Ep 12 Startica, Part 1

I finally decided to change this silly header. *snicker* Anyway,

everybody knows the copyright information so I'll just forgo that.

The story is approaching the end. I predict another 4 chapters, give

or take 2, and that'll be it. It's been a lot of fun writing this little

saga (which is surprising, since I have a hard time writing a 6 page

term paper!) and I hope you've enjoyed reading it too. I MAY do

a second series or continuation of the story, or I may not end this at

all. It all depends. Send all hate mail / fan mail to

.

Notice! New Website is going up for the Tenchi fans! Come

check it out at .net and sign the Guestbook, letting

me know you were there. The fanfic will also be posted there, as

will it be on the TMFFA, AND on .net.

It was black. It was an inky black like you find at a

graveyard. Tenchi lay on the ground, blood trickling from a corner

of his mouth as he clutched his chest and moaned in intense pain.

Ryoko was by his side, looking into his eyes that were filled with a

horror that had only been seen once before. Tears were running

out of her own eyes as her sword blazed into existence as she

lunged at her enemy, swinging wildly and screaming like a rabid

banshee.

An instant later, she joined Tenchi on the ground, her eyes

rolled into the back of her head, no longer showing any signs of

life. Tenchi moaned and rolled onto his side, then stared into the

lifeless face of his beloved space pirate.

Aeka stood nearby, her forcefield snapping and crackling,

trying to push back an intense force bearing down on her. Azaka

and Kamidake were at her side trying to help, but they were blown

away by the intense energy.

The forcefield finally gave out around her and she let out

a bloodcurdling scream when she was hurled through the Masaki

house, crashing through wood and plaster with a sickening crunch.

She fell silent and didn't get back up.

Yosho lay on the ground nearby, a gaping hole in his

chest as his face relived the last few seconds of his fate in a

contorted look of absolute terror. His glasses were a few feet

away, shattered.

Washu was nowhere in sight. Nobody knew what

happened to her or where she had gone. Did she live or die? She

vanished without a trace.

Tenchi somehow returned to his feet and faced his most

hated enemy, activated the sword Tenchi, and charged with a

scream of pure insanity.

He never had a chance. In a blinding flash of white

energy, his body was vaporized in an instant, leaving absolutely no

trace of Tenchi, almost as if he never existed. Sword Tenchi fell to

the ground, a red smear on the handle from its former owner.

Sasami stood defiant as she faced her mortal enemy.

Trying to summon up all her courage and the power of Tsunami,

her enemy started laughing. A cold, evil, heartless laugh rivaled

only by Kagato. It spoke to her.

"The power of Tsunami won't help you. Now, the House

of Jurai will die with you."

Sasami screamed in intense, overwhelming pain as she

lost her footing and fell onto her back, her cute face twisted into

horrendous torture, tears pouring from her eyes.

"Why?!" she screamed. "What are you doing to us!?"

Her only answer was another laugh, as it closed in on her,

concealing her in eternal blackness.

"Sasami!! Sasami, wake up! Wake up!" Russ said with

urgency, shaking her from side to side. "Wake up, darn it!"

Sasami's eyes snapped open as she sat bolt upright in his

bed, gasping for air and sweating profusely. Her small body

shuddered violently as she clamped onto Russ's arm and held it as

tightly as she could.

"It's okay now, you're awake." Russ sat down on the bed

and pulled the little princess into a protective embrace.

"Everything will be okay now. The dream is over."

"Oh my god, Russ! It was horrible!" she cried, starting to

sob uncontrollably, her body wracked with violent shudders.

Russ squeezed her more tightly, trying to console her in

the only way he knew how. "It's okay," he said again. "It was

only a dream."

She sniffled and tried to calm herself down after a few

minutes, listening to his deep, reassuring voice. "Thank you for

waking me up. I'm sorry that I woke you up though."

Russ's face pulled into a frown. "Don't apologize for

something that's not your fault. I felt a new, very strong, different

power start going crazy and that startled me out of sleep. I never

felt it before. Surprisingly, it was from you. Anyway, I would've

felt it anywhere in the palace, and I would've come running."

Sasami's eyes widened considerably as she looked into his face.

He nodded, and continued. "Even though I've only known you

guys for two weeks, I feel like a part of the family already. And

being a part of the family, I'd never let anything happen to you or

anybody. But anyway, Ryo-Ohki was also trying to wake you up,

but I guess she is a little too small to be able to do that."

The cabbit hung her head sadly and let out an apologetic

meow. Sasami sniffled and tried to smile, patting the animal on

the head.

"It's okay, Ryo-Ohki. I'm awake now. And thank you

for waking me up, Russ."

"Don't worry about it. Now, what was this scary dream

about? Do you want to talk about it? Do you think it was caused

by eating all that junk food before bedtime?" he said with a laugh,

lightly tickling her under the arm and eliciting a giggle from the

princess.

"I get nightmares once in a while, but this one was really

bad and scary. I dreamt that everybody was killed by something.

It was really horrible, and you weren't in it. However, the enemy

had said something familiar. Oh yeah, he said, 'Now, the House of

Jurai will die with you.' But it couldn't have been him. He's

dead. We killed him a long time ago."

"Killed who?" Russ asked, scratching Sasami's back and

trying to relax her, while scooting a little further onto the bed.

"His name was Kain. He was the most vicious, diabolical

being in existence. He was extremely powerful and scary too."

She shivered at the image her mind conjured up.

Russ scratched his head. "That name doesn't sound

familiar at all to me. What did he do?"

"It's a long story, but he had gone back into the past to

kill Tenchi's mother, and we had to go back to try to save her. We

did win, but Achika, who is Tenchi's mother, used up nearly all of

her power to try to defeat him. It severely shortened her lifespan

and she died shortly after Tenchi was born." Sasami hung her

head sadly. "Unfortunately, it wasn't enough, and he tried to pull

us back into subspace with him even after Achika did him in. We

had to bring out Washu's Dimensional Cannon to blast him to

bits."

"Dimensional Cannon, eh? Sounds powerful."

"It was intended for destroying small galaxies."

Russ resisted the urge to facefault. "Whoa. That is a lot

of power."

"Yes. We fired it into the subspace rift right after we

pulled Tenchi's mom out. We don't know what happened after

that because the portal closed."

"I see. I'm sure it vaporized him and the area of subspace

that he was confined in. Nothing to worry about," he said, giving

her a reassuring squeeze. "Don't worry, okay?"

"Okay." Letting out a yawn and stretching a bit, she

looked at the clock on top of the nightstand. "It's three in the

morning. Oh no. We're going to be so tired when we get up

tomorrow morning," she complained, fretting again for having a

nightmare on such a festive occasion.

"It's okay. Don't worry about it. Things like this happen

from time to time. Shall I send for some warm milk or do you

think you'll be okay?"

She looked up into his face, which was lit by the pale

moonlight and the thousands of colored lights on the trees.

Sighing quietly, she lay back down onto the bed. "I'll be okay.

Will you be nearby, just in case?"

Russ smiled. "I'll be right here on the floor, Sasami. I'm

not going anywhere. I promise. And Ryo-Ohki will be here too,

right?"

The cabbit let out a stern meow and bared her fangs, as if

waiting for something to challenge her. Russ chuckled and slid off

the bed, and lay back down onto his futon.

"G'night, Sasami."

"Good night, Russ."

Russ drifted back to sleep a short time later, but Sasami

remained awake a little while longer, still frightened from the

horrid nightmare.

For the second time since the family's arrival, the light of

dawn flooded the rooms of the visitors, gracing them with its

presence. Again, birds sang their melodious warbling calls,

rousing people out of their slumber who weren't awakened by the

bright sunlight.

Windows were opened, letting in the fragrant warm air,

the smell of it filling people with excited energy. The scent of

flowers and various snack foods wafted through the air, letting

everybody know that the festival was ready to commence in full

force. The shopkeepers were already at their booths, ready to wait

on the thousands of people who would be walking by.

The sky was a crystal blue, except for the thousands of

tiny little tick marks that represented the many ships parked in

orbit. As far as the eye could see, not a cloud existed on this fine

day and made visibility fantastic.

Back in outer space, the Galaxy Police were still directing

traffic for the late arrivals, doing their best to find them a place

where their ship would remain in stationary orbit, but places were

running thin, and still more vessels continued to arrive.

Ships that resembled roadsters with flashy paintjobs,

dozens of Jurai warships, personal Galaxy Police cruisers and

shuttles, and even a small whitish silver cabbit ship were in line,

waiting to be shown to a parking place.

Finally running out of spaces for the waiting vessels

around the planet, the GP made the decision to park them around

the two moons that orbited Jurai. They brought in three huge

transports to ferry the arrivals and take them down to the planet if

they didn't want to use their personal shuttles or transports.

However, at the rate the available shuttle spots were going on

Jurai, the transports was soon to become the only way to get down

to the surface.

The white spaceship was ordered to land on the planet,

and to take the ship with her since parking was nearly gone.

Following the designated flight path, the cabbitship passed through

Jurai's atmosphere and a short moment later, landed at the

appropriate site. After teleporting herself off of her ship, it

morphed back into a furry white cabbit with red eyes and a blue

collar. It bounded up to his mistress's side and gave her an

expectant look, questioning her with a "Shaow?"

Gleaming red eyes smiled back at him as she began

walking off into the massive crowd of people, the cape on her

shoulders billowing out behind her revealing her energy whip and

gun, and her cabbit began to bound energetically after his owner.

Yosho stepped out of his bedroom just a moment before

the servants knocked on his door, with the intention of telling him

that the empress had summoned everybody to breakfast, and that

they were there to tidy his room. Giving the lady a casual nod and

a smile, he turned down the hall and began to make his way to the

table.

He passed by Russ's room, which had a servant outside

who looked quite agitated, as she balled up her fist and pounded on

the door. Taking a moment to watch, the servant waited a few

more moments before trying the door handle, which was locked.

She frowned and raised her hand to pound on the door again, but

Yosho grasped her elbow just before she brought her fist to the

door.

Looking on him with surprise, she bowed humbly upon

recognizing the other Jurian prince. "Excuse me, your highness,"

she said, turning and preparing to leave.

"Hold on. What seems to be the trouble here?" he asked,

startling the maid.

"Oh, uh, well, it seems that Russ hasn't woken up. The

empress demands everybody's attendance at breakfast, but I can't

seem to get him to open the door."

Yosho couldn't help but laugh. "Don't you have a key to

go into his room?"

"We're not supposed to go in there unless he's gone. It's

against the rules to barge in on a guest."

"I see. Give me the key and I'll wake him up," he told

her with an impish grin.

"Yes, my lord."

Staring after her, he shook his head, not entirely used to

being treated as royalty. Thinking back to the aftermath of the

Kagato incident, he did remember how he indulged himself a bit,

as many servant women were tending him. Nobuyuki really

indulged himself, but he did more checking out of the women in

comparison as to what they were bringing him.

However, he really did enjoy being pampered, but

working for a living also had its own charm, and a much greater

degree of satisfaction. Fortunately, this was only a vacation and

nothing more, or he could get really used to being spoiled.

His train of thought was interrupted as the maid returned

with the key to Russ's room. Taking the key and pushing it into

the lock, he turned it slowly and the door unlocked itself.

Opening the door carefully, he peered into the bedroom

and stopped in his tracks. The sly, evil grin on his face melted

away and was replaced with a look of shock, but then that

transformed into a warm smile.

Russ and Sasami were both lying on the floor, right next

to each other, with the blanket underneath Russ's arm and just

below Sasami's neck. The little princess was snuggled right up

against Russ's chest, and his arm was draped over her in a relaxed

hug. Ryo-Ohki lay on the pillow right next to Sasami's head. All

three of them were still in peaceful slumber, totally unaware of the

servant's hammering on the door or Yosho's intrusion.

Whispering something to the maid, she quickly ran off

once again and returned a moment later with the object of his

desire. Carefully taking aim, he pushed the button on the small

box, causing a bright flash from the bulb and a quiet whining from

the internal motor of the Polaroid camera. Taking the photo in his

hand, he gave the camera back to the maid and she returned it to

his room.

They looked so cute together that he didn't want to wake

them, but he knew he'd have to, or the Royal Family would have

an absolute fit. Silently moving across the floor like a skilled

ninja, he knelt down in front of the sleeping trio and began to

gently shake all three of them awake. It took a bit of effort, but

they eventually started to show signs of life.

Stretching and yawning, all three of them opened their

eyes and looked up into Yosho's grinning face, wondering why he

was there. A moment later, Russ noticed where Sasami was and he

withdrew his arm, a slightly confused look on his visage.

"Good morning, you two. Breakfast is about to be served

so you better get going." Yosho returned to his feet as they both

sat up and yawned.

"Thanks," Russ answered, letting out another yawn and

stretching his arms. "We'll be there in a few moments."

Yosho nodded and then left the room, taking the picture

with him.

Sasami giggled and looked up into Russ's face. "Thank

you for keeping me company last night. You made me feel a lot

better and safer."

Russ put on a sheepish grin and scratched the back of his

head. "Sure. How come you got out of bed last night? I had no

idea you were even here with me."

"I still felt a little scared, but you fell asleep right away. I

hope you didn't mind me sleeping here with you," she said, a little

worried.

Russ chuckled. "I don't mind at all. Do you feel better

now?"

"Yes. I just want to forget about that dream." Yawning,

she stretched, then stood up, but flopped back onto the bed.

"Ohhh, I don't want to get up," she complained.

Russ imitated her movements and flopped onto the bed

himself. "Me neither. I'm still sleepy. It's too early." He started

laughing as he stretched himself out once more and let out a deep

groan.

"Well, I can't be too lazy or mom will get mad," she said,

sitting up. However, Russ grabbed the back of her clothes and

pulled her back down with a playful chuckle.

"Let's be lazy for a few more minutes. I still need to

wake up a little more."

