Author's Note: This story is based on the future of a series I posted
earlier. If you have not read Fallen Dove, Fallen Dove 2, and Fallen Dove 3,
you should read them before proceding as you will not understand the story
unless you do. Thank you and I hope you enjoy my tribute to Tenchi Muyo,
known as the Fallen Dove Saga.
Chapter 1: Assassins
Hundreds, maybe even thousands of people had died at his hands. He was one of the greatest assassins of all time and his reputation preceded him. He was incredibly fast and unbelievably strong. He stalked his targets with stealth and cunning, and killed them with ease and efficiency. He hardly ever seemed to show any emotion one way or another about his work, or much of anything for that matter. Never had his skill in martial arts and all other forms of combat been matched in battle.
Valec hit the stone floor hard. He winced at the searing pain that shot through him as he felt his cheek bone crack on impact. Still, somehow, he managed to push his upper body up from the ground, bringing one knee forward a little to take some of the weight off of his arms. He turned his head to look back at his opponent, spitting blood on the floor as he did. Valec had been undefeated in his entire career of three thousand years. Undefeated, that is, until he was found by a Black Dove.
Beautiful and visibly calm, Sasami, who now resembled a young Tsunami, stood waiting for her opponent to either surrender or make another attack. A little ways away from her, Yugi, who was also older now, stood aside waiting for her companion to bring yet another battle to a close.
Valec slowly and painfully rose to his feet. His fangs glistened red as his own blood coated and dripped from them. He was breathing heavily, trying to regain his breath. He knew very well that he was screwed. Fighting a Black Dove was a losing battle to begin with, but he was unlucky enough to run into two. Not that he was fighting both of them, but even if he was lucky enough to somehow beat the first one, the second would have no problem taking him out. Of course, even that grim scenario didn't seem very likely. He was losing to the first one, and from what he could tell, he was barely even putting up a fight. He hated to sink low enough to resort to it, but he had to get out of this somehow.
"I'll tell you who my employer is if you let me go.", he said, being very direct.
"If I let you go, you must promise to find a new profession.", Sasami answered with a serious tone.
"Agreed.", Valec replied, knowing that if he went back on his word they would find him and kill him.
"Who sent you?", Sasami asked.
"The Paleemic Republic.", Valec answered.
He waited for the reply, expecting more questions, but to his surprise there were none. Sasami and Yugi turned and left. Valec couldn't believe what had just happened. He never would have thought it would be that easy. But it no longer mattered. He was alive and not in prison. Now he just had to get out of the Jurian palace and get back to his ship before the palace guards, who he knew wouldn't agree with the Black Dove's decision, came to finish him off in his weakened condition. Not that the Jurian warriors were ever a match for him, even when handicapped, but he didn't want to take the chance of making the Doves come back. He picked his sword up from the ground and quickly ran off into the halls of the great palace.
******************************************************
Azuza's attention turned to the two young women walking into his throne room. The king looked very annoyed and frustrated as his daughter and her companion approached him. Sasami and Yugi stopped several feet from him and bowed in respect and greeting. The king bowed his head in return.
"The assassin is gone and he won't be coming back.", Sasami said.
"Very well. Thank you for your help.", Azuza said in a spiteful voice.
Sasami's eyes stared into her father's eyes with increasing anger and frustration. She was expecting him to say something like that. But she wasn't finished with him.
"I figured you'd do that, daddy.", she said, anger showing through in her voice.
"I don't know what you're talking about.", Azuza glared at his daughter.
This made Sasami increasingly angry. He knew damn well what she was talking about. He just wouldn't admit it.
"You can't just keep brushing it off like that.", Sasami demanded."Haven't you noticed how you always seem to get everybody mad at you and the people of Jurai?"
Azuza became infuriated. "How dare you speak to me that way! It's bad enough you joined that Black Dove group against my wishes! Now you defy me in my own throne room?"
