of ship is the Lightning Eagle?"
	"Trenan Skyrunner."  Trenan Skyrunner's were small but powerful ships,
perfect for maneuvering into prime positions and unleashing serious firepower.
Skyrunner's made use of a powerful, yet compact engine known as the Forge to
power a fission ion cannon, known as the Hammer.  Anyone unfamiliar with the
Skyrunner would be caught offguard by a small ship with such a powerful weapon.
	Akito gave a short chuckle, "I thought so.  All right, let's dock the
Lightning Eagle in the Yagami's port.  We can save fuel, plus keep it for an
element of surprise should we need it.  All right, Let's go!"

	Aeka woke to the sounds of two people yelling at each other.  <Mihoshi
probably messed something up,> she thought to herself, <Does Kiyone have to yell
at her right outside my door, though?>
	"Look!" one of the voices yelled, "I know he shouldn't have messed with
your things, but he's just a kid.  Next time, tell me.  Don't you dare touch him
again."
	"Don't try to tell me what to do, half-breed!" the other voice shouted
back.  Aeka's foggy mind tried to figure out what child they could be talking
about, and whether anyone she knew would call someone else 'half-breed.'  Tenchi
was technically a half-breed, but she couldn't think of anyone who would be so
rude as to call him that.
	"I'm warning you, Toshio!" the half-breed threatened.  Aeka had a horrible
headache, and all this yelling wasn't helping.
	"Would you two please take this argument somewhere else?" she said,
sitting up.  It was then that she realized she wasn't in her room, or even in
the Masaki house.  The fog quickly left her mind, and she remembered the horrid
events of the last two weeks.
	She was on a bed, in a large bedroom.  Intricate patterns covered the
wooden paneling on the walls.  The room was rather empty, containing only the
bed she lay on, a dresser, and a vanity.  Two young men stood outside the
door-less entrance, looking at her in fright.  One of them, a pale-faced
Juraian, gasped and fled.  The other, a mixture of Juraian blood and one of the
Outer Races, in simple, brown slacks and a red tanktop, dropped to his knees and
prostrated himself before her.
	"Please forgive me, your Highness!" he begged.  He lifted his face to look
at her.  He turned bright red, then dropped his head so quickly, Aeka was
surprised he didn't break his nose.  Looking down, she saw the reason for this
reaction.
	"Aaah!" she screamed, pulling the blankets back over her naked chest.
	"Imsosorryyourhighness!" he blurted out so quickly, it took Aeka a second
to figure out what he had said.
	"Forget it," she said, feeling the blood race to her cheeks.  She didn't
want to deal with this right now.  In light of her more recent pains, it wasn't
worth a second thought.  "It was an accident.  Where... Where am I?" she asked.
	"You are on the Jeweled Heart, your Highness," he said, face still against
the floor.
	"Don't call me that," she said, "And please get up off the floor.  I'm
not a princess anymore, so don't treat me like one."  The young man stood up,
but he stared at the floor.  Either he didn't want to make eye contact with her,
or he was afraid that her blanket might have slipped off her torso again.
	Something registered in her head.  "The Jeweled Heart?  I thought that
ship was lost a long time ago."
	His eyes remained glued to the floor.  "Aye, your - I mean, ma'am, I
suppose it was.  But we found it.  It's been our home for a long time.  I think
that Grandfather Balin found it.  It's been here longer than I have, at any
rate."
	"Are you talking to me?" Aeka asked, "Or the floor?"
	"Sorry, ma'am," he said, snapping his head up.  His face was still red.
He couldn't be more than sixteen years old.  His features were a strange
combination of Juraian traits, and whatever other race he belonged to.  The end
result seemed very alien to Aeka, except for his eyes.  His eyes were a reddish
gold.  This was familiar to Aeka, although she could not place where she had
seen eyes like that before.
	"I'm sorry about the....." he trailed off, gesturing at the blanket.  His
face seemed to get redder by the second.  "But what little clothing was left on
you when we found you was ruined.  And with all the bandaging we had to do,
Balin said it was pointless to dress you, only to have to... um... when we'd
have to change the bandages an hour later."
	"Ah," Aeka nodded, "Thank you."
	"It's nothing, your Highness," he said, "I'm just a Rat."  Aeka wasn't
entirely surprised by this fact, but she hadn't realized it before, either.
The Rats were outcasts, living on the edge of the Forbidden Zone.  They made
their living by scrapping bits of debris that floated out of the Zone.  Aeka
realized that was probably how they had found her.
	"Whether you're a Rat or a prince," Aeka told him, "You saved my life.
And I am no greater than you are... what's your name?" she asked.
	"Je... Je'ko," he stammered.
	"Je'ko, please," she said, "I'm nothing special.  Please don't treat me
like I am.  I'm tired of people acting like I'm some valuable, fragile object."
	Je'ko swallowed nervously.  "You were very lucky.  When I found you, I
thought you were dead.  You were cut up pretty badly, and a large piece of metal
had been embedded in your chest."  His eyes wandered down for a second.  Aeka
looked at a thin white line running over her left breast.  "But for some reason,
I knew if I brought you back here as quickly as I could, I could save you."
	"You're a very good doctor, for someone so young," Aeka told him.  His
cheeks, which had been gradually resuming their normal color, went bright red
again at the complement.
	"Grandfather Balin did most of the work," he admitted modestly, "I just
helped.  His poultice works rather well.  All that, and you've only got that one
scar."  Apparently Aeka looked tired, because Je'ko excused himself.  "You
should get some rest.  If you need anything, just call.  Grandfather Balin and I
are normally in the area."
	Aeka nodded, drowsily, and lay back down.  Je'ko had turned out the light
and was half way out the door when she bolted up again.
	"The wolf!" she exclaimed, suddenly filled with worry, "There was a large
wolf with me.  Is he all right?"
	Je'ko turned, silhouetted by the light from the hall.  "Yeah, he's fine.
He got out surprisingly well, just a cut on the paw.  We finally got him to
leave your side so we could treat it.  He wouldn't let anybody other than
Grandfather Balin and me near you."
	Aeka sighed in relief.  "That's good to hear."
	"I'll go see if he's ready to come back to see you.  Good night, ma'am."
	"Thank you," Aeka called out softly.  She lay back down.  A few moments
later, she felt the wolf's long, wet tongue on her hand.
	"Hey, there," Aeka smiled, scratching his head, "I didn't hear you come
in."  The wolf leapt onto the bed, ran his tongue across Aeka's face a couple of
times, then curled up at her feet.  Aeka smiled as sleep overtook her.

	Aeka stared out onto a bleak, twisted landscape.  Where was she?  What was
going on?  she wanted to call for help, but for who?  The idea of Tenchi crossed
her mind, but even if he could hear her, she wasn't sure she was ready to face
him again.
	"Je'ko?" she finally called out, "Je'ko, can you hear me?"
	Je'ko didn't appear, but the wolf did.  He looked at her with his deep
green eyes, then turned and began to walk towards a large outcropping of rocks.
Aeka, not wishing to be separated, followed him.  As Aeka ran around the large
stones, she nearly crashed into someone.
	He was very tall man, with piercing red eyes.  His robes were black, with
dark red trimmings, but his hair was a bright mixture of scarlet and gold,
cascading down his back.  Aeka's eyes, however, were drawn to the large,
feathered wings, that extended from his back.  They looked as if they were solid
gold, but they burned with scarlet fire.
	"Who are you?" Aeka stammered.  He didn't answer, he merely bent down to
scratch the wolf's head.
	"You have done well, Blaze," he said.  His voice was soft and melodious,
like a bird's song.  "Your loyalty to the princess is admirable."
	"Who are you?" Aeka repeated.  The strange man looked up at her and
smiled.
	"You remember me," he told her, "I am Suzaku, the God of Fire and Life.  I
have come to show you the cleansing power of fire, and guide you through your
rebirth."
	Aeka took a step back.  "Rebirth?" she asked.
	"Yes," he said, easily matching her step back with a long stride, putting
his face inches from hers.  He reached out and ran a finger across the scar on
Aeka's chest.  "Didn't Shikeiko tell you, Aeka?  You died, but you have been
reborn, to live once more."
	"I... she did... There's so much going on... I can't figure it out...
You.... Did you do this?" Aeka asked.  He laughed.
	"I had a part in it, yes.  Now, there are things you must see."  A flaming
wing flashed across Aeka's eyes, making her flinch.  When she opened her eyes
again, she was at a table.  Across from her was her old friend Lita, on her left
was Lesell, another old friend, but on her right, was a shadow, someone Aeka
knew, somehow, but who she was was a mystery to Aeka.
	"You're late, Aeka," Lesell said, pouring tea into four cups, "I thought
princesses were supposed to be punctual.  If I showed up this late to my
lessons, they'd make me copy an entire chapter from the Book of Tsunami."
	"It's not like you have to be a priestess," Aeka said, still trying to
figure out where and when she was.
	"Yeah, right," Lesell laughed, "My mother's the Grand Priestess of Jurai,
and my father's one of the greatest missionaries since... since your father's
missionary days!  Besides, I like serving Tsunami.  I think it's what I was
meant to do." she took a sip of her tea, "Now, what kept you?" she smiled.
	"I bet she was with her brother!" Lita sang, teasingly.
	Aeka blushed, "No, I was helping Sasami get ready.  She starts her lessons
today."
	"Yeah, right," Lita smiled.
	"Prince Yosho sure be cute," the shadowed figure said with a thick accent,
shyly.  Aeka turned to look at her, but couldn't make out any features, except
for the eyes.  Golden eyes, with more than a touch of red in them.
	<Je'ko's eyes,> Aeka thought to herself, <But who is she?  How do I know
her?  And what is the connection between her and Je'ko?>
	Again, scarlet fire flashed across Aeka's eyes.  She blinked and found
herself standing in a field, the shadowed girl confronting her.  Tears ran from
her eyes down the featureless face.
	The shadow lifted a hand, and brought it sharply across Aeka's face.
	"How could ye?" the shadow sobbed, "Don't I mean anythin' t' ye?"  Aeka
blinked.  The slap stung.  The words stung more.  Suddenly, the shadows fled,
and Aeka stared into the tortured eyes of Criks, one of her best friends.
	"Criks," she blurted out, "I'm sorry.  I don't want to but-"
	Criks brought her hand back across Aeka's other cheek.
	"Shut up!" Criks shouted.  Aeka took a step back.  Criks was such a shy
girl, an outburst like this was extremely unusual.  "If I meant *anything* t'
you.... but no!  I'm not *good* enough t' be friends with a princess!"  Criks
turned and fled, her long red hair flickering behind her like a flame.

