Disclaimer: All of these characters are mine. They were my idea and AIC and
Pioneer are using them without my permission! Oh wait a minute, that's
backwards. I have absolutely no claim to these characters, although all
characters introduced within this series are my own creations. Oh, and go ahead
try and sue me! It won't work, because I don't have any money!!! HAHAHAHAHAHA!!!
Um, on second thought, if it's all the same, I'd rather not be sued. It's not
like I'm making any money off of this.

I'd like to thank Cav, Masami, MarvelBoy, Bobert, Nightfall, Battousai Kawaii,
Night, and everybody at the #TenchiFF chat room, for their help, support, and
suggestions.
Send comments and criticism to bkuhn@ucsd.edu

For those of you wondering, this latest update is for Derai's sake. I'm sure a
couple of people have noticed that his introduction isn't really in character
for him, so I've changed it. The only really big change is at the end of
Chapter 2. Chapters 3 and 4 only underwent minor editing to preserve
continuity.

Last Chapter: Tenchi, devastated by what he has done to Ryoko, decides he must
leaves the girls forever, lest he hurt them again. Meanwhile, Aeka overcomes
her suppressed emotions and confesses her love to Tenchi as he leaves. Now Aeka
is hurt deeply, and Ryoko has staved off her emotions, acting very much like a
robot. While Tenchi is working the fields, he is visited by Derai, a servant of
the god, Vallo. Derai saves Tenchi from a strange assassin, and now joins the
household, waiting for the assassin's return. His divine powers let him dispel
Katsuhito's illusion of age, allowing all to see his true form. Even Aeka.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Tenchi Muyo!
To Love and to Hate
by Brook Kuhn

Episode 3:
Broken Hearts, Healing Souls

"Without you, the eyes gaze,
The legs walk, the lungs breath.
The mind churns, the heart yearns,
The tears dry, without you.
Life goes on, but I'm gone,
Cause I die, without you."
- "Without You" Rent Soundtrack


"Aeka!" Tenchi cried out, "Aeka!" Mayuka continued to scream her head
off. At the precise moment Aeka's tiara had hit the floor, she had started
crying, and would not stop. Torn between the desire to help his friend and tend
to his daughter, Tenchi had finally grabbed Mayuka and brought her with him.
Although a screaming baby was not very useful when searching for someone.

"I'm sorry, Tenchi," Derai said. Derai, at a loss of anything else
to do, had followed Tenchi. "It appears this is my fault."

"You couldn't have known," Tenchi said, "None of us knew. Damn grandpa
and his secrets!"

***

Aeka watched them for a moment, before quietly slipping away. Tenchi was
easily avoided, with Mayuka screaming giving Aeka plenty of warning. However,
she knew she had to do something. If Ryoko was searching for her, she wouldn't
remain unfound for long.

Why won't they leave me alone? she said to herself, Will they track me
to the ends of the Earth? If only I had my ship! I so desperately need to
leave this place.

"Aeka!" Mihoshi said, "There you are, we've been looking all over for you!
Sure is wet out."

Aeka groaned. She didn't need this. She needed to get out of here, but
how? An idea struck her. No, I can't. Not to Mihoshi. It hurts just to
think about it! But what choice do I have? I *have* to get out of here.... and
this is the only way. With a heavy heart, Aeka pulled her mask on for one last
time.

"I'm sorry for bursting out like that, Mihoshi," Aeka said, choking back
tears that threatened to seep through her mask, "I just need to be by myself for
a while. I... I don't suppose I could borrow the Yukinojo? I think being up in
the stars would do me good."

"Sure," Mihoshi said, taking off her bracelet and handing it to Aeka,
"Take this, it will let you access the Yukinojo. The shuttle's in a subspace
portal above the lake. Have fun!" Aeka's heart would have broken at how
accommodating Mihoshi was, if it had not already been shattered. She hated to
take advantage of such a good soul like this.

"Thank you, Mihoshi," Aeka said, "You are a good friend, too good for this
world. Good-bye, Mihoshi."

"Bye," Mihoshi said, "See you later!"

"Yes," Aeka said, choking on the lie, "I will be back soon." She quickly
made her way back to the house, stopping once to hide from Kiyone. She pressed
a button on the command bracelet. The ripples on the lake from the falling rain
were washed away by the waves created as a black portal opened above the lake,
and the Yukinojo's shuttle slowly slid out. A beam engulfed Aeka and teleported
her onto the ship.

"Hello," a small computer pod said, dropping down from the ceiling, "You
must be the princess, Aeka."

"Yes, Yukinojo," Aeka said, "Nice to meet you."

"The pleasure is all mine, Your Highness."

"Please, don't call me that."

"Affirmative. What can I do for you, ma'am?"

"I need to borrow you for a trip."

The computer looked around. "Where is Mihoshi? I need confirmation from
her before I can help you."

"She gave me this," Aeka said, holding up the command bracelet, "Will that
be sufficient?"

"This is *very* unprofessional," the Yukinojo complained, "The command
bracelet is only supposed to be given to another in extreme emergencies.
However, as Mihoshi has decided to give you the bracelet, I am required to
assist you." Aeka breathed a sigh of relief.

"Thank you."

"Now, where do you want to go?" it asked. Aeka froze. She had no idea
where she could go, only that she couldn't stay here.

"Just take me up to the main ship, I'll figure it out then."

"Affirmative."

***

"Please, Mayuka," Tenchi said to his daughter, "Stop crying." He and
Derai walked back to the front of the house. All of the others were waiting
there, except for Ryoko and Mihoshi.

"Any luck?" he asked. No one spoke, which was answer enough.

"Hello!" Mihoshi said cheerfully, walking up to the others.

"Any sign of Aeka?" Tenchi asked.

"Oh yeah, I-" Mihoshi was cut off as lighting lit the skies, highlighting
the Yukinojo as it flew off into the clouds.

"Mihoshi," Tenchi said, a look of horror spreading across his face, "What
did you do?"

"Aeka wanted to spend some time up in the stars," Mihoshi said, "So I let
her use the Yukinojo."

"You *what*?" Tenchi yelled, "Are you *trying* to make things worse? Did
it ever occur to you that she might not come back?"

Mihoshi's eyes began to fill with water. "I don't know... She seemed so
sad... and I just wanted to help..." Mihoshi began to cry, "I'm sorry!" She
bust into tears, fleeing into the house.

"Tenchi!" the stranger who was Tenchi's grandfather said, "Don't take your
anger out on Mihoshi. She was only trying to help. It's not her fault."

"You're right," Tenchi said, anger building up inside of him, "It's *your*
fault! I mean, how could you do this? You've been lying to me my entire life!
And... and... Aeka... How on earth could you do that to Aeka? She left
everything behind, to follow you. She searched the galaxy for seven *hundred*
years for you. And when she finally finds you.... How could you do that to
someone who loves you?"

Katsuhito made no reply.

"I don't have time for this! I have to stop her!"

"Hold on," Washuu said, "I'm sending out a communication signal to the
Yukinojo." She punching some commands into her subspace keyboard, and a moment
later, a flickering holograph of Aeka appeared in front of them. Aeka blinked
in surprise, before scowling at the assembled people. Mayuka stopped crying,
and reached out for Aeka.

"Aeka," Tenchi said, "Don't leave."

"And why should I stay? So I can have my heart broken once more? I don't
think so!"

"Aeka, I'm sorry."

"It's too late Tenchi. What's done is done, and nothing you or anyone can
do can take back the pain I've been through. I don't blame you, Tenchi. I
wanted you to love me, but how could you fall in love with a mask?"

"Aeka?" Sasami cried, "Are you really going to go?"

"I'm sorry, Sasami," Aeka said, "I regret that I won't be there for you
anymore. Watching you grow up has brought me more joy than anything else."

"Then why do you have to go?"