"Daddy, you can't live my life for me.", Sasami argued back. "The Black Doves are where I want to be, and being a part of that has shown me a lot. One of the things that it showed me was that just about all of the galaxy's most notorious and dangerous criminals became so because of the actions of the Jurai royal family. Kaelan Kinkari, Valec Tesika, Yuzuha, there's plenty more, all of them fighting because Jurai did something to them, their people, or their employer's people. In the case of Kaelan Kinkari, it was because Jurai had all but starved his people to death in an attempt to force them into submission thousands of years ago, and even to this day Jurai hasn't done a thing to help them. All they got was an I'm sorry, please don't be mad at us."
"Is that what those Black Dove's are teaching you, Sasami?", Azuza fumed. "To blame me for all of the criminals in the galaxy?"
"No, daddy. But they are teaching me to understand both sides of the story so I don't make any mistakes in my judgment.", Sasami explained. "If you weren't so stubborn, you'd see that."
"That's enough Sasami!", the king commanded. "If you disagree with me so much, why don't you just leave already!"
Sasami glared with furious eyes at her father, then turned to leave. Yugi followed close behind.
**********************************************************
Sasami fell hard into her chair in the cockpit of her ship, letting an angry breath escape as she collapsed. Her eyes stared off into nowhere as though she were visually reviewing today's events. Yugi sat in the seat beside her and glanced over at her frustrated friend.
"Why does he have to be this stubborn?", Sasami said, not really meaning it as a question. "He's always been like this. He wouldn't even come to see Yosho's burial."
"There's always a reason for the way people are.", Yugi said calmly. "Maybe you just don't understand his yet."
Sasami's facial muscles relaxed and she calmed down a little. The anger in her expression faded away and she gently closed her eyes and leaned her head back in her seat. She sighed and turned her head toward Yugi, opening her eyes to look gently at her best friend's face smiling at her.
"Thanks, Yugi.", Sasami smiled. "Maybe I should have a talk with him, father to daughter instead of Black Dove to King."
"That sounds like a good idea.", Yugi agreed. "And thanks for not mentioning me when you were talking about the criminals created by Jurai."
"You're welcome.", Sasami nodded. "I knew it would make the situation uncomfortable for you if I had."
"Hmm. So, are you going back to talk to him?", Yugi asked.
"I guess I should.", Sasami said.
"Should I come with you?", Yugi offered.
"You can if you want, but I think me and my dad should be alone for a while when we talk.", Sasami explained.
"Ok then, I'll walk you to the door and I'll wait for you there.", Yugi said.
"Ok.", Sasami smiled brightly.
***************************************************
"I just can't believe that my own daughter would turn against me like that!", Azuza bellowed.
The king was pacing back and forth in his throne room, venting his frustrations to his personal guards and servants, the latter of which were running around busily, trying to decorate the throne room for a party later on that night.
"How could she speak that way to her father?", he continued.
"That's easy.", a voice said from the doorway. "She opened her mouth and verbally voiced her low opinion of you."
Azuza turned to see who had dared mock him in his own throne room, only to see three very familiar faces. Two young women and one young man. All looked about in their late teens. The young man stood in the middle of the three. He was the one who spoke. Azuza's eyes widened with shock.
"Y- Yosho?", Azuza stuttered. He glanced over the other two. "Ayeka? Tsunami?"
"Wrong.", The young man said. "But I've already answered you're question. Now it's my turn. And have I got a question for you."
****************************************************
"Thanks for walking me to the door.", Sasami smiled.
"Good luck.", Yugi said.
Sasami pushed open the doors to the throne room, revealing two dead guards laying on the ground, and her father at the feet of three black wearing people. Though it was a disturbing sight to walk in on in the first place, the real shock came when they turned to face her.
"Well, you weren't supposed to find us yet, but oh well.", the one who looked like a teenage Yosho said.
"Are you sure that's the one, Famik?", The one who looked like Ayeka spoke up, skeptically. "She doesn't look very strong."
Sasami was in a state of shock and confusion as she looked at the face of her sister. "Sister? But.. you..."
