Ep 16 – Violent Heart

This is it!  The Final Battle will take place in this chapter.  Beware, 
there will be colorful language, a lot of violence with involved 
descriptions, and the rating on this chapter will be somewhere 
around PG13.  I hope you enjoy it, as there will only be 1 or 2 
chapters after this, and this story will be concluded.  Tenchi Muyo 
and Dragonball Z are copyrighted via Pioneer and Funimation 
respectively.  If you like (or even hate) the story, feel free to send 
me fanmail at russael@tmia.net.  I absolutely love getting mail 
having to do with the fic, and it continually motivates me to do 
more.  Anyway, enjoy the battle!  Oh, and a very special thanks to 
the REAL Zorpheus for role-playing his dialog.  I couldn't have 
done it without ya!

Feel free to come visit my website @ http://russael.cjb.net or 
http://www.tmia.net:81.  It's a massive Tenchi website consisting 
of MP3s, video clips, over 19,000 screenshots, character 
descriptions, and much more, including additional fanfics by other 
authors.

	"Aeka?  What is wrong with Russ?"
	Sasami, the little blue haired princess, was sitting quietly 
on the porch looking out toward the lake, watching the ripples on 
the water.  It was already late in the day, but the weather was very 
pleasant.  A stiff breeze came from the west, moving the eighty-
degree air around swiftly, causing her long ponytails to flap lazily 
in the wind.  Reaching up to move one of her bangs out of her face, 
she swept it behind her ear and sighed softly, feeling at peace with 
the world around her.  Looking absolutely beautiful and more 
mature since last year, she turned her eyes away from the lake and 
toward her sister, who was sitting next to her.
	It had been almost exactly one year since Russ had 
arrived at the Masaki home, and it had been one hell of a ride for 
everybody.  He was so much fun to be around and so easy going 
that she felt that he was her big brother, who always looked out for 
her and always was there for her, no matter what.  On a few 
occasions, she felt down, sad, and lonely, but Russ would stop 
whatever it was he was doing and wouldn't leave her alone until 
she smiled and felt herself again.  He cared for her like no other, 
and almost surpassed the attention and care she received from her 
mother.
	Surprisingly, he was an excellent teacher as well.  
Whenever she had a question and Washu wasn't available, he 
would help her with it and assist her in finding a correct answer, 
whether it was with cooking or trying to fix something that broke.  
He was easy to understand and had simple explanations for even 
really complex problems.  On many occasions, she would sit with 
him on the organ bench and watch him play for hours, and several 
times she commented that she wished she could play as well as 
him.  Russ smiled, and began to teach her some very basic songs 
on the organ, showing her how to keep time, how to create the 
instruments and rhythms along with various other things, including 
reading the sheet music.  On multiple occasions, they played duets 
together on the organ.  She would sit on Russ's lap and he'd play 
two of the keyboards, and she'd play on the third.  They'd sing 
together, and the entire family would congregate in the living room 
to listen, and on occasion, join in with the two.  It was a blast to 
have him around, and he was the most fun person she had ever 
known.
	But lately, somewhere around for the last week or so, 
Russ seemed to be more withdrawn and reclusive than he had been 
in the past.  He'd disappear for hours on end without a trace, and 
when he'd come home, it would be very late at night and he really 
didn't have much to say.  He'd head up to his room without 
visiting with the family and not play the organ anymore.  
Everybody had begun to take notice and start worrying, but he 
never told anybody what the problem was.
	At present moment, he was sitting up in his tree, being 
very silent and withdrawn.  He almost looked like he was asleep, 
but his eyes were open and very distant.  His hair moved in swirls 
with the wind and his clothes flapped with the gusts.  Even though 
he looked at peace, she knew he was very worried and concerned 
about something.  She felt that it had to do with Zorpheus's 
impending arrival, but she didn't know exactly when he'd come.  
Trying not to let it bother her, she debated that it could've been 
something else, but it still worried her, and was looking for some 
reassurance.
	"I don't know, Sasami.  It's the first time I've seen him 
like this," the first crown princess of Jurai responded, resting back 
on her hands, letting her summer clothes flutter with a gust of 
wind.  It had been a while since she wore her kimonos, and had 
since then switched to Earth clothing.  She was currently wearing a 
comfortable short sleeve t-shirt with a logo of the three saber 
marionettes on the front and a pair of jeans shorts.  Her long, 
purple hair was bound behind her back in one long ponytail, tied at 
the end with a small blue ribbon.  She had a set of three bangle 
bracelets on her left wrist made from polished marble stone, 
colored blue and black, and a dragon armband that went around the 
top of her bicep, the same one she wore with her training gi, which 
was a gift from Russ.
	She too had gotten more ladylike and adult, as her figure 
had filled out a little more, just as she hoped.  Since training with 
Russ, she became more defined as well.  Small muscles showed 
themselves in her arms and legs, and she looked positively 
stunning.  Remarkably, she still maintained her gorgeous, soft, 
alabaster skin, and she had tanned slightly as well, and she felt 
more confident in her appearance because of it.
	Breathing deep, taking in the scent of freshly mowed 
grass and the smell of clean, pure air from the surrounding forest, 
she too felt at peace with the world, and it helped her let all of her 
cares go away for the time being.  That is, all except for one.  She 
too had noticed Russ's reclusiveness and was wondering why his 
behavior had become the way it was.  Unfortunately, he was too 
stubborn to tell the family what the problem actually was or why 
he was worried, and it drove her crazy.  He kept way too many 
secrets to himself and was very bad at hiding them too.
	Nevertheless, the past year that he had spent with the 
family was nothing short of breathtaking and wonderful.  He was 
so amazing and fun to be around that she had gotten to the point 
where she couldn't stand it when he was apart from her.  She knew 
that she was obsessed with him, but far more with him than she 
ever was with Tenchi.
	Looking back on her lost love, she became more and 
more skeptical over the way she used to be with him.  Tenchi was 
stiff, inflexible, and really not much fun to be around.  He always 
pushed both her and Ryoko away at the time, and refused to do 
anything with either of them.  Even now, as she looked at Tenchi 
and Ryoko's relationship, she didn't see that much of a change in 
him.  True, he did show more affection, but he really didn't DO 
much with Ryoko.  He was always home, training, going to school, 
or doing other things besides enjoying life with his sweetheart.  
The only time he really spent with her was at night, when they'd 
both go to bed.  True, they did spend some time together when 
Tenchi was doing his other activities, but only because Ryoko 
basically followed him around like a little puppy dog.  She'd 
always ask to go do things, but he continually turned her down, 
saying that he had other things that he needed to take care of.  For 
the most part, Ryoko just contented herself to be near him, as her 
love for him was absolute and unwavering.  Ryoko began to 
understand the way things worked on Earth, and she accepted it 
easily enough.  She would do anything for Tenchi.  On multiple 
occasions, she trained with him in much the same way she trained 
with Russ, but Tenchi wasn't really that much of a match for her, 
and it didn't satisfy her to go up against him.  There was more than 
one occasion when Tenchi was at school and Ryoko was feeling 
very bored and lonely, that she invited herself out to train with 
Russ.  Both Ryoko and herself would go up against the super 
saiyan and have a great time, especially with Russ's easygoing 
sense of humor.  Russ loved fighting against both Ryoko and her, 
and it made her feel good that he was so accepting to the both of 
them.
	Aeka wondered how she would've found Tenchi if he 
chose her over Ryoko.  Would he have been the same way, or 
would he have done even less with her?  The only reason Tenchi 
really did anything with Ryoko was because of her pleading.  Since 
she wasn't like Ryoko and didn't really pressure anything onto 
anybody, they probably wouldn't have done much of anything at 
all.  She knew that she wouldn't have been satisfied with that, but 
because he was willing to sacrifice himself for anybody, she 
would've dealt with it.  He was far too honorable and heroic to just 
turn away, but how long would that have been enough?
	She shook her head, reorienting her thoughts back to 
Russ.  Now there was a man who would do anything for anybody, 
just to make them happy.  Many occasions, she saw how Sasami 
and him would do things together and how it made her sister feel.  
Because of it, she felt at peace and very contented to be around 
him, as he was the same way with her.  He didn't hold back much 
and would flirt with her on occasion, teasing her about her 
appearance or making fun of himself, but all in good humor.  He 
almost never got mad or angry, but if he did, he'd go outside and 
work it off, rather than take it out on anybody.  Since the Startica 
festival, he never yelled or got mad at anybody, no matter what 
happened.  He'd calmly explain to her that he was upset over what 
was done, and then he'd go outside to blow off his steam.  
Knowing that, she'd go out and apologize to him, even if it wasn't 
her fault, just to see him smile and make him feel more 
comfortable.
	Looking at him sitting on his limb, she knew that he felt 
more at ease around her since she had stopped chasing him.  
Remembering her conversation with her mother, her advice 
seemed to be working.  He didn't run away from her ever since 
Christmas Day, and he was even more open with her than he ever 
used to be.  He told her about several secrets that he kept buried 
and rarely talked about, like his parents' death and his lack of 
family.  After finally cracking open his safe of secrets, he finally 
revealed to her that he was lonely and had missed Laurie deeply, 
and that he still wasn't over her, even after so many years.  
Whenever he'd get on that subject, she'd listen quietly and comfort 
him, and she felt so close to him that it almost didn't matter that 
they weren't an actual couple.  She could feel that it was only a 
matter of time before he'd open himself up once again and accept 
the love of another, but she hoped it would be soon.
	"He hasn't come out of that tree since he got up there this 
morning," Sasami said quietly, sharing the tranquility with her 
sister.  "I know he's troubled by something, but I don't know 
what."
	Aeka nodded her head.  "Yeah, and it is making me 
worried too.  He's been meditating for a long time, but I don't have 
the slightest idea what could be running through his mind."
	"What if we invite him to do karaoke or something?" she 
asked, stroking Ryo-Ohki, who was sleeping soundly on her lap, 
purring quietly.
	Sighing again, she shook her head.  "I don't think he'd 
want to.  He has a lot of things to sort through and think about right 
now, and I think the best thing we can do for him is to leave him 
alone.  He's been a lot of fun and he has done far more for us than 
anybody has ever done, never asking for anything in return, and I 
think the least we can do is leave him alone for now."
	Sasami's face became downcast as she looked at Ryo-
Ohki, still gently stroking her soft fur.  "I know, but I miss having 
him play with me."
	Turning toward her, Aeka nodded her head.  "Me too."
	"Where are Tenchi and Ryoko?" Sasami asked, changing 
the subject.  "I haven't really seen them much today.  What have 
they been doing?"
	Her face becoming thoughtful, she shrugged her 
shoulders.  "I don't know.  I think they're out weeding the carrot 
patch or out by the shrine."
	Upon hearing the word carrot, Ryo-Ohki woke up out of 
her quiet doze and looked up at Aeka, questioning her with a 
meow.
	Aeka smiled and patted her on the head.  "Do you know 
where Ryoko is, Ryo-Ohki?"
	The cabbit closed its eyes for a moment, and then 
meowed once, lifting her paw to point to the training ground.
	Giggling quietly, Sasami patted the little animal and 
stroked her back.  "So they're training together," she mumbled 
quietly, looking off toward the area near the top of the mountain 
where Tenchi regularly sparred with is grandfather.  It was too 
high up to really see anything, as the trees were very full and thick 
with leaves, and the wind was brisk enough to muffle any sounds 
that would've come from a confrontation up there.  Her eyes 
wandered back to Russ, who still hadn't moved from his seat in the 
tree.  She smiled and started giggling.
	"What's so funny, Sasami?" Aeka asked, looking over at 
her sister.
	"I was just thinking about how that tree supports him.  He 
has gotten far heavier since he first arrived.  Wasn't he like around 
two hundred twenty two pounds originally, and the last time he 
told me his weight, he said he was around two hundred ninety 
pounds.  I'm surprised that branch hasn't cracked and made him 
crash to the ground."
	Smiling contentedly, she nodded her head.  "He looks so 
peaceful up in that tree.  It's so crazy that he's so strong and 
powerful and it's even more amazing how gentle he usually is."
	Looking at her sister, Sasami started laughing again.  
"MOST of the time.  Do you realize that he's crushed more than 
ten playstation controllers?"
	Aeka started laughing along with her sister.  "That's 
because he can't stand losing to you."
	"It's always fun how he tackles me after I beat him.  He's 
so much fun to be around, and I hope he stays here forever with us.  
I'd be so upset if he ever left."
	Both princesses fell silent, considering the possibility that 
after his mission was complete, what his next move would be.  
Would he leave, or would he remain here?  They didn't know, but 
they both strongly wanted him to stay… more than anything, 
really.  He was the greatest thing that ever happened to both of 
them, and they both didn't want to give him up.  Ever.  They were 
both to the point of even telling all of their parents to kiss off if it 
meant staying with him.  However, Russ didn't know how deep 
their feelings for him had gone.
	"We shouldn't worry about that, Sasami.  I think he wants 
to stay with us as well.  We're the best company he's had in a very 
long time, and I don't think he'd be very quick to give it up.  He's 
stubborn like that, you know," Aeka said, smiling.
	"Yeah, you're right.  But anyway," she said, gently 
moving Ryo-Ohki off of her lap and standing up, lazily stretching 
her arms over her head.  "I'm going to go get Russ a glass of 
lemonade.  I'm sure he's thirsty and probably hungry too.  He 
never came in to eat today at all."
	Aeka stood up too, mimicking her sister with her 
stretching, causing her bracelets to slide down her arm, tinkling up 
against each other.  "I'll make him a sandwich for you to take to 
him as well.  I hope he tells us why he's so concerned."
	"I think he will today.  But we'll have to wait and see," 
Sasami said, sliding back the door and stepping into the house, 
which was uncomfortably warm.  "Whew, it's hot in here."
	"Yeah.  But it isn't as bad as it was last year.  Remember 
those hundred-degree days we had?  That was unbearable."
	Sasami and Aeka both made their way to the kitchen, 
passing through the living room.  Nobuyuki was seated on the 
couch, silently reading his newspaper.  He didn't look up from the 
two who intruded into the living room, but kept reading, as 
whatever was in the paper had kept his attention for quite a while 
already.
	Reaching the kitchen, Sasami went to the refrigerator to 
get the lemonade, and Aeka went into the pantry closet to get the 
jar of peanut butter, and afterwards, went to the fridge to get the 
butter and jam.
	Aeka looked at the ingredients and smiled.  "This stuff is 
so simple but he loves it.  I've never seen someone eat as much 
peanut butter as him."
	Nodding in agreement, Sasami reached into the cupboard 
and produced a tall glass.  She went back to the fridge to get a tray 
of ice while Aeka took a small plate from an adjacent cupboard 
and set about making a sandwich.
	Grunting while twisting the ice tray from side to side, two 
ice cubes came flying out of the tray once they broke free and 
landed on the floor.  Sasami reached down and picked up the two 
rogue cubes and tossed them into the sink, then filled the glass to 
the top with all the ice cubes she could fit into it.
	After buttering four slices of wheat bread, Aeka then 
spread the peanut butter on two of the pieces, very thickly, and 
after cleaning off the butter knife, she dumped a decent amount of 
strawberry jam onto the peanut butter, and then put the other piece 
of bread on the top.  Afterwards, she sliced both sandwiches in 
half, and placed them all on the plate.  Sasami poured the 
lemonade over the ice in the glass, causing the ice to crack and pop 
from the drastic temperature change.
	"Here you go, Sasami," Aeka said, handing over the plate.  
"Even though this is only a light snack to him, it should make him 
a little happier."
	"Mmmm, yes.  Why not come out with me?" she 
questioned, looking out the window and then at her sister.
	"Even though I don't pry anymore, he'd probably feel 
uneasy with me going out there like that.  He'd expect it from you 
and me, but he'd probably feel more comfortable talking about it 
with you."
	"Don't be silly, Aeka.  It doesn't matter who it comes 
from, does it?"
	Aeka thought a moment.  "Maybe not, but anyway, don't 
you dare tell him I made the sandwiches, okay?  He still thinks that 
everything I make is toxic, and I don't want to scare him away 
with my food."
	Sasami giggled quietly and nodded her head.  "I'll tell 
him after he finishes it."
	"Okay.  I'm going to go water my garden now.  It's been 
a couple days since it has rained and the plants could use a nice 
drink," she said, heading toward the back door, putting on a pair of 
gardening gloves she kept on a shelf that was on her way out.  The 
door clicked shut after she walked though it.
	Sasami went back through the living room, glancing at 
Nobuyuki who was still reading his paper, and she went outside, 
being careful to close the door behind her.  Lifting off into the air, 
she slowly flew over to Russ's tree and came up behind him.
	"Hey, Sasami.  What's going on?" he asked, without even 
seeing her.
	"I love how you do that," she said, coming around the 
tree.  "I brought you some food since you missed dinner, and a 
cold lemonade."
	Russ smiled at her and nodded his head.  "Thank you very 
much.  That was very thoughtful of you," he said, as he began to 
devour the sandwiches.  He stole a few drinks from the lemonade 
in between bites.
	"You should thank Aeka too, since she was the one who 
made the sandwiches."
	Russ stopped chewing for a moment, giving Sasami a 
worried look, but he smiled and continued eating a moment later.  
After swallowing a large chunk, he let out a small burp.  "Not bad.  
You sure your sister made these?  They don't taste funny or 
anything," he teased, watching Sasami's face become cross.  "I'm 
only kidding."
	Smiling now, Sasami sat down on a nearby branch, 
watching Russ eat at a normal, human pace.  "You've been up here 
for quite a few days now, and you haven't been very social either.  
Is something bothering you?"
	"Am I that transparent?" he asked, after swallowing 
another bite.  "Yes, something is bothering me and has me worried, 
but I don't want to worry you guys about it."
	"Could you at least tell me what is wrong?" she asked, 
swinging her legs back and forth.
	Shoving another chunk of PP&J into his mouth, he took 
his time eating it and swallowed, then washed it down with more 
lemonade.  Sighing to himself, he looked over at her, and nodded 
his head.  "I think you already know what I'm worried about, but 
it's about Zorpheus.  I meditate for a long time to mentally prepare 
myself for battle.  I'm worried about what he might do, but I'm 
excited about the prospect of combat again."
	"You're excited?" she questioned, surprised at his 
revelation.
	Russ nodded.  "Yes.  Saiyans are a warrior race, as I've 
told you before.  We were born to do battle and to fight.  It's one 
thing that gives us a tremendous amount of joy and satisfaction," 
he explained, taking a quick sip of his drink again.  "But lately, 
I've found joy in something else, but the idea of fighting again is 
very exciting to me.  I don't expect you to understand since it isn't 
your nature or how you were brought up, but that is the way it is 
with me and even Zorpheus."
	Nodding her head, she smiled.  "What is that other thing 
you find joy in?"
	Russ was about to take another bite out of his sandwich 
but froze in surprise instead.  His face began to turn red, and 
Sasami could see a few beads of sweat appear on his forehead.  
Tilting her head to the side, she smiled, then started giggling, 
getting a pretty good idea of what was going through his mind.
	"It wouldn't happen to have to do with my sister now, 
would it?" she teased.
	His face growing redder by the minute, he swallowed his 
bite in a deliberately loud gulp and filled his mouth with lemonade 
again, draining over half the remaining liquid.  "If I tell you the 
truth, will you keep it a secret?"
	She nodded her head and smiled, kicking her feet back 
and forth.  "Yes."
	If Russ's face could've gone any redder, it would have.  
"Yes, it has to do with your sister."
	"You like her?"
	Russ paused, then let out a huge breath.  "Yes.  Yes I do."
	Sasami's face lit up as bright as the sun.  "I knew it!  I 
knew it!" she sang, giggling the whole while.  "You've got a big 
crush on her."
	"Cut that out!" Russ pleaded, looking away shyly.  "Don't 
tease me about that."
	Sasami continued to smile widely as she looked at Russ's 
far off grin.  "Then how come you won't go out with her or go 
steady?"
	The grin on Russ's face melted away and became 
downcast.  "I can't."
	"But, why not?  You're both single, you're both free, and 
you're definitely both attracted to each other, so why not?" Sasami 
asked, looking concerned.
	"It's a long story."  Russ shoved the last of the sandwich 
into his mouth and swallowed it, then washed it down with more 
lemonade.
	"Could you give me the short version?" she asked, sliding 
a little closer to Russ.
	Sighing quietly, Russ turned toward her again, looking on 
her with lonely eyes.  "Only Aeka knows about it right now, but I 
almost had a girlfriend a few years ago.  We were good friends for 
over a year, in much the same way it is between your sister and 
myself.  But something happened and she was killed, ironically, 
one day after we agreed to go steady.  I tried to help her, but I was 
outnumbered and she died.  I never want to feel that kind of pain 
again, so I distanced myself from all women, never allowing 
myself to become attracted to another.  However, your sister is 
similar to my former girlfriend, but I don't want anything to 
happen to her, so I won't become involved with her.  I'm too 
dangerous to be around."
	"That's not true!  You've lived with us for almost a year 
now and every problem that has ever arisen, you've conquered 
easily.  You overcame Kain, my parents, and any other obstacle.  
Why can't you date with my sister and make her the happiest 
person alive?  She really wants to be with you for the rest of her 
life, and I want to see her with you too.  You're my big brother and 
I don't want to see you go."
	Feeling a growing lump in his throat, Russ shook his 
head.  "I know how it feels.  You guys became attached to me, but 
when the time comes, I may have to leave.  I originally only came 
back here to do what I did with the Dragonballs, and face 
Zorpheus.  Once that was done, I was going to leave."
	"NO!!!" she shouted, looking like someone jammed a 
knife in her back.  "You can't!"
	Russ looked at her, feeling a great many emotions boiling 
in his gut and in his mind.  "I didn't say I was definitely going to 
leave, but that was a part of my original plan.  Plans change and 
people change.  I kind of felt that you and your sister wouldn't 
want me to go, since I thought that I've been a good friend to you 
guys.  I did my best to make you and your sister happy and 
carefree, but I didn't want to become involved in any kind of 
relationship when I saw her.  She was very emotional and unhappy 
when I first met her, and I felt sorry for her, so I befriended her and 
you.  But I swore to myself that I wouldn't become attracted to her 
or ask her out.  All I wanted was friendship, but your sister wants 
more, but I can't give it to her, and it hurts to tell her no."
	"Then stop telling her no!" she cried, crushing the branch 
in her hands.  "You can go out with her if you want to.  Even my 
mother wants to see her become involved with you!  That's 
extremely rare, and it's even more rare when she fights with father 
over it."
	"I know, Sasami.  That's the other thing I've been 
thinking about since I've been up here," he said, finishing off the 
last of the lemonade and letting out a small burp.  "Everybody is 
all for it, but all of you fail to realize what it could mean to your 
safety.  It is true that I'm very, very strong, but there are still others 
out there that are stronger.  Strong people who are warriors tend to 
attract trouble wherever they go.  Trouble is already on its way 
here in the form of Zorpheus, and I don't want you people having 
anything to do with it.  I'd go insane if any of you got hurt."
	"But that's our choice!" she argued.  "It's up to us if we 
want to stand by your side."
	Russ smiled.  "But that's what I want to avoid.  You may 
want to help, but you'd be a liability.  I can't have that while I'm in 
a fight.  Someone could threaten to harm you or hold you hostage, 
and that person would be able to force me to do whatever he or she 
wanted, because they know I couldn't let anything happen to you.  
I know you guys are strong, but you people can't defend 
yourselves up against villains that I fight with," he calmly 
explained.  "I know it sounds like a lame excuse, but it is for your 
own good and mine as well."
	Sasami shook her head, becoming more worried by the 
minute.  "We don't care about that!  We…"
	"I know you don't care," Russ interrupted.  "But I do.  I 
will not let you guys come into harms way, and the only way I can 
figure on doing that is to not be a part of your family.  It sounds 
very weird and selfish, but I know that's the way it has to be."
	Again, the princess shook her head.  "No, no, no!  Please, 
Russ, you have to…"
	"Enough," he interrupted again.  "I'm very sorry to 
disappoint you, Sasami, but I cannot, and I'm inflexible about it.  
Right now, I have some very important things to worry about.  I've 
developed a new technique and I've been working on a way to 
make it work right.  I've just about got it figured out, and just in 
time too.  Zorpheus arrives tomorrow."
	Stopping herself and looking horrorstruck, her pink eyes 
bored into Russ's.  "What?"
	Nodding his head and rubbing his temples with his free 
hand, he said what she feared the most.  "Yes, he will be here 
tomorrow."
	She fell deathly silent and her face spilled over with 
worry.  "What's going to happen?"
	"I don't know.  I plan on getting him into that special 
room and having us beat the living hell out of each other, but I 
don't know what frame of mind he'll be in tomorrow.  Usually, 
he'll listen to me calmly, but he may still get upset over my 
destroying his dream of immorality.  Playing with immortality is 
something I don't do nor let anybody else screw with.  In my 
opinion, it is the root of all evil.  It can turn good people bad, like it 
did with Zorpheus.  He really didn't become bad or evil in the 
villainous sense, but he became very obsessive and we went our 
separate ways," he described, remembering how pissed off he felt 
at what Zorpheus was becoming.  "But anyway, once we get in that 
room, everything should be fine.  Before he became obsessed with 
immortality, he was a great friend.  He had a sarcastic sense of 
humor about him, but he was very funny.  He was a little more 
dare devilish than me, and loved drawing attention to himself.  
Being a nutcase and having a good time were some of the best 
qualities about him.  I do miss him, but I'm very nervous about 
seeing him again tomorrow."
	"I hope he doesn't do anything drastic.  Are you two 
really going to fight?"
	"Not very likely, but possible.  If all goes well, he'll just 
give up on it.  For the most part, he was pretty easy going and 
wouldn't mind if something went belly up.  He'd just laugh it off 
and come up with a new obsession.  But no obsession ever went as 
deep as this one.  If we do fight, one of us may even die if it gets 
too out of hand," he said, watching Sasami's face go from horrified 
to absolute terror.
	"NO!!!  You can't lose!  You CAN'T die!  What will we 
do if you die?  We'll never see you again!" she cried, sniffling, 
letting the tears drip out of the corners of her pink eyes and run 
down her freckled cheeks, to drip off of the bottom of her chin to 
the ground below.  "I won't let you!"  She leapt off her branch and 
flew at Russ, burying her face in Russ's purple karate ki, her body 
wracked with sobs.  She continually repeated to herself, "Don't 
die!"
	Russ held her tightly.  "I won't die, Sasami.  Just hope for 
the best, okay?  But once we go into that room, I want you guys to 
stay out of it until it is over.  If Zorpheus tries to start something 
out here tomorrow, run as far away from here as you can.  I won't 
have you hurt over something that is my fault."
	"No!  I won't!  I want to stay with you!" she cried, 
hugging him more tightly.
	Russ slowly closed his eyes, and then reopened them, 
breathing a sigh of relief.  "Thank you, Sasami.  It makes me feel 
really good to hear you say that.  Even though you're faced with 
impossible odds, you still want to be with me, and I know your 
sister would be as well, but I can't have you with me.  It's too 
dangerous.  I know you don't understand that, but I cannot have 
you with me tomorrow.  It is something that I have to do alone.  
I'm the only one who can."
	Russ wasn't sure if Sasami heard him or not, but she 
remained like that for a long time afterward.  After she finally 
stopped crying, she rested her head against Russ's shoulder and 
dozed off, worn out from the day's activities and the worry that 
Russ had put her through.  He felt bad about doing it, but he 
decided it was better to be truthful rather than let her see a bunch 
of surprises tomorrow.  'Knowing what to expect was better than 
being surprised in circumstances like this one,' he always said.
	Continuing to hold her close, despite the very warm air, 
he felt very comfortable, secure, and happy having her with him.  
It felt good to have another close to him, and he did feel that she 
was his little sister and it was his job to protect her.  He made a 
silent vow to himself, swearing that he'd vanquish his enemy, and 
if all went well, he would ask Aeka to go steady with him.  It was 
about time to move on, and even though he just finished telling 
Sasami that he'd never do it, he did feel very good when he was 
around both Aeka and Sasami, and he wanted that feeling for the 
rest of his life.  They were the ones to do it for him, and he felt 
good about it.
	"What am I thinking?" he suddenly said to himself, aloud, 
changing his mind again in a heartbeat.  "I must be insane."  He 
looked down at the sleeping princess, smiled, and shook his head.  
"I can't do it.  Yes, Sasami, I'd be willing to spend the rest of my 
life with you and your sister, but I can't, even though you two are 
the most perfect things to happen in my life.  I'd love to have fun 
with you every day, and I will, but only as your friend."
	Closing his own eyes, he too drifted into a half sleep, 
keeping himself and Sasami balanced on the branch, wasting the 
passage of time.
	"Russ?" Sasami whispered, snuggling a little closer to the 
saiyan, after about a half hour of sleep.
	He glanced down at her peaceful form and smiled.  "What 
is it, Sasami?" he asked quietly.
	"Promise me you won't die tomorrow," she whimpered, 
looking into Russ's visage.  "Promise me that you'll survive."
	Reaching up and rubbing her arm gently, he nodded his 
head.  "I promise."
	Letting out a sigh of relief, she smiled and hugged Russ, 
feeling very safe and secure next to him.  "Thank you."
	"You're welcome," he whispered.

