Chapter Ten

"It seems a hopeless case."

Kamidake stepped away from the window panels of the Unko, casting his companion a pensive glance as the sleek silver ship swept through space, passing deftly between meteor clusters and nearby planets as it headed deeper into the black. "Haki's black ship Karasu is a fast vessel, and unless we can pick up the vapour trail, I don't see how we're going to track him down. He already has a head start on us, and we don't know where to begin looking. How can we locate the Lady Misao without even the slightest clue where she is?"

"That's the kind of defeatist attitude I don't expect from a knight of Tsunami, Kamidake." Seiryo said quietly, flipping the switch of his craft to auto-pilot as he got to his feet, coming to join the other man at the glass. "Although you do have a good point. We are looking for a needle in a haystack - the worst kind of pursuit when the ship you seek is camouflaged against the night sky and ours is far from discreet in comparison."

He frowned, casting a glance around him for the Shizukasari Lord, and Kamidake, guessing his thoughts, offered a wry smile.

"Lord Hirayama has retired to rest." He said softly. "It seems he is not accustomed to space travel at this kind of speed."

"What are these people thinking?" Seiryo demanded, incredulity in his teal eyes. "I knew Hirayama's son and he was a dedicated, focused agent who would have run through fire to solve a case. How can his line be so feeble? But it's that planet, isn't it? The whole lot of them, like a group of flustered, uncoordinated chickens running wild around their coop because a fox has broken through the fencing."

"An apt description." Kamidake's smile widened, and humour flickered in his grave violet eyes. "But we shouldn't judge them too harshly. Jurai faces a lot more conflict than a world like Yousai does. It is protected by the Emperor and his forces, after all. And normally, it is at peace."

"Yes, so I believe." Seiryo grimaced. "Perhaps it's not a good thing, if it means the population are so badly equipped to deal with a crisis. If we had not been there, Kamidake, do you realise that they'd still be running in circles bemoaning the kidnap of their Lady, without a clue what to do to resolve it?"

"More, without Lady Sasami's magic, that tower of theirs would have been brought to the ground." Kamidake said thoughtfully. "It concerns me more than a little, to be honest. That such a dangerous force should be sealed on a planet without adequate forces to defend it."

"You feel that way too?" Seiryo asked. "I'm glad I'm not the only one. I think when we finally do return to Jurai, we need to pass some information in Lord Azusa's direction about that place. Peaceful it may be, but that doesn't mean it shouldn't be able to defend itself from outside attack. At this rate it might be more technologically advanced than the Earth, but it's significantly behind in basic protection methods. And that's something I never thought I'd say, but thanks to Washu's dabbling, even the Earth has rudimentary atmospheric shields that at least warn of impending ships in the vicinity."

"Well, Washu-san does like a project to get her teeth into. Perhaps we should recommend she visit Yousai, next time we see her." Kamidake suggested dryly, and Seiryo grinned, nodding his head appreciatively.

"Perhaps we should." He agreed, resting his hands against the glass panes as he peered out into space. "But as for the Black Ship, Karasu - Kamidake, you've encountered this man before, haven't you? He fired a shot at the Tsunami-fune on one occasion - is that correct?"

"Yes, he did." Kamidake's eyes became grave and he nodded his head. "And it was a blast meant to kill - a lesser ship would have been destroyed. As it was, Tsunami-fune suffered some damage, but considering the nature of her design, she was able to repair large elements of herself as we continued our journey. However, the blast also knocked my lady Princess from her position in control of the craft. I believe that Tsunami-sama reached her magic through to Lady Sasami's soul to protect her...otherwise she would not have survived."

"I see." Seiryo looked thoughtful. "It would seem that this craft is designed simply to kill and destroy, and nothing else."

"I believe that it's soul is interlinked with that of the pilot. What Haki's will is, Karasu's has become." Kamidake shrugged his shoulders. "I don't understand all of the technicalities, but that's my belief."

"So I have also heard." Seiryo admitted. "So, you think we should continue our pursuit?"

"Yes, I do." Kamidake said firmly. "We have to do our best to recover the Lady Misao, you know that. Unless you want to return and tell Lady Sasami that we'd given up because we couldn't find the vessel in amongst all the darkness...I think we should continue. In the meantime, we'll just have to hope that Lady Misao is alive and safe, and that if Haki chooses to return for another assault on Yousai, Sasami-hime's magic is equal to the task."

"Don't you mean Tsunami's magic?" Seiryo looked startled. Kamidake shook his head.