"Yep.", the Tsunami look alike laughed. "That's her."
Sasami turned her attention to the last one. She was dazed and confused as it seemed like she was looking at a mirror reflection come to life. She couldn't understand what was going on.
"Well, she doesn't look like that much of a challenge, but the Doctor said to watch out for her.", young Yosho said.
Yugi ran to Sasami and shook her. "Sasami snap out of it! They killed your father!"
Sasami, still dazed, glanced down at her father, laying motionless on the ground. Suddenly she was back to normal. She glared at the three characters ahead of her and prepared to take revenge for her father.
"Well, ready to fight now, are we?", Yosho said. "In that case allow me to introduce myself. My name is Famik, and these are my sisters."
"Skeirmisa.", Tsunami said, waving.
"Pessina.", Ayeka gave a little bow.
"So now, show us what you're made of.", Famik said with a mischievous smile.
Sasami and Yugi took up their fighting positions and looked over their new opponents. The room was still and silent for a long while. The tension was mounting. Finally, Sasami could wait no longer. She made the first move.
Sasami ran toward Famik, leaping into a jumping spin kick. Famik stepped back just a little, Sasami's kick missing his face by an inch. He still had his smile. The fight between Sasami and Famik had begun. Taking that as their cue, Pessina and Skeirmisa charged Yugi together. Yugi's eyes darted from one to the other, then she quickly leaped backward as Pess jumped and spun a kick at Yugi's face and Skeir did the same toward her feet. Yugi escaped barely and shot a bolt of lightning from her hand toward Pessina. Pess quickly formed a force field around her, much like Ayeka's only a hell of a lot stronger. The bolt was stopped dead in it's tracks. Yugi's face turned to surprise, seeing what had just happened. Before she had a chance to process it all in her head, Skeir came up with a hard punch to her stomach, forcing the wind out of her and causing her to double over. The next thing she knew, a blast of energy shot from Skeirmisa's fist, which was still imbedded against Yugi's stomach, launching her through the air. She came down hard on her back, and brought herself to her feet without acknowledging the pain.
Sasami threw punch after punch and kick after kick, all the while Famik was blocking and dodging every one almost effortlessly. Sasami formed her light hawk sword and swung it across at his midsection. Her eyes widened in not only surprise but fear as her adversary was shielded from her attack by his own set of light hawk wings. She stopped and looked at him with amazement.
"How...how did you..", she stuttered.
Famik smiled. "Why don't you try to guess, princess?"
"Are we related?", Sasami asked.
"Nope.", Famik shook his head.
"You're Yosho's clone.", Sasami said.
"Wrong again.", Famik frowned. "You know, from the way the Doc went on and on about you, I figured you'd be more challenging than this, or at least a little smarter."
Sasami let this process for just a moment. Then her posturing changed back to aggressiveness.
"Fine, if that's how you want it.", she said.
Famik ignited his light hawk sword and charged for the attack. He slashed across at her waist, but she quickly brought her sword down to block it, stopping it just before it could reach her. At that very instant, while she was concentrating on the swords, two small bolts of energy shot out from Famik's shoulder opposite the side where the swords collided. The energy bolts seared into Sasami's shoulder, knocking her back. She squealed as she fell to the floor. Famik followed her down with his sword. At the last possible second, Sasami saw the sword coming and knocked it to the side with her own. Famik's blade buried itself into the ground right beside Sasami's face. Without any hesitation, she instinctively swung her legs up, kicking Famik in the face, and causing him to spiral through the air and land hard on the floor beside his sword. They both leaped to their feet simultaneously. Famik tried to reach for his sword, but Sasami held her blade out toward him, keeping him just out of reach of the handle. Famik was no longer smiling.
