Ep 6 – A New Day

I'm Russell Piper, and what you're about to read is my first real attempt 
at a fanfiction.  It's based around Tenchi Universe (Tenchi TV) and the 
OVA so most of the main characters you've seen from there will 
appear here as well.  It also crosses a bit with Dragonball Z with the 
existence of Dragonballs and immensely powerful warriors.  Ryoko 
and Tenchi had finally chosen to be together, and Aeka is still living at 
the house for now.  You'll see when it happens.  Anyway, I'll stop 
flapping my yap and let you get right to the story.  Enjoy!  Send all hate 
mail / fan mail to russael@mediaone.net.

	Shifting positions in his spacepod, Zorpheus twiddled his 
thumbs, bored out of his mind.  He has been on his journey for only a 
day, and it was already driving him insane.  He slammed his fist on the 
computer console, initiating a vapor bath.  Warm steam filled the 
cockpit and lingered for a few moments, then was sucked out again via 
the life support system.  Feeling a little better, he hit the button again 
and initiated a second bath.  Once again, warm steam filled the cockpit.  
However, this time it condensed in little water droplets on the glass 
window, and a few moments later, the steam was sucked out again.  
Zorpheus laughed to himself a moment.
	"Ahhh.  Now that felt good.  But now, I need to train.  
Computer, where's the nearest inhabited planet with ki levels seventy 
five percent of my own?"
	No response.
	"Dammit!  I hate how these stupid computers keep defaulting 
back to some factory preset crap."  He quickly typed in the sequence to 
initiate voice commands.
	"Voice commands ready," the computer responded in its 
nasal, feminine voice.
	"Piece of junk.  Computer, where's the nearest inhabited 
planet with ki levels seventy five percent of my maximum?"
	"Scanning...  planet found one month journey to aft.  Multiple 
signatures."
	"No, find one between here and Earth, you piece of scrap!"  
Zorpheus furrowed his eyebrows together as his natural eye became 
bloodshot.  Damn computers are so stupid!
	"Scanning... one planet found, approximately three months 
journey."
	"Fine.  Head toward that planet and wake me once we're 
within thirty minutes of landing.  Initiate stasis sleep."
	"Affirmative.  Course set.  Initiating stasis."  A moment later, 
a purple vapor hissed through the life support system as Zorpheus 
drifted off to sleep.  His vital signs slowed, the temperature inside the 
pod dropped below freezing, and all the color paled out of Zorpheus' 
face and skin, leaving it a sickly white.
	"Stasis confirmed," his computer said to nobody, as the 
spacepod roared to it's new destination.

	Sasami woke up from her slumber, sensing something was 
amiss in her room.  She leaned over and squinted at her digital clock, 
which read four in the morning.  She groaned to herself as she flopped 
back onto her bed, and then turned over to face Aeka.  However, this 
time, she wasn't there.  Her futon was untouched, which meant that she 
hadn't come to bed all night long.  Sasami sat up and started to pull the 
covers off of her, but she felt something warm, soft, and furry in 
between her legs.  She giggled quietly to herself, and then, silently, not 
wanting to disturb the sleeping cabbit, she carefully slid both her legs 
away from it, and scooted away from her bed.  She stretched and 
yawned, and quietly got up, nearly falling back down because her body 
wasn't ready to move yet and wasn't awake.  She shook the dizziness 
from her head and quietly opened the door, and then glided out into the 
dark hallway, illuminated only by the moonlight from the window at 
the end of the hall.  She quietly crept to Tenchi's room and knocked 
very lightly, just loudly enough to disable the forcefield that Aeka 
installed many months before.  She smiled at it, remembering the first 
time it was put to use.  Washu had told her about it the next day, which 
Sasami had laughed hysterically at for the next two days, whenever she 
thought about it.  She poked her head into his room, only hearing 
Tenchi, sound asleep in his bed with his head under the covers, 
probably hiding from the moonlight that was shining across his bed.  
She looked again and saw a few hairs sticking out from under the 
covers, which weren't Tenchi's.  Remembering the tiny bed Ryoko 
produced from her pocket, reminded her of who else was there with 
him, with her arms wrapped tightly around him, as if someone was 
going to steal him away.  
	She quietly closed the door as silently as she opened it, then 
continued down the hallway, stopping at Russ' room next.  She put her 
ear to the door, and heard a very soft moan from inside, which was 
definitely feminine in origin.  Again, very quietly, she slid open the 
door and peered inside.  She couldn't see very well, since the moon 
wasn't illuminating that particular side of the house, but the shade was 
up and the window was open, allowing just enough light come in, so 
she could see inside.  On the floor, curled up into a ball with the blanket 
covering his face, almost snoring, was Russ, and in the bed, noisily 
tossing and turning, was Aeka.  She moaned again, ever so softly, as 
she shifted positions, almost kicking the blanket off of the bed.
	Sasami sighed in relief at finding her sister, so she quietly 
closed the door, and then went back to her room to sleep a little more.  
Ryo-Ohki woke up upon her return, meowing her concern as to why 
Sasami would be up so early.
	"Shhh, I just needed to know where Aeka was.  Let's go back 
to sleep," she said, her voice just above a whisper.  She petted Ryo-
Ohki, the cabbit's yellow eyes glimmering in the moonlight with 
concern.  She meowed once more, then snuggled against Sasami's 
chest, trying to let sleep overtake her again.
	Sasami also tried to drift back to sleep, but her body and her 
mind were half awake now, causing her to shift positions a few more 
times.  Why was Aeka in Russ' room?  How come she never came to 
bed last night?  She knows I don't like sleeping alone.  What did she 
and Russ do last night, anyway?
	Allowing her thoughts to drift a while longer, she finally 
decided that her sister's business was her own, and she wouldn't ask 
about it or tell her that she had woken up because she was alone, but 
instead, wait for Aeka to say something about it herself.  However, she 
was going to bring up the question of why she wasn't in her room last 
night when she went to bed, and why she still wasn't in bed when she 
woke up the next morning.  A deep sleep finally overtook the little 
princess about a half hour later.

	The sun began to rise in the east, casting a multitude of color 
to the now blue sky.  The stars retreated to their daytime slumber, the 
moon vanished from view, and the morning fog continued to carpet the 
valley floor, coating everything in small dewdrops.  A few lone clouds 
drifted through the sky, welcoming the new day, and promising rain for 
the day after.  The sweet smell of summer drifted into Russ' room, as 
he began to stir.  A couple birds chirped nearby, further rousing his 
sleep.  Rolling onto his back, and rubbing the sleep from his eyes, Russ 
stretched and yawned from his heavy slumber.  Half the joints in his 
body popped when he moved, his body not wanting to cooperate with 
him.  Russ tried to breathe in through his nose, but only managed a 
squishy snort.
	"Damn allergies.  Why did I have to be allergic to everything 
common," Russ muttered to himself as he sat up and took in a deep 
breath through his mouth, yawning once more.  His eyes adjusted to the 
dim sunlight filtering in through his window as he checked out his 
surroundings, trying to remember where he was.  A moment later, he 
remembered whom he was with, as he looked over at Aeka, who was 
now snoozing peacefully on his bed, elegant as ever, even though half 
the covers were kicked off.  He grinned to himself, remembering the 
previous night's lengthy conversation.  He told her numerous stories 
about his crazy space adventures and his weird friends, his mom and 
dad, his home world and his life on planet Earth many years ago, and 
countless interests of his.  Aeka had listened through all of it, being 
content with just resting her head on his shoulder and listening to his 
rather deep, smooth voice.  Russ was unaccustomed to physical touch, 
especially the affectionate kind, but he managed to keep his composure 
until she eventually drifted off to sleep, bored to death over one of his 
techno babble stories.  Russ smiled at remembering that, since he did 
see she was tired, but didn't seem to want to go to sleep, so instead, he 
told one of his most boring stories which were of no interest to a girl, 
and that lulled her to sleep in five minutes.