	Aeka woke up with tears in her eyes.  She had completely forgotten about
Criks, one of her closest friends when she was younger.  Until her etiquette
instructor, Miss Talunan, told her she wasn't allowed to play with 'common'
children.  Lita was all right, as she was of noble blood, and Lesell was the
daughter of a priestess, and training to become one herself.  But even though
Criks was technically the daughter of a baron, but Miss Talunan said that since
she was a Trenan, she'd be common even if her father was a king.  Aeka realized
now that she never should have put her position above her friends, but she was
only eight at the time, and very much afraid of her etiquette teacher, who often
threatened Aeka to do as she was told or no one would love her, then telling her
what people did to princesses they didn't like.  She was eventually fired after
Misaki found out she was giving Aeka nightmares.
	<Still does,> Aeka amended.  It was then that Aeka realized that there
was someone in her room, someone giggling.
	Aeka sat up, remembering to keep the blankets on her chest this time.
There was a small boy, rolling on the floor, as the wolf mercilessly soaked his
face with his tongue.
	The wolf noticed that Aeka was awake and released the child.  He walked
over to the side of the bed and rubbed his muzzle against Aeka's hand.  Aeka
scratched his ears.
	The boy looked up at her.  The laughter draining from his face quickly.
He was a Trenan, dark-skinned with flaming red hair and beautiful blue eyes.
"He's big," he said simply, "What's his name?  Where's he from?"
	Aeka looked at the wolf.  "I think his name is Blaze, but I'm not sure
where he's from," she admitted, "He's a rather recent acquaintance of mine."
	"Oh," the boy sighed.  He turned his sapphire eyes to meet hers, "Where're
*you* from?" he asked.
	"I grew up on Jurai," she told him.
	"Really?" he asked excitedly, his eyes brightening, "What's it like?"
	Aeka thought for a moment before answering.  "It's a beautiful planet,
filled with trees that reach miles into the sky."
	The child's eyes were wide.  "I heard that there were even trees in the
cities.  Is that true?"
	"Yes, it is," Aeka told him, "But they're not quite so tall.  A lot of
cultures become distant from nature as they progress, but the Juraians have
always kept in touch with the forests."  Aeka continued to tell the young boy
about Jurai, answering all of the boy's excited questions, only to receive a
dozen more for every one she answered.
	"Are you gonna go back there soon?" he asked at one point.
	The smile left Aeka's face.  "No," she said softly, "I don't think I
will."
	The boy dropped his head.  "Okay..."
	Just then, an old man entered the room.  "Ah, Vell, there you are.  You
shouldn't be in here.  The princess needs her rest."
	"Actually," Aeka said, hesitantly, "I feel like I've been lying in bed for
the last week.  I'd like to see the ship, if that's all right, Doctor....?" Aeka
let it trail off as a question.
	"Dr. Balin Thellin, Your Highness," he said bowing.
	"Please, call me Aeka," she told him, "I have resigned my position as
Crown Princess of Jurai."
	"Very well," Balin said, not seeming particularly surprised, "And if you
feel you're up to it, you're more than welcome to explore the ship."
	"Thank you," Aeka said, "But I need... um, that is I haven't got...."
	Vell wordlessly walked over to the wardrobe, and pulled out a long white
dress.  It was low cut, with transparent sleeves and a beautifully embroidered
rose over the heart.
	"Here," he said, offering the dress to her.
	"Thank you, Vell," Aeka smiled.
	"Come now," Balin said, pushing Vell out of the room, "Let's give our
guest some privacy."
	"Okay, Ta Ja," Vell said, giving Aeka a look good bye.
	As Aeka pulled the dress on, a sudden thought struck her.  Criks had loved
roses, and had been rather skilled at embroidery.
	<Je'ko's eyes... Vell's hair... this rose... Was Criks here?> Thoughts
raced through Aeka's mind, <Maybe she's still here!  Maybe... maybe I can make
it up to her!>
	Aeka, finally clothed, started to wander down the halls of the Jeweled
Heart.  Stone walls framed a marble floor.  Beautiful murals, faded with the
passage if centuries, still could be seen along the walls.  Exotic plants still
grew in the gardens, scattered across the ship.
	It was a Kalbian ship, a relic of a time long passed, a beauty that could
not be found these days.  The Kalbian's would create anything the way most races
created art.  The Kalbian's were a beautiful race, and were struck down by those
who were jealous of their beauty.
	Aeka had met the last of the Kalbians as they fled from their attackers.
She had been very young, but she remembered being awestruck by their beautiful
faces, and long, delicate hands.  Her father had offered them asylum, but they
had refused, and had flown off, never to be seen again.
	Apparently, they had wandered into the Forbidden Zone, and their race was
finally extinct.  And later, Aeka concluded, Balin would find it, and the Rats
would come to live here.  Aeka couldn't be certain, of course, but she thought
that the Kalbians would have liked it this way.
	Aeka made her way to the hangar, which was filled with sleek metal
structures used to hold and repair ships.  They looked as if they had been
sculpted from quicksilver.  A few ships were docked, most of them small.  In
comparison to the hangar itself, they looked light horrid blights on the
beautiful metal sculptures.
	In one corner of the hangar, was Je'ko.  He was bent over something small.
He stopped working as she approached and lifted up his safety mask to look at
her.  His cheeks were flushed, and his eyes looked both tired and angry.
	"A pilot, a doctor, *and* a mechanic," she said, "You're very skilled for
one so young."
	Je'ko ignored her compliment.  "Where did you get that?" he demanded,
crossly.
	Aeka blinked.  "Get what?"
	"The dress.  Where did you get it?" he asked.
	"What?  I didn't have any clothes, so Vell gave it to me," she explained,
"What's wrong?"
	"That dress belonged to my mother," he sighed, "It's the only thing I have
of hers."
	"Oh," Aeka stammered, "I-I didn't realize... I'm sorry."
	"It's okay," Je'ko said, sourly, "I've learned to deal with it.  Vell
shouldn't have given you that, but what's done is done.  You might as well keep
it, at least until we can find you some clothing."  He turned back to his
project.
	"Vell is your-" Aeka paused, "Half-brother?" she finished.
	"Aye," Je'ko nodded, picking up the device to examine it.
	"So you're half Trenan," she mused, "I knew you had some blood from one of
the Outer Races, but I couldn't place which."
	"Does it matter?" he shrugged, "Out here, you're a Rat, no matter what
blood you have."
	"Even me?" she asked.
	Je'ko turned to stare at her.  "What?  Of course not!  You could never be
a Rat."
	"What if I wanted to be one?" Aeka pressed.
	Je'ko looked at her like she was speaking pure nonsense.  "Why the hell
would you want to be a Rat?  The only reason any of us are here is because we
have nowhere else to go.  The only people who look at us as equals are other
Rats."
	"Forget it," Aeka sighed.  She couldn't tell him how hard it was for her
to find people who treated her as equals.  Next to his life, her complaints
would just seemed petty.  He was barely half her age, but at the moment, she
needed his friendship very much.
	"So what are you working on?" she asked, peering over his shoulder at the
device, which lay in pieces on the table.
	"It's a VR system I found a while ago, busted of course," he said,
pointing to some burnt out circuits, "I've been trying to fix it up for Vell.
Maybe once I've fixed it, he'll stop messing with Toshio's hologram projector."
	Aeka dimly remembered some of the argument she had overheard earlier.  "Is
that what you were fighting over earlier?"
	Je'ko shrugged, as he looked at a book full of schematics for circuits and
computer chips.  "Vell will do anything for a glimpse at something that wasn't
built.  Don't blame him, I guess.  These walls close in on me, too, sometimes,
and at least I got to spend most of my life on a real planet."
	"How old are you?" Aeka suddenly asked.
	"Fourteen."  Aeka blinked in surprise.  He looked a bit older than that.
Growing up here, though, she supposed it wasn't that surprising after all.
	Je'ko attached a wire to the device and flipped a switch.  The machinery
began to hum.  Je'ko smiled.  His smile quickly faded as the computer made a
screeching noise and began to leak black smoke.  He swore, and, sliding on some
thick gloves, opened the casing and pulled out a blackened circuitboard.
	"Damn!" he muttered, examining the piece, "I was hoping that breaker would
hold.  I'm gonna have to find another, I guess."
	"Maybe I should come back later," Aeka said.
	Je'ko looked sadly at the ruined breaker before tossing it back on the
table.  "Nah, it's okay.  I can't get any more work done right now anyway."  He
pulled up a chair for Aeka, then sat down in one himself.  From a pocket, he
drew out a metal flask and took a swig before offering it to Aeka.
	"No thanks," Aeka declined.
	Je'ko shrugged.  "Suit yourself."  He took another drink from the flask
before screwing the top back on and returning it to his pocket.
	"Aren't you a little young for that?" she observed.
	He just shrugged again.  "Blame it on my Trenan heritage, if you'd like."
Aeka decided to change the topic.
	"It's such a beautiful ship," Aeka said, admiring the sleek metal designs.
	Je'ko looked around the hangar, too.  "I suppose we've got that going for
us, at least.  I kinda forget about it occasionally."
	"How long have you been here?"
	Je'ko stopped to think for a moment.  "Well, let's see... we came about
five and a half years ago - a little before Vell was born."
	"He sure is a talkative boy," Aeka smiled.
	Je'ko returned the smile, "That's just because you're new here.  As I
said, Vell's bursting to know what's out there off of this ship.  Normally he
barely says a word."
	Aeka nodded, silently, trying to find some way to ask her the question
that burned in her mind.  She tried to ease into it as best she could.
	"So you and Vell share a mother?"  Je'ko's face grew distant, and Aeka
began to regret asking.  "I-I'm sorry, Je'ko.  I didn't want to bring up a
tender subject, but I just... I need to know..."  Aeka was rather surprised to
be stumbling over her tongue like this.  All of her lessons on eloquent speaking
seemed to have disappeared.  She finally decided to ask it straight out.  "Was
your mother named Criks?"
	Je'ko looked at her as if she was a ghost.  "How... How did you know
that?" he asked after a long pause.
	"You have her eyes," Aeka told him, "I knew her when we were young.  She
was a very good friend to me.  I just wish I had been a better one to her."
	"What happened?"
	"I put being a princess above being a friend.  I was told I wasn't allowed
to be friends with her, and... I made a mistake.  I wish... I wish I could make
it up to her somehow... but I guess I'm too late.  Tell me... how did you end up
here?"
	"Because we had nowhere else to go.  My mother was afraid of her own
husband."  Je'ko's voice became hard.
	"Why?"
	"Because she fell in love," Je'ko said, "She was forced into an arranged
marriage, and I think she was okay with that.  There was never any love between
them, though, I'm sure of that much, but she had learned to accept it, I guess.
But when Kyoi came to the Juraian court, things started to change.  She found
out what is was like to be in love, and I learned what it was to have a real
father.
	"For three great years it was like that.  Until my father found out,"
Je'ko's eyes narrowed.  He suddenly slammed his fist down on the table, causing
various tools to fly into the air.  "Fucking bastard!" he yelled, "Bastard
killed Kyoi.  He even left the body for my mother to find, but I found it first.
I had to bury it myself."  Aeka stared as he began to tremble.  "I didn't want
my mother to see him like that.  When she found out, we left.  We got as far
away as we could, until we ended up here."  Tears ran down his cheeks, and
suddenly, he was no longer the adult in a child's body; he was just a boy,
fragile and scared.
	"Mom was very sick," he sobbed, "She shouldn't have been traveling,
especially while she was pregnant.  Grandfather said that she was lucky Vell was
such a healthy boy.  She smiled - a weak smile... and she turned to me... and
she said she loved me... and that I should take care of my brother... Then she
closed her eyes and... and... and..."
	Aeka had heard all she needed to hear.  She grabbed Je'ko and held him
tightly as he cried into her shoulder.  For a long time, he lay in her arms and
wept.  Finally, he got up, and rubbed at his eyes.
	"I'm sorry," he said, blushing, "I shouldn't have broken down like that."
	"There is nothing to apologize for," she told him, "If there is one thing
I've learned, its that you need to know where you can turn to, when you need a
good cry.  I want you to know that you can always come to me."
	He started to say something, but then thought better of it, and simply
said, "Thanks."  There was a brief pause, before he added, "I'd better go check
on Vell.  It's his bedtime.  Thank you... Aeka."  Aeka realized that it was the
first time he had called her by her name, and she smiled.  It meant he saw her
as a real person, and for the first time in a long time, she felt good about
herself.
	She looked up to see the wolf staring at her, with his penetrating green
eyes.  He walked over to her, and lay his head in her lap.  She stroked his ears
and he began to purr.
	"You're name *is* Blaze, isn't it?" she asked.  The wolf barked once.
"I'll take that as a yes," Aeka smiled, "Well, it's nice to know *I* have
someone to turn to when I need to cry."  Blaze looked up at her, but then closed
his eyes as she scratched his chin.
	"Um... Aeka?" Je'ko asked, tentatively, from the hangar door.
	"Yes?"
	"Vell wants to know if you'd tell him a story before he goes to bed.  I
told him I'd ask you, but you don't have to, if you don't want to."
	Aeka smiled, and stood up.  "I'd love to."  And with that, the three of
them, Aeka, Je'ko, and Blaze, headed down the halls of the ship.