Yugi was barely holding her own against the two amazing fighters who had set their sights on her. They seemed to be using all of the powers and skills that the people they looked like had, only theirs were a lot stronger than the originals. Something else was grabbing her attention though, and it wasn't making her happy about being there. Her opponents were fighting as though they were Doves. Everything, the way they fought, the way they used their powers, even the focus and mentality in the face of danger and pain, it all screamed of Black Dove style. And it didn't look like they were at all new to it. She was fighting a losing battle and she knew it. Her power wasn't nearly as strong as Sasami's, and she figured they knew that too. That was why they teamed up on her like this, so they could get her out of the way early and then turn all their power on Sasami. Yugi was familiar with this tactic since she herself had used it on Tenchi and the Masaki family. Not only were they strong and fast as hell, but they were smart. They were definitely Black Dove material. Famik was just playing with Sasami, trying not to use his full power so as not to incite her to use hers. He was stalling until the other two could get there. Yugi had to do something to change the pace of this fight.
Quickly, Yugi burst into the air and began to fly as fast as she could, weaving through the gargantuan, stone pillars that held the ceiling up. Skeirmisa and Pessina followed quickly. Pessina broke off and started flying off to the side. Yugi knew this tactic as well. Pess tried to fly quiet and stay out of sight, but Yugi kept her in her sights. Skeir fired a shot of energy that screamed past Yugi's face, but Yugi still kept Pess in sight. Finally, Yugi began to circle back, keeping Skeir behind and Pess at safe distance. She dropped to the deck and flew in close to the ground, coming up behind Famik and firing an intense blast of energy into his back, knocking a scream out of him and launching him to the opposite side of the very long room. Yugi rocketed past Sasami, who leaped into the air with a spin kick to Skeirmisa's jaw as she followed close behind Yugi, flying right past her. The blow connected hard and sent Skeir flipping over backwards through the air past Sasami and slamming into the hard marble floor, smashing the back of her head into the ground. Still in surprise at how quickly the tables had turned, Pessina didn't see Yugi fly up behind her and spin around, using the momentum to power a knife hand attack to Pess's throat, sending Pess flying backward, gripping her throat and struggling to breath. Without hesitation, Yugi fired another blast at Pess, blasting her across the room and slamming her into the wall behind her.
Famik picked himself up and brushed himself off. He turned back to see what was going on, becoming angry and distressed as he noticed his sisters were down as well.
"Well, it seems we've underestimated you two.", he growled. "Strategically that puts us in a very bad position even if we do outnumber you."
"Who are you and why did you kill my father?", Sasami demanded.
Skeirmisa also began to get up and recover, cradling the back of her head with a very pissed off look on her face.
"We already told you our names, and you're not getting any more than that.", Famik replied. "As for why we're here, you'll just have to keep on wondering."
Pess stood from under the rubble, heavy broken slabs of stone falling aside as she rose to a stand. She rubbed her throat, still having a little trouble breathing. The two sisters joined their brother side by side. Sasami's eyes narrowed.
"You're not getting away!", Sasami shouted, Yugi joining her side.
Famik smiled skeptically. "Oh? Why don't you tell that to those servants over there."
Famik pointed to a group of Jurian servants, tied up in a group. Sasami and Yugi turned to look, and at the very moment they did, Famik and his sisters blasted away a couple of the pillars and took off through the halls of the palace. Just as Sasami was about to follow them, she noticed the ceiling starting to collapse. She and Yugi ran over to the servants as fast as they could and just as the millions of tons of rubble was about to crush them into nothing, Sasami activated her light hawk shield around them. The ceiling crashed down, burying them in thousands upon millions of tons of stone. When the dust finally settled, the room was silent and motionless, and all that could be seen were immense piles of broken slabs of rock.
A soft glow of yellow light began to emanate from under one of the piles. It started to shine very brightly, and finally, accompanied by Yugi's scream, a huge blast of energy exploded upward from the pile, sending the mass of giant rocks through the air and off to the side, the ones going straight up being disintegrated by the massive amount of energy. Finally the blast subsided and Yugi, who was breathing heavily, brought her hands down from being stretched over her head, back to her sides. Sasami released the Light Hawk shield and glared angrily in the direction of the hallway the trio had disappeared into. They had gotten away.
earlier. If you have not read Fallen Dove, Fallen Dove 2, and Fallen Dove 3,
you should read them before proceding as you will not understand the story
unless you do. Thank you and I hope you enjoy my tribute to Tenchi Muyo,
known as the Fallen Dove Saga.
