THREE PRINCESSES...
Author: Daferge
Disclaimer: Tenchi Muyo! is a copyright AIC/Pioneer Ltd.
All respective characters are property of their original owners. All original characters and ideas are property of the author.
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Chapter 44... CALM BEFORE THE STORM?...
( Sub-Space... )
The island was reasonably large, situated in the middle of a fairly large lake, which in turn was surrounded by tall, thick woods...
Except for a small bridge to a smaller island, over to one side, there was no obvious way on to or off the island...
It was even covered with a thin layer of green grass that was almost like a carpet...
In fact, since it had been specially bio-engineered, it was very tough and as such, it was the next best thing to being carpet...
It also saved on having to be cut every so often...
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Normally this would just be a transit spot, with people coming and going, sort of a transfer point...
But at the moment there wasn't any one around, that could be seen, that is...
This dimension had the best security, no place in the universe was more secure...
And so, a door appeared at one end of the island, the bottom floating less than the thickness of a human hair above the grass...
The overhead lighting, which was set to simulate the light outside the Masaki home, caused the door to cast a shadow on the grass...
As the door opened, a curtain of darkness appeared across the doorway...
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The first person out of the door was a figure dressed all in black, carrying a small cushioned chair under each arm...
Without a word, he carries the chairs over to the spot that had been pointed out to him earlier...
As he reaches the spot, several more figures, dressed just like him, exit the door way, also carrying chairs and move to other nearby spots...
Setting down the chairs, he adjusts them, making sure they were secure and won't tip over...
It wouldn't do to have something go wrong...
Though this was usually a task for servants, this was a maximum security area and only those with the highest clearance were allow here...
Besides, this was for their Great Lord and Master...
That made it a matter of honor and they ALL prided themselves with doing their very best...
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Having made sure that the chairs was situated securely, the first male looked around to see how the others were doing...
Like himself, the others had finished and were looking around...
Checking out the arrangement, he nodded to each as they looked his way...
As each got a nod, they returned to the doorway and disappeared back through it...
Soon only he and one other was left...
That figure approached him instead of returning through the doorway...
Stopping a few feet away, they reached up and removed the head covering that hid all of their faces...
With a shake of her head, the young female shook out her hair and smiled at the only other person there...
Reaching over, she removed the others head gear, revealing a young male, with a big smile on his face...
With a very wicked smile, the female moved closer to the young male with all the determination of a lioness stalking her prey...
But as their faces came within inches of each other, a voice spoke up...
" Get a room, you two!... "
The two stepped away from each other, their faces blushing...
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A young female with lots of red hair stood off to one side, a new doorway open behind her...
Washu smiled at their reactions as she used one of the many colorful expression she'd learned while living on colony 0315...
With Ryoko and the others being gone so much of late, she missed being able to tease Ryoko about Tenchi...
Besides, she liked young Rogon and Tuskiko...
Talk about your star-crossed lovers...
Though both were followers of what was called the art of Ninjitsu, they came from different worlds...
Quite literally!...
While Tuskiko was from the same nation on colony 0315 that Washu now called home, Rogon had recently come from a planet clear on the other side of the known Galaxy...
It was quite clear that the two were made for each other...
Hadn't they been involved in a fight-to-the-death when they first met?
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In fact, both their clans or families, owed their very existence to Tenchi and their family...
Rogon's people, a very secluded intergalactic guild, spent their lives training in the way of the Ninjitsu, the traditional method of espionage, involved stealthy movements and the use of camouflage...
Among the stars, many guilds used Ninjitsu for personal gains and were considered Elite Assassins, feared among all civilized worlds...
When the Emperor of the Juraian Empire was recently targeted by assassins, all fingers had pointed to Rogon's people being behind the attempt...
However, instead of hunting the guild down and wiping it out, Tenchi (with his wives) had confronted the guild and uncovering enough evidence to make them believe the guild had been set up to take the blame...
So, to protect the guild from further retaliation, they had been secretly moved to this protected world in sub-space and news spread that they'd been destroyed...
This would tend to settle the Assassination matter and lure those truly behind it into a false sense of security, while other leads were more quietly followed up...
As for the guild, they were now a secret Imperial force unit of the Royal Guard, answerable only to the Royal Family...
For the most part, their main mission was to protect the Crown Prince and his family...
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With Tenchi's recent wedding and appointment as Crown Prince, Jurai's greatest Swordsman, Prince Yosho Masaki Jurai, better known as Katsuhito Masaki, the local shinto priest and Tenchi's grandfather, had lost his favorite student and target...