"I'm sorry, Sasami. I know it isn't fair to leave you, when you did
nothing wrong," At this point Aeka cast a pained look at Tenchi, causing him to
flinch. "But I can't stay here, it's just... too painful. I wish I could, more
than anything, but I just can't."

Tenchi looked up at her, tears in his eyes. "No, Aeka, I won't let you do
this." Tenchi's heart racked with pain. The similarity between this and what
had happened the other night were not lost on him, but this time he was powerless.
Even if he could stop her, Tenchi wasn't sure if he could bring himself to do it,
not again.

"Tenchi, you cannot stop me. I have to go, if I stay, I'll only be hurt
again. Now I just have to figure out how I will manage to live without you."

"Aeka!" Katsuhito said, "Running away never solves anything!"

Aeka turned to look at her brother, her face cold and hard. "Excuse me,
Yosho, but I believe it was your running away that started all of this.
Yukinojo, cut the link." Aeka disappeared and lightning split the sky. Mayuka
began to wail again.

"Dammit!" Tenchi swore, "We have to follow her!"

"Tenchi," Kiyone said, "It's not that easy, we have no idea where she's
going, and by the time we get out of the atmosphere, she'll be out of tracking
range."

"What about those ion trails, or whatever they're called. Can't we use
those?"

"Ordinarily, yes. However, Detective Class Ships, like the Yukinojo and
the Yagami, have ionic dampners. It's necessary for Detectives to be able to
avoid being followed at times."

"So there's nothing we can do?" Tenchi said, tears in his eyes.

"Nothing right now," Kiyone said, "Give me some time to figure out where
she went. Once we know where she is, we might be able to help her."

"Aeka," Sasami said, tears rolling down her cheeks.

***

"Is this who I am?" Aeka asked herself, looking at her reflection in the
mirror. Her damp clothes clung to her body, and strands of her hair were
plastered across her face. "I have always thought that this was me, but how
much of this is me, and how much of it is the mask? I cannot tell anymore."

Aeka pulled her sodden clothing from her body, and studied her naked body
in the mirror, as if there would be some subtle marker, a line, a slight
alteration in coloration, that would separate what was her and what was not.
The distinction was just as vague on the inside. It was impossible to tell if
what she did was because that's who she was, or if it was who she was *supposed*
to be.

Aeka shivered, bringing her thoughts back to reality, back to the cramped
quarters Mihoshi used when she was on her ship. Aeka stepped back from the
mirror, and looked for something to wear for warmth. Rummaging through a
closet, she found some of Mihoshi's clothing.

The clothes were too big for her, of course, but she didn't feel like
freezing, or walking around naked for that matter. So she got out a pair of
pants and one of the tank tops Mihoshi loved to wear, along with a heavy jacket.
She realized that she could easily turn up the heat on the Yukinojo, but for
some reason, she didn't feel like imposing any kind of order on her situation.
She got some strange reassurance from adapting to the temperature, rather than
ordering it to be changed to her liking. That being done, Aeka put her face in
her hands, and began to cry.

Something cold and wet pressed itself lightly against Aeka's hand. She
looked up into the eyes of a large, black wolf. Those soft green eyes somehow
seemed to speak directly into her soul, offering her comfort and understanding.
Aeka sobbed and buried her face in the wolf's shoulder.

After a few minutes of this, Aeka gradually stopped crying. She pulled
away so she could look at the wolf. He was huge, slightly bigger than Aeka, and
his fur was jet black, with streaks of gray around his muzzle and ears. She
brought her gaze back to his eyes, and once again, those green eyes penetrated
her very heart, but there was no judgment in those eyes, only compassion.

"Thank you," she said to the wolf, "But where did you come from?"

The wolf's reply was to soak her face with his long wet tongue.

"That's not much of an answer, you know," Aeka told him. She sighed as
her thoughts became melancholy once more. The wolf licked her face again. And
again. And again. It tickled, and Aeka found herself giggling.

"Stop that!" she said, trying vainly to sound mad at him, "I'm not in the
mood for laughter." The wolf continued his wet assault, until Aeka was helpless
on the floor, rolling with laughter. When she had finally recovered, the wolf
was staring at her, his tongue lolling out the side of his mouth in an
expression that could only be called a smile.

"You don't take no for an answer, do you?" she said. The wolf cocked his
head to one side, and Aeka laughed. "You were right, though. I needed that,
and I needed a friend." She embraced the wolf. "Thank you."

Now Mihoshi's clothing didn't fit very well, and the jacket and shirt Aeka
wore hung loosely off her back. The wolf decided that this was a perfect time
to see exactly how far down Aeka's back his tongue could reach.

"Gah!" Aeka yelped, jumping back. She gave the wolf a stern look, then
laughed as she scratched his head. Oddly, the wolf began to purr. It was
rather growlish in sound, but definitely a purr. "What an unusual creature you
are," she remarked.

***

Tenchi was worried about his daughter. Mayuka simply would not stop
crying. Tenchi walked back and forth in his room, singing softly for the better
part of an hour, before Mayuka finally fell asleep. Even then, Tenchi didn't
put her down. He told himself that he was afraid he might wake her, and have to
go through it all over again, but deep down, he was afraid that somehow he might
lose her if he let go of her for an instant. So he sat down in chair to think.

Tenchi sighed. Two days ago, Ryoko was flirting with him, his grandfather
was his role model, and Aeka was tending the garden she and Kiyone kept in the
back.

All of that had crumbled so quickly, and Tenchi desperately grabbed
whatever was left, only to see it crumble further, slipping between his fingers.
Now, Ryoko looked at him like some cruel master, his grandfather was a complete
stranger, and Aeka was somewhere out there, all alone.

He couldn't be making much of an impression on the royal family, not that
he'd had time to think about it much. He didn't even know why they were here.

At least Mihoshi had forgiven him for yelling at her, although he was
still mad at himself for that. You'd think after everything that happened I'd
be more careful about hurting people's feelings. Face it, Tenchi, when it comes
to women, you don't have a clue.

***

Kiyone led Akito and Kanako through the woods.

"And here we have the holy tree of the Masaki Shrine," Kiyone told them,
"It was once the space-tree, Funaho, but it crashed here during the battle with
Ryoko, and was forced to take root. Over the years it's picked up a lot of
myths and tales. Some say that if you pray for rain under a full moon, it will.
Another tale says that if you plant rice seeds around the trunk, you'll be
blessed with a good harvest. Lord Akito? What are you doing?"

Akito had crossed the stones that led to the tree and stood in front of
it. His hands were placed upon the trunk of the tree, and his head was bowed in
concentration. A light humming began to emanate from above, as the leaves shot
beams of rainbow colored light that reflected off the water and into the sky
above. After a moment, the light stopped, and Akito returned to the edge of the
lake.

"A message," he said in explanation, "Wishing Aeka a safe journey. I
doubt she'll receive it, but still..."

"Can we keep going now?" Kanako asked. Akito glared at her.

"Kanako, why don't you return to the house, if you're so bored?" Akito
said, although it was not a suggestion, but a command.

"Fine!" Kanako said, "Kiyone? Which way leads back to the house?"

"Yeah, just follow that path, it joins up with the main path to the
house."

"Thank you," Kanako said curtly, and with an angry look at her brother,
she departed.

"I'm sorry about that," Akito said.

"It's all right," Kiyone said, "I guess it must be annoying to suddenly
get dumped into a situation like this."

"Yes, but she could at least put *some* effort into it."

"Well, I wouldn't accuse her of trying too hard," Kiyone laughed, which
got Akito to smile. "I'm sorry about Mihoshi giving Aeka the Yukinojo.
Mihoshi's a good person, just a little short-sighted at times. I'm sure she
thought she was helping Aeka."

"I know she meant well. She has a good heart. I can tell."

"She just doesn't stop to think," Kiyone said as they stepped across the
rocks to the shore. "Like when we were following a lead on Tarvelea. Someone
had broken into the Academy and made of with some pretty dangerous stuff, and
rumor was he had gone into hiding on Tarvelea."

