A/N: Hi… Yeah, I'm fully aware of the fact that the last chapter had mostly only one huge part to it, and frankly, I don't care. That scene has been rolling around in my head for… two days, I think. Anyway. This chapter… A little happier, but not so happy you want to die from the sugar. Just enough to lighten the mood a bit. Granted, it may not go in the direction that I wish it, for it might go downhill. That's what happens when you're running on caffeine, sushi, oatmeal cookies, and negative energy. Anyway, let's get this started.

~*~

Ruri opened her eyes to find that the bruise on the youngest pilot's stomach as still existent, but much fainter. 'It will probably still be sore, but not so much as it would have been.' She turned from Gai, under sedation, and to Akito, intent on removing the bruises from his face before his neck.

Inez sat near Gai, cleaning and bandaging his arms. "Why didn't you close these up?" Ruri closed her eyes in concentration. "Because I want to leave some reminder of… whatever happened today. These are no ordinary injuries." Inez smirked. "You're becoming quite the nurse, Ruri-chan."

Ruri's eyes reopened and she lowered her hands from Akito's head. She turned to the Martian scientist. "Miss Fressange, why do you have me do this? How does holding my hands over an injury and concentrating on making it no longer there help those with the injury?" Inez smiled as she examined the purple marks on Akito's neck. "Surely you must feel something as we draw ever closer to…" Inez chuckled.

Ruri sighed. "Miss Fressange, you've been mysterious ever since the Nadesico's Jump from Mars. You've also known about every single thing that has happened thus far, sometimes before it happened at all. You know much more than you are letting on. Now, will you please explain why is it that I have the power to heal?"

Inez's gray-blue eyes widened, and blinked several times. She certainly didn't expect such an outburst from the computer operator. She regained her composure, however, and smiled. "Ruri, you have the power to heal because you are a Messenger of Life. I cannot explain further until I get help from someone more qualified than myself. And I am certain we will find that someone on the planet we are nearing."

Ruri's pale lips parted in surprise. "You know someone from a distant planet?" Inez shook her head. "It's been thousands of years since the planet's name has escaped my lips, but yes. I don't know anyone personally, but I do know their way of life. And I know that I will be in a much better understanding after we arrive on that planet."

Ruri glanced at the floor, gathering all this information. "What is this planet's name, Miss Fressange?"

One single, nonsense word left Inez's painted lips. "Ninlan."

~*~

Akito awoke to dark brown eyes and red hair falling into his face. He squinted into the bright light of the room, trying to figure what the hell was on him, for breathing was difficult, weighted. "Are ya dead?" whispered the figure.

Akito coughed softly and groaned. "I am until you get off me, Hikaru." The redhead giggled before sitting up. "He's not dead!" Akito looked up to find Hikaru straddling him, sitting on his stomach. "Get off me, dammit!"

Hikaru shook her head, grinning. "Oh baby…" She fell onto Akito again. "I want you, Akito. I want you so much. I want to feel your dick in my-"

"I'm sure he gets the idea, Hikaru." Akito looked farther in the room to see a blue, red, and black blob. Izumi. Akito tapped Hikaru on the head. "Hikaru, be lovely and get me my glasses? I can't tell if Izumi is glaring or dancing." Hikaru got off him and handed him his frames. He finally got to sit up, a little winded from Hikaru sitting on him and not letting him breathe. He looked up. "All right, what do you guys want?"

Izumi's face dropped in mock-surprise. "Is that anyway to treat those that are armed with birthday presents for you?" Izumi dropped the three wrapped packages on Akito's lap. "Oh, and Inez says you better get your ass out of bed soon, or she'll start dissecting your brain."

Akito was more shocked at the packages on his lap. He turned one over, marveling its message. He glanced at the two women. "But… aren't you mad at me? Don't you hate me?"

Hikaru laid a finger on her chin. "Oh my, is Itsuki going to have to smack Gai in the head again?" Izumi's crimson eyes filled with a sense of dread and sadness. "Ryoko's with him now…" whispered she. Hikaru nodded sadly. An unspoken message passed between the girls. One that didn't go unnoticed to Akito. 'Making sure he doesn't have a mental breakdown.'