With Rogon's appearance at the Masaki house, Katsuhito had a new student to pass his experience on to, much to his delight...
Rogon would be joined by others, whenever Tenchi and his wives were home...
Besides exposing Rogon to adversaries who were more powerful, he went up against ones who were power-users, like Ryoko and Tenchi, thus keeping Tenchi and his wives abilities in top form...
It also provided some amusing moments, like when Tenchi and Ryoko were told not to use their powers and Tenchi not only tapped his wife on the head with the Banka , he slapped her other end as well, much to the cheering of the other females...
Nagi had been there laughing hysterically...
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Then along came Tuskiko Hoshiki, the daughter of the head of the Hoshiki ninja clan, one of the oldest clans in Japan...
But, due to recent financial problems, the clan had reluctantly accepted a commission which involved the Masaki Family...
A commission that might involve the possible assassination of Tenchi and others...
Needless to say, the Hoshiki ninja clan had never stood a chance...
And so, like Rogon's people, they too were soon placed under the protection of the Masaki Family...
Which had led to a recent unwelcome meeting...
With the heads of all the Ninja families...
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( A darkened room, the recent past…)
An elderly male stood in a circle of light, surrounded by pitch darkness...
He had every reason to be trembling...
He could hear the whispers of those around him, in the dark, the members of the Ninja High council...
He and others had been called before them to explain their recent attempted takeover of the Hoshiki family clan...
AND why they'd failed...
Thou once one of the most powerful Families, misfortune had recently lowered them to where they had even been forced to relinquish their seat on the council...
Because the takeover was not approved by the council, the council was now interested in how the greatly weakened family had managed to survive a very hostile takeover by two of the most powerful families on the council...
There were even rumors of the involvement of a new family...
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" WELL?... "
Elsewhere one might be able to lie, but not here...
However words spoken carefully could be misleading...
" We had hoped to use the Hoshiki's weaken state against them, but it seems they may have recently allied with others... In fact, they may have broken a contract to get these allies... A contract sanctioned by this council... "
There was mumbling in the darkness and he managed not to smile...
Commissions not only provided work and funds, but it also allow each family to show off how skilled it has trained it's ninja...
" Is it just chance that those who now proclaim to protect the Hoshiki are the same that the contract was against?... "
As the mumbling continued, the male began gain confidence...
Until a soft voice cut through the darkness...
" My, aren't we the smooth talker!... "
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As the circle of light the male was standing in enlarged to a much larger circle, the mumbling ceased...
Across the circle from the male, a figure stepped into the circle of light, wearing a black kimono covered with red Dragons...
Their face was hidden by a dark reddish mask, possessing two sharp bull-like horns, metallic eyes, and a leering mouth split from ear to ear...
There were few in the room who did not recognize a Hannya mask, used in Japanese plays to portray the souls of women who had become demons...
The mass of reddish hair helped to further the mask's effect...
There was now complete silence...
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Reaching up, the figure pushed the mask back onto their forehead, revealing a smiling Washu...
The male felt a chill run down his spine as she looked him in the eyes...
It seem that he recalled her from their last meeting...
" It seems you have some questions about the recent recovery of the Hoshiki family... "
A firm female voice spoke up...
" Who are you... "
Washu picked out the voice's source and turned towards the voice...
" I have many names... But you may call me Washu... And I represent those who now hold the Hoshiki Family under their protection... "
" And who may they be?... "
Washu didn't reply, she simply smiled and held up a small black object...
There was as a quiet gasp as those in the dark recognized it at once...
A legendary black shuriken, inlayed with the seal of the Emperor, in gold, a small piece of history that was said to give the holder the Emperor's voice...
Washu now had their FULL attention...
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Washu glanced at the male across the circle of light from her...
The blood drained from his face as she smiled at him, his knees beginning to shake...
If his legs could have moved, he would have run for it, but something told him that he didn't want this female chasing him...
He remembered what the other females had done at the Hoshiki estate, his gut told him that this was the head female...
Her smile reminded him of the Tigress at the local zoo, calm, quiet, but very deadly...
In all his years, he'd known many ninja, some weak, some strong...
He had no doubt that if she wanted to, he'd be dead before he could blink his eyes...
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Washu held the shuriken up, long enough for every one to get a good look, even the slow ones...
A feminine voice broke the silence...
" Why?... "
Most clans had males in charge, only one had a female in charge, the Akara clan...