Kiyone started to smile, "We were dropping a letter off with a contact so
we could talk to him, but he lived out in the jungle and Mihoshi, she... she.."
Kiyone began to double over with laughter. "She thought a beehive was the
mailbox!" She finally managed to get out before the laughter completely
overtook her. Granted, the story wasn't really all that funny, but for some
reason Kiyone couldn't stop laughing. And of course, laughter has a contagious
quality about it, and soon Akito's light chuckle joined Kiyone's musical
laughter.

"Have you ever seen a Tarvelean bee?" Kiyone asked between laughs, "They
literally ate the paint off of the Yagame! And Mihoshi tried to get rid off
them by turning on the windshield wipers!"

Akito didn't trust himself to speak. After a bit, the uncontrollable
laughter subside.

"That Mihoshi," Kiyone said, wiping a tear from her eye, "It cost me a
fortune to repaint it, not to mention all the exterior equipment had to be
replaced." Akito noticed that, despite what Kiyone was saying, she smiled as
she said it. She had a beautiful smile, and he couldn't help but smile back.

Kiyone began up the path again, still giggling slightly. To be honest,
she hadn't really liked the idea of playing tour guide to the newcomers at
first, but Akito was rather sweet. Well, once his sister was out of the way, at
any rate.

***

"Tenchi, time to wake up." Tenchi slowly opened his eyes to see his
father standing over him. He must have fallen asleep on the couch. Then he
realized something. His heart jumped.

"Mayuka! Where is-" Tenchi began, but Noboyuki cut him off.

"Mihoshi's giving her breakfast. Come on, let's see if she needs help."
Tenchi nodded and followed Noboyuki to the kitchen. Mihoshi did indeed need
help. Mayuka sat in her high-chair, screaming. Baby food was splattered
everywhere, mostly on Mihoshi, though.

"Come on, Mayuka," Mihoshi said, attempting once more to feed the crying
child, close to tears herself, "I know you wish Aeka was here, and I wish she
was here, too, but she's not, so eat, okay?."

Tenchi sighed. Mayuka was normally such a well behaved child, but
occasionally she'd want someone, and wouldn't be happy until they held her. The
hardest part was usually figuring out who she wanted. She didn't seem to have
any particular preference among the girls, although she called out them much more
often than for Noboyuki or Katsuhito. Tenchi, however, was her favorite. Tenchi
could remember the whole family having picnics out in the fields several times,
because Mayuka decided she wanted her daddy. Of course, there was that time
when she wanted Noboyuki while he was on a three day trip to a building site.
That's when they learned that Mayuka wouldn't give up, either. Now it seemed
she wanted the one person she couldn't get.

"Come here, Mayuka," Tenchi said, lifting his daughter out of her chair.
Mayuka stopped crying and looked up at him, her big orange eyes pleading.
Tenchi got the feeling it wasn't just Aeka that she wanted, she wanted her
family to be whole once again, but without Aeka, that wasn't so simple.
"Mayuka," Tenchi said, "I don't know if Aeka's coming back. We're doing all we
can, but the truth is, that's not much." He sighed. "I hate to admit it but I
doubt we'll ever see Aeka again." Mayuka, somehow grasping what Tenchi had
said, began to cry again. "I know, Mayuka, I know. It's going to be hard on
all of us, but we're going to have to get along without her." Tenchi's voice
became lighter, more playful. "But we still have each other, and Ryoko, and
Mihoshi, and Kiyone, and Washuu, and Sasami, and now we've got a new friend,
Derai. Let's go say hi to him, okay Mayuka?" Mayuka calmed down a bit as
Tenchi carried her to the back porch, where Sasami and Derai were.

"Check mate!" Sasami said, moving one of the pieces on the board. Tenchi
fought the urge to laugh at the incredibly confused look on the big man's face.
Instead he concentrated on figures on the board, which were holograms that
floated above disks that could be pushed around. Tenchi smiled when he saw the
figures. Two Tenchi's faced off as kings, with miniature Azakas and Kamidakis
as pawns. Sasami with Ryo-ohki on her head made the knight, Washuu was the
rook, Mihoshi the bishop, and the queens were split, Sasami's being Aeka, and
Derai's being Ryoko.

Tenchi sighed at that last detail. Had it been *that* obvious to everyone
but him? Tenchi picked up the hologram piece of Ryoko, who had been taken by
Sasami's knight several turns ago. Why? he asked himself, I loved them for
so long, I can see that now. So why didn't I realize it before? Why did I
assume it was the love of siblings, the type of love I share with the others,
when it's so much more? What was I so afraid of that I hid from the truth like
a scared child? More importantly, what can I do, now that I'm finally seeing
clearly?

He stared at the image of Ryoko. It might be too late to help Aeka, but
he wouldn't give up on Ryoko. Not now, not ever. But how on earth could he
help her?

***

Meanwhile, Ryoko sat on the roof in complete silence. She didn't move,
she didn't speak, she didn't think. To do so would be far too painful. She
had entered something of a trance, where she felt nothing.

She snapped out of it as a red-haired child appeared in front of her.

"Ryoko," Washuu said. Her face was serious, and her voice somber. She
appeared to have stopped playing her games for now.

Damn, Ryoko thought, I do *not* want to deal with this right now.

"Ryoko," Washuu repeated, "We have to talk."

Ryoko remained silent, trying to return to the blissfully numb state she
had be shaken out of.

"Fine," Washuu said, "Maybe you'll actually listen to me for once. I know
what you're going through. I mean, I guess I don't. I have no idea what it's
like to have control forcefully taken over your body and mind. I- I- I-"
Washuu stopped to wipe a tear from her eye. "Damn! I'm not good at this! I
can tell you why a star will explode, which ones will, and when they will. I
can explain what the elements of an atom are made out of, and what makes up
those in turn. But can I comfort my daughter? No. I'd trade all those words
of science, my entire lifetime, for just enough words of love to get me through
today."

Washuu took a deep breath, as the past came back to her. It hurt like
hell when it happened, indeed, it still hurt to this very day, but if it could
help her now, maybe it was worth it, just maybe. She spoke those words aloud,
so very very old, but she still remembered them, as if they had been said only a
day before, "'Washuu, you seem to know everything, but I wonder if you'll ever
know love. I doubt it, because the moment you find it, you'll dissect it to see
how it works, and it won't be love anymore. Love's like that, Washuu, but I
don't think a scientist like you will ever be able to admit that.' He was
wrong, of course, he was wrong before he said that, and he knew it, because I
knew love. I loved him, and he loved me, and for five wonderful years, that
seemed to be what held the entire universe together, even though I knew better."

Washuu paced back and forth on the roof in front of Ryoko. "It appears
that pain is directly proportional to pleasure. The happier you feel, the more
you get hurt. Ack, I'm talking like a scientist again, and that's the last
thing I want right now." She stopped pacing, and stared at the roof, as if it
somehow held the words she was looking for. She wanted to help Ryoko so much,
to make up for all the pain she had caused, but finding the right words to say
seemed an almost impossible task. After several long minutes, she spoke again.
"What I'm trying to say is, I know how you feel. Like I said, I've never
experienced anything like what you have, but I've had my heart broken, and it
seems to me, that once that happens, the details are no longer important.

"Ryoko, we've never been as close as I'd like us to be." She looked up at
Ryoko, her emerald green eyes locking with Ryoko's. "I'd love to hear you call
me 'Mom,' and mean it, but I know that will probably never happen because of the
things I've done. It seemed whenever I began to get close to you, I'd suddenly
be reminded of how much pain I went through last time I loved someone and was
loved in return, and I'd do something to make you hate me, so I wouldn't have to
be hurt again. It didn't work, because here I am, hurt, because I see you in
pain. And all those attempts to distance myself have only made it worse,
because now, when you need me the most, I can't help, because you don't trust
me.