	"Come on, Tenchi!  I thought you improved since fighting 
with Russ!" Ryoko taunted, rapidly punching and kicking toward 
her fiancée.  Most of her offense was being blocked and dodged, 
but a few punches and kicks found their way through his defenses.
	Growling quietly to himself, Tenchi continued to block 
her vicious offense, doing his best to stand his ground.  "I have 
gotten better, and you know I'm holding back right now.  If I used 
the lighthawk wings, you wouldn't stand a chance!" he yelled 
back, flipping backwards.  He landed on his feet and sprinted 
forward, leapt into the air, and tried to behead the space pirate.  
However, he missed as she ducked under it.  Landing on his feet, 
he put up his defensive stance and waited for her next move.
	"I still think you're a pushover, Tenchi," she teased, 
baring her fangs in an evil grin.  "Show me how much of a MAN 
you've become!"  Racing forward, she held her wooden bokken 
high but swung it at Tenchi's ribcage.  Wood met wood as his own 
bokken blocked her shot, causing a loud crack to echo around the 
trees and surrounding area.
	"Don't just stand there, boy!  Attack her!" Katsuhito 
ordered, who was watching the event unfold before him.  He had 
been watching them for the past hour or so, and he could see a vast 
improvement in Tenchi's abilities since he started using his energy.  
But even though his body was ready for the next step, his mind 
wasn't fast enough.
	"I'm doing the best I can, grandpa…!" he yelled, but he 
was cut short as Ryoko kicked him from behind, causing him to 
skid across the grounds.  He leapt back to his feet almost 
immediately, but he was too far away from Ryoko to mount an 
attack.
	Ryoko looked at his clothes, which were now covered in 
grass stains, and she started laughing, pointing at his shirt.
	"Yeah, yeah.  Jolly Green Giant now, is that it?" Tenchi 
muttered, glaring at both Ryoko and Katsuhito.  "If you didn't 
distract me, she wouldn't have gotten that shot in," he growled.
	"You must be prepared for everything, Tenchi," Katsuhito 
returned.  "You must learn to pay attention to everything around 
you.  You cannot focus on just one thing.  You'll lose if you do."
	Tenchi rolled his eyes.  "How often am I going to be 
fighting with someone while you're giving advice to me?" he 
argued, but he was cut short as Ryoko snuck up behind him and 
clubbed him over the head with her bokken.
	"Pay attention, Tenchi!" she yelled, growing irritated.  
"You have a one track mind."
	"You're all picking on me," Tenchi snarled, swinging his 
own sword at Ryoko, who teleported away.  Looking above him, 
he saw her floating casually, her hair being whipped around from 
the wind, and she almost looked like a tigress, ready to pounce on 
her prey.  "Yeah, THAT's real fair, Ryoko."
	"Quit your whining, boy!" Katsuhito snapped, getting to 
his feet.  "I think you've had enough training for one day.  We'll 
continue tomorrow."
	Wiping the perspiration off of his brow, Tenchi sat down 
on the ground, breathing heavily.  "Oh man, what a day," he 
mumbled to himself.
	Ryoko returned to the ground and sat next to Tenchi, and 
she kissed the bump that she caused on his head.  "Sorry about 
that, but you weren't paying attention."
	Wincing in pain, he ducked out from under her affection.  
"You and grandpa are two of a kind.  You both love distracting me 
and then pounding me afterwards.  It's getting annoying."
	"Tenchi, listen.  We only do that to make you improve.  
Once you finally start overcoming that obstacle, we'll move on to 
your next weak point and improve that too," Ryoko explained, 
gently rubbing Tenchi's head with her right hand.  "But you're too 
easily distracted and you only pay attention to one thing at a time.  
You need to learn how to focus on everything in your 
surroundings."
	Sighing quietly to himself, he hung his head.  "I'm sorry 
for yelling at you.  I guess I'm just a little tired.  I haven't slept 
very well over the last couple of nights for some weird reason."
	"Would you like to go to the mall or something?  I think 
you need to take your mind off of your troubles and relax for a 
while," Ryoko suggested.
	Tenchi shook his head.  "Sorry, Ryoko, but I have to do 
laundry today.  Kiyone and Mihoshi will be coming over tomorrow 
too, and I have to clean the bath.  I'm just too busy to relax right 
now."
	"Aw, but Tenchi!  You need a break too.  You're going to 
wear yourself out if you keep this up.  It'll only be for a couple 
hours.  What harm is there in that?" Ryoko begged, giving him her 
best pitiful look.
	"Come on, Ryoko.  These things won't get done on their 
own."  Tenchi grunted as he got to his feet, rubbing his sore calves.
	Sighing quietly to herself, she floated dejectedly next to 
Tenchi as he made his way down the shrine steps.  "If I help you 
get done faster, then will you go with me to the mall?"
	"Aw man," Tenchi muttered under his breath.  "Yeah, I'll 
go," he said, but not sounding enthusiastic about it at all.
	Now smiling, Ryoko hugged Tenchi.  "Thank you, 
sweetie.  One of these days you and I are going to have to go on a 
trip together.  You know, just the two of us.  There are many 
wonders out there in the universe, and I'd like to show you some of 
them, if you'd let me.  It would be very romantic and fun.  You did 
say you'd go with me, Tenchi."
	Tenchi didn't seem to be paying attention to her as he 
made his way down to the last step and onto the walkway to the 
house.  "Maybe one day we will," he finally said.  "But I don't 
know when."
	"What about now?" she said, appearing in front of him, 
looking dead serious.
	"Ryoko!  Don't be ridiculous.  I have school to attend, 
things to do around here, and practice with Grandpa.  I just don't 
have the time right now.  I have too many responsibilities around 
here already," Tenchi growled, getting irritated.
	"Don't you want to go with me though?" she asked, 
clasping her hands together in front of herself.  "Is there another 
reason you won't go?  Is it me?"
	"What?!  Whatever gave you that idea?" Tenchi said, 
looking very annoyed and surprised.
	"It's just… oh, I don't know," she finally mumbled, and 
she hung her head.  "I'm sorry, Tenchi."
	Sighing to himself again, he shook his head.  "Come on, 
Ryoko," he said, lifting her face gently with his hand and smiling.  
"Let's do the laundry and then I'll see if dad will let me borrow the 
van so we can go shopping.  Okay?"
	Her visage brightened up a bit.  "Okay, Tenchi.  But we 
better hurry.  The mall closes at nine, and it's already six."
	"We'll have plenty of time if you help me with that stuff."
	Thinking to herself for a moment, she came up with an 
idea.  "Why don't we just have Russ do it?  He hasn't done much 
of anything around here."
	"Yeah right," he retorted.  "He cuts the grass every 
weekend, cleans the shrine steps, cooks, and does a variety of other 
things around the house.  He's far more ambitious than even I am, 
and the only reason it looks like he doesn't do anything is because 
he's so fast.  What would take me an hour only takes him five 
minutes.  But right now, something is wrong with him, and I think 
we should leave him alone.  Besides, I can't have him bare all the 
responsibilities around the house."
	"Why not?  He EATS more than all of us combined!" 
Ryoko countered, landing on the ground in Tenchi's way.  "He's 
the most expensive stomach here!"
	Scratching his head, he looked over toward the lake and 
saw Russ and Sasami in the tree, leaning together, snoozing.  
"That's true, but for some very weird reason, he actually pays for 
some stuff around here.  I don't know where he has been getting 
the money, but it isn't like he doesn't help out financially.  Maybe 
it was an inheritance from his parents or something.  Besides, I 
wouldn't want to disturb him right now.  He looks so peaceful up 
there in that tree with Sasami."
	Ryoko also looked toward the tree, watching the twosome 
nap together.  "Yeah, they do look cute, don't they?"
	"Come on," Tenchi said, taking her by the hand.  "Lets go 
to the mall first.  The laundry can wait until we get home, okay?  
But you'll have to help me with it."
	Instantly wrapping her arms around Tenchi, she giggled 
happily.  "Thank you, Tenchi.  Let's go right now."
	Entering the living room through the sliding glass door, 
Tenchi spied his father on the couch, his nose still in his 
newspaper.  He didn't even notice when Tenchi called his name.
	"Dad!" Tenchi said, making his voice quite loud.
	"Ack!  Oh, what is it, Tenchi?" Nobuyuki asked, peering 
over his paper, finally noticing his son and soon-to-be daughter in 
law.
	"May I borrow the van to go to the mall?  Ryoko and I 
would like to go shopping together," he requested, folding his 
hands behind his back.  The space pirate smiled too, resting her 
chin on Tenchi's shoulder.
	"Did you do the laundry yet?" he asked, digging into his 
pocket.
	Tenchi shook his head.  "Not yet, but I'll be sure and do it 
when I get back, if that is okay."
	"Sure.  Just make sure you don't forget.  I need some 
fresh clothes for tomorrow," he said, tossing the keys over to 
Tenchi, but he missed and they fell on the floor.
	"Thanks dad," he said, kneeling down to pick up the keys.  
"We'll be back in a couple hours."
	"Have a good time!" he called after them, as they went 
outside.
	Ryoko held onto his arm as they both made their way to 
the van.  "Your father is so nice," she said, feeling the muscles in 
Tenchi's arm.
	Nodding his head in agreement, he unlocked the door at 
the same moment Aeka came around the house.  She was about to 
wind up the hose, but she saw the two of them out of the corner of 
her eye.  She smiled and waved.
	"Where are you guys heading off to?" she called, making 
her way over to them.
	"We were going to go to the mall.  I'm bored and Tenchi 
is tired, so it's just something for us to do and relax for a while.  
Want to come?" Ryoko invited.
	Smiling, but shaking her head, she politely declined.  
"Thanks for the offer, but no.  You two have a nice time and relax.  
Especially you, Tenchi," she said, looking seriously at him.  
"You've been working quite hard and I can tell you're getting 
fatigued.  Have fun, I demand it."
	"Yes ma'am," Tenchi responded, smiling.  Ryoko looked 
at Aeka a little strangely, but she smiled and got into the passenger 
seat.  Tenchi closed the door for her and went around to the other 
side and got in.  Putting the key into the ignition, the van started up 
and he put it into gear, rolling away from the crown princess.  
They both waved to her, and Tenchi pulled onto the road, heading 
to the mall.
	Ryoko looked out of the rear view mirror at Aeka, who 
turned and went back to the hose.  "She seems to be back to her 
normal self, but I think something is bothering her.  But what's up 
with Russ?  He's been meditating for almost a week now."
	"You noticed it too?  It's been really quiet for the past 
week.  I was used to the loud crashes and constant noise from him, 
but lately, it's almost been too quiet.  It is very unusual to see him 
meditate like that.  I have no idea what it could be.  But it's making 
me nervous."
	"Me too.  I've never seen a person concentrate like that in 
my life.  It almost scares me more with him being the way he is 
now rather than showing us his incredible strength."
	Tenchi reached over to the radio and turned it on, finding 
the band set to AM.  "Ugh, there is never anything on AM besides 
talk shows and news," he said, flipping it over to FM and tuning it 
to a station that played anime songs with various other hits done by 
the vocal artists.  "That's better."
	Ryoko continued to look out the window at the passing 
countryside.  "Something is going to happen.  There has to be a 
reason Russ is meditating like that," she mumbled to herself.
	"I think so too, Ryoko, but he won't tell us what.  I hate it 
when he does that.  It's almost like he likes teasing us with his 
secrets," Tenchi said, rolling down his window and resting his 
right arm over the ledge.  "But anyway, it has been very peaceful 
and tranquil around the house for quite a while.  I believe this is 
the longest it has gone without some sort of confrontation."
	"You think it is about time for another one?"
	Nodding his head, Tenchi glanced over at Ryoko.  "Yeah.  
Actually, I do.  I have a feeling that something is going to happen, 
and Russ is getting ready for it too.  You don't suppose…" Tenchi 
trailed off, his face becoming fearful.  "You don't suppose that it 
has to do with Zorpheus's arrival?"
	Sharing a moment of the same thought, Tenchi looked 
back toward the road and became very quiet, and Ryoko did too.  
Neither said another word until they reached the mall.

	"No, Akaki, that's not how it works!  No wonder it 
exploded!" Washu scolded over her phantom laptop, looking at 
charred remains of what used to be a plasma injector.  "Who taught 
you how to handle equipment like that?  You should know finger 
oils cause major mishaps!  Those devices are worse than halogen 
bulbs here on Earth!  You're not supposed to touch them!"
	Akaki looked back at his invention and then back at his 
mother, but then started laughing.  "I'm sorry, mom.  I didn't 
know.  Nobody tells me much of anything, so I have to learn it all 
the hard way."
	"You should've called me first, rather than after the fact," 
she continued.  "How much did that thing cost you?"
	"Not much, actually.  They're pretty cheap on this planet.  
I'll have to go buy a replacement, but it isn't that big of a deal," he 
said, wheeling away from the monitor to a table nearby, which had 
an elaborate electronic device with many blinking lights, a set of 
tank treads for mobility, and had a variety of probes sticking out of 
it.  He pressed a button on the side, and the lights went out.
	Washu leaned back in her cushion, placing her hand to 
her forehead.  "I'm getting too old for this stuff," she mumbled.  
Reaching into her lab coat pocket, she withdrew a pen and started 
drawing on a piece of paper that was on her desk next to her 
computer.  "Give me a few minutes and I'll draw up a quick plan 
to show you how to connect it up, okay?"
	"Mom, you don't have to…" Akaki began, but was 
interrupted by one of his associates.
	Narrowing her eyes at the young lady who was discussing 
something with him, she turned up the volume of her computer, 
trying to make out what they said to each other.  At the same 
moment, Akaki turned toward the camera, narrowed his own eyes, 
and then muted the microphone.  After which, he shook his index 
finger back and forth, knowing what his mom was doing.
	Looking into her own camera with a look of shock and 
surprise, she folded her arms over her chest and looked away, 
embarrassed that she was caught eavesdropping.  Glancing over at 
the plans she started, she immediately resumed drawing them, 
patiently waiting for her son to finish.
	"What do you think you're doing, mom?  That's so rude," 
Akaki growled, turning his microphone back on.  His voice blared 
over Washu's sound system, as she had forgotten to return the 
volume to normal.
	Startled by the sudden loud noise, her pen went straight 
across her paper, putting a nice, curved line right through her 
plans.  Veins started protruding from her forehead while she turned 
back toward her computer, an evil, psychotic look on her face.  
"I'm going to turn you into a water sprite!" she yelled, hitting a 
variety of keys in rapid succession, trying to target her son.  "How 
could you do that to me!"
	Typing as fast as his hands could go, Akaki put up a 
personal forcefield just before Washu's scanners acquired a lock.  
"It's not MY fault you tried eavesdropping on me!" he yelled, 
glaring at his mother.  "It was a private conversation, so there!"
	Her computer had the words, 'Target Unattainable' 
written on the screen, as the targeting scanners lost the subject.  
"You're pretty good.  You're definitely my son," Washu said, 
proudly.
	Akaki breathed a sigh of relief.  "That's the second time 
you've tried to do that to me, mom.  What's with you and water 
sprites anyway?"
	Chuckling quietly to herself, she remembered the first 
time she turned both Ryoko and Aeka into water sprites.  It was 
absolutely hilarious, as they both waddled around, resembling 
penguins on Earth.  Sasami and Mihoshi both found the little 
creatures completely adorable, so Washu made it a point to turn 
both Aeka and Ryoko into the little animals whenever their 
behavior got completely out of hand.  However, as of late, she 
hadn't turned either one of them into a water sprite, and she was 
getting a little anxious to do it again.  She tried to do it to Russ, but 
he didn't take to it well and was very angry toward her for even 
suggesting it.  Of course, she was being rude at the time and she 
knew it, so she backed off.  She wasn't interested in rebuilding her 
phantom laptop.
	"Well mom, I guess that's about it for today, unless you 
can think of something else you'd like to talk about," Akaki said, 
resting in his seat.
	Washu smiled.  "I'm very happy you keep in touch so 
frequently," she said, taking off her glasses and resting them on her 
desk.  Leaning forward, she rested her elbows on the table and put 
her chin in the palms of her hands.  "Who was that girl, anyway?" 
she blurted out.
	"She's… my lab assistant," he explained, looking back 
toward the door.  "She's been working with me on the side for 
quite a while.  She's a brain, like you, and loves to tinker with new 
inventions and stuff.  I do this on the side, when I'm not at work.  
It's just something to do besides clean the house every day and it 
helps me learn more."
	Washu grinned, the light from the computer screen 
accentuating her facial features.  "Only a lab assistant?" she 
queried, getting a little closer to the screen.
	Akaki squirmed uncomfortably in his seat.  "Yes."
	Cackling evilly, Washu put her finger to the monitor.  
"You may be very smart, but you're a terrible liar," she taunted.  
"Who is she, really?  I've seen her around ever since you called me 
the first time, but I never bothered to ask."
	"Just forget about it, mom," he returned, glaring at the 
display.
	"She's your girlfriend, is that it?  What's wrong?  Can't 
introduce her to your old, dried up mother?" she teased.
	Akaki's green eyes widened considerably.  "No!  That's 
not it!"
	"Then what is it, son?" she asked, not intending to back 
off.
	"Oh, forget it!  I've got to go, mom," he said, reaching 
behind him to lift a textbook that was on the table next to his robot.
	Sticking out her tongue, Washu gave Akaki a raspberry.  
"So she's your girlfriend.  What's her name?" she asked, gently.
	His face began to turn as red as a tomato.  "Her name is 
Yui.  Satisfied?" he grumbled, glaring hard at his computer screen.
	Of course, she wasn't.  "Yui?  That's a nice name.  How 
long have you two been together?"
	"MOM!!!  Stop prying!" he begged, wringing his hands in 
front of him.
	"I'm just trying to get to know a little bit about her, son.  
There is no harm in that.  It's just some simple questions," she 
said, trying to get him to open up.
	"You're impossible!  We've been together for about a 
year now.  Okay?  I bet you want to know her three sizes too!"
	"Couldn't hurt," she said, keying a few commands to 
archive the data.  "I'll just set up an entry for her in my database 
and…"
	"STOP THAT!!!!!" Akaki roared, looking petrified.
	Washu looked at him, a slight smile on her lips.  "What?  
There's nothing unusual about keeping physical data on another 
person."
	"Would you cut that out!" he yelled, now fully 
embarrassed and emotionally scarred.  "You're killing me!"
	"I guess I have to go over there and meet her for myself, 
right, son?" she said, standing up.  The camera followed her 
movements and kept her centered on the screen.
	Akaki looked like he was about to have a heart attack and 
die.  "NO!!  Come on, mom!" he whined, looking like a little kid.
	"What's the big deal?" Washu retorted, putting her hands 
on her hips.  "How come you don't want to talk about her?  Every 
boy wants to talk about their girlfriends 'n stuff."
	"To their friends, yes, but not to their parents!" he 
returned, looking like he was about to explode.
	"This is definitely grounds for turning you into a water 
sprite," she warned, holding a finger over a particular key.  "I 
guess this is a bad time to tell you that my computer has found a 
back door to your forcefield and has acquired a lock."
	"ALRIGHT!" he yelled.  "You win.  Sheesh, you're so 
manipulative."  Akaki sat back in his chair, defeated.  "What do 
you want to know about her?"
	"Well, how did you guys meet?" Washu asked, sitting 
down on her cushion again.
	"Actually, we met at work.  I was working on a project 
that I was behind on, and the deadline for it was the next day, but I 
had about two days worth of work to get finished.  I asked for help, 
and she answered my call.  We both just… clicked, and that project 
was finished in only three hours.  It was incredible, and she was 
very nice and sweet.  To be nice to her and return the favor, I 
invited her out to lunch, and things picked up from there," Akaki 
explained, smiling.  "I couldn't believe how much alike we are.  
We both enjoy the same hobbies, same music, same foods, same 
activities, and we are both very intelligent.  It is almost like finding 
a soul mate.  Frankly, I think I did with her."
	Smiling widely, Washu nodded her head.  "That's so 
wonderful.  So you two have been together for a year now?"
	Akaki nodded.  "Somewhere around there, yeah.  She's 
the perfect girl for me."
	"I guess this is a bad time to say that I was bluffing about 
acquiring a target lock on you," Washu said, tapping the key with 
her finger.
	Staring incredulously at her, he ground his teeth.  "I hate 
you," he snarled.
	Washu laughed, and sat back.  "Anyway, where is she 
now?" the red haired super genius inquired.
	"She's upstairs, working on her thesis for school.  She had 
a question to ask me, which is why she came down here," he 
answered.  "She's working on a new way of traveling through 
space.  It's supposed to be very, very fast."
	Washu grinned.  "She may have to give up on it."
	Giving her a blank stare, he scratched his head.  "Why?"
	"Well, one of Russ's friends, Tom, has a ship that can 
travel from Earth to Jurai in about twelve hours.  Using that value, 
it can travel from one side of this galaxy to the other in less than 
four days for an estimate," Washu explained.
	"That's impossible.  No ship moves that fast."
	Washu shook her head and put up a picture of the Gray 
Wolf on the screen.  "See this ship here?"
	"What the hell kind of vessel is that?  It looks like a big 
triangle," he said, getting a perspective view of the Starwars 
destroyer.
	"It's from an Earth science fiction film called Starwars.  
It's an imperial class star destroyer.  It's about sixteen hundred 
meters in length, but it can enter something called hyperspace.  It's 
a very weird form of faster-than-light travel, but it is incredibly 
fast.  What would take a week now takes less than half a day," she 
explained.
	"A ship that size can move that fast?  How?"
	"I don't know.  I wasn't allowed access to that 
information."
	"You were ON that ship?" he asked, stunned.
	Washu nodded her head.  "Yes.  We went to the Jurai 
Startica Festival on it.  Tom was nice enough to chauffeur all of us 
there.  It's wall-to-wall computers.  You would've been in heaven 
onboard that ship."
	"What kind of power source did it have?"
	"That was extremely intriguing.  The ship is actually 
powered by a small star controlled in a special containment area 
with forcefields and specially designed walls.  They're able to 
artifically create a star and harness the energy from that star and 
turn it into power.  The vessel is horrendously complex, and 
because of that, full of bugs and glitches.  It's very new and so 
advanced that they're literally pioneering that technology, and they 
are not willing to share it yet."
	His face a mask of complete awe, he became excited.  
"What other specifications do you know about that ship?"
	Grinning, Washu hit a few keys on her computer, 
bringing up a list of specs that she was able to collect from the ship 
itself and from Earth sources.  "Well, aside from its mile-long 
length, its hull is made of several meter thick durasteel plating, 
capable of repelling nearly any kind of energy or explosive weapon 
for a good span of time.  But you'll probably never get there, 
because the shields on that ship are insanely powerful.  The Jurian 
military couldn't dent that ship, even if they tried.  It could 
probably take on a small fleet and come out unscathed.  It has a 
compliment of sixty turbolaser turrets, which in fact aren't lasers at 
all, but packets of super high-energy plasma.  On top of that, it has 
sixty ion cannons, capable of disrupting electrical systems on 
opposing ships to render them defenseless.  It has a crew capacity 
of over thirty five thousand individuals, however, they're almost at 
their maximum with only ten thousand because their crew quarters 
are much different than the ones in the movie.  The movie version 
was actually a destroyer class combat vessel, and a massive crew 
of that many was required.  Anyway, it also has about forty-six 
starfighters, a variety of transports and shuttles, and some other 
wild bits and pieces of technology, including something called a 
holodeck.  It's more advanced than the holographic technology we 
use, in the sense that everything appears real.  It can even fool my 
computer's scanners.  That is called particle synthesis, and was 
very new and advanced.  And to top it off, that ship can cloak too."
	Akaki listened intently, becoming more and more 
interested.  "Do you think that one day I can see that ship?"
	"Maybe.  Believe it or not, Tom has a small fleet of ships 
already of various classes.  He told me that other ships were in 
construction, but they should be finished by now.  He constructed a 
Nebulon B Escort Frigate, a Victory class Star Destroyer, a 
Blockade Runner or Corvette, a Dreadnought, a Strike Cruiser, a 
Carrack Cruiser, a MC80a Mon Calamari Cruiser, and some other 
ships.  He's still working on another ship, called an Executor class 
Super Star Destroyer, which is the biggest jalopy I've ever seen.  
It's somewhere around seventeen point six kilometers in length, or 
about eleven miles long.  It's covered in turbolasers and it's 
shielding is supposedly impenetrable.  I always say that smaller, 
more mobile ships is the way to go, but in his case, he'll fill that 
entire ship with people and because of that, the size is necessary."
	"My lord, that's insane.  What is Jurai going to do about 
it?  You know how they get when they see a potential threat," he 
said, worried.
	"Everything is being built in secret.  The only vessel that 
has been seen so far is the Gray Wolf, which is his personal ship at 
the moment.  Jurai didn't really do anything about it because they 
weren't able to get any definite readings on it.  Tom was pretty 
stupid though, because he staged a big furball with Russ, and the 
rest of the ship got involved.  Even though their weapons were 
only in practice mode, the output of those weapons was enough to 
make the Jurians worry.  When the Jurians went up against Tom's 
forces, their shields took a beating, and the output of the weapons 
was so low that they barely maintained coherency.  I've never seen 
them at full power, but apparently they're so strong that they can 
vaporize a decent sized asteroid in one shot, and a fleet of those 
can lay waste to the surface of a planet in a short amount of time.
	"Very impressive.  You'll have to introduce me to him 
sometime.  But anyway, how is the rest of the family doing?  You 
never really talk about them much."
	Sighing to herself, she reached behind herself to scratch 
her back, and then rested her arm on the table next to her.  "Well, 
Ryoko and Tenchi are still together and are getting ready to be 
married.  The date for that is about a year away, so they still have 
plenty of time to plan and prepare.  Ryoko is very, very excited, 
but Tenchi doesn't seem to be all that enthusiastic about it.  He still 
has a lot of responsibilities around the house and Ryoko still 
doesn't understand them, and he hurts her feelings without even 
realizing it.  Poor girl," she said, looking at a photograph of her 
daughter that was taken about a month ago.  She looked so happy 
and contented with Tenchi by her side.  "She's always wanting to 
do stuff with him, but because he's so busy, he really can't get 
away and do what she'd like to do.  Ryoko has come in here a 
couple of times in a depressed mood, wondering why Tenchi won't 
really do anything with her, even if she begs and pleads from time 
to time.  I try explaining it to her, but you know how children 
behave," she said, winking at her son.  "It's always in one ear and 
out the other."
	"Hey, present company accepted here," he said, pointing 
to himself.  "I won't be touching plasma injectors anymore, okay?  
You've made your point."
	"Good.  But anyway, she seems to be accepting it a little 
more, but she still gets her feelings hurt.  She gets bored at times 
and actually goes to do things with Aeka and Russ to pass the time 
away.  I've talked to Tenchi about it, but he's worse than she is 
with letting things go right over his head.  Sometimes I wonder 
why I waste my time."
	"Because you're a good parent and a wonderful mother," 
Akaki said, grinning.
	"Flattery will not get you anywhere with me, young 
man," she said, and then laughed.  "But thanks.  I just wish Tenchi 
wasn't so uptight about everything.  If he was more like Russ, he 
might enjoy life a bit more."
	"Are Russ and Aeka a couple yet?" he asked, curious.
	Shaking her head, Washu sighed.  "No.  I've never seen 
someone as stubborn as Russ before.  Once his mind is made up, 
that's it.  There is no changing it, no matter what the circumstance, 
especially when it comes to relationships.  It's crazy.  I swear, he 
must be castrated or something."
	Akaki exploded laughing, leaning forward and putting his 
head on the desk, trying to catch his breath.  "Anal retentive to the 
max, right mom?"
	Now it was Washu's turn to laugh.  "I don't know what it 
is, but he just will NOT go out with Aeka or any other girl.  I don't 
know why," Washu said, rubbing her eyes.  "But in reality, he has 
gotten closer to her on a personal level.  Aeka told me that she 
talked to her mother about it, and that her mother's suggestion was 
to stop chasing him.  Thing is, it worked.  I wasn't sure if it would 
or not.  There are just too many variables to determine the outcome 
of love.  Anyway, Russ and Sasami are like big brother and little 
sister.  They stick together like glue and always support each other.  
They look so adorable and cute when they doze off outside under a 
tree or something.  I think I have a few pictures here," Washu said, 
opening her archive and finding multiple images.  She loaded one 
for Akaki to see, where Russ and Sasami were leaning together 
underneath Russ's tree, sleeping soundly.  They were both dressed 
in overalls, and they both almost looked like farmers after a hard 
day of work.
	Chuckling quietly to himself, Akaki nodded his head.  
"Yeah, that IS cute," he said.  "How are Kiyone and Mihoshi?  Are 
they still going crazy with their jobs?"
	"No.  The Galaxy Police have been providing them with 
funding for living expenses, so there really hasn't been a need for 
them to work any odd jobs.  However, Kiyone still works, just to 
keep herself busy.  She is one of those people who refuse to take a 
break," Washu said, looking toward the ceiling of her lab.
	"Just like you, right?"
	Smiling warmly, she nodded her head.  "Yeah, like me."
	Looking at her with a bit of concern, Akaki shifted 
positions in his chair, trying to get more comfortable.  "When was 
the last time you've taken a break or done something fun?"
	"Whew, I think that was way back during the Startica 
festival.  That's the only vacation I've had in a long time.  It felt 
good," she answered.
	"Mom!  You're going to wear yourself out.  You should 
get out a little more.  Actually go out and see some sunlight from 
time to time.  You're becoming a hermit in that lab of yours," he 
encouraged, grinning.  "I'm surprised you even leave your lab to 
go eat something."
	Blushing slightly, she turned away.  "Most of the time I 
even miss meals."
	Akaki shook his head.  "That's terrible.  Do you plan on 
taking any vacations in the future?"
	"No, not really.  I've got so many experiments to work on 
that I just don't have the time."
	"Yeah right.  You're not on any kind of deadline except 
your own.  Give yourself a break and go out and do something for 
a change.  You're going to become unsociable from not talking 
with people frequently enough," he argued, worried for his mom.
	Letting a small smile creep onto her lips, she came up 
with an idea.  "Well, what do you suggest I do for a vacation?"
	"Well, how about coming to visit me?" he asked, smiling.
	"I'd love that," she answered, as that was the suggestion 
she was hoping for.  "I'll get to meet your girlfriend too and run 
my experiments on her."
	"DON'T YOU DARE!" Akaki yelled, growing flustered 
at his mom's way of amusing herself.  "You'll get to meet her, but 
you're not poking, prodding, or scanning her in any way, shape, or 
form if you come here."
	"I'm only kidding.  Sheesh, you're sure uptight about 
her," Washu teased.  "She looks nice, but she doesn't have 
anything on me."  Washu struck a pose, thrusting out her ample 
chest.
	"Ever since you let yourself be an adult again, you've 
certainly become more… less shy with yourself," he said, looking 
away.
	Washu let out a yawn and stretched her arms over her 
head.  "Well, I'll try to make plans to come visit you in the near 
future, okay?" she asked, scratching the back of her head.  "I need 
a bath," she mumbled.
	"I'd like that a lot, mom.  I've come to visit you twice and 
I think you'd like to see where I've settled in too.  I'll check my 
schedule and let you know when the best time to come by will be."
	"Sounds good to me, son," she responded, smiling.
	"Great.  I'll talk to you tomorrow mom.  Same time?" he 
asked, getting ready to switch off his computer.
	"Anytime is a good time, Akaki.  Talk to you tomorrow."
	"Bye mom.  I love you!" he said.
	"I love you too, sweetie.  Bye now," she said, turning off 
her laptop and banishing it back to subspace.
	Getting up from her seat, she slowly made her way to the 
doorway to exit her lab, and she removed her lab coat, hanging it 
on a peg that was nearby.  Opening her door, nearly all the lights in 
her lab automatically turned off, leaving just a few on to see her 
way to various parts of her lab.
	Upon entering the living room, Aeka was seated quietly at 
the organ, looking out the window.  Nobuyuki was nowhere to be 
seen.  Letting her door click shut behind her, Aeka turned around 
and smiled.
	"Good evening, Washu.  I haven't seen you for a few 
days.  How are you?" she asked, smiling warmly.
	"I'm in a good mood," she responded lightly.  "How 
about you?"
	Aeka laughed.  "Actually, I'm bored out of my mind.  
There's nothing to do.  No cooking, no cleaning.  It's driving me 
crazy."
	"Where's Russ?"
	Pointing her finger outside, she glanced back at Washu to 
see her expression.
	"What does he think he is?  A bird?" Washu muttered, 
keeping an eye on the saiyan perched on his branch.  A moment 
later, she noticed Sasami was up there with him.  "Are they 
asleep?"
	Nodding quietly, Aeka then placed her chin in her palm 
and sighed to herself.
	Looking back at the crown princess, she knew something 
was up.  "Um, how long has he been up there?"
	"Actually, he's been meditating for almost a week 
straight.  He hasn't done any physical training for that long and he 
hasn't said much of anything.  It's almost like he's a different 
person," she said, wistfully.  "I miss him."
	Washu's expression changed to one of concern.  "I know 
a lot of martial artists begin to meditate when they're confronted 
with an upcoming event.  They mentally prepare themselves for a 
major conflict.  Russ has already physically prepared, but now he 
must mentally prepare.  If you remember, Zorpheus is supposed to 
arrive sooner or later."
	"I know that, but I don't know when," she said, taking her 
eyes off of Russ.  However, she watched Sasami pull away from 
him and being to re-approach the house, flying slow and careful.  
She was carrying both the plate and Russ's empty glass.  "Maybe 
she knows."
	Both Aeka and Washu waited for Sasami to come into the 
house, intending to ask her what she learned from him.  She landed 
on the porch gently, put the glass on the plate, and slid open the 
door carefully, and after walking through it, she shut it behind her.
	"So did he tell you anything, Sasami?" Aeka asked, 
nearly plowing over her sister in anxiety.
	Producing a little sweatdrop, she nodded her head.  "Yes, 
actually.  Zorpheus will arrive tomorrow," she said simply.
	Suddenly, things seemed to get much quieter.  It was 
almost as if everything in the world knew of the impending doom 
and had become nervous and quiet from it.
	"Is that why he's been up there for so long?" Aeka finally 
asked.
	Sasami nodded her head.  "He's been meditating for a 
long time, preparing himself for Zorpheus.  He's nervous, but very 
excited."
	"Excited?  Why?" Washu asked.
	"He explained it to me, but it didn't make much sense.  
He says that because he is a warrior, he gets excited over the idea 
of fighting again.  He loves fighting."
	"I remember him telling us about that before," Washu 
said, summoning her laptop and keying in her confirmed findings.  
"But he knows that Zorpheus will be here tomorrow?"
	Sasami nodded.  "He's completely sure of himself."
	"I wonder…" Washu said, linking her laptop to her main 
computer, which in turn, accessed multiple satellites that she kept 
in orbit.  Scanning for vessels, it came up blank.  "I just scanned 
the solar system and I don't see any ships," she said.
	Aeka thought a moment.  "Remember the ship Russ 
originally arrived in… that little space pod?  Did you scan for 
something that size or were you looking for something bigger?"
	Scanning again, she extended the range of the sensors, 
trying to detect any incoming debris or other items of that 
particular size.  Five small blips showed up on her screen, so she 
scanned again, narrowing her search parameters to rule out any 
kind of asteroid.  Once the scan completed, one blip remained.  
Looking up from her monitor, she gave an emotionless look to 
both Aeka and Sasami.
	"He's coming.  His ship is still beyond the solar system, 
but he's coming.  At his current rate of travel, he'll arrive on Earth 
sometime around noon or one."
	"What are we going to do?" Sasami asked, looking 
frightened.
	"There is really nothing we can do," Washu said, keying a 
few more commands on her keyboard.  "I suppose we could try 
blowing up his pod while it is still in space, but we can't destroy 
anything until he does something wrong, or the Galaxy Police will 
be all over us for murder."
	Standing tall, Aeka took on her regal appearance, despite 
her Earth type clothing.  "I can order you to destroy that ship," 
Aeka said, seriously.  "If it comes from a member of the Jurai 
Royal Family while in our territory, it can supercede the Galaxy 
Police."
	"You will do no such thing," a deep voice behind them 
said.
	All three women turned toward the door to see Russ 
standing there, his face a hard glare at both Aeka and Washu.
	"But Russ, if we get rid of him, you won't have to fight 
him," Washu explained.  "Everything would be…"
	"Absolutely not.  I will not have anybody killing anybody 
for something they haven't even done yet.  It's true that he may 
fight with me, but it is also possible that he'll just blow it off as if 
it were nothing.  He's like that.  I'd rather take the chance and save 
a life rather than do something sneaky like killing him off before 
he even gets here.  That's dishonorable and cowardly and I won't 
do it," he growled, stepping inside.  "The answer is no.  Do not 
argue with me over it because the answer will remain the same."
	Washu and Aeka both looked at each other, and then 
shrugged their shoulders.  "If that's what you want, Russ.  We 
won't do anything," Washu said, sending her computer back into 
subspace.  "Zorpheus will be here between noon and one tomorrow 
afternoon.  Prepare for his arrival," she said, turning toward the 
bathroom and going inside, letting the door click shut behind her.
	Russ let out a deep sigh.  "I'm sorry for sounding upset," 
he apologized.  "But doing things like that, especially to someone 
who was a very close friend of mine, doesn't work for me."
	Nodding her head in understanding, Aeka put her hand on 
his huge shoulder.  "I understand and I'm sorry.  I didn't mean to 
make you upset."
	Letting a small smile creep into his lips, he reached up 
and took her hand in his.  "It's okay.  I guess I'm just a little tired.  
I've been concentrating for so long that my head hurts a little."
	"It's been about a week.  Are you ready now?" she asked 
quietly, looking into his eyes.
	"As ready as I'll ever be.  All I have to do tomorrow is get 
Zorpheus into that room and then I'll tell him what I did with the 
Dragonballs.  I know he'll get pissed at me for that, and he may 
take out a bit of his frustration on me, but he may overlook the 
whole thing too.  I just hope nothing goes out of control 
tomorrow," Russ said, worriedly.  "The last thing I need to have 
happen is to have one of you guys hurt."
	"We'll be okay as long as we stay outside of the room, 
right?" Sasami asked, looking up at him.
	Nodding his head, Russ then let out a sigh.  "I hope so.  
Washu says that the world is in an entirely different dimension, but 
the dimensions are connected through a doorway.  I sincerely hope 
that nothing gets through it."
	Aeka and Sasami both looked at him with worried eyes, 
and without giving it a second thought, they both approached Russ 
and hugged him, as it could be the very last time they'd see him 
alive.
	"Do good, Russ.  We're counting on you," Sasami said, 
holding back her tears.
	"We'll be watching you.  Washu set up a special room 
where we can see everything that will happen.  It'll almost be like 
the holodeck, but it'll be a direct link to your battlefield.  You 
won't see us, but we'll see you," Aeka said, holding him tightly.
	Russ smiled, feeling his own body shake slightly from his 
nervousness.  Resting his left hand on Sasami's head and wrapping 
his other arm around Aeka, he gave them both reassurances that he 
was there and would do anything for them.  "I'll do my best.  
Don't worry about me.  But whatever happens, do not go into that 
room.  It could wind up being extremely violent and either of you 
could be hurt quite easily."
	"Okay, Russ," Sasami said, hugging him tightly, feeling 
his muscles through his clothes.  "Remember your promise."
	Aeka remained silent, not agreeing nor disagreeing to 
interfere in his fight.  She knew she was outmatched and 
outclassed, but it didn't matter.  She loved Russ, and she'd do 
anything for him.  It didn't matter who his adversary was or what 
he told her was best for her.  If it meant she had to die to save him, 
she'd do it without regret or a second thought.  He was just too 
important to her and she was not willing to let him go for any 
reason.  Hugging him even more tightly, letting out a few tears 
squeeze their way out of the corners of her eyes, she refused to let 
him go.
	"Um, Aeka?  Are you okay?" Russ asked, noticing a 
teardrop running down her cheek.  "It's alright.  Don't worry.  I 
think everything will go okay tomorrow."
	"I… just want to hold you for a while longer," she 
whispered.  "I may never get to do it again if you…" she trailed 
off, sniffling.  The late sun was just about ready to disappear 
behind the far end of the valley, still flooding the living room with 
intense, orange light.
	Feeling that lump in his throat return, he told himself that 
even though she loved him, she was far more important than he 
was, and he would not risk her life for something that involved 
him.  Ever.  She was so vulnerable, but so beautiful, that Russ felt 
a conflict of emotions roaring in his head.  One side was telling 
him to follow his heart, the other side telling him to follow his 
head.  Unfortunately for both him and her, his head was winning.
	Very slowly making his way over to the couch, he sat 
down in the middle of it, and Aeka sat down next to him, still not 
releasing her hold on him.  Sasami took a seat next to him on the 
other side, resting her own head against his shoulder, but holding 
tightly onto his arm.
	"I'll never forgive you if you die," Aeka said, wiping her 
eyes with her shirt.
	"He won't die.  He promised me he wouldn't," Sasami 
said, looking over at her sister and smiling.
	Russ looked over at Sasami, and then at Aeka, looking 
contented and surprisingly happy.  "That's right.  I did promise 
that, didn't I?" he said, keeping his voice very low.
	Sasami nodded her head.  "Yes you did."
	Looking out toward the lake, watching the ripples on the 
surface of the water, Russ felt at peace with himself.  The feeling 
he had inside couldn't be described merely by words or actions, 
but as an emotion that he had felt only once before.  But he already 
knew what it was, and the heartache it caused.  That uncontrollable 
rage that he felt when Laurie was killed was insurmountable and 
unparalleled, and he never wanted to feel that again.  But he did 
want to feel the contentedness and love that was flowing from the 
two girls who sat next to him on the couch.
	His mind went to war again, fighting to keep them or to 
turn them away.  He took that chance once and it went up in a huge 
fireball, and he never wanted to take that chance again.  Knowing 
the risk involved to the two girls was extremely high, he debated 
on whether it would be worth it or not.  Did he want to feel that 
sense of love for the rest of his life, but risk the heartbreak that 
could be caused by one of their deaths?  Or, should he turn them 
both away, and deny himself both the love and the chance of 
heartache?  Was it really worth it?
	That wasn't the only problem too.  Aeka's stature was a 
major blow to their chances of a relationship, despite what her 
parents had said.  Both Misaki and Funaho approved of their 
relationship, but her father was vehemently against it, and he could 
understand why.  Remembering what he told Aeka on Christmas 
Day, "You live here with us, for now.  One day, you will go back 
home to rule the most powerful empire in this galaxy."  He knew 
he'd never fit in with the Jurai Royal Family and he knew a 
marriage between Aeka and he was impossible.  "That would 
never work, and you know it.  I am a man from a race thought to 
be extinct, and he just waltzes in to become the Princess's groom?  
No, that couldn't happen," he had said.
	"Well, it's past nine," Russ said gently.  "I should go to 
bed and get a good night's sleep so I'm good and refreshed for 
tomorrow."
	"Russ?"
	"Yes, Sasami?" he responded, glancing down at her.
	"Can I sleep in your room with you tonight?" she asked, 
looking at him with frightened eyes.  "I'd feel better if I can stay 
with you."
	"Me too," Aeka said, looking up at him with the same 
worried eyes.  "Please?"
	Sighing to himself, he debated on what he should tell 
them.  "I won't be going anywhere tonight and I'll still be here in 
the morning…" he began.
	"Please?" Sasami begged, not caring about his reasons.
	"I… uh…" he started, but closed his eyes and then let out 
a deep breath.  "Yeah.  You can sleep in my room with me."
	"What about me?" Aeka asked, looking like she was 
going to cry.
	Russ nodded his head.  "Yes, you too."
	"Thank you.  You're my big brother," Sasami said, letting 
go of his arm and making her way up the stairs.  "I'm going to go 
get my futon and put it in your room, and then we can go to bed."
	Aeka got up as well, heading toward the stairs.  "I'll do 
the same.  I'm going to get into my nightclothes and then join you 
in your room."
	Getting up, he slowly followed them up the stairs, the 
steps creaking under his tremendous weight from his added muscle 
mass.  Reaching the top and heading to his room, he slid back his 
door and went in, making sure his floor was still clean.  Hardly 
ever in his room to begin with, he was only in it just to sleep or 
listen to his stereo when it was raining.  All he ever had to do was 
make his bed, which he rarely did anyway, and make sure the 
furniture wasn't dusty.
	Tossing back his covers, then reaching over to turn his fan 
on, he laid down on top of his bed, awaiting the intrusion of the 
two princesses.  He wasn't sleepy, but he was tired from the mental 
stress he was putting himself through.  The arrival of Zorpheus, the 
prospect of having Aeka as a girlfriend, the potential for all of his 
friends to be killed, weighed very heavily on his mind.  Even 
though he said that it would all work out, he was still having 
trouble convincing himself of that.
	It wasn't very often, but Zorpheus had blown his stack a 
few times and had gone ballistic, killing off armies of people by 
himself.  He could only stand there and watch in amazement at the 
sheer amount of power and will to win that he had possessed, 
especially while he was enraged.  However, he was very difficult 
to make upset, as he was himself, but still, would revealing to him 
that the Dragonballs could not grant immorality cause him to open 
up a can of whoop-ass?  Hoping that Zorpheus would keep his 
cool, Russ closed his eyes, listening to the chirping birds that were 
still awake outside, then glanced out his window.  Twilight was 
setting in, making the sky gorgeous shades of orange, red, blue and 
violet.  The sun reflected off of the clouds, turning them orange, 
making them look like dyed cotton balls… or fireballs.  His 
concentration was interrupted at the sound of his door opening.
	"I'll be down here," Sasami said, spreading her futon 
about a foot away from his bed.  Dressed in her nightclothes, she 
looked very cute.  An oversized Ryo-Ohki t-shirt was all she had 
on, except for her undergarments.  The shirt was almost long 
enough to touch the floor.  Ryo-Ohki had followed her in, patiently 
waiting for Sasami to tuck herself in so she could sleep next to her.
	Smiling and nodding his head in acknowledgement, Russ 
remained silent, his mind going back to Sasami and Aeka.  He 
replayed dozens of significant events in his mind, remembering the 
enjoyment he felt over the past year, and also the heartache of 
refusing Aeka again and again.  She was the most stubborn woman 
he had ever known.  Doing a quick mental count, he would've 
sworn he told her no on at least forty occasions, but each time, 
she'd rebound and go after him again.
	The door slid open once more, this time revealing Aeka in 
her purple nightgown.  She had her futon and pillow rolled up 
under her arm, and she smiled upon entering his room.  "I'll sleep 
next to Sasami," she said, kneeling down and carefully spreading 
her bed onto the floor.  "And no, I will not take your bed," she 
said, winking at him.
	Russ's face began to turn red, but fortunately, the setting 
sun hid it well.  "I was just about to ask you if you wanted it," he 
said, his voice low, deep, and smooth.  "But I also knew you'd 
refuse it."  He chuckled quietly.
	Both princesses tucked themselves in using the last of the 
remaining daylight to see.  It wasn't long before the room became 
dark, but it never got dark enough to where they couldn't see.  
Strong, radiant moonlight pierced through the window, 
illuminating his room in pale moonlight.  Crickets were chirping 
their nightly chorus outside the window, but the fan on Russ's desk 
was enough to silence them.
	"Russ?"
	"Yes, Aeka?"
	"What are you going to do after your fight?" she asked, 
keeping her voice low.  Sasami's breathing was slow and peaceful, 
and they could both tell that she fell asleep quickly.
	"Sasami asked me that earlier," he answered quietly.  "I 
was only supposed to come here to stop Zorpheus, and afterward, I 
was going to leave and go somewhere else.  Maybe go see Tom 
and stay with him for a while.  He could use a good pair of strong 
hands to help build his fleet of ships."
	"I… see."  Turning over on her side to face Russ, she 
tucked her arm under her pillow, raising it up enough to keep her 
head level.  "Are you still going to do that?"
	Russ also shifted positions, getting a clear view of her 
from the moonlight that blanketed the floor.  "I don't know."
	"You don't want to stay with us?"
	'I knew that was coming,' he said to himself.  "To be 
honest, you'd be better off without me."
	"So you're going to leave, even after all of this time, even 
after winning over all of our hearts, and becoming a part of our 
family?" she whispered.
	"Tom still needs help.  I've been his friend for a very long 
time, and he could use a person like me," he answered lamely, 
wishing she didn't bring that subject up.
	"Then I'll go with you," she answered.  "I'll go with you 
into Hell, to the end of the universe, or beyond," she said, her 
voice squeaky from the lump that was caught in her throat.  "I 
don't want to be apart from you."
	"Stop it," he whispered.  "It isn't right and it won't work.  
How many more times will I have to explain that to you?"
	"When will you understand that I've fallen for you?" she 
replied, her soft voice wavering.
	Tossing back his covers, Russ sat up.  "Come on," he 
whispered.  "If you want to argue again, we should do it where we 
won't wake Sasami up."
	Sitting up, being careful to be as quiet as possible, she got 
to her feet, but Russ could see two streaks of light that went from 
the corners of her eyes down to her chin, courtesy of the tears that 
he caused once again.
	Russ grimaced, but fortunately the darkness hid his 
reaction.  Lifting off the floor, he floated over to his door, slid it 
back, and went outside, followed by the crown princess, who 
mimicked his movements.  She quietly let the door close, and she 
followed him down the stairs to the living room.  The moonlight 
was so intense that they could both see clearly and didn't need any 
extra light.  It was still comfortably warm and relaxing.  Landing 
on the floor, Russ looked back at Aeka, and then outside.  
Gesturing with his index finger, he opened the glass door and 
stepped out onto the porch, a very light, cool breeze ruffling his 
clothes.  Following obediently, she shut the door behind him, and 
they both sat down, not having said a word since leaving his room.
	The sky was crystal clear, littered with thousands of little 
stars, twinkling their everlasting light.  The moon was big, round, 
and full, casting its light on the landscape, changing it and making 
it look like a whole new world.  The crickets were loud, but not 
deafening, and it sounded nice and pleasant.  An owl hooted 
somewhere in the forest, letting the night bugs know that it was 
hungry.
	Turning toward each other, Russ and Aeka both said each 
other's names at the same moment, and they both sighed.
	"Go ahead," Russ invited, still keeping his voice low, but 
not a whisper.
	"Please tell me… is it because you don't like me?" she 
began, looking into Russ's eyes.
	Russ smiled, and then shook his head.  "No.  I already 
told you why.  I'm sorry you don't want to accept that answer, but 
it's the truth."
	"I understand everything about you, except this," she said, 
looking down at the soft grasses at the end of the porch.  "There 
has to be another reason behind it.  Is it because you find me 
unattractive?"
	"Here we go again.  No, that's not it either.  You're one of 
the most beautiful girls I've ever had the pleasure of knowing or 
even associating with," he said, but stopped.  "No… you're the 
MOST beautiful girl I've ever seen," he answered, blushing.
	Aeka blushed as well.  "You're not just saying that?"
	"Do you think that I could say otherwise?" he countered.  
"I told you this a long time ago, but I do not like telling lies or 
hearing them.  There is a time and a place for it, and I have lied in 
the past, but never to you."
	"You told us you were going to be here on vacation when 
you first arrived," she said, frowning at him.  "And you also said 
that you were never in a relationship.  Those were both lies, 
weren't they?"
	Sighing and hanging his head, he nodded.  "Yes.  I lied 
about my relationship with Laurie because I wanted to keep that a 
secret for the rest of my life, but it could also be considered the 
truth, because we never officially went out with each other.  
Secondly, I didn't know how long I'd actually be here, but it 
turned out to be much longer than I thought.  Technically speaking, 
when I do leave, my vacation here would be over.  I have enjoyed 
myself here as if I were on a vacation, but as with all trips and 
breaks, they all must come to an end.  And it will come to an end 
after the fight tomorrow," he said, turning his eyes away from her 
and looking at the lake.
	Brushing a stray hair out of her eyes, she too looked at the 
water, which resembled a sheet of glass.  "I see.  How much longer 
will you stay after your work is done tomorrow?"
	"I don't know.  Once I'm sure Zorpheus has given up on 
the Dragonballs and immortality, then I'll probably leave."
	"You know, I can make it difficult for you to do that.  I'll 
stop you, if I have to.  I do not want you to leave me and I do not 
want to be apart from you.  Do you realize how crushed I'd be?  
You're already hurting me beyond words, telling me that you want 
to leave," she said, her voice wavering again.  "It's almost like 
nobody wants me.  Tenchi didn't want me.  You don't want me.  Is 
there something wrong with me?  What is it?" she said, turning 
toward Russ, the tears free flowing.  "What is wrong with me?"
	"Stop it," he said, his voice strong and steady, but gentle 
at the same time.  "There is nothing wrong with you.  It's me who 
has the problem, and it's me who does not want to resolve it."
	"What?  Why?  Why don't you want to be with me?" she 
cried, trying to keep herself under control.  "I just don't understand 
it."
	"I told you before.  It is far too dangerous to be with me.  
Besides, your stature is the major blow to a relationship.  You're a 
leader and the crown princess of a planet that I've been to only 
once.  I'm from a race that is supposed to be extinct.  And we're 
just supposed to just jump into each other's arms?  You know as 
well as I that it couldn't happen that way," he explained, trying to 
be as gentle as he could.  "We're from two different planets with 
two very different cultures and different views on the outlook of 
life.  I cannot be the prince of Jurai and you could not be the 
princess of my home world.  We'd be shunned at one place or the 
other.  We'd be miserable at either place."
	"Then we'll go somewhere far away, or we could stay 
here on Earth," she said, wiping her face dry.  "All I want is to live 
out my days with you, Sasami, and nobody else."  Wrenching her 
hands in front of her, it took all of her restraint to keep from letting 
all of her frustrations out all at once.  "I…" she began, but 
hesitated.  "I…  I lo…"
	"Shhh," Russ said.  "Don't say it.  Please don't say it," he 
begged.  "I already know how you feel, but you don't really know 
how I feel."
	Looking up at him, her eyes reflecting some of the light 
from the moon, she shook her head, hesitating.  "How do you 
feel?" she finally asked.
	"My mind has been at war with my heart ever since I met 
you," he revealed, looking at the moon.  "My heart tells me that 
everything will be okay, but my brain thinks it knows better.  The 
only reason I tell you no, is because I do not want to take a chance 
at love again and the potential heartbreak I could have if something 
happened to you as a result of my actions.  I've never told you this 
and I've kept it hidden well, but I'm crazy about you.  I love how 
you make me smile, treat me nice, train with me, and all around, 
will do anything with me or for me," he revealed, his face on fire, 
trying to keep his voice steady.  "You are my embodiment of a 
perfect girl.  You're beautiful, intelligent, and happy.  You love to 
have fun and go do things with me.  You have a good sense of 
humor too.  If I were from Jurai rather than from a world that 
nobody knows about, then yes, I probably would have… no, I 
know I would have gone on a date with you, and further still, 
married you."  Russ stopped for a moment, looking toward the 
shrine, catching a glimpse of Aeka's awestruck expression.  "You 
think you have me all figured out, but you have no idea how much 
you've been on my mind.  I'm always thinking about you at nearly 
all times of the day.  When I'm training, eating, meditating, or 
anything else, you enter my mind like an unstoppable wave of 
emotion.  I can't get my mind off of you and it ruins my 
concentration, even during my most intense meditation sessions.  
It's unreal.  I've never had someone who had this affect on me 
before.  Not even Laurie was like you, in the sense of keeping my 
mind occupied."
	Watching him quietly, her face showed nothing but 
surprise and wonder.  "You're lying," she finally said, her 
expression changing to depression as she turned away from him.  
"If that is really true, then you've hidden it far better than you do 
with your secrets."
	Sighing quietly to himself, Russ nodded his head.  "It's 
true.  I'm crazy about you and want to be with you more than 
anything, but when my brain looks at the bigger picture, my head 
tells me that it wouldn't work, and I agree with my head, especially 
after the last tragedy.  I do not want to feel the heartbreak that I felt 
when Laurie died, and I'm afraid the same thing will happen to 
you, and I'm not willing to take that chance."
	"But… I'm not like Laurie.  You said that she wasn't a 
warrior and couldn't defend herself.  I'm from an empire that was 
the strongest in the galaxy, until you showed up.  There is almost 
nothing in this galaxy that could touch the power of the Jurai Royal 
Family," she said, her pride surfacing, but the last scraps of self-
control she had over herself were beginning to give way, as her 
hands began shaking.  "I can take care of myself, and it's my 
decision if I want to be with you.  I wish you would change your 
mind.  What will it take for you to change your mind about me?"
	"There is nothing in this universe that could force me to 
change my mind.  It is a decision that I have to come to on my 
own," he said, looking over at the princess, who looked even more 
beautiful in the soft moonlight.  "On hundreds of occasions, my 
mind would fight with my heart, and at times, my heart would 
almost win, and I almost had the courage to ask you out or to be 
with me for the rest of my life.  I'd tell myself, 'To hell with her 
parents, her stature, and the risk that something would happen to 
her.  I want her to be mine, forever.'  But of course, my head 
would always counter with the same thing.  'Remember what 
happened to your first love.  Remember Aeka's parents and the 
empire she will control.  It won't work.'  And that battle has been 
raging in my head ever since I met you, but never as intensely as it 
has during the past several months.  Neither side wins for very 
long, nor it has stressed me out more than it ever has before.  I 
wish you weren't the crown princess of the most powerful empire 
known.  If you were just a normal girl without any royal ties, then I 
probably would have asked you to stay with me for the rest of my 
life.  But unfortunately, it isn't meant to be."
	"If I renounce my throne, will you change your mind?" 
she asked, her hands balled up into tight fists, her eyes closed, as 
she fought with herself over what she was thinking of.
	"What did you say?" Russ said, knowing full well what 
she said, but was shocked at the suggestion.
	"If I give up my throne and my royal ties to the planet 
Jurai, will you accept me?" she asked again, looking at him with 
tear-streaked eyes and an unhappy face.  "I'll do anything for you.  
Even this."