"I don't believe so." He said pensively. "Lady Sasami was exhausted by the attempt - as if she'd used up a large amount of her own strength in repelling Haki's attack. Tsunami bolsters her, it's true, but at the end of the day, they are one and the same person. Tsunami split their spirit into two when Sasami-hime was born, so that the Princess could grow and develop without the burden placed on her head. I still feel that Karasu's blast into Tsunami-fune is what woke Tsunami-sama inside my Princess, though I have no proof. Since then the Goddess has only become stronger and more firmly entwined in Sasami-hime's life and actions. Eventually the two sides of the spirit will be put back together into one, and Tsunami and Sasami will be the same person completely. But that Sasami seems to be accessing Tsunami's reserves of magic is a sign to me that their connection continues to gather strength."

"All of this is a bit beyond me." Seiryo admitted. "I only believe that Sasami is who she says she is because I've heard it from so many sources. What you're saying is that our Princess, the second child of Lord Haru and Lady Misaki, is truly the reborn spirit of a dead Priestess who lived generations into Jurai's past...aren't you?"

"The legend never speaks of Tsunami-sama's death, no." Kamidake shook his head. "The story only tells that she sank into the core of the planet and became one with Jurai's heart. She didn't die - she combined her generosity of spirit with the living force that already resided in the depths of our world. She became beyond flesh and blood, true - but there's never been any evidence to suggest that the tribal Princess Tsunami ever passed away. No grave has been found, no shrine or repository storing her bones or ashes. She just disappeared into the heart of the world and from then on, Jurai flourished."

"You don't really believe that happened, do you?" Seiryo looked sceptical. Kamidake nodded solemnly.

"With all my heart." He said simply. "Tsunami simply let go of her human form to become sealed to the planet. And now she's regained it, that's all - in the form of the Lady Sasami."

"Well, think what you like, but I think the resurrection theory is bizarre enough without adding eternal life and body-shedding to the equation." Seiryo said pragmatically. "However, if all you say is true, it does mean that Sasami-sama should be able to hold off any more attacks from Karasu in our absence. Right?"

"Possibly." Kamidake nodded his head. "If she's recovered her strength enough to wield the magic again. She's just a child, when all is said and done. It's a lot for her to deal with. Tsunami might be divine, but Sasami-sama is still just a girl with fears and doubts like the rest of us. We already ask much of her."

"You're very fond of that girl, aren't you." Seiryo observed thoughtfully, sending his companion a sidelong glance, and Kamidake started, staring at him in consternation.

"What do you mean? I'm sworn to protect and defend her with my life - as a Knight of Tsunami, that is my duty to Jurai and the Imperial Family."

"Perhaps, but I meant on a more personal level." Seiryo said evenly. "You seem to be great friends, you and the young Princess Sasami. Am I wrong?"

"No, of course not." Kamidake frowned. "I'd like to believe we are friends. Why should we not be? Sasami-sama is the kind of person who attracts people to her, and I'm not ashamed to be one of them. I enjoy the Princess's company - my duties are never a burden."

"I see." Seiryo pursed his lips. "And what do you make of Lord Motonoya? In light of your duty, Kamidake, do you think such a cretin of a nobleman should be courting our Lady Princess so blatantly without Lord Haru's consent?"

"I'm not sure that he's courting her, exactly." Kamidake's expression became thoughtful, although Seiryo detected a flicker of wary apprehension in the violet eyes. "As you said, Lord Haru hasn't given consent, and nor has my Lord Emperor. But he is of good breeding, and would not shame Lady Sasami in terms of his bloodline or his position at Court. I don't think that it would be a disapproved match, if that's your implication. He's young, and maybe he's impulsive. But he has a well-meaning heart. I think that Lady Sasami could do much worse."

"You'd support it then, this match, if she was to ask your advice?" Seiryo looked quizzical. Kamidake stared at his companion for a moment, then he shrugged his shoulders.

"I already told her that she should consider it properly, and not dismiss it out of hand." He said carefully. "After all, a Princess of Jurai should marry a Lord who befits her station. Especially one who holds Jurai's Goddess within her heart."

"I think she holds more than Tsunami within her heart, Kamidake." Seiryo said frankly, eying the mixture of emotions that flashed across the knight's face. "And I don't think she will marry Yurikage Motonoya. You seem to forget that she has a strong will, our Princess. And she won't make a marriage match unless she truly feels it to be right."

