CHAPTER TEN

Kamadake pulled at the irritatingly stiff collar of his formal uniform as he entered the throne room. The room was tastefully decorated with banners and floral arrangements. In one corner of the room, Taki and Mahonori feasted ravenously on the refreshments provided by the palace cooks. Kamadake rolled his eyes. Even in their borrowed, expensive clothes, these two still looked like cadets. The princess has the oddest friends, he thought.

Speaking of the princess…

His purple eyes scanned the room, finally coming to rest on the group of nobles containing the aqua- haired princess.

Kamadake's breath caught in his throat, in spite of himself. She wore the long, elegant robes of a Jurain princess, and her beautiful blue hair was pulled loosely back from her face. It hung in glossy ropes nearly to the floor. She wore no jewelry, but her sparkling pink eyes were adornment enough. She was smiling brightly at the young nobleman fawning on her, and Kamadake had to suppress the instant wave of jealousy that swamped over him. Grinding his teeth, he headed quickly for the princess. He tapped the nobleman's shoulder lightly, and bowed to Sasami. She smiled at him, and Kamadake found himself asking for a dance. She agreed immediately, much to the disappointment of the nobleman. Kamadake hid his triumphant smile and swept her onto the dance floor.

Sasami made polite conversation as she danced with Kamadake, noting Aeka's teasing grin as her sister dance with Tenchi. As a lull broke into the dancing, a messenger burst into the throne room, waving a paper fearfully. He ran to the emperor, who grabbed impatiently for the message. The emperor read swiftly, and then started barking orders to one of his dancing commanders.

"What's going on?" asked Aeka as she and Tenchi made their way over to Sasami. They were too far away to hear anything.

Sasami's eyes narrowed, and she tried to read the thoughts of her father and his commander. "There's some kind of military force approaching Jurai," she said eventually. "Father's people don't recognize them, but they pose a threat to the planet. Father is afraid," she whispered.

Aeka paled. "Father is never afraid." She glanced at her fiancé. "Excuse me, Tenchi. I must go to him."

Tenchi nodded, and Aeka moved to stand beside her father. The emperor glared at Tenchi for a moment, and then beckoned him over.

Tenchi hesitated, so Sasami whispered, "You'd better go, Tenchi. Father doesn't invite just anyone to the war council."

Tenchi nodded again, and walked over to Aeka.

The empress stood and addressed the court. "My friends," she began, "we have a minor crisis to deal with. Please excuse us, and we'll continue the ball another night. Thank you for your cooperation." The grumbling nobles turned and left. Sasami noticed that several smiling women accompanied Prince Dael, and she shook her head in resignation.

Sasami watched her family for a moment, and then turned to leave. Kamadake caught up with her in the hallway. "Aren't you going to participate in the council?" he asked curiously.

She smiled at her friend. "I don't need to," she replied. "I've known for millennia that Tokima's forces were coming. I know as much about them as I need to. My beloved father, however, will not listen to me anyway, should I decide to give any details." She paused thoughtfully. "There is one person that he might believe, however. Pardon me, Kamadake. I have to go speak with my brother."

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She found Yosho seated on the same bench that she and Tenchi had used earlier. Without turning around, Yosho greeted his half-sister. "Good evening to you, Sasami."

Sasami smiled as she sat beside him. "And to you, brother." She gazed at him for a moment. Though Yosho was only a few decades older than herself, he looked like an old man. His thick gray hair was pulled into a tail at the base of his neck, and a pair of even thicker spectacles framed his wrinkled face.

"Are you ever going to drop your disguise, Yosho?" she inquired curiously.

He shook his head, still not looking at her. "It's grown on me, I think." He snorted. "You sound just like mother. She's been trying to get me to drop it for years."

Sasami grinned. "Your mother is a wise woman, I think." She paused. "The queen knew where you were all this time?"

Yosho finally turned to look at her. "My mother knows everything," he said in the tone of a small boy who is utterly convinced that his mother knows all. "She knew how much I hated my life here, so she let me leave. She didn't tell our father where I'd gone, since she also realized that he'd drag me back. I will always be grateful to her."

Sasami slipped one of her hands into one of his. "Aeka did the same for me. They are wonderful women."

Yosho grunted ruefully. "I know."

Sasami glanced up at him. "Do you ever regret leaving? You gave up so much, Yosho."

Yosho sighed. "Yes, I regret it; every day I regret it. But I would not take back a single moment of my life on Earth, for all that. My wife was an incredible woman. I wish you could have met her."