	"Come on, Russ," Ryoko whispered from the side of the 
house, eavesdropping on the two.  "Do it.  Make her happy."
	"Damn, she really put him on the ropes with that one.  I 
can't believe she's so in love with him that she'd actually do that," 
Tenchi whispered back, also very drawn into their conversation.
	They had made it back just after Russ and Aeka had gone 
out onto the porch.  After they had gone to the mall, they both went 
to a dairy queen and had a dessert, and then walked around for a 
while, just to pass the time away.  Tenchi knew he had to do the 
laundry, but it wouldn't wake anybody up, since the washer was 
outside.
	Ryoko shook her head.  "What is it going to take to make 
him realize that he can't get rid of her?  I know that much because 
I couldn't get rid of her when she was chasing you," she 
whispered, not taking her eyes off of the couple.  "I'm still very 
surprised that she did give you to me."
	"Shhh, I can't hear what they're saying.  Make sure to 
keep your power suppressed to nothing.  I don't want him catching 
us," Tenchi whispered, straining to hear Russ and Aeka.

	Russ remained silent, completely blown away that she 
was willing to break ties with her home so she could be with him.  
Nobody had ever offered to do anything like that for him in the 
past, and it felt almost like it was out of a romance novel.  
However, he already knew what it would mean if she did.
	"No," he answered, shaking his head, his arms trembling.  
"Your father would be so infuriated he may try to destroy this 
world and me.  He wouldn't be able to touch me, but I couldn't 
guarantee the safety of my home," Russ said, hanging his head.  "I 
know how much you want to be with me now.  I would've never 
thought you'd be willing to give up your home, your life, and your 
title, just to be with me.  I'm completely at a loss at what to do 
now.  But, do not break ties with your home.  I can't let you do 
that, as that would be very selfish of me to force that upon you."
	"I don't care," she said, sniffling.  "All I ever wanted was 
to be loved by someone, as a person and not as a figurehead.  You 
and Tenchi were the only ones who ever saw through my façade 
and saw the real me underneath it all.  But both of you turned me 
away," she said, crying.  "I'm not wanted by the two people I've 
fallen for, and I don't know what to do anymore.  I'm almost a 
broken shell of a woman, as I have nothing to live for.  I don't 
want to live for my planet, but for someone to love me, to care for 
me, and to be with me for the rest of my life.  Everything else can 
go to hell, and I don't care about any risks involved.  My happiness 
and the happiness of the person I love is paramount, and I won't let 
anything else get in the way of that."
	His jaw hanging open, Russ looked at her in complete 
astonishment.  The voices in his heart started screaming at him to 
take her in his arms and tell her that he loved her, and would spend 
the rest of his life with her, no matter what happened.  The voices 
in his head raised their own voices, yelling at him that it would 
never work, despite what both he and she wanted.
	Clenching his head in his hands, Russ wrapped his fingers 
around several spikes of his hair and gave them a good tug, as he 
strained to keep himself under control.  Standing up and walking 
out a couple paces, he turned around and looked at the princess, 
who watched him with sand, longing eyes.  Clenching his fists 
together, his hair stood on end, and in a brilliant flash of energy, he 
transformed himself into a super saiyan.
	Aeka sat back in surprise, but she didn't run away, even 
though a tinge of fear entered her heart.
	"Does this scare you, Aeka?" he finally asked, letting his 
energy fade away, the pulsing sound dying off, the moonlight 
returning to occupy the space his yellow energy had a moment 
before, but his hair remained yellow and his eyes green.  "This is 
the other side of me that comes out when I fight.  Do you feel 
frightened or intimidated by it?  Because this is what you'd live 
with."
	Unable to sense his outrageous power, she remained silent 
for a few moments, but she got to her feet and approached Russ, 
her expression depressed, sad, and lonely.  "No," she said, standing 
in front of him.  "It doesn't scare me.  I want you, Russ, and 
nobody else.  And it doesn't matter what you become, whether it 
be a golden haired warrior or a gigantic ape, you're the one for 
me," she said.
	Russ's face pulled into surprise.  "How did you know 
about that?" he asked, stunned.
	"Huh?  How did I know about what?" she asked, 
confused.
	"How did you know that I could turn into a gigantic ape?" 
he asked, as he went through his mind, trying to find an instance of 
where or when he mentioned to anybody that he would turn into a 
huge ape when exposed to moonlight while he had a tail.
	"What are you talking about?  I said that as an analogy," 
she replied, still confused, but then she became surprised.  "You 
mean that you can turn into an ape?"
	"Crap," he muttered, as he was hoping to keep that a 
secret too, but he nodded.  "Yes.  Saiyans are born with a tail that 
allows us to transform into an ape in full moonlight.  We make 
King Kong look like a miniature monkey after our transformation."
	"You're kidding," she said, turning away.  "You're trying 
to make me laugh, but I'm too depressed right now."
	"Argh!" Russ growled to himself, shaking it off.  "Aeka, 
please give me up," he said, moving to stand in front of her.  
"There are other people out there who would be better for you in 
comparison to me."
	"Like that piece of shit Serio that my father wants me to 
marry?" she snapped, becoming angry.  "Oh yes, I really want to 
love and marry an arrogant creep like that.  I do not get to choose 
my fiancée when I'm at home.  My father chooses the one best 
suited to the empire and sticks me with him, whether I approve of 
him or not.  All they expect me to do is be obedient and to produce 
an heir to the throne.  My life is a living hell there, and I do not 
want to go back to it.  I never want to go home!  I want to stay 
here, with you!  You just don't realize how much I've fallen in 
love with you!" she yelled, balling up her fists and pounding on 
Russ's chest.  "I love you, god dammit!"
	After letting out her feelings and frustrations, she 
collapsed onto Russ's chest and cried uncontrollably, not able to 
bring herself to terms with her life.
	"Maybe I should just commit suicide and end it all!" she 
yelled, slamming her fists on Russ's chest again and again.  "I've 
got nothing to live for anymore!"
	His expression changing to extreme hurt and pain, he 
wrapped his arms around the crying princess and held her, just as 
she almost lost her footing to collapse onto the ground.  He held 
here there until she stopped crying, as he fought to hold back his 
own emotions.

	"You son of a bitch, Russ," Ryoko snarled, ready to kill 
him for putting her friend through such torment.  "You asshole of a 
man!"
	"Ryoko!  Calm down!  He'll sense you if your energy 
goes too high!" Tenchi hissed, putting his hands on her shoulders, 
trying to hold her back.  "Just wait!"
	"No, god dammit!" she shot back.  "I'm going to tear 
Russ apart if it's the last thing I do!"
	"Calm down!" Tenchi snapped, still not releasing his cast 
iron grip on her.  "Do not interfere with either of them!  They'll 
work it out on their own!"
	"Bullshit!" she swore, turning around to face Tenchi with 
an inferno burning in her catlike eyes.  "He's had over a year to 
accept her and he still hasn't!  What the hell is wrong with him?!"
	"It's not our place to interfere!  We can support them, but 
we can't force them to do something that one or the other doesn't 
want to do!"
	"But why must Aeka suffer like this?  It's so obvious that 
she is willing to do ANYTHING for him.  Anything!  She's so 
hopelessly in love with him and he still rejects her!  I don't get 
why!" Ryoko hissed, baring her fangs.  "Maybe if I beat some 
sense into him, he'll realize what he's missing!"
	"Knock it off!" Tenchi growled, his face contorted with a 
deep, penetrating anger, which surprised Ryoko to the point where 
she calmed down almost instantly.  "Just wait."

	"Aeka?  Do you think your sister, your parents, or any of 
your friends would forgive you if you did that?" Russ said, 
frustrated and angry.  "That's the cowards way out of life.  Life 
isn't fair, as it hasn't been with me for most of my life.  I need you 
as my friend, Aeka, as you're the best one I've ever had," Russ 
said, trembling.  "I'd go insane if I ever lost you or your sister."
	"I have nothing to live for," she cried, resting her head on 
Russ's chest.  "What do I have to live for?  There is nobody out 
there who wants to love me for the real me!"
	"That's not true," Russ said, closing his eyes, his heart 
screaming at him.
	Aeka continued to cry, but she looked into Russ's face, a 
streak of hope in her eyes.  "Who then?" she whispered.
	"You have your sister to live for, and for me too.  I've 
never had a friend like you, and your sister needs you.  What do 
you think will happen to her once she goes home to take your place 
if you die?  Do you wish that on poor Sasami?" Russ said, rubbing 
her back gently.  "That isn't being fair to either her or me, or 
anybody else who knows you and loves you.  Your family is 
HERE, not on Jurai," he said, looking into her amethyst eyes.  
"You've taken the planet Earth, this house, this place, and made it 
your home.  Do you want to just throw it all away?"
	"But like you said, my parents will eventually come to 
take me away from all of this," she sobbed, still not able to regain 
control over her emotions.  "They don't care about how I feel, just 
about what will benefit that damned planet of Jurai!"
	"Your mother and your aunt Funaho both care," Russ 
countered.
	"But even they have to take a backseat to my father.  My 
father's word is final, no matter what they say.  They can try to 
influence his decision, but ultimately, what he says is absolute.  If 
he never approves, then I have to obey him."
	Taking in a deep breath through his nose, Russ released it 
through his mouth in a deep sigh.  "But if I were with you, I could 
stop him?"
	"Yes," she whimpered, sniffling again.  Wiping her tears 
away with the back of her hand, her tears were quickly replaced by 
fresh ones.  "If you were with me, there wouldn't be much he 
could do."
	"I…" he started, but hesitated.  Hanging his head in 
defeat, he prepared himself to say something that he swore he'd 
never say again.  "Aeka?"
	She didn't answer him, but squeezed him tighter.
	"If…" he said, swallowing the huge lump in his throat.  
"If everything goes well tomorrow and the fight ends without 
casualties, I will…" he hesitated, squeezing his eyes together 
tightly.  "I will…"
	
	"Say it, dammit!" Ryoko whispered, squeezing her hands 
together in anticipation.  "SAY IT!"

	"I… will go out with you," he finally said, feeling faint 
over what he just proposed.
	Letting out a quick gasp of utter surprise, Aeka raised her 
head to look into Russ's eyes, which had the same, lonely feel that 
she had.  "You will?"
	Grinding his teeth and telling his brain to shut up, he 
nodded his head.  "Yes.  I will be your boyfriend, if you would be 
my girlfriend, but only if things go okay tomorrow."
	"You will?" she asked again, her face filled with hope and 
a renewed sense of being.
	"Yes."  Russ gazed into her eyes, felt her warmth, and 
could feel her entire body relax, releasing all of its tension in less 
than a second, as he could feel a wave of emotion wash over his 
mind, filling him with peace.
	Aeka looked at him, her tears streaming anew.  "You 
will?" she asked a third time.
	Russ grinned and started chuckling, then nodded his head.
	"Oh Russ!" she cried, sobbing all over again, burying her 
face in his chest, feeling a happiness and fulfillment that she never 
felt before.
	"Please stop crying, Aeka," Russ begged, stroking her 
silky, soft hair.  "You know how I feel and I know how you feel, 
and it may finally be time for me to move on.  What's lost is lost, 
and I have a chance to start something fresh and new once again."
	Aeka didn't answer, but continued to cry, overwhelmed at 
the sensation that her lifelong dream could finally be fulfilled.

	"God damn, after all of that, he finally said yes," Ryoko 
whispered, feeling a tremendous amount of joy for her friend.  
"That hard headed, frosty saiyan actually does have a heart."
	"Ryoko, it all depends on what happens tomorrow.  If 
Aeka dies or he dies, this all goes away.  They could be setting 
themselves up for the biggest heartbreak either of them will ever 
feel."
	"Everything will be okay.  Russ is the strongest warrior 
we've ever seen.  I don't think anybody could match him, no 
matter what he says," Ryoko said, smiling.
	Tenchi looked back toward the front of the house.  "Come 
on, Ryoko," he whispered.  "Let's go before they find us."
	Ryoko nodded.  "Okay."
	Sneaking back to where the washer was kept, they both 
set about filling the machine from the basket of dirty clothes.

	"My lady."
	"What is it, D3?"
	"The second saiyan, Zorpheus, has just entered the solar 
system," he reported, watching the small, white spacepod hurtle 
through the cosmos.
	Tokimi, one of the three goddesses, turned her attention to 
the viewscreen.  "He is Russ's friend?"
	D3 cleared his throat, checking a log file that was kept 
from a conversation in the past.  "They haven't been together for a 
couple years, but they didn't split up on either bad or good terms."
	Tokimi closed her eyes and concentrated, trying to see 
into the future.  After several minutes, she came to, and opened her 
eyes.  "They still have the potential to become allies once again.  If 
Tsunami or Washu uses them against us, it could be catastrophic."
	"Yes, milady."
	"This cannot be allowed to happen," she said, raising her 
left hand in front of her, palm upward, as she began to concentrate.  
A small, white ball of energy formed in her hand, and within the 
ball, an image of Zorpheus, sleeping in his pod, became visible.  
"Russ is too aware and too powerful right now to alter, but 
Zorpheus is in stasis, and his mind is very vulnerable.  I will 
modify him."
	"What shall you do, Lady Tokimi?" D3 asked, watching 
his goddess perform one of her miracles.
	"I shall enhance his feelings of anger, and intensify his 
hatred for Russ by two orders of magnitude.  He will become what 
everybody fears most, that being a killing machine.  If all goes 
well, both saiyans will destroy each other."
	"A brilliant idea," he praised, watching Zorpheus glow 
intensely for a few moments in the ball of energy, and fade to 
normal.  
	"It is done," she said, taking a deep breath.  "I must rest 
now."  And with that, she disappeared from view.
	Looking back at the data he collected from Russ, they 
were still unable to calculate his energy level.  His goddess, 
Tokimi, could generate a significant amount of ki, but she didn't 
need it.  She was immortal and could manipulate whomever she 
pleased, aside from those with strong minds.  However, against an 
opponent such as Russ, he could not predict an outcome.
	Changing the viewscreen to look at both Washu and 
Sasami, he smiled upon the two other goddesses.  "Sleep well, 
sisters of Tokimi.  Soon, we shall all be re-united, and the universe 
that you all occupy will be eradicated."

	"You were completely serious about that?" Aeka 
whispered from her bed, still finding his decision almost 
unrealistic.  After so many refusals, after so many tears and so 
much heartbreak, he had finally come to a decision, and he finally 
caved in and agreed to become a couple with her.
	"For the last time, yes!" Russ hissed from his bed, 
completely worried and sweating profusely from the stress of his 
choice.  His head was screaming at him and had completely 
silenced his heart, and he began to question his decision.  He knew 
he was going to be in for a rough ride, especially when it came to 
her parents, in particular, her father.  "I must be insane."
	Aeka giggled quietly.  "I think that is the most logical 
choice you've made since you've been here," she countered, her 
mind, body, and soul, finally at peace.
	"Come on," Russ whispered, fretting.  "I have to get some 
sleep and be well rested for tomorrow.  It's going to be a long 
day."
	"Yes.  I'm just so happy…" she said, but stopped.  Sasami 
had begun tossing and turning on her bed, the little triangles on her 
forehead glowing intensely.  "Sasami?"
	Russ sat up in his bed, looking worriedly at the little 
princess.  He could feel a strange energy coming from her, but he 
had felt it once before.  "That's the same energy I've felt at the 
Startica Festival when she had a nightmare," he said, getting out of 
his bed and kneeling on the floor.
	"Sasami, wake up!" Aeka said, shaking her sister back 
and forth.  "Come on, Sasami!"
	"Wake up," Russ encouraged, also shaking her.  "Come 
on, Sasami!  Wake up!"
	Continuing to toss and turn, she began to mumble 
incoherent phrases to herself, and at one point, almost began 
shouting into the darkness.
	"What is happening to her, Russ?!" Aeka said, becoming 
panicked.
	"I don't know!  Something is affecting her, but I don't 
know what!" he growled, still shaking the little princess back and 
forth.
	After a few more moments, her eyes snapped open and 
the little symbol on her forehead faded back to normal.  Sitting bolt 
upright in her bed, she was breathing heavily and sweating like 
mad, shaking like a leaf in a hurricane.  A second later, several 
tears began running down her cheeks, her face completely blank 
and devoid of life.
	"Sasami!" both Russ and Aeka said, putting their faces 
directly in front of Sasami's, trying to get her attention.
	"Aeka?  Russ?" she said, the tears still streaming 
uncontrollably.  "RUSS!"  Lunging forward, she grabbed Russ 
around the neck and caused him to fall to the floor.  She landed on 
top of him and buried her face in his chest, crying almost like Aeka 
had earlier.
	"What's wrong, Sasami?  Please tell me!" Aeka said, 
trying to pry her sister off of Russ, but she had a death grip around 
Russ's neck.  Fortunately for him, since he wasn't a normal man, 
he didn't suffocate from her viselike grip.  It was amazing that 
arms so little possessed such strength.
	"It's Aeka!" she cried, not letting go.
	"What happened?" he asked, not having moved since he 
was tackled.
	"I just had a dream where she died!" she cried, squeezing 
as hard as she could.  "Zorpheus killed her, and she died!"
	Aeka's jaw dropped, listening to the revelation in 
complete astonishment, awe, and horror.  "No.  That isn't 
possible."
	"Sasami, she won't die.  I promise you she won't," Russ 
said, holding her gently.
	"It was horrible!  There was blood!  There was just so 
much blood!" she cried, shaking uncontrollably.  "I don't want her 
to die!"
	"I won't die, Sasami," Aeka said, forcing herself to be 
calm.  "I have more sense than that."
	Sniffling and trying to get herself under control, she 
slowly stopped crying, but she continued to shake, very afraid of 
the horrid nightmare she just had.
	Russ stroked her hair, being extremely gentle with her as 
he rested his cheek on her head.  Ryo-Ohki was on the floor, 
watching her in deep concern.  "Shhh.  It'll be okay, Sasami.  Just 
relax and let it all out," he said, his voice a calm whisper.
	"I'm so scared, Russ," she said, her voice still wavering, 
but she stopped crying.  "Zorpheus is a monster!  He was so 
powerful that even you couldn't stop him!"
	"Do not worry.  I was always more powerful than he was, 
and there is no way I'll let him touch any of you if he gets out of 
control," Russ said, keeping his voice deep, calm, and reassuring.  
"But I don't think we'll need to worry.  He is just as cool, calm, 
and collective as I usually am, and I think everything will be okay 
tomorrow."
	"Are you sure?" Sasami squeaked, looking up at him.
	"He's sure, Sasami," Aeka responded, smiling.  "There is 
nothing to worry about."
	"Are you okay now?  Do you want a glass of warm milk 
or something?" Russ asked, feeling the clamp around his neck be 
released as Sasami withdrew.
	Sniffling, she tried her eyes with her t-shirt.  "No, I'm 
okay now.  Let's go back to sleep.  I know you need your rest for 
tomorrow."
	Russ sighed, and then patted her on the back.  "Okay.  
We'll both be right here if you have another nightmare," he said, 
climbing back into his bed.  "Goodnight, you two."
	"See you in the morning," both Aeka and Sasami said in 
stereo, causing Russ to grin.
	Russ fell asleep in about a minute, but Aeka and Sasami 
both took a lot longer.  Aeka felt shivers go up and down her spine, 
as she was frightened of the revelation that Sasami had told her 
earlier.  However, she reassured herself again and again that Russ 
wouldn't let anything happen to her, but Sasami continued to 
watch that dream again and again in her mind, growing scared 
again, but keeping it to herself.  She was the last to fall asleep, 
almost an hour after Aeka had dozed off.  She glanced over at 
Russ, and she felt a little better, thinking of all the fun times she 
had with him.  But something kept nagging her in the back of her 
mind about Zorpheus.  There was just something weird about that 
dream, as Zorpheus was far, far meaner than Russ had ever 
described him.  She knew something was wrong, but she didn't 
know what.  Finally closing her eyes, she forced herself to go into 
slumber, continuing to worry about tomorrow.