Washu smiled, Naja Akara had watched as her parents and siblings had been killed in conflicts with other clans, until only she was left to lead her clan...
More than one clan had underestimated her and come to regret it...
If there was a 'Brains' on the council, she was it...
" Because!... "
This caused a good deal of whispering in the dark...
Some one slammed something heavy down, getting silence...
Washu managed not to smile, she had a good idea who it was...
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The female voice spoke again, Washu was sure she detected a bit of annoyance in it...
" That's not an answer!... "
Taking a slow deep breath before answering, to keep from laughing...
" We are a peaceful clan, that was drawn into your secret world against our wishes... We wish only to be left alone... "
She let her words sink in...
" HOWEVER, we will defend ourselves and those under our protection... "
She heard a feminine chuckle...
" Bold words... "
Washu looked in the direction and her eyes glowed slightly...
" Not bold, truthful... "
She smiled at the person she was talking to and heard a slight intake of air...
" There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy... "
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There was whispering as her words were digested...
But Washu wasn't finished, she reached up and pulled down her Hannya mask...
" Whether you believe in them or not, Demons do exist, so it's best to let them sleep... "
Her voice was was deep and hollow...
" And every one knows that Death is the constant companion of all Demons... "
As she began to dissolve into nothing, she began to chuckle...
Soon there was nothing in light and silence in the room...
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No sooner did Washu appear on the Yukinojo, than she removed her mask and robes...
That done, she waved her hand and produced a screen and keyboard...
After doing some typing, she studied the results and smiled...
" I assume that smile means your plan worked!... "
Washu turned to find, GP officer, Kiyone Makibi standing at the transporter controls...
Washu's smile, but shook her head...
" We can't be sure... BUT... We have given them some thing to think about... "
She chuckled as she followed Kiyone out of the transporter room and towards the bridge...
" Part two can wait... We have more important matters to attend to at the moment... "
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( Airai Royal Palace… )
Lady Seto stood to the side as princess Airi considered her request...
Well, not quite HER request, it was some thing passed on, using her 'Phone', from Washu...
After some thought, Airi sighed and turned to her parents, the King and Queen of Airai...
They had been watching as Lady Seto had answered her strange device and put it to her ear...
King Akio wasn't sure he liked the way her eyes began to twinkle and she began to smile...
" Father!... Mother!... "
She could see that Lady Seto was enjoy every moment of this...
" There's some thing I would like to show you!... "
She watched as her parents looked at each, other before her mother replied...
" Of course, Dear!... "
In the back of her mind, she recited one of those old prays that she'd learned as a priestess and asked Tsunami for strength...
Turning, she then led the way our of the chamber...
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( Emperor Azusa's Office, Jurai… )
The leader of one of the most powerful governments was sitting behind his desk, bent over and slowly tapping it's surface with his forehead...
Across the room an adult female was smiling...
She looked down at the bundle in her arms and shook her head...
" I told you that your great-great-grandfather would be happy to see you... "
Emperor Azusa looked up and his eyes widened...
" It's really you - this time... Isn't it, Washu?... "
Managing not to giggle, Washu turned little Mayuka to face Azusa...
" See how quick he understands... Just like your father... "
Azusa closed his eyes and moaned...
Maybe she'll go away...
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( Buckingham Palace, England... )
The Queen had been sorting through some papers on her desk, some last minute details for the event coming up...
Lady Washu had informed her that all was going smoothly and would be ready as planned...
She had left the details in Washu's hands and not inquired, though she did wondered...
However she realized that it wouldn't be a surprise if she knew what was going to happen...
She just had to believe in Lady Washu and her family...
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She also discovered that she was much more relaxed when she did, a great deal of stress was gone...
Your majesty?... The chef has just removed a fresh batch of cupcakes from the oven, would you care to sample a few?...
She couldn't help smiling as James, her name for the artificial intelligence of the security system that Lady Washu installed, once again kept her updated on what was happening else where in the palace...
The name had helped her adjust to it being with her all the time...
Since getting back to the palace, she had worked with James, sorting out what WAS important and what wasn't...
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She'd never realized how many things were going on each day, around her...
However, such things as one of the maids and a driver necking in one of the closets at the very back of the palace was not to be on the I NEED TO KNOW list, thou it did make her smile...
Also the information about the mouse in the basement was removed, also...
But Lady Washu had been right, the system was like having a very private secretary or butler, a living thing that learned and got better with time...