"Lord Tennan, may I ask where you are going with this?" Kamidake questioned. Seiryo smiled, shaking his head slowly.

"Nowhere I suppose." He said reflectively. "As you are, I am a friend of the Lady Sasami. And I have concerns for her future and her current well-being. That's all."

"I see." Kamidake eyed Seiryo long and hard for a moment, then, "I almost wondered, if you don't mind the insinuation, whether you had considered approaching Lord Haru for Lady Sasami's hand yourself, my Lord."

"You know, once upon a time I would probably have struck a palace knight for making that kind of suggestion." Seiryo said levelly. "But I happen to respect you, and I certainly don't consider you my inferior in any regard. You are, after all, chosen of Tsunami-kami-sama. But you can rest assured that I have no aspirations to wed the Princess Sasami. I believe she will grow into a fine, strong woman, and that she will make the Goddess's legacy proud. But I have no desire to take her as my wife. For one thing, I have no interest in marriage at all...certainly not at present, anyway. And for another, her spiritual connections would unsettle me. I am a realist, Kamidake...not a religious man. I wouldn't want to be so closely interwoven with divine magic. Remember, I've already suffered at the hands of one powerful would-be Goddess. I won't chance another, for all the gold or power on Jurai."

"My apologies." Kamidake's expression twitched into a sheepish smile. "For the forwardness of my suggestion as much as for my not thinking it through. I had forgotten your dealings with the Lady Tokimi, Lord Tennan. It was inappropriate of me."

"No, I prefer people who dare to be direct." Seiryo shook his head. "And now you know the answer to your question. I just don't believe Yurikage-dono to be a suitable consort for Jurai's Goddess-in-waiting. I'm surprised that you do."

"I don't believe it's really my place to judge those things." Kamidake turned back towards the window. "So it's immaterial, what I think."

"I doubt the Lady Sasami feels that way about it." Seiryo said softly, and Kamidake eyed his companion sharply.

"I don't understand your meaning."

"I think you do." Seiryo said simply, offering him a benign smile. "In the meantime, this little discourse is fascinating, but not helping us to trace Karasu's trail. It would help to have access to his police file, I suppose - but when I left the Galaxy Police, that part of the Unko's database was erased completely. I don't have Washu's powers of hacking signals, so I haven't any way of retrieving it, sadly. Aside from your brief encounter and the little I can remember, we don't know much about this man or what drives him on."

"Maybe we do." Kamidake's brows knitted together as he considered the situation. "Haki was once an associate of the Lady Ryoko. In fact, I believe they raided together. When Haki was sealed in his prison, it was Lady Ryoko, Lady Ayeka and Lord Tenchi who put the spell on him, and Washu-sensei was the one who sent him into subspace. Since he sought out gems which were, at that time, in Ryoko-san's possession, it seems possible that he might try to take them from her again. Or at least, that might be his intention."

"Lady Ryoko..." Seiryo's eyes narrowed until they were little more than slits. "She still has these gems?"

"They became part of her, when she fought against the traitor Kagato in Jurai's name."

"I wish you'd stop speaking in that melodramatic way." Seiryo grimaced at his companion. "You could simply say that they assimilated when Kagato was beaten."

"I come from a different era from you." Kamidake shrugged. "I apologise if my speech offends you, Lord Tennan."

"You know, that's your problem, Kamidake." Seiryo decided, as he moved back towards the ship's dashboard, bringing a detailed space-map up on the Unko's expansive, glittering monitor. "You never seem to take offence at anything, and you're always ready to apologise and make peace."

"What on earth do you mean, my Lord?" Kamidake stared at his companion, bewildered, and Seiryo shrugged his shoulders.

"Just that you might avoid making enemies with that strategy, but I doubt you'll win friends, either." He said frankly, flipping carefully through screen after screen as he hunted for the one he wanted. "Social etiquette and court manners are one thing, but you can be too self-effacing, and if you're not careful, it's going to cost you more than just the chance to be taken seriously by more people. You have a will and a voice, Kamidake, and I've heard about what kind of a fighter you are. You have a Princess on Jurai who you are sworn to defend, and yet you don't even defend her against an unsuitable fool of a suitor. Bloodlines and chivalry will blind you, if you're not careful...you owe Sasami-sama more than just your official attention and your indifference."

"What are you saying?" Kamidake looked stricken, and Seiryo offered him a droll smile.

"You are a man, not a puppet and not a tool." He said softly. "Remember it, and don't be afraid to admit it."