Sasami giggled and sighed, and stared up at the ceiling.

"Today is going to be fun. I can't wait to play the games and stuff

they have here."

"Me too. This is the first time I've been to this planet, so

everything is new to me." Russ tilted his head back a bit and

looked out the window. Even though everything was upside down,

he could already see hundreds of people parading the streets,

stopping at various booths and playing games, doing their best to

win the ridiculously hard games for one of the various prizes.

"I liked that anime we started watching last night. That

was really neat and funny," Sasami said, turning toward Russ and

looking on him with her pink eyes.

"Yeah. It's pretty crazy. I watched the second disc even

though you had fallen asleep. I had to see what happened next."

Sasami giggled. "You're impatient, aren't you?"

Russ pursed his lips and stuck out his tongue, giving her a

raspberry. "Okay, so I am. Big deal. Drives me crazy if I don't

know what happens next."

The little princess giggled as she sat up once again.

Suddenly, her senses were overcome with an overwhelming

ticklish feeling coming from under her arms, as she squealed in

surprise, then exploded laughing. Russ was busily working his

hands around her sides, inflicting hilarious torment, and laughing

along with her.

"Stop it," she screamed though her fit of giggling and

laughing, the tears almost ready to start streaming down her face

from laughing so hard. "Please! We have to go eat

breakfast!" she shrieked, now trying to get away from Russ's

hands.

He clasped her in his arms and gave her a gentle squeeze.

"Are we awake enough to go eat now? Or do we need a little more

torture?" he cackled evilly, but with a huge grin.

"No more," she panted, wiping her eyes. "Come on, let's

go. I'm feeling a little hungry."

"Yes, your highness," Russ said, winking at her. "But we

should take a shower or a bath before we go to the table. I need a

shower from all that exercise yesterday."

"Yeah, me too. I'll go back to my room and take a quick

bath and get some fresh clothes on."

Russ grinned as he leaned over and sniffed the air over

her. "Whew" he said, pulling his face into a disgusted wrinkle,

then started laughing.

She looked up at him in mock horror, then punched him

in the arm and got up, making her way to the door, giggling the

whole time. Russ stood up and followed, opening the door just

before she opened it herself. She looked at him and grinned.

"After you," he invited. "See you in a little bit."

Taking the invitation with finesse, she skipped out the

door and Russ shut it, then quickly turned toward the bathroom,

shedding his clothing on the way.

After they both had their shower, they met each other in

the hallway, and casually made their way down to the Royal

Dining Hall. Wonderful smells and the sound of idle chatter came

from the other side of the door as Russ eagerly pushed it open,

revealing everybody seated at the table and the food being served.

Everybody turned their heads toward the late arrivals, but smiled

and greeted them warmly as they took their respective seats.

Everyone had a smile from the overwhelming excitement.

However, Tom was absent.

As the family dug in to the awaiting breakfast, Aeka

looked at her little sister, who at present moment was indulging

herself in her meal.

"Where were you last night, Sasami? You never came to

bed."

Before she could answer, Yosho cleared his throat and

slid something across the table to her. Arching an eyebrow for a

moment, she accepted the picture and looked at it. Almost

immediately her face melted into a warm smile as she looked at

both Russ, and then Sasami.

"Aww, you guys are SO cute!" she giggled. Both Russ

and Sasami looked at her with blank expressions, wondering what

in the world she was holding.

"Let me see that," Misaki asked, reaching over and

allowing Aeka to hand her the photo. Her face pulled into utter

surprise, and then her eyes sparkled as her expression went to pure

affection. "Oh my lord, they ARE cute. Here, look at this,

Funaho," she said, handing over the photo.

The empress carefully accepted the image and looked at

it, and had much the same reaction as everybody else who had seen

it. It then began making its way around the table to let everybody

see the picture. However, they skipped both Russ and Sasami, not

wanting them to see what it was just yet. However, when they

finished, Russ's impatience got the better of him.

"Okay, what is that thing you're passing around?" he

demanded, reaching for the photo that Azaka had, but he pulled it

away with a sly grin.

"Should I give it to him, your highness?" he asked.

"Yeah, let him see it now," she laughed, waiting to see

what his reaction would be.

Before he knew it, the picture was out of his hand and

was now in Russ's. He looked at it for a few moments, and then

grinned. "You're right. That is cute, isn't it?" Everybody nodded

in agreement. "Sasami fell asleep last night as we were watching

the anime Tom had given me. Instead of waking her up, I just let

her sleep in my bed and I slept on the floor. However, she had a

bad dream last night and I guess she felt scared. No harm done."

Aeka looked a little worried and decided that she'd ask

about the dream later, since she knew that when Sasami had horrid

nightmares, it usually was a warning that something bad was going

to happen. However, the only problem with it all was the fact is

she didn't know when it was going to happen. But it would be best

to prepare for the worst if her dream became a reality.

However, she couldn't help but smile and have a warm,

fuzzy feeling inside at Russ's generosity. He was so kind and

considerate, easygoing and appeared to be happy and fulfilled.

However, he also had a slight aura of sadness about him too.

Sasami looked very contented and happy, which was unusual for

her after having one of those nightmares. Whatever Russ had done

the night before had worked wonders, and it gave her a

wonderfully pleasant feeling. This was a man unlike any other she

had ever met. Not even Tenchi had managed to calm her down as

much as he had.

With that, breakfast passed without incident, and once

they finished, they all met outside on the palace steps, preparing to

join the masses for the festival. Maps of the local area were

handed out, and everybody split up into smaller groups. Kiyone,

Mihoshi, and Washu decided to head off together, Tenchi and

Ryoko went off on their own, Aeka, Sasami, Russ, Ryo-Ohki,

Misaki, Azaka, and Kamidake formed a rather large group, and

Nobuyuki, Katsuhito, and Funaho became the last group. Asuza

declined any invitation to join in the festivities and returned to the

palace.

Just as they were about to disperse, two extremely large

transports and one smaller one came into view and landed at one of

the palace landing pads, which happened to be the same one that

was occupied by Russ's Tie Defender. Six Tie Advanced

starfighters escorted the transports, and they managed to find

spaces to land on the same pad.

"Looks like Tom has brought down some of his crew to

enjoy the festivities," Russ said, staring at the gigantic Escort

Transports and the smaller Assault Transport.

The massive doors of the transports hissed open,

revealing nearly a thousand people in each transport, all on various

decks. The pilots of the Tie Advanced remained in their fighters,

preparing to escort the transports back to the Star Destroyer to get

another load of crew to bring down to the surface.

People of all shapes, sizes, and colors disembarked from

the massive transport, and dispersed themselves in the crowd,

drawing curious stares from many of the native Jurians. With a

loud roar, the dual ETRs and the ATR lifted off the pad with the

six fighters, and proceeded back into the atmosphere.

"Well, get going, people! The day has just begun!

Fireworks will be shown tonight, so make sure to get back here by

seven o'clock so we can eat, and then we'll go to our special area

to view the show!" Misaki shouted with much enthusiasm.

A collective nod, a few departing words, and the four

groups went their separate ways, ready for a day of fun filled

activities, and an evening of fireworks and gift giving.

"So Aeka, where should we go first?" Sasami asked,

walking beside her sister. "Should we play some of the games or

would you like to ride the roller coaster?

Smiling down at her sister, she shrugged her shoulders.

"It's up to you, Sasami. What would you like to do?"

"I don't know! There are just so many things to do here.

I don't know where to begin!" she giggled in delight.

"Why not start at that booth over there and then make our

way down the block until we reach the end?" Misaki suggested,

walking beside Russ. "That game looks fun."

Sasami laughed as she ran over to the very tall and wide

stand, which had a few individuals throwing baseballs, trying to

win a prize. A slender young man greeted the princess with a

warm smile and a humble bow. The rest of the group came up

behind her and he greeted them accordingly.

"Hello there, Princess Sasami," he greeted in a light, soft

voice. "Would you like to play the game and win a prize?"

Smiling widely, she nodded. "How do I play?"

"Well, you take this ball here and try to knock down all

the pins. You have to throw it hard though, or they won't fall over.

Here," he said, handing her a ball. "Take a free shot at it so you

can get the feel of it. You get two throws."

"Thank you." She accepted the ball as her complexion

went to full concentration, and a moment later, she hurled the ball

at the pins, knocking down four of the six targets. The young man

handed her a second ball and she threw it with a grunt, knocking

down one of the remaining two pins.

"Very good, Princess! Tell me, is this the first time

you've done this before?" he asked with genuine enthusiasm.

Sasami nodded eagerly. "I've never played this game in

my life."

"You have fantastic aim and an excellent throwing arm.

Would you like to try again? You can win one of these prizes," he

said, gesturing to a huge, blue, stuffed bear. The toy was even

larger in size than Sasami herself.

"No thanks," she answered, turning toward Aeka. "Your

turn, sister."

Again, the young Jurian smiled and greeted her

respectfully. "Princess Aeka, how are you today? You get a free

chance to win a prize," he announced, holding out a ball.

"It's okay. I don't really want to play, but Sasami can

take my turn if she wants," she answered, smiling down at her

sister.

"Come on, Aeka! We've got an entire day to mess

around. Please play the game. It'll make me very happy," Sasami

encouraged.

Sighing in resignation, Aeka stepped forward and

accepted the ball from the young man. Taking a deep breath, she

tightened her grip on the ball, brought her arm back, and hurled it

with all her might at the pins. However, the end result was

disappointing.

Sasami giggled. "Well, at least you got one of them, but

now you get a second ball. Go Aeka!" she cheered.

Russ was quaking in barely restrained laughter, as he

muttered comments under his breath, which were just loud enough

for Azaka and Kamidake to hear. They both grinned, resembling

teenagers again.

Frowning in concentration, she hurled the ball at the

remaining pins, and managed to knock all but one down.

Coincidentally, the same pin that Sasami was unable to knock

over. A polite round of applause greeted her ears as everybody

smiled at her, and congratulated her on getting almost all of the

pins. She took a step back and smiled, and then noticed that the

three men of the group were grinning from ear to ear.

"Who's up next?" Sasami called, looking at Azaka,

Kamidake, her mother, and Russ.

Ryo-Ohki stood beside Sasami, and tugged on her sleeve,

giving her an indication that she wanted to be next. She meowed a

couple of times and smiled.

"Okay, it's your turn, Ryo-Ohki! Let's see what you can

do!"

Giving her a determined meow, she grasped the ball from

the boy, and without taking aim, she hurled it at the pins, missing

all of them by a mile.

"Concentrate, Ryo-Ohki! Aim at the bottom middle pin,

and the rest should fall down!" Sasami indicated, pointing at the

intended target.

Again, Russ made a smart comment about where the ball

went, and a round of chuckles went between him and the

guardians. Aeka watched them out of the corner of her eye, but

remained quiet.

The clerk handed the ball over to the cutest little girl he

had ever seen, and stepped aside. Ryo-Ohki's forehead beaded

with perspiration from concentrating so hard, and when she was

satisfied that she could do it, she released the ball and threw it at

the intended target. However, she only managed to knock over the

very top pin, a result of tossing it too high.

"Aww, better luck next time. Who's next?" the clerk

asked.

Misaki stepped forward, and held out her hand. "I'd like

a try please."

Russ leaned forward to both guardians. "We're in trouble

now," he muttered, and then began snickering again. The

guardians both cracked amused grins.

"Yes, ma'am. Here you are," he said, handing over the

ball. "Good luck!"

Winding up and hurling the ball with incredible force, she

blasted five of the six pins over in one shot, scattering them behind

the table. However, the same pin that Sasami and Aeka missed

still stood. Accepting the second ball and throwing it, she didn't

concentrate enough and she missed the pin by the width of a piece

of paper.

"Rats!" she shouted, stomping her foot. "I should've had

that too." She then started laughing. "Anyway, who's up next?"

The three men who were standing behind everybody else

simply looked at each other and shrugged their shoulders. Without

warning, Kamidake stumbled forward a step, a look of surprise on

his face. He turned around and noticed both Russ and Azaka

quietly snickering, trying to keep from laughing out loud.

"Alright, which one of you did that?" he asked, mildly

perturbed.

They both looked at each other and shrugged their

shoulders, deciding to keep him in the dark. Eyeing both of them

suspiciously, he turned around and noticed everybody else was

quietly giggling amongst himself or herself. Giving up, he allowed

Sasami to hand him a ball and he to approached the booth, where

the doomed pins were waiting. Carefully taking aim, he threw the

ball directly at the bottom center pin, and all the pins except the

two on the ends fell over.

"Aw man! There's no way I can knock both over at

once."

"That's because you suck," Russ cackled under his breath,

causing Azaka to start laughing out loud. Kamidake stared hard at

both of them and took a deep breath, relaxing himself a bit.

"Don't worry about it," Sasami encouraged. "Just get one

of the two."

Kamidake smiled as he accepted the ball again, and he

threw it at one of the pins. It fell over with a soft thud, but the

other pin that everybody else missed remained standing.

Turning around, he pointed his index finger at his

counterpart. "I think it was you who pushed me. You're up next,

Azaka."

Still grinning, Azaka casually walked up to the booth and

accepted the ball, and hurled it at the pins. The ball hit the bottom

middle pin from the right side, and tapped the other pin that

everybody else missed. The middle one fell over, but again, that

same pin remained standing, along with the other one at the other

side; the same bedposts that Kamidake had.

Russ raised an eyebrow and didn't make any wisecracks.

The pin on the end didn't even wobble.

Looking quite agitated, Azaka accepted the second ball

and he took careful aim at the pin everybody else was unable to

knock over, however when he released the ball, his wrist twisted

slightly and he wound up knocking over the other pin.

"This game is harder than it looks. Oh well. It's your

turn now, Russ. Let's see how good your aim is. Hopefully it's as

good as your wisecracks."