Chapter 1: Assassins
Hundreds, maybe even thousands of people had died at his hands. He was one of the greatest assassins of all time and his reputation preceded him. He was incredibly fast and unbelievably strong. He stalked his targets with stealth and cunning, and killed them with ease and efficiency. He hardly ever seemed to show any emotion one way or another about his work, or much of anything for that matter. Never had his skill in martial arts and all other forms of combat been matched in battle.
Valec hit the stone floor hard. He winced at the searing pain that shot through him as he felt his cheek bone crack on impact. Still, somehow, he managed to push his upper body up from the ground, bringing one knee forward a little to take some of the weight off of his arms. He turned his head to look back at his opponent, spitting blood on the floor as he did. Valec had been undefeated in his entire career of three thousand years. Undefeated, that is, until he was found by a Black Dove.
Beautiful and visibly calm, Sasami, who now resembled a young Tsunami, stood waiting for her opponent to either surrender or make another attack. A little ways away from her, Yugi, who was also older now, stood aside waiting for her companion to bring yet another battle to a close.
Valec slowly and painfully rose to his feet. His fangs glistened red as his own blood coated and dripped from them. He was breathing heavily, trying to regain his breath. He knew very well that he was screwed. Fighting a Black Dove was a losing battle to begin with, but he was unlucky enough to run into two. Not that he was fighting both of them, but even if he was lucky enough to somehow beat the first one, the second would have no problem taking him out. Of course, even that grim scenario didn't seem very likely. He was losing to the first one, and from what he could tell, he was barely even putting up a fight. He hated to sink low enough to resort to it, but he had to get out of this somehow.
"I'll tell you who my employer is if you let me go.", he said, being very direct.
"If I let you go, you must promise to find a new profession.", Sasami answered with a serious tone.
"Agreed.", Valec replied, knowing that if he went back on his word they would find him and kill him.
"Who sent you?", Sasami asked.
"The Paleemic Republic.", Valec answered.
He waited for the reply, expecting more questions, but to his surprise there were none. Sasami and Yugi turned and left. Valec couldn't believe what had just happened. He never would have thought it would be that easy. But it no longer mattered. He was alive and not in prison. Now he just had to get out of the Jurian palace and get back to his ship before the palace guards, who he knew wouldn't agree with the Black Dove's decision, came to finish him off in his weakened condition. Not that the Jurian warriors were ever a match for him, even when handicapped, but he didn't want to take the chance of making the Doves come back. He picked his sword up from the ground and quickly ran off into the halls of the great palace.
******************************************************
Azuza's attention turned to the two young women walking into his throne room. The king looked very annoyed and frustrated as his daughter and her companion approached him. Sasami and Yugi stopped several feet from him and bowed in respect and greeting. The king bowed his head in return.
"The assassin is gone and he won't be coming back.", Sasami said.
"Very well. Thank you for your help.", Azuza said in a spiteful voice.
Sasami's eyes stared into her father's eyes with increasing anger and frustration. She was expecting him to say something like that. But she wasn't finished with him.
"I figured you'd do that, daddy.", she said, anger showing through in her voice.
"I don't know what you're talking about.", Azuza glared at his daughter.
This made Sasami increasingly angry. He knew damn well what she was talking about. He just wouldn't admit it.
"You can't just keep brushing it off like that.", Sasami demanded."Haven't you noticed how you always seem to get everybody mad at you and the people of Jurai?"
Azuza became infuriated. "How dare you speak to me that way! It's bad enough you joined that Black Dove group against my wishes! Now you defy me in my own throne room?"