	Meanwhile, in the Yagami's lounging area, Tenchi paced back and forth.
	"Tenchi," Ryoko groaned, "Would you stop that?  You're making me dizzy."
Tenchi looked at Ryoko, who was sprawled out on the couch.  The child Ryo-ohki
lay asleep in her arms, purring contentedly.
	"I'm sorry," Tenchi said, "But I can't help but worry.  This is taking so
long."
	"Well you'd better get used to it," Ryoko advised, "We've got another ten
days before we reach the Forbidden Zone, and if you don't find a way to deal
with this, you're going to go crazy."
	"How do you do it?" he asked.
	Ryoko merely shrugged.  "I'm a warrior.  Everyone on this ship is, to some
extent, except for you and Washuu.  We're used to situations like this.  Just
find a way to get your mind off of her."
	"How am I supposed to do that?!" Tenchi said exasperated.  Ryoko merely
smiled and faded away.  Ryo-ohki let out a quiet mew, stuck a thumb in her
mouth, then curled up on the warm spot where Ryoko had been, without ever really
waking up.  Tenchi tensed as Ryoko appeared, floating behind him, and wrapped
her arms around his shoulders.
	"I think I could find a way to take your mind off Aeka," she whispered in
his ear, "And everything else, for that matter."  Tenchi's face went red, and
Ryoko laughed.  "I just love to do that to you," she said, floating around to
kiss him on the lips.  She held her lips pressed against his for a while, only
breaking off when Akito cleared his throat loudly.
	"I hate to intrude, but I found someone without as refined a sense of
discretion," he said, holding Sasami by the back of her shirt.
	"Sasami!" Tenchi exclaimed, "What are you doing here?"
	"I wanted to make sure you didn't screw things up with Ryoko," Sasami
said, rubbing one foot against the other in embarrassment.
	"You know that's not what I meant," Tenchi said crossly.
	Sasami looked away from Tenchi, only to end up in the cold star of Akito's
eyes.  "I told you to stay on Earth for a reason, Sasami.  Do you think we're
playing a game here?  We're heading into the Forbidden Zone, against criminals
who have opened fire on a Galaxy Police ship *and* a Juraian Princess.  This
isn't the place for a selfish princess.  I would have expected something like
this from Kanako, but I thought you were smarter than that, Sasami.  You
shouldn't have come."
	Tears ran down Sasami's cheeks, but she didn't back down.  "That's easy
for you to say!" she yelled back, "*You* didn't have to stay behind!  If someone
told you that you couldn't come, you would have done the same!  And I've known
Aeka longer than any of you!  Why should I be the one left behind?  This might
be my last chance to see my sister!"
	Tenchi looked at the determination in Sasami's eyes and knew there was no
way on Earth they could talk her out of this.  "She's got a point, Akito," he
said, "And there's not much we can do at this point anyway, is there?"
	Akito sighed and shook his head.  "I suppose you're right.  I don't like
this, though.  I didn't want to put her at risk, but what's done is done."  He
turned back to Tenchi.  "Back to my original purpose of coming here.  I was
wondering if you would like to spar with me."
	"I'm not sure if I'm in the mood for that right now," Tenchi said, looking
at Ryoko, who was now playing with Ryo-ohki and Sasami.
	"Go on, Tenchi," Ryoko said, looking up, "It'll be a good distraction for
you.  We can always finish our conversation later."  She winked, which caused
Tenchi to blush.  Akito smiled, but he didn't say anything as they walked down
the halls.

	Noboyuki leaned forward, his tongue sticking out between his teeth
slightly as he concentrated on the blueprints he was drawing.  If he pulled this
contract off right, he'd have a good chance at getting the partnership.
	Noboyuki jumped as a phone right next to him suddenly went off.  The
result was a long, heavy, jagged line down the middle of the otherwise perfect
blueprints.  Noboyuki sighed and picked up the phone.
	"Hello?" he said into the receiver, "Just a second, I'll get her."  He put
the phone down and called over to the woman working at the other side of the
room.  "Mrs. Ioribaiwa, your daughter's on the phone."
	"Oh, thank you Mr. Masaki," Ioribaiwa said as she walked over and took the
phone.  Noboyuki wished for the millionth time that she wasn't married, but to
little avail.  He sighed as he tried to salvage the blueprints he had spent all
morning on.
	"What?" Ioribaiwa said into the phone, "That's too bad.  I hope she gets
better soon... I'm sorry, but I can't let you go there by yourself... No, I'm
too busy... Look, there's nothing I can do about it.  Maybe you can go when
Kiine gets well..." Noboyuki tapped her on the shoulder.  "Hold on a second,"
she told her daughter, "Yes, Mr. Masaki?"
	"I couldn't help but overhearing your conversation," he smiled, "And I
think I might be able to help."

	Kanako gave up on reading and threw the book away in disgust.
	"Ow!" someone said from the door.  It was Katsuhito.  "You should be more
careful where you throw things, Kanako."
	"Yeah, yeah, sorry," Kanako said negligently.  Despite that, she was
actually glad to see him.  Yesterday, he had spent all day at the shrine, and
since Noboyuki spent all day at work, and Sasami had snuck on bored the Yagami,
and Mayuka was being taken care of by Tenchi's aunt, that left Kanako very alone
and very bored.  "So, what brings the noble priest down from his temple to
mingle with us common folk?"
	"Kanako," he said, light flashing off his glasses, "You know you are here
for your safety."
	"Yeah, bro," Kanako sighed, laying down and swaying her legs idly through
the air, "I know, I know.  Doesn't change the fact that there's nothing to do
here, though."
	"I'm sure you'll find lots of things to do if you look in the right
place."
	Kanako turned onto her stomach and rolled her eyes at him.  "Like where?"
	Katsuhito took out a paper, and looked at it.  "Well, Miss Hitomi
Ioribaiwa seems to think Nippon Disneyland is a good place to start."
	"Huh?"
	"Apparently her friend came down with the flu, and she needs someone to go
with her.  It might be good for you to 'mingle with the common folk' before your
royal posterior becomes attached to that couch."
	"What on Jurai is 'Nippon Disneyland?'" Kanako asked, annoyed.
	Katsuhito pretended to think for a moment.  "Last time I checked, Nippon
Disneyland was just on Earth, but I suppose they might have built one on Jurai
during the time I was gone."
	"You're enjoying this, aren't you?" Kanako said crossly.
	"I have no response to that question," he replied with a perfectly
straight face.
	"Will you *please* tell me what you're talking about!" Kanako screamed.
	Katsuhito laughed.  "All right, all right.  No need to get all worked up.
Nippon Disneyland is an amusement park - a place where young people like you go
to have fun.  Hitomi is the daughter of one of Noboyuki's coworkers.  She was
going to go today, but her friend got sick.  Noboyuki thought you might like to
go, but if you're not interested, I'll just call him back."
	"No!" Kanako said, suddenly, "I mean... I suppose it couldn't hurt.  It's
not like I have anything else to do on this forsaken rock."
	"I'm glad you see it that way," Katsuhito smiled, "Come on, we can pick up
Hitomi on the way."

	Hitomi heard the bell ring and ran down the stairs to answer the door.
Standing on the other side was an old man with a warm smile.  Judging by the
priest robes he wore, Hitomi assumed that this was Mr. Masaki.
	"Pleased to meet you, Mr. Masaki," Hitomi said, bowing deeply, "Thank you
so much for doing this for me.  I really appreciate it."  She looked up and saw
the car in front of her house.  "Oh my god!  Is that a McLaren F1!"
	Katsuhito smiled.  "Yes.  It was a gift."
	Hitomi just stared.  "A McLaren F1?  As a gift?  With friends like that,
who needs banks?"
	"He was more of a customer than a friend.  I performed a wedding for his
daughter, and he offered this as payment."
	"Wow!" she said, walking around the car, "Who was he?  Ginko Karatame?"
Hitomi, being the lover of cars that she was, knew all about Ginko Karatame, one
of the richest men in Japan, and also one of the biggest car collectors in the
world.
	"Actually," Katsuhito said, "I think that was his name."  This caused
Hitomi to take her eyes off the car in order to stare at him.
	"Really?" she asked, "What was he like?  I've heard he's really nice.  I
guess he'd have to if he gave you a McLaren F1 as a gift, but-"
	"Hey," said a girl, leaning out of the car, "Are we gonna go soon?"
Hitomi looked at the girl.  She was very pretty, with long black hair, and soft
purple eyes.  She wore cut-off shorts and a tanktop, which showed off her
pristine skin.
	Hitomi blushed.  "Oh, sorry.  I guess I got distracted.  Hello, I'm
Hitomi," she said, bowing deeply.
	"Name's Kanako," the girl smiled, "Pleased ta meetcha."
	"Thank you so much for coming.  School's starting up again next week and I
was afraid the summer would end and I still wouldn't have gone to Disneyland.  I
guess it wouldn't be the end of the world, but I've been begging my parents to
go all summer.  Not like they ever listen to me.  My dad's always going on about
how I could be making better use of my time.  Know what I mean?"
	Kanako blinked, startled by how quickly Hitomi spoke.  Then she smiled.
Hitomi seemed to have an openness about her that Kanako wasn't used to.  She
couldn't help but like Hitomi.
	"Yeah," Kanako said, as Hitomi climbed into the car, "My brother's like
that all the time."
	"Are you girls ready?" Katsuhito asked them.
	"Yeah," they replied in unison, "Let's go!"

	Sweat poured down Tenchi's face as he stalked slowly around his opponents.
Both Akito and Derai had more training and more experience than he did, but he
managed to match skills with them rather well.  The sparring had started out
light, but now, several hours into it, had settled into a general melee, using
holographic representations of their standard weapons:  Akito's energy daggers,
Derai's Ironforge, and Tenchi's Light Hawk Sword.
	Tenchi swung at Akito, and immediately raised his shield to block Akito's
counter attack.  Akito's daggers were very misleading; they gave him the
appearance of having a disadvantage when it came to range, but his inhuman speed
more than made up for it.  He could close the distance between him and his
opponent in the blink of an eye.
	Akito darted around to Tenchi's right, swinging down with one dagger.
Tenchi caught the attack on his sword, lifting his shield in anticipation of
Akito's other dagger.
	It came, but not the way Tenchi expected.  Akito's foot slipped around,
and yanked Tenchi's leg out from under him.  He found himself looking up at
Akito's knife.
	"You win," Tenchi said, dropping his sword.
	Tenchi moved out of the ring and watched Derai and Akito finish sparring.
Tenchi almost got dizzy watching Akito.  He was everywhere, but Derai matched
every blow.  Derai had won, though.  Tenchi could see it.  They had been
fighting for two hours now, and Akito's fighting style used up a great deal more
energy than Derai's.  As a result, Akito was slowing down.
	Then it happened.  Akito dodged to the left, and Derai matched him,
driving his knee into the Juraian prince's gut.  Akito fell to the floor, and
Derai slowly brought his sword down, resting it on the back of Akito's neck.
	"I forfeit," Akito coughed.  Tenchi and Derai moved to help him up, but he
waved them off, getting slowly back onto his feet.
	"Sorry," Derai said, "Didn'a mean t' hit ye that hard."
	Akito stretched his arms.  "I'm okay," he smiled, "That was nothing
compared to my mother's hugs."
	"Good match, lads," Derai said, pulling some clothing from his pack.
"Been a while since I've needed a shower this badly."