"Alright, alright. I'm coming," he mumbled, approaching

the booth. Sasami clapped her hands in encouragement and

Aeka's smile grew slightly.

Accepting the ball, he took careful aim between the

bottom middle pin and the pin everybody else missed. Winding

up, he tossed the ball directly on target, however, what happened

really made everybody's jaw drop in shock. The ball was perfectly

aimed, however, the pin everybody else missed didn't fall over, but

the middle one was knocked out easily. All the other pins fell

over, except for the one.

"What the hell? I hit it and it didn't fall over?" Russ

growled. "Give me the other ball."

The clerk's forehead beaded with perspiration, as

everybody else's visage went to angry skepticism.

Carefully taking aim again, Russ lobbed the ball directly

on target, and the ball bounced off the pin without so much as

wobbling it.

"I knew it! You cheating prick!" he yelled, a small green

ball of ki appearing in his hand. Before anyone could stop him, he

hurled his ki ball at the pin and it totally annihilated the target, the

stand, and put a hole through the back of the booth.

Everybody else glared daggers at the clerk, who was now

quaking in fear. "Do you have an explanation for this?" Russ

asked. "There are several things I cannot stand or tolerate.

Cheaters and liars are two of them. You're lucky I'm in a good

mood or you'd cease to exist," he snarled, grabbing the clerk by his

robes and pulling him directly in front of his face, lifting him

nearly a foot off of the ground with one hand. Surprisingly,

everybody else just looked on casually and didn't say a word, nor

move to stop him.

Unable to speak, the clerk audibly wet himself. Russ

noticed the growing wetness on his robes and the odor of urine

reaching his nostrils. Feeling a pang of guilt, he set the horrified

clerk back down on the ground, and he softened his gaze. "Do not

ever cheat anyone. It's not fair to them, and I'm certain you

wouldn't want to be cheated either."

A moment later, Russ felt a strange sensation, and he

turned toward the group. A massive crowd of people was staring

at him and the clerk, and Russ took in a deep breath and sighed.

"I'm sorry about that, everyone. Let's go. This day sure isn't

starting off nice," he said, looking down at the ground.

Misaki approached and stood in front of him. "It's okay.

This happens from time to time. It's not your fault. And I like the

way you handled the situation anyway. You scared that man half

to death, and I think that had a more profound effect on him than

throwing him in jail." She smiled and nodded her head to the side.

"But you did knock over that pin, and therefore, you've won a

prize! Which prize do you want?"

Russ couldn't help but laugh. "I'll take one of those huge

bears in green, please."

A second clerk who was behind the table rushed over to

the stockpile, grabbed the prize, and trembling, he handed it over

to Russ, who accepted it with a smile. "Thank you kindly."

"Yes s...s...sir. You have an n...nice day," he

stammered out, his forehead drenched in stressed sweat.

Turning away, he held the bear in front of him, with a

huge grin on his face. "This thing is huge. What am I going to do

with it for the rest of the day?" he fretted, and scratched his head.

A moment later, he released the bear and it floated above him,

almost as if it were possessed.

Sasami gasped in surprise. "What did you do? Is it doing

that?"

Russ smiled. "No. I'm using something called

telekinesis to hold it there. It takes a slight amount of

concentration and energy to do it, but it doesn't bother me. Makes

it easier than holding it the whole time," he explained.

"Cool! Can you lift me like that?"

Without warning, she floated off of the ground with a

look of surprise, but she calmed down as she came to rest on

Russ's shoulders. "How's this?"

"That's so neat. Well, let's go! There are more games to

play and more things to see!"

Everybody else smiled as they obeyed the little princess,

and made their way down the street, looking for a new game to

play and more prizes to win.

Off on an adjacent street, Kiyone, Mihoshi, and Washu

were casually walking down one of the shop-filled streets of Jurai.

Hundreds of thousands of articles of clothing, technology,

kitchenware, appliances, jewelry, and other popular items of

interest were arranged outside the front of the shops, all with sale

and clearance tags. The doors to the shops were wide open,

intending to invite more customers in the store to browse their

selection.

Nearly every store had at least one employee standing on

the outside, trying to draw attention to their business. Some were

ringing bells, others were handing out flyers, and still others were

on megaphones, shouting out their tremendous deals.

In the middle of the street, several huge tents were set up,

and still more merchandise was put out from the surrounding

stores. The employees were running around from one end to the

other, assisting customers whenever they found something they

wanted.

The sheer number of people in the street and browsing the

stores was staggering. There was never a moment when a person

was more than ten feet from another. In the stores and under the

tents, it was shoulder to shoulder, as they slowly shuffled their way

around the place.

"Wow, look at all these people! I've never seen so many

in one place before," Mihoshi sighed in awe. "It's so exciting!"

"Yeah. Well, what do you say we do a little shopping,

and after we finish, we can go play a few games on the next

block?" Kiyone suggested.

"Sounds good to me. I'd like to see what new high tech

gadgets these people have created while I've been away. It sure is

a lot different than what I remember from the last Startica festival I

attended." Washu stopped at a nearby table and began browsing

the selection of electronic equipment. Kiyone and Mihoshi stood

behind her, idly watching Washu's growing interest as she picked

up a really strange looking object. It looked like a baseball with a

large bar through the middle of it, which protruded out both ends.

The ball itself was directly in the middle of the bar. Not finding it

impressive, she set it back down on the table and backed away, as

two more individuals took her place.

"What was that thing, Washu?" Mihoshi asked

innocently.

"It was a micro energy generator, but I found it to be

terribly inefficient. No need to buy junk like that now, is there?"

she said, grinning. The shopkeeper, on the other hand, stared at

her, trying not to be offended by her seemingly superior attitude.

He kept quiet and turned his attention to another customer who

approached him.

"I suppose you're right. Well, do we need anything

here?" asked Kiyone, looking down the block, trying to get a better

view of the shops and tents.

"Not me."

"I'm getting hungry," Mihoshi complained.

"You're always hungry! Isn't there a day when you don't

complain about getting hungry?" Kiyone growled. However, she

blushed slightly when her own stomach croaked.

"You were saying?" Washu asked innocently, smiling up

at Kiyone.

"I was saying, I'm getting hungry is all," she laughed,

embarrassed. "I'm sorry, Mihoshi. Let's find a restaurant nearby

so we can chow down. What are you in the mood for?"

"Oh, anything is fine, as long as it tastes like Sasami's

cooking!"

"I second that! How about we try that place right over

there? It looks like an Earth equivalent of a steakhouse," Washu

indicated, pointing at a building between a clothing shop and an

appliance store. It had a green canopy over the entrance, and a

well-groomed host stood outside, greeting people as they walked

in.

"Looks expensive. Can we afford to go in there?"

"Kiyone, come on! I'm sure you couldn't eat anything

that didn't taste like Sasami's cooking either. Besides, we're

supposed to enjoy ourselves today!" Mihoshi giggled emphatically.

"We won't be able to enjoy ourselves at all if we don't

have any money, you know."

"Don't worry about funds, girls. I've got us covered this

time," Washu said, pulling out a credit card. The photo ID on the

card was Washu, in her adult form.

Grinning evilly, she waved her hand over the card, and

the identification changed to little Washu, almost as if it were

magic.

"Washu! What are you doing? Where did you get a card

like that?" Kiyone started.

"Not to worry. I've had this card for a long time, but I

never had a reason to use it. Most of the time I just make what I

need, so I have no need to buy anything," she chuckled, looking

down at the card.

"But"

"Shush. Come on, let's just go enjoy ourselves," Mihoshi

interjected. "Besides, I'm STARVING!"

Hanging her head in defeat, Kiyone silently trudged

behind the other two women.

"Ahhh, that was a nice meal, don't you think?"

"Even though it wasn't as good as Sasami's cooking, I've

had a taste for fast food for quite a while. I'm surprised you like it

so much Ryoko."

Both Tenchi and Ryoko were sitting outside a caf, which

had tables, chairs, and umbrellas set outside, so the customers

could enjoy the weather and eat outdoors.

After shrugging her shoulders, she wiped her mouth off

with a napkin. "What's the big deal? It's not like it's going to

make me fat."

"I didn't mean it like that, Ryoko," Tenchi groaned,

rolling his eyes.

"Oh? Then how did you mean it?" she said, narrowing

her own eyes slightly.

"I'm just surprised, is all. Nothing more to it than that,"

he said quickly, hoping that she'd drop the subject.

"Yeah right," she answered, lightly punching him in the

arm. "You think I'm going to get all fat and lazy now, don't you?"

"What?! Ryoko, what are you talking about?"

"It's true. Just admit it," she cried, looking away.

"You're probably thinking, 'Oh, she's going to get fat from eating

all that fast food and then she won't be pretty anymore.' That's

what you're thinking, isn't it?"

Groaning, he put his hand to his head and tried to think of

something that would save him. "Ryoko, you'll always be

beautiful to me, no matter how you look," he said, gently turning

her to face him. "I mean it. It's you and me, and that's how it's

always going to be." He gave her a gentle kiss on her cheek, and

pulled her a little closer.

Letting out a contented little sigh, she turned toward him

and smiled. "Do you really mean it, Tenchi?"

"Yes. Have I ever lied to you?"

"Well, no. At least, not that I can recall."

"What do you mean, 'not that I can recall'? I've never

lied to you, and I'll never start either. I'm a lot like Russ when it

comes to lying. I despise it, and there is no reason for it." He

gently squeezed her shoulder. "But enough of this. We're

supposed to be enjoying each other, so can't we leave all our

troubles behind us, just for today?"

"Yeah, you're right, Tenchi. I'm sorry." Wrapping her

arms around him and embracing him tightly, she closed her eyes,

and let out a blissful little sigh. Feeling Tenchi's arms wrap

around her as well, she felt so warm, safe, and contented.

However, her sense of awareness caused several hairs to

stand up on the back of her neck. Also, a shadow had moved

between her and the sun. Opening her eyes quickly, she instantly

focused on an individual standing not two feet away. Gleaming

red eyes stared down at her from under a black cloak, and an evil

smile also presented itself. Two black facial marks could be seen

clear as day on the left side of her face, and she instantly

recognized who it was.

"NAGI!!!!"

Tenchi was thrown back slightly as Ryoko jumped out of

his embrace and took up a defensive stance, her forehead instantly

drenched in perspiration. Her chair was thrown back several feet,

and had almost nailed a young couple that was sitting nearby.

"Hi, Ryoko. Long time, no see."

Tenchi whirled around in his seat and faced Ryoko's most

feared enemy. "What are you doing here!? Leave Ryoko alone!"

"My, my, so protective over our space pirate, aren't we?"

she cackled gleefully. "I had no idea you guys were here, but I

guess my luck decided to bless me today, didn't it?"

Tenchi scrambled up from his seat and stood in front of

Ryoko, his eyes narrowing to catlike slits. He reached under his

robes, tightened his fingers around the master key, and slowly

withdrew it, bringing it into plain view. "Leave us alone. We have

done nothing to you, and you even helped us before. Ryoko has no

bounties on her head, so you have no reason to continue torturing

her like this."

"Tenchi, please get out of the way! You don't have any

idea what you're dealing with!" Ryoko said, close to hysterics.

"Please, just get away from her!"

Nagi's gaze focused on the trembling space pirate behind

Tenchi, and she smiled. "My qualms are with you, not this

pathetic boy."

Tenchi stiffened up slightly. "Why are you still doing

this? I don't understand!"

"Ryoko is the only one to have ever eluded me. She's a

stain on my record. I don't like dirty records, and stains must be

cleaned," Nagi answered simply.

Gripping the sword more tightly, he took in a breath

through clenched teeth. "All you want is to simply kill Ryoko,

because she got away from you?"

"That's right. I have my own personal score to settle with

her."

"Tenchi!! Please! Stop it! Get away from her! You

remember what she did last time!" Ryoko nearly screamed, frozen

with fear. She made no move to get anywhere near Tenchi, even

though her mind screamed at her to.

"I don't care about your own personal vendettas. Go find

someone else's head to cash in, or whatever it is you do. Ryoko

and I have done nothing to you, so leave us in peace!" Tenchi

growled, his voice icy.

"What I don't understand is why you're getting involved,

boy. You better stand aside before you become an unfortunate

casualty," Nagi challenged, moving her cape away from her side

and withdrawing her energy whip. "Prepare yourself, Ryoko."

Without a second thought, Ryoko phased in front of

Tenchi, her orange ki sword blazing with radiant energy. She

quickly shoved Tenchi away from her, but as soon as she did, she

felt a hot sting on her arm that held the sword. With a scream of

surprised pain, the sword vanished and she cradled her fresh

wound.

Nagi's purple whip hummed quietly, as she stood some

ten feet away now. "I see your reflexes are still quite adequate.

This shall be an interesting challenge."

"You leave Tenchi out of this, or I'll be sure and kill you

this time," Ryoko snarled as she reactivated her sword.

"I'm ready when you are, Ryoko."

Before Ryoko had an opportunity to answer, Nagi

attacked.

"Not as good as Sasami's cooking, but still good," Russ

said, patting the little princess next to him.

Misaki laughed. "Don't tell me she does all the cooking

at your place. You're like a garbage disposal or a bottomless pit.

I've never seen anyone eat as much as you do. I'd have to feel

sorry for her."

Russ grinned slightly. "She does a great job, and she

always makes extra. When I'm done eating one of her meals, I'm

full."

"That's hard to believe," Azaka whispered to Kamidake,

who tried to keep from laughing out loud.

"And you three are like peas in a pod," Misaki said,

pointing at the two guardians and then at Russ. "Just what do you

talk about that you guys find so funny anyway?"

"It's a talent," Russ answered with a cocky grin. "But

anyway, I love Sasami's cooking. Most of the time I'm pretty

picky, but she always makes everything so tasty and good that I

can't resist eating everything."