"Why would he have a breakdown?" asked Akito, verbally, and freaking Hikaru and Izumi out. Hikaru turned to the Martian and started shaking a finger at him. "You loser! Shut up and open your damn presents before Inez gets in here with her happy scalpel of specialness." Akito sighed and ripped open the smallest package. His eyebrows shot up. Blue lipstick. He whipped his head towards Izumi. She smirked. "Jun suggested that we use Ye Olde Pawne Shoppe to get you that."

"Ye Olde Pawne Shoppe?" Hikaru smiled. "Howmei girls of course. They have lots of random stuff, and they never ask questions."

"Nice to know I'm getting gag gifts." Akito opened the next package to find a new pan set. His jaw dropped. "Where did you get this?" Izumi smiled. "Howmei girls. Actually, that's technically from Ryoko and Itsuki. It was their money."

Akito unwrapped the final parcel unceremoniously. "Leather knee-high boots. These are from you, yes?"

The two girls nodded quickly. "We figured you'd get better use out of them they Ryoko trying to throw them out of an airlock. We jacked them from Itsuki," responded Hikaru, grinning wildly.

"Me? Get better use out of them? Oh hell no. I'm not into bondage-masturbation, thanks." Izumi's visible eyebrow jumped. "Yurika's not putting out? Funny. I expected her to be molesting you ever five seconds, to the point where you could get whatever you wanted in bed."

Akito looked down, and shook his head sadly. Hikaru reached over and patted him on the back. "She left you, didn't she?" Akito nodded slowly. Hikaru glared at absolutely nothing. "Fucking whore."

Izumi's eyes widened. "Hikaru! Remember that we're talking about our Kanchou here!"

"Oh, what's she gonna do? We're in the middle of nowhere, you know."

"She could throw us out of an airlock."

Akito tuned the two girls out as he got out of bed. He legs were wobbly, but mostly from not being used after such a strenuous workout. 'If you could call that a workout.' Hikaru and Izumi called goodbye to him and he nodded, heading towards the mirror.

His cheek looked much paler than it should have, but there was no blood coming from his mouth. What concerned him most were the large purple bruises on his neck. He rang a finger across his throat, contrasting the paleness of his hand with the heavily colored bruises. 'They can make me stop bleeding, but they can't get rid of bruises. Or maybe they left them as reminding marks. Reminding me to not use people's feelings. Oh, I won't be forgetting anytime soon. I wonder, was I the only one to blame?' Akito glanced back at his face; much more mature looking with his glasses. 'I never liked wearing my glasses. But, if I run out of contacts, what else can I do until we hit civilization. Besides, no one else seems to think they look that bad. I was always teased for them in school, until they realized that I didn't care. Wow, what's happened to me? I actually care now… Well, maybe it's because I have friends now. But… do I really have friends anymore?'

~*~

Omoikane stood immediately as Ruri stepped onto the bridge. "Ruri-sama!" he announced, bowing respectfully. Ruri sat down unceremoniously. "Omoikane-chan, please don't. I have a headache. Go see Uribatake-san or something." Omoikane looked at her, concern and slight hurt reflecting in his glass eyes, before nodding and walking towards the hangar.

Ruri rubbed her temples. This was only the second time Inez had asked her to help in the infirmary, and it was much less taxing this time, but still. Ruri didn't like the feeling of the act Inez asked her to do. Not until she understood it of course. And, Inez's words still haunted her. 'A civilized race on an uncharted planet, thousands of years old. Miss Fressange knows their ways? How does she even know they still exist? And how does she know they exist, at all? And why did she call me a "Messenger of Life"?'

~*~

Yukina sighed and rolled her head on her shoulders. She smiled exhaustedly at Megumi, coming to take her shift. Megumi raised her purple eyebrows, regarding the girl. "Is there something wrong, Yukina? Or are you just tired?" The Jovian girl sighed again before getting up and stretching her arms as far as they could. "Tired. And…" She looked to Minato. Minato glanced up and nodded. "Hey, Ruri," she smiled at the silver-haired princess, "Yukina and I are going to take a walk. Hold down the fortress for me!" Ruri nodded, not looking at her.

The brunettes walked together in silence until they reached the elevator, then Minato pushed the close door button and turned to Yukina. "All right. Talk. What's wrong?"