	Tenchi staggered into the room that was his for the journey, and collapsed
on the bed.
	"How was the workout?" Ryoko asked, appearing in the air above him.
	"Long," Tenchi groaned.
	Ryoko smiled.  "Let me help.  Roll over."  She pushed Tenchi onto his
stomach and began to massage the muscles in his back.  Tenchi let out a sigh as
Ryoko kneaded the tension out of his shoulders.
	"Where'd you learn to do that?" Tenchi asked, as Ryoko slowly worked her
way down his back.
	Ryoko paused.  "Kagato had me learn about the nervous system, among other
things," Ryoko said in a choked voice, "If I applied pressure here," she lightly
touched a spot below Tenchi's neck, "I could make you cry in pain.  So while I
was learning that, I learned how to take pain away.  It wasn't much, but it was
the only way I could rebel against him."  Tenchi sat up and looked at her.
	"It's okay, Ryoko.  It's-"
	"Ko-sama!" Ryo-ohki cried, running into the room.  She climbed onto the
bed and hid behind Ryoko.
	"Ryo-ohki!" Ryoko yelled, "Don't just barge in on us like-" Ryoko trailed
off as she saw Ryo-ohki crying.  "What's wrong?"
	"Rai-san scary!" Ryo-ohki said.  Just then, Derai showed up at the door.
	"Give it back, ye bloody little-" Derai started to yell, but Ryoko cut him
off.
	"What do you think you're doing?" she shouted back, "Scaring her like
that!"
	"Then tell her t' give it back!" Derai said angrily.
	Ryoko turned and frowned at the humanoid cabbit.  "Ryo-ohki, what's that
you're holding?"  Clutched in one of Ryo-ohki's small hands was a disc, about
half an inch thick and four inches wide.  A lens covered one side of it.
	"Miya?" Ryo-ohki asked, looking at the disc in surprise.  "Oops!  Ohki
sorry," she said, nervously, "Rai-san scary.  Ohki forgot she had it."  She
tentatively held it up to him.  "Here.  Ohki sorry.  Rai-san still mad?"  She
looked up at him with innocent eyes.
	Derai took a deep breath and forced himself to calm down.  "No, I'm not
still mad.  I shouldn'a have yelled at ye, but don'a go through my things like
that, okay?"  Ryo-ohki calmed down a bit, but not much.
	"Ohki sorry," she said again, "Ohki not do again.  Ohki sorry."  Ryo-ohki
bolted from the room.  Derai slid the disk into a pocket, and wordlessly left
the room.

	It would take Aeka a while to get used to the Jeweled Heart.  Its large
hallways were rather strange for a spaceship, but even odder was the lack of
doors.  The entire ship seemed to be one giant work of art, one piece flowing
into another.  Apparently, the Kalbians found that doors disrupted this flow,
and solved the problem by simply not having any doors at all.
	Aeka spent most of the morning wandering the ship and meeting with its
various inhabitants.  She met Josen Kallits, a soft-spoken Varylian who prepared
the meals for the entire ship, and Daeroth, a Pottidan who maintained and cared
for the various ships, a cigarette clenched between his teeth the entire time.
She also met with Baela, a beautiful, grandmotherly old lady, who's heritage had
been lost through her age.  Baela acted as the ship's tailor, and graciously
offered to try to put together some clothing for Aeka.
	Everyone she met was kind to her, and she felt a sense of community about
the place that was very foreign to her.  She hoped that they would accept her
into this community, too.
	She was walking down a long hallway, admiring a beautiful, but very faded,
mural of a jungle scene, when Vell ran into her.
	"Vell, are you all right?" she asked, stopping him.
	He looked up at her through tear-filled eyes. "Where's Ta Ja?" he sobbed.
	"Dr. Thellin?  I haven't seen him.  What's wrong?"
	"It's Sa Ja," Vell cried, "He's sick.  You gotta help him.  Please?"  He
looked like his heart was about to break, and just looking at him was enough to
make Aeka's heart feel the same way.
	"I'll try my best," she told him "Where is he?"  Vell grabbed her sleeve
and dragged her down the corridors of the ship, and finally through one of the
doorless arches into a room.  The room was a mess: clothes littered the floor,
various pieces of junk were piled on one of the dressers, and one of the two
beds was unmade.
	In the other bed, was Je'ko.  His cheeks were red, and sweat covered his
brow.  He suddenly began to cough violently.  Aeka rushed to his side and put a
hand on his forehead.
	"By Tsunami's roots," Aeka exclaimed, withdrawing her hand in shock.
Je'ko didn't react, except to begin coughing again.
	"What's wrong?" Vell asked.
	"He's got a *very* high fever," Aeka explained, "And that cough sounds
bad.  Vell, I need you to get-"
	"Don't bother," Je'ko said, trying to get up, "I'll be... fine.  Just a
little... tired... that's all."  He fell back onto the bed, racked with coughs.
Red specks dotted his lips.
	Aeka gasped.  "Dear Tsunami, this is worse than I thought.  Vell, get a
cloth, and soak it in cold water."  Vell looked around at the various clothing
on the floor.  "Something clean," Aeka added.  Vell nodded, and climbed under
his bed.  He came out with a (relatively) clean T-shirt.  "It'll do," Aeka said.
She tore several strips from the shirt and tied them together into one thick
band, which she gave to Vell.  "Go, soak this in cold water and bring it back
as quickly as you can."  Vell nodded and ran off.
	Je'ko groaned and attempted to get up again.  "Don't worry yourself... on
my account.  I'm... fine."  Aeka gently pushed him back down onto the bed.
	"You're not fine," she told him, "You're very sick.  Now lay down and go
to sleep."  Je'ko tried to say something, but no words came out.  He gave up,
and closed his eyes.
	Vell came tearing back into the room and practically threw the makeshift
compress at Aeka.  She dabbed at his face with it before laying it across his
forehead.
	"Is he going to be okay?" Vell asked, his voice wavering as he fought back
the tears.
	"I hope so," Aeka said, "He pushed himself too hard.  I think he's been
sick for a while, but he was too stubborn to admit it."
	"Can we do anything?"
	Aeka thought for a moment.  "Hmmm... Go to Mr. Kallits.  Tell him to send
some soup here.  And ask him if he has any Silver Stem, that's supposed to be
good for coughs, or Gendaroh leaves.  If he does, have him mix them with some
tea.  Maybe I should write this down."
	"I got it," Vell said, "Send soup, and put Silver Stem or Gendaroh in tea,
right?"
	Aeka nodded.  "Now go.  And if you see anyone, tell them to get Dr.
Thellin.  You hurry back with the soup and the tea."
	"Hey, Vell," Je'ko said, softly, "Be tough, got it?  Whatever happens, be
tough."
	Vell wiped at his eyes, and ran out of the room.

	Hitomi and Kanako screamed as the boat they were on passed under a
waterfall.  They were laughing as the boat slowly came to a stop.
	"That was fun!" Kanako said hopping out of the boat.
	"Yeah," Hitomi agreed.  A small wind picked up, causing them both to
shiver.  "But maybe we shouldn't have picked such a wet ride so late in the
day.  I mean if we had gone earlier, we could have dried out in the sun.  
It's gonna be kinda hard to dry off now."
	"Looking back, I'd have to agree with you," Kanako said.  She pulled her
long ponytail in front of her, and started wringing some of the water out of it.
"At least you don't have four feet of hair."
	"Yeah, that's true, but your hair is so beautiful.  Mine just gets tangled
up if I let it grow out that long."  Hitomi fingered her curly, light brown hair
with distaste.  "I'd trade in a second if I could."  Hitomi was interrupted as
Kanako sneezed.  "Oh, that doesn't sound so good.  You don't want to catch a
cold.  I'll go get you something hot to drink.  That often helps.  Warm you from
the inside.  I think there was a stand selling hot chocolate over there.  Want
some?"
	"S-sure," Kanako said.  She didn't know what hot chocolate was, but if it
was hot, she was all for it.  If it was chocolate, even better.
	"Okay, I'll be right back," Hitomi said, before running off between two
tents.
	Kanako shivered.  She was really beginning to regret going on that water
ride, but other than that, she had a really good time.  Hitomi was really nice,
and she wasn't constantly trying to win favors with her.  Kanako found the
honesty to be preferable by far.
	A cry brought Kanako out of her thoughts.  She looked up.  The sound had
come from between the two tents in front of her.  There, barely discernible in
the darkness, she saw Hitomi.  A large man had grabbed her, and was struggling
to pull her farther into the shadows.
	Kanako looked around.  There was no one nearby.  The tents nearby had been
closed for the evening.  <Just as well,> Kanako thought, <Makes things simple
enough for me.>
	"Come on, girl," the stranger said, "I just want to have some fun with
you."  He leered at her.  Hitomi tried to scream, but his hand was tightly over
her mouth.
	Suddenly, his other hand was pulled away from her.
	"Hey, what the hell?" he turned to see a very pissed off girl staring up
at him, "Oh, you want in on the fun?"  Hitomi tried to scream again, but to no
avail.
	"Me?" Kanako laughed, "Lay down with a dog like you?  That's one dream
that won't come true."
	"Oh, playing hard to get?" he grinned at her.  His grin made her feel
dirty.  "Girl dressed like you's gotta want some."  Kanako looked down and
turned red.  Her wet tanktop clung to her chest and was almost see-through.  She
quickly let go of his hand and pulled down on her shirt.
	"I could have you killed for comments like that," she snarled at him.
	"Let's see how feisty you are once I'm done," he laughed, reaching out
for her.  Kanako easily sidestepped the grab, and landed a foot square in his
gut.  The man doubled over for a second, but managed to recover.  He growled as
he aimed a fist at her head.
	His growl died as Kanako easily caught his fist with one hand.  She smiled
wickedly as she gracefully raised her leg until her foot was inches from her
head.  Then, in less than a heartbeat, she brought her leg down on his arm,
where it met with a sickening crack.  Before their assailant could even scream,
she had stepped forward, slamming an open palm into his solar plexus.  She
followed this immediately by smashing that elbow into his jaw, and turning to
launch her other elbow into his stomach.  He collapsed to the ground with a
moan.
	"Worthless scum," Kanako said to the unconscious man, "You all right,
Hitomi?"  Hitomi didn't answer.  She stood there with a panicked look on her
face.  She shivered, and Hitomi didn't think it was because of the cold.  Her
blouse had been torn down the middle, the only thing keeping it closed was her
hand.  A large bruise was beginning to form on one cheek.
	"He's gone, Hitomi," Kanako told her, stepping closer.  Hitomi made a
small whimpering noise and stepped back.  "Come on, Hitomi," Kanako said in a
soft voice, "It's me, Kanako.  It's all right now."  Hitomi swallowed nervously,
and nodded.  "Let's get out of here, all right?"  Hitomi's response was to
collapse onto Kanako and cry.

	Katsuhito pulled his arm back and hurled the ball at the pyramid of
bottles.  The ball hit the middle of the pyramid's base, and the bottles
tumbled to the ground.  The man running the booth clapped, and gave the old
priest a stuffed panda.  Katsuhito was about to look for another booth when a
man in a trenchcoat approached him.  The earpiece he wore identified him as part
of the park's security.
	"Excuse me," he said, "Are you Katsuhito Masaki?"
	"Yes, that's me," Katsuhito replied, cautiously.
	"Did you come here with two teenage girls?  One with long black hair, the
other with brown curls?"
	Katushito blinked, "Yes, I did.  Did something happen?  Are they okay?"
	"You'd better come with me," the security guard said curtly.  He led
Katsuhito past the rides and to the park's medical building.  In a white room,
Kanako and Hitomi sat at a table.  Each of them had a heavy blanket draped over
her shoulders and a mug of hot chocolate in front of her.  Kanako had her arm
around Hitomi's shoulder, while Hitomi shivered quite a bit.  A very nervous man
hovered about them, alternating between asking them if there was anything they
needed, and apologizing profusely.
	"What happened?" Katsuhito asked.  The man turned to face Katsuhito, and
became even more nervous.
	"Are you the girl's grandfather?" he asked.
	"It's a bit more complicated than that, but yes," Katsuhito replied, "What
happened?"
	"I'm terribly sorry," the man said, wiping sweat from his brow, "It seems
that the brown hair girl was... um... that is, she was..."
	Katsuhito stared at the man over the rim of his glasses, which had the
desired effect of making him even still more nervous.  "Spit it out."
	"She was attacked," the man said quickly, before adding, "I'm terribly
sorry.  We've got a few empty positions in our security, so a few gaps showed
up.  We're fixing that immediately, of course," he added.  "I can't begin to
tell you how sorry I am."  The man began to babble on, but Katsuhito ignored him
and walked up to the girls.
	"Are you two all right?" he asked them.  Kanako looked at Hitomi.  She had
stopped anything from happening, but Hitomi hadn't said anything since the
attack.  The idea of Hitomi, who usually spoke so quickly and freely, being
silent was very eerie.
	"Nothing happened," Kanako said quietly to Katsuhito, so Hitomi couldn't
hear, "I stopped him before he could really do anything, but I think he gave her
a bit of a scare."  Katsuhito nodded, then turned to Hitomi.
	"Here," his face split in a wide smile as he offered the stuffed panda to
Hitomi.  She smiled weakly, and hugged the toy.  "Let's head home," he
suggested.
	The three of them got up, and after being apologized to half a dozen more
times, headed out to the parking lot.  Finding their car was very easy; it was
the one with the large pile of toys, stuffed animals, and other booth prizes
next to it.
	"Um, Yosho?" Kanako asked, her jaw dropping slightly, "What the hell is
all of this?"
	Katsuhito looked slightly embarrassed.  "Well, it's been a while since I've
been to an amusement park, and I wasn't sure what to do.  So I thought back to
what I used to do.  The only thing I could really remember was winning prizes
for Itsuki or Achika, so I did that."
	Kanako looked incredulously at the pile.  "You've been playing at the
booths?... *All* day?  How are you going to get all this stuff home?"  Suddenly,
Hitomi burst out laughing.  Kanako was so relieved to see Hitomi spring back to
her old self that it took a second before she joined in.  Katsuhito just smiled
as the girls' laughter echoed across the lot.