She had found it nice to have some one with her who could let her know who it was she was talking too...
Her Chief of Security, Brunsworth, the only other person in the palace to know about the system, had reported a marked increase in moral around the palace since she had begun to address members of the staff by their first names...
Having the Queen not only know their names, but inquire about family members had done wonders...
There was a cheerfulness that had faded in recent years...
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As such, James had also reminded her to be careful not to over due it and thus attract undue attention...
People tended to get nervous when you seem to know what they're going to report before they did...
The last thing she needed was people thinking they were some how being spied on...
As such, Brunsworth had gotten credit for catching that servant who had been feeding the tabloids news bit the past couple years...
In exchange for not being prosecuted and getting a police record, the young male had accepted a ticket to Australia and a job in Sidney, away from both political matters and the press...
Brunsworth had made it quite clear that this was probational and that breaking it would mean being put in a cell, UNDER the Tower of London...
Brunsworth assured her that contacts in Sidney would be watching the boy...
Your majesty?... Mr. Brunsworth was wondering if you had a moment?...
She sighed and smiled...
Of course, James... And do have some cupcakes and tea sent in...
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( A mountain Cave... )
A male, with shaggy black hair sat on a boulder, his back to the cave wall...
Thou he was alone now, he had not been earlier...
Earlier there had been others in the cave with him...
Now they were gone and only he remained...
When the last of the fragment had arrived, they had formed a circle and interlocked their hands...
Then, with a great deal of effort, they had reunited and become one again...
Him...
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It had not been easy, most of the fragments had not wanted to give up their freedom...
But in the end, he had absorbed them ALL...
He would have to rest and prepare for the Queen's event...
After that, nothing would stop him, not even that Juraian brat...
Then he would absorb this world's life energy and Kain would be reborn, in him...
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( Galaxy Police Headquarters… )
Minami Kuramitsu, the Galaxy Police Grand Marshall, was going through a huge stack of paper work when his comm-unit began to beep...
He mumbled something he'd learned as a cadet, LONG ago...
He had told them he didn't want to be disturbed...
Getting his thoughts together he sighed and pressed the ON button...
A short, simple message appeared on the screen...
It required no reply, just thought he'd want to know...
He looked at the stack on papers and then back at the screen...
What the heck, this could be better that the Emperor's Ball...
Hitting the off button, he got up and stretched...
It would be good to get away from the office...
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( Airai Royal Palace… )
It had taken a while as the small group made it's way to the hallway outside the royal bedchambers...
Both the Queen and King had puzzled looks on their face as they followed their daughter here...
Lady Seto had found the startled looks on the staff's faces, quite amusing...
Every one recognized her face, but what was a Juraian Princess doing here?...
As such they now found themselves outside Airi's bed chambers...
" Mother!... Father!... There's some thing I need to show you... And I thought it best if I showed you rather than tried to explain... "
Lady Seto smiled and nodded her head...
Taking a deep breath, Airi led the way into her private chambers...
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( Emperor Azusa's Office, Jurai… )
Queen Funaho had been the first to enter the office, being summoned to Azusa's office from a very important meeting...
She'd had to leave her assistant to take the reports about the latest Raider activity and such...
To say she was a tad upset would be an understatement...
However, as she entered, without knocking, she found her husband standing behind his desk, smiling...
What the?...
As the door closed behind her, Azusa raised his hand and pointed off to Funaho's right...
Turning, she was surprised to find Washu, in her adult form, holding her great-great-granddaughter Mayuka in her arms...
Azusa smiled as her jaw dropped...
He knew better than to laugh...
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( Galaxy Police Headquarters… )
The Grand Marshall pressed his inter-office wireless and spoke to his assistant outside...
" I have to step out for a while, but I'll let you know when I get back... "
" Sir?... "
" Ah!... Got to go... My ride's here!... "
He couldn't help smiling as he imagined his assistant's face...
Turning, he bowed slightly to Lady Tokimi who nodded back, her face as calm as always...
She did look down as he held out his hand to her...
" Shall we be going?... "
The Marshall thought he detected a slight smile as she reached out and took his hand...
In the blink of an eye, the room was empty...
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( Airai Royal Palace… )
Airi's mother looked around her daughter's bed chamber...
It had been quite a while since the last time she'd been in there, several centuries if she recalled correctly...
Like her husband and daughter, she had a photographic memory and as far as she could recall, there was nothing new...
So what had her daughter brought them down here to see...
