(Part Nineteen - New Explorations, New Suprises)

...a...humming... sound.... then some green light... then muffled sounds that slowly became clear... more familiar...
Then I saw Tsui's face... a pleasant thing to awaken to...
I then sat up... letting my eyes clear out... despite protests from the GP meds...
And THAT certainly didn't stop Tsunami either... after a sigh and a kiss, I got grasped by the scruff of my healing suit, and felt the wrath of a goddess that's been scared out of her wits... full of insinuations dealing with my manhood, and state of mind... within fifty words too... 
I also noted Father chuckling, I instantly protested.... then hushed by Tsunami... I was in the bad it seemed....

After the room stopped spinning, I was brought up to date on what had happened... and a few suprising details... Tsunami's attacker... apparently sent from Mulhorand's camp, was.... Juraian.... THAT sure took me back... with the scan done on the now deceased carcass within 99.6% accurate....
But the scan also showed the DNA of the creature was of a older Juraian strand, not a current one... all I could do was scratch my head....
I also learned that we were to have restricted access to Fungesian space, mainly to reach the probable location of my Tree.... and apparently the location of Old Jurai.... the rest of the report was of rudimentary details of the Misaki clans activities.... Mihoshi still makes me laugh...

Then suddenly... Tsunami asked everyone in the room to leave her and myself alone for a bit... I didn't see anything coming... a few of the others did though... I didn't catch on till the door shut... with a quip from mother....
Then a bluish glow flooded the room... 
Tsunami then... umm...
The rest is best left out.. my kids might read this someday... heh...

The next day... I walked out with Tsunami... rather refreshed... as I learnt as from her and Tokimi's help in keeping me alive... and as much from, uhh..... anyway....
Tenchi was the first to greet us... and we learned that Kiyone's old ship had been replaced with a new one... a Heavy Cruiser of all things... about three times bigger than the old Yagami.. which... was the name of the new ship... old habits and traditions it seemed... 
But it WAS a cool ship... about everything else about the ship was three time better... it pays to know kings it seems.... 
We also had a new guest waiting...

His name was Nen.... a young, up and coming GP detective First Class, not as.. polished as Kiyone and umm.. Mihoshi I guess... but... his specialty happened to be the Fungesian Empire... since I learned quickly that he was from there...
Incredible... even the Fungesians looked Terran... along with the Juraians... I took note to better aquatint better... but Sasami beat me to the punch... and the choice was obvious... he knew Fungesia.... like a fish knows a fishbowl... something like that...
We shortly launched soon after that, one mouth extra... Sasami and apparently Bruinuae took an inordinate amount of time with Nen... cute, but little consequence I thought... Tsui saw differently... but I missed that.... 

It took another three days to reach the Fungesian border... and I became MUCH better with karioke... Tsunami and I became an inseparate duo.... there must be a lifetime supply of hankies in the new Yagami... Washu still needed tuning... 
Something else happened on that trip.... Gaia began to be... pensive... quiet... and the wedding planning suffered as a result... but not much else... the Ayeka/Ryoko war got joined with a short lived Sasami/Bruinuae war... though not as... wicked... as demonstrated by a dirty trick Ayeka pulled on Ryoko... during a bath time apparently... nice... umm.... bod... I guess....
Sasami and Bruinuae resorted to board games as their field of battle... Nen sure enjoyed.... but not realizing WHY they were doing it.....
Good gravy... I had some teaching to do for this kid... (yes I caught on....)

I filled in time between dodging explosions, answering queries about wedding details, and chores... with a new focus on my meditation... 
I decided the time was right to fully explore my true self... knowing I might need the answers in dealing with Mulhorand, and in communicating with my Link Tree... if I ever found it...
Tsunami was VERY helpful in directing my focusing... a bit at a time... and as much as in Tsui wanting me to know my past... she let know her desire to know both my past and present... 
Mainly from just desire... I made sure to ensure that her state of mind was proper for this task...

I also studied the apparent link between the power gems Washu had made, and the Jurai power... more focusing on the origins of these powers... I made more than a few scientific hypotheses at the dinner table on both nights; and a couple of heated discussions with Washu... not really caring if she WAS smarter than I... I went with the pseudo-logical approach, on dealing with non-fact based arguing... driving the alternate arenas of fact in dealing with the Jurai power, the Goddesses, and a few other things that I felt were related: Kagato, Ryoko, the Treeships functions... among others...
Washu actually cried... in joy... if for a moment... I guess I made a good impression... Mother was simply proud... I got embarrassed, and everyone got a laugh out of that...