	The day of reckoning finally arrived, as the light of day 
brightened the gray sky, which was overcast and gloomy.  Birds 
were chirping, the temperature was pleasant, and the air smelled of 
rain, even though the ground was still dry.  A light breeze ruffled 
the leaves and moved the blinds in Russ's room around, however, 
the saiyan remained asleep, and it was after nine in the morning.
	Both Sasami and Aeka were awake, laying quietly in their 
futons, not wanting to get up.  Both princesses had an extremely 
rough night of very light slumber, as they woke up multiple times, 
a cause of their worry and concern.  Still groggy with sleep, neither 
wanted to get up, but they lay there, unable to doze off.
	"You awake, Aeka?" Sasami whispered, rolling onto her 
side to face her sister.
	Rolling her head over to Sasami, she smiled and nodded.  
"Yeah," she whispered back.
	"It's past nine.  Do you think we should get Russ up?" she 
asked, keeping her voice very low.
	Aeka shook her head, closing her eyes, and slowly 
reopening them.  "No.  Let him get up on his own.  He needs all 
the sleep he can get.  Besides, I want to sleep a little longer too."
	Glaring at Aeka, Sasami frowned.  "You're getting lazy," 
she scolded, causing Aeka to grin.
	"So what," she replied, still grinning.  "There isn't a rule 
here that we have to be up at a certain time.  Besides, we had a 
rough night and I could use another hour or two of sleep."  
Grinning a little wider, she giggled quietly.  "You could use the 
extra sleep too."
	Now smiling, Sasami closed her eyes.  "Yeah, you're 
right."
	Both princesses fell back into a light slumber, trying to 
make up for the lack of rest from the night before.  Russ never 
stirred or moved from his sprawled position on the bed.

	"Good morning, Akaki," Washu said, standing at one of 
her lab tables, working on an experiment.  She stopped a moment 
and looked at the viewscreen, smiling widely.
	"Mother.  Do you know what TIME it is?" he growled, as 
his face, hair, and visage looked like something that would've 
crawled out of Hell itself.
	"It's morning, according to standard time on your planet," 
she responded, grinning.  "It's nice that both Earth and Bikinawa 
have the same axial rotational speed, and it's even better that you 
live almost in the same time zone."
	"Mother.  I did not go to bed until after three in the 
morning.  It is now nine.  I am still very sleepy and I have today 
off, so I planned on catching up on a lot of Z's I missed out on," he 
muttered, glaring at his mother through the telecommunication 
channel.  "I'm going back to sleep for another couple hours."
	Washu grinned.  "You're lazy."
	"I am not lazy!" he shot back, rubbing the sleep out of his 
eyes, mumbling incoherent phrases to himself.  "I'm just sleepy."
	"Then go to bed earlier," Washu returned.
	"Says the one who pulls all-nighters routinely."
	Letting out an exasperated sigh, Washu set back to work, 
soldering several wires to a multi-layered circuit board on her 
latest invention.  "What time do you usually get up anyway?"
	"This is the earliest you've called me, mom.  I usually get 
up around eleven or so," he said, then let out a huge yawn.
	"Eleven?!  You sleep your entire morning away?" she 
asked, surprised.
	"Well duh.  I work the late shift at my job, so I sleep 
almost the entire morning away.  On weekends or on other days 
when I don't have to go in, I sleep until almost one."
	Washu frowned at him, shaking her head.  "Well, you 
should get up in the morning instead of wasting it.  It's a good time 
to get things done around the house."
	"Feh.  I really don't care at this point," he growled, still 
very tired.  "Call me back later when I'm more awake, AFTER I 
get more sleep," he said, laying back down, burying his face in his 
pillow.
	"One water sprite, coming up!" Washu taunted, holding 
her hands on her hips, wearing a huge grin.
	"Bite me," he mumbled, trying to get comfortable again.
	Washu's jaw dropped, as she was completely stunned that 
he didn't even seem to care.  "Excuse me?" she asked, unsure if 
she heard him right.
	"Go away.  Sleeping."
	It wasn't often that she got a surprise, but Akaki had 
given her one of the biggest shocks of the week.  Still unable to 
believe what she heard, she continued to look at the image of her 
son, trying to fall back to sleep in his bed.
	"See you in a little bit, mom," he said, rolling over and 
turning off the communicator, leaving a baffled Washu staring at a 
now blank computer screen.
	"Now THAT was unexpected," she said to herself.  "Oh 
well.  I'll bother him later."  Hearing her stomach croak, she put 
her invention aside and made her way out of her lab.  Upon 
entering the living room, she heard a knock on the front door.  
Sliding it open, it revealed both Kiyone and Mihoshi, both smiling 
and in wonderful spirits.
	"Hi Washu!" Mihoshi greeted in her usual ditz-like way.  
"We're here!"
	"Yes you are," Washu returned, grinning.  "Hey, 
Kiyone."
	"Hello," she said, smiling.  Handing over a bag she was 
carrying, she stepped inside after Washu moved out of the way.  
"These are for everybody," she explained.
	"Thank you very much," Washu said, peeking into the 
bag of goodies.  "What did you bring us?"
	"Sweets!" Mihoshi said, giggling.  "There was never 
enough here, so Kiyone and I decided to give you some.  They're 
very good."
	Washu grinned.  "And very fattening, no doubt.  But 
anyway, come on in and have a seat.  I was just about to make me 
some breakfast.  Do you girls want anything?"
	Kiyone sat down at the table and sighed, relaxing.  "Some 
tea would be nice, please."
	"And I want tea too," Mihoshi chimed in, sitting next to 
her partner.  "I'm so thirsty!"
	"Tea, coming right up," Washu sang, going into the 
kitchen.  "So girls, how are things going?  It looks like you're 
enjoying the weather."
	Kiyone, dressed in a light blue t-shirt, knee-length jeans 
shorts, and canvas shoes, took in a deep breath, tossing her head 
from side to side, letting her long, green hair flap back and forth.  
"Yeah.  It feels really nice today.  We have today off, so we're 
enjoying ourselves."
	Mihoshi was dressed a little more risqué, with a loose 
fitting tank top and shorts that were extremely short, with a pair of 
sandals.  It almost looked as if her bust would spill over the top of 
her shirt.  "Yeah, we haven't had much time to do anything.  Even 
though we are getting funding from the Galaxy Police, they seem 
to make us work a lot more than we used to."
	"I'm not surprised.  They usually do that to offset the 
added drain on their budget," Washu explained, heating up the 
water on the stove.  "But how busy can it be up there anyway?"
	"It's not busy," Kiyone said, looking at Washu through 
the window in the wall.  "A lot of times, we wind up doing nothing 
the whole day.  We sit and play games, watch TV, or play with the 
radio, talking with a few of the other officers who don't do much.  
It's boring, but at least it is an easy job most of the time.  But there 
was a person last week who led us on a chase, but we caught the 
perpetrator easily enough."
	Washu smiled.  "Kiyone always gets her man!" she said, 
pouring the hot water over the tea strainer, letting the green liquid 
pour into the cups.
	"Actually, it was a woman this time," Mihoshi explained.  
"It was a lot of fun!"
	Glaring at her partner, but letting it go, Kiyone smiled.  
"Well, it was the most excitement we've had in a very long time.  
It was stupid though, since the lady didn't have any kind of record 
previously.  Sometimes the stupidity of people astounds me."
	Holding back a rude comment she could've made about 
her partner, Washu just continued to smile as she brought the tea 
out to the girls.  "Here you go," she said, sliding the cups over, 
then returning to the kitchen.  "I still have to get something to eat."
	"We already had breakfast," Kiyone said.
	"Yeah, the usual instant miso soup and ramen noodles," 
Mihoshi described, grinning.  "Nobody makes instant food better 
than Kiyone!"
	Groaning quietly, Kiyone shook her head.  "Must you 
always say how cheaply we live?"
	"Oh, but Kiyone!  There's nothing to be embarrassed 
about.  Instant food tastes good!" she said, cheerily, smiling 
widely.
	"Good morning, Kiyone and Mihoshi," Tenchi said, 
coming down the stairs, followed by Ryoko.
	"Hey!  How are you?" Kiyone said, turning around to see 
him.  Mihoshi giggled and waved.
	"We're doing really well, thanks," Tenchi said, reaching 
the bottom step, and then made his way over to the table, sitting 
down in his usual spot.  Ryoko sat next to him, looking happy and 
relaxed.
	"You two seem to be in a good mood," Kiyone observed.  
"Something happen last night or this morning?"
	"Actually, yes.  We had a nice time last night, as it was 
the first time we've gone out to do anything in about a month.  
Poor Tenchi is always so busy that he has a hard time making time 
for us to do things, but it was very nice," Ryoko said, rubbing 
against him.
	"It's still so amazing that you two are getting married!" 
Mihoshi exclaimed, blushing.  "I can't wait until I find the man of 
my dreams."
	"Heaven forbid if he's anything like you, Mihoshi," 
Kiyone said, patting her on the shoulder.  "I don't think the Earth 
is big enough for someone who's just like you."
	"Hey!  I'm not all that bad!" Mihoshi whined, looking 
pitiful, her blue eyes sparkling.  "I haven't broken anything in at 
least two days!"
	"A personal record, I might add," Kiyone argued.  "It 
wouldn't be problematic if the person you find isn't as clumsy or 
prone to breaking things as you."
	"Oh, don't be so hard on her," Washu interjected from the 
kitchen.  "I'm sure she'll find someone wonderful, just like Tenchi 
has."  Returning from the kitchen with toast, rice, and miso soup, 
she set her stuff down on the table and began to devour the food.
	Smiling, Tenchi nodded.  "Everybody has a match for 
him or her in this universe," he agreed.
	"I don't know, Tenchi.  Another Mihoshi just make this 
universe collapse in on itself.  Remember how Mihoshi almost 
caused that from inside Washu's lab about a month ago?" Ryoko 
said, causing a bunch of glares to surface around the table.  "Well, 
it's true!"
	Shaking her head and giggling, Mihoshi started blushing.  
"Well anyway, I really hope I find someone soon.  Speaking of 
which, where are Russ, Aeka, and Sasami?"
	"They're all still asleep," Washu said, looking at the 
landing on the second floor.
	Tenchi and Ryoko both looked surprised.  "Wow.  I've 
never known Sasami to sleep past nine before.  She's usually up 
and making breakfast by the time we come down here."
	"Well," Washu began.  "It's because of what is supposed 
to happen later today.  Russ has to be fully rested for it."
	"Spit it out, mother.  Quit building suspense," Ryoko 
snapped, glaring at her mother.
	Washu looked up at her, her face cold, emotionless, and 
unwavering.  "Zorpheus will arrive today.  In fact, in about three 
hours."
	Tenchi, Ryoko, Kiyone, and Mihoshi all stopped what 
they were doing and looked at the scientist in a mix of surprise and 
terror.  However, Washu resumed eating, as if it were old news.
	"He's supposed to be here, TODAY?" Ryoko said, 
becoming very nervous.  "Why didn't you say something to us 
yesterday!?"
	"How would it have changed things?" her mom returned.  
"We cannot stop him from coming here.  Russ is going to have to 
deal with him when he arrives, and he wants to be at his maximum 
when it comes time to crunch."
	"You still should've told us about this, Washu!" Tenchi 
snapped, his face a large frown.  "This is very important!"
	"It's important to Russ, not to the rest of us.  He has 
repeatedly told us that we will not be involved in their dispute.  All 
we have to do is stay away from them when they arrive, and leave 
them alone once they get into the separate dimension," Washu 
explained, sipping her miso soup.  "They're far beyond our wildest 
dreams, and the smartest thing to do is to stay out of their 
business."
	"Maybe we shouldn't have come today," Kiyone said, 
looking very nervous.  "But it is our job to make sure the citizens 
of this planet are safe from harm."
	"Are you insane, Kiyone?" Mihoshi said, looking 
absolutely petrified.  "You saw what Russ could do!  What do you 
expect to do against another person just like him?  Arrest him?"
	Tucking her hands in her lap, Kiyone looked at the table 
and remained quiet.
	"Do Aeka and Sasami know?" Tenchi asked, his face 
downcast.
	Washu nodded her head.  "Yes.  Russ told Sasami, and 
Sasami told Aeka and myself.  I scanned the area around the solar 
system and I did detect the spacepod that is carrying Zorpheus."  
Summoning her laptop once more, she rescanned the solar system, 
using the same parameters from the day before.  A single blip 
appeared on the screen.  "He's currently passing Jupiter.  At his 
current rate of travel, he will enter Earth's atmosphere in about 
three hours.  Exact time of arrival will be twelve thirty seven."
	"How are they taking it?" Ryoko asked, worried.
	"They're all sleeping together.  Both Aeka and Sasami are 
deathly afraid of losing him, and they've stuck to him like glue 
yesterday and even slept together overnight," Washu revealed, 
eating a clump of rice and then washing it down with soup.  "I 
really hope everything goes okay today.  I have a lot of confidence 
in Russ, but even he seems unsure of himself over this one."
	Mihoshi smiled.  "I think he'll be just fine.  I mean, look 
how much he's trained while he's been here!" she said, cheerily.
	Her happy mood wasn't contagious, and everybody 
continued to sit in silence, until they heard some thumping from 
upstairs.  "Sounds like he's woken up," Kiyone said, quietly.
	Hearing the bedroom door slide open and shut again, they 
heard the sound of heavy footsteps coming toward the living room.  
Everybody looked toward the stairway and waited.  A moment 
later, Russ started walking down the steps, his hair the usual mess, 
still dressed in the clothes from yesterday.  He didn't even notice 
everybody sitting at the table until he turned toward the bathroom.  
Looking up at the family, he smiled and nodded his head.
	"Good morning, everyone!" he said, cheerily.  "How is 
everybody on this fine morning?"
	Five thumps greeted his ears as everybody facefaulted to 
the floor, completely stunned that he was so happy, cheery, and 
easy going this morning.  They were figuring on seeing him 
completely stressed out.
	"Um, did I say something wrong?" he asked, scratching 
his head.
	"How can you be so relaxed?" Ryoko asked, overcoming 
her surprise.  "Zorpheus is supposed to come today!"
	Russ looked over at Washu, who returned a guilty look.  
"I take it our little professor has told you of our impending doom?" 
he asked, snickering.
	Tenchi's eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets that he 
was being so casual about it.  "What is with you?  How come 
you're in such a good mood?"
	"Why not?  In a few hours, I'm going to be involved in 
the 'butt kick-o-rama.'  I may as well be in a good mood now 
because I'm going to probably be in a foul mood later.  Oh, hi 
Kiyone and Mihoshi.  How are you two doing?" he asked, taking 
notice to the other two women seated at the table.
	"We're fine," Kiyone responded, trying to smile.
	"Good.  Now if you'll excuse me, I need to take a 
shower," he said, heading over to the bathroom.  He slid open the 
door, which led to the women's bath once again.  After shutting it, 
he reopened it to the men's bath.  Turning around for a moment, he 
looked at the five still seated at the table, whom were all staring at 
him.  "Washu, is there a reason that half the time when I open the 
door that it goes to the women's bath?"
	"Ask Aeka about that one," she said, grinning.
	Russ nodded his head.  "I thought so," he said, 
disappearing into the bath.
	"What the heck just happened?" Ryoko asked, still trying 
to figure out Russ's charade.  "He didn't look nervous at all!"
	"It probably has to do with all that meditating he's done 
over the past week," Tenchi described.  "He's mentally prepared 
for the confrontation, so he's not letting it bother him until the time 
comes."
	"Still, that was creepy," Kiyone said, still looking at the 
bathroom door.  "I wonder if he's gone beyond nervous and has 
just gone crazy from the stress."
	"No, he was completely calm, cool, and collective.  He's 
back to his normal self for the time being," Washu confirmed, 
finishing off the last of her food.  "He may feel that this could be 
his last day on Earth and he's just trying to live it up."
	"I don't know," Tenchi said, resting his head in his hands.  
"I'm nervous as heck and I'm not the one who will be fighting."
	Mihoshi giggled.  "I think he's happy to see Zorpheus 
again!"
	The other four people at the table stopped to look at her, 
causing her to blush.
	"Well, he hasn't seen him in a long time," she said, 
becoming withdrawn.
	"That's true," Ryoko said.  "The thing is, Russ has 
described him as being very similar to him in terms of his calm and 
collectiveness, but he's still worried about what could happen if 
Zorpheus blows his stack.  I'm really worried too."
	"There's really nothing to worry about," Washu said, 
sitting back on her hands.  "Russ will take care of everything.  The 
room is complete and will be sealed once they get into it, and 
anything that goes on in there will not affect this world.  We can 
even broadcast it to the rest of the universe if we wanted."
	"If they fight, what are we going to do to heal their 
injuries?" Kiyone asked.
	"The regeneration tank that Russ provided plans for is 
complete.  It'll heal a man of his size in about a half hour.  It's 
really an incredible piece of medical technology.  It works by…"
	"I don't care how it works, as long as it heals him 
quickly," a voice above them said.
	Everybody looked up to see Aeka standing there, dressed 
in her traditional blue and purple kimono.  Regally making her way 
down the stairs, she held herself high and proud.  "Besides, he 
probably won't need it."
	"Good morning, Aeka," Tenchi greeted.  "How do you 
feel this morning?"
	She looked at the group and tried to smile, but failed.  
"I've never been so scared of anything in my life," she responded.
	"I think that goes for everyone at this table," Washu said, 
looking at everybody.  "Anyway, I have a few things I must take 
care of in my lab.  I'll be out around twelve thirty to escort both 
Russ and Zorpheus into the battle chamber," she said, making her 
way to her lab, opening the door and turning to look at the group 
again.  "But do not worry.  Everything should be fine," she 
reassured, stepping through the portal and closing the door behind 
her.
	Aeka took her usual seat at the table, next to Tenchi.  
Everybody remained quiet and tried to not look at the princess, but 
she let out so many little nervous habits that they couldn't help but 
glance at her.  She straightened her kimono, smoothed her hair, 
picked at something under one of her nails, continually shifted 
positions, and then repeated the whole process again and again.  
She could not sit still.
	"Aeka, you need to relax," Mihoshi said, cheerily, causing 
her to jump.
	About to explode on her, Aeka bit her tongue and held 
herself back.  "I'm sorry, everyone.  I'm just really worried for 
Russ."
	A moment later, Sasami bounded down the stairs in a pair 
of coveralls, a pink undershirt, and canvas shoes.  She had on 
multiple, small string bracelets that went around her right wrist, 
and she looked drop-dead adorable.  Her freckles were very 
pronounced, and she looked exactly like a little farmer girl.  She 
smiled when she saw everybody at the table.
	"Hi Kiyone and Mihoshi!" she said, skipping over and 
hugging them both.  "It's very nice to see you again."
	"Hi, Princess Sasami," Kiyone greeted, smiling warmly.  
"It's always nice to see you."
	Mihoshi hugged her tightly.  "I brought a bunch of sweets 
for you guys to eat later," she whispered to her, who started 
giggling.
	"Has everybody eaten?  Can I get anybody anything?" she 
asked, walking over to the kitchen door, and then turned around.
	"I'm fine," both Kiyone and Mihoshi said in stereo, and 
everybody else just shook his or her heads.
	Turning around, she went into the kitchen to get herself a 
glass of milk.
	"I wonder what Zorpheus looks like?" Aeka muttered to 
herself, still staring at the empty table in front of her.
	"Russ says he looks very similar to him, but different 
too," Tenchi recalled, scratching his head.  But we'll see for sure 
later today.  I better go tell grandpa."  Getting up from the table, he 
moved over to the glass door, being followed by Ryoko.  "I'll be 
back in about ten minutes."
	"Okay," Kiyone said, turning her attention back to the 
crown princess.  "Anyway, I don't think you need to worry all that 
much.  Russ is unlike anybody I've ever seen.  I find it hard to 
believe that someone else exists that is exactly like him."
	Aeka shook her head.  "But he does exist, and he's 
coming here," she answered, her face downcast and worried.
	"You're going to wrinkle up like an old maid," Mihoshi 
said, happily.  "You shouldn't worry."
	About to explode, Aeka's face became a mask of fury and 
rage.  "I am NOT an old maid!" she shouted, slamming her fist 
down on the table.
	"Aeka, please calm down," Kiyone said, trying to head 
off the carnage and to protect her partner.  "She didn't mean it that 
way.  She just means that you should relax."
	"How can I relax when a planet destroyer is coming 
here?!" she retorted, her knuckles becoming white from the intense 
pressure.
	Kiyone stopped and looked at her, the worry becoming 
very apparent on her face.  "Russ will stop him if it is the last thing 
he does."
	"I just hope that ISN'T the last thing he does," she said, 
the anger and rage suddenly gone, replaced by a mentality of a 
young child who was scared of something horrible.
	Sasami came out of the kitchen, holding her milk.  "Come 
on, Aeka.  Have a little faith in Russ."
	Looking at her sister, she nodded her head.  "You're right 
of course, Sasami, but it is so hard to not be worried about him."
	"I know.  Let's just forget about it for now and wait," she 
suggested, sitting down next to her sister.  "Everything will work 
out in the end, you'll see."
	Aeka sighed.  "You make it sound so simple, Sasami.  
You'll realize what it's like once you get older," she said, resting 
her chin in the palm of her hand, looking outside at the scenery.

	Standing outside by the lake, Russ stood fast, patiently 
awaiting Zorpheus's arrival.  He had sensed him almost a half hour 
ago, and he knew he'd head straight for the highest power level on 
the planet, which would be him.  Looking toward the sky, he could 
feel Zorpheus's presence get stronger each and every second, and 
it made him feel something that he hadn't felt in a long time.  
Swallowing a growing lump in his throat, his hands began to 
shake, both in anticipation and excitement.
	Looking back toward the house, the entire family, not 
realizing that Russ was actually waiting for Zorpheus, all remained 
inside, talking with each other and relaxing, as if they had 
forgotten that danger was heading straight for them.  Sighing to 
himself, he listened hard, waiting for the sound of Zorpheus's 
screaming spacepod, as it would hurtle toward the ground and 
crash-land.  Zorpheus was never one to be discrete.
	It didn't take long, and the sound of the spaceship became 
apparent.  Sounding like a thousand nails being drawn over a 
chalkboard, it was loud, deafening, and made the skin crawl.  A 
long, red streak drew a line from the horizon, straight to the point 
of origin.  Russ watched it with a mix of excitement, worry, 
anxiety, and hope.  It has been nearly two years since he saw 
Zorpheus last, and he sincerely hoped this reunion would be good.
	Watching the pod make its final run, it finally crash-
landed, right in the lake.  A huge tidal wave erupted from the point 
of impact, splashing water everywhere and making it rain for a 
moment.  The loud noise brought the whole family out of the 
house, as the noise and impact was earthshaking.
	"What on Earth was that?" Aeka yelled, running over to 
where Russ was standing.
	"Get back!" he shouted, turning toward the oncoming 
group.  "Get away from here!  NOW!"
	Stopping their advance, they slowly began to backtrack 
toward the house.  Everybody went back, except for Aeka.
	"I told you to get back," Russ snarled, eyeing her.  "I'm 
not kidding."
	"But…" 
	"NO BUTS!" he yelled, thrusting his finger toward the far 
end of the house, where the rest of the family had gathered.  "Get 
back there and stay there until we're escorted to the room!"
	Caught completely off guard by his sternness and anger, 
she slowly backpedaled to the house, never taking her eyes off of 
him.
	Russ turned back toward the lake, watching the surface of 
the water calm down.  A moment later, a huge rush of bubbles 
broke the water's surface, causing Russ to grin.  He knew that 
Zorpheus opened the hatch while he was underwater and it made 
him feel a little better.  Not only that, but he himself had done that 
once before.
	Sensing a huge energy over his head, Russ looked toward 
the sky and saw his opponent floating in mid-air, his blue cape 
flapping in the wind, his black hair being stirred about, and the 
light of day being reflected off of his cybernetic arm.  Quickly 
returning to the ground, he stood about twenty feet from where 
Russ was, his visage contorted with disgust and anger, his red eyes 
burning with an inferno of hate.  
	"Long time, no see, Zorpheus," Russ greeted, his green 
karate gi flapping lazily in the light breeze.  What brings you here, 
as if I didn't know?"
	"I'm after the Dragonballs, of course.  But right now, I'd 
just like to know which of you losers I'm going to slaughter for 
putting that damn lake there," he growled, folding his arms over 
his chest.
	Russ grinned.  "That lake was always there.  You never 
could pilot a ship, even if your life depended on it.  I wouldn't 
even trust you with a Tie Fighter."
	"Kiss my ass.  It's never my fault.  It's always the stupid 
navigation computer screwing up," he snapped.  "You should 
know that, since you routinely crashed through houses!"
	"Humph.  It's never your fault is it," Russ sneered, 
glaring at him.

	"That's Zorpheus?" Ryoko whispered, looking at him 
from around the corner of the house.  "He looks almost identical to 
Russ!"
	"You're not kidding.  Look how huge his arms are," 
Tenchi said, listening carefully.  "I really hope Russ knows what 
he's doing."
	"Don't worry.  Russ will be fine," Aeka said, putting her 
best foot forward.  "There is nothing that he can't do."
	"But still, that guy is going to be one heck of a challenge 
for Russ, and besides, he doesn't look exactly happy to see him," 
Tenchi observed, looking at Zorpheus's scowl.  "I'd be afraid if I 
were in Russ's shoes."
	"Shhh!  I can't hear," Washu hissed, straining to listen in 
on their conversation.

	"Who're they?" Zorpheus asked, sensing the group on the 
other side of the house.
	"Leave them alone," Russ muttered.
	"Ain't that cute.  Letting the weaklings cower on the other 
side of the house, like that flimsy piece of trash will protect them.  
Feh.  I don't see why there has to be any trouble.  Just give me the 
Dragonballs and maybe I'll only maim you," Zorpheus taunted, 
letting an evil grin slip onto his lips.
	Russ's expression became neutral, but his pride was 
wounded.  "You'd like that, wouldn't you?  That's too bad though.  
If you want to talk about this further, I have a place where we can 
continue this discussion.  Follow me," he said, turning toward the 
house.  Waving with his hand, Washu came out from behind the 
house and went inside.
	"Yeah right.  And I'm supposed to just waltz over to 
where you want me so you can blow me up with a bunch of ki 
balls that you placed before I got here?  No thanks," he answered, 
not having moved an inch.
	Russ turned around and glared at him.  "I'm not like you.  
I don't play dirty, I'm not as sneaky, dishonorable, or as pinheaded 
as you.  You want the Dragonballs?  Follow me."
	"No.  You give them to me now, assmaster.  Or I might 
decide to make a lunar landscape out of this lovely Japanese shrine 
right here and now!" he growled, giving no indication that he 
intended on following through on Russ's plan.
	Squeezing his hands into fists, he thought a moment.  
*This isn't like him at all,* Russ throught to himself.  *Most of the 
time he'd just go through with it, but something is very different 
about him this time.*
	"That would be a very bad idea, especially if you want to 
convince me to give you the Dragonballs.  You should know me 
well enough to know that I don't respond well to threats," Russ 
returned, giving him his usual poker face, trying to hide his 
emotions.  
	Zorpheus turned away slightly, looking at the corner of 
the house where the family was hiding and eavesdropping.  "How 
do I know you even have them?  You seem pretty eager to have me 
follow you around like some kind of lap dog when all you need to 
do is get your sorry ass in there and come out with my 
Dragonballs.  You're not exactly in the position to make 
conditions, you know."
	Russ smirked, folding his arms behind his back.  
"Actually, I am.  I'm holding what you want, and if you want 
them, you'll do as I say.  I've got the bargaining chip here, not you.  
If you don't want them, I'll get rid of them for you."
	Zorpheus's face contorted to an absolute mask of rage.  
"Destroy them and I'll make sure that I'll turn this entire pathetic 
little country into guacamole.  No, I've got a better idea.  I'll turn 
this entire planet into rubble!"
	Feeling surprise but hiding it well, Russ didn't move.  "If 
you want them, defeat me for them.  There is a place where we can 
fight unobstructed," he said, grinning.  "I'm not turning my home 
into what you so quaintly call, 'A lunar landscape,' and destroy 
this place.  Not even you used to be that cold."
	Calming down almost instantly, he smirked, enjoying 
himself.  "THIS is the home you decided to vacation to?  This 
place is a dump!  I thought you had better taste!  This is low, even 
for you!"
	His face becoming a disgusted frown, Russ then glared at 
Zorpheus.  "Says the one who goes to titty bars and slum hoses to 
get drunk and laid."
	"This coming from a man who has no sex drive at all!" he 
snarled, clenching his real hand into a fist.  A soft, blue glow 
surrounded his hand, a testament to the amount of energy gathering 
there.
	Drawing a breath through his teeth in a hiss, Russ 
remembered that the family was very close by, eavesdropping on 
the two of them.  "I've just about had enough of this.  If you want 
those damned balls, follow me.  If you don't, then leave.  I've got 
no time to screw with some hotheaded former friend who now gets 
pissed at every little thing!"  Clenching his own fists at his sides, 
he raised his own energy to counter the gathering blast in 
Zorpheus's hand.
	The glow disappearing, Zorpheus tossed his hand into the 
air like some stuck up girl who just brushed off another guy.  "Fine 
then.  I don't care if you choose the battleground.  I just want to 
kick your ass and get it over with.  It's part of the reason I came 
here anyway."
	"You're still on dream street, as always," Russ muttered, 
turning back toward the house, keeping all of his senses locked on 
Zorpheus, making absolutely certain that he wasn't going to plant a 
ki blast into his back before they got to the house.
	Sliding back the glass door, Russ entered then turned 
around, letting Zorpheus into the living room.  He looked around, 
his face still a scowl.
	"This place could give Martha Stewart a heart attack.  
Who's the decorator, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles?" he 
sneered, poking one of the chairs with his real finger.
	Russ cracked a slight grin, trying to keep from laughing at 
Zorpheus's sarcastic sense of humor.  Taking notice at a bit of 
movement in his peripheral vision, he glanced at the rest of the 
family coming around the front of the house, heading for the door.  
Feeling his heart beat a little faster, he hoped that Zorpheus 
wouldn't do anything violent.
	Washu was standing next to her lab door, and she opened 
it, gesturing for the two super saiyans to enter.  Russ went in first, 
followed by Zorpheus, and Washu followed them in.  A moment 
later, the rest of the family filed into her lab, keeping their distance 
and being very quiet, hoping that he wouldn't do anything.
	Turning around from the noises behind him, Zorpheus 
looked at the rest of the family.  Noticing the purple haired 
princess, he flashed her a lopsided grin.  "And who're you 
supposed to be?  The housekeeper?  You can keep my house 
anytime you want to, if you know what I mean," he said, tucking 
his thumbs into the lower part of his body armor, shifting them up 
and down.  He started snickering at seeing her look of surprise, 
turning back to follow Russ to their battlegrounds.
	Aeka became so enraged that her face turned red and a 
vein protruded from her forehead, after he turned around, letting 
his words sink into her mind.  Balling up her fist and drawing it 
back to clobber him, Ryoko grabbed her from behind, holding her 
tightly, but Aeka had become much stronger than she used to be, 
and it was very difficult to contain the princess's rage.  Ryoko 
shook her head back and forth like crazy, giving her an emphatic 
'NO WAY,' Aeka calmed down enough to stop trying to hit him, 
but she still seethed at his rude comment.
	Out of sight, Zorpheus grinned, knowing what Aeka was 
trying to do.  He loved to tease other women from time to time, 
and she WAS very beautiful.  Even the blue haired woman was 
gorgeous.  In fact, all the women who followed them into the lab, 
including the lab attendant herself, were good looking.  Wondering 
how Russ fell into a household of women, he scratched his head, 
but kept quiet.  What a waste of beautiful flesh.  He knows what 
HE would've done.
	Making their way around the lab, squeezing between 
computer units, shelves of test tubes, much larger glass tanks, rows 
and rows of books, and various other equipment that Washu kept 
in her lab, Zorpheus couldn't help but marvel at everything that 
was in the lab.
	"Now THIS place has potential.  Add a fridge, a comfy 
couch, maybe a few Borg alcoves in the corner for effect and this 
would be a whole lot better place to live than that old shack we just 
walked through," he commented, temporarily forgetting about why 
he was in there.
	Upon hearing his comments, a vein in Washu's head 
began thumping as she quietly ground her teeth, burying her pride, 
knowing better than to anger someone that was far more powerful 
than she could handle, even with all her lab equipment at her 
disposal.
	After nearly a minute of walking, Russ turned around and 
faced the group, but focused his attention only on Zorpheus.  "Our 
destination is here," he said, reaching out into space.  However, a 
moment later, a door appeared out of nowhere, which Russ 
opened, revealing a bright, cheery place, which was a complete 
contrast to the rest of the lab.  Walking through it, he turned 
around and waited for Zorpheus.
	Glancing over his shoulder, then turning to face the 
group, Zorpheus bowed, his cape flowing smoothly around him.  
"Don't worry, folks.  I won't be long, and I'll bring back some raw 
meat for your dinner as well," he said, his red eyes reflecting the 
light from the adjacent room.
	Looking at him in horror, Aeka stepped forward, getting 
ready to tear him apart.  "Don't you dare hurt him!" she shrilled, 
glaring at him with her own amethyst eyes.  "If you do, I'll…"
	"You'll do what, pray tell?" Zorpheus interrupted, 
grinning.
	Continuing to glare at him, she remained silent and didn't 
move, and the rest of the family looked at the two of them 
nervously.
	Flashing her his most charming smile, Zorpheus turned to 
step through the door.  "Oh yeah, she digs me," he said, and then 
laughed cruelly, mocking her.
	Lunging at him again, Aeka looked like the Tasmanian 
devil, and sounded almost as coherent.  Tenchi grabbed her from 
behind, doing his best to restrain her, as she screamed various 
insults and obscenities at his retreating form, not realizing that 
Sasami and everybody else was nearby.
	Russ's fists were clenched tightly enough to crush a piece 
of steel, but he held his tongue and watched Washu slam the door 
behind Zorpheus, and saw it disappear.