"Ryoko," Washuu said, beginning to cry, "When my husband and son were
taken away from me, I shut myself off from the world. I stuck to science and
numbers, because they couldn't hurt me. It wasn't the answer. Cutting yourself
off only makes the pain worse. And now I see you're making the same mistake I
made. This won't help Ryoko. I know it hurts. I know through our bond, yes,
but even more I know because I've been there."

Ryoko just sat there, like a statue.

"I've tried my best, Ryoko," Washuu said, "I've finally given in to what I
should do as a mother, instead of running away. The rest is up to you. Being
alone can be a terrifying state, and I want you to know that I'll be here for
you, no matter what. I wish I knew what the answer was, but I didn't know then,
and I don't know now. Maybe you'll have more luck finding it than I did, I only
ask that you hurry. We all share your pain, and your silence hurts us, it hurts
me, and it hurts Tenchi. Good luck, Ryoko." Washuu wiped another tear from her
cheek, a vain guesture, as more immediately followed it. She took one last look
at her daughter and disappeared.

She's right, you know, a voice deep within her said.

Shut up, Ryoko snapped, You don't know anything.

***

"Want to play again?" Sasami asked, cheerfully. Tenchi stared at her,
unconsciously shifting Mayuka in his arms. This was wrong. She shouldn't be
happy. Not that Tenchi wanted her to be sad, but as resilient as Sasami was,
this just wasn't right.

"Eh, no thanks, Sasami," Derai said, "Maybe later."

"You seem less confused than I thought you'd be," Tenchi said to Derai.

"Well, Mihoshi kinda filled me in on who was who. Then I was *really*
confused, but Kiyone explained it, an' I think I've got it now."

"Would you like to hold Mayuka for a bit?" Tenchi asked.

"Sure," Derai replied, although for some reason, he suddenly seemed sad.

"Mayuka," Tenchi said handing his daughter over to Derai, this is Derai."
Mayuka looked absolutely tiny in Derai's thick arms, but Derai's hold was
surprisingly gentle. Tenchi turned and walked over to Sasami.

"Sasami," he said, sitting down next to her.

"Yes?" Sasami asked, cheerfully, as she set up the board again.
"Want to play a game?" Tenchi placed one hand under Sasami's chin and forced
her to look up at him. He looked into her bright pink eyes, noting that they
were bloodshot from crying. More importantly, though, he saw the tears Sasami
hadn't cried, the tears she held back.

"Sasami," Tenchi said, all traces of levity gone from his voice, "You
don't have to be strong. We're here for you. I know it hurts, but you have to
let it out. Covering your emotions only makes it worse. That's the mistake
your sister made, and I don't want to see you make the same mistake. We'll be
here for you, no matter what."

"Oh, Tenchi!" Sasami burst out, and she buried her face in his shoulder
and cried. Tenchi sighed in relief. Maybe he was finally getting the hang of
this.

After a little while, Sasami stopped crying. She sat back and smiled
weakly at Tenchi.

"Thanks, Tenchi," she said.

"Just remember, Sasami, we'll be here for you. If you ever want to talk
about *anything* whether it's Aeka, or something else, come to us, okay?"

"Okay," Sasami sniffed, wiping her eyes with the back of one hand.

"Tenchi!" Katsuhito said, walking out to the porch. His illusion was
still down. It was odd, seeing his grandfather so young. "What are you doing
here? I've been waiting for you at the shrine for nearly an hour. It is time
for your training."

"Training?" Tenchi asked, turning on his grandfather, anger evident in his
voice, "And what will you teach me today? How to break someone's heart? I seem
to have mastered that on my own. How on earth can you expect me to learn from
you? I can't even trust you, anymore!" As Tenchi spoke, he slowly walked up to
Katsuhito, trembling in an attempt to control himself.

"Tenchi," Katsuhito said, when Tenchi stood in front of him, glaring at
him through hurt eyes, "Nothing has changed."

"Everything's changed!" Tenchi snapped, "How can I trust anything you say?
How can I know it's not another one of your secrets? You're not even grandpa to
me now, you're Yosho, who I know even less about than Derai!"

Katsuhito's eyes met Tenchi's. "I have trained you for fifteen years. I
have watched over you since the day you were born. I have loved you, the son of
my daughter, with my whole heart. How can you say you do not know me?"

Tenchi's anger fled under his grandfather's stare. His head sank.
"Because you lied to me," Tenchi replied quietly. He was very calm, a stark
contrast from the anger he showed a moment ago, but he still trembled. "You
lied to me, and you lied to Aeka. I didn't know that I was of Juraian descent,
descended from Emperor Azusa himself, until Kagato told me. I thought you were
an old man, until Derai dispelled your illusion."

"And-" Katsuhito began, but Tenchi cut him off.

"I suppose I didn't need to know. I could just live a normal life. It
didn't really matter about my heritage. I didn't *need* to know." Tenchi
looked up, anger flashing in his eyes. "But I had the *right* to know. My life
belongs to *me*, and you have no right to manipulate it like you do."

"I have never told you what to do," Katsuhito protested.

"Of course not," Tenchi said, advancing on his grandfather, forcing him to
step back, "You were much more subtle than that. Of course, you've had plenty
of time to practice. When did you tell me about the cave for the first time?
It was so long ago that I can't remember it. But you sure did peak my interest,
didn't you? I can't think of a single day when I didn't sneak out to visit the
cave. All part of the plan, right? You needed to be sure that, when the time
was right, I'd open the cave. All you had to do was let me 'win' the keys, and
I'd release the 'demon' at the perfect time for your plans." Tenchi stopped.
He stared at the ground, his fist clenched in anger. "And that brought in Aeka,
your next pawn. You controlled her, just like you did me. You threw us at each
other, trying to trick us into falling in love."

Katsuhito began to speak, but Tenchi cut him off. "Don't deny it. That
was your plan. The cabin was only the beginning." Tenchi's eyes slowly lifted
until they met with the deep, purple eyes of his grandfather. "What about now?"
Tenchi asked, "Was this an accident? Or was breaking Aeka's heart part of your
goddamn plan?"

Katsuhito turned away, and for a long time, no one spoke. "All right,"
Katsuhito finally said, breaking the silence, "I admit it. I fed you those
stories about Ryoko so that you would open the cave at the right time. I set it
up so Aeka would be drawn here, but only *after* Ryoko's record had been
cleared. I make no apologies. A dark time is coming, and I did what was
necessary."

"And what about Aeka?" Tenchi prompted. Katsuhito turned on Tenchi.
Tenchi involuntarily took a step back. For the first time in his life,
Katsuhito was truly angry at him.

"I did *not* mean to hurt her," Katsuhito said. Now he advanced on
Tenchi. "Yes, I drew her here, because she needs to be here for what's coming,
and yes, I did try to set you two to fall in love, but the two are not
connected. I only hoped that you could show her the love I couldn't, the love
she so desperately wanted, the love she needed, the love she deserved. I didn't
try to 'trick' you into anything! I only tried to bring out the feelings for
her I hoped you had. Bringing Aeka here was my duty to Tsunami. The cabin, and
everything else, that was my duty as her brother."

Katsuhito shouldered his bokken and began to walk away from the house. "I
guess I can't blame you for doubting me. When you're ready to resume your
training, come see me. You're in a difficult time, and part of that is my
fault, so I won't rush you."

Tenchi sat down. He was angry. He was angry at his grandfather, for his
secrets. He was angry at Aeka, for running away. He was angry at Ryoko, for
being so stubborn. Mostly, though, he was mad at himself, for letting all of
this happen.

"Hi, bro!" Kanako said as she passed Katsuhito. This earned her an angry
glare from her brother. "Sheesh," she said, joining the others, "You guys are
no fun."

A drop of water landed on Tenchi's head, shaking him from his revelry.
Tenchi looked up and it began to pour.

"Oh no!" Sasami exclaimed after they had entered the house to get out of
the rain, "Akito and Kiyone are still out there!"

"Don't worry Sasami," Tenchi said, "A little rain never hurt anyone."