"You have some strange ideas." Kamidake looked annoyed, coming to peer at the map over his shoulder. "Where are we going, anyway? What are your intentions, Lord Tennan?"

"There you go again. Lord Tennan, when I have already told you I consider you my equal." Seiryo wheeled on him, grabbing him firmly by the shoulders and meeting his gaze. "I don't believe you are as dense as that fool Yurikage, but I might be wrong. He believes that he is destined to marry Lady Sasami, and he never will. Her heart isn't his and it won't ever be. But you believe you will never be anything more to that Princess than her guardian and her supporter. And so you will be, if you continue to give deference to unsuitable, foolish idiots with floppy blond hair and a penchant for wielding swords at reckless moments."

Kamidake stared at Seiryo in abject horror, struck speechless by the implications of his companion's words. Seiryo spread his hands.

"Who is the bigger fool...you or him?" He asked pragmatically. "I'm really not sure, when I review the evidence. But I do know which one is more likely to break the Princess's heart, when all is said and done."

"You overstep yourself." At last Kamidake found his voice, his hand hovering briefly over his weapon as he fought to bring his temper under control. "What you suggest is ludicrous and disrespectful to the Princess you are sworn to serve! She is a lady and a Goddess-in-waiting - how dare you imagine that I would ever entertain any thoughts of that nature about someone I care so much to serve? She is my mistress, and that is all she will ever be! I have no aspirations of grandeur...I wish only to serve my Princess in whatever way I can!"

"Ah. I knew you must have some emotion inside of you, somewhere." Seiryo seemed amused by his companion's indignation. "I'm glad to see it. I don't believe a word of it, but I'm glad all the same."

"Lord Tennan, stop disrespecting Lady Sasami in this manner!"

"You stop disrespecting her." Seiryo said bluntly. "And start paying closer attention to the girl, when she speaks to you. I think you'll find I know more than you do. I may no longer have the Kii sight instilled in me, but I'm a man of enough sense to call a horse a horse, if it presents itself to me."

Kamidake gritted his teeth, his hand grasping loosely around his weapon for a split-second, then, with a tremendous effort, he drew his fingers back, folding his arms across his chest. Seiryo eyed him with some interest, nodding his head slowly.

"And now, we should at least follow the only lead we seem to have." He said nonchalantly, gesturing towards the screen. "Since you said Haki has connections with Lady Ryoko, I imagine that means we head to the Earth and see whether they've seen anything of her down there. I won't pretend that it's my favourite place to visit, at any time. But it's the only thing I can think of...and I'm sure that, if I take a noble knight like yourself with me, we'll both be fine."

Kamidake sent him a look that was black as thunder, but he did not reply, and Seiryo knew he was fighting the urge to say something he would likely later regret. He let out a low chuckle, resting his hand on the knight's shoulder.

"You are more than a Knight of Jurai to a lot of people, you know." He said lightly. "I don't mean to offend you or to disrespect the Princess we both swear our allegiance to. But Sasami values you in more ways than you know...and you will hurt her one day, if you refuse to see it. That's all."

Kamidake's lips thinned, but he still made no attempt to speak, and Seiryo sighed.

"All right. Be that way." He said resignedly. "We'll see which of us is proven to be right."

Kamidake's brows knitted together, as he finally got a firm grasp on his composure and his emotions.

"We'll go to the Earth, Lord Tennan." He said quietly. "And ask Lady Ryoko and Lord Tenchi whether they can help us find the Lady Misao. I will go and wake Lord Hirayama, to tell him our plans. With a ship such as the Unko, it shouldn't take us long to cross space to the Solar System."

With that he was gone, the stiffness of his retreating figure indicative of his continuing anger, and Seiryo leant back against the glass panes of the Unko's drive room, a thoughtful look on his face.

"Well, so now I know for sure that Washu is right." He murmured. "It was pretty clear after Yugi was defeated that Sasami-sama was fond of Kamidake. But that the feelings were reciprocated...and now I know that they are. I suppose time will tell as to whether he's man enough to do something about it as the girl grows..after all, in some respects, Tsunami makes her older than her years and quite able to look to her future at this early date. I certainly hope that he has the courage and the conviction. If Lady Sasami marries Lord Motonoya because Kamidake is a fool, then I may have to gut the idiot myself. Both of them, even. Motonoya is a half-wit and the future of Tsunami's cult might rest on his head, if that stubborn, old-fashioned knight doesn't recognise what's right in front of him. Washu said he was chosen by Tsunami as Sasami's protector, and I'm sure that means he was chosen to be more than just her bodyguard."