"Daddy, you can't live my life for me.", Sasami argued back. "The Black Doves are where I want to be, and being a part of that has shown me a lot. One of the things that it showed me was that just about all of the galaxy's most notorious and dangerous criminals became so because of the actions of the Jurai royal family. Kaelan Kinkari, Valec Tesika, Yuzuha, there's plenty more, all of them fighting because Jurai did something to them, their people, or their employer's people. In the case of Kaelan Kinkari, it was because Jurai had all but starved his people to death in an attempt to force them into submission thousands of years ago, and even to this day Jurai hasn't done a thing to help them. All they got was an I'm sorry, please don't be mad at us."
"Is that what those Black Dove's are teaching you, Sasami?", Azuza fumed. "To blame me for all of the criminals in the galaxy?"
"No, daddy. But they are teaching me to understand both sides of the story so I don't make any mistakes in my judgment.", Sasami explained. "If you weren't so stubborn, you'd see that."
"That's enough Sasami!", the king commanded. "If you disagree with me so much, why don't you just leave already!"
Sasami glared with furious eyes at her father, then turned to leave. Yugi followed close behind.
**********************************************************
Sasami fell hard into her chair in the cockpit of her ship, letting an angry breath escape as she collapsed. Her eyes stared off into nowhere as though she were visually reviewing today's events. Yugi sat in the seat beside her and glanced over at her frustrated friend.
"Why does he have to be this stubborn?", Sasami said, not really meaning it as a question. "He's always been like this. He wouldn't even come to see Yosho's burial."
"There's always a reason for the way people are.", Yugi said calmly. "Maybe you just don't understand his yet."
Sasami's facial muscles relaxed and she calmed down a little. The anger in her expression faded away and she gently closed her eyes and leaned her head back in her seat. She sighed and turned her head toward Yugi, opening her eyes to look gently at her best friend's face smiling at her.
"Thanks, Yugi.", Sasami smiled. "Maybe I should have a talk with him, father to daughter instead of Black Dove to King."
"That sounds like a good idea.", Yugi agreed. "And thanks for not mentioning me when you were talking about the criminals created by Jurai."
"You're welcome.", Sasami nodded. "I knew it would make the situation uncomfortable for you if I had."
"Hmm. So, are you going back to talk to him?", Yugi asked.
"I guess I should.", Sasami said.
"Should I come with you?", Yugi offered.
"You can if you want, but I think me and my dad should be alone for a while when we talk.", Sasami explained.
"Ok then, I'll walk you to the door and I'll wait for you there.", Yugi said.
"Ok.", Sasami smiled brightly.
***************************************************
"I just can't believe that my own daughter would turn against me like that!", Azuza bellowed.
The king was pacing back and forth in his throne room, venting his frustrations to his personal guards and servants, the latter of which were running around busily, trying to decorate the throne room for a party later on that night.
"How could she speak that way to her father?", he continued.
"That's easy.", a voice said from the doorway. "She opened her mouth and verbally voiced her low opinion of you."
Azuza turned to see who had dared mock him in his own throne room, only to see three very familiar faces. Two young women and one young man. All looked about in their late teens. The young man stood in the middle of the three. He was the one who spoke. Azuza's eyes widened with shock.
"Y- Yosho?", Azuza stuttered. He glanced over the other two. "Ayeka? Tsunami?"
"Wrong.", The young man said. "But I've already answered you're question. Now it's my turn. And have I got a question for you."
****************************************************
"Thanks for walking me to the door.", Sasami smiled.
"Good luck.", Yugi said.
Sasami pushed open the doors to the throne room, revealing two dead guards laying on the ground, and her father at the feet of three black wearing people. Though it was a disturbing sight to walk in on in the first place, the real shock came when they turned to face her.
"Well, you weren't supposed to find us yet, but oh well.", the one who looked like a teenage Yosho said.
"Are you sure that's the one, Famik?", The one who looked like Ayeka spoke up, skeptically. "She doesn't look very strong."
Sasami was in a state of shock and confusion as she looked at the face of her sister. "Sister? But.. you..."