	"It will take approximately two hours to re-fuel," Akito announced.  Just
then, Sasami, who had been discussing something with Kiyone in whispers,
approached her brother.
	"Akito?" she asked, putting on a cute face.  Tenchi immediately realized
that Sasami was up to something, but he couldn't think of any way to warn Akito.
	"Yes, Sasami?" Akito said, smiling down at her.
	"Can I have some money?" she asked without hesitation.  Akito blinked in
surprise.
	"What for?" he asked.
	Sasami's smile widened.  "We need some alone time, just us girls.  You
understand, right?"  The look on Akito's face clearly stated that he didn't
understand, but he pulled out his wallet anyway.
	"How much do you need?" he asked, dubiously, counting out a few bills.
	"That should be enough," Sasami said.  She grabbed a large number of bills
from Akito's hand, and ran off to the other women.  "Okay," she said to them,
"Let's go!"
	"Huh?" Ryoko asked, "Go where?"
	Kiyone leaned in and whispered, "Sasami tells me that you've never been
shopping in your entire life.  Is this true?"
	Ryoko looked at Kiyone as if she had lost her mind.  "Yeah, so?"
	Kiyone laid a hand on her forehead in a melodramatic fashion.  "It's
unthinkable!  How could Tsunami be so blind as to let such a travesty occur."
Kiyone smiled at Ryoko.  Ryoko didn't return it.
	"It's not my fault Kagato's such an ass!" Sasami put in, smiling.
	"Sasami!" Mihoshi admonished, although she was giggling, "You shouldn't
say that.  Imagine how your sister would react."  Mihoshi knew that was the
wrong thing to say the moment it left her mouth.  Sasami's face grew somber.
"I'm sorry," Mihoshi added, quickly, "I shouldn't have said that.  I didn't-"
	"It's okay," Sasami said in a strangely calm voice, "It's just a week,
right?  Then I'll be able to see her again.  So there's no point in getting
upset about it, is there?"
	"Nope!" Mihoshi said, forcing some enthusiasm into her voice, "Guess not!"
The others exchanged worried glances.
	"Right," Kiyone said, breaking up the silent mood that had fallen over
the group, "Shopping.  Ryoko, you have no idea what you're missing.  When we're
done with you, Tenchi won't know what hit him."

	Aeka bit her lip nervously, as Balin examined the sleeping Je'ko.  Vell
had literally dragged him in shortly after Josen had brought in the soup and
tea.  Balin had not wasted a moment before looking over Je'ko, periodically
stopping to ask Aeka or Vell questions.
	"Is he going to recover?" Aeka finally asked.
	"What?" Balin asked, distractedly, "Oh, yes, he should be fine in a day or
two.  The Gendaroh tea was a good idea."  He turned to face Aeka.  "Je'ko does
this to himself periodically, although rarely this seriously.  His immune system
is rather weak, something that crops up in cross-breeds occasionally, and Je'ko
keeps himself so busy that he's never willing to admit he's sick."
	"Thank you, Dr. Thellin," Aeka said, "Is there anything I can do?"
	"Well, for starters," Balin told her, removing his glasses and sliding
them into his pocket, "You can call me Balin.  I have never cared much for the
formalities of titles.  I'm sure you know what I mean.  Balin will do just fine.
Or Grandfather, if you feel like it."  He smiled at her.  "As for young Je'ko,
you've done a lot already.  All he needs now is some peace and quiet.  So why
don't we all give him some room?"  This last part was directed at Vell.
	"Okay, Ta Ja," Vell said sadly.
	"I know," Aeka said, pretending to sound excited, "Why don't you show me
around the ship, Vell?  I'd really appreciate it."  Vell thought on this for a
moment, before replying.
	"Okay," Vell said, and the two of them left the room.  Outside, the pale
faced Juraian Aeka had seen arguing with Je'ko the other day, leaned against the
wall.
	"So," he said, not bothering to look up, "The idiot's going to be okay?"
The features on Vell's face tightened.  "Oh, come on," he continued, "You can't
honestly say that was a smart move on his part."  Vell didn't reply.
	"Excuse me, I-" Aeka began to introduce herself, but the Juraian cut her
off.
	"Just one thing off the bat, 'princess,'" he told her, "Don't expect me to
bow to you or coddle you.  I have better things to do."
	Aeka glared at him.  "If you're expecting a spoiled girl wailing about the
injustice of the universe, who can't even dress herself, you're going to be
disappointed.  I pride myself for who I am, not who my father is.  I have
forsaken my crown for that very reason.  I will not insist on being treated
like royalty, but I will ask that you treat me like a person."  Much to her
surprise, he smiled back at her.
	"I can honestly say I'm very much relieved.  I thought we had received a
princess, who was more trouble than she was worth.  Instead we have a girl who
might have some value.  Name's Toshio."  He thrust out his hand.  Aeka
hesitated, then shook it.
	"I'm Aeka.  Are you a friend of Je'ko's?"
	Toshio pondered that for a moment before replying.  "More like rivals, I
suppose.  I don't know what I'd do if I wasn't competing with Je'ko," he smiled.
	Aeka nodded, "I think I know the feeling.  So have you been on this ship
as long as Je'ko?"
	"As long as Je'ko?" Toshio laughed, "I was here when Je'ko was suckling at
his mother's teat.  I was here when I was suckling at *my* mother's teat, for
that matter.  I've spent all fifteen years of my life here on the outskirts of
the Forbidden Zone.  You're looking at a third generation Rat."  Aeka noted
that, while Je'ko spoke of his situation with mild disgust, Toshio wore his
like a badge of honor.
	Vell pulled on Aeka's arm.
	"It was nice meeting you," Aeka laughed, "But I think my escort is telling
me it's time to go."
	Toshio looked down at Vell.  "Still mad at me for yelling at you, eh,
scamp?"  He turned back to Aeka.  "I've got things I should be attending to, as
well.  I'll see you around."
	"Farewell," Aeka said, letting Vell pull her down the hall.  It was an
interesting tour.  Vell mainly showed Aeka some of the giant murals that spread
down the walls of the ship.  They were mainly pictures of various wildlife
landscapes, and everytime they came to one, Vell turned to look at Aeka, eyes
brimming with questions, and Aeka would tell him as much as she knew about the
picture.
	The tour ended rather abruptly when they encountered a group of children
next to a small garden.  They were setting up some sort of game.  One of them
ran up to Vell and asked if he wanted to join them.  Vell looked at them for a
second, then turned to look up at Aeka.
	"Sure," Aeka said, in response to Vell's unasked question, "Have fun.
I'll sit here and watch."  Aeka sat down on a large rock in the middle of the
garden and looked around.  The hallway bulged to form a circle around the
garden.  The walls showed a faded mural of various giant figures each doing
something different.
	Aeka startled.  For a moment she had thought there was a picture of
Sasami.  She then realized it was of Tsunami.  She was bent over, pouring water
from her cupped hands.  A golden nimbus surrounded her.  The water flowed along
a dry crevice, forming a river.  Along the sides of the water trees sprang from
the earth and began to grow.  She gazed distractedly at the rest of the
painting, her thoughts on her sister.
	Aeka gasped as she realized that this was "The Children of the Gods," a
painting thought to be lost millennia ago.  It portrayed each of the eleven
Greater Gods as they created the universe around them.  Many argued over which
Gods were part of the Eleven, but the answers lay here, right in front of Aeka's
eyes, if someone could manage to identify the Gods portrayed there.
	To the side of Tsunami, a large man with flaming red hair stood, a massive
forge at his feet.  He held a hammer in one hand, and above the other floated
a newborn planet, its crust still red from the forge.
	On the other side of Tsunami, Aeka was amazed to see Shikeiko and Suzaku.
Suzaku was lifting a babe from a fountain of flames.  Shikeiko, right next to
him, was laying an old man in a coffin that floated in a black river.  Aeka
began to wonder if the dreams she had been having recently were just dreams or
if she had really met with Gods.
	Aeka felt something grab her attention.  She turned to see a regal looking
woman on the mural.  Her hair was a deep tan, and an orange headdress adorned
it.  She rested one hand on a giant hourglass, and her other hand guestured to
the setting sun.  Aeka tried to recall what she had learned of other religions,
but nothing seemed to match this Goddess.  She, too, had a golden aura, barely
visible due to the fading paint.
	Something sparked in Aeka's memory.  She remembered her father explaining
the Juraian belief on the creation of the universe.  The theory was that while
all Eleven Greater Gods helped build the universe, none could compare to the
gifts put down by the three Queens, Goddesses even greater than the rest of the
Eleven.  Unfortunately, of the three Queens, only Tsunami's name escaped being
lost over the millennia.  Aeka believed that the golden auras indicated the
Queens, and that the woman she saw was the Queen of the Heavens, Goddess of time
and the sun.
	Aeka tried to figure out what it was that drew her attention to this
part of the painting.  The Queen somehow seemed familiar, but Aeka had no idea
who she might be.  Her thoughts were suddenly interrupted, however, as the
children began to argue over the rules of the game, and she found herself
nominated the referee of the game.
	All in all, it was a fun way to pass the afternoon, and when it was time
for dinner, she got a chance to meet some of the parents on the ship.  Dinner
on the Jeweled Heart appeared to be a communal meal.  She and Vell shared a
table with Josen and Balin.  After a few inquiries on Je'ko's health,
conversation turned lighter, as Josen and Balin told Aeka various things about
the ship and its inhabitants as they ate.
	"I think its time someone went to bed," Balin said, after they had
finished dessert.  Aeka turned to look at Vell, who seemed ready to collapse
on the table.  Upon hearing this, however, he immediately tried to wake up, with
only marginal success.
	"I'm okay," he protested.
	"I'll take him to bed," Aeka offered.  Vell continued his half-hearted
protests, but they died out as Aeka picked him up and carried him down the halls
to the room he shared with his brother.
	"Aeka?" Vell said quietly, as she pulled the covers over him, "Je'ko says
you knew our mother."
	"I did," she told him.
	"What was she like?"
	"She was very quiet, like you and your brother.  She was shy, but she was
a very good friend.  She had the same deep red hair that you have, only her's
was longer, and it looked like fire when she ran.  In fact," she told him, "when
were younger, whenever a new guard was posted at the palace, she'd run past on
a hill in the distance, and Lita, Lesell, and I would run up to the new guard
and tell him that she was on fire."  Aeka stifled a laugh, not wanting to wake
Je'ko, who was still sleeping.
	"Did they fall for it?" Vell asked.
	"Most of the time, yes," Aeka told him, "Now go to sleep, all right?"
	"Did she have a pretty voice?" he said, hesitantly, "Sa Ja says that she
used to sing to him when he went to sleep."  Aeka could see his eyes in the dim
light from the hallway.  She could see the question in his eyes, the question
he didn't dare put to words.
	Aeka paused for a moment.  It had been a long time since she had sung
lullabies for Sasami, and she hadn't sung anything since then.  She closed her
eyes, trying to remember how she felt when she sang, all those years ago.
	Her voice was scratchy at first, but she quickly regained her singing
voice.  She didn't sing any words - she never did, she always found words to
be a distraction.  She just put her emotions into her lungs and sang.  She sang
a song that had never been heard before, and would never be heard again.  It was
a song of the moment, the only way Aeka knew to sing.
	When she finished singing, Vell was fast asleep.  He looked so adorable,
laying there, that before Aeka even realized what she was doing, she leaned down
and kissed him on the forehead.  Then, she quietly made her way out of the room,
leaving the brothers to their rest.