	Russ yawned again as he quietly tossed back his covers and 
stood up, making even more noise from his joints cracking and 
popping.  He looked at the time on the alarm clock, which was now a 
quarter past seven.  He was already dressed, having fallen asleep in his 
gi again.  Glancing back at Aeka's sleeping form, he silently 
straightened out her covers and tucked her back in, managing to not 
wake her up.  He quietly left the room and went downstairs to the 
kitchen, looking for something to eat.  His stomach rumbled, reminding 
him it was there and it wanted food.  Right now.  He patted his stomach 
as he rummaged through some of the cupboards, looking for something 
breakfast-like.  
	One of the cupboards he looked in had some pancake mix, so 
he grabbed that and went to the refrigerator and grabbed five eggs and 
the milk.  Trying to remember how to make pancakes, he picked up the 
box and tried to read the instructions, which were in kanji, and 
unfortunately for him, that was something he never was able to master.  
He started to perspire, but then decided to wing it, figuring he could 
remember as he made it.  Grabbing a mixing bowl and a smaller cereal 
bowl, he cracked open two eggs and beat them with a fork, then poured 
the contents into a frying pan that he placed on the stove.  He turned on 
the fire and adjusted the flame to cook the eggs at just the right 
temperature, then proceeded to pour some pancake mix, milk, and the 
other three eggs into the mixing bowl, rapidly beating the contents with 
his fork until the mass smoothed out.  He grabbed a large frying pan 
and placed that next to the cooking eggs, poured in some of the 
contents, and then turned on the burner.
	The eggs were just about done, so he quickly grabbed himself 
a dinner plate, then tipped the pan to the side, letting the scrambled 
eggs fall in a heap in the middle of his plate.  He moved them to the 
side, and then waited for his pancakes to finish cooking.  His stomach 
reminded him that he was quite hungry, so instead of waiting for his 
pancakes to finish cooking, he started eating his eggs, wincing when he 
chomped down on his first bite since the eggs hadn't quite cooled yet.  
He quickly grabbed a glass and filled it with milk, and quickly took in a 
mouthful.
	The kitchen door slid open as Sasami walked in, startling him. 
	"Oh!  Good morning, Russ.  I didn't expect anyone else to be 
up at this hour, and I could smell something good coming from down 
here," she said, smiling and making her way over to him.  Ryo-Ohki 
was perched on her head, and meowed a good morning too.
	"Good morning, Sasami and Ryo-Ohki.  I'm sorry, but I got 
hungry, and I wanted some American breakfast that was fast and easy, 
and not cereal.  I didn't wake you up, did I?" he asked.
	"No, you didn't wake me up, but your cooking did.  What are 
you making?"
	Russ turned red.  "I'm sorry.  I'm making pancakes and 
scrambled eggs, and a nice tall, cool glass of milk."  Russ turned his 
head and smiled as she walked up next to him.  He scratched Ryo-
Ohki's head as she meowed in contentment.
	"I've never had pancakes before.  Are they good?"
	"Do they smell good?"
	"Yeah, they do.  Can you make me some pancakes and 
scrambled eggs?"  She gave her best cute smile.
	Russ started to blush.  "How can I say no to someone as cute 
as you," he said, as he took his pancakes and placed them on his plate.  
He looked at it a moment, then handed it to Sasami.  "Here, you can 
have this plate.  I'll just make myself another one."
	"That's okay, I can wait until you're..."
	"Nope.  I won't have any of that," he interrupted.  He reached 
into one of the drawers and produced a clean fork.  "Take this plate and 
this fork here and go have a seat and eat your breakfast."  Russ had a 
huge grin on his face has he handed her the butter and the maple syrup 
to go with it.
	"Thank you very much.  Um... how do I eat them?"
	Russ facefaulted then recovered quickly, remembering that 
she's been living a Japanese lifestyle.  "You butter the pancakes, and 
then you pour the syrup over top of them.  Then you just eat them with 
your fork.  These can't really be eaten with chopsticks," he explained.
	She smiled, and then walked out of the kitchen.  Russ' 
stomach rumbled again, reminding him that it was hungry.  He quickly 
made himself another batch of pancakes and eggs, and this time, 
instead of using the stove, he used his ki, cooking it in under a second.
	"Whew, just the right amount of energy," he said to himself, 
as the eggs continued to sizzle in the pan and his pancakes shown 
golden brown.  He quickly set his food on a fresh plate and then joined 
Sasami at the table.  She was about half way done with her breakfast 
while Ryo-Ohki was happily munching on a carrot.
	"So, do you like them?"
	"Mmmm," she said, her mouth currently full.  She swallowed.  
"These are really good.  Where'd you learn how to make this?"
	Russ buttered his pancakes, and then drowned them in syrup.  
"I learned how to make them back when I used to live on this planet.  
My parents, even though alien, had lived in America, and we consumed 
traditional American foods.    I know quite a few dinners too that you 
may probably like.  However, I'm more of a 'steak and potatoes' guy, 
meaning I don't care for mixed foods, like casseroles and stuff along 
those lines.  I like plain and simple food, but the more complex stuff, 
depending on how it's prepared, can taste very good as well," he said, 
as he started wolfing down his breakfast.  "Some of my favorites are 
prime rib, spareribs, veal parmesan, which is an Italian food, um... 
steak, fried chicken, pizza, and I'm a huge seafood eater, too."
	"Wow, you sure like a lot of foods.  Do you think you can 
show me how to make some of those?"
	"Yeah, sure.  I'd be glad to.  But anyway, I'm actually quite 
picky about what I eat.  There are certain things that you couldn't get 
me to touch with a ten foot pole."
	Sasami looked at him with confusion.  "Ten foot pole?  What 
do you mean?"
	"Oh, sorry, it's just an expression.  It just means that you 
couldn't force feed me that kind of dinner without me complaining 
about it the whole time I'm eating it, and some foods actually get me 
sick," he said, blushing.
	"Ahhh, okay.  I see what you mean."  She smiled.
	"There will probably be things that you make that I won't like.  
Please don't take it personally.  Like I said, there are a lot of things I 
don't like.  But I do appreciate the effort that goes into the preparation 
of the food."
	At that moment, Tenchi and Ryoko both appeared on the 
landing, as they started making their way down.  Russ looked up and 
smiled, then nodded in their direction.
	"Good morning," Russ and Sasami said in unison.  They 
looked at each other with surprise, and then giggled.
	"Good morning, Sasami and Russ.  Mmmm, something smells 
good," said Tenchi, who had Ryoko wrapped around his shoulders 
again.
	Russ blushed.  "Just my pancake breakfast.  I got hungry and I 
needed food.  I didn't wake you two up as well, did I?"
	"No, we usually get up around this time anyway.  But the 
smell of food brought us out of the bedroom."  Tenchi grinned, as he 
looked at Ryoko, who smiled back and hugged him a little tighter.
	"I trust you guys got a good night sleep?"
	Tenchi stretched his arms and arched his back.  "Yes, we had 
plenty of rest last night.  I slept really good."
	Russ looked at both of them and blushed slightly.  "Glad to 
hear it.  Um... do you guys want some breakfast?  It's not your 
traditional Japanese food though."
	Ryoko looked at Sasami's plate, which had a small amount of 
maple syrup left on it, while Russ' plate was scraped clean, and then 
she fixed her gaze directly at Russ.  "Actually, yes.  Those pancakes do 
smell very good."
	"I had made scrambled eggs too.  Do you want those to go 
with it?"
	"Why not?  I'm in the mood to try something new."  Ryoko 
grinned at Russ, and then at Tenchi, who nodded his head in agreement.