He sighed, turning his gaze back to the flashing navigation screen.

"And now for planet Earth, the world who probably still view me as a destructive monster, with one man who's unsteady on his space legs and another who seems angry enough to put a spear through my ribs if I turn my back on him for a moment." He mused ironically. "Oh well. It makes life interesting, if nothing else. I think it's a long shot, hoping that Ryoko and her companions know anything about Haki's wherabouts. But right now it's the best we have to go on, so so be it. Planet Earth it is!"

------------

"Are you feeling any better now, Misao?"

Yume cupped the mug of tea in her hands, gently testing it for temperature, and then handing it to the apprehensive young girl. "Here you are. It's hot, but it will help settle you. You've been through a lot, that's clear enough - you're lucky that Ryoko found you when she did."

"I didn't exactly find her." Ryoko dropped down onto the floor rug with a sigh, shrugging her shoulders. "She was sort of wished on me, when I went asking an old friend for information. It seems that Haki took her prisoner, but then decided to ditch her unharmed at a place I know, deep in a dodgy sector of space. Jiro didn't know what to do with her, so he dumped her onto me. Apparently because I was a woman, he thought I'd know what to do about her."

"Jiro, huh?" Tenchi's eyes flickered with recognition at the barman's name. "Isn't that the guy who runs that bar we went to, looking for Haki the last time he surfaced?"

"Yes, that's right." Ryoko inclined her head. "I'm surprised you remember that. I thought that it might be a good place to find information, and I was right - Haki had been there. But he'd gone by the time I got there, and with that kid on my hands, I couldn't exactly go scouting for a vapour trail."

"I'm glad to hear that." Washu put in from the doorway, eying her daughter meaningfully as she folded her arms across her chest. "Since you promised me you wouldn't run off after Haki on your own."

"I know." Ryoko pinkened. "And I wasn't really going to - not to fight him. I guess it just got to me a little, that's all. He was in that bar, and he killed two of Jiro's staff, just because he felt like it. There's a code of mutual honour between patrons and staff of that place, after all - we don't hurt them, and they don't betray us. Jiro was upset about it and I can understand why. If pirates start thinking they can slay the people who serve the drinks, the entire system breaks down. Besides, it's a dirty trick, taking advantage of unarmed people just because you're in a bad mood. He makes me as sick now as he did when I knew him before."

"But you did the right thing, bringing Misao here to the Earth." Yume glanced up from her seat beside the still-shivering girl. "After all, Haki isn't here, and she's safe from whatever mischief he had planned for her."

"I guess that there's no doubt this pirate exists now, huh, Ikeda?" Sakura cast her companion a glance, and Hiroshi offered her a sheepish smile, holding up his hands.

"I surrender." He said good-naturedly. "I guess I'm looking through tunnel-vision Earth eyes a bit too much - I'll try and widen the range a little."

"Well, we're glad that you're alive, Misao-chan." Washu settled herself on the couch between the two Earth students, offering the child a gentle smile, and Ryoko saw an almost maternal sparkle in her soft green eyes. "You must have been very scared."

"Yes." Misao agreed unsteadily, returning the smile with a shy one of her own. "But thank you for helping me. Especially Ryoko-san, for bringing me so far from that horrible man. I...I'm very grateful."

"I'm sure it was her pleasure." Tenchi cast his fiancee a rueful smile, and Ryoko grimaced back at him. "And you're welcome to stay here as long as you need, while we try and get in touch with your homeworld. Yousai, did you say? I've not heard of it, but I'm sure that Washu or Ryoko have, and that somehow we'll be able to send out a signal to them, letting them know that you're safe here with us."

"Yousai is a dependant of Jurai, Tenchi." Washu nodded her head. "Famous for it's gem production, among other things. The people are notoriously peaceful as a rule, and there is a lot of interracial cohabitation, thanks to the relaxed immigration attitude of the Council that rules. I believe the native population mostly belong to a clan called the Shizukasari, though I may be mistaken."

"No, you're not." Misao offered another slight smile, taking a sip of her tea and then setting the mug down on the wood-finish table. "That is my people."

"And you're pretty important to them, I'd figure, if this pirate Haki decided to nab you?" Hiroshi eyed the girl with interest, rather as if he was sizing up a zoo exhibit, and Sakura dealt him a short, sharp elbow to the ribs, glaring at him pointedly.

"What?" Hiroshi was wounded, and Sakura rolled her eyes.