Also along with the rest of the daily stuff... we ALL read into the details of the Fungesian Empire... or Star Republic as also termed... much from Nen's detailed prep reports, and from study...
A civilization as old as the Juraians... using a version of the Jurai power not as well know in our quadrant of the Galaxy... a bit edgy with the Juraians more out of competition than actual hatred... hopeful there... 
The technology was quite intriguing... made of a similar organic based system as the Juraians, but instead of trees... they used a hybrid jewel/organo-crystalline.... sure made the ships look pretty.. like large floating snowflakes, with more metallic ships as escorts to the main fleet vessels.... most impressive... but one other bit struck me... the power sources... Gems.... I made note to infer of Washu later...

I was in the middle of admiring a well made Fungesian Battleship, when the proximity alarm sounded...
We had arrived....
As I reached the main bridge of the Yagami... also three times the original size... my first struck thought was that the border was of both the Jurai Magical force field, and an apparent Fungesian version opposing it.... a most heart melting scene if I ever encountered.... not...
We also saw our greeting party... a large Fungesian ship.... from Nen's assessment.. the Royal Warship of the Diamond Fleet... awe was I... I had just saw that picture... incredible....

A few transmission exchanges, and then a aged face appeared upon the main viewer... one with long, well kempt white hair; and gentle but stern eyes...
From Azusa's reaction... this had to be his counterpart.... the King of Fungesia... the name from Nen: Fenganis.... I also saw a gentle auburn haired woman in the background.... Rosusn, his wife it seemed... confirmed by Nen...
I also learned of a less than friendly relationship, considering the discussion nearly turned into a name calling contest... Ryoko giggled, but was silenced by Ayeka, this all started a chain reaction of old animosities, even with Tsui and Tokimi trading quips... I sensed a breakdown of protocol... with Tenchi, Nen, and I scratching our heads....

Then... Gaia strided out from a corner... and I noted a heavy gasp from Fenganis and Rosusn collectively, followed by bowing on knees... that stopped everything cold...
Gaia then announced... that they had come to reach the promised land... and that I was the harbinger of the coming reunion....
My mind was sure blank... Tsunami and Tokimi suddenly stood by their fellow goddess, and gave acknowledgment...
All I could feel... was that I was even more dumbfounded than when I was in Tokimi's dimensional world... I couldn't comprehend what the three was saying...

The something else happened... a voice spoke from somewhere.... one that made Tenchi JUMP!!! 
From his lips was a word I thought I heard from the contact with the Tsunami Tree... Achika.... 
As we both we dumbstruck with incredible things thrown in our faces, the voice demanded of Fenganis our passage... 
My mom and dad thundered approval of this plan... and I JUMPED about a meter at that...
Fenganis deniged to the pressure... disgruntedly...


And with that.... the force fields of both sides slashed open... with a clear lane to the destination... with a new escort... Fenganis sure didn't want us to roam around uninhibited... nice... more mouths to feed... 
The addition of Fenganis and Rosusn had it's own adventures... the heads of two ruling families made for new spice.... this in addition of the entire cacophony of the Misaki clans normal activities... talk about one crowded ship... even the new Yagami felt cramped all of a sudden....

Another two days... more study, meditation, "discussions" with Washu, avoiding new explosions, and a new problem... Royal politics... I began using Tenchi as a shield to deflect queries from both Azusa and Fenganis... mostly loyalty themed... not a pretty subject to traverse, sorry Tenchi...
Then as well as keeping Rosusn new advances with wedding questions, no thanks to mom... since Gaia had rejoined THAT equation, things were intense in that department... I had double the footwork to do...  
As a deflection; Nen, Tenchi, and I began a circle of friendship that made the time more smoothly... 
It also made a good way to discuss our separate female problems... well.. you know... 

Then that day arrived... the Tree... it was in reach... I actually could feel it... literally.... Tenchi felt Achika's presence as well... we we're so overwhelmed by the fact...
It was so because we arrived at the nebula complex, a 27 light-year expanse of glowing gas and dust, and somewhere in there, and old planet of the Jurai... 
And my desperate answers... my father inferred that we should head towards a break in the gravitational fields, to our port... past 70 degrees below level flight; I could tell where...
Soon... I would re-meet myself, for myself... and for Tsunami as well...

(End Part Nineteen)