"Yep.", the Tsunami look alike laughed. "That's her."
Sasami turned her attention to the last one. She was dazed and confused as it seemed like she was looking at a mirror reflection come to life. She couldn't understand what was going on.
"Well, she doesn't look like that much of a challenge, but the Doctor said to watch out for her.", young Yosho said.
Yugi ran to Sasami and shook her. "Sasami snap out of it! They killed your father!"
Sasami, still dazed, glanced down at her father, laying motionless on the ground. Suddenly she was back to normal. She glared at the three characters ahead of her and prepared to take revenge for her father.
"Well, ready to fight now, are we?", Yosho said. "In that case allow me to introduce myself. My name is Famik, and these are my sisters."
"Skeirmisa.", Tsunami said, waving.
"Pessina.", Ayeka gave a little bow.
"So now, show us what you're made of.", Famik said with a mischievous smile.
Sasami and Yugi took up their fighting positions and looked over their new opponents. The room was still and silent for a long while. The tension was mounting. Finally, Sasami could wait no longer. She made the first move.
Sasami ran toward Famik, leaping into a jumping spin kick. Famik stepped back just a little, Sasami's kick missing his face by an inch. He still had his smile. The fight between Sasami and Famik had begun. Taking that as their cue, Pessina and Skeirmisa charged Yugi together. Yugi's eyes darted from one to the other, then she quickly leaped backward as Pess jumped and spun a kick at Yugi's face and Skeir did the same toward her feet. Yugi escaped barely and shot a bolt of lightning from her hand toward Pessina. Pess quickly formed a force field around her, much like Ayeka's only a hell of a lot stronger. The bolt was stopped dead in it's tracks. Yugi's face turned to surprise, seeing what had just happened. Before she had a chance to process it all in her head, Skeir came up with a hard punch to her stomach, forcing the wind out of her and causing her to double over. The next thing she knew, a blast of energy shot from Skeirmisa's fist, which was still imbedded against Yugi's stomach, launching her through the air. She came down hard on her back, and brought herself to her feet without acknowledging the pain.
Sasami threw punch after punch and kick after kick, all the while Famik was blocking and dodging every one almost effortlessly. Sasami formed her light hawk sword and swung it across at his midsection. Her eyes widened in not only surprise but fear as her adversary was shielded from her attack by his own set of light hawk wings. She stopped and looked at him with amazement.
"How...how did you..", she stuttered.
Famik smiled. "Why don't you try to guess, princess?"
"Are we related?", Sasami asked.
"Nope.", Famik shook his head.
"You're Yosho's clone.", Sasami said.
"Wrong again.", Famik frowned. "You know, from the way the Doc went on and on about you, I figured you'd be more challenging than this, or at least a little smarter."
Sasami let this process for just a moment. Then her posturing changed back to aggressiveness.
"Fine, if that's how you want it.", she said.
Famik ignited his light hawk sword and charged for the attack. He slashed across at her waist, but she quickly brought her sword down to block it, stopping it just before it could reach her. At that very instant, while she was concentrating on the swords, two small bolts of energy shot out from Famik's shoulder opposite the side where the swords collided. The energy bolts seared into Sasami's shoulder, knocking her back. She squealed as she fell to the floor. Famik followed her down with his sword. At the last possible second, Sasami saw the sword coming and knocked it to the side with her own. Famik's blade buried itself into the ground right beside Sasami's face. Without any hesitation, she instinctively swung her legs up, kicking Famik in the face, and causing him to spiral through the air and land hard on the floor beside his sword. They both leaped to their feet simultaneously. Famik tried to reach for his sword, but Sasami held her blade out toward him, keeping him just out of reach of the handle. Famik was no longer smiling.