***

Akito and Kiyone ran through the woods, searching for some shelter.

"Over there!" Kiyone said, pointing at a small cabin. The pair rushed
over and threw open the door. Once inside, Kiyone sat down on a bench and
lifted the hem of her tank top to wring out some of the water. Upon seeing
Kiyone's exposed navel, Akito quickly turned to face the other way. He could
feel the blood rushing to his face. He reminded himself that most people
weren't as conservative about their bodies as the Juraians were.

"You'd better take some clothes off," Kiyone said. Akito turned around
and took a step back, looking pretty much like a deer caught in the headlights.

"W-What?" he stammered, his face turning deep red.

"You're clothes are soaked," she pointed out, pulling off her shirt,
which caused Akito to blush even further. His mind screamed at him that if he
had any honor, he'd turn around, and yet, he couldn't. "And if you sit around
in them like that, you're going to catch a cold," she continued, "I know
Juraians are very conscious about this kind of thing, but it's not worth getting
sick over, is it?"

"Um... yes, I suppose you're right," Akito said, still blushing. He
unclasped the mantle he wore, then took off the cloak he wore underneath that.
He pulled off his shirt and undershirt as well.

Kiyone, meanwhile, was starting a fire. She had taken one of the boxes of
kindling that were stored there, and pulled it to the close to the bench that
ran along one wall. She reached into a pouch on her belt and produced a small,
thin glass vial, seemingly empty. Gripping it by either end, she held it over
the box. She turned her head as she snapped the vial. Sickly pink flames
flared into existence and fell upon the wood and paper. For a moment they sat
there, before turning red, as the wood began to burn on its own.

Akito sat down next to the fire, across from her, steeling himself to keep
his eyes on her face. It wasn't like she was naked, he reminded himself, for
she had only taken off her shirt, and she had a bra on underneath that. It was
still more skin on a woman than he normally saw, though, and more than once he
caught his eyes wandering.

Kiyone noticed this, too, much to Akito's embarrassment. She blushed
slightly, and folder her arms in front of her.

"I'm sorry," Akito said, ashamed of himself.

"No, it's okay. My fault for tempting, right?" Kiyone said, smiling.

"Uh, yeah," Akito said meekly.

"So," Kiyone said, trying to change topics, "What's it like being a prince
of Jurai?"

"I don't know what it's like not to be a prince," Akito replied, "but all
in all, I suppose I like it."

Kiyone laughed. "So tell me a story."

"What?"

"I told you one," she said, flashing a smile, "Now it's your turn."

"I - I don't know any stories."

"Oh come on. You must have had *something* interesting happen to you."

"Well..."

"Go on," Kiyone prompted.

"There was this one time... I was traveling home from a peace settlement
in the Laerto system. I was alone, and some brigands thought that I might make
a good trophy." He laughed, although it was grim, not mirthful. "They
shouldn't have underestimated the power of the Royal Family. They did succeed
in destroying my navigation and communication systems. I ended up veering far
from my intended course. But I'm glad I did. It was while I was floating out
there, looking for any sign of life to help me fix my ship, when I found it."

"It?" Kiyone asked, curiously.

"A nebula, quite small, as far as nebulae go, but very, very beautiful.
I've been to many beautiful places, but normally I have to many things to focus
on it. But this, this was different; there was nothing to distract me from the
beauty around me. Part of me wanted to stay there forever, but in time I
passed through it, and I had to continue on my way."

"Have you ever gone back?"

Akito shook his head, "No. It wouldn't be the same if I went back. I'd
have a set time I could stay, before I'd have to return. But still, I'm glad I
saw it that once."

For a while, neither of them spoke. The cabin was quiet, save for the
drumming of the rain outside, and the crackling of the fire.

"All right," Akito said, breaking the silence, "Your turn."

Kiyone smiled. "Fair enough, let's see..."

***

"Where can he be?" Derai asked out loud. He stared out into the rain.
Mayuka slept in his arms, as he rocked her back and forth.

"Who?" Tenchi asked.

Derai continued to look into the downpour. "Blaze," he said, "My
wolfhound. He went exploring as soon as we landed. I haven't seen him since.
He's usually smart enough t' come in out of the rain, though."

Tenchi looked around, but he saw no sign of any dogs. "I'm sure he's
okay," Tenchi said, "He probably just doesn't know where you are, that's all."

"Ye're probably right," Derai agreed. He walked away from the window and
sat down, still holding the infant child.

"So now what do we do?" Kanako asked as she watched the rain drizzle down
the windows. She turned to Derai. "Let me hold Mayuka," she ordered. If Derai
heard her, he showed no signs of it. He merely sat there, rocking the infant,
his eyes lost in wonder as he stared into her tiny face.

"Hey!" Kanako said firmly, "I said let me hold her." She stomped her foot
for emphasis.

"No," he said softly.

"I *order* you to give her to me!" she said. Derai looked up at her. His
eyes had a haunted look to them, a strange mixture of hatred and sorrow. They
seemed to burn with fire. Yet in spite of all of this, the arms in which Mayuka
rested remained impossibly gentle.

"Order?" he asked, his voice trembling with anger. "Who are you to order
me? Bloody Juraians," he said in contempt, resisting the urge to spit, "So
vain, so high and mighty, so sure of their superiority. I didn'a come here t'
serve you, far from it. I didn'a swear fealty t' you or yer father, so don't
be treatin' me like one of yer subjects."

"Derai," Tenchi said, nervously, "She didn't mean anything by it. Just
let it go." Derai turned and thrust Mayuka out to Tenchi.

"I'm goi'n out t' look fer Blaze," he said, simply. And with that, he
walked out the door into the rain. There was a moment of awkward silence as they
watched him leave.

"Why don't we play a game?" Sasami suggested, "If we sit around watching
the rain fall, we're all gonna get depressed."

"How about Clue?" Mihoshi suggested.

"Miya!" Ryo-ohki said sadly.

"Yeah, you always win that game!" Sasami said accusingly.

"Oh," Mihoshi said, "I guess it's because I'm a detective."

"Well, we have lots of games," Tenchi said, "I'm sure we can find a few
everyone will enjoy."

Noboyuki left, and soon returned with an armload of games, and they spent
the morning playing games, often throwing the games to Ryo-ohki or Sasami. They
forgot about their troubles, just for a little while, and reminded themselves of
how it was supposed to be, and what it was like to be happy.

The afternoon was quieter. Mihoshi was watching TV and Sasami read a
book, and in general, everyone sat around listening to the rain on the windows.
It wasn't until shortly before dinner that the rain let up, and Kiyone and Akito
returned a little after that.

"You're just in time!" Sasami called from the kitchen, "I was worried!"

"We're fine, Sasami," Kiyone said, entering the kitchen. "We found a nice
cabin to take shelter from the rain in."

"Ooh!" Kanako said, giving her brother a sly wink, "All day in a cabin
with Miss Galaxy Police. Did she use her handcuffs?"

"Wha-" Akito sputtered, "I am *not* a man of loose morals!"

"Aha!" she said, triumphantly, "So something *did* happen!"

"Be quiet, Kanako!" Akito snapped, looking around to see if anyone had
heard his sisters declaration. Fortunately, everyone seemed to be preoccupied
with dinner preparations. "This doesn't concern you," he added, harshly.

"Oh my!" Kanako said in pretend shock, "I wonder what M-" Kanako trailed
off under Akito's harsh glare.

"Listen, Kanako," he ordered, "You will keep your nose out of my affairs,
you will keep your mouth shut, and you will treat me with some goddamn respect!
Understand?" She nodded, but didn't say anything. As he walked away, she stuck
her tongue out at him.

***

The house was quiet. Everyone had gone to sleep. Akito had taken the
guest room, while Kanako slept on Aeka's futon. Derai had still not returned.
Tenchi had, once again, fallen asleep in his chair, his arms wrapped
protectively around his daughter, who slept soundly on his chest.