"You heathen." She said wearily. "The girl's scared, and the last thing she needs is an idiot like you gawping at her like she's some circus show."

"I was just looking to see if I could tell she was an alien, that's all!" Hiroshi defended himself. "So far all the aliens I've seen look like people...I wanted to see if she was different from the others."

Sakura groaned, shaking her head slowly.

"Misao-san, I apologise for him. He's a moron." She said succinctly. "Not everyone on the Earth is as rude, I promise."

Misao smiled.

"Everyone has been nice to me." She acknowledged. "I'm not so scared any more. Not now I know you're friends of the Lady Sasami, who has been so good to me."

"If you know Sasami, then Hiroshi is probably right. You must be an important figure on Yousai, Misao-chan." Tenchi observed thoughtfully. "Someone worth kidnapping and ransoming, maybe, but something went wrong and Haki was interrupted. You said he went crazy on the bar, Ryoko. Perhaps that was why. Something happened to prevent him carrying out his plan where Misao was concerned."

"I am the Lady of Yousai." Misao nodded her head, her cheeks pinkening as she spoke the words. "But I'm not a very good one. At least, I'm only just the Lady, because I'm only just thirteen. But I really don't know much about what I'm supposed to do, yet. I'm too shy and I forget things...I'm really not a very good leader at all."

"You're only a child, though." Sakura said softly. "You can't expect to be able to lead a whole planet at that age, surely?"

"You'd be surprised." Washu said acidly. "I've known Lords and Kings of worlds who have been younger. And then there's Sasami herself, too. She might be only a teenager, but she's a Goddess's flesh and blood representative, strong enough to rule the spiritual side of Jurai's affairs and even marry, should she and her family decide it would be a good idea. Different planets have very different ideas of adult."

"Marry, at thirteen?" Sakura looked horrified. "But that's archaic! You must be kidding!"

"Not at all." Washu said serenely. "Remember, many marriages in illustrious families like the Family Jurai are politically based, not done on feelings and emotions. As I said, a very different world."

"Lady Sasami is so strong and confident." Misao sighed, looking sad. "I like her very much, but I wish I was more like her. She doesn't seem to be afraid of anyone or anything. She's come to our world and she doesn't know us at all, but she treats us all like we're old friends, and even wants to learn our stories and our customs. I know that that's the sort of Lady Yousai needs, but I don't know how to be that way. And that's why I'm weak and I get kidnapped by evil people like this Haki person. Because I'm not like Lady Sasami."

"Sasami is on Yousai at the moment, is she?" Ryoko looked startled. "That's an interesting coincidence if ever there was one. Haki attacks this planet, kidnaps Misao here...and there just happens to be representatives from Jurai in the area. Sasami was with us when we imprisoned him, Washu - do you think that his target was her?"

"Then why did he take Misao?" Yume objected. "Haki might be mad, but it isn't logical. If he knew Sasami from a prior acquaintance, he'd know which girl to go after."

"I suppose so." Ryoko acknowledged. "It just makes no sense to me. Nothing that he does makes sense to me! Since he's been revived, he's not come after Tenchi or I, and he's randomly kidnapped a young girl, only to abandon her in space. And apart from the slayings at Jiro's bar, he hasn't gone all out to kill anyone, either. He's attacked Yousai, a planet famed for its gemstone production, but aside from Misao, he doesn't seem to have taken anything from there. And he's completely ignored the fact that Sasami is on that planet, even though he must remember what happened to him when he was sealed."

"Perhaps he doesn't." Tenchi suggested. "Maybe the spell addled his wits even more, or made him forget."

"Well, I suppose that could be true." Ryoko sighed, cupping her chin in her hands as she thought things over. "There is the matter of the blue parrot, after all."

"Blue..what now?" Hiroshi stared at the pirate as if she had lost her mind, and Ryoko shrugged her shoulders.

"I didn't actually see it, so I'm probably not the best person to try and explain." She said simply. "But Misao told me that she saw a blue bird with Haki, when he left her at the space station."

"I might have dreamed it, though." Misao reminded her softly. "I'm still not sure what was real and what wasn't. But I thought I felt the bird's wing brush over me, so I thought that bit might be real, if nothing else was."

"It's not much to go on." Washu looked thoughtful. "Haki's ship is a Phoenix and its name is Karasu, the Raven - so there's no doubt he already has an affiliation with all things feathered. Maybe he just decided to go the extra mile and get a pet - we are talking about someone with a warped brain, after all."