	"I don't know," Tenchi said, looking in the mirror.  In addition to the
loose blue pants he was wearing, he also had the weirdest shirt he had ever
seen.  It was a solid, shiny green, and the left sleeve came all the way to his
hand, ending in a fingerless glove, but the right arm and shoulder were left
completely bare.
	"I'm tellin' ye," Derai insisted, "Ye look fine."
	"I look silly," Tenchi said.
	"Ye don'a look silly," Derai told him, "Doesn'a he look fine, Akito?"
	"We're supposed to meet up with the girls, soon," Akito said, dodging the
question, "I don't like being late, let's just go."
	Derai looked at the two of them and shook his head.  "Ye're both daft," he
told them, "What do ye think the lasses have been up to?  I'd wager when they
come back, Ryoko's gonna be dressed t' kill.  Ye can at least try to match her
effort."
	Derai's prediction proved to be true.  When they returned, each of the
girls was sporting a new outfit.  Ryoko's was by far the most noticeable.  She
wore a tight, red, low-cut dress.  It's sleeves ended with lace ruffles, and
there was a hole cut out showing her left midriff.
	Tenchi opened his mouth, but nothing came out.
	"Oh!" Ryoko exclaimed, disappearing and reappearing by his side, "Nice
outfit!"  She turned to the other girls.  "Isn't he cute?"  The other girls all
nodded, except for Washuu, who put two fingers in her mouth and let out a loud
catcall.  Tenchi felt his face turn bright red.
	"Um..." he stammered, "Let's just go, okay?"

	1st Day, 9th Month, 9368 G.S.
	It's the beginning of a new month, so it seems like a good time to begin a
journal.  I've never kept a diary before.  It never seemed important before, but
now it suddenly is.  I don't want to forget these last few days.
	It's been ten days since I first woke up on the Jeweled Heart.  I can't
believe these two children are Criks's sons.  It seemed like too much of a
coincidence at first, but now that I think about it, it feels more like destiny.
	They're absolutely adorable.  I'm so glad I met them.  I think Vell likes
me, too.  I'm not sure about Je'ko.  He hides his emotions, like I used to do.
He's very good at it, too.  I feel sorry for him, having to try so hard to be an
adult.  Part of me wants to take my mother's approach, and just hug him until
everything's better, but I know he wouldn't stand for it.  Still, I'm helping
take care of Vell, so hopefully he'll find more time to act his age.
	I've been contributing around the ship as well.  Toshio says that everyone
on board is expected to pull their own weight.  I swear Toshio and Je'ko are
racing to see who can grow up faster.  So I've begun tending the various gardens
around the ship.  Many of them have become horribly overgrown, but I've managed,
with Vell's help, to get most of them under...

	Aeka's pen left a long mark across the page, as the ship suddenly shook
violently, hurtling her out of her seat.  She struggled back to her feet, and
braced herself against the desk as the ship shook again.
	Thoroughly confused, Aeka made her way slowly down the halls to the
communal room.  She wasn't alone; it seemed that everyone on the Jeweled Heart
was here.
	"Aeka!" Vell's voice cried out, "Over here!"  Aeka turned to see Vell
calling to her from Je'ko's shoulders.  She quickly forced her way through the
crowds to them.  Vell held out his arms to her, and she picked him off his
brother's back and cradled him in her arms.  He wrapped his arms tightly around
her neck.  She could feel how nervous he was.
	"What's going on?" Aeka asked.  The ship rocked once again.  Unlike the
previous times, however, it stopped very suddenly, as if something had grabbed
on to it.  Je'ko swore profusely.  Aeka was rather surprised by the sheer number
of vulgarities he knew.
	"Why the hell would someone attack us?" he muttered, "What could we have
that someone else could possibly want?"  Aeka noticed him fingering a dagger in
one hand.  It was very fine quality, Aeka noticed absently.  She hoped Je'ko
wasn't about to do something stupid.
	The doors to the room slid open, and two dozen soldiers, armed with energy
rifles filed in.  The Rats, to their credit, did not back down.  Many of them
drew knives, formed energy sabers, or simply dropped into fighting stances.
	"Now, now," a gentle voice said.  A man in Juraian robes walked into the
hall, his boots sounding loudly against the hard floor.  "Let's keep things
friendly, shall we?"
	"Friendly?" Toshio spat, moving in front of the man, who stood a good head
taller than him, "You barge into *our* home, point guns at us, and then ask to
keep things friendly?"
	It happened so quickly, Aeka missed it.  All she knew was that Toshio was
on the floor, and the man had a Juraian sword pointed at the back of his neck.
	"Like I said," he went on, as if nothing had happened, "Let's keep things
friendly.  Allow me to introduce myself.  My name is Araki. I'm looking for
someone, and I have reason to believe he is on this ship.  Now," he lifted
Toshio's head by the hair and held the sword up to his throat, "You'll help us
find this person, as a token of our friendship, right?"
	"Stop this at once!" Aeka said.  She tried to hand Vell back to his
brother, but he wouldn't let go of her.  "I'll go with you, just don't hurt
anyone."
	The Juraian stared at her for a moment.  "Princess Aeka?" he asked,
shocked, "What in the galaxy are you doing here?"
	"That's not important," she told him, "I'll go quietly if you promise to
leave everyone else alone."
	The Juraian stood up.  "Tempting offer, Your Highness, but I'm not
interested in you.  It's the boy you're holding that I'm here for."
	Vell's grip around Aeka's neck tightened.  Je'ko stepped forward, ready to
fight.  The Juraian locked eyes with him, and strangely enough, Aeka saw
compassion and sorrow, hidden behind the determination in his eyes.
	"This isn't the time for heroics," he said, bringing his sword back down
to Toshio's neck, "You can either let us take the boy, or you can try to stop
us, and we'll take the boy by force.  All you'll accomplish is dying for
nothing."  Aeka noticed that the soldiers had their guns trained on women and
children, not the men.  A man with a gun at his head might give his own life up
to fight, but sacrificing someone else's life was entirely different.
	"Take the boy," he ordered the closest soldier.  Vell buried his face in
Aeka's shoulder.  Aeka stepped away, holding Vell tightly.
	"Your Highness," the Juraian said warningly, "Don't do something stupid."
	"I won't let you take him!" Aeka snapped back, "As the first princess of
Jurai, I order you to call off your men, and leave this ship immediately!"
	"Very well, we'll do it the other way," he said sadly.  He nodded to one
of his men, and Aeka felt the barrel of a gun press into her back.  "Vell,
that's your name, right?"  Vell just looked at him with tear-filled eyes.
"Listen, Vell.  I need you to come with me.  If you don't, well, some pretty
unpleasant things will happen, you understand?"
	"Vell, don't!" Aeka said, as the child wriggled his way out of her arms.
	"You're not going to hurt anyone, right?" Vell asked.
	"If you come with me, then I swear by the Tree of Light, no one will be
harmed."  Vell nodded once, then walked over to the Juraian.
	"Vell!" Je'ko cried out, "No!"  He charged at the Juraian, but one of the
soldiers smashed the butt of his gun into Je'ko's face.  There was a loud crack,
and Je'ko fell to the floor.
	The soldier gasped, as an energy sword burst through his chest.  The blade
withdrew, and he collapsed to the ground.
	"That's for making me a liar," the Juraian said to the dead man.  He
turned to the rest of the troop.  "Let's go."
	At the last minute, Aeka's will broke.  The airlock snapped shut just
before she reached it.  She threw herself against it and collapsed, weeping, to
the floor.
	"That won't bring back Vell," Toshio said, "If you're a Rat, then come
with us."
	"W-Where?" Aeka said, trying to get her tears under control.
	"What do you think would happen if you reached into a pile of rats, and
grabbed one of their young?" he asked.
	Aeka blinked.  "You'd have rats all up your arm."
	Toshio grinned.  "Exactly.  Now, are you coming?  With Je'ko down," he
looked at Je'ko, who was having his jaw inspected by Dr. Thellin, "I'll need
someone to fly gunner on our ship."
	Aeka nodded.  "Let's go."

	"That's where the distress signal came from," Kiyone told Tenchi, pointing
at a display screen that showed an empty section of space.
	"Well," Tenchi said impatiently, "Shouldn't we see if we can find any
clues or something?"
	Kiyone frowned.  "This is the challenging part," she said, "We're at the
edge of the Forbidden Zone.  Aeka was *in* the Forbidden Zone.  If we go in
there, I don't know what might happen to us."
	"You aren't saying you believe all that superstitious stuff you told me,
are you?"
	"These aren't rumors we're talking about," Kiyone snapped back, "We have
hundreds of files on ships disappearing here.  And it's not like the Bermuda
Triangle on Earth, where 'some ships' vanish.  *Every* ship that has gone in
there has not come out."
	Tenchi realized how foolish he was being.  "I'm sorry, Kiyone," he said,
"I'm just nervous.  It's my fault that all of this happened.  I need to do
whatever I can to help her.  So what do we do now?"
	Kiyone was about to respond when they suddenly heard yelling from the
hall.  They turned to see Mihoshi struggling with Sasami, who was still in her
pajamas.
	"Let me go!" Sasami yelled, trying to break free from Mihoshi's grasp,
"She's here!  I want to see my sister!  Let go!"  She slipped out of Mihoshi's
hands, leaving Mihoshi to fall flat on her face.
	"Sasami," Kiyone said, "Aeka's not here.  We're at the Forbidden Zone, but
we need to figure out what happened to Aeka after the distress signal was sent.
Right now, we don't know where she is."
	"She's here," Sasami insisted, "I *saw* it.  There!" she said, suddenly
pointing at the display screen, "She's there!"  True enough, barely visible on
the screen, a tiny fleet of ships flew across the sky.
	"What do you think?" Tenchi asked Kiyone.
	"Two things," she replied, "First of all, it's the best lead we have right
now.  That aside, I don't think Sasami's going to give us a choice."  She turned
and activated the computer.  "Yagami, follow those ships and send out a hailing
signal as soon as we're in range.  Activate the ships speakers."  She leaned
over the console.  "Everyone report to the bridge."
	They waited, staring at the screen as the ships slowly grew bigger.  One
by one, the others arrived, and they explained what was happening.
	"We don't know who these people are," Kiyone told them, "They might have
been the ones who attacked Aeka.  They could just be innocent bystanders."
	"Sure are a lot of one and two-man ships," Mihoshi observed, "I wonder
where they're going."
	"We'll find out soon enough," Akito said, fiercely.  The minutes dragged
on, but eventually, they entered hailing range.  A very ragged look man appeared
on a screen.  Pottidan, Kiyone noted.
	"This is Kiyone Makibi, of the Galaxy Police," Kiyone said, "Identify
yourself."
	"Daeroth," he said simply, taking a long drag from a cigar.
	"Mr. Daeroth," Kiyone continued, politely, "We have a few questions we'd
like to ask."
	"Sorry, toots," Daeroth said with a wink, "Don't have time."
	"What'd you do with Aeka!" Tenchi shouted.  Kiyone shot him a glare that
clearly said 'let me handle this.'
	"Tenchi?" Aeka said, appearing on another screen.  She was in her
battlegear.  Tears had left trails down the white and black makeup that enhanced
her powers.  Her face became firm.  "Go away," she ordered.
	"What?" Tenchi asked, bewildered, "We came all this way for you!"
	"I didn't ask you to," Aeka told him, "I've finally found a place where I
can be happy."
	"You don't really *look* happy," Ryoko commented.
	"A temporary setback," Aeka said harshly, "Which we are about to rectify."
	"Do you really think you can be happy living with Rats?" Ryoko asked.
	A pale-faced Juraian appeared on a third screen.  "Who said that?" he
demanded.  His eyes landed on Ryoko.  "Oh, so now I'm being looked down on by
a common criminal."
	Ryoko smiled a wicked grin, "Not 'common' by any means.  At least I'm not
some dirty scavenger, hunting through filth just to survive."
	"Both of you, stop it!" Aeka admonished, "We don't have time for this."
	Tenchi stepped forward.  "Aeka, we need to talk."
	"Even if we did, I don't have the time for it," Aeka said, "We're in the
middle of something.  Good-bye."
	"Wait!" Sasami cried out, "Please!  Let me help!  I don't know what's
going on, but there must be *something* I can do!"  Sasami broke down and
began to cry.  "I don't want this to be good-bye!  I'm sorry I ruined your
dress.  I'm sorry I told Tenchi about when you forgot your lines at that
ceremony.  I'm sorry!  Please!  Just don't leave me again!"
	Aeka's face softened as she looked at her sister.  "Sasami, it's not your
fault.  It never was."
	"Yes it is," Sasami sniffed, wiping at her eyes, "I shouldn't have pulled
all those pranks on you.  I should have helped you get Tenchi.  I... I... I
should have been a better sister!"
	"Sasami!" Aeka said harshly, causing Sasami to look up at her.  Aeka
smiled.  "Don't ever say that again.  You were the greatest sister I could have
asked for."
	"Then take me with you," Sasami said.
	"Ye look like ye're headin' out fer battle," Derai said, "Surely we could
help."
	"All right," Aeka replied, "Follow us."