Sasami didn't let him see her smile. "You might be angry with me for saying so, but I did know your wife, brother. She was specially chosen for you, years before your birth."

Yosho stared at her. "How could you know her?" he demanded. "She died while you were still a mere babe."

Sasami cocked her head to one side. "The goddess, Tsunami, chose her for you years before you even met her. Tsunami knew that your line would result in Tenchi, and she wanted your wife's strength to be in him." She smiled at his bewildered expression. "For now, let's just say that Tsunami visited your wife from time to time, and they came to know each other quite well."

Yosho nodded slowly. "I always suspected that my wife had divine guidance. How else could she know exactly what I was up to at all times? I couldn't get away with anything after I married her."

Sasami laughed heartily. "That wasn't divine guidance, brother. That was merely woman's intuition. Your wife was very special."

She was glad, now, that she'd taken the time to speak to her elusive brother. This moment alone is worth everything I've gone through, she mused.

Her attention snapped back to Yosho as her brother stood and stretched. He started walking, gesturing for her to follow. "What did you need to ask me, little one?" he inquired as they meandered down one of the garden paths.

Sasami sighed. "There's a force approaching Jurai," she began. "It's...it's connected to Tsunami, but it's coming to hurt me."

Yosho didn't turn to look at her as she'd expected. His voice and body remained calm and collected. "Do you know something of this upcoming force?"

Sasami nodded hesitantly. "More than you could ever understand, brother." She sighed. "The army isn't really the main event. That will take place quietly, between myself and one other. This upcoming army is only a distraction, to keep me from focusing on my real goal."

Yosho glanced at her, though his face remained neutral. "What did you need me to do, then?"

Sasami stopped him, and he turned to face her with gentle eyes. "Father wouldn't listen to me if I told him what I knew. He'll demand explanations that I'm not ready or willing to give." She gazed up at him, beautiful eyes grave. "He will, however, listen to you. He respects your opinion, for all that he thinks you abandoned him when you left Jurai." She paused again, and then continued in a pleading voice, "If I give you the details of this army, could you feed them to father and pretend that the information comes from you?"

Yosho's eyes became calculating. "Yes, I think that I can do that. Where will I say I received this information?"

Sasami shrugged. "I'll leave that up to you. You've traveled quite a bit, and I'm sure you've got plenty of sources. You are positive that you want to do this?"

Yosho chucked a finger playfully under her chin. "For you, little sister, I would do anything." His eyes became slightly misty. "Besides, I think that I owe you one for bringing my precious wife to me."

Sasami stiffened in surprise, but winked back just as playfully. "Tsunami introduced you. I was just along for the ride."

Yosho smiled brightly and turned back to his walk.

Sasami smiled briefly, and then noticed where he was heading. "Yosho!" she called softly, and he turned around to face her. She pointed to the labyrinth at the end of his path. "Don't go to the labyrinth, brother. It's not...safe there, at least not for you."

He glanced, puzzled, in the direction of the maze. "I hadn't even realized that I was going to the labyrinth. It's odd," he mused. "It's almost as though something was leading me there." He shook his head in an attempt to clear his confusion. "I think that you're quite correct, little one. That labyrinth is not safe for anyone. I'll get father to put a ban on it, while I'm at it."

Sasami considered. "No, don't do that. Bans only entice people to break them, and that would prove fatal. Just keep yourself and Tenchi away, will you?" He nodded, and she ran, wind-like, back to the palace. She didn't like being so close to the labyrinth, herself.

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If anything, the pull towards the labyrinth became even stronger. Tokima must have put a compulsion on the place, Sasami mused one evening as she stood on the main balcony of the palace, gazing out into the rain. Anybody who means anything in the long run will be drawn to it, and Tokima has surely laid traps for them. Only the day before, Sasami had noticed that Kamadake was heading for the maze. He'd been too far away for her to do anything, and she waited in fear for him to enter. She'd been relieved beyond words when he suddenly stopped, shook all over, and returned to the palace. He hadn't said anything as he'd passed her, but he'd seemed almost...afraid. For the first time since she'd met him, a blank mask didn't cover his emotions.

He'd always been one of the few people that she couldn't sense, but now his emotions almost overpowered her. He was afraid of whatever was in that maze, but he was more concerned with Sasami's well being. He didn't want her to face Tokima, and he didn't want her to be in danger. A thought flitted across his mind, and Sasami had to suppress the surprise she felt as she picked it up. Washu may have set me free, but I'll never leave Sasami. Even if I can't help her against that thing, at least I can be by her side. Sasami hadn't responded in any way, except to reach across the space between them and squeeze his hand lightly. He gazed at her, eyes hooded, and left the room. Sasami herself went in search of Aeka, needing the unconditional love that her sister could provide.