Yugi was barely holding her own against the two amazing fighters who had set their sights on her. They seemed to be using all of the powers and skills that the people they looked like had, only theirs were a lot stronger than the originals. Something else was grabbing her attention though, and it wasn't making her happy about being there. Her opponents were fighting as though they were Doves. Everything, the way they fought, the way they used their powers, even the focus and mentality in the face of danger and pain, it all screamed of Black Dove style. And it didn't look like they were at all new to it. She was fighting a losing battle and she knew it. Her power wasn't nearly as strong as Sasami's, and she figured they knew that too. That was why they teamed up on her like this, so they could get her out of the way early and then turn all their power on Sasami. Yugi was familiar with this tactic since she herself had used it on Tenchi and the Masaki family. Not only were they strong and fast as hell, but they were smart. They were definitely Black Dove material. Famik was just playing with Sasami, trying not to use his full power so as not to incite her to use hers. He was stalling until the other two could get there. Yugi had to do something to change the pace of this fight.
Quickly, Yugi burst into the air and began to fly as fast as she could, weaving through the gargantuan, stone pillars that held the ceiling up. Skeirmisa and Pessina followed quickly. Pessina broke off and started flying off to the side. Yugi knew this tactic as well. Pess tried to fly quiet and stay out of sight, but Yugi kept her in her sights. Skeir fired a shot of energy that screamed past Yugi's face, but Yugi still kept Pess in sight. Finally, Yugi began to circle back, keeping Skeir behind and Pess at safe distance. She dropped to the deck and flew in close to the ground, coming up behind Famik and firing an intense blast of energy into his back, knocking a scream out of him and launching him to the opposite side of the very long room. Yugi rocketed past Sasami, who leaped into the air with a spin kick to Skeirmisa's jaw as she followed close behind Yugi, flying right past her. The blow connected hard and sent Skeir flipping over backwards through the air past Sasami and slamming into the hard marble floor, smashing the back of her head into the ground. Still in surprise at how quickly the tables had turned, Pessina didn't see Yugi fly up behind her and spin around, using the momentum to power a knife hand attack to Pess's throat, sending Pess flying backward, gripping her throat and struggling to breath. Without hesitation, Yugi fired another blast at Pess, blasting her across the room and slamming her into the wall behind her.
Famik picked himself up and brushed himself off. He turned back to see what was going on, becoming angry and distressed as he noticed his sisters were down as well.
"Well, it seems we've underestimated you two.", he growled. "Strategically that puts us in a very bad position even if we do outnumber you."
"Who are you and why did you kill my father?", Sasami demanded.
Skeirmisa also began to get up and recover, cradling the back of her head with a very pissed off look on her face.
"We already told you our names, and you're not getting any more than that.", Famik replied. "As for why we're here, you'll just have to keep on wondering."
Pess stood from under the rubble, heavy broken slabs of stone falling aside as she rose to a stand. She rubbed her throat, still having a little trouble breathing. The two sisters joined their brother side by side. Sasami's eyes narrowed.
"You're not getting away!", Sasami shouted, Yugi joining her side.
Famik smiled skeptically. "Oh? Why don't you tell that to those servants over there."
Famik pointed to a group of Jurian servants, tied up in a group. Sasami and Yugi turned to look, and at the very moment they did, Famik and his sisters blasted away a couple of the pillars and took off through the halls of the palace. Just as Sasami was about to follow them, she noticed the ceiling starting to collapse. She and Yugi ran over to the servants as fast as they could and just as the millions of tons of rubble was about to crush them into nothing, Sasami activated her light hawk shield around them. The ceiling crashed down, burying them in thousands upon millions of tons of stone. When the dust finally settled, the room was silent and motionless, and all that could be seen were immense piles of broken slabs of rock.
A soft glow of yellow light began to emanate from under one of the piles. It started to shine very brightly, and finally, accompanied by Yugi's scream, a huge blast of energy exploded upward from the pile, sending the mass of giant rocks through the air and off to the side, the ones going straight up being disintegrated by the massive amount of energy. Finally the blast subsided and Yugi, who was breathing heavily, brought her hands down from being stretched over her head, back to her sides. Sasami released the Light Hawk shield and glared angrily in the direction of the hallway the trio had disappeared into. They had gotten away.