	"I hope there are enough eggs left to make another breakfast 
or two.  The same goes for the pancake mix.  The box was already 
opened when I started using it."  Russ stood up and collected his and 
Sasami's plates.  "Let's see if there's enough stuff left to make another 
breakfast."
	"Oh, Russ, I'll wash those dishes and you can make them 
breakfast, okay?" Sasami asked, as she stood up.
	Russ smiled in approval.  "Okay, sure, if you want to."
	"No problem at all."
	"Okay.  Tenchi, Ryoko, I should have this done in a few 
moments, so I'll come get you when it's ready."
	"Alright, sounds good."
	Russ went to the refrigerator as Sasami went to the sink with 
the dirty dishes, as Tenchi and Ryoko both sat on the couch and flipped 
on the TV.
	"Uh oh, we don't have enough eggs here, Sasami.  Do you 
know if a store is open at this hour so we can get more?"
	"Yeah, there are a few stores open.  You want to go get more, 
right now?"
	"I have to if I'm going to make breakfast for those two."  Russ 
scratched his head.  "You want to come along?"
	"Sure, but how are we going to get there?"
	"I can fly us there really fast, if you don't mind riding on my 
back for the journey.  Secondly, you know where the store is," Russ 
laughed.  "Go tell Tenchi and Ryoko that breakfast will be a few 
minutes longer.  Also, do we have any money to buy the stuff we 
need?"
	"Yeah, I've got the money.  Be right back."  Sasami left the 
kitchen and Russ could hear her telling those two lovebirds they had to 
go to the store and they'd be back in a little while.

	Two minutes later, Russ and Sasami stood outside in the 
already very warm, summer air, ready to go to the store.  Ryo-Ohki 
remained perched on top of Sasami's head, wanting to go along with 
them.  Tenchi and Ryoko both came out to see them off.
	"Are you ready?"
	"Yup."
	"Okay now, hold on tight!"  Sasami got on Russ' back, 
piggyback style, as he lifted off the ground.  "Now, hold onto my waist 
tightly now.  We're going to fly really fast here."  He leveled off his 
ascent and his body, trying to keep his back as flat as possible.  He then 
started moving forward.
	"Okay!  Let's go!" She shouted with excitement.  Ryo-Ohki 
meowed her enthusiasm as well, as she jumped onto Russ' back and 
dug her claws into his clothes.
	A moment later, a small green explosion emanated around 
Russ and engulfed the three of them in a brilliant green flame.  Sasami 
shrieked in surprise, and then laughed.  A moment later Russ, Sasami, 
and Ryo-Ohki shot off like a brilliant green shooting star toward the 
store, leaving behind a bright green vapor trail, that faded away a 
moment later.  Tenchi and Ryoko both stood, stunned, at what they 
both just saw.
	"Geez, he's fast!  They're probably half way to the store 
already," Tenchi continued to look in the direction they shot off in, 
trying to catch a glimpse of them.
	"Hmm... I still don't know about him," she said, scowling.
	Tenchi turned.  "Why?  What's wrong?"
	"Oh, I don't know.  I guess it's just bad memories from a long 
time ago.  I'm still skittish about when another bounty hunter or 
whatever is going to show up, trying to bring my head home as a 
trophy."
	Tenchi turned toward her, as her expression went from a scowl 
to one of worry.  He leaned over and put his arm around her and pulled 
her close.  "You don't need to worry about things like that anymore.  
You were let off with a full pardon from Jurai, and as far as we know, 
there are no more prices on your head."
	"I know, I know.  I just can't shake the feeling.  What if Nagi 
decides to get revenge on me or something?  I used to have a huge 
bounty, and since my 'heroic' efforts in my assisting you against 
Kagato, that potential bulge in her wallet has vanished.  And she's 
probably still mad at me for allowing her to live from that battle on 
Venus."
	"You worry too much," Tenchi said, and then laughed.  "Who 
would've known you were such a worrier."
	Ryoko continued to frown, but returned Tenchi's hug, which 
made her smile.  They both turned to go inside to wait for Russ and 
Sasami's return, and as they both made their way back to the living 
room, they saw Aeka coming down the stairs, stretching and yawning.  
Aeka noticed the two and immediately tried to regain her regal 
composure.  She smoothed out her kimono as she reached the living 
room floor.
	"Good morning, Aeka.  Did you sleep well?"  Tenchi smiled 
as he and Ryoko made their way back to the couch.
	"Yes.  Thanks for asking," she said, smiling, then frowned 
when Ryoko threw her arms around Tenchi and grinned that evil little 
smile of hers.  Aeka saw Tenchi's smile and her shoulders slumped a 
little, but she still managed to keep her fake smile when Tenchi looked 
over at her.  Seeing those two like that killed her heart, but there was no 
reason to try to steal Tenchi away from Ryoko anymore.  "What are 
you two doing up this early on a Saturday?"
	"The smell of breakfast brought us out of bed.  Russ and 
Sasami were both at the table eating pancakes and scrambled eggs," 
explained Ryoko.  "They both just left to go to the store to get more 
ingredients.  Russ offered to make us breakfast as well."
	"Pancakes and scrambled eggs?  I've never had that before, 
but it smells good down here."  Aeka sat down on the couch, next to 
Tenchi.
	"They should be home pretty fast.  Russ flew them both to the 
store and Ryo-Ohki went with them as well."
	Aeka looked out the door worriedly, hoping Sasami was going 
to be all right, then turned her attention back to the TV.

	Russ and Sasami had just left the store and were once again 
airborne, out of sight of all the bystanders, with a couple bags of 
groceries in Russ and Sasami's grasp.  Sasami continued to giggle 
uncontrollably, trying to contain her excitement.  Her happy mood was 
contagious, as Russ started to laugh along with her.  Ryo-Ohki meowed 
like crazy, also enjoying the flight.
	"This is so much fun!  Go faster!"  Sasami shouted in delight.
	Russ laughed.  "Are you sure?"
	"Yes!  Go faster!"  She laughed and giggled in anticipation.  
Ryo-Ohki also meowed encouragement, as she dug her claws even 
deeper into Russ' gi and crouched down with her ears swept behind 
her.
	"Okay!  Hold on TIGHT!" he shouted, as his ki expanded and 
he rocketed off much faster than he was going.  He put up a small ki 
shield in front of them, trying his best to keep the wind reasonable.  
The ground was almost nothing but a blur as the threesome roared over 
the landscape, and Sasami couldn't contain her excitement anymore as 
she laughed even harder.  Russ laughed right along with her, feeling so 
happy to be with someone so cute and nice, and who actually enjoyed 
some excitement.  Russ looked up and caught sight of a concord 
aircraft racing through the sky, making its way to Tokyo's international 
airport.
	Russ got an idea for a little fun.  "Hey Sasami!  See that 
airplane up there?"
	"Yeah!"
	"What do you say we have ourselves a little fun?"
	Sasami laughed.  "Let's go!"
	Russ laughed along with her, raising his ki level even higher, 
causing his current speed to double.  A loud boom resonated around 
them as their speed broke the sound barrier, trying to catch up with it.
	About a minute later, he was alongside the supersonic aircraft, 
so he decreased his speed to fly with it.  Sasami waved at all the 
passengers, who were all piling on top of each other, trying to get a 
view out of the small windows.  Russ waved as well, and Ryo-Ohki 
meowed at the top of her voice, trying to say hello.  He continued to fly 
along side it for a few moments, then banked off and headed back 
toward home.
	"That was so cool!" Sasami shouted through her constant 
giggling.  Ryo-Ohki meowed in agreement.