"Garbage disposals aren't picky either and they eat

everything," Kamidake whispered to Azaka, who started

chuckling. Russ shot both of them a look of death, which caused

both of them to begin grinning widely. Aeka giggled quietly

nearby.

"Bah. Everybody is picking on me," Russ pouted.

"Spoiled sport. Can give it but you can't take it, can

you?" Azaka taunted.

"I can kick your butt and take everything you dish out

too," Russ answered, balling up his fist and grinning evilly. "Want

to" he stopped in mid sentence, his expression becoming one of

surprise as he whipped his head to look outside a nearby window,

his eyes focusing on a single point.

"What's wrong Russ?" Misaki said, suddenly concerned.

Without any words, Russ immediately stood up from the

table, used telekinesis to lift about six different prizes of his, and

made his way to the exit. Wondering what the heck was going on,

everybody also got up and followed. He stopped outside the door

on the sidewalk, and continued to stare at the same point.

"What's wrong? What are you looking at?" Aeka said,

pulling on his sleeve.

Russ began quickly walking toward this unknown source,

and he quickly picked up to a jog, and then a run. Everybody

looked on in confusion, and then took off after him, doing their

best to keep up with his brisk pace.

"Russ! Wait up!" Sasami yelled after him, panting and

doing her best to keep up with the group. She sidestepped a

pedestrian and continued running, nearly tripping on a crack in the

cement.

Azaka, seeing the little princesses' plight, scooped her up

and carried her piggyback style. Increasing his own speed, he

quickly caught up with the rest of the group as they struggled to

keep sight of Russ.

Ryo-Ohki changed back into a cabbit, and raced alongside

everybody. Trying to figure out what could possibly be going on,

she unconsciously accessed her telepathic link with Ryoko, and

that instantly told her all that she needed to know. Meowing like

crazy, she ran even faster, doing her best to catch up to Russ.

Running only a few more paces, Russ stopped in the

middle of the street, watching a fight between two individuals. A

few seconds later, the rest of the group caught up to him.

"What the hell is going on here?" Misaki yelled through

her panting. "Who are those people and why are they fighting?"

Noticing Tenchi on the side, terrified recognition smashed

through Aeka's head. "Oh my god, that's got to be Nagi and

Ryoko! We have to stop them!"

"Nagi? Who the hell is Nagi?" Russ growled, watching

the battle unfold.

An orange, stray energy blast zipped toward the group,

causing the girls to scream in surprise, but Russ smacked it into the

air. A storefront exploded from a white energy discharge that

narrowly missed Ryoko, and the shockwave from the blast nearly

knocked everybody over.

"We have to stop them or they'll destroy most of these

shops!" Misaki shouted.

A moment later, Nagi's energy whip caught Ryoko's

ankle as she tried to dodge another blast from her energy rifle, and

she was flung to the ground. Moaning in pain, she sat up and

looked into the hateful eyes of the most feared bounty hunter in the

galaxy.

"Looks like I win this round, Ryoko. Too bad you won't

be around to go once more." She slowly brought her rifle up,

aiming it between Ryoko's eyes. "I win."

"NOOOOOOOOOO!!" Tenchi screamed, sprinting

forward and leaping between the two. Noticing him out of the

corner of her eye, she cracked a very slight grin, and pulled the

trigger. Sizzling, white-hot energy fired from the end of her gun,

its accuracy deadly, and its single target becoming two as Tenchi's

body placed itself between Nagi and Ryoko.

"TENCHI!!!" Ryoko screamed, horror written over every

pore of her face, her mind racing. But it was too late. A small

explosion occurred in front of her and encased the two in a cloud

of smoke.

Nagi smiled evilly, the adrenaline rush of battle and

victory coursing through her every vein. It was finally over. Her

most elusive quarry, Ryoko the Space Pirate, was finally lying

dead at her feet, after so many years of failed attempts. Too bad it

wasn't worth anything valuable. Most people find the taste of

vengeance bittersweet, but she strangely found it to her liking. She

deactivated her energy whip a moment later.

Watching the cloud of smoke slowly start dispersing, she

noticed something odd about it. For some reason, a silhouette of

someone was standing in the middle of the cloud. Her smile

slowly melted away as more of the smoke faded into the air, and

revealed a man standing in front of both Ryoko and Tenchi, with

his arm outstretched, and a look of angry determination on his

visage.

Ryoko slowly re-opened her eyes and focused on her

surroundings, and noticed Tenchi slowly getting up from his

position on the ground.

"Are you okay, Ryoko?" he asked, his voice shaking.

"Yes, but what" she started to say, then stopped. A

spiky haired individual was standing in front of her, directly

between herself and Nagi, dressed in a green karate gi. His arm

was outstretched, but it slowly fell to his side as he slowly stood up

straight. "Russ?"

Ignoring her surprise, he stood fast, not moving a muscle

and glaring at Nagi, who hid her utter astonishment from all the

onlookers.

"Who are you and what do you want with my friends?" he

asked coldly.

The tip of her rifle was still smoking slightly, as she very

slowly lowered it. "Who are you?"

"I'm a friend of theirs, and you're in trouble for messing

with them."

"How did he do that? Russ was standing right here just a

moment ago! How did he get over there so fast?" Misaki said in

astonishment. Both guardians had the same exact expression on

their faces too.

"I told you mom, he's one of a kind," Aeka answered.

"Just watch what he does. Ryoko and Tenchi are both safe now."

Nagi cracked a very slight grin, as she looked her new

opponent up and down. Amazingly, he was very good looking and

had an extraordinary build. However, she couldn't figure out how

he appeared where he did, when he did. Nobody could possibly be

fast enough to get in front of a laser beam, so she figured he

must've been hiding nearby or something. It was just too

impossible to believe that this individual is faster than a laser

beam.

"This isn't your fight. Just stand aside and let me finish

what I've started," she replied, hoisting her rifle up and pointing it

at Russ, but aiming for Ryoko.

"I'm afraid it is now my fight. Back off, or you're going

to get hurt. Badly," Russ growled.

"I doubt that." Casually, without even thinking about it,

she pulled the trigger once more on her rifle, and the white laser

beam shot toward Russ. However, to her absolute disbelief, the

laser seemed to bounce off of something and sail into the sky,

where it dissipated.

Russ's hand was smoking slightly and was once again

outstretched in front of him, but didn't have a mark on it. "Your

toys are amusing. Do you want to try again?" he challenged.

Both Ryoko and Tenchi watched him in awe, as they very

slowly backed away from him.

Swallowing a growing lump in her throat, Nagi flipped a

tiny switch on her rifle, enabling automatic mode. Pressing the

trigger and holding it down, her rifle began spewing forth dozens

of lasers. However, the accuracy of the rifle was lowered slightly,

and the beams sprayed a radius of about a foot in diameter at

twenty feet.

But what was happening was unreal. Russ's hand

appeared in front of every laser beam, blocking their attempts to hit

Ryoko and Tenchi and smacking all the lasers into the air.

Releasing the trigger about five seconds later, she no longer hid the

horror from her face, the sweat running down the back of her neck

in miniature rivers.

"Now do you see?" Russ said, his voice stone cold.

Feeling panic, Nagi once again squeezed and held the

trigger to her rifle, firing off the white energy like a madman. But

once again, all the lasers found their mark in Russ's hand, all of

which were sent into the atmosphere, and it didn't harm him in the

least. A moment later, a slight beeping from her weapon could be

heard as it ceased firing.

"Oh shit," she whispered to herself. "Out of energy."

Russ lowered his hand and began slowly walking over to

the bounty hunter, causing her eyes to widen, and her to step back

a pace for every step Russ made toward her.

Reaching under her cape, she pulled out a smaller blaster

she kept hidden there and fired it at Russ's head. An elegant

weapon, very small, but extremely powerful, shot off a small but

potent purple energy ball. It was her own personal desperation

weapon, and it had never failed her. However, again, just as with

the rifle, it failed to do anything to Russ, who put his hand in front

of his face and swatted it into the sky, where it fizzled out a

moment later.

"What the hell are you?" she screamed, activating her

whip and casting it at Russ's neck. Again, just as with the two

guns, the whip found its mark around Russ's wrist. Seizing an

opportunity, she turned the energy of the whip to maximum,

intending to sever off his hand.

Radiant purple energy crackled around the energy beam

and around Russ's wrist, but he just cracked a small, but chilling

grin.

"Are you just about finished?" he asked, allowing his grin

to melt away and be replaced by his poker face as he tightened his

muscles, causing the whip to arc and fizzle out.

Immediately deactivating her energy whip, she backed up

a few paces, and turned to run. Never before had she encountered

someone who could do what he was doing. Sprinting forward

about two steps and then slamming into what felt like a brick wall,

she nearly fell over, but she managed to regain her balance.

Looking at what she ran into in bewilderment, she became even

more frightened when she saw that the wall she ran into was

actually Russ.

"How" she stuttered, as she leapt back about a dozen

feet, her energy whip at the ready.

"You and I are going to have a little talk," Russ said,

slowly approaching her again.

"Get away from me, you freak!" she screamed, turning to

run in the opposite direction. However, once again, she slammed

into another very hard obstacle, and this time she did lose her

balance, and she fell on her backside. Focusing on what she ran

into, she nearly screamed in surprise.

Russ stood not two feet away, his black eyes staring down

into her eyes like orbs of death. Before she could react, he brought

his hand down, placed it around her throat and lifted her to her feet

effortlessly, but he didn't squeeze. She wrapped her hands around

Russ's arm, trying desperately to free herself, but it was like

gripping a piece of steel.

"I'm going to be taking her to another part of the planet.

I'll be back in a little while," Russ called over to Ryoko and

Tenchi, who were now being surrounded by Aeka, Sasami, Ryo-

Ohki, Kamidake, Azaka, and Misaki. The crowd of onlookers was

huge, and all of them looked absolutely astonished. "Oh! Could

you guys take care of all those prizes for me? Thanks," he added,

pointing over to the mass of stuffed animals.

"Don't kill her!" Tenchi shouted, but it was too late. Russ

had placed two fingers to his forehead and vanished from sight

with Nagi, just as Ken-Ohki bounded into view.

"I wouldn't worry too much. I don't think Russ would

kill her. He's probably going to scare the life out of her though,"

Misaki assured Tenchi. "But how did he disappear like that?"

Ken-Ohki immediately recognized Ryo-Ohki, and

bounded over to her. Everybody else stared at the white cabbit,

unsure of what his reaction was going to be.

The two cabbits greeted each other apparently, and then

began talking to each other. About a minute later, Ken-Ohki's

eyes widened, and he backed up a few paces. His fur bristled as

his eyes locked on Ryoko's, and he hissed at her menacingly,

thinking she was to blame. Ryo-Ohki continued to talk to him, and

he calmed down a moment later, but continued to watch the group

in absolute distrust. After another barrage of conversation, he

looked at the group worriedly and sat down, hanging his head and

repeating his discontentment.

"Don't worry, Ken-Ohki. Russ is just going to talk to her,

and hopefully once he's finished, the fight between Ryoko and

your mistress will finally be finished. I'm sure you're looking

forward to that," Sasami said, smiling at him.

Still not trusting them, but having no grounds to disprove

her, he looked at her with sad eyes and, in his own way, asked her

if she'd be all right. Sasami smiled and nodded her head, and it

seemed to relax him a little.

"He'll probably be back in about a half hour, depending

on how fast he can convince her to drop this ridiculous war

between you two," Aeka said, glaring down at Ryoko.

"Hey! I didn't do anything!" Ryoko yelled defensively.

"She just came up on us and attacked the two of us."

"I'm sure she did. Trouble follows you wherever you

go," Aeka snapped.

"It's true, Aeka. Stop this fighting right now," Tenchi

demanded, finally getting to his feet. He glared hard at Aeka, who

immediately quieted down and took on an expression of being

ashamed.

"I hope Russ will be okay," Sasami said, looking at where

Russ was a few moments earlier.

Misaki smiled. "I'd be more worried about Nagi. Russ

can take care of himself."

"Yeah. I guess you're right."

"Well," Misaki began. "Lets go get you two cleaned up.

Both of you are a mess, and need fresh clothes. The rest of you

can continue doing what you were doing. I'll be right back with

these two." She smiled happily, as if nothing had happened. "And

we'll all take Russ's prizes back to his room too."

"It's okay. Ryoko and I can find our own way back to the

palace," Tenchi said, brushing gravel off of his hands. "No need to

trouble yourself on our account."

"Oh, it's not a problem. Come on, let's go," the empress

said, taking both of them by the arm and leading them away, as

they both turned red when they looked at Misaki, and then each

other.

"Those two are hopeless," Sasami giggled.

Calm, peacefulness, and serenity: three things that most

people strive to have in their life, but few actually achieve. Some

find it in blowing away sprites in a video game, others find it in a

meal, and still others find it in a location, whether it is in a fantasy

dreamland, or a real place.

One place that Russ always found greatly appealing was a

beautiful landscape. Up on a mountainside, near a stream,

surrounded by a giant forest, but pushed back far enough to give a

grand view of the land below, is something that he always found

peace and calamity in. Sitting under a tree, with the air

temperature a pleasant seventy-four degrees, having a light breeze

blowing, was enough to lull him to sleep or help him forget about

his troubles. He hoped that this applied for others as well.

Appearing in this exact setting with Nagi, he released her

neck from his iron grip and allowed her to stumble several feet

away, watching her trip and fall over a root. No longer glaring at

her or showing any emotion, he just stood there, watching her,

thinking she resembled a frightened puppy who was taken from its

master.

Nagi, on the other hand, stared at Russ as if he were death

incarnate, just toying with its prey before he took her life and

silenced her forever. She had been in tight situations before, but

nothing quite as radical as this. It was the simplicity in which he

defeated her, not to mention how fast he did it too. This freakish

monster was impossible. How in the universe could someone

spawn such an individual that had such awesome strength and

astounding speed? It went against every law of physics that she

had known about, which unfortunately, were few and far between.