	Araki led Vell into a large room.  One end of it was raised.  At the top
was a computer console, behind which sat a man with dark eyes.  The situation
reminded Vell of the evil king on his throne from one of the books Je'ko read to
him.  The man watched as the pair entered the room.
	"We've returned, sir," Araki said, saluting.
	"Is this the boy?" the man asked.
	"Yes, sir!"
	A wide grin split the dark-eyed man's face.  "Good work, Araki.  Good
work.  Send him up here."
	Araki gave Vell a gentle push forward.  Vell paused, then decided that,
scared as he was, he wasn't going to let them see his fear.  He stared at the
evil king as he slowly climbed the stairs.  The dark-eyed man merely laughed.
As Vell reached the top of the stairs, he stood up, and walked over to him.
	"If looks could kill," he chuckled, "So, you're Vell, are you?"  Vell
didn't respond, but merely continued to glare daggers at the man.  Suddenly, the
man lashed out, striking Vell across the face and knocking him to the floor.
"Well I am Orachi Kuroki, and you will speak when I ask you a question,
understand?"
	Vell got up, rubbing his cheek.  He didn't look up at the evil king, but
instead stared at his feet.  Kuroki grabbed his face and forced Vell to meet his
eyes.  The grip was very painful, and Vell could feel tears fill his eyes.
	"Do you understand?" Kuroki repeated.
	"Yeah," Vell said, choking back more tears.  The man pushed him away.
Vell stumbled backwards, wishing that Aeka, or Je'ko, or anybody he knew was
here.  A pair of hand gently caught him and steadied him.  Vell looked into the
strangely compassionate eyes of Akari.
	"Well?" Kuroki said to Akari, "Prepare him."  Akari faltered for a moment
before responding.
	"Y-yes, sir," he said, sadly.  He knelt down beside Vell and began to
remove Vell's shirt.  "Don't worry, Vell," he whispered comfortingly, "This
won't hurt."  Once Vell's shirt was off, he placed several odd-looking discs on
Vell's chest, as well as one on each cheek, and one more on his forehead.  He
then picked up Vell and gently placed him on a hard metal table.  Vell was
silent, but cooperative through all of this, fearing what might happen to him if
he resisted.
	"Excellent work," Kuroki observed, smiling, "We are ready to begin."
There was a low hum as the table Vell lay on slid into a large machine.  Vell,
now hidden from Kuroki's view, began to cry.

	"Approaching combat range," Toshio reported.
	Daeroth flicked away the remnants of his cigar.  "All right, boys.  Flip
'em to armed, lock on target, and let 'em have it."
	"Wait," Akito said to the various ships currently in communication with
the Yagami, "Look at their formation.  Notice how those Strikers are all lined
up?"
	"Yeah?" Toshio said, "Who cares?"
	Daeroth cut him off, "Let's hear him out."
	Akito tried to brush his hair out of his eyes, with no success.  "Well,
once we attack, that formation will break.  If we play our cards right, we can
destroy those Strikers with the first attack, which will shift the odds in our
favor."
	"How do you propose that?" Aeka asked.
	Akito smiled, "Trenan Skyrunner."  He turned to the screen for the
Lightning Eagle.  "Do you think you can handle that?" he asked Derai.
	The Trenan studied his display for a moment.  "With them all lined up like
that, I can take 'em out with one nice shot."
	"Okay," Akito continued, pacing back and forth, "Once he fires that shot,
we charge.  Ryoko, I want you to fire the Ryo-ohki's main laser at the flagship,
but I want you to cut the power level to five percent."
	"Five percent?" Ryoko asked, "That won't be enough to do anything."
	Akito waved his hand, dismissing her objection.  "On the contrary," he
replied, "It will cause the ships around it to scatter.  That's when the Rats
can get in and take out it's thrusters.  Daeroth, who are your best precision
hitters?"
	"Nelu, Alia, and myself," Daeroth replied.
	Akito nodded.  "All right, you three concentrate on getting that ship
immobilized.  The rest of you, draw the other ships as far away from the
flagship as you can.  We need enough time to teleport into their ship.  Washuu,
you can get us past their shields, right?"
	"Piece of cake, Your Highness" Washuu smiled.
	"Okay, let's get ready.  Derai, fire when ready."
	The eagle-shaped ship soared out of their formation.  The enemy ships
appeared to be trying to avoid a confrontation if possible, and made no move to
intercept what they perceived to be a fleeing vessel.
	A perception that proved to be very wrong, as the Lightning Eagle's Hammer
ripped through ten ships at once.  Ryo-ohki let out a warcry as she opened fire
on the flagship.  The Rats then swarmed in and quickly engaged the fighters,
preventing them from regrouping.
	With the path cleared, it was a relatively simple task for the three Rats
to get into position and open fire.  They were rewarded with three large
explosions, as the thrusters detonated.
	"Okay," Kiyone said through gritted teeth, "Let's go."  The Yagami slid
forward, firing at any ship that got too close.  "Toshio," she called out to the
ship that had taken a flight path right next to theirs, "What are you doing?"
	"We're invading the ship with you, of course," Toshio said firmly, "That
kid's like a brother to me, and I intend to get him back.  Besides, I'm no good
out here.  Aeka can't hit the broad side of a barn."
	"You're the one who asked me to come," Aeka snapped, "I never said I had
any skills as a gunman!"
	"Enough chitchat, kids," Washuu said, pounding away at her holo-top, "It's
time to go."

	Kuroki was no longer smiling.  He was staring at the test results in
disbelief, his eyes occasionally glancing up at Vell, who now stood in front of
him again.
	"How can it be?" he asked out loud, "The Prophecies said that it would be
this child.  My interpretations were flawless.  How could I have been mistaken?"
	"Sir," Akari called up from the door, "We're under attack.  We've lost all
three primary thrusters, and we've detected several intruders on board.  They're
sweeping through our ship like a wildfire."
	Kuroki sighed, "Prepare the stealth craft.  We're going to leave."
	Akari blinked in surprise.  "What about the men?  We can't just-"
	"They're mercenaries," Kuroki reminded him, "They're paid to risk their
lives.  We're calling them on it.  Understood?"
	"Yes, sir," Akari spat, "What about the boy?"
	Kuroki thought for a moment.  "Kill him."
	"Sir?"
	"Kill him."
	Akari just stared at him in disbelief.  "But, sir... why?  He can't do us
any harm."
	Kuroki glared down at Akari.  "He has done both of us enough harm as it
is.  Go prepare the ship.  I'll take care of him myself."  He reached behind the
desk and pulled out a laser pistol.  Akari didn't move.  "That's an order.  Go,
or I'll execute you for treason next to him."
	"Yes, sir," Akari said, his anger and frustration at the situation
apparent in his voice.  Without another word, he stormed out of the room.
	"Any last words, Vell?" Kuroki sneered.  He pressed the barrel of the gun
against Vell's bare chest.
	Vell took a deep breath and screamed at the top of his lungs.
	"A-E-KA!!!"