	"You're so cool, Sasami!  I wish I had a little sister like you!" 
he shouted over the roar of the wind and his ki.  She squeezed Russ 
even harder and laughed.  "We should be home in about ten seconds!  
Scoot up a little and grab onto my neck, because we're going to be 
landing vertically!"
	Russ started decelerating, and a few moments later, stopped 
over backyard of the Misaki home.  His ki faded away as he landed 
lightly on the lawn and kneeled down, as Sasami let go of his neck and 
jumped down onto the ground.  Ryo-Ohki bounded back up on top of 
Sasami's head, continuing to meow her contentment.  They both 
walked up to the porch and slid open the glass door, as Tenchi, Ryoko, 
and Aeka turned their attention toward the arrivals.
	"Sasami!  Where did you go?  I was worried to death," said 
Aeka, as she sprang up from the couch and sprinted toward her, 
stopping about a foot away and noticing the grocery bags she and Russ 
had carried in with them.
	"I'm okay, Aeka.  I had so much fun!  Russ is so cool!  We all 
flew to the store, bought all the stuff we needed to make more 
pancakes, and we even bought bacon to go with it.  The best part was 
flying along with that huge jet when we were on our way home," 
Sasami giggled and hugged Russ, who blushed and scratched the back 
of his head with his free hand.
	Aeka looked up at him angrily, but then she forced herself to 
calm down.  "Please don't do that without me knowing, okay?"
	"How come?  She was perfectly safe the whole time.  Besides, 
she enjoyed it immensely, and I did too.  Ryo-Ohki also seemed to enjoy the 
flight," he said, patting her on the head as she meowed a loud 
agreement.
	Aeka sighed, and then shrugged her shoulders.  "I just worry 
about my sister.  That's all."
	"Sorry to make you worry.  Would you like to have pancakes, 
eggs, and bacon for breakfast?  I'm going to make it for Tenchi and 
Ryoko, so I thought maybe you'd like some as well.  We bought plenty 
of ingredients so there will be enough to go around for everybody."
	She smiled, and nodded her head.  "Thank you."
	"Oh, don't worry about it.  I'm glad to help out."  He turned 
and disappeared into the kitchen, followed by Sasami.

	A half hour later, with the sun rising higher in the sky and the 
temperature increasing even more, everybody sat around the table with 
their stomachs full, complementing Russ on his American pancake 
breakfast.  Nobuyuki had come downstairs and Katsuhito also showed 
up, but Kiyone and Mihoshi stayed in bed, despite the wonderful smells 
floating in from outside of their door.  Washu had even come out of her 
lab again, trying to catch another look at Russ rather than to eat 
breakfast, but she enjoyed it anyway.  Russ smiled and blushed, not 
accustomed to being the center of attention.
	"I'm glad you all enjoyed your breakfast.  I'll clean up the 
mess, and then I'm going to go train outside.  Let me know when and if 
you'd like to have that little demonstration I mentioned last night."
	Sasami smiled.  "Let me help you."  She lifted up all the dirty 
plates and piled them in a neat stack, then carried them into the kitchen, 
tailed by Russ.  Everybody else continued to converse around the table 
about the day's activities everybody had planned for himself or herself.  
In the kitchen, Russ washed all the dishes in about ten seconds, and 
then went outside, stopping near the waterline next to the lake, and 
began his warm up exercise.  A moment later Aeka went outside and 
walked toward him.  He stopped when he saw her.
	"You can begin training with me whenever you want.  Just let 
me know when you're ready," Russ said, as he stood back up from 
doing pushups.
	She blushed.  "Thank you for keeping me company last night.  
That was very thoughtful of you.  And I'm sorry for dozing off."
	"It's okay.  I kind of figured you needed someone to talk to, 
besides someone else in the house.  I appreciate the trust you've shown 
in me as well... telling me all you did to a complete stranger.  And 
don't worry about falling asleep."
	Aeka thought about it a moment and then smiled.  "I don't 
know why, but I do trust you.  You're so nice and you seem so 
innocent," she said, causing Russ to turn red.  "But thank you anyway."
	"Yeah.  Anytime."
	"Anyway... um... would you mind if we started training 
now?"  Aeka fumbled with her kimono and looked at Russ' feet.
	"Are you sure you want to?"
	She nodded her head, looking up to meet his gaze.  "Yes."
	"Well, okay.  But um... you're not planning on training with 
those clothes, are you?"
	"Why not?"
	"Well, they're very nice and I don't want you to get them 
dirty," he said, and then thought of something.  "I've got an idea.  If 
you don't mind, take off your kimono and some of your other clothes.  
Let's get you something new to wear, just for training."
	She turned completely red.  "I'm NOT taking off all my 
clothes," she shouted.  "I can't believe you!"  She balled her fists 
together as the vein started popping out of her head.
	Russ turned as red as a lobster.  "No, no, no," he said, putting 
up his hands.  "Just remove your kimono and that second layer of 
clothes of yours.  I don't mean get naked.  I'm going to give you some 
new ones.  Reason being is because the clothes you're currently 
wearing disappear when I generate new ones.  However, if there are 
only one or two items, I can remove them as I generate the new clothes, 
instantly, and add them to the pile you have there, but any more than 
that just disappear."
	She looked at his smile, sighed, and calmed down.  She 
carefully untied her sash and put it down on the ground.  She then 
removed her kimono, and then a second layer of clothes, piling them all 
in a lumpy mass on the grass.
	"Okay.  Now what?"
	Russ walked over to her.  "Hold still a moment.  This will feel 
a little weird, but it won't hurt a bit, but it may surprise you.  Close 
your eyes and relax.  This'll only take a second."
	She still appeared apprehensive, but she calmed down a bit 
more and closed her eyes, blushing all the while.  Russ grinned, then 
placed his hand on top of her head, and then yelled at the top of his 
voice.  A fraction of a second later, a bright white flash exploded 
around Aeka, and a moment later, it faded away.  She cringed and put 
her arms up defensively, but Russ was already done.
	"Okay, you can open your eyes now.  And I must say, that 
looks really nice on you."
	Aeka slowly opened her eyes, and noticed her arms had a 
black arm guard around them, which covered the back of her hands and 
surrounded her forearms, that went almost up to her elbows.  Her left 
arm had a small, metal dragon armband that went around the top part of 
her bicep, and her two long ponytails where now braided together into 
one, tied at the end with a blue bow.  She now had on black, combat 
style boots, and her gi was tied around her waist with a pink sash.  The 
gi itself was orange-red, with golden yellow embroidery tracing around 
the outside edges, with a yellow emblem on the front, which went 
across her chest.  Her pants that went with the gi were also orange-red, 
which were tucked into her boots and under her shirt.
	Aeka continued to look over herself as everybody ran out of 
the house, wondering what that super bright flash was.  Russ continued 
to admire his handiwork, as Aeka looked up and smiled at him.
	"So, do you like it?"  He asked, grinning.
	"Yes!  It's so light and it fits great!  How did you do that?"
	Russ smiled.  "It's one of my more useless abilities.  I learned 
it after Zorpheus and I had defeated some enemies on a deserted 
planet."  Russ started blushing again.  "After our fight with our 
opponents, our clothes were so torn up that we basically were... naked.  
So I decided to learn how to generate clothes, like Piccolo had done.  
Zorpheus never bothered to learn that ability though."
	Aeka started to perspire but then giggled.  "You fought the 
rest of your battle, naked?"
	Russ turned so red that she thought he was going to explode.  
He swallowed and tried to calm down.  "Yeah.  After that fight I 
absolutely had to learn how to do that to prevent that from happening 
again."
	At that moment, everybody else had run up to them, and they 
stopped and stared at Aeka.  She blushed slightly and smiled.
	Sasami smiled and giggled happily.  "You look great, Aeka!  