Ryoko sighed, as she watched him through the window. She knew this was
hard on him.

Then why don't you help him? a voice in her head asked.

Shut up! Ryoko snapped back, flying away from the window.

You know you can, the voice pressed.

He doesn't want my help, she insisted.

Are you so sure?

Yes!

Why?

I... I... I just am! Ryoko floundered.

That doesn't sound like very good reasoning. Why do you think he suffers
like this in the first place?

Dammit! It's because of Aeka!

Interesting, the other voice laughed.

What's so funny?

All these years, you've feared that he loved Aeka, and not you. And now
you are trying to convince yourself that it *is* true.

I know he doesn't love me! What else matters?

Oh, come on, now. If you truly believed that, you wouldn't still be
here.

Shut up! Ryoko yelled at the voice, You don't know anything! If he
had *any* feelings for me, he wouldn't have...

I think he did it *because* he loves you.

"That's it!" Ryoko screamed out loud. With a terrible pain, she wrenched
herself apart. They had been together for over two years now, and this sudden
separation was not easy, or painless. "I'm through putting up with you, Zero!
I don't know why I joined with you in the first place!"

The other Ryoko glared back at her. "I don't know either," Zero said, "I
always thought you were hoping I could help you win Tenchi's heart, but I've
told you how to do it, and you don't seem to want to listen."

"You have no idea what he did to me," Ryoko growled, "You have no idea
what it was like to have *him* do that to me."

"You seem to forget that I share your past. I don't understand why you're
making such a big deal about this."

"You might have looked at my past, but you're a robot! You have no soul,
so you could never understand how painful it is to have your soul held in
another man's hands."

"Isn't that what love is?" Zero asked.

"This is different! This isn't love! Tenchi doesn't love me, he loves
Aeka! I realized that, but he wouldn't even let me escape to oblivion! He
had to hold me here and watch me suffer!"

"You poor fool," Zero said with a wicked smile, "You don't deserve him."
Her face snapped to the side as the back of Ryoko's hand struck her cheek.

"You go too far!" Ryoko yelled, forming her sword.

Zero smiled, as she formed her own. "Fine then. We fight. Whoever wins
will be Ryoko, and whoever loses, will be dead."

Ryoko charged at Zero, and the sounds of their swords clashing echoed
through the woods. Again and again they clashed. Zero met every one of Ryoko's
charges, and countered with her own. She had to win this battle, she had to!
All of her hopes rode here. If she could defeat Ryoko, she would *be* Ryoko.
Her emotions, her heart, all of these would be hers. She would no longer be
just a robot.

Of course, Zero was destined to lose. She may have copied Ryoko's body,
powers, and skills perfectly, but Ryoko had the gem, and Zero did not. Soon,
Zero found herself attacking less and less, as she put her waning energy more
and more into defending herself. Her sword began to flicker, and finally, it
shattered beneath Ryoko's. With a scream of hatred, directed more at herself
than her opponent, Ryoko thrust her sword into Zero's chest.

A grim smile of victory settled on Ryoko's face, as Zero's body
evaporated. But as the wind carried away the dust of her opponent, reality
began to reinforce itself upon her. The battle had offered distraction, but it
was fleeting. With the battle over, Ryoko was again faced with the truth, or
rather, her distorted view of what was true. She curled up at the foot of a
tree, and began to weep.

***

She woke up several hours later, her back sore from leaning against the
tree for half the night. Rubbing her neck, she stood up, and, after a moment
of silence, she teleported to the roof. Even as she did, she wondered why she
bothered. What's the point? she asked herself, What difference does it make
where I am?

She was shaken out of her reverie by a figure sitting on the edge of the
roof. It was the princess, Kanako. Ryoko blinked in confusion as a tear,
sparkling in the light of the rising sun, fell from Kanako's cheek and landed
silently on the hem of her skirt.

"What are you doing here?" Ryoko growled.

Kanako looked around startled, until she saw Ryoko. "Oh," she said in a
rather bored manner, "It's only you." She rose nonchalantly, and straightened
out her skirt.

"What are you doing here?" Ryoko repeated.

"Just watching the sun rise, and thinking," Kanako sighed, "You wouldn't
understand. G'bye!" Kanako, leaned backwards until she fell off the roof.
Ryoko rushed to the edge, just in time to see Kanako catch herself on a tree
branch, and, after a couple of acrobatic swings, flip onto the ground.

Ryoko shook her head. That girl was a strange one. She certainly didn't
act like Aeka or Yosho.

***

Sasami sat up, and rubbed her eyes. She thought she had heard voices
above her. That's silly, she told herself, you must have been dreaming.

Still yawning, she began to get dressed. She was unusually tired that
morning. She felt almost as if she hadn't gotten any sleep at all. She pulled
her hair out of the balls she kept it in and began to run a comb through it,
watching the light blue hairs swirl around the comb. She realized that she
should start wearing it tied back someday soon. After all, she was almost
twelve.

Walking up to the mirror, she pulled her hair behind her, just to see how
it would look. She frowned as Tsunami looked back from the mirror. It wasn't
the Tsunami that often replaced her reflection. She was used to that. It was
still her real reflection, but the similarities towards the apparition of
Tsunami were undeniable. Two circles glowed on her forehead, where Sasami's
triangles had once begun.

It was a depressing reminder of what she was, a copy. She existed to give
a body to Tsunami. Her appearance, the appearance of Sasami, was only there to
hide Tsunami, until she was reborn, and ready to make her presence known.
Sasami sighed, knowing that one day, she would be Tsunami, not Sasami, and the
only reminder of the real Sasami's existence would be in people's memories.

"You're really not looking at this the right way," Tsunami's voice told
her from the mirror, which rippled like water, as the older Tsunami replaced the
younger image, "You and I were always one, before you even existed. You will
become Tsunami, yes, but you will still be Sasami, to the people who love you."

"That's what you tell me," Sasami replied, "But how can I know?"

"Forget it," Tsunami said, "We've been over this before. I think you'll
understand soon, so we'll just wait until then."

"So why have you come?" Sasami asked.

"It is time for the final stage to begin. You've noticed that your marks
have changed. Now that we have Vallo's blessing, we shall begin to become one
mind."

"Why did we need Vallo's blessing?"

"He holds a part of me within him, as I hold part of him in my heart,"
Tsunami smiled. Sasami hadn't seen a smile like that on Tsunami's face before,
and it fueled her curiosity even further.

"But why?" Sasami pressed.

"I'm not sure I should tell you just yet," Tsunami said thoughtfully, "You
have a tendency to doubt me."

"That's not fair," Sasami complained.

"How about this," Tsunami said, "Wait until you meet Vallo, which will be
soon. If you can't figure it out then, I'll tell you. Deal?"

"All right," Sasami said, grudgingly.

"You may realize it before then, anyway. As I said, our minds are going
to become one. Over the next few years, you will begin to share my memories and
knowledge. Once this is complete, there will be no difference between the two
of us." Sasami frowned at that, but she didn't say anything.

"However," Tsunami went on, "Soon, I will not be able to appear like this
anymore. Hard times are coming, and I will not be able to help you."

"Harder than they are right now?" Sasami said, picking up a picture of
Tenchi and Aeka at a fair last summer. Tenchi's arms were wrapped around Aeka's
waist, and Aeka looked more beautiful and happy than ever. Aeka liked this
picture very much, but Sasami liked it even more, because it captured her sister
just the way she was in Sasami's mind. A tear fell from Sasami's cheek and
splatted against the picture.

"That is hard to say," Tsunami told her, "Just remember to listen to your
heart, and I think you will overcome whatever happens. I will speak to you once
more, when you stand in the presence of Vallo. Until then, good luck, Sasami."

Tsunami's image faded, leaving Sasami looking at just her reflection.
Sasami sighed, and pulled her hair back into pigtails, then headed downstairs to
make breakfast.