	They ran through the ship like death itself.  If they had more time to
organize, the troops may have been able to hold them off.  But scattered about
as they were, they didn't have a chance.  Any who stood were cut down by
Tenchi's Light Hawk Sword, or cleaved in half beneath Derai's massive Ironforge.
Those that ran were picked off at a distance by Toshio's shots, and anyone
attempting to sneak up on them were confronted by the first princess of Jurai.
Akito was a blur.  Dozens fell to his blades as he swept past.  Each one
collapsed to the ground, killed by a single strike to the chest, neck, or head.
	They were proceeding down the ship in this fashion, when they heard
something that made their blood run cold.
	They heard a young voice echoing down the corridors.
	"A-E-KA!!!"
	Followed by a gun shot.
	And then silence.
	Tenchi turned to Aeka.  Her battle gear had faded, but her face was so
pale, it looked like she still had the makeup on.  Her eyes were wide, and
brimming with tears.  Her mouth hung slightly open, as she whimpered softly,
unable to find words for her feelings.
	Tenchi was suddenly aware that something very odd was going on.  Despite
them being on a spaceship, Aeka's hair wafted as if caught in a gentle breeze.
The usually stale, recycled air smelled of electricity.  Then he noticed a
yellow light forming at Aeka's neck.  The light coalesced into a bright ball at
the base of her throat.
	Aeka suddenly screamed and energy crackled around her body.  A black
substance sprung out of nowhere, wrapping itself around Aeka's body as her
clothing faded.  It shrank until she was wearing a skin-tight suit, completely
black with tiny specks of white that twinkled like stars.  The ball of light
exploded, and golden lightning patterns ran down her chest.  A jagged piece of
armor leapt across her left shoulder, again looking like golden lightning.
	She thrust her hand forward.  Tenchi gasped as a Light Hawk wing appeared
and settled into her outstretched hand.  Another followed, and another.  Five in
total.  She closed her hand tightly, and a nagitana formed in her hands.
	She screamed again, before flying down the corridor.  Giant waves of
energy leapt from her, leaving large scorch marks along the walls.  Tenchi and
the others exchanged confused glances, before chasing after her.
	It was very easy to follow her.  Her path was marked by burnt walls and
smoking floors.  Any door that stood in her path was half melted, half blasted.
The soldiers she had encountered suffered a similar fate, charred skeletons were
all that remained.
	They found Aeka at the top of a set of stairs in a large room.  Her battle
armor had faded, both the Juraian set, and the new armor she had acquired.  She
was cradling something in her arms.  Tenchi's eyes fell on a red liquid that
dripped down the stairs.  Toshio swore.
	"Vell," Aeka sobbed.  It wasn't fair.  It wasn't right.  Why did he have
to die?  He hadn't hurt anyone.  It made no sense.  She struggled to find words
to voice the injustice of the situation, to describe how much she hurt, but none
came.  There simply were no words to describe such a horrible sensation.
	So she sang.
	She sang a low, mournful song.  A funeral dirge for the young boy who
lay stiff in her arms.  She poured all of her emotions into that song, and
brought tears to the eyes of everyone who heard it.
	<Do something!> part of Tenchi screamed at himself, <She needs you.  She
needs anybody.  She just needs to know she's not alone in the universe.  You
lost your mother, you can relate.  Do something!>  But for all it's screaming,
it had yet to come up with anything to do.
	A sharp note pierced the air, joining Aeka's mournful song.  Derai, a
small, wooden flute at his lips, began to climb the stairs.  He played his flute
beautifully, a perfect counterpart to Aeka's voice.  His song said what no words
could have possibly conveyed: that he knew, he truly understood, what she was
going through.
	Finally, Aeka could no longer sing, and she resumed weeping over Vell's
now cold body.  Derai continued the song for a moment, before finally bringing
the mournful tune to a close.  He placed a hand on Aeka's shoulder, and she
reached up with hers to hold onto it.
	Someone clapped.
	"Absolutely beautiful."  Everyone turned to look at the newcomer.
	"Suzaku!" Aeka gasped.
	"You are wondrous, your Highness," Suzaku bowed, "Even in your misery."
	Aeka looked down at the still form in her arms.  A tear fell and splashed
on Vell's cheek.  "Please," she said, sobbing, to the god, "Bring him back to
me.  He... he doesn't deserve this."
	"I offer you my condolences," Suzaku said, "but that's all I can give you.
I cannot revive Vell."
	"Why not?" Aeka demanded, "Aren't you the God of Life?  You brought me
back to life.  Why can't you do the same for him?"
	Suzaku sighed.  "'Life' is such a simple term for such a complex thing.
When I say I am the God of Life, I mean that I am the one that brings life into
this world.  I give life freely to those who would be born.  But with someone
who has lived and died, it's not so easy.  It isn't something I can do on a
whim."
	Aeka was silent for a moment.  "Then take mine," she said softly, "If it
will bring back Vell, there is no price too great.  He deserves your gift more
than I do."
	"You're not listening!" Suzaku told her, "Rebirth is a delicate thing.
You could be reborn, because your heart and mind were ready for it.  Indeed,
even before you died, you cast off all that you knew in search of something
different.  Vell was happy with his life, especially once you entered into it.
I can't give him new breath, when he is content with his old, expired life.  He
cannot be reborn like you were."
	"Then what's the point?" Aeka yelled through her tears, "If there's
nothing you can do, then why did you even come?  Do you enjoy watching me
suffer?  Is pain such great entertainment that you bring me back, just to
prolong it?"  Suzaku stepped up to her, his long legs closing the distance
between them in two quick strides.
	*Slap!*
	Aeka pulled her hand away from Derai's and felt the cheek Suzaku had
struck.  Derai rose angrily, glaring at the god.  Suzaku met his gaze without
flinching, his bird-like features angry.
	"Do not think to contest wills with me, Servant," Suzaku growled.  His red
eyes flared, and Derai was knocked away by an unseen force.  He landed at the
foot of the stairs with a loud 'thud.'
	"And you," he turned to Aeka, "You are trying my patience.  If you care
about that boy, then pay attention.  Vell cannot be reborn, but he can be
revived."
	Aeka felt hope surge in her heart.  She fought it.  Hope only lead to
pain.  Three times now, she thought she had found happiness.  And three times it
was ripped away from her, each time more painful than the last.  She couldn't
afford to let her heart be broken again.  But... if it could bring back Vell...
	She looked up at Suzaku, her heart in her eyes.  "Tell me," she said
tentatively, "Tell me how I can save him."
	"Do you know who Vell is?  He's more than the bastard product of an
unsatisfied wife.  He's more than a Rat.  He is the chosen vessel of the Lord of
Fire, Vallo."
	"Then he can bring himself to life," Aeka half said, half asked, "Like
Tsunami did?"
	"No," Suzaku said, "Tsunami is the Goddess of Life and Water.  Vallo's
realm of influence is limited to fire, passion, and justice.  His powers can
take lives, and they can save lives, but restoring life is beyond their reach."
	Aeka raised a hand to her head.  Everything he said was a puzzle.  Aeka
was not ready to handle this on top of everything else.
	"Please," she said, "spare me your riddles.  If Vell can be saved, *tell*
me.  Just stop toying with me."
	"Very well," he told her, "For you, I shall be blunt.  Vallo was slain in
the Divine Wars, as were all the gods.  However, before he left, he took a part
of his soul, and placed it in the hearts of his most faithful Servants, to
become manifest when the time was right.  With Vallo's soul, we can reincarnate
Vallo within Vell's body, resurrecting him in the same way Sasami was.  Isn't
that right, Sasami?"
	There was a collective gasp as Sasami stepped out of the shadows.
	"Sasami!" Akito said, "What are you doing here?  It's dangerous!"
	"There is no danger," she assured her brother, "The only living beings on
this ship are in this room.  Regardless, I have to be here.  There is something
that only I can do."  She stepped up to Derai's unconscious form.  She touched
him, and he woke.  He blinked at her in confusion, before getting to his feet.
	"Sasami?" he asked, still in a daze, "What's goi'n on?"
	Sasami addressed the Trenan with a serious tone.  "Derai, I need to ask
you to do something.  Something you have been told never to do.  I need you to
take off the glove on your left hand."
	Derai stared at her.  "Do ye realize what yer askin' me?"
	Sasami nodded.  "I do.  I know more about it than you yourself do.  You
have done a great service to you Lord, Derai, but that service is at an end now.
Your next task will be much simpler, but just as important."
	Derai looked down at the leather glove that covered his left arm.  "When I
was just a wee lad, the Grand Knight told me that I must ne'er take off this
glove.  All my life, I have kept it on, and wondered why.  I have always
wondered what could be so important about m' left hand, that I must keep it
covered at all times.  I ne'er took it off, though, 'cause I gave the Grand
Knight m' word.  But if ye're asking me, Sasami..."  Derai pulled the glove off
of his arm.  Everyone gasped in amazement.
	His left arm was burning.
	From his elbow to his fingertips, Derai's left arm was covered in the blue
fire that symbolized Vallo's divine might.  It burned with such an intensity,
that everyone there had to shield their eyes, and the entire room was filled
with heat.  Derai didn't seem to notice the brightness or the heat.  He just
stared at his burning arm.
	"That is the manifestation of Vallo's spirit," Sasami told him, "Now, go
to my sister, and place your hand on the child's wound."
	Derai swallowed nervously, before he began to climb the stairs once more.
Aeka stared at him as he approached.  Derai looked into those eyes, brimming
with sadness.  From what he had heard, Aeka had recently been dealt several hard
blows, and from the look in her eyes, she was inches away from shattering.
	Derai knelt in the blood by her side.  Aeka trembled nervously as he
reached his burning hand for Vell.  He wrapped his right arm around her
shoulders to steady them both, and placed his hand over the wound in Vell's
heart.
	The blood on the platform ignited in blue flames.  The fire followed the
trail of blood down the stairs.  Even the bloodstains on Derai's back and Aeka's
dress began to burn.  Derai gritted his teeth against the pain.
	"Vallo, guide me," he whispered, "Vallo, teach me.  Vallo, love me.  An' I
shall serve thee forever."  Over and over he whispered this prayer, drawing
strength from it.
	Aeka was silent.  If she even felt the flames that enveloped her, she
didn't show it.
	"After you," Sasami said to Suzaku.  Suzaku nodded, and knelt down by a
pool of the burning blood at his feet.
	"Vallo's fire," he intoned, "is the fire of passion and justice.  It burns
devotion into the hearts of lovers, faith into the hearts of the righteous, and
fear into the hearts of the wicked.  My fire is the fire of life.  It ignites
the tiny soul beneath the mother's heart.  I offer you life anew.  Shadows still
flicker in the Halls of the Divine.  Return to us, join your fire with mine and
we shall burn away these shadows as father and son!"  As he finished his prayer,
he thrust his hand into the fire.  Golden and scarlet fire leapt up to join the
blue flames.
	Sasami stepped forward, and raised a hand, palm facing upwards.  "Heaven
to Ocean, Ocean to Earth, Earth back to Heaven.  My sister offers you her tears,
the gift of Ocean.  Your Servant offers you his flesh, the gift of Earth.  I
offer you my heart, the gift of Heaven.  Accept our gifts, return to us.  Return
to the ones who love you."  As she spoke, a blue light appeared above her
upturned hand, and began to grow.
	She lifted the light up to her face, and blew it gently away from her.  It
drifted slowly up the stairs, towards Aeka and Vell.  It floated through Derai's
hand, and into Vell's chest.
	Vell's back arched as he gasped for breath.  Aeka burst into tears again,
but this time, they were tears of joy.  She held him tightly to her, swearing in
between sobs that she'd never let him go.
	She didn't notice the strange man that stood beside her.  He was tall,
even taller than Derai.  He wore no shirt, just a pair of trousers, and a black
leather apron that covered his chest and legs.  It was the simple garb of a
blacksmith, but the man who wore it was no mere smith.
	"You make me proud, Derai," the god, Vallo, said, "You are the greatest of
my Servants."
	Derai hung his head, "Ye give me too much credit, m'Lord.  There are
others greater than I could ever hope t' be."
	Vallo merely laughed.  A deep, resounding laugh that echoed off the walls.
"I won't deny that you have let me down at points.  You let your anger cloud
your judgment, but even now you are recovering.  Your heart is strong, Derai,
and I know that no matter what happens, you will never waver from my side.  It
is your strong heart that makes me proud.  And that is why you were chosen to
carry my spirit until I could be reborn.  Now, Derai, I have another task I
would lay on your shoulders."
	Derai looked up into the sapphire eyes of his god.  "Anything, m'Lord.  My
life is yours."
	"In time, Vell and I shall become one."  The god looked over to where Aeka
was still hugging Vell tightly, oblivious to everything around her, even the god
that stood next to her.  "Until then, I entrust his welfare to you.  I want you
to look after him."
	Derai nodded.  Vallo turned and descended the stairs to kneel in front of
Sasami.  Even on one knee, he towered over the young princess.  He placed his
hands on her shoulders and leaned close.
	"Thank you, Tsunami," he whispered.
	Then he kissed her.
	Sasami blushed as emotions overwhelmed her.  And with the emotions came
memories.  Places she had been, things she had done.  She saw her brothers and
sisters lined across the Hall of the Divine.  She saw Tsunami.  She saw herself.
	~At last you understand,~ Tsunami's voice echoed faintly in her head, ~You
finally understand.  Now we are truly one.~
	"Good bye, Tsunami," Vallo whispered to her.  Suddenly, as if caught in a
whirlpool, the flames began to spin.  Vallo bowed, and he and the flames flew
into Vell's body.
	"Good bye, Vallo," Sasami whispered back.
	"Is it just me," Toshio said suddenly, "Or are the three of us just excess
baggage?"
	"Well," Akito said, "I came to help my sister.  And it appears she's all
right now, but I can't really claim credit for any of it."
	Tenchi nodded in agreement.  "We came all this way, and we didn't do
anything."
	"Sucks, don't it?" Toshio laughed.  Still smiling, he turned to the
blue-haired princess.  "Hey - Sasami, right?  What was up with that kiss?"
	Sasami suddenly found the floor very interesting.  She could feel her
cheeks get hot as the blood rushed to her face.  "It's only natural," she said,
timidly, "For a man to greet his wife with a kiss."
	"What?!" the three men exclaimed in unison.
	"I'm gonna go check on my sister!" Sasami said quickly, darting up the
stairs.  She found Aeka laying on the floor, her hands wrapped protectively
around Vell.  Her dress was white again, no trace of the blood that had stained
it.
	Derai motioned for her to be quiet, as he picked up the sleeping princess.
Aeka turned and rested her head on the Trenan's massive chest.  Vell woke up for
a moment, and looked around with sleepy eyes until he saw Aeka's face next to
him.
	"Ka Sha," he murmured drowsily, as he wrapped his arms around Aeka's neck
and went back to sleep.  Derai smiled as he carried the two of them down the
stairs.

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Well I hope you liked "A Heart Still Beats"  Remember, C&C is the food and drink
of fan fic writers, so please email me at bkuhn@ucsd.edu Even if it's just to
say "you rule" or "you suck" I'd like to know.

I'd also like to tell my readers that I'm taking a small break from "To Love and
To Hate" to work on some other projects, but I will return to continue this
story.