It brings out the color of your eyes."  She ran up to her sister and 
looked her over, occasionally poking and feeling the material.
	"That material can repel attacks too.  Small ones," Russ said, 
smiling.  "My clothes are made out of the same stuff."
	Tenchi, Washu, and Nobuyuki continued to look Aeka over, 
giving her complements on her new outfit.  Katsuhito and Ryoko didn't 
say anything, but just smiled.
	"Well, would you like to get started, Aeka?"
	"With everybody around here?"  She started to blush, 
embarrassed.
	"It will serve as another purpose.  I'd like to see how easily 
distracted you are.  What I want you to do from this point on, is to 
focus on me ONLY," he said.  "When you're in a fight, a distraction 
can open up your defenses and invite an attack.  It may not be fatal, but 
it's a free shot for your enemy."
	Everybody backed up a ways and sat down on the grass, 
interested to see what was about to happen.  Katsuhito continued to 
stand next to everybody, watching his half-sister carefully.
	"Let's begin by simply sparring with each other, so I can 
judge your skills.  Do not hold back anything.  You will not hurt me," 
he said with a grin, taunting her slightly.  "Then I'll test your 
endurance.  Are you ready?"
	"Yes."  She took up a defensive stance, one that Russ actually 
recognized.
	"That's the Jurai royal family's form of martial arts.  
Interesting," he said to himself.  "Let's see what she can do."
	"Ready!  Begin," Russ shouted, as he assumed his own 
defensive stance.
	Neither opponent moved, but instead continued to stare at 
each other intently, looking into each other's eyes, trying to determine 
who was going to make the first move.  Ryoko snickered near the 
sidelines, figuring they just looked goofy standing like statues.
	"Hey!  You two do plan on moving today, right?"  She 
shouted from her seat on the grass, cracking up.  Sasami glared at her, 
but didn't say anything.  Aeka, on the other hand, started to turn red a 
bit as she tensed her fists and allowed her eyes to move over to her.
	That was when Russ rushed her.  He kept his ki super low, so 
he didn't move anywhere near as fast as he could, as he yelled a 
battlecry.  Aeka's attention snapped back to her opponent, who was 
now only a couple feet away with his fist pulled back.  He aimed at her 
face, but she moved to the side as it sailed over her shoulder.  She 
quickly brought up her knee and planted it in Russ' stomach, causing 
him to catapult over it in total shock, due to his momentum, as choruses 
of  "oooh's" were said from the sidelines.  He managed to recover in 
mid-air and land on his feet as he spun back around to face her.  She 
now took the offensive and charged at him, trying to plant a kick in his 
face, causing him to lean back a bit and catch her foot in his hands, and 
then he used his own foot to kick Aeka's other leg out from under her, 
causing her to fall to the ground.  Russ quickly brought his foot back up 
and tried to plant it in her midsection, but she rolled out of the way just 
in time.  She continued to roll away as she sprang back to her feet, 
breathing heavily, more from the rush of battle than fatigue, and 
resumed her defensive stance.  Washu quietly called out their ki levels 
as they fought, continuing to play with Russ' scouter.
	"You're faster and stronger than I thought.  I'm impressed," 
he said, cracking his knuckles.  "However you need to work on your 
concentration.  Ryoko's outburst was enough to nearly catch you off 
guard.  That's bad news."
	"She's distracting and annoying.  She's always been like that."
	"Hey!  I'm not the one who almost got her face smashed in by 
a flying fist, princess!"  Ryoko yelled from across the yard.
	Russ glanced over at Ryoko who was still taunting her, and 
then he turned his attention back to Aeka, who was getting really mad 
at her, as usual.  "Hey Aeka.  Ignore it.  Look only at me.  Listen only 
to me.  Do you understand?"
	She looked back at Russ, her fists and teeth clenched together, 
but when she saw the seriousness in Russ' face, she relaxed a little.  
"I'm sorry.  Let's continue."
	"Don't worry.  She's next.  I can't stand someone who talks 
big but can't do anything about it," he said, loudly enough for Ryoko to 
hear.  She looked back at Russ in shock, and then she sat back down 
quietly, as she shot daggers at Aeka from her golden eyes.
	Russ and Aeka both prepared to go for a second bout, taking 
up their own defensive postures, staring each other down, trying to 
entice the other into attacking.  Finally Aeka's patience ran out as she 
rushed Russ with a flying kick.  He dodged to the side, but then Aeka 
snapped her leg out, trying to catch him in the side of his head.  He 
ducked the blow, and then balled up his fist, trying to punch her in the 
stomach.  However, his fist hit nothing but air as Aeka moved out of 
the way, but then she grabbed his outstretched arm and flung him away.  
He once again regained his balance in mid-air and landed on his feet, 
and then quickly as he was thrown away, he raced back at her, and 
started a flurry of punches and kicks.
	"Let's see how fast you can dodge and block this!  HAAAA!" 
he yelled, as he continued to perform random moves, which were all 
impressively blocked, dodged, or parried.  Russ increased his speed a 
little more, and resumed his onslaught.  Amazingly, Aeka seemed to 
move a little faster as well, as she knocked a fist out of the way.  
Suddenly, she saw an opening, and she started her own offensive.  Russ 
wasn't expecting it, but he was able to avoid her fist as it sailed through 
his former position, but now it was Russ on the defensive, as Aeka 
started her own flurry of punches and kicks.  Russ swiftly blocked her 
fists and dodged her kicks, trying to keep his ki from going any higher 
and tipping the scale of balance even more into his favor.
	"Wow!  I never knew Aeka could move that fast!  Isn't she 
great?"  Sasami asked from her seat on the grass.
	"Yeah.  Real fast.  I can move faster than that," said Ryoko.  
She felt the need to taunt Aeka further.  "Hey Princess!  Can you move 
any slower?  I think a snail just slithered by you!"
	Aeka ignored her insults and increased her speed a little more.  
In response, Russ did the same, as he now restarted his own offense.  
He jumped back and ran at her, planning on kicking her right in the 
stomach, but Aeka put up her forcefield, and Russ slammed into it full 
force.  Russ hung in mid-air, when Aeka dropped her forcefield and 
planted a kick at his legs, sending him spinning to the ground.  He 
landed on his hands and sprang back to his feet.
	"Excellent!  That was a good tactic!  That's what I like to 
see," Russ grinned, as he raced at her once again with the intent of 
performing the same thing as before.  Aeka didn't see it coming and his 
foot connected, sending her sprawling to the ground.
	"But, you need to keep your guard up until the fight is over," 
Russ snickered.
	Aeka groaned as she got back up and coughed a little, 
evidence of pain on her face.  Ryoko exploded laughing, clearly 
enjoying that.  Aeka glared at her, breathing hard, but didn't say 
anything.
	Russ finally had enough.  "Take five, Aeka."  He turned 
toward Ryoko.  "It's YOUR turn now, Ryoko.  Come on down and step 
up."
	Ryoko stopped laughing as she looked at him, a slight hint of 
anxiety on her face.  "You mean me?"
	"I don't see any other Ryoko's around here, do you?  Get over 
here.  Let's see what you can do," he said, using his index finger to 
motion her over.
	Everybody turned to stare at Ryoko, who was now quite 
apprehensive, but she rose from her seat on the ground.  The gem on 
her wrist started glowing as her clothes changed into a black and red 
battlesuit.  Russ looked on in mild surprise.
	"Oooh, so she can change her clothes.  Let's see what else she 
can do," Russ said, snickering the entire time.  Ryoko just stared at 
him, a hint of anger in her eyes.  "Oh, I'm sorry, did I make you mad?"  
Russ tried his best to hide his humor, but Aeka let it all out.  She 
laughed out loud, clutching her stomach from the pain, but clearly 
enjoying Ryoko's reaction.