She turned back to the door as she heard the bolts on the inside secure it...
Lady Seto stood there smiling...
It was her daughter's voice that caught her attention and she turned back to see Airi standing by her open closet door...
" That was for security reasons and you'll see why shortly... "
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Reach over to the wall next to the open doorway, her hand made contact with a keypad set at eye level...
Now, THIS was something new...
As every one watched, Airi entered some numbers with the keys and pressed her thumb to the small spot on top...
Lady Seto smiled as the King and Queen looked on in confusion...
Shortly, the doorway was soon obscured by what looked like a black curtain...
Both the King's and Queen's eyes widened...
Airi sighed and Lady Seto giggled softly...
Oh, Yes... This was going to be good...
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( Emperor Azusa's Office, Jurai… )
Queen Misaki had been inspecting the new honor guard when the request for her presence in Azusa'a office found her...
Being a busy day it had taken a while to catch up with her...
But it didn't take long for her to get to his office, she knew every shortcut between where she was and where ever Azusa was...
After all, she was responsible for his safety...
As she entered she was treated to a very unusual sight, her sister/wife Funaho sitting on the edge of Azusa's desk gently rocking a small bundle...
She was confused, until she saw a small clump of bluish hair protruding from the bundle, her jaw dropped...
HOW?...
Hearing a chuckling, she turned to see Azusa and Washu, in her normal form standing to the side...
Her eyebrow went up as Washu passed Azusa a Juraian Bill of high denomination...
" Told you!... "
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( the Masaki living room… )
Tenchi looked at his watch and then around, checking to see that every one was here...
He wished that Washu hadn't taken Mayuka with her, but understood why...
" Every one ready?... "
Every one nodded...
Washu had given them a short, by her standards, lecture on what she though WAS going to happen, as well as what MIGHT happen...
The only thing left to do was, do it...
Every one looked to him to lead the way...
He was getting use to it, but it still scared him...
" OK... Let's go... "
He led the way, out of the room...
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( Airai Royal Palace… )
The King and Queen of Airai stared at the curtain of darkness that only moments before had been a doorway into their daughter's closet...
They had heard of such things, sub-space doorways, but how had one gotten here and how was it powered...
Airaian scientist had managed to create small ones, but they needed devices as big as whole rooms and huge amounts of power...
And here was one that a person could pass though...
When?... How?... Why?...
Then the King remembered Lady Seto's small communications device...
" Washu?... "
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Lady Seto smiled as Airi answered...
" Yes father... This is from Professor Washu... And there is a reason... "
The King and Queen looked at each other and then their daughter...
Lady Seto smiled before crossing the room to stand next to Airi...
With a twinkle in her eyes she turned to the doorway...
" As Washu always says, Ladies first... "
She chuckled as she stepped through the curtain and disappeared...
Airi saw her father's eyes blaze at this challenge and he too crossed the room and disappeared through the curtain...
The Queen crossed the room to stand next to her daughter, reached out and touched the odd curtain...
Feeling nothing, she sighed and smiled at her daughter...
" Shall we join the others?... "
With that they passed through the curtain and disappeared...
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( Emperor Azusa's Office, Jurai… )
It hadn't taken long before Mayuka was out of Funaho's arms and in Misaki's...
After a while Washu finally managed to get their attention and direct it to the open doorway leading into the small bedroom next door...
Stepping up to the small keypad next to the doorway, Washu entered some numbers and activated her device...
Azusa and his wives were surprised at the black curtain, but not startled...
They'd seen this same thing all the time at the Masaki residence...
It was how they got into and out of her lab...
It was Funaho who spoke first...
" Is there something in your Lab you want us to see, Washu?... "
Washu smiled and shook her head...
" It's a surprise!... "
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Not sure what to make of that, they were caught off guard...
Washu quietly assumed her adult form and retrieved Mayuka from Misaki before she could react...
As every one watched she walked back across the room and stopped at the doorway...
" It's a surprise, but you're all welcome to come along... "
With a big smile, she disappeared through the curtain, giggling...
Within a heartbeat, Misaki had crossed the room and had disappeared too...
Azusa sighed and started to enter the curtain, but was stopped by Funaho, waving a finger at him...
" Tut, tut, tut... Don't you remember, it's ladies first... "
And with that she entered the curtain, giggling and disappeared...
Sighing, Azusa smiled took a deep breath and entered the curtain, determined to face whatever awaited on the other side...
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To be continued...
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Please feel free to comment and review for any errors...
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