Now, only a week remained before Tenchi and Aeka's wedding. The pair was deeply involved in their wedding preparations, though Sasami often pulled Tenchi away for training. She and Tenchi spent many hours in training, and Sasami felt inordinately proud of her pupil. Though he hadn't managed to unlock the wings of Jurai just yet, he'd already mastered the basic attacks. Sasami had even gone so far as to teach the young prince the hand- to-hand techniques that she'd learned from both the academy and Mahonori. Tenchi proved to be unusually apt, and Sasami credited her brother with his discipline. Tenchi was already a master in sword techniques, also a legacy of Yosho's training. Now, if he could just generate the wings of the light hawk, he'd be ready for his battle with Kagato.

Tokima's army was also swiftly approaching. Thanks to the information she'd passed on to Yosho, her father knew just what preparations he'd have to complete for the defense of Jurai. Their own armies were already assembled, as were the cadets that Wyldon had so graciously volunteered. Even Kiyone and Mishoshi had finally arrived, bringing several hundred of their own troops. Sasami had only had a few minutes alone with the two officers, since her father monopolized most of their time, but those few minutes had been vastly fruitful. Sasami was able to give them the details that even Yosho did not credit. All in all, Sasami felt that her people were as ready as they could ever be.

Sasami spent many hours secluded in the holy room, listening to the trees. She found that their voices soothed her, giving her the strength necessary for the coming trials. She would sit, cross-legged, at the base of Tsunami's tree, meditating until her mind was clear. Kamadake or Aeka sometimes found her there, eyes closed, and would sit silently by her while she meditated. Sometimes, Sasami chose to speak with them, and she found their conversations almost as calming.

One bright day, Sasami brought Tenchi to the sacred room. She sat him down, ignoring the questions streaming from his lips. "What about my lessons, Sasami? What is this place? Why are there so many trees, and why do I feel so...watched?"

Sasami finally smiled and seated herself directly across from him. "Has your grandfather never told you about this place?" she asked in a friendly voice, and

Tenchi shook his head. "Grandfather never told me anything about this place, at least not until that spaceship of his suddenly popped out of the lake by our home. It scared me half to death," he chuckled ruefully.

"Yes, that sounds like the brother I'm coming to know," Sasami laughed with Tenchi.

She suddenly became serious, though she continued to smile sweetly. "This is what we casually call the 'sacred room'." She paused, staring thoughtfully at him. "This means nothing to you, does it?" He shook his head mutely, and she sighed. "Okay. I guess I'll have to start at the beginning."

"Okay. To start at the very beginning... Three goddesses were created along with the universe. Their purpose was to protect everything within, to keep things running smoothly. Unfortunately, these goddesses disagreed about just what was necessary to keep everything going smoothly. Their disagreement is so serious that one of these goddesses decided to destroy every living thing." She took a deep breath. "In the early days, when the universe was still young, one of the three goddesses, Tsunami, noticed that the people of Jurai worshipped their trees. Since these people also could channel great power in the form of the light hawk wings, Tsunami realized that they could help her protect the universe against the dark goddess, Tokima." She smiled sadly. "To be strictly truthful, Tokima isn't dark at all. She's actually blonde and has very pale skin." She made a face. "I'm sorry; I'm going off the subject. Anyway, Tsunami sent a piece of herself into the oldest and strongest of these trees."

Sasami indicated the tree directly behind Tenchi, and he turned to face it with a startled and reverent expression. "Is this it?" he asked, getting up to walk around the trunk. He placed a gentle hand against the trunk, unknowingly echoing Sasami's own actions when she'd first arrived.

Sasami pushed away the memory, saying, "Yes, that is Tsunami's tree. Using the seeds of this tree, Tsunami created thousands of others just like it. She convinced the royal family of Jurai to merge with these plants. This bond resulted in two things. First, the mortals can share the life energies of the tree. Since trees live so very long, their bonded also live longer than any average being. Secondly, the mortals have the ability to heal themselves after receiving injuries. The trees borrow this ability."

Tenchi continued to stare at her, letting his sharp mind work through the implications. "Aeka told me once that she was over a thousand years old. I thought she was joking." He glanced at Sasami. "So, every royal has one of these?"

Sasami shrugged. "Most royals have them, anyway. Sometimes, even non-royals can earn one, though this is almost unheard of. You've met Commanders Mihoshi and Kiyone, right?"