	Ryoko floated a short distance away from Russ, and turned to 
face him.  Russ just put on a crooked grin as he continued to taunt her, 
using only his facial expressions.  She knew what he was trying to do, 
and it was working, as her anger continued to build.
	"Are you ready, little girl?  Playtime is over," Russ taunted, as 
he assumed a different defensive posture, placing his left hand flat out 
in front, with his other hand balled up into a fist next to his chest as he 
stood sideways to her, placing his rear foot at a right angle to his other 
foot, which was out front, facing Ryoko.
	"Ohhh, do us all a favor and shut up, will you?" she scowled 
at him, irritated at his insults.  She faced him with her fists out front, 
resembling a boxer rather than a martial artist.  Russ just laughed.
	"Okay, let's get this show on the road!  You may begin when 
you're ready, little girl," Russ said, straining to keep from falling over, 
laughing.  Tenchi looked worried while sitting on the sidelines, as he 
had remembered of how strong Russ really was.  He started to get up, 
but Katsuhito put a hand on his shoulder and shook his head.
	"She needs to learn a little humility.  Let her fight 
unimpeded."
	"But Grandpa, what if she gets hurt?"  He asked, clearly 
distressed.
	"He won't hurt her.  He just wants to rough her up a bit.  
Don't worry."
	"Well, if you say so."  Katsuhito looked at both of them as he 
produced two bokkens from his kimono.  Tenchi looked up at him in 
total surprise.
	"What are you doing?" he nearly shouted.  "You can't fight 
him!"
	"I'm not going to interfere, but I'd like to see how I measure 
up to him as well."  Tenchi just shook his head in frustration.
	"Ryoko's current energy level is a little higher than Russ' is.  
Let's see what happens," Washu said, still glancing at the scouter's 
pink window as they started to do battle.
	Ryoko lifted off the ground and flew at Russ, trying to plant a 
fist in his face, which he swiftly dodged as she sailed past, and then 
spun around, planting a kick right on her butt, sending her flying a 
short distance away.  Russ exploded laughing, especially upon seeing 
Ryoko's look of fury.  Aeka also snickered from the sidelines, where 
she took a seat next to Sasami, who smiled up at her sister.
	"I'll get you for that," she screamed, as a bright orange ki 
sword appeared in her hand, and she charged.  Russ looked on in shock.
	"What the hell?  How did you do that?" he shouted, as he 
raised his ki level to keep his speed faster than she could swing her 
shimmering blade.  She swung it in a frenzy, trying to hit him 
somewhere.  Anywhere.  But Russ was just too fast for her.  He flew up 
into the air as Ryoko followed closely behind.  He stopped and dodged 
her sword as it sailed on through where his midsection used to be.  He 
quickly mounted an offense, punching and kicking rapidly, targeting 
her arm and hand that held her sword.  He quickly spun around, trying 
to kick her hand in a roundhouse, but narrowly missed, and his foot hit 
the base of her blade, but didn't do anything to his boot or foot.  Russ 
darted away as she swung it down at him again, narrowly missing an 
attempt to slice him into two halves.  Her sword vanished, but then she 
hurled a small, orange energy ball at him, which Russ swatted away.  
She stopped a moment and stared.
	"Oh yeah?!  Dodge this!" she shouted, as she gathered her full 
power into another ball of energy, which she hurled at him.  Russ saw it 
coming, and he raised his ki much higher than it needed to be to survive 
the blast, and allowed it to slam into him, which exploded, concealing 
him in a cloud of smoke.
	"Ryoko's energy level has gone up to just over two thousand," 
Washu exclaimed.
	"Oh my god!  Russ!"  Aeka screamed from the ground.  
"What did you do to him!?"
	"Aeka, calm down.  Just wait," said Katsuhito.  Washu 
checked her scouter, and confirmed there were two ki signatures.
	Everybody stopped and waited for the smoke to clear.  A few 
moments later, everybody could see Russ floating in the middle, totally 
unscathed, grinning from ear to ear.  Ryoko looked on with mixed 
horror and surprise.  Everybody else just breathed a sigh of relief as 
Aeka continued to give Ryoko her best, infuriated stare.
	"Impressive, Ryoko.  That was a pretty powerful blast you 
threw at me.  But tell me," he said, floating to the ground.  "How did 
you form a sword out of your energy?"
	Ryoko also floated to the ground, never taking her eyes off of 
him.  "I really never thought about it.  I just let the energy gather into 
my hand and squeeze, and it forms into a blade."
	"Really?  That simple, eh?"  Russ gathered a small green ball 
of energy in his hand, and squeezed.  Unfortunately for him, it 
exploded, once again encasing him in a cloud of smoke.  A light breeze 
started blowing and it moved the smoke away, but Russ stood there 
with his hand covered in a light coating of soot, and he coughed a few 
times, waving the last of the smoke away from his face.
	"I guess it ISN'T that simple, Ryoko," he said, grinning.  "But 
I'm sure I'll figure it out eventually."  He brought his hands out in front 
of him, wrist to wrist, forming his hands into a cup.  "But now, let's see 
how well you deal with this."
	He swung his hands to his side as he started straining to put 
energy into his hands.  "Ka...  Me... Ha... Me..." He yelled, his voice 
echoing around and seeming to come from every direction.  A bright 
blue ball of ki swirled around in his hands, continuing to grow in 
intensity and power.  He decided to make the beam just strong enough 
to stun her, but not do anything more than that.  Everybody in the 
audience gasped, even Katsuhito, as Washu watched the scouter go 
crazy, calculating a new ki level just for the blast.  She wasn't worried, 
because the level of the blast was quite low.
	"HAAAA!"  He shouted at the top of his voice, as he swung 
his hands back out in front of him, allowing the blue beam to roar out 
of his hands, toward it's target.  Ryoko continued to look on in horror, 
as the beam neared her position.  It didn't take long for the beam to 
reach her, but she put up her hands in defense, trying to stop the 
Kamehameha wave from blowing her away.  The beam slammed into 
her hands, causing her to slide back some ten feet before she stopped 
and held the beam in it's place.  Russ continued to pour a minuscule 
amount of energy into the beam, and let her hold it back for a few 
moments, as he snickered to himself.
	"Very good, Ryoko!"  He yelled over to her, who was still 
struggling to keep the beam in its place.  Russ cranked his ki up a little 
higher, allowing the beam to expand a little in size and in force.  Ryoko 
strained even harder, doing her very best to keep the beam from 
moving her.  The wind it was generating was breathtaking, as 
everybody shielded his or her faces from the blowing dust and debris.
	Ryoko screamed in a fit of determination, and started to fight 
back, pushing against his Kamehameha wave with all of her might.  
She slowly started advancing, ever so slowly, which surprised Russ.  
He smiled, as she continued to force her way forward, not wanting to 
give up any ground to him, not wanting to lose to some stranger, since 
she was the most powerful space pirate in existence!
	Russ kept his beam steady, and let her continue to advance on 
his position, but she was quite a ways off and she had a lot of ground to 
cover before she'd finally make it to where he was standing.
	Deciding she had enough, he lessened the power in his beam 
and allowed it to fizzle out, slowly enough to keep Ryoko from falling 
on her face.  She stopped pushing and collapsed to her knees, 
completely out of breath and panting hard to feed the oxygen to her 
starving muscles.  Russ calmly walked over to her and put a hand on 
her shoulder, and looked into her golden yellow eyes, and smiled.  
Tenchi sprang up from the audience and was about to run over, but he 
stopped himself when he saw Aeka's face and the unhappiness written 
on it, as she watched him.
	"Excellent work, Ryoko.  I'm very impressed that you were 
able to hold back that amount of power.  However, to put it bluntly, 
don't open your big mouth when someone is training someone else, 
because most of them will be able to make a fool out of you, without 
even trying, okay?"  Russ smiled.