Russ continued to watch her, his curiosity piquing as to

what could be running through her mind. He knew that she knew

she was in trouble and that she had lost, and that she was at his

mercy. He could almost smell the terror from her, but his ability to

sense emotions in others was lit up like a Startica Festival tree, and

it told him exactly what she felt. Her fear was unmistakable, and

almost unsettling. Knowing others that he had battled against had

fear, but none as deep and rooted as this was.

Debating with himself, he figured the best way to proceed

with this talk was to simply not say anything, and let her begin.

Slowly walking over to a tree, his eyes never leaving hers, he sat

down under it and leaned his back against the trunk and relaxed,

letting a very small smile creep onto his lips.

Nagi's fear almost at the breaking point, she calmed down

slightly when he moved away from her, however, never taking his

eyes from hers. She watched him sit down under a beautiful Jurian

tree, which resembled a cherry blossom on Earth, with its rose

colored flowers on the branches and its lush, green leaves.

However, the trunk was white, like a birch tree.

Curiosity was starting to get the better of her as she

watched him relax and rest his back against the trunk of the tree, as

he continued to watch her, but now he was smiling. She knew

running was pointless, as he could easily get in front of her again

as he did before. Attacking him was useless, as she had already

exhausted her supply of weapons. The rifle should be recharging,

she knew, but wasn't enough to make a getaway attempt.

A light breeze ruffled her hair and her cape, and for the

first time she began to take in her surroundings. The forest that

was nearby, the sound of the wind through the leaves, the babbling

of the small stream that was rushing over and around the boulders

that littered the riverbed, and the grand view of the land below

instilled a feeling of peace, albeit very minute. She could feel the

breeze making its way around her cape and around her aching

body, almost as if it were telling her to relax and that there was

nothing to fear. Slowly, very slowly, she allowed it to relax her,

but she never took her eyes off of Russ.

"What is he waiting for? Why is he just sitting there?"

she muttered to herself. It didn't make any sense. A few minutes

ago it looked like he was going to kill her, but now, here he was,

just as happy and contented as could be under his tree. Watching

him intently, she saw him take in a huge breath and let it out

slowly, relaxing himself further.

Finally, she couldn't stand it anymore. "What do you

want with me!? Are you going to kill me or not?!" she yelled,

scrambling up from her fallen position, her body leaving an

imprint in the short grasses.

Her only response was a widening grin from Russ.

"Well?!" she yelled, balling up her fists and preparing for

a fight, the fear in her subsiding a little more, but being replaced by

a need to fight or run away.

Russ slowly closed his eyes and reopened them, his grin

not faltering in the least, and he made no movements.

Lowering her fists, she gave up trying to figure him out.

It made no sense. However, for some reason, she felt compelled to

stay and not walk away. There was just something about him that

made her calm down a little further, and allowed herself to think

more clearly. If he wanted to kill her, he could've done it at any

time, but he didn't.

She folded her arms across her chest and continued to

stare hard at Russ, who continued to grin at her, still in his same,

relaxed position. Surveying the immediate area around him, she

spotted a second tree that was about eight or ten feet away from

him, of the same species. She noted his position, which was turned

only slightly away from that tree, but directly toward her. Almost

at that moment, she realized what he was doing.

"Alright! You win," she growled, very slowly making

her way over to the second tree, very tense and ready to fight if he

attacked her. Russ's grin turned into a warm smile as he folded his

hands across his lap, and watched her.

Nearly a minute later, with her forehead beaded in

stressed perspiration, she reached the tree across from Russ and

slowly sat down, her red eyes burning with hate and fear, but a

slight hint of serenity also presented itself.

Five minutes passed by in silence, as they continued to

watch each other, some unspoken message being sent between the

two. Finally, Nagi broke the silence.

"You could've easily killed me back there. Why didn't

you?" she asked, her eyes narrowing slightly.

"I'm not quite that heartless. Just about everybody

deserves a second chance," Russ responded.

"So you can talk," she snapped, as she watched Russ raise

his hands as if he was being submissive. "Why did you bring me

here?"

"I thought that much was obvious. We're here alone, in

total privacy, where the only thing around us is nature. It can talk,

but can't understand. I want you to tell me why you attacked my

friends. I don't take kindly to strangers doing that. But first,

introduce yourself to me."

Taken aback by his soft, but deep voice, a few more

droplets of sweat ran off of her face and fell onto her lap. Trying

to find an excuse not to answer, she failed to come up with one.

He seemed completely genuine, and had no intention of causing

any more trouble.

"My name is Nagi. I'm a bounty hunter," she replied,

shrugging her shoulders.

Russ became thoughtful for a few moments. "Nagi I

know I've heard that name before. I think Ryoko mentioned you a

couple of times, but she never explained anything about you. I just

know you simply by a name, so you have a chance at a different

first impression with me. I'll ignore the first one you gave me

back in the city, if you can show me you're not like that."

Letting a tiny gasp escape her lips and allowing her eyes

to widen slightly, she immediately banished her surprise behind a

scowl. "What's it to you?"

"You attacked my friends. Why?" he said, getting tired of

beating around the bush, but not leading on to that fact.

"As I told you, I'm a bounty hunter."

"I know that. Does Ryoko have a bounty on her head?"

Again, caught by his gentleness and bluntness, she shook

her head. "No. Not anymore."

"Then why did you attack her today, along with Tenchi?"

"She and I have a long history together. Let's just say

that Ryoko was a cause of great chaos and destruction, and she was

one of the most wanted space pirates in the universe. The price on

her head is what I wanted. However, she was the only prey to ever

escape me. But I've always caught up to her again and again.

Today would've been the last time too if you didn't get in the

way," she growled.

"If I didn't get in the way, not one, but two of my friends

would've been killed, and from what you tell me, without a reason.

It's murder in cold blood," Russ growled, allowing annoyance and

a little anger to creep into his voice. "Why did you shoot at

Tenchi?"

"An unfortunate casualty."

"In other words, you're a ruthless bounty hunter who

stops at nothing to get her quarry?"

Again, caught off guard by his uncanny ability to sum up

a situation in an instant and be so blunt about doing it, she just

stared at him, and didn't make a sound.

Russ shook his head. "This is very unfortunate. What

has Ryoko done to you to make you so bent on killing her? Has

she done something to you in the past?"

"No. She has simply gotten away from me. She is the

only one who has been able to do that, repeatedly. It has almost

become a contest of cat and mouse."

"An interesting way of putting it," Russ answered,

scratching his head. "And what happens when this game ends?"

"Then it ends. I go on my marry way and forget that I

ever met her," she responded coldly.

"Why not end it now, and walk away?"

Nagi stared at him with her mouth hanging open, as if she

had never considered that possibility before. "I can't."

"Why? Because of some personal vendetta?"

"I wouldn't put it so crudely, but yes."

"Then how would you put it?" Russ asked, placing his

hands behind his head and crossing his legs.

"I already explained it to Tenchi. She's a stain on my

record. The one and only blemish that keeps me from being the

most feared bounty hunter in the known universe"

"And once you kill her, you'll attain that status?" Russ

finished for her. "Sickening."

"And who are you to judge me?" she spat.

"Who are you to kill an innocent?" Russ countered.

She silenced herself and realized what he was starting to

get at. Shaking that feeling, she reasserted herself. "You can't

make an omelet without breaking some eggs," she growled.

"How clich," came Russ's response. "Explain it in more

detail."

"Tenchi would've been an unfortunate casualty, but that's

what happens when you hunt a big mouse like Ryoko."

Russ looked out over the mountainside at the land below,

the greenery of it all. The planet looked like it was untouched by

industry. Looking back at her, he shook his head. "Look at this

place, Nagi. How do you feel?"

Her eyes went wide with utter surprise, and she held her

breath for a few moments, and then released it slowly. She looked

out where Russ had a moment ago, and took in the peacefulness of

it. It was such a contrast to sitting onboard Ken-Ohki for months,

or sitting in dirty slum houses or bars waiting for quarry.

Becoming almost used to hellish conditions, she barely recognized

her surroundings anymore, since they did nothing to help her

moods.

However, this place was different. It was quiet, unlike the

spaceports and bars. It was bright, unlike the darkness of space

onboard Ken-Ohki. There were hundreds of thousands of colors,

unlike the blackness of space. And it was warm, unlike the

coldness of space.

"Have you ever been to a place like this before and stayed

to enjoy it, Nagi?"

Startled out of her broadening daydream, she looked at

him with angry eyes, but Russ could see the sadness behind it. She

turned her face away and said nothing.

"How long has it been since you've been to a place like

this, where you could forget all your troubles?"

Nagi shook her head. "Where are you going with this?"

"I want to know why you have such a hateful demeanor to

you. You're so cold and almost heartless, but I can see a little

humanity left in you. I want to see that side of you, to put it

simply."

"I'm just as human as you are," she snapped. "Why don't

you tell me a little bit about you now?"

Raising an eyebrow slightly, then taking a deep breath, he

let it out in a huge sigh. "My name is Russ, as you have no doubt

heard. I'm from a race of people known as Saiyans, or Saiya-jin.

I'm a warrior. Nothing more."

"'Nothing more' he says. There's got to be more to it

than that. How did you fall in with Ryoko and her family?" she

asked, her eyes widening when she realized what she said.

Ryoko's family

"I'm there to protect them and the Earth, against a foe that

is almost exactly like me," Russ answered, watching her.

"What?" She looked at him in disbelief. "Another one of

you is running around?"

"Kind of. Except his ambitions is a stark contrast to my

own. But yes, he's just as strong and as powerful as I am."

"That's not possible," she said, glaring at him. "I can't

believe it. I won't believe it."

"That's entirely up to you, but to be blunt, what I was

doing with you was absolutely nothing in comparison to what I'm

capable of. If you think Azaka and Kamidake are ones not to be

trifled with, I kicked their butts along with Misaki's yesterday in

the sparring room. Three on one, with me under intense gravity."

Russ smiled, remembering the sparring match from the previous

day.

Nagi shook her head as she stared at him. "How?"

"Do you have something that can detect a ki level?"

Nodding, Nagi produced a small device that vaguely

resembled a scouter, and placed the unit over her head, allowing

the small blue lens to cover her right eye.

Sitting quietly under the tree, Russ watched her fiddle

with the device, and set it up to fit her head. Glancing at him

through the small window, she slowly raised her hand and tapped

the button to turn the machine on. He watched Nagi's expression

as her scouter locked onto his body and began to calculate a level.

The scouter short-circuited and exploded, causing her to

flinch in utter horror. Russ immediately got up from his sitting

position, crossed the distance between them in less than an instant

and quickly knelt down near her, looking at her head and her face

to make sure she was uninjured.

"Are you okay?"

Nagi just stared at him in terror, her eyes wide and her

mouth agape.

"Talk about your cheap construction," Russ said, smiling.

"I wasn't even powered up. Listen, I'm not here to hurt or harm

you right now. Just relax and let's talk, okay?"

Swallowing a huge lump in her throat, she almost

couldn't think straight, but somehow, she managed a hoarse,

"Okay."

Russ grinned and sat down next to her, Indian style, and

placed his hands in his lap, making sure to keep a warm smile on

his face. "Where shall we begin?"

For the next three hours, both Russ and Nagi talked with

each other, sharing thoughts and feelings between each other, but

neither going very deep, until Nagi began talking on her own. The

more she talked, the more she revealed, and Russ listened to it all,

showing genuine interest. Finally, even though she didn't know

why, she found herself revealing more and more about her past,

and as a result, found it easier and easier to talk to him. She

touched on topics of her early childhood, why she became a bounty

hunter, her vendetta with Ryoko, murders and kills that she had

done that affected her in ways that only she could describe, her

parents and what was left of her family, and many other dark

secrets that she swore she'd keep locked away forever, but found

that they burst forth, like an uncontrolled avalanche that couldn't

be stopped. Several times she found herself babbling like a small

child, tears on the edges of her eyes, but never falling. However,

she totally failed to figure out why she told this stranger, who just

hours earlier was going to kill her, all that she did.

Russ sat and listened to it all. He never had to add

anything to the conversation, but just listen, and allowed her to

pour her heart out uninterrupted. He listened to stories that he

could relate to, and others that he only fantasized about. He could

see why her heart was locked away, and why she had the front that

she did, but he never challenged it. They continued to converse for

another hour or two, or so they thought. They both lost track of

time.

Finally, she looked at him with sad eyes and shook her

head. "I'm sorry."

Russ shook his head. "Don't be."

"You aren't going to tell anyone about any of this, are

you?" she asked, resembling a child who just told a secret that she

wasn't supposed to.

"The only people who will ever know about this is you,

me, and these trees," Russ said, gesturing to the landscape once

more.

Hanging her head, she sniffled once more. "Thank you."

Russ smiled. "It's okay. Are you still going to try to kill

Ryoko? I have to know."

Nagi looked at him, and he stared back at her with sad

eyes, and her heart almost broke in two. Summoning up all her

courage, her feelings, and her pride, she answered him. "No."

"Thank you," he whispered.

Looking up at him and his warm smile, she felt like a new

person. "It's okay."

"I can understand why you'd still be a bounty hunter. I'm

just glad you're going to stop hunting innocents now and stop

holding a grudge," Russ said, slowly getting to his feet. The grass

where he was sitting was completely flat.

Nagi let out a small laugh, as she watched him return to

his feet. And when Russ offered her his hand to help her up, she

accepted it graciously. "I take it we're going back there now?"

"Yeah, unless you'd like to stay a little longer."

"It's okay. I think I've said enough for one day."

Russ grinned. "Hold on tight to my hand."

Nagi smiled as she watched him place two fingers to his

forehead, and watched the landscape fade from view.