***

It was unusually warm that day, and no one really felt like doing
anything, so they passed the morning just lying around. Sasami made a big
lunch, then fell asleep on the porch shortly after.

By the time she woke up, the sun had set. It had cooled down, but the air
was still thick, lending a sense of stillness to the night. It gave a feeling
that this was a perfect time to relax, a promise that nothing of any importance
would happen until later in the night.

Sasami knew better than that. Later on, she would realize that this was
the first of many bits of knowledge she would receive from Tsunami. Right now,
she didn't think of that, she just knew that two very important things would
happen tonight. The first would be done by her. And she had to hurry, for she
wanted to be back in time for the second.

With that singleness of purpose, Sasami slid the porch door open, and
headed out into the woods. As the light from the house became faint, she began
to see a new light, deep in the forest. As she grew closer, she could here
chanting, a deep voice echoing through the woods.

"Vallo, guide me. Vallo, teach me. Vallo, love me. And I shall serve
thee forever."

Over and over it was repeated, and soon enough, Sasami approached the
source. In a small clearing, a bonfire burned. A figure sat near, so close
that tendrils of flames danced around his outstretched arms. Oblivious to
Sasami's presence, Derai continued to pray.

Sasami walked around the fire. The smoke had a strange smell that Sasami
found oddly familiar. She liked it. Once she was on the opposite side of
Derai, she knelt down in front of the fire, imitating Derai's posture as best
she could. Then, she too, began to pray.

"Heaven to Ocean, Ocean to Earth, Earth back to Heaven. Love me and
protect me, oh heavenly Tsunami."

Derai's eyes snapped open, and he stared at her across the flames.

"Are ye mockin' me?" he demanded.

"No," Sasami smiled, "I just thought you might want some company, so I
came to pray with you."

"I don't need yer company," Derai told her.

"Boy, you're edgy," Sasami said, sitting back, "What's wrong?"

"I doubt ye'd understand," he grumbled.

There was a moment of silence, before Sasami finally spoke. "You're not
the only person to have hated before," she said softly. Derai looked up at her,
but he remained silent, so Sasami continued. "When my brother, Yosho, left
Jurai to chase Ryoko, he left Aeka behind, even though she begged him to take
her with him.

"Aeka's very strong, and Yosho knew that, but as smart as he is, I don't
think he's ever seen that there's a weakness there, too. She's very good at
hiding her emotions, but not from me. After Yosho left, Aeka always cried, even
if she never shed a tear. Aeka's got a strong spirit, but a weak heart. She
needs someone to love, someone to love her back, but Yosho never noticed that.
I hated him for that."

Emotions overwhelmed Sasami, and she began to cry, "I don't want to hate
anyone. There's too much hate in the universe already. But he left my sister,
when she needed him... And now Tenchi's done the same thing. How can I love
them after that?"

There was a moment of silence before Derai burst out laughing.

"What's so funny?" Sasami demanded.

"Ye're quite a performer, li'l one," he said, still laughing, "But it
doesn'a matter how convincing a show ye put on, ye'll never convince anyone
that ye could hate anyone."

"I could too hate someone!" she insisted.

"Maybe," Derai said, "Maybe, but only if they truly deserved t' be hated.
But the way I see it, Yosho and Tenchi's only true crime was not seein' the
the feelings of a girl who good at hidin' her emotions. A marvelous little
performance, Sasami, but you couldn'a hate anyone unless they'd done somethin'
t' deserve it."

"Like the Juraians?" Sasami asked in a somber voice.

Derai's head dropped. Shadows moved in to cover his face. "My wife and
son were killed by Juraian pirates. I was too late to save them. I know it's
wrong. I know I canna blame all the Juraians for what those few did. But when
I look at them, all I can see is those smug faces that took everything away from
me. I can't help but hate the Juraians, an' I hate myself even more fer my
weakness."

"Do you hate Tenchi?" Sasami asked.

Derai was silent for a moment. "No," he decided, "But he's more Terran
than Juraian."

"Well I'm completely Juraian," Sasami said, "Do you hate me?" She batted
her eyelids in a mock-flirting way.

Derai chuckled, "That's even more impossible than the idea of ye hatin'
someone else."

"All right, then its a start," Sasami giggled, "that's one and one eighth
down. We'll have you over this in no time!"

"You know yer awefully inconsiderate. I was right in th' middle of some
good ol' self-pity, and ye come along and make me start t' feel good about
m'self."

Sasami looked at the fire, "Well if you wanna get a little more depression
in, go ahead. Just hurry, I don't want to be late."

"Late fer what?" Derai asked.

"I'm not entirely sure. That's why I don't want to miss it."

***

Tenchi slumped down in a chair. It had been a long day. After the
whirlwind weekend, school felt like an overload. Then, he had decided to
continue training with his grandfather.

Tenchi sat there, trying not to think about Ryoko or Aeka, which was a
futile effort; the more he tried not to think about them, the more he invariably
thought about them. Finally, he gave up on the entire thing and decided to get
drunk.

Tenchi had never actually drank before, but he knew where his father's
secret stash was, and he figured that now was as good a time as any to see how
it felt. While rummaging through the cupboards, a thought occurred to him.

"Ryoko?" he called out into the living room. Ryoko's response was
predictable.

"Yes, master?"

Tenchi swallowed nervously, before continuing, "Um... I was wondering, if
you'd... like to join me in a drink?"

"Of course, master," Ryoko said, appearing next to him.

Tenchi congratulated himself mentally. People loosened up when they
drank, right? That could be exactly what he needed, and despite Ryoko's attempt
to hide her emotions, Tenchi was pretty sure she'd really appreciate a drink.

The real problem with his plan was that he had no idea what to do next, so
the first few rounds of drinks were taken in silence. It wasn't until after the
fifth drink that, due to a combination of the pressure and the alcohol, Tenchi
finally spoke.

"God, I'm sorry, Ryoko," he blurted out, "I'm sorry I did that to you, and
I'm sorry I slapped you. I know I've screwed up before, but you know I never
meant to hurt you."

The look on Ryoko's face clearly stated that she didn't know that, nor did
she believe it to be true.

"Come on, Ryoko." Tenchi said, frustration turning into anger, "I made a
mistake, I admit it, but this is ridiculous! What about when I fought to save
you? Doesn't that count for anything? I was willing to die for you - hell, I
*did* die for you! I'd think you could at least cut me some slack!"

"Big deal!" Ryoko shouted, "Is that supposed to be some kind of excuse? I
don't care what you did for me! I am a human being, my own self! It took me
five thousand years to be able to say that! But you didn't care! You took it
away from me!"

Tenchi stood up and slammed his fists on the table. "I didn't care?!" he
demanded, "How can you accuse me of not caring? If I really didn't care, I
would have let you go off and kill yourself, just because you were half drunk
and overreacted!" Part of him screamed at him that he was being an idiot, that
this could only drive her farther away, but Tenchi ignored it. Whether it was
anger or alcohol clouding his judgment, he wasn't going to back down.

Ryoko stared angrily at the table. "Maybe if you had even *noticed* me in
the past three years, it wouldn't have come to this."

Tenchi turned and began to walk away. "I don't know why I even bothered
falling in love. It's just pain, in a different form. I really don't know why
I bothered at all."

"What the hell do you want from me?" Ryoko demanded.

Tenchi turned to face her. "I want you to forgive me. I want you to
realize how much this hurts me. You accuse me of betraying you, but what the
hell is this? I want you to be yourself again. I want..." Tenchi trailed off
not sure what to say.

"You've got the goddamn key," Ryoko said darkly, "You can control more
than just my body. If you want it so badly, just take it."

Tenchi lifted the Master Key from his belt and stared at it. Was this
truly the only way? It didn't matter. He'd get Ryoko back, no matter the cost.

"I guess I don't have a choice, then," he said softly.

Ryoko closed her eyes, dreading what was about to happen. The feel of
the gems controlling her body was horrible, but she knew it was nothing compared
to the grip the gems could extend to her mind. She waited, but the cold, icy
touch never came. Instead something warm and wet pushed itself against her
mouth.