	"I can't believe the nerve of that guy!" Aeka yelled, still 
seething at Zorpheus.  "I hope Russ tears him apart!"
	"Aeka!  Are you nuts?  That guy could've turned you into 
vapor had he wanted to, and there would've been nothing we 
could've done about it!" Washu yelled, getting into the princess's 
face.  "Calm down now, or you can leave!"
	Falling silent, but still breathing heavily, Aeka's face 
returned to its normal color after a few moments as she forced 
herself to cool off.  Sasami rested her hand on Aeka's arm and she 
calmed down further, finally getting herself to relax.
	Tenchi and Ryoko looked at each other for a moment, 
wondering what to do about Aeka.  She had become far stronger 
than she used to be, as they could tell when they tried to hold her 
back.  If she lost her temper again, they thought about what they 
could do to hold her back.  Maybe having her talk to her mother or 
something would keep her mind off of trying to kill someone.
	"Aeka?" Tenchi began, following Washu over to the 
viewing room.
	Turning around, she looked very upset and distressed.  
"Yes?"
	"Maybe we should contact both Tom and your mom and 
broadcast the battle to them.  You can talk with them too, if you 
wish."
	"We should at least contact Tom," Ryoko said, resting her 
hand on Aeka's tense shoulder.  "He is Russ's friend and I'm sure 
he'd want to see him after the fight."
	Aeka nodded.  "Please do so.  Contact both my mother 
and Tom and offer to broadcast the battle to the two of them, and 
put me in direct contact with my mother."
	"I'll do that once we get into the observation room," 
Washu said, entering a part of her lab that looked like a big sphere, 
about twenty feet in diameter.  The floor was flat, but the rest of 
the room was round, complete with yellow gridlines not unlike the 
holodeck onboard Tom's Star Destroyer.
	"This place will give us a holographic representation of 
what will be going on in the other dimension," Washu explained, 
summoning her computer and keying in several commands.  The 
air around everybody shimmered, and then focused in the middle 
of the field.  They were standing about five feet behind Russ, and 
about twenty-five feet from Zorpheus.  They could both see and 
hear everything that went on in there, but they couldn't feel 
anything like the wind or the ground.  "The volume will be 
reduced once the battle begins," she explained further.
	Aeka ran up to Russ and tried to grab him, but she passed 
right through him as if he were a ghost.  Regaining her footing, she 
looked at him in a mix of awe, hope, and fear.  It was the second 
time she saw him look the way he did, and that look of his 
frightened her.  It was the same look he had when he fought 
against Kain, and mopped the floor with him.  However, this 
opponent of his was going to be a far greater challenge.
	Slowly making her way over to Zorpheus, she stopped 
about a foot away from him, looking him up and down, hate 
burning within her.  The rest of the family followed, getting a 
closer look of him too. 
	Neither saiyan had said anything or even moved up to this 
point, as they were just staring each other down, waiting for one or 
the other to make the first move.
	"This is amazing," Tenchi said, walking around Zorpheus, 
trying to poke him.  Each time his finger went into the hologram, 
the image pixilated around his finger until he removed it.  "It's 
almost like I'm actually standing next to him.  Look at that bionic 
arm of his," he said, admiring the cables that were attached to it.
	"That's really a sad piece of workmanship," Washu said, 
also checking out Zorpheus's arm.  "I could make something much 
better looking, stronger, and more able than this piece of garbage."
	"I wouldn't do him ANY favors," Aeka growled, her eyes 
trying to burn holes into the hologram.  "Russ is going to pound 
you into the ground!" she yelled, getting into Zorpheus's face.
	"Aeka!  That's enough," Washu said, staring at the 
princess.  "He can't hear or see you."
	"I really hope Russ can beat him," Kiyone said, looking 
concerned.  "Zorpheus has just about the same amount of muscle 
mass as he does."
	Everybody became silent, watching and waiting for the 
two saiyans to get busy.

	The battlegrounds were identical to the place where they 
just were, minus the house and shrine.  The lake was still there, the 
trees were all here, but the place was uninhabited.  No buildings, 
no nothing.  There weren't even any birds or other wildlife there.  
It was just a clear blue sky, a light breeze, and dead silence.  The 
sunlight was bright and intense, and the air temperature inside the 
room was at a pleasant seventy-four degrees.
	"So this is your digital playground, eh?  Where are the 
swing sets?" he asked, looking around.
	Russ glared at him.  "Stuff it, wise guy.  This place is real, 
but in a different dimension."
	Pointing at his eye that had a scar running over it, he 
grinned.  "The eye implant pretty much tells me that this entire 
environment is hardly more than Astroturf."
	Thinking a moment, Russ started chuckling.  "Then you 
need to have it checked.  You're becoming more and more like 
Darth Vader every time I see you."
	"Although I can't say that I'm your father, I can still kick 
your whiny farmboy ass," he said, throwing off his cape and 
crouching into a defensive stance.
	"The only asskicking that will be done here is by yours 
truly," he shot back, putting his fists out in front of himself, 
preparing to fight, letting his grin fade back into his blank stare.
	"When the devil turns the A/C on in Hell, maybe!  In case 
you never noticed it when we last split ways, I was far more 
powerful than you, and on top of that, I'm willing to bet a million 
that I still am."
	"You're full of it," he returned, suddenly feeling a tinge 
of fear, but he quickly buried it.  "You and I were almost always 
equal.  Nothing has changed.  I knew you were training and I have 
been too," he said, relaxing a little.  "It's a shame you set your 
mind on immortality.  It's the dumbest obsession that you've ever 
come up with."
	Zorpheus let out an emphatic yawn, enhancing it by 
waving his hand in front of his mouth.  "Your idealism about 
mortality is soooooooo trite.  Boundaries were meant to be broken, 
and who better to do it than I?  Death is just another enemy to be 
defeated, and the Dragonballs will give me the power to do it."
	Cracking a slight grin, Russ kept himself under control.  
"That's what you think."
	Narrowing his eyes, Zorpheus's visage changed to a cold, 
hard stare.  "You're up to something.  Spit it out."
	"Since we're behind closed doors and locked away, I may 
as well spill the beans.  I found the Dragonballs and did something 
to them that you're not going to be happy about," Russ said, 
drawing a curious, but angry look from his opponent.
	"I grow tired of your jabbering.  You better say what you 
did to them while you still have a working jawbone to talk with," 
he growled.
	Becoming concerned, Russ scratched his head.  "What's 
wrong with you anyway?  You've become a major jackass since 
the last time I saw you.  What's going on with you?  Why the 
impatience?  I at least thought you'd be more cool, calm, and 
cooperative like you used to be."
	"Hello?  Anybody home?  I'm not going to waste my time 
by answering your stupid questions.  You are answering mine.  
Now here's all you have to tell me, and I'll spell it out for you.  
What.  Did.  You.  Do.  To.  The.  Dragon.  Balls?"
	Sighing to himself, Russ folded his arms over his chest, 
drawing himself up to his full height.  "You may as well kiss your 
dreams of immortality goodbye.  The Dragonballs cannot grant 
that anymore.  Not since I modified them."
	His eyes becoming an inferno, his hair rising slightly from 
his anger, his eyes bored straight into Russ's.  "You did what?" he 
said, his voice silent and full of deadly intent.
	Looking back at him, Russ cocked his head to the side.  
"Do I need to spell it out for you, stupid?  The Dragon can NOT 
grant immortality anymore.  I banished that ability.  And you can 
forget about wishing for him to regain it too, since I made sure that 
wouldn't happen.  You lose, Zorpheus," he said, triumphantly.
	Zorpheus's eyes went to the land in front of him, his teeth 
clenched together with his veins bulging out of his forehead.  His 
arms went slack and dangled at his sides, but his fists were balled 
up into fists so tight that crimson began to drip from his gloves and 
fall to the ground.
	"Sorry.  Cheating destiny and fate is something that I 
don't dare do, or let anybody else play with.  It is not right and 
shouldn't ever be done.  Immortality is an evil thing.  Frieza 
wanted it.  Garlic Junior wanted it.  Even Cell wanted it.  Every 
single villain that ever existed wanted it, and you're becoming a 
part of it.  Is that what you want?" Russ asked, feeling his 
adrenaline rise.
	Suddenly going completely limp, Zorpheus looked like he 
was going to fall over, until he started laughing.  It came softly at 
first, steadily increasing to the point until he almost started rolling 
around on the ground, laughing.  Putting his cybernetic hand to his 
forehead, he used it to support himself, trying to overcome his 
laughing spasms.
	Looking at him in complete astonishment, Russ's eyes 
became very wide.  "Have you lost your mind?  What the hell is 
wrong with you?"
	Finally calming down, a huge grin on his face, Zorpheus 
looked at Russ with the most insane visage he had ever mustered.  
"I'll be just fine… when I skin you alive and feed you to the 
vultures!" he screamed, flying wildly at Russ, letting loose a 
hailstorm of punches at his head.

	"My god, look how fast he is!" Tenchi yelled, watching 
Zorpheus sail over to Russ.  In nearly an instant, Zorpheus was 
planting fist after fist into Russ's body, causing him to stumble 
backwards.
	"Fight back!" Aeka screamed, watching Russ get 
pummeled, Zorpheus's fists going back and forth relentlessly.  
Every punch he threw landed, nailing Russ in the face, his chest, 
his legs, arms, and stomach.
	Watching Russ fall to the ground, the entire family looked 
at the spectacle in horror, totally blown away that someone was 
able to do what they just did to a man who has never even been 
touched, or seemed incapable of harming.
	Zorpheus stood over him, his real fist glowing with 
energy as he drove it toward Russ's face, but Russ saw it coming 
and nodded his head to the side, letting his fist slam into the dirt, 
causing the ground to explode from the impact, making dirt, dust, 
gravel and rocks go everywhere like shrapnel.  The ground inside 
the sphere shook, and the sound of rattling metal became apparent.
	"What the hell was that?" Ryoko asked, feeling it too.
	"I don't understand!" Washu yelled, summoning her 
laptop.  After keying several commands and taking various 
measurements, she looked up at the massive crater Zorpheus just 
caused, the dust clearing.  "These guys are so strong that the 
shockwaves of their battle are able to pass through the sealed 
doorway!  This was not expected."  Typing several additional 
things into her laptop, he sighed.  "It shouldn't get any worse than 
that though.  The regular Earth dimension won't feel any of this, 
but my lab will."
	"Russ is gone!" Sasami said, peering into the crater.  
However, she looked up and saw a faint image of another man 
standing at the edge of the crater.  "Whew, he's safe.  Man, he's 
fast."
	"We haven't seen anything yet," Aeka said, folding her 
arms over her chest, standing tall.  "Russ wasn't even hurt by all of 
that.  Everything will be fine.  You'll see," Aeka said, feeing very 
confident.
	Everybody else quieted down and watched the battle 
unfold.

	"Did you see that?" Misaki said, in complete awe.  "I've 
never seen anybody move that fast before.  Not even Russ did 
those kinds of moves while he was here."
	The King of Jurai sat back in his throne, his eyes locked 
on the viewscreen, completely taken aback over what he just 
witnessed.  "That is impressive," he said at last.
	"I hope Russ can defeat him.  They're both just playing 
with each other right now," Kamidake said, looking at both Russ's 
and Zorpheus's expressions.
	Azaka nodded.  "They're testing each other, probably to 
see how far each of them has progressed," he added.  "This is far 
from over."
	Funaho remained silent, watching the battle.

	"Sir!  We're ready to go into hyperspace on your mark," 
Sakuya said, sitting behind the helm of the Imperial Star Destroyer 
Gray Wolf.  "Course laid in for Earth."
	Tom saw what Zorpheus did to Russ, and it was only a 
matter of giving the order to move out.  "Inform the rest of the 
fleet to stay here and protect the super star destroyer."
	The communications officer relayed the message to the 
remaining ships, getting a response from each of them in turn.  "It 
is done, captain!" he said, looking at Tom.
	"Good.  Sakuya, take us out.  Once we're clear of the 
gravity well, enter hyperspace, normal cruising speed."
	"Yes sir!" she said, keying the commands into the 
console.  The ship shuddered slightly and the sound of the engines 
coming to life could be heard, as the ship lumbered out of orbit of 
Tom's home planet.
	"How long until we reach Earth?" Tom asked, sitting 
down in his chair.
	"Approximately three hours, twenty five minutes."
	"Keep a clear signal on the battle between Russ and 
Zorpheus.  Re-broadcast it through the rest of the ship.  Everybody 
knows him and they'll want to see the outcome of this battle," Tom 
ordered, drumming his fingers together.  "You better not lose, 
Russ," he muttered under his breath.  "That woman is still waiting 
for you."
	Upon reaching the edge of the planetary system, Sakuya 
gave a countdown and upon reaching zero, the ship entered 
hyperspace, heading toward Earth.

	"Do you feel better now?" Russ asked, standing at the 
edge of the crater that Zorpheus caused, his arms folded over his 
chest, standing tall.  He looked completely unscathed, except for a 
little dirt on his clothes.
	"The fun is just beginning, dog meat.  I hope you're not 
counting on mercy, because I am offering none.  You will never 
again see real sunlight," he threatened, raising his arms in a 
protective stance.
	Russ frowned.  "I don't get it.  You used to listen to 
reason.  Why are you acting like this?"
	Zorpheus narrowed his eyes slightly.  "You know, 
immortality would've saved Laurie."  Seeing Russ's surprised 
expression, he grinned, launching himself at Russ, trying to 
dropkick him in his jaw.  However, Russ saw it coming and he 
caught both of Zorpheus's feet, and then redirected his momentum 
straight into the ground, causing a huge crash.
	"You leave Laurie out of this.  Fate can be a cruel thing, 
but cheating it is even worse!" he yelled, looking at the hole 
Zorpheus just created.
	Flat on his back, Zorpheus's face became a disgusted 
frown.  "What a load of bull you're shoveling!  You mope around 
for years after the fact, yet you claim that giving her the ability to 
live through your act of negligence would make you want her less.  
You're full of it.  You hate death, but you hate life more!" he said, 
flying out of his crater and landing a good distance away.
	Russ felt his emotions begin to boil at his attacks on his 
first love.  "The only bull that's being said is what is coming out of 
your mouth!  I loved Laurie, and at the time, I would've died in her 
place!" he yelled, charging Zorpheus, sticking out his knee, trying 
to nail him in his gut, but Zorpheus zanzokened away, and 
vanished from sight.  Stopping his advance, he landed on the 
ground, using his senses to try to find Zorpheus, but he lowered his 
power to almost nothing and he could just barely make out his 
energy.  Looking off toward the trees, he could faintly feel 
something there, but he couldn't pinpoint it exactly.  Crouching 
down into a more defensive stance, he patiently awaited for 
Zorpheus to make another move.
	"Come out, come out, wherever you are!" Russ yelled, 
becoming impatient.
	Appearing to his left, Zorpheus rocketed straight at his 
opponent, his fist outstretched, trying to plow into Russ's face.  
Feeling it coming, Russ leaned back to avoid the punch, but he 
wasn't fast enough and it caught him high on his cheek, snapping 
his head to the side and nearly knocking him over.
	"You're better than I remember," Russ said, turning back 
to face Zorpheus, who stood about two feet away.
	"Am I?  Or did living with these weaklings make you 
soft?"
	His eyes directed straight into Zorpheus eyes, he relaxed 
slightly.  "Not at all.  Actually, I've grown quite accustomed to 
their way of life, but it has by no means made me soft.  Allow me 
to demonstrate," he said, pulling back his fist at such a high rate of 
speed that Zorpheus didn't see it, until it smashed into his mouth, 
causing him to stagger backward and spit out a mouthful of blood, 
a large shockwave emanating from the force of the impact.
	Caught off guard, he growled something to himself and 
unleashed a small, blue ball of ki at Russ's chest.  He saw it 
coming and put up both his hands to block it, but as soon as the 
ball touched his hands it exploded, enshrouding him in smoke.  
The wind was brisk and the smoke blew away quickly, but Russ's 
hands were singed and smoking.
	"Oww," he muttered, letting a slight grin creep onto his 
lips.
	"You like that?  Here's a few more!" he yelled, pushing 
his hands back and forth like pistons, unleashing a barrage of small 
ki blasts.
	All the balls screamed toward Russ, but just before they 
contacted him, he blurred to the side, just far enough to let all the 
balls sail harmlessly past.  Cupping his hands to the side, blue 
energy gathered and glowed intensely, ready to be released.  "Eat 
this!  Kamehame… HAAAAA!" he yelled, releasing the built up 
energy in Goku's signature move, letting the blue beam roar 
toward Zorpheus.
	Watching the beam head for him, he leapt into the air a 
short distance and let the beam sail under him, then pushed off of 
the beam as if playing leapfrog.  Twisting his body and spinning, 
he let off four small yellow ki blasts, but only one out of the three 
got anywhere near Russ.  He ducked under it to avoid it, but 
Zorpheus grinned, as that was exactly what he was hoping for.  All 
four balls stopped for an instant, until Zorpheus closed his hand, 
causing all four to focus on central point.
	Seeing two out of the four balls head at him, Russ put out 
his hands and blocked the ones in front of him, but the two that 
were behind him smashed into his back, exploding on impact, 
knocking him to the ground, burying his face in the dirt.  After a 
moment, he struggled back to his feet and felt something hot and 
sticky on the side of his face.  Reaching up to feel it, his fingers 
became covered in a small amount of crimson.  "I've just about 
had enough of this warm-up," he growled, wiping the blood off the 
side of his face.

	The entire family watched in awe, and was in complete 
shock that Russ was actually injured.  It was the first time they had 
ever seen him shed a drop of blood, no matter what had happened 
to him.
	"He's… hurt," Aeka said, her face pale and filled with 
worry.  "I've never seen him hurt before."
	Washu also looked at him in concern.  "Those energy 
balls had enough power in them to blow up a mountain.  Frankly, 
I'm surprised a small cut is all he got from that explosion," she 
said, her hand shaking very slightly.
	"They're using homemade fireworks!" Mihoshi said, 
remembering the ki blasts.  "But how come they're not pretty like 
the ones we saw at the Startica Festival?"
	"Shut up, Mihoshi!" Kiyone yelled, looking fearfully at 
Aeka, who looked about ready to kill her.  "This isn't the time for 
your stupidity!"
	Ryoko and Tenchi both watched the event in amazement.  
They had both been trying to follow their movements around, but 
at points, they moved too fast, even with their enhanced senses.  
Seeing more and more of what these two warriors were capable of, 
they began to wonder if there were still others that were just as 
powerful as they were, if not stronger.
	"Can you believe this?" Tenchi asked, looking at Russ, 
who finally returned to his feet, his visage a mask of anger and 
impatience.
	"I'm scared, Tenchi.  I'm really, really scared.  People 
used to cower in fear over me when I was a space pirate, but these 
guys make that look like a grain of sand on the beach," she said, 
holding onto Tenchi.  "I'm so glad Washu made that separate 
dimension for them to fight in."
	Tenchi nodded.  "Even with them being in that separate 
dimension, some of their energy is bleeding through the sealed 
doorway and affecting this dimension.  Just their punches are 
enough to slightly shake the floor in here, and their energy blasts 
almost feel like a small earthquake, and they're not even warmed 
up yet!"
	"When I sparred against Russ, he'd only use his energy to 
distract me, and he'd never attack me with it.  This is the first time 
I've seen him turn that energy on another man," she said, 
worriedly.  "He's really serious about stopping him, and Zorpheus 
is bent on killing him!"
	"Second time, actually.  Remember what he did to Kain?  
Remember the size of that energy blast?" Tenchi said, his eyes 
growing a little wider.  "I don't even think that was the peak of his 
power either.  Even though the blasts that he's thrown so far have 
been smaller, they're almost as powerful.  Look at the ground 
where the Kamehameha wave went over," he said, pointing to a 
bare strip that went from Russ's former position to where Zorpheus 
was standing a little while ago.  "His energy never even touched 
the ground, but look what it did to it."
	"Russ will win," Aeka said again, eavesdropping on both 
Tenchi and Ryoko.  They turned around and looked at her, and she 
had nothing but an aura of confidence around her.  "He will not 
fail.  He promised us that everything would be okay."
	"That's right," Sasami said, standing next to her sister, her 
face determined.  "He promised me that he wouldn't die and he 
promised me that all of us will be safe.  I've never known him to 
lie so I believe him," she said, clenching her small fists together.
	"But it wasn't supposed to be this way!" Ryoko said, 
pointing at Zorpheus.  "He's supposed to be almost like Russ, or so 
he said.  He's far meaner, more callus, and evil than even Russ 
thought he was!"
	"I don't understand it," Aeka said, shaking her head.  
"But Russ will stop him.  I have faith in him, and not only that, he 
has a second reason to win."
	Looking at Aeka in curiosity, the family waited for her to 
explain herself.  Misaki and Funaho were also listening in on their 
conversation, wondering what Aeka was going to say.
	"Russ will be my boyfriend if he wins," she finally said, 
drawing awestruck expressions from everybody around the room.
	"You're kidding!" Misaki yelled, her face filling the 
viewscreen, but Asuza frowned deeply.  "He finally said he'd date 
with you!?"
	Aeka nodded, blushing, and smiling.  "Yes.  He told me 
last night.  I almost didn't believe it at first, since he has done 
nothing but reject me up until now, but it came as the most 
pleasant surprise I could've ever had."
	Sasami gasped, looking at her with renewed hope.  "He's 
going to stay with us?" she asked, tears at the corners of her eyes.  
"Is he really going to stay here and be my big brother?"
	Nodding her head, Aeka smiled.  "Yes.  My wish has 
finally been realized, and I couldn't be happier."
	"That barbarian has no business…" Asuza began, but 
wound up finding a pair of hands over his mouth, and two very 
stern glares aimed at him.  Glancing back at the viewscreen, both 
Misaki and Funaho grinned.
	"Good luck with him, Aeka," Misaki congratulated.  
"We'll come to visit you and vacation with you for a little while, 
and to properly congratulate you two and give you our blessings," 
she said, smiling, tears at the edges of her amethyst eyes.  "My 
little girl is growing up so fast…"
	"Mother!" Aeka yelled, becoming embarrassed.
	"It looks like they're ready to begin fighting again," 
Washu indicated, watching Russ clench his fists at his side, glaring 
at Zorpheus.  "Round two."

	Zorpheus started laughing.  "This is getting amusing!"
	"You sick little monkey," Russ spat, raising his fists.  
"You always were a slightly better fighter and I can see you 
learned a few new tricks, but I am still the stronger one."
	Shaking his head, Zorpheus spat out a small amount of 
leftover blood from Russ's punch.  "And you're always quick to 
throw around your raw power, but you never take the time to learn 
how to fully use it.  Too bad for you, because I still remember me 
being the stronger one before we parted ways, and unless flower-
sniffing gave you some added strength while you were here, you're 
a very far cry from where I am now," he sneered, proudly.
	Russ narrowed his eyes, deciding to call Zorpheus's bluff.  
"You have no idea how far I've progressed.  I'll take that 
arrogance of yours and shove it where the sun don't shine in a 
minute."
	"Talk, talk, talk.  Do it already," he shot back, folding his 
arms over his chest.
	As if turning on a light switch, a huge golden flash 
erupted around Russ, causing chunks of the land to break apart and 
float up into the air, creating a whirlwind of dust, dirt, and debris.  
The sky darkened slightly, turning an eerie shade of green.  Yellow 
lightning danced around Russ, striking the ground and arcing 
through the air like a tesla coil, until the earthquake started.  More 
of the ground broke apart and began to crater under Russ, where 
the intenseness of his energy forced the ground under him to give 
way.  The sound of Russ's voice echoed for miles around, as his 
aura expanded a little more, completely engulfing him in golden 
flame.  His hair flashed an aura of yellow for an instant, and then 
changed over completely, all the spikes of his hair now standing 
upright, except for a few which dangled in front of his face.  
Completing his transformation, his black eyes changed to a 
beautiful shade of green, which looked exactly like the sea on a 
sunny day.  His transformation now complete, his aura contracted 
back to normal, still pulsing around him, causing his clothes to flap 
in the wake of his energy.
	Russ glared at Zorpheus, ready for round two.  "It's time 
to show you what I've learned."
	Zorpheus smirked, clenching his own fists.  A gigantic 
explosion erupted from where he was standing, also surrounding 
him in bright, gold energy.  The sound of his voice carried as far as 
Russ's, the cry of pain, excitement, and rage.  Pebbles rose off of 
the ground, surrounding Zorpheus, and then disintegrated.  More 
chunks of the Earth broke apart and rose up, racing away from his 
position, sandblasting the landscape, turning it rough, barren, and 
lifeless.  Even the mountain was being eroded away from the force 
of Zorpheus's energy, and the resulting earthquake was causing it 
to crumble.
	Standing tall, not flinching in the slightest, Russ patiently 
waited for Zorpheus to complete his transformation.  Feeling his 
energy climb above his own, he remained steadfast, wondering 
when he was going to stop.  
	His energy pulsing around him, his hair tall and golden, 
his one good eye a sea green and his bionic eye still red, Zorpheus 
stood fully transformed, an arrogant smirk on his face.  "Bring it 
on, fanboy."
	Russ grinned as well, the excitement of battle coursing 
through every fiber of his being.  'Got to end this quick,' he 
thought to himself.  His energy expanding around him, he leapt off 
of the ground and poured a huge amount of energy into flying, 
causing the ground he stood on to explode from the incredible 
force, and raced at Zorpheus.  Stopping directly in front of him, he 
brought his foot up directly between Zorpheus's legs with all the 
force he could muster.
	Sounding like a bomb went off, Russ's foot stopped short 
of Zorpheus's crotch by about an inch, his foot suspended in 
midair, a result of his foot colliding with a ki barrier.
	"What the hell?" he said, stunned that his surprise attack 
failed.
	Zorpheus didn't flinch.  Casually raising his bionic arm, 
he swung it at Russ's head, trying to backhand him away.  
However, he missed as Russ vanished, just in the nick of time.
	"You didn't just attack there," Zorpheus said, sounding 
like Booker T.  "TELL ME, you didn't just attack there!"
	"And you talk about me being a fanboy!" Russ sneered, 
appearing a dozen paces away in mid-air and rubbing his ear, a 
result of windburn from Zorpheus's swing.  "When did you start 
doing that anyway?"
	Grinning to himself, Zorpheus brought his arms up in a 
boxer's stance.  "Women, like underhanded little pukes such as 
yourself, can be a tad unpredictable, so it's a little reflex I've 
developed."
	Landing on the ground, Russ shook his head.  "Why am I 
not surprised?  You've been kicked there quite a few times, right?"
	"Exactly thirty seven times…" he muttered, holding up 
his index finger on his good hand.
	Russ's eyes bulged at hearing the number, and then he 
started laughing.  "Speaking of which, you would've achieved 
number thirty eight if Aeka wasn't restrained by both Ryoko and 
Tenchi."
	Frowning, Zorpheus didn't find any of it funny.  "I don't 
recall ever asking you for your opinion on my love life, castrate 
boy."
	"I just care more about a girl's feelings, pervert.  I don't 
let my crotch do the talking, unlike some people," Russ sneered, 
crouching down.
	"Instead, you let your ass do the talking, you son of a 
bitch!"  Vanishing then re-appearing off to Russ's left, he raced 
toward his target, his elbow outstretched, trying to nail Russ in his 
jawbone.  However, Russ saw it coming and he ducked, letting his 
momentum carry him over Russ's head, but then Russ tried to 
plant his fist in his own face in a vicious uppercut.
	"At least it doesn't stink like your crotch!" Russ shouted, 
following through.
	Leaning back to avoid it, he redirected his momentum and 
streaked back at Russ, trying to knee him in his stomach.  "That's 
the smell of a man!  No wonder it stinks to you because you only 
have yourself to compare to!"
	Zanzokening out of sight to avoid the knee, he reappeared 
behind Zorpheus's back, his fists clenched together as he brought 
both his hands down toward his opponent's head in a double axe-
handle.  "Your crotch gets kicked far more than mine does," he 
shot back.  "I'm still at zero and I intend to keep it there!  My way 
is far more comfortable to me, you pervert!"
	Strafing out of the way of Russ's fists, he feigned an 
attack at Russ's knees, and then changed his leg's direction into a 
snap kick at his head.  "You're also at zero in your sex life, so 
that's not surprising!"
	"I'm saving myself for the woman of my dreams!" Russ 
yelled, leaning back, feeling the wind of Zorpheus's foot sailing 
past.  Spinning around in reverse, he swung his own leg at 
Zorpheus's feet in an attempt to knock his legs out from under him 
in a leg sweep.  "I hold a much higher value on love and sex than 
you ever will!"
	"How can you find a woman at all if all you do is avoid 
them like a pansy!?"  Flipping backwards and away from Russ's 
attack, he stopped himself in mid-air, and then flew at Russ, 
spinning with both his feet directed at his opponent's chest.
	Seeing it coming, Russ blurred out of the way, just as 
Zorpheus would've made contact, and re-appeared in the same spot 
just as Zorpheus cleared the area.  His yellow aura expanding 
around him, he took off after Zorpheus, trying the same spinning 
heel kick.  "Who says I avoid them?!  Just who do you think I've 
been living with for the past year?!"
	"That doesn't matter!  You're still at zero!"  Flipping 
backwards and performing several handsprings to get away from 
him, Zorpheus righted himself and sent a small ki ball back at 
Russ, trying to catch him off-guard.  "You're hopeless!"
	"There is a reason I'm still at zero, you pervert!" Russ 
shouted back, watching the ki ball sail at him.  Using his left hand, 
he swatted the ball away like a bug, where it exploded into the 
mountainside, sending debris everywhere.  After a moment, Russ's 
energy exploded around him and he hurtled himself toward 
Zorpheus, throwing a small ki blast just in front of him.  He then 
twisted himself to dropkick his former friend in the chest, sailing at 
him at an insane speed.
	"Yeah!  It's because you're a castrated wuss with zero sex 
drive who can't handle one unfortunate twist of fate!" Zorpheus 
yelled, putting his hands out to stop the ki blast.  Catching the ball, 
he rebounded it and sent it screaming back at Russ.  Seeing the 
surprised look on Russ's face, he watched him abort his kick, but 
his forward momentum kept him coming at him.  Grinning, he 
simply placed his fist out in front of him, waiting for Russ to 
simply run into it.
	Quickly throwing his arm out to the side, Russ let loose a 
large beam that changed his direction to the left a little.  Cutting off 
the beam but keeping his arm outstretched, he changed his folly to 
a clothesline attack.  "You think you've got me all figured out, 
don't you, smartass!?"
	Dropping himself to the ground, he completely avoided 
the clothesline.  "Maybe it's because you're so damn predictable!"  
Flipping himself into a vertical handstand, he launched himself at 
an angle to hit Russ with his feet.
	Looking behind himself, he saw Zorpheus's feet coming 
straight for him.  Speeding himself up to avoid the kick, he blasted 
off into the sky, climbing several hundred feet in a matter of 
seconds, where he stopped, spun around, and waited.  Putting his 
arms in front of himself, he blocked the dropkick, also stopping 
Zorpheus's advance.  "Like you have any room to talk, you jerk!" 
Russ shouted, grabbing hold of Zorpheus's feet, spinning around 
like a top, and then launching him back toward the ground.  
Powering up his energy, he released a hailstorm of ki balls from 
his hands, all of which followed Zorpheus's descent.
	Still spinning toward the ground, he heard the launch of 
the many little blasts.  Quickly righting himself just before 
impacting the ground, landing in a crouched position, he turned 
himself around, now holding a large, broad blade.  It was around 
three feet long, but it was about four inches wide, and the blade did 
not shine like most, but instead, was a dull, gray color.  The hilt 
had a violet jewel, and it looked like the Demon Sword out of 
Record of Lodoss War.  Spinning the blade once, he proceeded to 
deflect every single ki blast that came near him, each of them 
careening off in some wild direction, all of them exploding once 
they hit the ground, causing a massive earthquake.  Several of the 
blasts were deflected straight back at Russ, and he had to 
discontinue firing them to avoid his own ki balls.  The final blast 
heading at Zorpheus, he positioned himself in a familiar baseball 
stance, holding his sword over his shoulder.  "BATTER UP!" he 
yelled, slamming the blast with the broad side of his sword, 
sending it screaming back at Russ at outrageous speed.
	"What the hell?!" Russ yelled, putting his hands out in 
front of him.  The ki ball exploded upon impacting upon his hands, 
enshrouding him in smoke.  The wind was still blowing briskly and 
it cleared the smoke quickly, and it revealed Russ who still 
remained unscathed, aside from his smoldering palms.  Looking 
down on Zorpheus who was still holding his sword, he slowly let 
himself back down to the ground, checking out the blade.  "I see 
you got a new Schwartz," he said, touching down.  "How the hell 
did it block a ki ball?  Any normal sword would've been 
vaporized!"
	"Well, in traveling across the galaxy, you can find some 
pretty amazing stuff.  Things such as cortosis ore are one of the 
many finds on my journey here.  You know what it is, don't you?" 
he asked, grinning.  "It makes for a great ball game.  I'd let you try 
it out, but you're liable to trip over and kill yourself with it with 
your embarrassing inexperience at using weapons."  He then 
chuckled.  "I should still let you try it.  It'll make my job a lot 
easier."
	Now grinning himself, Russ brought his right hand out in 
front of him.  "I too have learned some new tricks since we last 
parted," he said, a green ball of energy forming within his palm.  
Squeezing it, the ball deformed and flashed into a six-foot staff, 
letting out a hum not unlike a Jedi lightsaber.  "It's time to show 
you how good I've become with a staff," he added, swinging it 
around his body, and then bringing it to rest in front of him, his 
green eyes staring straight into Zorpheus's face.
	Rolling his eyes, Zorpheus slapped himself on his 
forehead with his free hand.  "Oh give me a break.  Why don't you 
pull your pants down so I can see your Jar Jar Binks underpants 
now, you fanboy," he said, assuming a guard stance with his 
sword.
	"Laugh it up, pervert.  Let's see how your sword stands 
up against this!" Russ yelled, heading straight for Zorpheus, the 
staff over his head to make a decapitating swing at Zorpheus.
	Batting out of the way as if it were a fly, Zorpheus 
redirected his sword directly at Russ's throat, intending on giving 
him a whole new hole to breathe out of.
	Spinning the staff with the force of the blow, Russ was 
able to block the sword shot at his neck, causing a shower of 
sparks from the ki staff contacting the cortosis sword.
	Zorpheus pulled his sword back, then drove it forward, 
straight at Russ's chest.  Thinking that Russ might see it coming, 
he changed directions at the last nanosecond and went for putting 
the blade into Russ's side.
	Moving to block the sword shot at his chest with his staff, 
he saw Zorpheus change directions at the very last moment, and it 
forced him to strafe out of the way, his staff too far out of position 
to be of any use.
	Quickly seizing a moment, Zorpheus moved forward, 
making dozens of little jabs with his sword, all of which were 
being blocked skillfully by Russ's staff.  It moved so fast that all 
that could be seen was a green blur, and it could've passed for a 
solid shield of color.  Using the jabs as only a distraction, he 
blurred to another spot and restarted his fast offense, again, making 
many little jabs at various parts of Russ's body.  Just as he thought 
Russ was suckered into the pattern, he pulled his sword back and 
let it go, full force, into Russ's face.
	Seeing the sword coming, Russ could also see Zorpheus's 
face contort with added strain, a testament to the force behind the 
blow.  Nodding his head to the side, letting the blade almost give 
him a shave on the left side of his head, he spun his staff around 
and took a swing at Zorpheus's feet.
	Zorpheus saw it coming and swung his sword to block it, 
causing another loud clang and a big shockwave from the impact.  
After each weapon contacted each other, Russ used the opposite 
side of the staff to try to club Zorpheus in his head, but Zorpheus 
was too fast and blocked each of those shots too.  Trying it again 
and again, then altering his offense slightly to try to jam the end of 
his pole into Zorpheus's head, he forced him to retreat into the air.  
Grinning slightly, he swung the staff around his body once, pointed 
the end at Zorpheus, and chuckled.  "Powerpole, extend!" he 
yelled, as the staff expanded in length, heading straight for his 
opponent at amazing speed.
	"Heh, Heh, Heh.  He said, 'extend!'"  Taking his sword 
with both of his hands, he swung it hard against the staff at just the 
right moment, throwing Russ off-balance from the sudden 
pressure.  His energy glowing about him, he shot back down 
toward Russ, his sword pointed directly at him.
	"You're such an IDIOT!" Russ yelled, jumping to the 
side, letting his staff fade into oblivion.  Just as Zorpheus touched 
the ground, missing with his charge, he reformed the staff, and 
then took a shot at Zorpheus's chest.
	"Yes, I am an idiot, and I worship stupidity.  You are my 
new god!"  Bringing the sword in front of him, stopping the staff 
with the broad side of his blade, he swung around and brought his 
foot up to kick Russ in his head.
	"A stupid is, a stupid does!" Russ shot back, grinding his 
teeth at all the insults, ducking under the roundhouse Zorpheus was 
attempting.  Before he finished his follow-through though, Russ 
took his staff and swung it at his leg that was still on the ground, 
trying to trip him.
	Glancing down, Zorpheus saw what he was trying to do, 
and with a technique worthy of Rob Van Dam, he lifted his other 
foot, just as the staff whizzed by, and positioned his foot for 
another kick at Russ's face.  However, instead of actually kicking 
him, he took both of his legs and tried to grab Russ around the 
neck, using a leg scissor technique that he had seen once before on 
TV.
	Watching both legs head straight for his head and neck, 
Russ blurred out of the way, narrowly missing the chokehold.  
Reappearing directly in front of Zorpheus, his face no further than 
three inches from his opponent's, he clenched his right fist and 
went to bury it in Zorpheus's gut.
	Shuffling to the side, he wound up his cybernetic arm and 
punched Russ's fist, the impact of both hands causing a gigantic 
shockwave that rumbled the ground, stinging Russ's fingers.  "The 
spirit is willing but the flesh is weak," he said, grinning 
sadistically.
	"Says you, Vader," Russ returned, shaking his hand from 
the pain of the impact.  Spinning his staff, he began to take many 
short and fast swings at all parts of Zorpheus's body, all of which 
were being speedily blocked by Zorpheus's sword, showers of 
sparks erupting from each and every impact.  Thinking he finally 
got Zorpheus distracted enough with the many quick jabs and 
swings, he wound up and swung his staff like a baseball bat, 
directly at Zorpheus's head.
	Seemingly not put off by Russ's change in speed, he 
ducks the staff, hearing it whip over his head, and in a heartbeat, he 
clenched his sword with both hands once again, bringing the sword 
down in a hard slash directly at Russ's exposed shoulder.
	Splitting the staff into two halves, Russ quickly put one of 
the swords in between his shoulder and Zorpheus's blade, blocking 
it in the nick of time.  Taking the second half of the staff, he swung 
it upward, intending to slice Zorpheus in half from the ground up.
	Leaping into the air, he spread his legs wide, as if inviting 
Russ to split him in half.  However, as the green sword came close 
to contacting him, a loud shockwave erupted from colliding with 
his groin shield.  "That had a nice tingle!" Zorpheus taunted, 
bringing his sword up and slashing downward at Russ, as he began 
descending from his leap.
	"Oh, you are SO dead," Russ snarled, using his other 
sword to block Zorpheus's overhead shot.  At the same time, he let 
go of the sword caught between Zorpheus's legs and gathered up a 
significant amount of energy in his now free hand, pointing it at his 
opponent's chest, just as Zorpheus came down and contacted his 
second sword.  "Masenko, HAAAA!" he yelled, releasing the 
yellow beam.
	Bringing his sword down in front of him, he angled his 
blade off to the right, creating a forty-five degree angle in between 
himself and Russ.  The beam slammed into the sword and 
ricocheted off, careening off into the horizon, where the beam 
finally dropped to the ground and exploded, creating a gigantic 
mushroom cloud and shaking the ground in an Earthquake that San 
Francisco could only dream about.  Grinning, Zorpheus didn't 
even look like he put any effort into deflecting the beam.  "Give it 
up.  As long as I have this sword, your ki attacks are effortless to 
deflect."  Pointing the edge of the blade back at Russ, he swung it 
forcefully at Russ's side using both of his hands.
	"Then I'll just have to get rid of it!" Russ yelled, 
reforming his second sword and blocking Zorpheus's offense with 
both blades, forming an X to catch his opponent's sword within 
his.  After all three blades impacted, a power struggle ensued, with 
Zorpheus putting a tremendous amount of pressure on his blade, 
trying to make Russ give way, but Russ wouldn't back down and 
he pushed back, neither gaining any ground on the other.  After a 
moment, Russ's face contorted into a lot of strain, and with using a 
tremendous amount of strength, he threw Zorpheus off of him, 
sending him into the air.  Russ quickly followed, his swords at the 
ready.
	Stopping in midair, about a hundred feet above the 
ground, he saw Russ coming up to him.  Grinning, he swung his 
sword in a circle once, grabbed the hilt with both hands once again, 
and brought it down toward Russ using all of his strength, 
intending to slice him in half.
	Expecting this, Russ took both of his swords, placed them 
against each other, and then made a horizontal slash, putting all the 
force he could muster against the broad side of Zorpheus's blade.  
A massive shockwave exploded from the point of impact, and 
Zorpheus's sword broke in two, unable to withstand the force that 
Russ put into his swing.  Only a mere quarter of the blade 
remained on the hilt.  "How's that?" Russ taunted, breathing 
heavily.
	Backpedaling a few meters, Zorpheus looked at his 
broken sword in disbelief.  After a moment, his face became a 
cold, hard stare that could've frozen Haiti  "Nrrrggggg… YOU 
IDIOT!  Do you have any idea how long it took me to find enough 
Cortosis to make a sword?!  And how far away the planet that has 
it is?!"
	Letting his own swords disappear, Russ shrugged his 
shoulders.  "Nope.  Don't care, really.  You told me that your 
sword could deflect ki attacks and it did do that well, so you 
basically told me what I had to overcome.  Wasn't too difficult, 
actually," Russ taunted, grinning.
	Tightening his fists, Zorpheus let out a roar of frustration, 
his yellow ki now burning brightly around him.  Taking what was 
left of the sword, he hurled it at Russ at breakneck speed with the 
aid of his cybernetic arm.  Russ swatted it away easily, but then 
realized that the technique was merely a distraction as Zorpheus 
split himself into four separate entities.  All four rushed him at 
once and then began zanzokening around him in a frenzy.  
Everywhere Russ looked, there were dozens of afterimages of 
Zorpheus and it was impossible to tell which one was real and 
which one was not.  One of the real Zorpheus's emerged from the 
storm of images and slammed Russ on the head, hard, with a 
double-axe handle, sending him down to the ground, creating a 
devastating impact that left another large crater, with Russ directly 
in the middle of it.  Satisfied, all four duplicates of himself merged 
back into one, and the one was breathing heavily, a show of how 
much effort he put into his attack.