Tenchi nodded. "They were part of your father's war council. Why?"

Sasami smiled. "About three centuries ago, one of the minor nobles tried to stage a coup against my father. They would have succeeded, too, had not Mihoshi and Kiyone learned of the plot beforehand. Back then, the galaxy police were not allowed on Jurai. Jurai was still somewhat egocentric in its views, and outsiders were not permitted on the planet. Mihoshi and Kiyone disobeyed direct orders from their superiors, forbidding them from doing anything. The police commanders wanted to weaken Jurai's military strength, and they figured that they could cut a deal with the new, unlawful emperor."

Tenchi resumed his place across from Sasami, intrigued. "It's quite a story, actually. Mishoshi and Kiyone hijacked one of their own planes and somehow got past the security stations. Our own people were shooting at them, but they were still able to transmit a message to one of the security stations. It turned out that the soldier who received it was corrupt, and he didn't pass it along as he should have. When Kiyone realized this, she purposely allowed herself to be captured. She managed to overpower the knights taking her to a holding cell, and eventually ended up in the throne room just as the coup was taking place. She single-handedly knocked out the lead nobleman, and the coup ended as abruptly as it had begun. As a reward, she and her partner were given a tree of their own, and the spaceports were opened to foreigners for the first time in nearly thirteen millennia." She pointed up at one of the walkways. "See that one? That's theirs."

He listened attentively, caught up in the drama of the story. "Is that all?" he asked disappointedly.

Sasami smiled. "No. Before their adventure, only royals born on Jurai could have a tree. Unfortunately, this would have left you out in the cold, wouldn't it? You couldn't ever have received a tree."

He blinked, startled. "Does this mean that I will get one?"

Sasami nodded. "I'll get to that. While all of this was happening, Tsunami was still trapped inside her own tree. She knew that her sister goddess was coming, but, for reasons that I'm not going to go into, Tsunami couldn't defeat her sister as she was. That's where I came in," she murmured softly.

"I don't get it. What do you have to do with all of this?" Tenchi scratched his head in confusion.

"Tsunami caused an earthquake just as I was playing on that walkway up there." Sasami pointed to the walkway, shuddering involuntarily. "I landed right where you're sitting. I couldn't survive such a fall, so she merged with me." She stopped, giving Tenchi time to assimilate the information.

His eyes bugged out, and he gasped, "What are you saying?" he demanded.

She shrugged. "I'm Tsunami."

He stared at her. "Y-y-you?" Sasami smiled teasingly at his discomfort.

"Aeka told you that I have certain abilities. I can see the future sometimes, and I usually know what people are thinking and feeling. Some of these talents are the original Tsunami's, but some come strictly from me. Together, we are stronger than we could ever have been."

She glanced at the door, sensing the darkness in some of Kagato's thoughts. "We're almost out of time. So, to make a long story even longer, I am now Tsunami. We finally completed the merge a few days ago. When we became one, Tsunami pulled that bit of herself out of the tree." She glanced up at the tree. "That's why it looks like it's dying. She kept it alive for even longer than a normal tree. It's spent so long as one half of a bonded pair that it doesn't remember how to operate on its own. It needs another bond." She smiled mischievously at Tenchi. "Feel up to it?" she queried.

He continued to gape. "Feel up to what?" he asked nervously.

"I already told you. This tree needs another bond. You don't have one, so you're perfect."

He gulped. "Do I really need to do this?" Sasami nodded vigorously. "You can't marry Aeka unless you have one." She stood. "Come on; it won't be that bad. You'll probably even like being bonded."

She pulled him to his feet, jerking his hand until he placed it back along the trunk. When he finally caught on, she laid one of her own against the bark. She began to chant, letting her power flow through both the tree and Tenchi. The tree began to glow white, and Tenchi gasped and shivered. He pulled abruptly away, gazing with wide, shocked eyes at the room around him. "They-they're alive!" he whispered. Sasami started to laugh helplessly.

As she struggled for breath and wiped tears from her eyes, Tenchi bowed respectfully to the other beings in the room. Sasami could sense Tenchi's mental voice, and she respected his privacy by not listening. Whatever he said, the trees began to light up in greeting. One by one, they started to glow, and the room became almost unbearably bright. Tenchi bowed one last time, and the lights slowly faded. He turned back to Sasami, knowledge filling his dark eyes. He didn't realize the importance of what had just happened. She smiled, wrapping him in a quick, sisterly hug. "Welcome to the family, Tenchi," she murmured.