"Oh Mother, you haven't changed a bit," Yosho

complained, dressed in the fourteenth set of robes Funaho picked

out for him. "I've tried on enough clothes for one day. This is the

fourth store that we've spent over two hours in!"

Glaring at her son, she placed the previous pair of robes

light blue with gold trim into a growing pile of other garments

for her son to wear while he was on Jurai. "All you dress in is that

white robe. It's time you get something new."

Nobuyuki was also dressed in an odd set of robes olive

color with white trim as he stood next to his own growing

mountain of attire.

"Come on, mom. It's getting late. The sun has already

started to set," he complained again, gesturing to the window

which had bright yellow sunlight filtering in, the sun low in the

sky.

"We're almost done, so quit your whining. You didn't

like the way I redid the great hall, so the least you can do is let me

dress you in something nice," she snapped, feeling like Yosho was

a small child once again.

"You're embarrassing me!" he hissed, the redness

flushing his cheeks. "You look like you're dressing your

grandfather or something."

Funaho gave him a look that would've stopped a freight

train in its tracks, and he immediately looked down at his feet.

Sighing, she glared at him. "You never come to visit me, you

never write, you never call. It's almost like I don't have a son to

speak of!"

Yosho looked taken aback by her statement, and he hung

his head in shame.

Nobuyuki looked at his father in surprise, and shook his

own head. "You should talk to your mother more often. You do

realize that she's not going to be around forever. You should

appreciate your parents," he said, sounding almost as philosophical

as Yosho typically does. "I'm fortunate to be able to see you every

day. It's too bad I can't see mom anymore though."

Funaho nodded her head in agreement. "At least my

grandson has more sense than some thick-headed boy I have," she

said, causing Yosho to fret with his new robes. "Let's pay for this

stuff and get back to the palace to eat, and then we'll have the

fireworks show to see."

"Why don't you ask Washu to help you out with talking

to your mom more often, Dad? I'm sure she can help you."

Yosho shot his son a withering glare, making sure that his

mother didn't see it. He gestured with his hand that he'd have the

thrashing of his life if he kept it up. However, Nobuyuki grinned

even wider, as he hefted all of his new clothes into a waiting

shopping cart, and helped Funaho with Yosho's garments.

"Dad seems to be embarrassed, Grandma," Nobuyuki

began, standing next to the empress. "Why do you suppose that

is?"

Catching his drift, she smiled casually. "He's always

been like this. I should tell you about some of the things he did

while he was a little boy."

Yosho stared at her in horror, a massive bead of sweat

appearing on his head. He dropped down to both knees in front of

Funaho, clasping both of his hands in front of him.

"I'm begging you mom. Please don't," Yosho said,

sounding desperate.

Nobuyuki looked at this in great amusement and smiled

widely. "Wow. He must've done some crazy stuff for him to do

that now, right?" he asked, turning toward his grandmother.

"You have NO idea," she answered, watching her son,

who looked like someone who was about to be marched off to

death and was pleading for his life. "Come on, and I'll tell you

about some of it on the way home," Funaho invited.

Yosho facefaulted and slowly got back to his feet,

watching the retreating forms of his mother and his traitorous son.

"I'm doomed."

"Where is Russ?" Aeka said for the tenth time within the

last two hours, on her way back to the palace with her group of

Azaka, Kamidake, Misaki, Tenchi, Ryoko, Ryo-Ohki, Ken-Ohki

and Sasami. "He's been gone the whole day. I'm really worried

about him. What if something happened and he's out there with

Nagi?"

"Don't worry! Russ will be okay. Just relax, Aeka!"

Sasami said, annoyed. She reached over and took Aeka's arm,

giving it a warm squeeze. "He can take care of himself, although it

is sweet that you're so worried about him," she added, and then

giggled.

Giving an exasperated sigh, she looked at her mother for

reassurance. "Mom?"

"Aeka! Enough already. He'll come back when he's

ready, okay? You're going to get wrinkles from worrying so

much."

Ryoko nearly exploded laughing because she had told

Aeka the same thing when they ran out of food on the Yagami, and

she had to go get more. Instead, she turned a bright shade of pink

and tried her best not to laugh out loud. Tenchi noticed Ryoko's

glee, and he shot her a withering glare that silenced her

immediately and made her hang her head in shame. Feeling a little

guilty, he put her arm around her and held her close, as he kept

pace behind the princesses. He then whispered a small apology to

Ryoko, who smiled in return.

"Well, it's getting late. We'll have dinner and then we'll

watch the fireworks. After that, we'll do the gift giving part of the

festival between all of us, and then we should all go to bed, so

we'll be rested for the last day of the festival," Misaki directed,

turning her head to look at everybody and to see if they approved

or not.

"Sounds good to me. How come this only lasts two

days?" Tenchi asked.

Misaki looked him a little funny, and shrugged her

shoulders. "It's tradition. How long do your holidays last?"

"Well, there are various ones on Earth that last varying

periods of time. Hanukah lasts seven days and Christmas is only

one day. Come to think of it, nearly all our holidays are just for

one day," Tenchi explained.

"Well, here, Startica is for two days. Everybody comes

home at this time and celebrates it with their families. Everybody

is in high spirits, gifts are exchanged, and families are reunited at

least once a year. It's the best holiday on the planet. People from

all around the galaxy come to join us in celebrating it too.

"It sounds a lot like Christmas back at home. As a matter

of fact, we decorate trees like you guys have for Startica, and we

exchange gifts and presents. However, not everybody has the

privilege of coming home on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day.

It's really unfortunate, and can also create a lot of depression."

"That's terrible! Everybody should be able to get

together for the holidays!" Misaki said angrily, glaring at Tenchi.

"I know. But most humans don't see it that way. Some

still have jobs to do and have to work on Christmas Day."

Misaki sighed in disgust. "I guess I still don't understand

you humans."

Tenchi chuckled. "Most don't. Half the time, humans

don't understand humans!"

Aeka continued to walk beside everybody in silence,

trailed by the two guardians who continually looked at each other,

and then at Aeka. It didn't take long before the put two and two

together and realized that she was attracted to Russ.

"Excuse me, your highness?" Azaka began.

The three members of the Royal family turned and looked

at him, wondering which one he was referring to.

"Um, Princess Aeka?"

Misaki and Sasami both looked at Aeka, and smiled. She

slowed down her step, allowing Azaka and Kamidake to catch up

to her, and she kept pace between the two guardians.

"Did you want something, Azaka?"

"Forgive me for prying, but why are you so worried about

Russ? You saw what he did to Kamidake and myself yesterday."

Aeka sighed and looked down at the ground. "I don't

know why, but I feel so so something when he's not around."

She laughed and looked at both the knights. "I know it sounds

funny, but I'm almost getting used to having him around. I get

worried when he disappears for long periods of time."

Kamidake grinned. "I wouldn't worry about him. He's

one of a kind."

"I agree with you completely on that one," she said,

smiling at the red knight.

"Yeah. I've never seen anybody eat so much in my life,"

Azaka said, trying to keep from laughing out loud.

All three of them smiled and chuckled quietly, as they

rounded a corner and began their approach to the palace.

"You like him, don't you, Aeka?" Azaka said, after

overcoming a fit of the giggles.

Aeka seemed to be caught off guard by the directness of

his question, but she shrugged her shoulders. "I like him as a great

friend right now. The thing is, I'd like well, to progress it a little

further. The problem is, he doesn't, and has told me he doesn't

want to. I want to change his mind, but I don't know how."

"Hmmm how do you know? Maybe he likes you and

doesn't want to say it."

Smiling up at the blue guardian, she sighed dreamily.

"You really think that could be the case?"

"I think so. Whenever you enter a room, or look at him,

he smiles. I know for a fact that he likes you," Azaka said with

authority. "He'd be crazy if he didn't."

"I think he's crazy," Kamidake said, causing a surprised

stare from both individuals. "I think he just feels that you're good

friends right now. He may not be ready for a relationship. You

could tell us about what went on between you two since you've

met. I'd hate to draw conclusions on incomplete data."

"It's a long story. But to put it in a nutshell, he told me

on the first day we met that he wasn't interested in any kind of

relationship. After some circumstances, he then told me that

he'd think about it after the battle with his nemesis, Zorpheus. He

predicted that would take one year."

"I see. Has he ever been involved before?"

"I don't know. He told me that he hasn't, and from the

reactions I saw from Tom, I think he's being honest. I don't

understand why anybody wouldn't want to have someone with

them for the rest of their lives. It would be so lonely to be by

yourself all the time. I'm sure Ryoko could testify to that notion,"

she added, getting a nod from the space pirate.

"That's probably what he's used to," Kamidake said.

"Did he say how long he's been alone?"

Aeka thought a moment. "He did say that he was alone

for his entire life. Hardly any friends, and he spends a lot of time

by himself training. At least, I think that's what he said," she

replied, placing her finger against her cheek, trying to remember if

she forgot any details.

"Then he's probably not ready to have someone in his

life. But, if he's living with you now, he may just come around

and realize what he's missing. He'd find a great woman in you,

Aeka."

"Flattery will get you nowhere, Kamidake," she said,

giving him a wink and a warm smile. "But thanks for the

sentiment."

They all reached the palace steps and began to make their

way inside. Aeka looked off into the garden, the only place

untouched by the festival. Out of nowhere, Russ and Nagi both

appeared in the middle of it, in the blink of an eye. After a quick

double take, she stopped in her tracks, almost causing Ryoko to

run into her back.

"Hey, watch it, your royal low-ness. What's wrong with

you?" Ryoko asked, irritated, but then noticed the direction Aeka

was looking off into. She turned to look, and saw exactly what she

was staring at. Fear flooded Ryoko's face as she gripped Tenchi's

hand and let out a quick gasp.

"What's wrong, Ryoko?" Tenchi asked, feeling her grip

tighten on his hand. He turned and looked off into the direction

she was gazing in, and saw both Russ and Nagi, facing each other.

They were too far off to see their expressions, but they both

seemed to be okay.

"It's Russ" Aeka said, trailing off in mid-sentence.

The entire entourage stopped and stared, and watched

both individuals in the middle of the garden. After what seemed

like a minute, both Russ and Nagi turned toward the palace and

began to make their way over. Aeka's excitement got the better of

her as she quickly made her way down the steps and into the

garden, making a brisk pace down the walkway. Ken-Ohki saw

his master, and he shot off like he was fired from a rifle, racing

directly for Nagi, raising a ruckus with his strange version of a

meow with Ryo-Ohki calling after him.

About five feet away from both individuals, he stopped in

his tracks and looked at both of them. Both Nagi and Russ smiled

at him and stood still, but Ken-Ohki glared hard at Russ, hissing

and bristling his fur.

"I guess I can't blame him for being pissed at me," Russ

said, shrugging his shoulders and eyeing the white cabbit. "Is he

going to bite me or something?"

"Ken-Ohki, that's enough. I'm fine," she told the cabbit,

and he calmed down instantly, but watched Russ with distrust.

"Anyway," she said, turning toward Russ. "I really appreciate you

listening to everything I had to say. I have never had a confession

before. It felt good, and I want to thank you for it."

Russ waved his hand and smiled. "And thank you for

giving up the chase on Ryoko. I really appreciate that. Also, if

you ever need someone to talk to, I'll be with Tenchi's family for

the year. Just let me know a date and time, and I'll meet you

anywhere you please."

They both looked at each other and nodded their heads,

smiled, and then Nagi turned away from him and made her way

across the field, never looking back, with Ken-Ohki at her side. It

wasn't long before Aeka and company caught up to him.

"You big jerk!" Aeka yelled, getting in his face. "How

dare you leave for so long and making me worry like this!" She

raised her hand and went to slap Russ across the face.

Russ saw it coming and he ducked, letting her hand sail

harmlessly over his head. However, when he stood back up, he

gave Aeka a glare that could've curdled milk. "Since WHEN do I

answer to YOU?" he snarled, startling Aeka out of her rampage.

"Don't you EVER make a move to hit me out of anger."

Aeka's jaw dropped, and she was caught speechless.

Russ just made a frown and walked past her, making his way to the

palace just as everybody else caught up to him, as she continued to

stare at him in shock, her eyes wide and mouth agape, and she

looked like she just saw a ghost.

"What are you doing, Aeka?!" Misaki yelled. "Why did

you try to hit him?"

"I I don't know," she stuttered, looking at her hand and

the retreating form of Russ. He walked slowly, his arms dangling

at his sides with his hands balled up into fists. Looking at the

ground in front of him, he hung his head as he walked. "I just

reacted out of impulse."

Misaki grabbed her daughter in a hug. "I told you, there

is no need to worry about him now. At the moment, he doesn't

answer to anybody, and you have to accept that. He is who he is."

Aeka almost looked as if she was going to cry. "I just

made a big mistake, didn't I, mommy?"

Gripping her daughter more tightly, she shook her head.

"No. You were worried about him. In time, he'll come to realize

that."

"But but" she started to say. She hesitated, and

sniffled.

"It's okay, Aeka. Let's go back to the palace and eat

now. I'm starving," Misaki said cheerily, hoping to make Aeka

forget about the tirade that just happened.

Everybody else just stood by quietly and didn't say a

word. They all turned to follow the two as they made their way

down the path and followed Russ, keeping their distance, and

wondering what could be running through his mind.

Dinner passed by in relative silence. Every time Aeka

looked over at Russ, he was looking straight ahead and didn't say

anything to anybody, even to the guardians who tried to start a

friendly conversation with him. He ate his dinner at warp speed,

and then sat in silence, waiting for everybody else to finish.

Misaki glared at him for being so stubborn, but she reminded

herself of what she told Aeka earlier, and that he'd come around

eventually. She debated with herself on having another talk with

him or not. Eventually, she reached the conclusion that saying

nothing was the best way to proceed. Kids will be kids, and

despite all the advice she'd have, she figured that they'd learn

better on their own. They would have to get used to each other if it

were ever going to work.