	"That's the first shot either of them have scored on each 
other since becoming Super Saiyans," Tenchi said, looking down 
at Russ, who wasn't moving.  "They've been going at it for almost 
a half hour.  Incredible."
	Aeka looked like she was ready to faint, her face very 
pale and wrinkled with worry and concern.  She knew in her heart 
that the blow Zorpheus dealt Russ wasn't enough to put him down 
for good, but it was scary to know that Zorpheus got in the first 
shot.
	After all that training, all that exercising, straining, 
meditating, and concentration, Russ looked to be losing the battle 
at present moment.  She could see that Zorpheus was a slightly 
better fighter, in the sense that he didn't expel as much energy as 
Russ had during their scuffles, and he limited his movements as 
much as possible, at least, as far as she could actually see.  At 
points, the two warriors moved so fast that they couldn't be seen 
by the naked eye or even with her enhanced senses, and the only 
telltale signs of battle were the incredibly huge shockwaves that 
exploded seemingly out of nowhere.  Each punch, blast, kick, or 
other physical contact between the warriors triggered a minor 
earthquake within the lab, and when Russ shot his Masenko beam 
at Zorpheus, the lab felt like it was going to fall apart.  Washu was 
very concerned, as she never expected both warriors to expel the 
seemingly endless supply of energy and strength that they had.  
Their strength, speed, and power, was nothing short of 
preposterous and godlike.  Not even Washu, who had been around 
for over twenty centuries, could recall a pair of warriors who 
displayed such radical strength and speed.
	The ki attacks both warriors were very new and different, 
as Aeka recalled some her past experiences, remembering some of 
the battles she had seen.  This was the first one that she had 
witnessed where someone made an attack that was an actual beam 
of energy.  Most of the time, when she watched two people fight 
out their differences, the attacks were short, small balls of energy 
that would explode on contact.  Once it left their hand, they had no 
control over it, and nobody had enough stamina to keep their 
energy focused into a single, prolonged attack.  But Zorpheus and 
Russ were able to do it effortlessly.  It was nothing short of 
incredible… and scary.
	Looking back down on Russ's broken form, a tear came 
to her eye.  She looked down to see the pain on his face, and how 
he didn't seem to want to move.  She had never seen him hurt 
before, or even scratched.  She almost wondered what color his 
blood was, since she had never seen it.  Clenching her fists 
together, she tried to keep from collapsing in on herself, her heart 
falling into a pit of despair and worry.
	"Aeka?  Are you alright?" Sasami asked, looking into her 
sister's forlorn face.  "Aeka?"
	Blinking her eyes, she looked into Sasami's face, and 
nearly lost all of her self control.  "Russ is losing," she cried, 
falling to her knees.  "He's losing!"
	"It was just one shot, Aeka," Ryoko said, coming up to 
her.  "He's a hell of a lot tougher than that.  Have some faith.  
He'll pull through," she said, resting her hand on Aeka's shoulder, 
smiling down into her face, doing her best to give her hope.
	"How could someone be just as powerful as Russ?  This 
is insane!" she yelled, burying her face in her hands.  "We Jurians 
went unchallenged for thousands of years, and these two just show 
up out of the blue and have basically set our impenetrable standard 
to waste.  This almost seems impossible.  They're not even gods 
and they're stronger than anything I've ever seen or even heard 
of!"
	Watching her and listening to her outburst, Tenchi knelt 
down next to her, resting his arm on her shoulder, in much the 
same way Ryoko was doing.  "He'll be okay, Aeka.  Look," he 
said, pointing at Russ, who was now dragging himself to his feet, 
shaking the cobwebs out of his head, blood trickling out of the 
corner of his mouth.
	What Aeka saw sent chills down her spine.  He was 
actually grinning and looked like he enjoyed the attack Zorpheus 
made on him, and he was wanting more.  "Why is he smiling?" she 
asked, her eyes wide, her hands shaking.
	"I'm scared!" Mihoshi yelled, grabbing Kiyone around 
the waist, squeezing with all of her might.
	"Let go of me, Mihoshi!" Kiyone shouted back, trying to 
push her partner off of herself, but Mihoshi shook her head and 
held on tightly.  "Stop it!  I can't breathe!"
	"No, no!" Mihoshi whined.  "I'm too scared!"
	"They can't hurt us here!" Kiyone grunted, straining to 
break her partners iron grip.  Finally getting her arms to slide off, 
she started to backpedal, but Mihoshi grabbed her around her right 
leg, holding on for dear life.  "Give me a break!"
	Shaking her head, Ryoko turned her attention back to 
Russ, who stood tall, looking up at Zorpheus with a chilling grin.  
Having been in many, many battles in her life, she had never 
known anyone to smile after being pounded like that.  "Is he 
masochistic?"
	"HOW DARE YOU SAY THAT?!" Aeka shouted, 
standing up, her fists clenched tightly at her sides.  "He is most 
certainly NOT masochistic!"
	"You called me that when you were torturing me onboard 
your ship, your highness," Ryoko reminded her, as she recalled 
how she laughed when the Guardians had tried to electrocute her.
	"This isn't the same thing!" she yelled back, thrusting her 
finger in his direction.  "He explained it to me and everybody else, 
but it's still unsettling to see it."
	Tenchi nodded his head.  "Yeah, that's true.  But at least 
you're back to normal for the moment.  But, maybe you should 
leave.  I think this fight is upsetting you a lot, Aeka, and the best 
thing I can recommend to you is to actually not watch…"
	"I'm staying," she said, staring directly into Tenchi's 
eyes.  "There isn't a damn thing you can do to make me leave 
either."
	"But I'm only…"
	"I don't want to hear it," she returned, walking away from 
Tenchi and toward Washu.
	Tenchi stood there, blinking his eyes in surprise.  "What 
just happened?"
	"She just brushed you off.  But you know, I would've 
done the same thing if it were you in there," she explained, keeping 
her voice low.  "Actually, I'd probably be in there with you."
	Looking at her, Tenchi smiled.  "I know.  It doesn't 
matter what we're up against, but I know you'll be by my side 
against any foe."
	Coming close to each other, Tenchi wrapped his arm 
around Ryoko's waist, and she put her arm around his shoulders, 
as they both watched Russ and Zorpheus prepare to fight once 
again.

	"Heh.  Funny how you're still grinning even though your 
favorite toy has been busted," Russ said, looking at his opponent, 
who floated about a hundred feet up into the air.
	"There will always be new toys to play with, but the look 
on your face when you were smashed down to the ground was 
priceless and irreplaceable.  Speaking of toys, allow me to show 
you another one!" he yelled, pointing his cybernetic arm at Russ.  
A latch unhitched itself from within the wrist and the hand 
swiveled out of the way, grabbing hold of the arm with its fingers.  
Inside, eight small holes presented themselves from behind the 
hand, matching the pattern of a gatling gun.  A glow appearing in 
the top hole, a tiny ki blast raced out of it and screamed toward 
Russ at an alarming rate, and a second ball followed it up from the 
hole going clockwise.  Shoving a generous amount of energy to his 
arm, Zorpheus opened up and began spraying the area with 
thousands of tiny ki balls, perfectly resembling Android 16's own 
blasters.
	His eyes widening in surprise, Russ jumped out of the 
way just as the first ki blasts slammed into the ground, building up 
explosion after explosion.  "When the hell did you get THAT 
installed?!" Russ yelled, flying back into the air, doing his best to 
avoid the super high speed, miniature blasts.  Keeping the distance 
between himself and Zorpheus almost constant, he made a mistake 
of moving in a direction that Zorpheus predicted and he wound up 
getting pelted by dozens of the blasts, causing burn marks all over 
his clothes.  Cracking a grin and laughing, Zorpheus intensified the 
tiny blasts, enjoying himself, watching Russ run away like a rabbit.  
Getting irritated at avoiding all the blasts, Russ charged up and 
fired a small green ball of ki at Zorpheus, in an attempt to distract 
him.  Faltering for a moment, the distraction worked, and it gave 
him an opportunity to start a barrage of his own, making his 
fingers into makeshift pistols, and then firing purple beams out of 
both of his fingers and his eyes, the same attack Frieza used 
against Goku.
	Instead of making a move to dodge them, Zorpheus 
reattached his hand, put his hands together to form a triangle, and 
centered the hole on Russ.  "Right on target.  KIKOHO 
HAAAAAA!" he yelled, letting loose a huge, yellow beam.  It 
hurled its way directly at his goal, absorbing the smaller blasts 
from Russ as if they were fleas.
	Seeing this, Russ quickly put two fingers to his forehead, 
watching the beam come closer and closer, charging his energy at a 
dangerous rate.  Blue sparks came from the tips of his fingers and 
then glowed yellow with a purple outline.  With the Kikoho beam 
almost on him, he thrust his fingers forward, grinning.  
"Makenkosappo!" he yelled, Piccolo's signature move blasting out 
of his fingertips with radiant purple and yellow energy, 
corkscrewing straight into the Kikoho, the impact of both beams 
creating a massive explosion worthy of the first nuclear bomb 
dropped on Hiroshima.  The entire area became blinding yellow 
light, trees were being blasted away like toothpicks, and the ground 
was being sandblasted bare and lifeless.  The craters that were 
made were replaced by one huge depression, going some five 
hundred feet deep.  The mountain was blown clean away, leaving 
only large boulders spread as far as the eye could see, the path 
going away from the blast site.  Rumbling nearly a minute after the 
impact, the noise from the original contact was nothing short of 
deafening.  The entire area of what used to be a beautiful Japanese 
shrine now looked like a barren desert, dead and without life.  As 
the last of the noise went away, it became deathly quiet, aside from 
the sound of the wind blowing the dust about.
	Russ was thrown down to the ground from the shockwave 
of the blast, his face, arms, legs, shirt, and pants all loaded with 
cuts and abrasions.  He almost looked like he went through a 
carwash, without a car.  Crimson seeped from many of the wounds, 
stinging pain coming from each and every one of them as his salty 
perspiration ran into the wounds, becoming red itself.  Dragging 
himself to his feet, his chest hurting from the blast impact, he 
coughed once and spat up a mouthful of blood, spitting it off to the 
side.  Clearing his throat, he stood silently, and waited.
	On the other side of the crater, Zorpheus picked himself 
up out of his depression, and he didn't look too much better.  His 
body armor was torn in many places, the armor plating was all but 
gone, and crimson seeped from many of the cuts and contusions.  
He had a gash on his cheek under his real eye, and his nose was 
running red blood.  Straining and grinding his teeth against the 
pain, he returned to his feet at the same moment Russ stood up, 
then both looked at each other in the eyes, and grinned.

	Washu, Aeka, Ryoko, Tenchi, Sasami, Kiyone, and 
Mihoshi all picked themselves up off of the floor, unable to keep 
their footing from the earthquake that resulted from the explosion 
of the two beams.  Washu's lab was starting to look like a 
battlefield itself, as glass jars fell off of shelves and shattered on 
the floor, books and other text that were kept neatly in filing 
cabinets were now laying in chaos on the hard concrete, and even 
some of her aquariums were cracked, seeping water.
	Getting on her feet, Washu looked at her lab in a mixture 
of shock, horror, and frustration.  "GOD DAMMIT!" she yelled at 
the top of her voice.  "My lab is a total wreck!  That earthquake 
has ruined months, no, YEARS of work!  And I can't close the 
door down permanently, or they'll be sealed in there forever!"  
Collapsing back to her knees, she looked at the ground, tears at the 
corners of her eyes.  "Why?"
	"Oh Washu…" Sasami whispered, coming over to the 
scientist.  Without another word, she wrapped her arms around 
Washu, holding her tightly.
	Gasping in surprise, Washu looked up into Sasami's 
sincere face, and then broke down.  Grabbing the little princess, 
she buried her face into her overalls and began to cry, letting out 
all of her frustration at once, not caring who was watching her.  
The rest of the family stood by quietly, waiting for her to come to 
her senses and become the strong woman that everybody knew.  It 
was indeed a rare spectacle to see Washu show any kind of soft 
emotion, such as sadness.  She quickly regained her strength and 
made it back to her feet, looking at the holographic representation 
of the separate dimension, gasping in horror.
	"I can't believe they're still alive after that," Ryoko said, 
her eyes wide, looking at Russ and all of his cuts.  "This is insane."
	"Both blasts had enough power to destroy a planet," 
Washu said, keying in a few commands on her laptop.  Their 
power levels were too high to measure, but she was able to 
program the computer to make a good estimate.  "Since they pretty 
much cancelled each other out, only that explosion was the result," 
she explained, wiping her eyes dry.
	"That was a huge impact," Tenchi said, rubbing his 
bottom.  "This borders on surreal and fake, but if I weren't here to 
see it, I would've never believed it."
	Aeka was standing off to the side, her visage locked on 
Russ, and she could see the pain he was in.  Walking over to him, 
she reached out to touch his face, but her hand passed right through 
him, pixelating around her hand.  Quickly withdrawing it, she 
clasped her hands together and looked into his green eyes, sadness 
and despair entering her heart.  "He's losing," she whispered to 
herself, turning around and looking at Zorpheus, who also looked 
to be in a tremendous amount of pain.  "This can't be happening."
	Noticing Aeka, Kiyone came over and stood in front of 
her, sternness on her face.  "Pull yourself together Aeka.  This 
fight is still far from finished."
	"I don't care.  I want it to end now," Aeka responded, 
wiping the tears away from her eyes.  "I don't want to see 
Zorpheus hurt Russ anymore."
	"I know, but we can't do anything about it.  They have to 
finish this on their own."
	Watching Russ lift off into the air, he hovered about fifty 
feet above the ground, clenched his fists, and took up his favorite 
stance, ready to continue.  Zorpheus said nothing, as he too, lifted 
off of the ground, ready to continue.  Without another word, both 
warriors flew at each other, punching and kicking at such a rapid 
pace that it was nothing but a blur to everybody.  Numerous 
shockwaves exploded from each blocked punch or kick, and it 
continued to shake the floor they stood on.
	Washu just shook her head and continued to focus on the 
battle, not caring about her lab anymore, but now more interested 
in the outcome of this confrontation.  Eyeing Aeka, she knew that 
something was building up inside of the princess like a bomb 
waiting to go off.  Knowing the princesses feelings toward Russ, 
she sincerely hoped she'd listen to her head rather than her heart.

	"Isn't this exciting, Funaho?" Misaki asked, watching the 
battle continue.  "He's so incredibly strong, and so is Zorpheus.  
I've never seen anything like it before.  Aeka really picked a 
beefcake this time, didn't she?"
	Giggling quietly, Funaho nodded her head.  "Russ looks 
so strange with his yellow hair and his green eyes.  That's one of 
the wildest things I've ever seen."
	"Yeah!  He does look rather odd, but very handsome in 
his current form.  But that's the transformation into a Super 
Saiyan.  Did you see how much his speed and power increased 
since turning into that?" she asked, her eyes sparkling.  "Aeka 
deserves someone who can protect her like he can.  There isn't 
another man alive that could harm her with him by her side."
	"Except for that man," Asuza pointed out, thrusting his 
finger toward Zorpheus, who continued to punch and kick at Russ.  
"He seems to be doing a pretty good job of pounding Russ into the 
ground."
	"They're pretty much equal, actually," Azaka pointed out, 
doing his best to keep his attention on their movements, trying to 
learn some new moves from the battle.  "After that blast, they're 
basically on the same fighting ground."
	"I agree," Kamidake said, also watching the battle in 
complete concentration.  "Their power, energy, and strength are so 
preposterous that they'd probably be more likely to kill each other 
than have a single victor."
	"I doubt that," Funaho said, glaring at Kamidake.  "There 
will be a winner here, lest he break his promise to Aeka and 
Sasami, and I do not believe he will."
	Asuza remained quiet, but he secretly hoped that Russ 
would lose and parish.  It would make his job a lot easier to bring 
his daughter back home to help rule the empire.  Besides, she was 
to assume her duty and marry the man he chose for her, who would 
best benefit the empire.  If, for some unknown reason that he did 
survive, he began wondering what he could do to force her 
daughter to come home.  Perhaps assassination?  No, that couldn't 
work.  Who in their right mind would go and try to kill someone 
like him?  He'd most likely see it coming, and even if he didn't, 
any kind of weapon that currently existed probably couldn't affect 
him.  But perhaps, maybe if he threatened the planet that was their 
current home, Earth.  Maybe if he said that he'd destroy the planet 
if she didn't return home.  Maybe that would sway her decision.  
Besides, there would be no way that one warrior could do anything 
to several hundred ships positioned around the planet.
	Grinning to himself, Asuza settled on an alternative.  He 
wouldn't destroy the planet, as he didn't have the heart to do that, 
but perhaps making it a bluff.  Already knowing how Russ felt 
toward him, he'd probably convince himself that he was being 
truthful and would follow through on his threat.  If that were the 
case, he may be able to lure him off the planet and destroy him in 
space.  There is no way a single fighter, even if it was the most 
powerful one in existence, could take on a fleet of Jurian warships 
by itself.
	"What are you thinking about, dear?" Misaki asked, 
noticing his inattentiveness, as Russ just plowed Zorpheus into the 
ground, following it up with a huge beam that exploded around 
Zorpheus.
	"Aeka should come home to assume her duties as the 
Crown Princess," he muttered, glaring at the screen, irked that 
Russ seemed to rebound from the beating he took seconds before.
	"She'll come home, eventually.  But she'll probably bring 
Russ with her," she responded, smiling.
	"That man has nothing to offer Jurai!" he shouted, his 
face very cross.  "I will not hear another word of him coming 
here!"
	"Actually, he does have something to offer.  He is the 
most powerful being in this galaxy.  He is kind, considerate, 
caring, and has enough power within his body to defend this entire 
planet by himself, and there isn't another empire around that could 
challenge him.  Bringing him here would be one of the smartest 
things we could do," Funaho explained, unable to spark any kind 
of response out of her husband.  "He is everything that a prince 
should be."
	"Hogwash!" Asuza returned.  "He's a playboy, worthless, 
and stupid.  He wouldn't know how to even begin to handle our 
issues without the use of his fists!"
	"I do not agree with that at all, husband!" Misaki yelled, 
getting mad.  "Sasami has told me that he is a good teacher and 
listens to people's problems.  Russ could figure out our system in 
no time, and he'd be a great leader too.  He listens and knows how 
to talk to people, unlike you," she sneered, tired of his meanness 
and inflexibility.
	The king turned his head completely towards Misaki, his 
face a cold scowl, and Funaho's face was a look of shock.  "You 
will speak to me with more respect, Lady Misaki," he growled, his 
voice low and serious.  "My decision is final.  That man will have 
no ties with this planet and our daughter shall come home to do 
what she was meant to do, WITHOUT HIM!" he decreed, looking 
at the screen, where Zorpheus caught Russ in the middle of a 
punching spree.
	"Are you really so cold as to ignore your daughter's 
feelings?" Misaki asked, very hurt.  "Doesn't what she wants 
matter?"
	"We are the royal family and it is our duty to serve this 
empire.  It's time she learned duty over her trifle feelings," he 
returned, sitting back.  "We shall go visit them after this battle.  It 
will take us a week to get to Earth, and we will bring an escort fleet 
with us.  We will settle this once and for all.  I will make our 
daughter come home with us."
	Funaho and Misaki both looked at him in a mix of shock, 
surprise, and disgust, but they both knew that they couldn't do 
anything about it, except go along with it.  It hurt Misaki very 
deeply, as this was the first time he had ever turned down someone 
so vehemently.  He basically ignored Tenchi, but he was very 
vocal and very against Russ's relationship with her daughter.  
Never listening to her pleas about Aeka, he was completely 
focused on enhancing his empire.  It almost didn't seem like Asuza 
was himself, but bewitched in some way.  Nevertheless, the only 
thing they could do was to continue trying to change his mind.  
Really hoping that Russ would stick by Aeka's side, there 
wouldn't be a whole lot he could do if he was adamant about 
staying with her daughter.  There wouldn't be a thing he could do 
about it, actually.  Threatening him with force wouldn't get him 
anywhere, because Russ could lay waste to even their best 
warriors, while he was in his normal form, without even breaking a 
sweat, while he'd be under intense gravity.
	Thinking about it further, she wondered why he wanted to 
bring an escort fleet.  They didn't do that the last couple of times 
they visited Earth.  Perhaps he felt safer with many ships 
surrounding him.  She knew that he was afraid of Russ and what he 
could do, but it still didn't explain it entirely.  There had to be 
another reason behind it all.
	Turning her attention to the viewscreen, Misaki watched 
Russ with a mix of hope, fear, and determination.  She could see 
his will to fight and win, and it was strong.  However, Zorpheus's 
was equally as strong, and she couldn't predict an outcome of their 
continuing battle.  Thinking back to when Russ visited everybody 
during Startica, she remembered an explanation that he had given 
her over why he didn't want to become involved with Aeka, and 
she could begin to see why.  "She was able to make a difference 
with Tenchi.  She'd just get herself killed if she got involved with 
one of my issues," he had said.  And now she had the proof she 
needed.  Yes, she could parish at Zorpheus's hand, easily, but one 
thing she had learned about many warriors is that they won't attack 
those who are weaker than them… at least, very infrequently.
	"What are you going to do if Aeka still refuses to come 
home, husband?" Misaki asked, becoming withdrawn.  "Are you 
going to drag her here, kicking and screaming?  Will you ruin 
whatever shred of dignity that she has left?"
	"I will not explain it again, Lady Misaki," he growled, 
eyeing her.  "She belongs here, with us, to serve as the Crown 
Princess of Jurai, as she was destined to be."
	Looking away, ashamed, she unconsciously clenched her 
hands into fists, seething at his stubbornness.  There just had to be 
a way to change his mind, and in reality, there was.  Russ could 
change his mind.  All he had to do was say that he was going to 
stay with their daughter for the rest of his life, and no matter what 
they did, he would never forsake her.  That would do it.  The King 
could bluster and threaten until he was blue in the face, but she 
knew that he wouldn't tango with a Saiyan, even if he were the 
most powerful Jurian alive.  Picking up her face, the corners of her 
eyes moist, she looked at Russ and put her last bit of hope onto 
him.  *You're the only thing standing in between Aeka and her 
father.  I hope you fall in love with her and take her as your own 
for the rest of your life,* she thought to herself, glaring at her 
husband.  *I know you'd be miserable here, as you've found 
something far more important to you than anything else in this 
universe.*
	Funaho looked over at her, reading her changing facial 
expressions, and realized that she was hoping against hope that 
Russ would be the one to stop him.  Saying a silent prayer to 
herself, she too, put all of her hopes for Aeka onto Russ, entrusting 
him with her.  *Win, Russ.  All you have to do is win and take 
their daughter into your arms and love her like no other.  That is 
what she wants, and that is what both your mother and myself want 
for you.  This planet can survive without you, but I hope you come 
home and bring Russ with you, as the empire would become 
invincible with the two of you.  You'd take this empire to even 
greater heights than we have established.  That is your destiny.*
	Looking at both of his wives curiously, he knew they 
were thinking to themselves, but he had no idea what could've 
been running through their minds.  Deciding to ignore it, he 
continued to scheme, developing and perfecting his plan for 
bringing his daughter home.