	She continued to breathe hard, but she managed a weak smile, 
as Russ took her hand and helped her to her feet.  He took a few steps 
back and bowed out of respect, letting her know that their little scuffle 
was over for today.
	"You can train with me, along with Aeka, if you want.  Just 
when you do, do NOT make fun of anybody.  Do you understand that?"
	She nodded, as her breathing finally slowed to something 
close to normal.  "Thank you for your offer," she said, quietly.  "I think 
I may take you up on it, since I haven't had any real action around here 
in a long time.  I need the exercise."
	Russ snickered evilly and leaned over to her.  "Doesn't Tenchi 
give you enough exercise?" he whispered, causing her to break out into 
a cold sweat and turn super red.
	"That's none of your business!" she shot back, glaring at him, 
but then changing over to a grin.
	Russ and Ryoko walked over to everybody, as they all smiled 
and applauded for the show.  Everybody congratulated Ryoko on her 
prowess and determination, and then gave Russ a few complements.  
Aeka even had managed to grumble out a few words of encouragement 
to Ryoko.
	Katsuhito stepped forward toward Russ, just within his field of 
vision, so he turned around and looked at the two wooden swords 
Katsuhito had in his hands.
	"It's my turn now," he said, handing Russ one of the bokkens.  
He looked at it, and then at Lord Katsuhito, and nodded.
	"Okay.  I'll try my hand at going against you, but I'm not 
going to use a sword.  It's not my style of weapon.  But there is a 
weapon that I am accustomed to using.  Just a moment."  Russ 
zanzokened out of sight, and about five seconds later, reappeared in the 
same spot, holding a broom handle.  "My favorite weapon is a staff.  
Will you fight against me and my broomstick?"  Russ snickered, but 
Katsuhito smiled and nodded.
	"Not everybody uses a sword.  Let's see how good you really 
are with that thing," he said, his eyes narrowing slightly.  Russ cocked 
his eyebrow and smiled, as they both walked back out to the 
battleground.
	They stood about twenty feet apart, with Katsuhito holding his 
bokken like a samurai warrior, and Russ, after doing a little 
showboating with his staff, held it in a ready position, as he put on his 
poker face, doing his best to not let Katsuhito know what he was 
thinking.  They continued to stare each other down, neither letting on to 
what the other was considering.
	Katsuhito looked at something over Russ' shoulder.  "Hey, 
what's..." he said, but he was cut off in mid sentence by Russ' charge, 
totally surprised that his usual tactic didn't result in a lapse of 
concentration, but rather, caught himself almost completely off guard.  
A second later a loud crack of wood against wood signified the 
beginning of a match.  Russ backed off a moment.
	"First one to touch the other person in the chest with a 
weapon, wins the match," said Russ, as Katsuhito nodded in agreement.  
They faced off once more, and this time Russ took the initiative again, 
charging him with his staff spinning all around his body, trying to nail 
Katsuhito in the head.  The sound of the staff whipping through the air 
could be heard all the way back to the audience, who watched in awe as 
Katsuhito and Russ squared off.
	Russ continued to spin the staff at a rapid pace, continually 
using both sides to his advantage, as Katsuhito had to move twice as 
fast to keep Russ' staff at bay.  Katsuhito had never gone up against 
anybody who used anything other than a sword before, and therefore, 
he realized that he might need a bit of practice against Russ in the 
future.
	Russ continued his onslaught, mixing up his attack with the 
staff with a variety of martial arts.  Russ swung his staff at Katsuhito's 
feet, which was blocked, and then he tried to kick Katsuhito in the face, 
narrowly missing again, as Katsuhito nodded his head to the side, then 
swung his bokken down at Russ' shoulder, which was dodged.  Russ 
swung his staff at Katsuhito's feet again, but he jumped over it, flipped 
over Russ' head, and planted a kick onto his back, causing Russ to 
move forward a few paces.  He spun around, bringing his staff into 
another defensive posture as Katsuhito brought up his bokken and 
pointed it right at Russ' head.
	"Very good.  You're a very powerful warrior for someone 
who lives on Earth," Russ said.  "Let's see what other tricks you have 
up your sleeve."  Russ blurred out of sight but didn't rematerialize 
anywhere.  Katsuhito didn't move, but instead, closed his eyes, 
concentrating, and waited.  Everybody in the audience continued to 
watch in suspense, waiting for Russ to reappear.  Seconds felt like 
minutes as Katsuhito remained still, patiently waiting for his chance to 
strike.  And a moment later, an opportunity presented itself, as Russ 
rematerialized behind him.  Katsuhito sensed it as he swung his bokken 
in a wide arc, aimed directly at Russ' chest.  However, Russ didn't 
expect it, but he was fast enough to see it coming, as he zanzokened 
away again, missing his own opportunity to strike.  Russ rematerialized 
a couple feet away, holding his staff at ready, as Katsuhito turned to 
face him.

	"How did Grandpa know he was going to do that?" Tenchi 
asked in awe.  His grandfather never ceased to amaze him.
	"I have no idea.  I see something new with him every time I 
watch him," Washu said, continuing to watch the scouter and the battle 
that continued to play out in front of them.  "I wish I could study him 
as well as Russ now."  She blushed.
	Aeka looked over at Washu and cleared her throat, which 
Washu ignored.  "Would you stop trying to make me think you're 
trying to get him on a date or something?"
	She looked over at Aeka and smiled.  "Who WOULDN'T try 
to get him on a date?"  She laughed, which only got Aeka even more 
irritated.  "Hey, take it easy.  I already told you I wouldn't ask him, and 
I don't go back on my word."
	"You could've fooled me."  Aeka turned away from Washu 
and looked Russ over once again.
	"Hey Aeka?"
	"Yes Sasami?  What is it?" she said, turning toward her little 
sister and smiling.
	"How come you never came to bed last night?  I waited up for 
you a little while but then I just got so tired that I fell asleep," she said, 
looking concerned.
	"I'm sorry, Sasami.  I accidentally fell asleep when Russ was 
telling me about one of his stories.  I guess he tucked me into his bed 
and then he fell asleep on the floor.  Earlier today, I couldn't figure out 
why there was a bed on the floor, and then I remembered what 
happened the night before.  He's very thoughtful and nice."
	Sasami smiled.  "You've got a crush on him, don't you?"
	Aeka started to blush.  "Absolutely not.  It's just..." she trailed 
off and looked back at Russ, who was still battling against Katsuhito.
	Sasami giggled lightly.  "It's okay.  He is very nice.  I'm 
happy for you," she said, blushing a bit herself.
	"Aeka, why don't you ask him out on a date or something?" 
asked Ryoko, looking concerned at her.
	"Because I'm not that kind of woman," Aeka snapped, 
blushing slightly.  "Besides, we only met him yesterday and it is way 
too early to think about a relationship."  Her anger then turned to 
unhappiness as she remembered what Russ told her originally.  He 
wasn't ready for a relationship, and he wasn't looking for one, either.  
She sighed as she flopped back onto the grass, looking up into the sky, 
hoping that someday, maybe he would ask her to be his, forever.
	Ryoko noticed it and felt a little guilty.  "Would you want me 
to ask him for you?"
	"No!  One day we maybe will get involved, but as of right 
now, it's just way too early."
	"I'm sorry, Aeka.  I didn't mean anything," Ryoko said, as she 
watched Aeka with pleading eyes.
	"No, I'm sorry.  I shouldn't have gotten all worked up over 
that.  I know you mean well."
	Tenchi looked over at Aeka and felt a twinge of guilt creeping 
up on him again.  Once again he felt terrible at having to make that 
accursed choice some time ago, especially while looking at Aeka and 
her eyes, which told him all the emotions she was currently feeling.  He 
slowly got up and scooted over to her.