She opened her eyes to see Tenchi pulling away from the kiss. Then, with
a look of unbreakable determination, he brought the sword down on his knee. The
wood splintered and suddenly, the sword detonated. Green energy enveloped
Tenchi as he flew across the room, smashing hard into the solid wall.

There was a large collective gasp, as everybody rushed out of their hiding
places and ran to Tenchi's side.

"Tenchi!" Ryoko wailed, tears in her eyes, "Tenchi! Are you okay?"

Tenchi groaned, "That depends. Do you forgive me?"

Ryoko nodded, not trusting herself to speak. Tears streamed unchecked
down her cheeks. Tenchi groaned again as he got up, rubbing the back of his
head.

"Okay, I think I can manage then."

"Yay!" Sasami cried, tackling the pair, "I knew you could do it Tenchi!"

"Took me long enough," Tenchi laughed. Then something occurred to him.
"How long were you guys here?" he asked looking around at his 'family.'

"Long enough," Noboyuki smiled, "We just wanted to be here in case you
needed support."

"Uh-huh," Tenchi said, "And what was that for?" He pointed to a large
piece of cardboard at Noboyuki's feet. Scrawled on its surface were the words
'Kiss her stupid!'

Noboyuki laughed nervously, "Just in case you needed some coaching."
Tenchi noticed several of the others sliding objects out of sight, but decided
not to press the issue.

"Well met, Tenchi!" Derai said, helping him up. He gave him a hearty slap
on the back, which abruptly knocked him back down.

Kanako sat in the corner and watched, as the rest of the household held an
impromptu celebration. She felt very much alone. Tenchi was with Ryoko, Sasami
was playing with Ryo-ohki. The rest of the adults were gathered around talking
and laughing. She couldn't help but notice how much her brother was smiling,
and the way he kept glancing over at Kiyone.

She longed to be back on Jurai, where she was the center of attention,
surrounded by a troop of girls her age, with boys lined up for miles fawning
over her. It was all fake, of course. If she lost her crown, they'd all be
gone in a second, and she knew it. But still... at least she wouldn't be alone.

She nearly had a heart attack when Derai approached her. But he didn't
seem angry this time. He didn't say anything. He just drained half of the mug
of ale he held, then put it down in front of her. She looked at him puzzled.

"It's a Trenan custom," Kiyone whispered in her ear, "Swallowing your
pride can be difficult, and the Trenan's learned that it's easier if you take it
with something to drink. Just drink the rest of the mug to accept his apology."

Kanako looked at Kiyone, unsure if this was some sort of strange prank
being pulled on her. Finally, she shrugged, and grabbed the mug. It took her
four times to completely drain the mug. Derai bowed, very deeply, Kanako
noticed, for a man who "didn'a swear fealty" to the Juraian empire, and then
he walked away.

"Kiyone?" Kanako asked, turning to detective next to her, "How do you do
it?"

Kiyone turned to look at her. "Do what?"

"Make him smile," Kanako sighed.

"Who?" Kiyone said, looking around, "Akito? It doesn't seem like much of
a challenge. I could probably tell you his dental history if I wanted to."

"See?" Kanako said, "That's the point. Akito *never* smiles! He could
lose a tooth, and I probably wouldn't find out for a year."

"You're exaggerating," Kiyone told her.

Kanako yawned, "No, I'm not. I mean he smiled a lot on the way here. You
shoulda heard him. Kept goin' on an' on 'bout finally meetin' Aeka. Wish
he'd..." Kanako trailed off, and her head hit the table with a soft thud.
Kiyone looked over to where the others were.

"Derai," she called out, "What was in that mug?"

***

Aeka groaned. The dim light in the cabin felt like daggers stabbing into
her eyes.

"Dear Tsunami," she moaned, "How much did I drink?" The wolf watched her
with a concerned look.

"Yukinojo," she called out.

"Yes ma'am?" he asked, dropping down from the ceiling.

"Not so loud," Aeka told him, although he had spoken in a normal volume.

"Yes, ma'am, lowering volume to 60%" Yukinojo said softly, "How may I help
you?"

"What day is it?" she asked.

"It is day 23 of the 8th month, Galactic Standard Time," Yukinojo replied.
Aeka paused for a moment, trying to figure out what the hell that meant.

"How long have I been gone?" she finally asked.

"It has been fifteen days and four hours since you left Earth, using
standard Earth time measurements."

"Two weeks," Aeka murmured to herself. The wolf whined and licked her
hand.

"Aeka," Yukinojo said in a worried tone.

"Be quiet," Aeka told it, "Can't you see I have a horrible hang-over?"

"But, princess Aeka," Yukinojo insisted, "I think we're about to be
attacked!"

Just then an explosion shook the ship.

"What's going on?" Aeka demanded, her headache forgotten for the moment.

"I believe you might have been identified at the bar you stopped at last
night. The ships match the description of a gang of pirates last seen in this
area."

"Can we fight back?" Aeka asked.

"Odds of surviving such an attempt are estimated at 13.6%."

"Not good enough," Aeka decided, "We run."

"Predictions state that if we can survive long enough to activate a
hyperspace jump, we will most likely be able to lose them."

"All right, get us out of here."

"Unfortunately, the odds of us surviving that long are 28.2%."

Aeka swore, and turned to study the displays.

"Change course to bearing 25.63.8 degrees," she ordered.

"Calculating," Yukinojo informed her. He then did a double take.
"Ma'am," he complained, "That will take us directly into-"

"The Forbidden Zone," Aeka finished.

"We'll never survive!" Yukinojo protested.

"Nonsense," Aeka said confidently, "You're only saying that because no one
ever has."

No one was completely certain why the Forbidden Zone was what it was. No
one had ever come out of it to tell anyone. Rumor had it that this was the
battle field of the Gods themselves eons ago. Regardless of who it was, there
clearly was a battle here once. Remnants of warships and battle stations
floated around the Yukinojo.

Some of the pirate ships balked, not willing to enter the Forbidden Zone,
regardless of the prize. Unfortunately, most of them followed. The Yukinojo
rocked back and forth as lasers and missiles raked it's hull. The lights in the
cabin flickered, and the majority of the displays were red with warnings.

"I'm sorry, princess," Yukinojo said, "It looks like this is the end."

Just then a loud siren went off.

"What's going on?" Aeka asked.

Yukinojo paused for a second, as numbers blurred through his eyes.

"A large energy anomaly is heading this way. It's calculated trajectory
is the pirate flagship."

"We're saved?" Aeka asked, feeling hope for the first time in two weeks.

"Negative," Yukinojo said, "The anomaly is too big, we will be hit by the
edge. Odds of survival are 5.3%"

"Dammit! Can't you calculate odds above 30?" Aeka snapped, "Prepare the
escape craft, we are abandoning ship!"

"Hurry, I estimate 20 seconds until impact."

Aeka rushed down the halls, the wolf in tow. She expected to barely make
it to the shuttle in time, yet she found herself there almost immediately.

"T-15 seconds," Yukinojo reported, as Aeka pulled the huge dog into the
escape craft with her.

"Launch the ship!" Aeka commanded.

"Negative, the power lines have broken, you will have to try the manual
release," Yukinojo told her, "You have five seconds."

Aeka ripped the cover off the manual release lever.

"Four."

She grabbed the lever, and pulled as hard as she could.

"Three."

It wouldn't budge. She swore and pulled even harder.

"Two."

The wolf grabbed the lever in his teeth, and lent his strength to the
task.

"One."

The lever slid down into place, and there was a series of loud hisses as
the connections severed.

"Zero."

It was too late. Everything went white.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Well I hope you liked "Broken Hearts, Healing Souls" Remember, C&C is the food
and drink of fan fic writers, so please email me at bkuhn@ucsd.edu Even if it's
just to say "you rule" or "you suck" I'd like to know.