	Landing on the ground after a vicious fistfight with 
Zorpheus, Russ was breathing heavily and sweating profusely.  
Having many cuts, abrasions, contusions, and bruises, he looked 
positively horrible, but Zorpheus looked exactly the same way.  
Neither warrior gained any ground on the other, as they continued 
to fight to kill.  Zorpheus got in more hits, but Russ hit a lot harder.
	Reaching up to wipe a trickle of blood from the corner of 
his mouth, he stared at Zorpheus from across the huge crater.  
"What the hell is wrong with you?  You're fighting to kill me!  
Why?" Russ yelled, still unable to figure out why Zorpheus was so 
adamant about destroying him.
	"Because there is something about you that just pisses me 
off," he returned, folding his arms over his chest, his bionic arm 
containing several dents.
	Scowling, Russ shook his head.  "And what would that 
be?"
	"Oh, there's a load of things, I'm sure.  Not just one 
single reason.  Maybe it's your goody-goody attitude.  Maybe it's 
the fact that you never bother to refine your fighting style.  Or 
maybe it's the fact that you lead the ladies on like a pack mule with 
a carrot dangling in the front of it."
	"Yeah, sure.  How do I lead the ladies on, bigshot?  Is it 
because I don't take advantage of them like you do?  Is it because 
when one approaches me about a relationship, I tell them no, but 
they insist on pursuing one with me anyway?" he asked, shaking 
his head.  "Even if I'm cold, they won't go away!  It's not my fault 
they can't take no for an answer!"
	Zorpheus grinned, then scowled.  "Ha!  You are so selfish 
that it's sickening.  Even if a lady were desperate for someone to 
love, you'd turn her away anyway!  Don't tell me that you've been 
living with a house full of women for a year and not ONE has 
started coming on to you!"
	His face becoming downcast, Russ hung his head.  
"Actually, yeah.  One has been chasing me for an entire year so 
far…"
	"It's the one with the purple hair, isn't it?" Zorpheus 
interrupted.
	Looking up at him, he nodded his head.  "That's the one.  
Her name is Aeka, and she is the crown princess of Jurai," he 
explained.  "A relationship with someone like that would be 
impossible, and you know it."
	"Yeah, it would be impossible because of your selfish 
desires to keep yourself from getting hurt again," he spat.  "I've 
seen the way she looks at you.  I had to listen to her pathetic plea 
to spare your miserable hide.  You don't deserve her love, Russ!  I 
commend her for chasing you for so long, putting up with the fact 
that your head is stuck up your ass so far that you can't see the 
light of day when it comes to women!  You claim to know what's 
best for them, but all you're doing is dragging them through the 
mud and the briar bushes.  You DISGUST me!" Zorpheus roared.
	Russ's face becoming a mask of fury, his ki snapped 
around him from his emotions getting the better of him.  "Shut 
your face, you bastard!  You think it's worth putting her life in 
danger at every turn?!  How many women have you been with that 
are still alive?  Huh?"
	"Actually, they're all still alive and, Heh, satisfied," he 
responded, grinning.  "I've never been able to hold onto one for 
very long, but I make sure they never forget me!  Ha ha!"
	"Now THAT'S disgusting," Russ snarled, his eyebrows 
furrowing together.  "People should choose one love and stay with 
her!  I'd still be with mine because I loved her like no other, but 
she was killed, and I never want to feel that kind of pain EVER 
again!  What about Aeka?  What happens to her if I die?  You 
think she's going to smile and jump with joy?"
	"Listen to yourself.  'What if this happens?'  'What if that 
happens?'  'Oh, boo hoo, I'm such a loser.'  Who the hell freakin' 
cares about that?!  I'm quite sure that girl back there in the real 
world would prefer dying in your company than living the rest of 
her life alone, without you.  The fact that you can't understand that 
sickens me even more," Zorpheus explained, growing angry again.  
"And that is why I must kill you.  She'll have no choice but to 
move on.  Maybe she'll find someone who doesn't hurt her as 
much as you."
	"Argh!  It's not like she can't go find someone better 
suited for her!  Yes!  I am a loser!  I'm a risk, a liability, and I 
know I wouldn't be able to take it if she died because of me like 
Laurie did.  It's for her own good and my own!  Besides, her father 
would never allow it, and he's the king of a huge empire!  How the 
hell am I supposed to compete with something like that?!" Russ 
yelled back, frustrated.
	"YOU'RE NOT EVEN WILLING TO FUCKING TRY 
TO MAKE IT WORK, YOU JACKASS!" Zorpheus bellowed, 
clenching his fists together, his eyes a raging inferno of built up 
emotion.
	"I DON'T HAVE A CHOICE, STUPID!  You don't 
understand how a kingdom works, you pompous, arrogant 
bastard!"
	Calming down a bit, Zorpheus took on a more caring 
demeanor for a second.  "Why don't you stop thinking about 
yourself for one second and think about someone else's feelings 
for a change?  You think she cares about royalty?  Look where she 
lives, for Christ's sake.  You think she cares about making her 
father happy by marrying some putz with a stupid British accent 
and a load of money?  Hell no!  She cares about YOU!  She'll go 
through hell or high water to make it work because she's probably 
that much in love with you.  But you don't care about her feelings, 
do you?" he sneered, grinding his teeth.
	Russ shook his head, becoming more irritated by the 
minute.  "Of course I care," he answered, his voice low and 
defeated.  "That's the same argument she uses to try to make me 
change my mind."
	"If you truly cared, you would return her affections and 
forget about all of your silly apprehensions and fears.  But you still 
can't think of anyone but your own dumb self and push her away 
like she's some kind of pest!"
	"YOU DON'T KNOW ANYTHING!" Russ screamed, 
launching himself at Zorpheus, starting another flurry of punches 
and kicks, his energy level continually rising by the minute.  
Staggering back, Zorpheus managed to parry most of the blows, 
letting a few slip past his defenses, his face and chest getting nailed 
several times.  Backflipping away, he avoided a ki-enhanced fist 
that Russ planted into the ground, creating a gigantic explosion, 
making rocks and other debris go flying everywhere.  "You freak, 
I'm going to tear you apart!"  Withdrawing his fist, he again raced 
at Zorpheus, making his offense far more intense than he had 
before, but Zorpheus still managed to block and avoid most of the 
onslaught, zanzokening away to the other side of the fifteen 
hundred foot crater.
	Grinning, but breathing heavily, Zorpheus's eyes flashed 
a gleam of evilness that Russ hadn't seen before.  "Don't fly off 
the handle when you know you're full of shit."
	"You're no telepath, stupid.  You haven't figured out that 
technique yet, so quit fooling yourself," Russ growled, his fist 
shaking with intensity, ready for another go.
	"Hah.  You mean that old thing?  Who needs it?  But 
about the purple-haired bitch… Aeka?  Why don't I just save you 
all the annoyance and kill her for you?  You don't seem to love 
her, and you say she's annoying you, so I'll be doing you a favor!"
	His eyes widened in shock as his jaw dropped in complete 
surprise, but it quickly went to a rage that Russ had burning inside 
of him for a long time.  Letting out a bloodcurdling scream, Russ's 
aura engulfed him, causing the ground he stood on to disintegrate, 
then caving in as he hurled himself at Zorpheus at a speed he never 
anticipated.  "YOU'LL NEVER TOUCH HER, YOU SON OF A 
BITCH!" he yelled at the top of his voice, burying his fist into 
Zorpheus's gut, cracking and shattering the remaining bits of 
armor he had.
	Doubling over in pain, Zorpheus dropped to a knee and 
hurled, spitting up a mouthful of blood, and then howled in agony.  
However, he didn't have much time to concentrate on the one 
aching part of his body as Russ's fist found its mark underneath his 
jaw, sending him high into the sky.  Before he knew how far he 
had gone, he felt another impact on his chest as Russ smashed both 
of his fists into his chest in a double axe handle, sending him back 
to the ground.  He impacted and created yet another depression in 
the ground, and he let out a scream of anguish, surprise, and pain.
	Russ floated over him in mid-air, breathing heavily, his 
arms shaking from the rage he felt a moment before.  "Don't toy 
with me," Russ said, his voice low, icy, and deadly.
	After a moment, Zorpheus started laughing like a jackal, a 
joyous grin on his face, mixed with strain, as he pulled himself up 
and back to his feet.  "Who's toying?"  I'm merely offering my 
services in disposing of unwanted trash.  Maybe I'll give her a 
good time before I send her off to the next dimension," he said, 
then started laughing harder, dropping back to his knees, and 
clutching his chest in pain.
	If Russ could've become the devil, he would have at that 
moment.  Gathering up a full head of steam, screaming like a 
banshee, he headed straight for Zorpheus, his face contorted into a 
look of pure hatred, rage, and determination.  Both of his fists were 
outstretched, making him look like Superman as he hurtled 
downward.
	Just before Russ hit him, Zorpheus took one step to his 
side and stuck out his knee.  Seeing it, Russ couldn't stop in time, 
and he wound up folding himself in half over his knee from the 
impact.  Seizing another opportunity, Zorpheus quickly removed 
his knee, dropped back a step and punted Russ into the sky, 
satisfied that he found a worthy distraction to throw Russ off of his 
game plan.  Instantly reaching his height by zanzokening multiple 
times, he slammed Russ in the back of his head, hard enough just 
to stop his ascent.  Quickly getting under him, he began punching 
Russ in his face, chest, arms, legs, and any other surface that didn't 
look damaged.  Blood flew off of Russ's body like water as 
Zorpheus continued to pound him into hamburger.  It almost 
looked like Russ was floating there, but the force of all of 
Zorpheus's impacts was keeping him airborne.
	Russ never even tried to mount a defense, as he was being 
pummeled like a punching bag.  Satisfied that he caused enough 
damage, Zorpheus appeared above and behind him, pointed both of 
his feet at Russ's back, then flew at top speed into his spine.
	Letting out a yell of agony, Russ flew at the ground at 
incredible speed and impacted, his body creating a huge, hundred-
foot deep trench as his momentum was very, very high.  After a 
quarter mile of skidding, he finally stopped, upside down, with 
only his calves and feet sticking out of the dirt.  It took nearly a 
minute, but he finally pulled himself out of the ground, his face a 
complete mess of dirt and abrasions.  His left eye was swollen shut 
and puffy, but he pulled himself back to his feet, ready to continue.

	"How much longer until we reach Earth?" Tom barked 
from his command chair.
	"Two hours, thirty three minutes, sir," Sakuya returned, 
watching the countdown meter.
	"Increase power to the engines to nine out of ten," he 
ordered.
	Sakuya looked at him fearfully.  "We've never gone that 
fast, sir.  We don't know if the ship can handle the stress."
	"This ship was built to handle this sort of thing.  May I 
have nine out of ten please," he returned, his eyes never leaving the 
monitor that showed the fight between Zorpheus and Russ.
	"Yes, sir.  Accelerating," she said, feeling the ship 
shudder slightly as it increased its speed to near maximum.  "We 
will arrive in fifty five minutes at this speed."
	"Good.  Monitor the engine power output and make sure 
it stays within acceptable tolerances."  Glancing out of the large 
windows, the colors of hyperspace raced past the hull at incredible 
speed, as this was the first time he had taken his ship to this level 
of velocity.  A very light vibration was present in the deck plating, 
but it wasn't bad.  The inertial dampeners were the best that were 
ever built, and he was very proud of everybody who helped build 
his monstrosity.  He knew that it was probably the fastest ship in 
the galaxy, as he had yet to encounter a race that could match his 
technology.  However, the Jurians had quite a military as well.  It 
was the first time he had seen a ship made out of wood that could 
survive the rigors of space travel.  Nevertheless, even though his 
ship was technically a warship, the weapons on his hull were to be 
used for defensive purposes only.  He instilled that to all of his 
crewmembers when they came onboard, and he told them outright 
that he'd invite them to leave if they ever considered otherwise.
	Watching the battle recommence, Tom watched both of 
their faces with concern.  It had been quite a while since he had 
seen Zorpheus, as both he and Zorpheus were also good friends.  
Russ and Zorpheus were the best of friends as well, and they 
always had a good time, or knew how to start having one.  
Zorpheus, at times, was funny as hell, and Russ would somehow 
make everything he did even funnier.  He could recall times when 
he literally rolled around on the floor, laughing to the point where 
tears were flowing out of his eyes and his sides ached.  It had been 
over two years since he had seen those two together, but what he 
was witnessing was far from what he would've expected from a 
reunion between those two.
	Having been friends for so long, he couldn't figure out 
why they were trying to kill each other.  It just didn't make any 
sense.  Sure, Zorpheus and Russ had quite a few disagreements, 
argued a lot, and at times, got into fistfights with each other, but 
not to the point where they'd try to kill each other.  He could tell 
just by the looks on their faces, that they were not fighting to stop 
each other, but to destroy each other.  Listening to their 
conversation, he could tell that Russ was his normal self, but 
Zorpheus had changed and had become… hateful.  Angry.  Mean.  
Callus.  They were all traits that Tom had never seen Zorpheus 
portray; especially the way he addressed Aeka.  He was NEVER 
cold to a woman.  Never.  He was very respectful, except when he 
was being perverted, and he'd always keep his tongue in check.  
Ever since he had known Zorpheus, he could never recall one 
instance where he had used the f word.  In fact, he swore about as 
commonly as Russ, and that amounted to almost never.  But in 
watching the fight between the two warriors, he could see a 
definite change in Zorpheus.  It almost looked and sounded like an 
entirely different person.  Tom knew that both Russ and Zorpheus 
had split ways, but it was on neither good nor bad terms, but how 
could two years change a man that much?  It didn't make any 
sense.
	Drumming his fingers on his chair, he glanced around the 
bridge, taking in each of the crew's interest in the battle.  
Everybody was focused on it, wondering who the victor was going 
to be.  None of the crew rooted for one or the other, because they 
were both equally liked, and a feel of worry was present 
throughout the room.
	One thing Tom was certain of is that they were both going 
to be severely messed up after their battle.  Russ looked to be in 
worse shape than Zorpheus, and that made his mind wander to 
Aeka.  Remembering her smile when Russ walked into a room, 
when she waited for him on the bridge after she first arrived, and 
how excited she felt around Russ, was enough to tell him that she 
was probably going crazy if they were still living together.  He did 
notice that Aeka and her family were nowhere to be seen, so they 
must've been somewhere safe.  Washu gave him a brief 
explanation of what was going on and where both Russ and 
Zorpheus were having their battle, but it still blew his mind that 
they were in another dimension.  That woman was nothing short of 
genius, and he gave her a lot of credit for coming up with that idea.
	But he knew that Princess Aeka must've been going 
through a very hard time, especially if she was watching the 
confrontation.  She seemed delicate, emotional, and very worried 
that one day Russ would leave her, even though at the time they 
weren't a couple.  It made his own heart ache a little, as he 
remembered what Russ told him on many occasions.  "Do you 
think that a woman could even survive with me?  Do you think she 
deserves to watch her love be pounded and beaten up all the time?  
Do you think it's fair to her to make her stand by and watch as I 
parish in battle, if I do?  Of course not.  I'm not looking for love 
anymore.  It just hurts too much," he had said.  "In a way, I had a 
girlfriend, but I was never allowed to be intimate with her.  If I 
were, I probably would've committed suicide after I defeated all of 
those bandits, who raided her planet, just to be with her.  I never 
want to feel it again.  That rage, that pain, was just far too much for 
me to handle.  I know you had a wife, Tom, but she passed away 
from natural causes, but it's far more difficult to learn that 
someone was killed or murdered, as their life was taken away not 
by the hand of God, but by the hand of another mortal, even if you 
see it coming."
	Tom shook his head, thinking about Russ's way of 
avoiding women.  He had so many girls come on to him that he 
was almost on par with Zorpheus.  His cool, calm, caring 
demeanor went very far in making himself attractive to the 
opposite sex.  Of course, his buff body also did wonders for 
bringing in the ladies.  Zorpheus was more outgoing and liked to 
have a good time, sometimes, going a little too far, but they were 
always respectful to everybody and especially the girls that wanted 
them.  Some girls wanted a one-night fling while others were 
looking for a more long-term relationship.  Zorpheus would always 
turn away the ones who wanted the relationship, as he knew he 
couldn't take a girl with him on his journey, but Russ would avoid 
all of it.  He'd always politely decline, and a lot of times, would lie 
and say he was already spoken for.  Even then, some of the women 
after him would really pour on the pressure, just wanting a little 
fun with him, but he'd always pointedly refuse, and walk away.  
He almost was a heartbreaker.
	Watching on the video monitor, Tom saw Russ remount a 
desperate offense, showering the area Zorpheus was in with a 
barrage of blue ki blasts, causing explosion after explosion.  
Watching them, Tom could also see that each of them had become 
stronger, faster, and better at their fighting techniques.  Zorpheus 
was always the one to carry a weapon, but mostly for show.  "It's 
cool!" he'd say.  "What better way to have a guy keep his distance 
without a fight than to have a big sword with you?  All the cool 
people carry them!  Lina Inverse!  Gourry!  Hell, even most of the 
giant mecha anime had swords for their robots!  What would they 
be without their weapon?"  But still, this was the first time he had 
actually seen Zorpheus use his blade.  But what blew his mind is 
when Russ formed a staff out of thin air, resembling a lightsaber, 
and how Zorpheus's sword was able to stop it.  When he was 
testing different armor for the star destroyer, he had Russ throw 
small ki blasts at various types of durasteel, and he picked the one 
that resisted his blast the best.  But still, not even that could've 
held up to a sword slash like the ones Russ had dealt.  He heard of 
the name cortosis ore before, but he had never seen it, or believed 
that it existed.  If he could find a chunk of that metal, he may be 
able to have his staff analyze it and make a whole new armor 
plating for his ships.  Armor plating that would be capable of 
withstanding a battle even without shields.  That would be cool.
	"Tom?"
	Snapping out of his random thoughts, he glanced down at 
his science officer.  "Yes, Larry?  What is it?"
	"Why are they fighting like that?  Aren't they supposed to 
be good friends?"
	Nodding his head slowly, his eyes wandered back to the 
screen.  "Yeah.  They were friends for as long as I can remember.  
They split ways due to the difference of an opinion, but I never 
dreamed they'd want to kill each other at this point.  I wish I saw 
the beginning of the battle," he muttered.  "They probably had said 
what they were tearing each other apart for."
	"Do you think his girlfriend is watching the battle?"
	Tom grinned.  "Unfortunately, she wasn't his girlfriend at 
the time.  I don't know if that fact has changed or not, but I can 
guarantee that she is completely focused on this fight."
	"I hope that this outcome gets resolved soon.  I'd really be 
upset if Russ or even Zorpheus parishes due to their injuries."
	"Yeah.  I still have Zorpheus's special customized fighter 
in the hanger bay as well.  I never had a chance to give it to him 
yet," Tom said, keying a command on one of his consoles, 
bringing up an image of Zorpheus's favorite type of fighter.
	Larry sat back in his chair, scratching his head.  "This 
should be over with soon.  They're both looking very fatigued."
	"I have a feeling that it's still far from over," Tom 
returned, focusing back on the fight.

	Aeka was on her knees, crying, at seeing Russ get hit 
again and again by Zorpheus.  He definitely wasn't gaining the 
same amount of ground Zorpheus was, but they both were almost 
equally worn out.  Having fought for over an hour, throwing more 
punches, kicks, and jabs than all the karate matches combined for 
the past year, she felt as if she were in there as well, her heart and 
soul aching from seeing her love losing his life.  It was almost 
more than she could bear.
	Sasami, Tenchi, and Ryoko were all around her, doing 
their best to comfort her, but even they were beginning to worry 
about Russ, as they too, could begin to sense that he was going to 
lose.  They were hitting each other with enough force to destroy a 
small planet in one shot, and their ki attacks were enough to 
vaporize anything that was in its path, except for each other.  But 
they could see that Zorpheus was getting in more shots than Russ, 
and his hits were right on target.
	"Aeka!  Pull yourself together!" Tenchi said, shaking her, 
trying to break the mental shell she put around herself.  "They're 
not done yet!  Russ can still win this thing!"
	"Come on, sister!  Please try to relax.  Russ is still going 
strong and he promised us that he wouldn't lose, remember?" 
Sasami said, hugging her.
	"I'm afraid I can't concur with that, Sasami," Washu said, 
banishing her laptop back into subspace, hanging her head.  "He 
has been taking a beating far more than Zorpheus has, and even 
though Russ is more powerful, Zorpheus is the better fighter.  Russ 
will lose this confrontation.  It is only a matter of time," she said, 
quietly.
	Ryoko looked at her mother in hatred while Sasami 
looked at her sadly.  "What the hell is wrong with you?  How the 
hell could you be so cold to Aeka and Sasami?!"
	"I'm only stating a fact, Ryoko.  At this rate, Russ will 
lose.  His chances of pulling off a victory keep getting slimmer and 
slimmer with every blow," Washu said, clenching her hands into 
fists.  "I wish I could do something!  But even in their weakened 
state, they're still far too powerful for even my most powerful 
weapons.  The only thing that I could do is to destroy the both of 
them, and that is unacceptable.  We have to wait for the battle to 
end before we go in there."
	"That's beside the point!  You're basically telling Aeka 
that he's going to die!  Don't you have any feelings for her?" 
Ryoko snapped, seething at Washu's coldness.
	"Yes I do!" Washu yelled, tears at the corners of her eyes.  
"That man has found my son for me, and there is no way that I 
could even begin to repay that.  Do you think that I don't want to 
go in there and annihilate Zorpheus myself to save Russ's life?  
No!  But if there was a way for me to do it, I WOULD!"
	"I think you're full of it, Washu!  Even after he found 
your son, you continued to be arrogant to him and push all of his 
buttons!  You were mean to him on more occasions than I can 
count!  And you expect me to believe that you like him enough to 
lay down your life for him?  Bullshit!"
	"I behave like that to him because I like him!  You've 
taken only a half dozen examples of where I tease him and you've 
blown it far out of proportion.  If Aeka didn't want him, I'd be all 
over him like greased lightning!  I've never met a man who was as 
kind, generous, and easy going as him, not to mention handsome.  
He knows I tease him because I like him.  He's not dense and he 
figured that out pretty quick, unlike my daughter who jumps to 
conclusions!" Washu returned, her eyes angry.
	"Stop it!" Tenchi shouted.  "Stop it right now!  That's 
enough!  This isn't the time for this!"
	Washu shot Tenchi a look that almost silenced him.  "I'm 
sorry Tenchi.  She may be your bride to be, but she is still my 
daughter!"
	Biting his tongue, Tenchi only glared at Washu, but the 
argument had stopped.  Strangely, it had gotten very quiet in the 
room, except for the sobs from Aeka.  Both Russ and Zorpheus 
were down, barely moving.
	Slowly getting to her feet, Aeka's face wet with tears, 
anger, frustration, and despair, she clenched her jaw, watching 
Russ and Zorpheus get back to their feet, resuming their fight.  
"I…"
	"Aeka?" Sasami asked, looking at her changing 
expression.  "Aeka, what's wrong?"
	"I…" she said again, her arms beginning to shake.  "I…"
	"Aeka!  What is wrong?" Ryoko said, standing in front of 
her, looking into her eyes, which were ablaze in rage.
	"I CAN'T TAKE THIS ANYMORE!!!!!!!!!" she 
screamed, her green aura flashing around her.  "I'VE HAD 
ENOUGH!"
	Backing off several paces from surprise, Sasami fell on 
her bottom, looking fearfully at her sister.  Both Ryoko and Tenchi 
also backed off, very worried about Aeka.
	"Don't do anything hasty, Aeka," Washu warned, 
stepping over to her.  "There isn't anything you can do for Russ 
right now."
	Not even hearing Washu, Aeka continued to energize 
herself, and then she let out a scream that echoed around the entire 
lab as she squeezed her eyes shut, the sound of her voice 
reverberating again and again, resonating off of the walls, the 
ceiling, the floor, and everything around the room.  Becoming 
engulfed in white light, her clothing changed into her Jurian battle 
armor, complete with the black streaks on her face, the brown, 
pink, and purple armor complete and ready.  Reopening her eyes, 
she slowly turned toward the doorway, making her way to the 
other dimension.
	"STOP HER!" Washu shouted, watching both Ryoko and 
Tenchi change into their battle clothing.
	Ignoring the pleas from both Ryoko and Tenchi, she 
continued to make her way over to the doorway, ready to do battle, 
or die trying.  "Do not stand in my way.  This is my choice, and 
mine alone.  That is where I want to be, and there is nothing that 
you can do to stop me," she said, coldly, her voice the equivalent 
of ice.
	Washu stepped in front of her, challenging her.  "I will 
not let you do something foolish.  Listen to your head, not your 
heart," she said, standing her ground.
	Narrowing her eyes at the red haired scientist, Aeka shook 
her head.  "Step aside, or I'll move you myself," she growled.
	"I will not."
	"Then I will move you," she said, raising her fist, letting it 
go straight across Washu's face in a powerful backhand, knocking 
her nearly ten feet away to crash through a shelf, causing the 
beakers and the wood to fall to the floor in a loud clatter.  Glass 
shards went everywhere and the shelving broke apart from the 
force of the blow.  Looking back toward the door, Aeka continued 
to advance.
	"AEKA!" Tenchi roared, getting in front of her.  "You've 
gone too far!  How dare you hit Washu!  She's only trying to 
protect you!"
	Her face wavering only slightly, tears still streaming out 
of her eyes, she shook her head.  "Please move Tenchi.  I will do 
the same to you as I did to Washu if you force my hand."
	"Listen to yourself!  Are…" he started, but Aeka put her 
hand in front of his face.
	"I'm going to join the man I love.  I want to be with him 
more than anything, and not even you will stop me," she said, her 
other hand still clenched into a fist at her side.  "Please move, 
Tenchi."
	Tenchi looked hard into her eyes, seeing the fire that 
burned there, the passion that existed there, and the love that 
flowed from her.  Listening to his head, he shook his head.  "Russ 
can still win this on his own.  If you go in there and Zorpheus takes 
notice of you, he may kill you.  That's not fair to Russ.  He would 
want you to live, no matter what happens.  He's told you that so 
many times that I don't think it could've been counted."
	"It doesn't matter," she said, looking down at the floor.  
"That is what I want.  I'm tired of listening to people tell me what 
is best for me.  It's like people don't believe that I can think for 
myself.  I'm tired of it.  I'm going to do what I want, this time."  
Dropping back a step, she took up a fighting stance.  "Stand aside, 
Tenchi."
	Ryoko phased beside him, her orange sword humming 
quietly.  "You'll have to get past both of us to get to Russ, Aeka.  
We love you and will do anything to protect you, and this is a part 
of that love," she said, her face determined.  "There is no way in 
hell I'm letting you in that room without a fight."
	"You'd be in there if Tenchi was the one fighting, isn't 
that right?" she asked, looking at Ryoko.  "What would you do if I 
were the one stopping you?"
	Hesitating for a few moments, Ryoko lowered her sword.  
"I'd do the same thing you are, Aeka."
	Tenchi looked at his fiancée in surprise.  "You're not 
seriously thinking about letting her in there, are you?" he asked.
	Looking over at him, she smiled.  "It's her turn to do what 
she wants.  Who are we to stop her?"
	"I will not let her in there.  She's just as important to me 
as you are," Tenchi said, still standing ready.  "And what of her 
sister?  The circumstances are way different at this point."
	"It doesn't matter.  Aeka loves him.  That's more than 
enough for her," Ryoko returned, letting her sword disappear.  "I 
will not stand in your way, Aeka, but I will try one more time to 
talk you out of it."
	Aeka looked at Ryoko, the tears still flowing.  "Thank 
you for understanding.  I never would've thought that you'd be the 
one to encourage me to follow my heart," she said, taking a step 
toward the door.
	Tenchi once again got in front of her.  "Stop, Aeka," he 
warned.
	Reaching out to him, Aeka grabbed his clothes, lifted him 
effortlessly off of the floor, and moved him aside, tossing him 
about five feet away.  Tenchi had landed on his feet, but he was 
utterly surprised at the strength the princess now possessed.  She 
was powerful before, almost powerful enough to be the strongest 
Jurian alive, but now, she was far beyond that.  Her strength had 
gone much further than what it used to be, and he knew that it was 
her training with Russ that had done it.
	Again, running in front of her, Tenchi stood firm, 
preparing to fight, ready to do whatever it took to stop Aeka from 
going into that room.  "Look at what you did to Washu," Tenchi 
growled, thrusting his finger over to the scientist, who had finally 
gotten back to her feet.  She had several cuts on her arms from the 
broken glass and a large bruise on her face, but she looked very 
worried and unhappy.  "This isn't you at all!" he yelled.
	Looking over to her, Aeka then looked back at Tenchi, 
her facial expression remaining unchanged.  "I'm not the same, 
Tenchi.  I'm in love now, and as you know, love changes a person.  
You're trying to stop me from being with the man I love, and I 
won't allow it.  There is only one man who can make or break me 
at this point, and he's there in that other room, getting the life beat 
out of him.  I will not watch this any more.  I will stop it myself," 
she said, regally, maintaining a high level of pride and dignity.
	Tenchi shook his head.  "Aeka, you're…"
	"Let her go, Tenchi."
	Looking off to the side, Tenchi's face went to surprise.  
"Washu?"
	"She is a grown woman, able to make her own decisions.  
We've been treating her like a child, making decisions for her and 
other things.  It's not fair to her to keep her from what she wants 
most," she explained, rubbing her bruise.  "Let her go, Tenchi."
	"She'll die if she goes in there!" Tenchi yelled.  "Is 
that…"
	"Knock it off.  It's not our decision to make if she wants 
to go in there or not, to be with the man she loves.  To be honest, 
I'd do the same thing."
	"Me too," Ryoko said, looking at Tenchi.
	"Me three," Sasami said, smiling up at her sister.  "Be 
careful, Aeka."
	"I would as well," Kiyone said, stepping up to Tenchi.
	"Same here," Mihoshi said, looking dead serious.
	"Are you all nuts?" Tenchi said, finding himself at odds 
with all the girls in the room.  "It'd be different if it were someone 
else besides Russ in there!"
	"How would it be different?  Would it be that our chances 
of victory being higher?  That doesn't matter to us, Tenchi," 
Washu said, laying a hand on his shoulder.  "It could be the most 
powerful being in the universe, and we'd face it to be with the one 
we fell in love with.  Love is one of the most powerful and 
unpredictable emotions of all.  Let her go, Tenchi."  Washu smiled, 
and then nodded her head at Aeka.  "Please be careful."
	"I will, Washu.  Thank you, and I'm sorry for hitting 
you," she said, hanging her head shamefully.
	"It's okay.  You know that I always keep something in the 
lab for little injuries.  But I needed that to realize what he meant to 
you.  I now know there is nothing that will stop you.  But, please, 
be careful."
	Aeka stood tall, looking at the holographic room one 
more time.  "I'll be back soon," she said, smiling.
	Sasami ran up to her, looking into her eyes.  "Don't get 
hurt, Aeka," she said, grabbing her sister in a hug.
	Resting her hand on Sasami's back, she gently rubbed for 
a few moments, until Sasami pulled away, smiling, but having 
tears run out of the corners of her eyes.  Marching the rest of the 
way to the doorway, she opened it and stepped through.