Finally, desert was brought out delicious cheesecake,

made from only the finest ingredients on Jurai, topped with Jurian

cherries. Everybody dug into the desert with gusto, but once again,

Russ finished his in a matter of seconds. Except this time, instead

of waiting for other courses or everybody else to finish, he got up

and marched himself out the door. Everybody stopped at stared at

his retreating form, and silence ensued after that. Nobody said a

word to stop him, and the only noise in the hall was the sound of

the door closing behind him.

Aeka looked over at her mother. "Mommy?"

"Shhh," she said quietly, and shook her head. "Just leave

him be. He's probably very embarrassed at how he acted out there.

Leave him alone for now. He has to think."

"But, where is he going?"

"Who knows? That's not important right now. He needs

a little time to reflect. If he isn't around by the time the fireworks

are supposed to start, then you can go find him," Misaki said,

smiling. "I'm sure he'll join us for that."

"Yeah, Aeka. He'll be around for that for sure!" Sasami

said, smiling sweetly. "I just know he will!"

The princess smiled slightly and nodded her head. "I

guess you're right."

Asuza glared hard at the door, and if looks could kill,

Russ would've been dead ten times over. He cleared his throat and

continued eating his desert as if nothing had happened. Everybody

else at the table did their best to appear uninterested, and they

continued eating their food.

Entering the Royal Theater, Russ made his way down the

hundreds of rows of chairs to the base of the stage, where he leapt

on top of the polished wood with a heavy thud.

"DAMMIT!" he roared, stomping his foot. "Why do

women have to be so friggin difficult!"

Looking around for something to mess with, he noticed

the portable holo-projector that Tom said they'd use to create

instruments and other important materials for that concert they

were supposed to have. Carefully moving it to the middle of the

stage, he hit a few buttons to turn the machine on, keyed a few

more commands, and his huge organ appeared to the leftmost side

of the stage.

"Man, I really blew it out there. I have to control my

temper if I'm going to be around these people. I just wish Aeka

didn't have the hots for me!" he muttered to nobody in particular,

walking over to the bench and sitting down, adjusting his gi for a

better fit. He let out a sigh and relaxed slightly, tilting his head all

the way back, looking at the ceiling. He swung his feet back and

forth under the bench, and silently abused himself for being so

hotheaded out there.

Sitting forward again, he looked at the gleaming white

keys of the massive instrument and thought of several songs that

would calm him down. Tapping a few keys on the computer

console, he brought up the rhythm and most of the background

music for Armitage III Silent War, and began to play. He

cranked the volume of the organ to near maximum, which was

loud enough to vibrate the floor and feel it slightly in his gut, but

not quite deafening enough to hurt his ears.

Playing for several minutes, he could feel himself calming

down, as he moved his hands in the same pattern over and over

again, as more and more instruments joined in the piece. Having

the massive hall to himself, the surround sound from the extra

instruments echoed behind him, and he smiled. The drumbeat

kicked in near the end of the song, which was powerful enough to

feel in every bone in his body, and he felt so alive again as if he

finished a massive battle against a powerful foe. Continuing for

another minute or two, the song slowly faded its way out, and he

once again sat in silence.

"Music soothes the savage beast," Russ chuckled.

Deciding to pass more time away, he played the main

theme to Armitage III. However, after doing this song, he felt the

need to play something that had vocals in it, and he also gathered

an urge to play the drums. Moving over to the holoprojector, he

keyed some additional commands, and the organ vanished, but was

replaced with a huge variety of instruments. A drum set sat near

the middle of the stage up on a platform, several guitars were off to

the right next to three microphones. Still more instruments

presented themselves onstage, all ready to be played. Russ

grinned, and thought a few moments, then decided to play a few

tunes that starred Megumi Hayashibara.

In an instant, an entire cast of musicians appeared,

holding their instruments of choice, and an image of Lime from

Saber Marionette J stood in front of the main microphone. She

turned and looked at Russ, who smiled and gave her a thumb up.

She did the same and waited for him to make his way to the drum

set and sit down.

Cracking the two drumsticks together to start the rhythm,

the band began to play Hesitation Remix. Beating the drums in

perfect rhythm, the band stayed synchronized with him, as Lime

sang the song. Russ couldn't help but smile, and he felt as good as

new.

After that song was finished, he continued on to play

Izayoi, Proof to Myself Remix, the original Hesitation, and Lively

Emotion. After that, he switched albums and began to play songs

from The Slayers series. He swapped Lina Inverse in place of

Lime, and he chuckled to himself, thinking that Lina had more

hardware on her than Tom's Star Destroyer. Songs from The

Slayers included Breeze, Give a Reason, Get Along, Naked Mind,

Gloria, In This Arm, and even Unlimited Desire.

Once he finished with all the anime tracks, he moved over

to the projector and called up three more songs that he wanted to

do. All three were from a band called Linkin Park, and the three

songs he brought up were Papercut, In the End, and Pushing Me

Away. Moving back to the drum set, he fit a microphone over his

head and began the first song, singing the main lyrics of the piece

while pounding on the drums.

After about an hour and a half of solid playing, and

having his forehead drenched in perspiration from whacking the

drums for so long, he turned off the projector and sat down on the

stage, took several deep breaths, and tried to decide what would be

the best way to approach Aeka and her family again. He felt that

he acted like a complete moron. If only Aeka didn't take a swing

at him.

He knew that Aeka cared for him, even though he felt that

he didn't reciprocate it. She must really care deeply for him to pull

a stunt like she did out there.

"She may have been worried, but did she have to try to

slap me for it?" Russ asked aloud, hearing his voice reverberate

around the hall while he continued to stare at the floor in front of

him.

"She cares about you, that's why."

Russ's eyes became extremely large as his head snapped

up and looked directly into the pink eyes of Sasami. Caught

completely by surprise, he yelped and fell off the stage, landing on

his backside on the floor.

Sasami didn't smile, giggle, or give any indication that

she found the event funny.

"When the he When did you get here?" Russ asked,

pulling himself up.

Sasami just looked at him, folding her arms over her

chest. "I've been sitting outside the hall doors the entire time

you've been playing. I was waiting for you to finish before I came

in and interrupted you. I wanted to hear the music, but didn't want

to disturb you."

"I wouldn't have minded you coming in, Sasami. You

know that," Russ said, looking mildly confused.

"But you would've minded my sister, right? Please tell

me you're not going to fight with her."

Russ closed his eyes a moment and reopened them,

watching the little princess and wondering how to worm his way

out of a potential trap. "I'm not going to fight with her. I hate

fighting with people. I just wish things had gone a little differently

out there is all."

"You left us for the entire day! You were supposed to

spend the whole day with us, and we were going to play a whole

bunch of games and stuff, but you vanished with Nagi! What were

we supposed to think?" she yelled, clearly upset.

"I'm sorry Sasami, but there were other circumstances

that needed my attention. You're too little to understand it."

"I am NOT too little! You were going to spend the whole

day with us, and you were looking forward to it. And now the day

is over!"

Russ sighed as his heart began to ache. "There is always

tomorrow."

"But what about what happened today!? You didn't think

about how we'd feel after you left, did you?"

Feeling his blood start to boil, he took in a breath through

his nose, and let it out through his mouth, slowly. "Please stop

rubbing it in. I'm getting upset over this again. All that I can do is

say that I'm sorry."

"Don't say it to me," she said, looking at him angrily.

"You know who you need to say it to."

"I know that!" Russ shouted, sliding off the stage once

more, but landing on his feet. Sasami's gaze didn't falter, and she

showed no fear. "I just need" he said, but trailed off and looked

toward the doors, which were closing behind Aeka, who just

entered the hall. Squeezing his eyes shut, he turned away from

both princesses.

Silence ensued as Aeka made her way down to the stage

floor, and stood next to her sister. They both looked at Russ, who

slowly turned around and faced both girls, his expression unhappy,

and then he looked at the floor.

"And how long were you out there?" Russ asked, his

voice quiet. "Did you hear everything too?"

"Yes." Aeka slowly approached Russ again, and stood

directly in front of him, her hands folded in front of her. Russ

didn't meet her gaze, but continued to look at the floor in front of

him. "It's okay. I shouldn't have tried to slap you."

Russ shook his head. "It's my fault. If I had come back

sooner, you wouldn't have been as upset."

"But you had some things to discuss with Nagi, right?"

"Yeah, but still. I should've realized that I was making

you so concerned about me. I'm sorry about that."

"It's okay. We both made mistakes today, Russ," Aeka

said, looking at Russ's boots. "I don't think I'll make the same

one again."

"Me neither," Russ answered, shuffling his foot.

"Can we start over?" Aeka invited, reaching out and

grasping Russ's hand. His hand was so strong and warm, but felt

very relaxed. It was amazing that a hand so strong could still be so

gentle.

Russ sighed. "I'm sorry," he said again, and he didn't

pull away. "I'm so violent to be around. Why did you have to

become attracted to me?"

Aeka squeezed his hand tighter. "Because you have all

the qualities I look for, and am attracted to. Plus, you don't treat

me like royalty, but as a normal, everyday person. I like being

treated as a person rather than a figurehead. You're the only

person besides Tenchi to have done that."

"I see."

Aeka smiled, as she reached up with her other hand and

raised Russ's face, so she could finally see him, and him to her.

"Would you please join me for the fireworks? That would make

me and Sasami very happy."

"I think I can manage that," Russ answered, doing his best

to smile, but failing. He still felt bad over what he did, and he

continued to silently beat himself up over it.

"Don't be so hard on yourself. You're only human, after

all," Aeka said, taking him by the arm and leading him out of the

auditorium.

Sasami watched the two, and she felt very contented and

happy. Following behind them, she kept quiet and simply listened

to the two talk to each other. However, Russ continually

apologized for his outburst, and Sasami found that to be one of the

sweetest things that anybody could've done. Even Tenchi didn't

do what he did.

Some fifteen minutes later, Washu, Kiyone, Mihoshi,

Funaho, Yosho, Nobuyuki, Azaka, Kamidake, Asuza, Misaki,

Aeka, Sasami, Ryo-Ohki, and Russ, approached the apex of a

small hill in the Royal Garden. On top of the hill was a large

gazebo, complete with thrones and other chairs. The hill itself was

nearly twenty feet high, and the steepness of the hill was not very

bad. Steps ran all the way to the building, and made climbing

easy. Asuza, Misaki, and Funaho took their seats, and everybody

else, except for Russ, Aeka, and Sasami, sat in the available chairs.

Russ elected to climb down the hill slightly, and lie back onto the

soft grasses, and just relax. Of course, Aeka and Sasami did the

same.

It was dark and starting to get hard to see, as the time

wound down to what was supposed to be the beginning of the

fireworks, however, nothing was happening. Minutes passed by,

and still no fireworks. Russ could faintly hear a chorus of boo's

emanating from various crowds around the palace, and a light

amount of chatter coming from the gazebo above him.

"What's going on? How come there aren't any

fireworks? Aren't they supposed to start now?" Russ asked,

continuing to gaze into the darkening sky.

"They should've started about five minutes ago. I think

there is something wrong," Aeka replied, looking concerned. "I

hope they don't have to cancel."

Russ scratched his head and grinned slightly. "We won't

need to cancel."

Aeka and Sasami both looked at him in confusion. "What

do you mean?" Sasami asked, watching Russ's grinning

expression.

Without another word, Russ raised his arm, pointed it at

the sky, and an instant later a small white ball of ki fired from his

palm and raced to the stars, where it flashed and disappeared. A

second later, a massive boom resonated around the land, as an

uproar of cheers exploded from the nearby groups.

"Wow! I didn't know you could do that with ki!" Sasami

exclaimed in excitement. "Can you do others?"

"Sure can. You name it, and I can probably make it.

Watch this," Russ said, firing another small ki ball from his hand.

It raced into the sky and exploded in a gorgeous pattern of greens,

reds, and yellows, all circling around each other in a geometric

flower. A moment later, a thunderous boom resonated around the

buildings, rattling windows and causing another uproar of

cheering.

"That's fantastic. And no smoke either," Aeka

whispered, watching the spectacle fade out and vanish into

oblivion. "Can you do a Cherry Blossom flower?"

Russ grinned as he fired another blast into the sky. The

ball exploded into a fantastic sight, as it produced a perfect version

of the flower, along with a green stem and green leaves.

A round of applause greeted his ears from the onlookers

in the gazebo, and he smiled to himself has he fired off several

more blasts, each detonating in various patterns in dazzling arrays

of colors.

"How long is this supposed to go for?" Russ inquired,

firing off another salvo of ki balls.

"About forty five minutes to an hour. But if you get tired

out before then, you can stop at any time," Aeka told him.

"No problem. Sit back, and enjoy the show," Russ

declared, firing off another five balls into the upper atmosphere

and watching them detonate in wonderful and different colors and

patterns.

He continued to wow and dazzle all the onlookers, as he

finally realized it was time to wrap up the show. Raising his other

hand and bracing himself, he began firing off hundreds of ki balls,

all of them exploding like popcorn and producing incredible

displays of design, geometry, and color. Aeka watched him as he

continued to shoot his energy into the atmosphere like a machine

gun, and she felt so contented to be next to him, as she watched

him in the varying colors of his fireworks. He continued this for

another five minutes, and then fired off one last massive ball into

the upper atmosphere, where it exploded into an incredible design,

which read, "That's all, Folks!" and shook the ground with its

explosion.

Loud cheering from miles around could be heard, as well

as a roar of appreciation from the gazebo. Even Asuza was

applauding the performance, since he was one to enjoy fireworks

and was very happy that he wasn't disappointed this year.

Taking a deep breath, Russ lowered his hands to his sides

and smiled contentedly. "Did you enjoy the show you guys?" he

asked, looking at Sasami, and then Aeka.