"I think the bird spoke to him, though I couldn't make out the words." Misao creased her brow as she struggled to remember. "I'm sorry. I'm really not being a lot of use, am I?"

"Jiro said that Haki seemed to be having an argument with a blue bird, the first time he came to the bar in recent weeks." Ryoko remembered. "A blue parrot, that's what he said too."

"So it sounds like Misao wasn't dreaming at all." Sakura sighed. "This whole thing is giving me the creeps, I have to admit. It sounds completely surreal, but the scary part is that it is real and all of this stuff really happened. Can you get talking birds? I mean, Ikeda has a point when he says all aliens we've met so far have been like people. But are there alien populations who don't look like us?"

"Well, there are the Wau, I suppose." Washu pondered, tilting her head on one side as she considered. "They're not quite humanoid - more a blend of human and fox, or wolf. Most species have adapted in some way or another to mobile life, so have developed similar biological features to adapt to the worlds in which they live. Of course, there's always room for deviation. And there is a theory which suggests that all forms of planetary life began with the same few tribal peoples, many, many milennia before even I was born, on a planet that has long since been split into fragments and divided up throughout the universe."

"I remember something about a big bang theory at school." Hiroshi frowned. "Is that what you mean, Miss Washu?"

"I suppose that's as close as Earth has got to defining it, yes." Washu agreed, her eyes sparkling with interest at the prospect of a scientific discussion. "But what scientists generally believe now is that the big bang was just one of a series of explosions that didn't so much create the universe but divided it into it's componant atoms. That is where opinion divides on the matter, of course - the spiritual scientists believe that this was the work of several different planetary spirits who went on to possess and dominate worlds such as Jurai, Kihaku and other sentient lands. Practical scientists believe it was a huge collision of megalithic proportions that split the universe into its current state, caused by some shift in the time-space continuum. However..."

"Enough already." Ryoko held up her hands, cutting across her mother in mid-flow. "We really don't care, Washu. Let's get back to the matter at hand, all right? Is there a planet that you know of where there are talking birds?"

"Not off the top of my head." Washu shot the pirate a dark look. "You really are still so rude, musume-chan. We need to work on that."

"Can it." Ryoko glowered back at her. "So in your opinion, there can't be any such thing as a bird who talks?"

"I don't think I said that." Washu shook her head. "There are a lot of ways the bird could have talked...it doesn't mean there is or isn't a planet of exotic and highly advanced Minah birds out there in the cosmos."

She glanced at Yume, offering her a smile.

"Yume, will you show Ryoko what I mean?" She asked genially, and Yume looked startled, then she smiled back as comprehension flooded her features. She nodded her head, getting to her feet as her body glimmered and morphed into the form of a silver bird, perching neatly on the back of the chair.

"Would you look at that." Hiroshi murmured, shaking his head slowly. "If I could do that, I'd be able to hide from my college room-mate whenever he wants to test out his latest martial arts move."

"That's amazing." Sakura was equally struck. "How do you do that? I mean, change so easily? If I didn't know you weren't a bird, I'd think you flew in from outside."

"I get it." Tenchi frowned, casting Washu a troubled look, as Yume shifted her form back to her more familiar Earth disguise. "Washu, you think a shape-shifter might have been the bird that Misao and Jiro were talking about."

"It's a good way to protect an identity, that's for sure." Washu nodded her head. "Thank you for the demonstration, Yume. Perfect, as usual."

"So can you change yourself into anything you like, Miss Yume?" Misao asked her curiously. Yume nodded her head.

"So long as it's in my databanks, yes." She agreed. "That's what I was designed to do - to change my form and blend in with the people around me. Even this form you see me in now is not how I truly appear - Yume is my Earth disguise, that's all."

"So how do you really look, then?" Sakura asked. "I mean, if you don't mind my asking."

"Zero is a robot, so I look like a robot." Yume said simply. "But Yume is who I've become, so I choose to live in this form, not as the robot I was built to be. I don't like remembering that life, you see - bad things happened in it, and they're not things I want to go back to. Becoming Yume was a new start for me - so this is how I like to look, most of the time."

"My brain hurts." Hiroshi admitted.

"We're getting off the point again." Ryoko said impatiently. "So a shape-shifter is working with Haki in some way. Is that what we think, then? That somehow this shape-shifter was involved in his release, and that this has something to do with Misao being nabbed and the fact he left her where he did?"

"I suppose it's possible he left her there for you to find, Ryoko." Tenchi said, eying his fiancee anxiously. "Considering this man's feeling towards you, it could have been meant as a trap."