	"Just seeing you is making me hungry for a nice, juicy 
steak."
	"If they had a bun big enough, you could pass for 
hamburger yourself," Russ said, grinning, standing a dozen yards 
away from Zorpheus, waiting to restart the fight again.
	"Maybe I'll go out for one of the two when I'm done 
pulverizing you," Zorpheus said sarcastically, letting an arrogant 
grin creep onto his lips.
	"Hah.  Says you.  I'd say we're at a stalemate, since it 
seems that I'm still stronger than you."
	"You should take a look at yourself in the mirror, pal.  I'd 
hate to feel how you look right now.  If this is such a stalemate, 
then why have you, for the most part, been my personal punching 
bag?"
	Russ shook his head.  "I haven't been, and besides, you 
look half naked right now due to your lack of body armor.  I still 
can't figure out why you even use it, since it doesn't seem to do 
anything against someone like me."
	"It's a pity that one of your limited fashion sense cannot 
appreciate my wild and sexy combat armor," Zorpheus said, trying 
to keep himself from laughing.
	Rolling his eyes, Russ then shook his head.  "Alright, 
Fanboy.  Whatever you say," he said, looking away for a moment.  
Out of nowhere, Russ threw his palm at Zorpheus, releasing a 
large, green ki ball.
	Blurring out of the way, the blast smashed into a large 
boulder from what remained of the mountain, disintegrating it and 
causing a small explosion.  Floating in midair, he noticed that Russ 
didn't see him right away.  Grinning, he began to charge up a new 
type of ki blast that he had been practicing on rare occasion.  
Rotating his arms around in circles, looking like the wax on, wax 
off move out of The Karate Kid, blue lightning bolts zapped 
around him, gathering in intensity as many white balls of pure 
energy seemed to appear out of nowhere, instilling Zorpheus with 
their power.
	Looking up, Russ could see him doing something strange 
and could feel his power build higher and higher, but the move 
looked strangely familiar.  "I've seen this before…"
	Cupping his hands to his side, an evil grin on his face, he 
thrust his hands forward, releasing a pure white beam of powerful 
energy.  "HADOUUUUUUU-KEN!" he yelled, sending it toward 
Russ.
	Widening his eyes, Russ put his arms up to block the 
Hadouken, and when it came into contact with his arms, it 
exploded around him, pushing him back about three hundred feet.  
If it weren't for a ki shield he put up around himself, he would've 
been burned to a crisp, as the technique was radically different 
from any normal ki attack.  His feet left skid marks from where he 
stood a moment ago, and a massive depression created a big bowl 
from where the attack detonated.
	"Okay, this is taking fanboyism to a whole new level," he 
mumbled.  "But I have my own fanboy attacks too.  Watch this," 
he said, bringing his hands in front of him, cupping them together, 
and relaxing his body.  Glancing up at Zorpheus, he grinned.  
"Darkness beyond blackness, deeper than the deepest night…" he 
recited, black energy coming seemingly out of nowhere, mixing 
with Russ's yellow aura, the pulsing sound increasing as the wind 
picked up, blowing away from him.
	"Not only are you stupid enough to make a ki technique 
out of a spell from an anime show," Zorpheus yelled, looking 
concerned.  "But you have the nerve to model it after THAT 
spell?!"
	"…King of darkness who shines like gold upon the sea of 
chaos.  I swear allegiance to thee, and I call upon thee!  Let the 
fools who stand before me be destroyed by the power you and I 
possess!" he yelled, a huge black ball gathering in his hands that 
were now positioned over his head.  His face was contorted with 
strain, as he fought to keep control of the enormous amount of 
energy that gathered there.  "GIGAAAAAAA SLLLLLLLLAVE!" 
he yelled, throwing the huge ball at Zorpheus.
	"Unlike that clod Shabranigdo, I'm not going to just stand 
here and take this!" he yelled, moving out of the way.  However, 
he misjudged the speed at which the ball was heading at him and it 
clipped the edge of his real arm, burning away some of his 
encounter suit and melting the rest of it to his skin, causing him to 
yell in pain.  "Ah shit!  That HURTS!"
	The Gigaslave spell continued off of the planet and into 
space, traveling unobstructed all the way to the asteroid belt.  
Finally losing cohesion, the blast detonated, resulting in an 
absolutely colossal explosion that rocked the cosmos.  The blast 
radius continued to grow in size until the point where it could be 
seen from Earth.  The shockwave from the blast completely 
destroyed both Jupiter and Mars, and the edge of the blast 
continued to make its way toward the planet.  Finally reaching it, 
the entire Earth shook from the explosion, knocking Russ off of his 
feet, sandblasting the side of the planet, peeling away every bit of 
living organic material, leaving nothing but a dusty, lunar-like 
surface.
	Zorpheus didn't waste any time from Russ's 
disorientation.  Flying at Russ, yelling like a savage, he stopped 
directly in front of Russ's face.  Instead of pulling back his fist or 
foot for a punch or a kick, he grinned, letting out a large globe of 
blue energy, expanding from where he stood, blowing Russ back 
several dozen meters.
	Skidding to a stop, Russ dropped to one knee, breathing 
heavily.  "I hate that damn bugzapper technique of yours," he 
growled, wiping away a gash on his forehead.
	"Heh.  And wouldn't you know it, after all this time, I still 
have wonderful new things to show you!" he yelled, charging up a 
small ball of highly concentrated energy.  Thrusting both of his 
hands out in front of him, he pushed a small, red ball at Russ at a 
low speed. 
	Watching the ball head toward him, Russ didn't bother 
checking the energy output of it.  "This isn't very impress…" he 
started to say as he slapped the ball, trying to send it out of the 
way.  Going up with the force of the Gigaslave itself, the tiny red 
ball detonated, completely engulfing both Russ and Zorpheus.  The 
radius of the blast expanded out to about a mile, remained for 
nearly a full minute, changing from red, to orange, and back again.  
After a minute, the ball finally started to dissipate, revealing all the 
damage that was done.  Russ was lying in the middle of a huge 
bowl, the heat of the Itsumashazelukuno bomb melting all the sand 
and clay in the ground into dirty glass.  Almost not able to move 
anymore, Russ started to get up, and then collapsed again, rolling 
onto his back.  "I LOVE this," he muttered, looking at the dusty 
sky.
	Zorpheus wasn't much better off, as he too was caught in 
the explosion, lying flat on his back, smoking.  Trying to drag 
himself to his feet, the glass crunching under his weight, he got 
himself up to one knee, breathing heavily, trying to shake the 
disorientation out of his head.  "Dammit, I forgot how big the blast 
radius was on that thing," he muttered to himself.  Reaching his 
full height once more, he grinned.  "And can you believe it?  I still 
have more stuff to show you!"
	Forcing himself to stand up to get out of a venerable 
position, he remained slouched over, keeping his left hand over his 
thigh, which had a deep gash, seeping red with crimson through his 
fingers.  "What more could you possibly have to show me?" Russ 
asked, not really caring.
	"Aw, what's the matter?  Is it nap time for you already?  
Maybe now you realize that raw power doesn't mean diddly squat 
if you don't have many colorful ways to use it."
	"I still have more techniques to use, but not all of my 
abilities have been refined solely for battle.  There are other uses 
for ki."
	"Humph.  What kind of Saiyan are you, anyway?  I'm 
half human, and I have more battle lust than you do.  Heh, well, I 
have more of ANY kind of lust than you do."
	Russ rolled his good eye, as the other one swelled shut 
again.  "Stop talking about the size of your penis, you pervert.  I'm 
not interested in hearing about it."
	"Oh, so it's penis envy now, eh?!" he yelled, running 
forward once again, looking about ready to plant his fist in Russ's 
gut.
	Watching Zorpheus head at him, Russ positioned himself 
to block the shot, but he wound up feeling something smash into 
the back of his head, causing him to pitch forward and fall flat on 
his face in the dirt.  Dust and gravel flew out from under him from 
the impact, and Zorpheus slowed down to stop in front of him.  
Groaning in pain, he took about ten seconds to return to his feet.  
"Oww.  What the hell was that?  You have someone else here with 
you?" Russ snapped, looking behind him, and then back at 
Zorpheus.  "I didn't feel anything behind me except for that blow."
	"Another present from the planet Xnafu.  That bomb 
technique was the other one, from my latest female companion," 
he said, bouncing his eyebrows.
	"You screw up another one?" Russ said, chuckling.  "I'm 
not surprised."
	"Nah.  I told her I had to come here and kick your ass.  
She understood."
	"Yeah, she's really screwed up.  You have that effect on 
people," Russ returned.  "I may look like crap, but I still have 
enough fight left in me to beat you and return to the family."
	"Says you.  This is hardly fun anymore.  I've worn out my 
favorite toy, it seems.  You can barely fight back the way you are 
now."  Quickly jumping forward, he brought his foot up in 
between Russ's legs, nailing him in the mean bean machine.  As 
Russ's knees knocked together, his face turning purple from the 
intense pain, Zorpheus shrugged his shoulders.  "As if you ever 
really used it.  Maybe you could piss out of your butt instead," he 
taunted, picking up Russ and throwing him into the air like a 
volleyball.
	Regaining his bearings just as Zorpheus got to his height, 
they began to exchange a flurry of kicks and punches as they 
spiraled upward, their flight paths marked by yellow streaks and 
sonic shockwaves from all the blows.
	Down on the ground, the phantom door opened, letting in 
an incredibly bright burst of green aura.  Standing there at ground 
level, letting the door close behind her, Aeka, fully dressed in her 
armor, stood ready, her face showing nothing but hatred and rage 
toward Zorpheus.
	"AEKA?!" Russ shouted, stopping his offense and turning 
his attention to her.  "What the HELL are you doing in here?!"
	Grinning, Zorpheus answered Russ's question.  "Giving 
me an opening, of course!"  Clapping his fists together, energy 
glowing intensely around both his hands, he brought them over his 
head and then down on the back of Russ's neck.  The energy in his 
fists exploded on Russ, making his descent downward much faster 
than it normally would have.  Russ crashed into the ground and 
made another large crater on the lunar landscape.
	Seeing this, Aeka's energy exploded around her in a 
brilliant green aura.  "DON'T YOU HURT HIM ANYMORE!" 
she screamed, leaping off of the ground and heading straight at 
Zorpheus at top speed, her fist glowing with energy as she drove it 
straight at Zorpheus's face.
	Zorpheus grinned, watching her with interest.  "What is 
this?  A girl scout trying to sell me cookies for a merit badge?" he 
teased, easily leaning out of the way of the punch.
	"I'll kill you!" she yelled, withdrawing her fist and 
sending it again and again at Zorpheus, going as fast as her body 
would allow.  "How could you do that to him?!"
	Weaving in and out of her blows effortlessly, he 
continued to grin.  "Because the guy is a selfish cocktease, little 
prissy princess."
	"I LOVE THAT MAN!" she shouted, sending a small 
green ball of energy at Zorpheus.  "He loves me too!  He told me 
he does!"
	Slapping the ball into orbit, Zorpheus shook his head.  
"He's never told you that.  I know him well enough to know that 
he'd never say, 'I love you,' to another woman.  And even if he 
has, it was probably only to keep you from pestering him.  That 
man can't bring himself to love anyone anymore.  How many 
times has he shrugged you off Princess?  Hmmm?"
	"It doesn't matter!  He said he was crazy about me and 
that's all I need!" she yelled, getting in close again, restarting a 
flurry of punches and kicks.  Zanzokening behind Zorpheus, she 
tried to bury her fist in his spine.
	Dodging all of her punches and kicks, he whirled around 
and caught her fist with his bionic hand.  "Sheesh, it's no wonder 
you're still after him.  You're too stupid and stubborn to give up.  
Maybe a good slap will knock some sense into you!" he yelled, 
opening up his real hand and letting it go straight across Aeka's 
face, his hand leaving a dark red imprint of itself on her cheek.
	Screaming from the shock, she put her hand over the 
imprint of Zorpheus's hand.  "How DARE you!" she snarled, 
bringing her foot up in between Zorpheus's legs.
	Watching her foot collide with his ever-present ki barrier, 
Zorpheus frowned.  "You know, you really know how to take the 
fun out of things."  Still holding onto her hand, he doubled up a fist 
and let his real hand go across her head in a backhand.  Jerking her 
forward, he buried his knee in her gut, and then released her hand.  
Doubling up his hands together, he moved over Aeka's hunched 
body and let a double axe handle go in the middle of her back, 
sending her down to the ground.
	Impacting on the ground, she bounced off of it, flying 
back into the air about ten feet, then hit the dirt again, remaining 
motionless.

	"AEKA!" Misaki shouted, jumping right out her throne.
	"Get my ship ready for departure, NOW!" Asuza boomed, 
also rising out of his throne.  "We're leaving immediately to Earth!  
Ready my personal escort fleet!"
	Two guards ran out of the room to relay the message as 
Funaho, Asuza, and Misaki all made their way out of the throne 
room, heading to the transporter pad.  Azaka and Kamidake 
followed, flanking the royal family on either side.  A computer 
screen floated with them, continuing to display the ongoing battle 
between Zorpheus, Russ, and now Aeka.
	Misaki looked very upset, as she saw how Zorpheus 
disposed of her without even trying.  She was very worried as to 
what was going to happen next.  She tried not to think about her 
daughter losing her life, as that was far too traumatic for even her 
to handle.

	The phantom door reopened, letting in the rest of the 
family.  They all ran up to Aeka, and both Tenchi and Ryoko 
placed themselves in between Zorpheus and Aeka, intending to try 
to protect her.  Somehow, after a few moments, Aeka managed to 
return to her feet, a trickle of crimson running from the corner of 
her mouth.
	"Heh, Heh, Heh.  The ants try to mount a defense against 
my crushing heel.  This is just sickeningly noble, heroic, and 
disgustingly futile.  You know, I was originally going to give her 
the good time Russ never would, but I wouldn't want the kids to 
see it, so I'll just cut to the chase right here," he said, raising his 
finger and pointing it at Aeka.  "Goodbye, annoying pest.  You 
should be thanking me.  I will save you from a miserable break-
up."  His fingertip began to glow purple as the energy charged up, 
and he gave them all a sadistic grin.  "BANG!"
	Russ, lying in his crater, saw Zorpheus point his finger at 
Aeka, and he instantly knew what he was doing.  Exploding out of 
his depression as fast as he could go, he raced against the speed of 
the beam, trying to head it off.  He could see it getting closer and 
closer, as he too, got closer and closer to the beam.  Reaching out 
as far as his arm would go, extending his fingertips to stop the bulk 
of the blast, he saw it pass by, missing it by the width of a 
millimeter.  It singed his fingertips and his expression when to pure 
horror, as he knew he didn't make it in time.  Looking down 
toward the family, Russ could only watch, as he didn't have 
enough time to focus for the instantaneous movement ability.  
"LOOK OUT!" he screamed, seeing Tenchi put up his lighthawk 
wings.
	Tenchi didn't stand in the way of the blast itself, but he 
put one of the wings in between the beam and Aeka.  In almost an 
instant, the beam reached him and contacted the lighthawk wing, 
and it passed right through it, as if it wasn't even there.  The 
lighthawk wing broke apart like a piece of glass, shattering on a 
hard floor.
	Continuing on, the beam reached its intended target and 
found its mark on the right side of Aeka's chest, blowing a hole 
through her about an inch in diameter, just over her right breast.  
Her face was frozen into shock, as was everybody else's.  Russ 
stared at her, his jaw hanging open, and the rest of the family 
looked at her as she looked down on herself, seeing the blood pour 
forth from the open wound, and then she collapsed to the ground, 
flat on her back.
	"Ding, dong, the Queen is dead.  LONG LIVE THE 
KING!" Zorpheus yelled, striking several poses reminiscent of 
Hulk Hogan.  However, something clicked inside of his head, as 
realization had set in over what just happened.  "What the fuck did 
I just do?" he asked himself, his eyes and face in utter shock and 
horror.  A moment after saying that, a headache unlike one he ever 
felt before crashed through his mind, causing him to scream in 
agony.
	Sasami looked up at him, feeling a change beginning to 
take place.  "Something is wrong with Zorpheus!  Look!" she 
yelled pointing at him, however, everybody was ignoring her as 
they were tending to Aeka.
	Floating in midair, Russ saw Aeka fall to the ground, 
blood dripping from the gaping hole in her chest, and upon seeing 
the horrid spectacle, something inside of his brain snapped.  His 
aura flaring around him, he turned around and sped at Zorpheus 
faster than he had ever moved before, surrounding his fist with 
golden energy, letting it go straight into Zorpheus's face.
	Still screaming from the battle going on in his mind, 
Zorpheus's head snapped back and came forward, blood gushing 
out of his nose.  He opened his eyes and looked into Russ's face, 
which was contorted into a look that he had never actually seen 
before, as he wasn't there when Laurie was vanquished.  Russ's 
eyes were on fire, and he could see an incredible amount of 
emotion built up within them.  Seeing Russ put his fists over his 
head, he didn't even have the strength to mount a defense, and he 
saw both fists crash down onto his chest, getting caught in a huge 
Masenko beam, sending him to the ground and burying him from 
the impact.

	"Lady Tokimi?" D3 asked his goddess, who looked to be 
straining herself.  "What is wrong?"
	"This is amazing," she said, concentrating hard, sweat 
beading on her forehead.  "Zorpheus is resisting my mind 
enhancement."
	"How is that possible?  Nobody has ever been able to 
undo something you've done."
	"I know.  It doesn't seem possible, but he's overcoming 
it.  But it doesn't matter now anyway," she said, smiling.  "They 
will destroy each other in a few minutes."
	D3 nodded his head as he turned his attention back to his 
monitor.

	Turning around, Russ flew to the ground at top speed, 
stopping only a foot above the dirt, then landing hard.  Racing over 
to Aeka and the family, they all looked up at him with fear in their 
faces and despair in their hearts, as they knew Aeka was dying.
	"Aeka!  Oh my god, Aeka… why the hell did you come 
in here?!" Russ asked, trying to keep his emotions buried under his 
poker face as he knelt down, taking Aeka's hand in his own, gently 
caressing it.  Washu was over Aeka, putting pressure on her 
wound, trying to stop the bleeding, saying nothing, completely 
focused on trying to save Aeka's life.
	She coughed, spitting up a mouthful of blood.  "I… 
wanted to be here with you," she said, softly, and then smiled, a 
happy, satisfied smile.  "I want to be with you for the rest of my 
life, and I came here to help you."
	"You stupid girl," Russ said, his hands shaking violently 
from the mental stress.  "I told you to stay out of here."
	Still smiling, Aeka reached up and caressed Russ's face.  
"I know.  I just wanted… to be with you," she said, her eyes 
getting heavy.  She moaned in pain, the tears running down her 
cheeks, the blood running down her chin.  "That's all I ever 
wanted."
	"Not again!  Not this again!" Russ yelled, his hands 
shaking so violently that he looked like he was being electrocuted.  
"Don't die, Aeka.  Don't die because of me!"
	Smiling, she sniffled.  "I'm so happy… that the last thing 
I'll get to see… is you," she whispered.  "I love you, Russ."  Her 
hand going limp, Russ felt it slide out of his own hand and fall to 
the ground.
	"Aeka?!  AEKAAAAAAAAAAAA!" Sasami screamed, 
horrified that her sister, who she had known for her entire life, 
which was her mother when her real mom wasn't there, her sister, 
and her best friend for the many years of her life, was now lying 
lifeless in front of her.  "NOOOOOOOOO!!!!!"
	Tenchi grabbed Sasami and held her tightly, tears running 
down his own face.  "Oh my god, Aeka.  This can't be real.  IT 
CAN'T BE!"
	Mihoshi and Kiyone both started crying hysterically, 
scarcely able to believe that the Princess of Jurai was now lying 
dead in front of them.  They had known her for the last several 
years, living with her and visiting with her as if she were a normal 
person.  They had the best time of their lives with her, and the 
thought of never spending another day with her was too much to 
bear.
	Washu stepped back, her green eyes wide, as she shook 
her head back and forth, her face a mask of horror.  "No…" she 
whispered.  "Come on, Aeka."  Getting down on her knees, she 
connected up a special life support cable to her computer, that she 
withdrew out of subspace.  Typing at a speed that would've made 
Data from Startrek envious, she tuned it to Aeka and tried to make 
it revive her.  Each shock, each test, each and every attempt to 
bring her back failed, and after nearly a minute of trying, she 
backed off, shaking her head.  "I CAN'T DO ANYTHING!" she 
screamed, tears pouring out of her eyes.
	Standing by, completely in shock, Ryoko seemingly had 
no reaction.  Her face was pale and devoid of life or any kind of 
sense, as she could not believe that her lifelong rival and most 
recently, her best friend, had just passed away.  Collapsing to her 
knees, she buried her face in her hands, crying uncontrollably, 
pounding the ground in frustration.  "IT'S NOT FAIR!"
	Some distance away, Zorpheus finally managed to dig 
himself out and he took off into the air once again, looking down at 
the scene he just created.  The throbbing pain was still in his head, 
but he felt strangely disgusted from killing her.  But another 
feeling was pulling at him even harder, and it made him look down 
at Russ.
	Getting to his feet, keeping his movements very slow, 
Russ looked at each of the family members, burning their looks 
into his memory.  Each of them turned to look at him in turn, some 
mixed with rage, some with the look of despair, and some that 
looked on him with pity and hatred.
	"Tenchi," Russ said, keeping his voice low.  "Stay here 
with Aeka.  Protect them until this is finished.  It will only take a 
minute.  I guarantee it."
	Looking at Russ, they could see his energy start burning 
around him, much like when Goku first approached Frieza for the 
first time.  White flames marked his outline, and when the family 
saw his eyes, they knew that he was slowly losing his mind, his 
sanity, and the remaining shreds of his humanity.  He was 
becoming what everybody feared most, that of a true Super Saiyan.  
A ruthless, heartless, radically efficient killing machine could only 
remotely describe what Russ was becoming, and it scared the hell 
out of the entire family.  His fists were clenched at his sides, so 
tightly that blood was seeping from them, as his fingernails dug 
holes into the palms of his hands.
	"What are you going to do?" Tenchi said, his voice 
wavering, as he clutched the little princess, who was still crying 
heavily.
	"I will finish this, once and for all.  I will be back in a 
moment.  Use your lighthawk wings to shield everybody from the 
blast.  There is one final thing I will do once this is over," he said, 
walking away, making a slow, purposeful walk toward Zorpheus.
	"You just can't get enough of me, can you?" Zorpheus 
asked, grinning.  "Perhaps it is time to end this.  You, the Brady 
Bunch over there, and this ridiculous excuse for a battle room will 
be annihilated shortly."  Clenching his fists, he began to power up 
to his absolute maximum, howling and screaming as the earth 
below him shook in the wake of his energy.  However, Russ didn't 
seem to be fazed at all, as he continued to slowly put distance 
between him and the family.  Suddenly feeling a tinge of fear, he 
knew something was wrong, because he had never seen Russ look 
like that before in his entire life.
	"…Fine.  Don't leave any famous last words.  Prepare to 
feel my wrath!" he screamed, bringing his hands in front of him, 
making two fists, putting one on top of the other, as if holding 
something.  Several flashes later, a white outline of a sword 
appeared, the blade facing upward about three feet, and Zorpheus 
began focusing all of his energy into his signature move.
	Still walking, his yellow aura exploded around him, 
destroying the ground he walked on, burning bigger and brighter 
than it ever had before.  A blue lightning bolt crossed his vision, 
but it never returned.  Driving his energy up to his maximum, he 
continued to walk forward, slowly, methodically.  Finally coming 
to a stop, he looked up at Zorpheus with a look that could've 
frozen all seven layers of hell at once.  "You.  Are.  DEAD!"  Russ 
roared, his aura doubling in size, causing the entire planet to begin 
to break apart, as it was barely able to stay together from the sheer 
amount of energy Russ was producing.
	"This is wrong," Zorpheus said, feeling Russ's energy 
reach his level, and then blow right by it, effortlessly.  "He was 
never this strong!"  However, he knew that his signature move was 
more powerful than Russ's, and he perfected it a long time before 
Russ made his.  "Prepare yourself, Russ!" he shouted.  A white 
ball of energy began forming in front of the white sword, with little 
white balls of energy coming out of Zorpheus and infusing itself 
into the ball.
	Tenchi stood in front of Aeka, his lighthawk wings 
shielding the family from their auras.  He was straining hard, his 
forehead dripping with sweat, his eyes stinging from all the tears 
he had shed.  Grunting and straining against the tremendous 
pressure, he almost gave way, until he felt a hand touch his 
shoulder.  Ryoko looked into his face, tears streaming out of her 
eyes, but she smiled.  Nodding his head, he knelt down and 
allowed Ryoko to stand behind him, infusing him with her power.  
The lighthawk wings tripled in size, blocking out everything that 
was happening, allowing Tenchi to relax a little from the massive 
rush of energy he received from Ryoko.
	The rest of the family was watching Russ, watching him 
push himself beyond his limits and beyond anything they've ever 
imagined, even in their wildest dreams.  There was just so much 
energy coming from the two combatants that it overwhelmed them.
	Placing both of his hands out in front of him, Russ began 
focusing his energy into his own signature attack, letting the 
yellow ball grow and expand in size very quickly, blue lighting 
dancing around the outer diameter of it, until it was ready.  "You 
son of a bitch!  NOW DIE!  BUSTER CANNON FIRE!" he 
screamed, his voice going to the far reaches of the planet, as the 
yellow beam shot out of the ball, surrounded in blue lightning.
	"I'll SEE YOU IN HELL!" Zorpheus yelled, shoving his 
sword forward.  "HOLY RAZE!"  A brilliant, pure white beam 
exploded from in front of Zorpheus, heading straight for Russ's 
cannon.
	Both beams met in the middle, slamming into each other 
with enough force to destroy the surface of the Earth, causing 
volcanic eruptions for miles around.  The shockwave impacted 
against Tenchi's lighthawk wings, causing them to blink from the 
incredible amount of energy that slammed into them.  Both Ryoko 
and him strained, trying to keep the blades from collapsing, and 
they just barely recovered, letting a little of the blast through, 
kicking up the dust around them.
	Both Russ and Zorpheus screamed at the very top of their 
voices, straining to overcome their opponent's beam.  The sound 
from the two weapons was deafening, as they could barely hear 
themselves yell.  Raising his power just a little more, Zorpheus 
made his beam a little bigger, sending a pulse down the length of 
his blast, slamming into the buster cannon and forcing it back a 
little.  "You will not survive!"
	Forcing his energy higher, Russ pushed back against 
Zorpheus's attack, keeping both beams equally spaced.  However, 
little by little, Zorpheus's beam was gaining ground, forcing him 
back.
	"COME ON, RUSS!" Ryoko screamed, straining to just 
hold back the force of their energy.  "YOU HAVE TO WIN!"
	"I believe in you, Russ!" Sasami yelled, choking back her 
tears.  "I forgive you!"
	Screaming louder, Russ shoved more energy out of his 
hands and into his beam, forcing a huge bulge of energy down the 
length of his blast, forcing Zorpheus's attack back, regaining some 
ground.  His face was nothing but a mask of fury, as he looked like 
a lion preparing to kill his prey.
	Zorpheus felt the added strain on his own beam, and he 
again raised his power beyond his maximum, forcing Russ's beam 
to stop advancing, and turning the tables again.  "I WILL NOT 
LOSE!"
	Watching the beam get closer and closer, Russ could feel 
himself slipping away.  "You took the only woman to ever capture 
my heart away from me!" he shouted, fighting on.  "It doesn't 
matter what happens to me now.  I WILL STOP YOU!" he 
screamed.
	Sensing something going crazy inside of his opponent, 
Zorpheus felt that rush of fear enter his mind again as he recovered 
from the mind enhancement.  "What the hell?"
	Continuing to scream in pain, agony, and despair, Russ 
began to glow a brilliant golden color.  Not his aura, but his body 
as a whole.  The buster cannon's ball began to come apart, forming 
into something entirely different and new.  After a moment, it 
formed into a parabolic dish, about thirty feet in diameter, with 
Russ at the very back.  Strangely enough, the buster cannon 
continued to erupt from the center of it, keeping Zorpheus's beam 
at bay.
	"What the hell are you doing?!" Zorpheus yelled, feeling 
Russ's energy shoot way up.  "You're going to explode if you keep 
that up!"
	Not hearing him, or not caring, Russ continued to build up 
every joule of energy his body had left, preparing to force it out all 
at once.  The dish finally formed and banged into place, and a blue 
outline streaked around the outer edge of it, forming four, bright 
blue points, evenly spaced around the dish, still connected by the 
solid blue line that traced around the outer perimeter.  "My life 
doesn't matter anymore," Russ said, looking at Zorpheus through 
the beams.  "I will kill you.  That I promise, even if it kills me 
too," he said, the blue lights becoming brighter has his body 
became almost pure energy.  "Violent Heart."
	The fabric of reality seemed to bend and fold around the 
explosion that erupted out of the circular dish.  The four points of 
blue light shot out four small beams to a central point, about 
twenty feet in front of the bowl, and a tremendously powerful, 
solid yellow beam exploded out of the center of the dish, meeting 
the blue points, and combining.  The buster cannon discontinued as 
the Violent Heart attack took its place, the head of the beam a blue 
circle, attached by the four smaller streaks of blue light that rode 
alongside the yellow blast.  It looked like a miniature death star 
superlaser, except with blue and yellow instead of green.
	"SUPER KAIOKEN!" Zorpheus screamed, his aura 
changing from yellow to red, feeling a massive upsurge of energy 
and a radical amount of pain as his attack tripled in size and power.  
The extreme bulge of the beam raced down and met the Violent 
Heart head-on.

	Katsuhito looked up from his paperwork on his table, his 
cup of tea showing vibrations in the liquid.  "This is it," he said, 
aloud.

	What happened next nothing short of impossible.  The 
Violent Heart didn't even slow down when the bulk of Zorpheus's 
beam slammed into it.  It forced it back at such a radical speed that 
it may as well not even have been there.  Russ's scream was 
drowned out by the incredible amount of noise, shaking, and power 
that was being produced from his body.  His hands began to burn 
and blister, unable to withstand the sheer amount of energy he was 
forcing through them.  His body began to disintegrate, blood 
bursting out of his veins over several parts of his body, squirting 
into the ground and then vaporizing, not able to exist so close to 
the attack.  The sky parted, revealing outer space through the blue 
atmosphere, and all the clouds seemed to retreat all the way to the 
horizon and beyond.  The ground in front of him became a canyon 
nearly a mile wide, and a mile deep.
	"This can't be happening!" Zorpheus screamed, seeing 
the beam come straight at him.  "IT'S COMING TOO FAST!"  All 
he could do was watch the bulk of the beam reach him and 
overtake him, feeling such an incredible amount of pain from the 
blast that he could feel himself coming apart.  His scream was 
silenced as the beam hit him, his Holy Raze vanishing from sight.
	The entire surrounding area became a blinding light, 
causing everybody except for Tenchi and Ryoko to shield their 
eyes, turning away from the scene.
	About a minute later, the rumbling ceased, the light 
returned to normal, and it became deathly quiet.  Dust was still 
blowing about where the final attack had taken place, and nobody 
could sense anything.  The battle between the two most powerful 
warriors in existence had finally concluded.
	Letting his lighthawk wings vanish, Tenchi dropped to 
one knee, breathing heavily.  "That was incredible," he choked out, 
trying to catch his breath.
	Ryoko fell onto his back, also breathing very heavily.  
"It's over."
	"Yes."  Standing up again, he slowly turned around and 
looked at Aeka's fallen body, her face peaceful, but covered in 
violence too.  She looked asleep, but she also looked tortured.  
Leaning down, he carefully put his arms under her, lifting her up to 
carry her out of the room.  "We… should tell her parents," Tenchi 
said, softly.
	Nobody cried as they looked at Aeka, feeling the sadness, 
but unable to act on it.
	"What's that?" Sasami said, feeling something odd, 
looking toward the dust cloud.
	"What do you mean, Sasami?" Washu asked, looking lost 
and hopeless.
	"Look!" she said, pointing at a silhouette of a man.
	"No way…" Tenchi said, his eyes wide.
	Russ remained standing, his arms still outstretched, as if 
he were a statue.  Letting his arms drop to his sides, he slowly 
turned around, no longer a super saiyan.  His hair and eyebrows 
had returned to black, and his eyes did as well.  He looked much 
smaller and frailer than ever before, as he limped his way over to 
the family, dragging his foot that had the gouge in it, blood 
dripping from nearly every surface on his body.  His clothes were 
tattered and shredded, and his blue undershirt with his pants was 
the only pieces of his gi that remained.
	Tenchi and Ryoko both looked at him in surprise and 
terror, as they couldn't believe what they were seeing.  "Russ?" 
Ryoko said, not sure if it was really him.
	Ignoring her, Russ slowly made his way past her and 
stopped in front of Tenchi.  "Put her down, please," he requested, 
breathing heavily.
	"Why?" he asked, not sure why he asked that himself.
	"Please put her down," Russ asked again, barely able to 
stand as he swayed from side to side with the wind.  He almost 
looked like he was going to fall over at any second.
	Trusting him, Tenchi knelt down and very gently, laid 
Aeka back down on the ground.  Looking into her face once more, 
Russ closed his eyes, raising his blistered hands, palms outward, 
toward Aeka.  "Now get back."
	"What are you going to do?!" Washu yelled, looking at 
him.  "You're in no shape to do anything!"
	Again, ignoring her, Russ concentrated.  Everybody held 
his or her breath collectively, watching, waiting to see what he was 
going to do.  After nearly a solid minute of concentrating, he began 
to glow, a soft white glow that seemed to emit a holy light, but not 
like Zorpheus's attack.  Opening his eyes, he looked down at 
Aeka's form, and released his energy in a soft beam that entered 
Aeka's body, causing her to glow along with him.  Small bubbles 
of color rode the beam into Aeka's body, coming from Russ's own 
tattered body.
	Sasami gasped, watching her sister.  The gaping hole over 
her chest was slowly disappearing, as were the bruises she suffered 
at the hands of Zorpheus.  It was slow, methodical, and 
miraculous, but her sister was being put back to normal somehow.  
The noise was a very quiet and peaceful hum, as they watched 
Russ pour the last of his energy into Aeka's body, healing her, and 
trying to revive her.
	"Come on," Russ said, after the last of Aeka's wounds 
disappeared.  Continuing to put his energy into Aeka's body, he 
did not stop until he knew that Aeka would live.  Finally 
discontinuing the beam, he still stood over his forbidden love, his 
hands still outstretched, has he held his breath and waited.
	Sasami, Tenchi, Washu, Ryoko, Kiyone, and Mihoshi all 
looked at Russ and Aeka, a mix of fear, hope, and disbelief on each 
of their visages.  They each remained silent, hoping against hope 
that Russ performed yet another miracle.
	Lying down on the ground, Aeka remained motionless 
and lifeless for a few moments, until her mouth opened to take in a 
huge breath of air.  Her eyes fluttered open as she looked into the 
sky, wondering where she was, as she was unable to figure out 
why she was back on Earth and not in Heaven.

	"Oh my god!" Misaki yelled, onboard the king's ship, 
now heading toward Earth with an escort fleet of three hundred 
ships, tears pouring out of her eyes.  "She's ALIVE!  How the hell 
did Russ do that?!  That's IMPOSSIBLE!  Only a god can do 
that!"
	"He is no god," Asuza said, looking at the viewscreen.  
"But he has performed a miracle.  That is nothing short of 
incredible.  He has saved our daughter's life, but he was the one at 
fault for having it taken away too."
	"I don't care!" she yelled.  "Our daughter is alive!"

	"AEKA!!"  Sasami yelled, pulling free of Tenchi and 
running up to her sister.  She dropped to her knees and looked into 
her sister's eyes with the tears pouring out of her own.  "You're 
alive!"  Throwing her arms around Aeka, she buried her face in 
Aeka's chest, squeezing with all her might.  "You're alive!"
	Still stunned, unable to come up with an explanation, 
Aeka looked down at her sister, then back at the family.  Slowly 
reaching up, she touched Sasami, as if she were a ghost, but she 
then hugged her, pulling her close, letting a smile creep onto her 
lips and letting the tears flow from her eyes.
	Washu stood by, completely awestruck and baffled over 
what she just witnessed.  No modern miracle could've done that 
and it still seemed almost surreal that it did happen.  Tears welling 
up in her eyes again, she continued to look at Aeka, and then at the 
hole in her clothes, which was now bare, clean skin.  
"Unbelievable."
	Both Tenchi and Ryoko smiled warmly, holding each 
other close, very, very happy that Aeka was back with them.  
"Welcome back," they both said in unison.
	Aeka took each of their expressions and set those 
memories in stone within her mind.  She smiled, tears streaming 
down her cheeks, as she continued to hold her crying sister.  
Finally looking to her other side, she saw Russ standing there, 
breathing heavily, and looking like an absolute mess, but he was 
smiling.  Nevertheless, she sensed something was very wrong with 
him as she watched him.  "Are you okay?" she asked, hearing the 
sound of her voice once again.
	"Welcome back, Aeka," he said, quietly, his voice 
somewhat garbled from the fluid gathering in his throat.
	Looking up from her sister, Sasami watched Russ, a mix 
of worry and concern on her face.  "Russ?  What's wrong?"
	Glancing down at Sasami, Russ smiled, a happy, 
contented, and fulfilled smile.  "I'm sorry, Sasami, but I have to 
break a promise that I made to you," he said, lowering his arms to 
his sides.
	"What do you mean?" she asked, the tears still streaming 
from her eyes from being overjoyed.  "You brought my sister back 
to life!"
	Shaking his head slowly, Russ continued to smile.  "Not 
that one, Sasami.  To bring Aeka back, I had to use up all of my 
energy, and my life force.  I gave her everything I had left to let 
her live," he said.  "I gave up my life to let your sister live."
	"What are you saying?" Aeka asked, concerned.  "You're 
here, I'm here.  It'll all work out!"
	Again shaking his head, Russ still smiled.  "I'm sorry, 
Aeka.  I never meant for any of this to happen, especially letting 
you die.  But I feel strangely at peace with myself, and fulfilled.  I 
don't know what it is about you, but there was something in my 
mind that insisted that you had to live.  As I always said, you're far 
more important than myself, and I guess that is what gives you the 
right to live."
	"Stop talking nonsense," she said, her voice skipping like 
she was laughing.  "You're going to be just fine, aren't you?" she 
asked, but gasped as she saw a couple of tears at the corners of 
Russ's eyes.  It was the first time she had seen a man like him cry, 
and it was then that she knew what he had done.
	His black pupils slowly began to fade, lightening to a 
gray, and then nearly disappearing altogether, Russ raised his right 
hand, giving her a thumb up.  "I'm sorry, Aeka.  I wish I could've 
been your lover," he said, his voice shaking, but he still maintained 
that warm, fulfilled smile.  "No need for Dragonballs."  Feeling the 
wind over his battered skin, he felt himself falling onto his side, 
but he never felt the impact of when he hit the ground.  The wind 
continued to stir his hair, his face still smiling, his thumb still 
pointed upward, as he let himself go, his entire life playing before 
his eyes, but the most tender moments of it playing again and 
again, and that being the final year of his life.  Russ, one of the 
most powerful warriors the family had ever had the pleasure of 
meeting, knowing, and loving, passed away.
	Again, the entire family watched him fall and thud against 
the ground, their jaws hanging open, completely blown away that 
one of his caliper was now lying dead in front of them.  Their 
emotions were thrown into absolute turmoil again, as they 
witnessed the death and rebirth of one of their most loved ones, 
and now, witnessed the death of another.
	"Russ?" Aeka said, still not able to believe that he could 
be dead.  "Russ?!  RUSS!?  RUUUUUSSSS!!!" she screamed, 
throwing her sister off of him and crawling over to him, putting her 
hands on him and shaking him.  Screaming to the heavens, she 
covered his body with hers and wept like she never had before, all 
of her frustration pouring out of her like an uncontrolled river of 
rage.  The rest of the family all stood by, feeling the lump in their 
throats, thinking of all the happiness he had give them since 
coming to live with them.  But as he said, "But when the time 
comes, I may have to leave."  They never imagined that he'd be 
leaving in this way.

	Elsewhere, about a quarter mile away from where Russ 
and the family were, a hand grabbed a fistful of dirt, listening to 
everything that had happened…

To be continued…