"That was great!" Sasami squealed. "Thank you so much

for doing that for everybody. We've never seen anything like it

before."

"That's right, Sasami. This was a real treat for us, Russ.

Thank you," Aeka said, rubbing his arm. "Are you tired out?"

Russ yawned. "I'm not fatigued, but I'm getting sleepy,"

he said, rubbing his eyes. "Is there anything else we have to do?"

"Just one more thing. Gift exchanging!" Sasami said

gleefully. "I can't wait to see what I get this year."

Russ looked at both of them in horror, and then hung his

head. "Oh no. I had no idea you guys exchanged gifts at this

time!" he fretted. "What am I going to do now?"

Aeka giggled. "Don't worry about it. You don't have to

give anything. Just come with us back to the palace and keep us

company."

Everybody in the gazebo was already making his or her

way down the steps. Russ, Aeka, and Sasami all got to their feet

and followed behind the main group. "But I don't have anything

to give! I'm going to feel weird not giving anything."

"I told you not to worry about it," Aeka giggled. "Just

relax."

Russ sighed. "I know. I'll make it up to you at Christmas

time. Will that be okay?"

"Absolutely," Sasami said, hanging on Russ's right arm.

"I can't wait to see what you get me."

"I've got some planning to do, in that case," Russ said, his

face determined. "I'll make sure you guys have the best Christmas

ever!"

"Christmas isn't for another six months!" Aeka

exclaimed, looking at Russ. "What could you be planning that

would take that long for?"

"Well, I need to get one for you, Sasami, Tenchi, Ryoko,

Nobuyuki, Yosho, Washu, Mihoshi, Kiyone, and Ryo-Ohki.

That's going to take a lot of planning, especially for what I like to

do during Christmas." Russ grinned evilly, as he eyed both the

princesses. "It's going to be big."

Now both girls stared at him, their curiosity already

beginning to manifest and grow, wondering what he could be

thinking of that could be so gigantic and wonderful. In the past,

Russ was known to really go out of his way for holiday gifts,

especially for Christmas. Even though he was unsure as to what to

get everybody, six months should be plenty of time to decide and

plan out the perfect presents. Figuring that he'd have to call in a

few favors, he'd do his very best to make everybody happy, even if

it was only for one day. The problem was it was almost as

torturous for Russ to keep it a secret as it was for everybody else.

Already some ideas were beginning to develop inside Russ's mind,

and he began to grow excited, already thinking about Christmas.

However, he bit his tongue and decided to take one risk, and that

was to read their minds when they didn't know it, to be able to get

the absolute, most perfect present.

"Well, we're going to be in my parents living quarters.

There is a big tree there with lots of presents under it already,"

Sasami said, still holding onto Russ's arm.

"I'm sorry that I don't have anything to give you guys. I

feel bad about it. Maybe I can find something real fast" Russ

stopped in mid-sentence as his mind began racing, and he decided

on something.

"What is it, Russ?" Aeka asked, watching his changing

expressions.

"Hmmm? Oh, nothing. I just thought of something,

that's all," Russ answered, walking up the palace steps and making

his way inside the front doors.

"Well, what is it?" Sasami inquired, pulling on his arm.

"You'll see it soon enough," Russ replied, smiling in a

sadistic way. "No hints until then."

Sasami pouted. "No fair." She then started gigging.

After a few minutes, they both made their way down the

main hallway to the Royal Family's quarters. Misaki unlocked and

then pushed open the massive doors, and then turned on the lights

to the room. Everybody entered directly into a living room, which

was extremely huge. Furniture that was crafted from only the most

skilled woodworkers on Jurai presented itself on the floor,

surrounding a gigantic, fifteen-foot tall Startica tree. A gorgeous,

red oriental rug was placed under it and the furniture, and the rest

of the flooring was hard wood. On a nearby wall, a beautiful

fireplace complete with gold trimmed glass windows was set into

the wall, with a marble mantle on top of it. About three quarters

the way inside the living room, there was a step up to another level

of the floor, which was the dining area, in case they wanted to eat

privately. A long table, some twenty feet in length sat on this

landing, made of a very light colored wood, as was everything else

in the room. A large chair sat at the middle of the table, and two

smaller ones sat at the ends. The entire room was extremely bright

and cheery, but didn't have a lot of color outside of wood. Lights

of all styles and craftsmanship were placed around the room,

which were made of old, black iron, and looked like something out

of medieval times. A crystal chandelier hung at the very top of the

twenty-foot tall vaulted ceiling that had nearly fifty small lights on

it. It sparked like a well-polished jewel.

Russ, Tenchi, and everybody else who have never been in

a high class situation before looked on it in complete awe, and

couldn't help but marvel at the grandness of the place.

Everywhere they turned, they saw items that they could've only

dreamt of affording. The only thing that Russ found a problem

with is that there was no technology, in terms of a stereo system or

form of entertainment. Assuming that they had yet another room

for that kind of thing, he continued gawking at everything in the

room, and barely noticed that Misaki, Funaho, and Asuza had sat

down on a nearby loveseat and were waiting for everybody to join

them, ready to hand out the gifts.

"Aeka?" Misaki called over to her daughter, who was

now pulling on Russ's arm, who barely seemed to notice her.

"You're first. Here's one of your presents!" Misaki waved around

a package that had some really unusual wrapping paper on it, in

that it was a very pretty shade of violet. It almost matched Aeka's

hair color.

Just as she was about to accept the package, she turned

around to see everybody as she opened it, and her jaw dropped in

astonishment. Russ was gone. Vanished. Poof. Just like he

wasn't there to begin with, and she frowned in disappointment.

"He's gone AGAIN!" she yelled, drawing curious stares

from all the occupants in the room. A moment later, they realized

whom she was referring to.

"Not again," Sasami said, rolling her eyes. "Don't worry,

Aeka. He's probably doing something and he'll be right back.

Maybe he went to the bathroom or something."

Aeka sighed to herself, and began to open her small

package.

"I gotta get this stuff to their rooms before they finish

their gift exchange," Russ said to himself, racing toward Aeka and

Sasami's room. Reaching it in a matter of moments, he used his

instantaneous movement ability and teleported inside their room.

Quickly leaving a gift on Aeka's bed, one on Sasami's and leaving

one on the floor for Ryo-Ohki, he left their room and teleported to

Tenchi and Ryoko's room, leaving a gift for each on their bed.

Repeating the same thing to get to Washu's room, he left her a gift

on her bed, then proceeded to Yosho and Nobuyuki's room, and

left the last present there.

"Well, that didn't take long," he said, and then let out a

massive yawn. "I feel like Santa Claus. But anyway, I should go

to bed. I'd feel funny about going back there. I think they'd

understand." Stretching and yawning once more, he teleported

himself back to his bedroom, where he quickly turned on his desk

fan, undressed down to his underclothes, and flopped onto his bed,

where he fell asleep almost instantly, snoring like a hibernating

bear.

"Oooh! That Russ. He'll never learn," Aeka growled,

her hands balled into fists at her sides, as she stomped off to her

room, trailed by Sasami and Ryo-Ohki.

"Oh Aeka, would you stop it already? You're going to

drive yourself AND Russ crazy with the way you worry about him.

Stop it already. It's not like the war between you, Ryoko and

Tenchi, where you'd have to watch Ryoko like a hawk all day

long," Sasami said, tossing her hands into the air in exasperation.

"You're so insecure about him and he's the last person on Earth

that you'd need to be concerned about!"

Aeka sighed in resignation. "Of course, you're right,

Sasami. I guess I just got so accustomed to being so worried about

someone else that I forgot what it's like to not worry about being

betrayed, or left behind."

"I understand that, Aeka, but you're overboard with him!"

Aeka giggled. "I guess that's what happens when you

chase someone. You'll learn about it sooner or later."

Sasami stared at her sister for a moment, and then looked

a little worried. "I won't be like you, will I?" she asked, cracking a

small grin.

Aeka whirled around and looked down at her little sister,

and then started laughing. "Sasami, you're bad. Come on, I'm

tired. Let's hit the sack, okay?"

"Yeah. But anyway, how do you like your gift?"

"It's nice, but not as nice as the present from Ryoko and

Tenchi from a few weeks ago." Aeka held up a beautifully crafted

emerald ring, made from platinum and emerald jewels, in a design

that would've made a computer crash if it tried to render it. "Just

another thing to add to my collection."

"If you don't want it, I'll have it," Sasami said, hopeful.

"Forget it. You'll probably blackmail this out of me

anyway as you did with the amethyst necklace and the matching

earrings and bracelet!"

Sasami giggled. "I don't know what you're talking

about."

"I'm sure you don't," Aeka said, arrogantly. "But how do

you like your present?"

"It's pretty nice, although, I would've rather had

something else," she said, carrying a brand new, ultra expensive

silk bathrobe. "I'm still a kid you know."

Aeka began giggling, and then started laughing. "Says

the one who always says, 'I'm not too little' all the time."

Sasami was about to say something, but they had made it

to their room, and Aeka pushed open the door, and then turned on

the light.

A huge violet lion, and a massive green bear sat on each

of their beds, respectively. The lion was for Aeka, and the bear for

Sasami. Both of them stopped, stared, and then turned to look at

each other, and they both knew whom it came from.

"We're going to have to thank Russ for these. You know,

he didn't get anything either. I guess he thought he was," Sasami

said quietly, admiring the huge toy on her bed. She then noticed

the super huge stuffed cabbit toy on the floor, which looked almost

identical to Ryo-Ohki herself. "And I bet I know who this is for,"

she giggled.

"That Russ he's something else, that's for sure."

Turning around and closing the door to their room, they

locked it for the night, undressed, and fell asleep, all three of them

clutching the super sized animals for the night.

Washu, Kiyone, and Mihoshi all walked together down

the hall, heading to their rooms for the night. They were all

carrying gifts from the Royal Family, and they were all extremely

happy with their loot. They came to stop in front of the Galaxy

Police's quarters.

"Well, I had a real good time today. Thanks for having

me tag along with you girls."

"No problem, Washu. We enjoyed your company,"

Kiyone said, smiling, and then letting out a huge yawn, stretching

her arms over her head.

"Yeah Washu! Would you like to accompany us again

tomorrow?" Mihoshi invited.

Watching the both of them, she grinned and nodded her

head. "I think I'd like that. Thank you, Mihoshi. I appreciate it."

"Oh, think nothing of it. You can buy us dinner again!"

she said happily, and drawing a curious but perturbed look from

Washu. Kiyone just groaned and smiled.

"I'll see you tomorrow in that case, Washu. Good night,"

Kiyone said, pushing open her door and walking inside, nearly

dragging Mihoshi with her. Both girls stopped almost instantly

when they turned on the light and stared at their beds. On

Kiyone's bed, a small, green, froglike stuffed animal sat on her

pillow, and a brown teddy bear sat on Mihoshi's. They both

looked at the animals in astonishment, then turned to look at

Washu, who happened to notice Kiyone's and Mihoshi's hesitation

when they entered their room.

"What's this?" Kiyone asked to nobody in particular.

"Oh wow! Santa must've visited us!" Mihoshi squealed

in delight.

"Santa doesn't visit Jurai, and he's just a folklore!"

Kiyone shouted.

Mihoshi looked at her in confusion. "Then it was the

Easter Bunny?"

Both Washu and Kiyone facefaulted, recovered, and

shook their heads. They looked at each other, shared a quick

laugh, and smiled at each other.

"Good night, Washu. See you tomorrow," Kiyone said

again, closing the door behind her.

Washu grinned. "Good night, girls."

Now alone, she proceeded to her own room, where she

was now expecting to see something there, waiting for her. She

knew that this is why Russ vanished earlier, but her curiosity was

starting to get the better of her as she pushed open her own door

and stepped inside.

Turning on her light, she looked on her bed, and saw her

gift. She couldn't help but smile, since it was her favorite type of

gift. A red crab, about two feet in diameter, was sprawled on her

pillow. The real kicker was that this crab had a ribbon on it.

Shedding her clothes quickly and turning out her light,

she flopped into her bed and hugged the crab tightly, and quickly

drifted off into peaceful slumber, completely forgetting about any

scientific analysis that she had the computers perform the night

before. It could all go to hell for a couple days. The world wasn't

going to end if she didn't work on something for that long.

Yosho and Nobuyuki entered their room, turned on the

light, and noticed a small stuffed bokken sitting on their beds.

They stopped, stared and smiled, knowing whom it came from.

Setting it on the dresser, they quickly jumped into bed and fell

asleep quickly, worn out from a day of shopping and motherly

torture.

Lastly, Tenchi and Ryoko both went into their room to

find presents on their bed. On the bed, a miniature version of

Tenchi and a stuffed doll of Ryoko both sat, waiting for their new

owners. Ryoko and Tenchi both stared at each other, lifted his or

her presents at the exact same time, and they both chuckled, and

then started laughing.

"Only Russ would be able to find something like this in

such a short period of time. Hey, these are the prizes he won while

we were all out today. I wonder what everybody else got?" Tenchi

asked, putting the Ryoko doll back on the bed and pulling his shirt

off.

"Who knows? I'm tired. Let's go to sleep, Tenchi," she

said, pulling him down to the bed, where she had already laid

down. "We've got another big day ahead of us."

"Yeah. Good night, Ryoko," he answered, flopping onto

his pillow.

"Good night, Tenchi. See you in the morning."

Tenchi leaned over and kissed her, and then laid his head

on the pillow, drifting off into slumber a few minutes later.

Ryoko, however, stayed awake a little while longer. She

began to think about Aeka and how differently she acted around

Russ in comparison with Tenchi. She almost seemed paranoid,

even though she had no need to be. Russ wasn't going anywhere

soon. Debating on bringing it up with Aeka tomorrow, she looked

over at her treasure, which was sleeping peacefully beside her.

Feeling a little bit of pity for her once rival, she sighed and drifted

off to sleep a short while later.