	"I'm sorry, Aeka.  I wish I never had to choose so long ago.  I 
knew that choice would shatter one of your hearts, and I regret having 
to do that.  I've never, ever, wanted to hurt either of you two, and I 
never wanted to see either of you two hurt like that, ever again."  
Tenchi watched Aeka's expression turn even unhappier as a tear fell 
from one of her eyes.  "However, now, you have a chance to start 
something fresh and new, Aeka.  He's standing right over there," he 
said, pointing toward Russ, who was still trying to penetrate 
Katsuhito's defense.  "He seems different than anybody I've met 
before.  He's so casual, but hard working, always willing to lend a 
helping hand.  Give him a little time and stop dwelling on the past, and 
I'm sure you'll be much happier."
	Aeka sat up and faced Tenchi, trying to keep from sobbing in 
front of everybody.  "I understand what you mean.  It's just that... 
well... maybe I'm meant to be alone.  I've had an attraction to two 
people now.  My brother," she said, looking at the aged Yosho, "and 
you, Tenchi.  But both of you, due to some other circumstance, turned 
me down.  Yosho didn't know how I felt, and with you, Ryoko 
managed to win your heart, fairly."  She sniffled as she brushed the 
tears away from her face.
	Tenchi wrapped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her 
into a hug.  Ryoko didn't say anything, but turned her attention back to 
the ongoing battle.  "I'll never stop regretting breaking your heart, 
Aeka.  If I could've done things differently, I would have.  You know I 
would have."
	"I know," she said, and she carefully removed his arm from 
around her.  "I also must stop living in the past and look toward the 
future.  I know I'll never change your heart, and I would never attempt 
to, either.  I'm sorry for ruining the mood here and bringing up my own 
personal problems."
	"It's okay.  But, I've seen how much happier you've been 
since Russ has arrived.  I sincerely hope you find something in him, 
and him in you.  He'd be crazy to pass by someone like you," Tenchi 
said, smiling.
	Aeka sniffled, and then smiled as she wiped her face dry on 
her gi.  "Thank you, Tenchi.  That means a lot."
	"You're welcome.  Now, let's see how..." Tenchi stopped 
talking as Katsuhito hurled a white energy ball at Russ, who was flying 
about two feet above the ground.  The ball slammed into Russ' chest as 
he started to fly away, but then he moved the ball aside and let it 
continue its way, when it fizzled out.  "Grandpa can shoot energy too?  
Geez, when will I learn how to do stuff like that?" he chuckled, then 
continued to watch the battle unfold, as Aeka watched Russ, smiling 
and blushing the whole time.

	"You're getting annoying, Lord Katsuhito.  Take it as a 
complement," Russ said, as he continued to swing the staff at a rapid 
pace, still unable to nail him in the chest, as Katsuhito's sword was 
nearly as agile as the staff.  Both participants laughed a moment, and 
then resumed their duel.  Russ gathered up a small blue ball of energy 
and hurled it at Katsuhito, who put up his forcefield, causing the ball to 
ricochet off and crash into the ground several hundred feet away.  
"Interesting.  I knew you possessed the power, but I haven't seen you 
use it until now.  Let's see how much power you do have," he said, 
snickering, as he prepared himself for another low-powered energy 
blast, bringing both his hands out on front of them, wrist to wrist, but 
not touching, and keeping his arms completely outstretched, as a small 
yellow ball of ki appeared between his hands.  Katsuhito saw him start 
charging his energy, so he jumped back a couple dozen feet as he 
brought his bokken back in front of himself.
	"Final Flash!" he shouted at the top of his voice, allowing a 
yellow beam to roar out of his hands.  Katsuhito saw it coming, and 
instead of doing a test of strength as Russ was expecting, he jumped 
aside as the beam sailed past, and rushed him, bokken at his side, 
preparing to slam the blade into Russ' torso.  Totally catching Russ off 
guard, he swung, and the blade passed right through where Russ stood, 
slicing cleanly through him.  A moment later, the afterimage of him 
faded away, leaving nothing but air.
	Katsuhito stood in the clearing, stumped, and wiped his brow 
with the back of his hand.  He was sweating, as he took in a deep 
breath, and calmed himself down.  "Hey Russ?"
	He rematerialized a few feet away, holding his staff at ready.  
"Yeah?"
	"Want to call a draw for now?"
	"We could, but I got a better idea."  Almost instantly, Russ 
was in front of Katsuhito, with the staff resting gently on his chest.  "I 
win."
	He looked down on his chest and saw the staff resting on his 
kimono, then smiled.  "You're really fast.  That was impressive.  I was 
going to once again try to distract you into letting down your defense.  
However, you just moved so fast right there that I had no hope of even 
blocking it.  Excellent.  You're a formidable opponent."
	Russ bowed out of respect.  "You are, too.  You're much 
better than I expected."  They both turned and walked back toward the 
audience, who were being unusually quiet.  He noticed the quietness of 
everybody and scratched his head.  "What happened here?  Why is 
everybody being so quiet?"  He looked over at Aeka and smiled, who 
returned the sentiment.
	"That was some demonstration there, Russ," Nobuyuki said 
from the ground.  Russ grinned in appreciation.
	"Well, are you guys ready for the real demonstration now?"  
Everybody looked at each other, then back at Russ.
	"Real demonstration?"
	"Yeah.  I mentioned it last night.  I'll show you a pale 
comparison of what Zorpheus and myself are really capable of."  He 
took a few steps back and started straining, putting some power into a 
special technique.
	"Tri-form!" he growled, as his body became transparent.  He 
blurred as two more copies of himself emerged from his original form, 
and then he became solid again, as there were now two clones of him 
standing to either side.  Everybody gasped, trying to figure out what 
was going on.  The middle Russ turned toward his two counterparts.  
"Okay, you can charge up to maximum, but don't use the Kaioken 
attack, and do not go Super Saiyan."  Both counterparts nodded toward 
each other as they both flew up into the air, and the original Russ sat 
down next to everybody.  "I'll explain what is going on, and I'll try to 
help you see them once they get rolling.  They're going to move so fast 
that the human eye can't see it, so you'll need to focus on the energy 
their bodies will be generating.  I can help you with that."  He looked 
up and noticed the other two were about to begin.  "Here we go."
	Both Russ' screamed at the top of their voices.  The sky turned 
dark and the horizon glowed, as the wind picked up and started to swirl 
around both individuals, and then both participants exploded in a huge 
green flash, engulfing them both in green flame.
	"Their power... is... at... one million, and climbing," 
stuttered Washu, as everybody gasped in awe.  The ground started to 
shake as many small rocks and pebbles started to lift into the air.  
Azaka and Kamadake both appeared next to Aeka, and they both put up 
a forcefield to shield everybody from the event.
	"Big deal.  So they can put on a show.  Doesn't mean 
anything," Ryoko sneered, glaring at Washu.
	"No," Washu said, with a look of absolute terror on her face, 
as the wind started to increase in velocity.  "This is for real."  Her look 
worried Ryoko, as she looked back up to the two combatants.  "They're 
now at two million, and still climbing..."
	Both Russ' continued to power up, howling in excitement, 
pain, and anticipation.  The scouter over Washu's ear was still 
recalculating a power level for each individual.  After about a minute of 
powering up, the shaking subsided and the wind calmed down, as both 
of them stared at each other.
	"They're... at... four million, seven hundred thousand.  
Incredible."  Washu continued to look at the scouter's window in 
disbelief, since she couldn't sense an energy level as high as Russ' 
currently was.
	"You think that's incredible, just you wait until they start 
fighting," Russ said, grinning.  "They're going to put on a show like 
you've never seen before.  And there they go…"