"I'm not here to hurt anyone!" Misao looked frightened, holding up her hands in a gesture of submission. "I promise, I've not lied to you! I didn't come here to do anything bad, and I...I don't know anything about this Haki person that I haven't told you!"

"Nobody is suggesting that, Misao-chan. Relax." Washu said gently, offering her a smile. "And I don't think Tenchi meant to imply that you were complicit. Maybe Haki hoped to encounter Ryoko, or draw him after her into space after he left you as bait. As it happened, Ryoko had the sense not to follow, so if that was his plan, it failed. And now we can see about getting you home, so you really have nothing to worry about."

"You should probably get some rest." Yume added. "Will you come with me, Misao? I can find you something clean and fresh to sleep in, and you must be tired, after your ordeal. It's quite safe here - noone will let any harm come to you."

"Thank you. I...I am tired." Misao nodded her head. "I will come with you, Miss Yume, if I'm not being any trouble."

"Where will you take her?" Washu asked. "I'd rather not have her in the lab if at all possible - there are a lot of things there she could trip and fall over, and I don't want her doing herself an injury."

Ryoko sighed, resignation entering her eyes.

"She can sleep in my room, Yume." She said flatly. "After all, I don't sleep there most nights, and if it gets cold out, I can always invade Tenchi's room."

"Then that's settled." Washu looked pleased, as Tenchi reddened at his fiancee's casual innuendo. "Good girl, Ryoko."

"Thanks, Mom." Ryoko muttered, as Yume led the young girl away, the door sliding shut behind them. "It's not like there's anywhere else she can sleep. Sakura and Hiroshi are here too, and we don't have any spare room space. I'm the only one who's happy sleeping on the roof or the shrine gateway if it's summer, so it makes sense. And it's not like you wouldn't have made me, if I hadn't offered. I figured I'd save myself the fight."

"Sleep...on the roof?" Hiroshi blinked, and Tenchi shot Ryoko a rueful smile.

"We have a few, shall we say, unique living arrangements in this house." He admitted. "Ryoko's fairly game to sleep anywhere - actually, her bedroom seems to be bottom of her list of preferences."

"Not high enough up." Ryoko explained succinctly. "I'm a pirate, I'm used to taking high ground. Besides, when you can fly, falling doesn't really hold much fear. It's nicer, sleeping under the stars when there's a clear sky like there often is on the Earth. I like to enjoy what's around me, that's all."

"I'm sure you do." Hiroshi murmured ambiguously, sending Tenchi a meaningful look, and Tenchi reddened further, casting his friend a glare.

"Will you cut it out?" He demanded. "This isn't the time or the place, you know."

"What about the girl, Washu? Is she really telling the truth, do you think?" Ryoko shot the scientist a glance, and Washu frowned, nodding her head.

"To my eyes she looks just what she seems. A scared young girl who's been through a traumatic time and who is lonely, homesick and lost." She said with a shrug. "If you're thinking of Sakuya Kumashiro and Yugi's web of deceit, Ryoko, I think you can lay that fear to rest. Misao is just what she claims...a kidnapped girl who's lucky to have escaped Haki with her life."

"Well, that's a relief, at least." Tenchi said pensively. "Do you think you can get in touch with Yousai then, Washu? I mean, to tell them that their lost Lady is safe and sound with us?"

"I'll work on doing that first thing in the morning. For now, I suggest we all get some rest." Washu said wisely. "It would be better for Misao to sleep the night through than be disturbed in the middle of it by well-meaning envoys from a planet several light years from here. Besides, I will have to notify Earth's authorities that we're expecting peaceful visitors. They're still a bit jittery about the appearance of Haki's ship on their scanners, so it might be wise to give them prior warning of this visit. They're used to Ryo Ohki flitting in and out, and royal ships from Jurai have been known to cross the threshold, too. But Haki's Karasu is an entirely different matter - they were understandably a bit alarmed."

"Then we'll go to bed, I guess." Ryoko frowned. "And see what happens in the morning. There's still something wrong about all of this though, somehow. I can't put it together, but it seems wrong to me. Doesn't it seem that way to you?"

"Like pieces of a jigsaw that have been tossed all over the floor?" Washu nodded. "Yes. Just like that."

"We'll have to try and put it back together, then." Tenchi said decidedly, getting to his feet and stifling a yawn. "Starting tomorrow, when we see what we can do about returning poor Misao to her anxious homeworld!"