Yukina crossed her arms and leaned against the wall. "Well, it's just… I've felt a little left out of things. No, that's not it. I've felt… something missing. That's it." Minato cocked her head. "Like your brother?" Yukina shook her head. "He's the last thing I'm missing right now. He's always with us… but we weren't talking about him. I know I'm not left out or really missing anything, but there's this huge hole-"

"What amazing thing can you do?" Minato question caught Yukina off guard and her eyes bugged out. "H… How did you know?" Minato smiled. "All of the pilots, Ruri, Miss Fressange, and Kanchou seem to have strange goings-on happening that involves them. It seems obvious that you could do something too. So what is it?"

"That's the problem. Absolutely nothing." The Assistant Communications Officer sighed. "I feel left out. And… I know I should be happy about this, but, Miss Fressange hasn't approached me."

"Ah. For Jumping?" Yukina nodded. Minato pursed her lips. "Well. I guessed that you were feeling weird as the only Jovian on the ship, but I suppose not." Yukina shook her head.

The elevator door opened, and they found themselves on the hangar bay. Yukina watched and smiled as Ariko stopped throwing a fit at the other mechanics to smile and wave at her. Minato grinned. "Yukina, you have an admirer." Yukina rolled her eyes before running off to see Ariko.

She skidded to a stop next to the youngest mechanic. "Hey, Ariko, what's up?"

"Nothing much. Just these idiots doing things completely wrong- Hey! You! Where are you putting that frame?" Yukina stepped back as Ariko stormed over to the other side of the hangar. She spotted Omoikane though, sitting on a crate. She walked over and sat next to him. "Since when was Ariko a supervisor?"

"Since the Jump." Omoikane sounded sad. Yukina cocked her head, which made her look a lot like a young Minato. "What's the matter, Omoikane?"

"Why won't she tell me what's wrong? I mean, I know what's been going on, Miss Fressange has been making her do some strange form of medicine that I've never heard of." Yukina blinked. "You've never heard of it?" Omoikane shook his head. "There's nothing in my databanks about Meditation Healing, with an actually power behind it."

Yukina tapped her chin. "Hm. Interesting. How does Ruri feel about this?" Omoikane frowned. "That's the problem. I don't know." Yukina sighed and hugged her knees. "I wish I could do something special."

"You can Jump, and I can't. There's something special." Yukina furrowed her brow. "You can't Jump? How come? Aren't you a robot?" Omoikane shrugged. "I just can't."

Yukina sighed and let her eyes go out of focus. 'Miss Fressange has been ignoring the fact that I can Jump too. I can't do anything else special. Sure, I can be Megumi-san's backup, but that's about it. I'm just a normal girl from Jupiter. Nothing special.'

~*~

"Great job, Ariko-chan. Don't you be thinking of taking my job now!" Uribatake clapped Ariko on the back; proud of the young prince's handling on the idiots they called the mechanic crew. Ariko smiled at his mentor. "Thank you, Uribatake-san. I didn't think they would actually listen to me." Uribatake grinned. "Of course they listen to you. They know I like you better than any of them, and I'd have to kick their asses if they didn't listen." Ariko rolled his eyes. "So I'm the Head's pet. Nice to know." Uribatake sighed and pushed him away. "Don't you have a woman to attend to?" He glanced at Hikaru, sitting on her Aesti's foot again. "I know I do."

Hikaru felt a presence next to her, one that was there a second ago. Uribatake. "Hey, Uri-P!" She smiled at the Head Mechanic. It was only then that he realized that Gai was sitting on the other side of the foot. Uribatake raised his hand in greeting to the two of them, then focused his attentions on Hikaru. "Something wrong?"

Hikaru shook her head, her loose red hair falling behind her. "Nah, isn't me this time. Gai's just freaking out some more. Oh! She snapped her fingers. "I didn't tell you, Gai-chan. Yurika broke up with Akito!" Gai sighed and lowered his head. "So that's what was wrong with him, that made him cry. Now I feel like even more of an ass." Hikaru petted his somewhat long hair sympathetically. Uribatake leaned against the leg. Hikaru pulled her hand back quickly, as if electrocuted. "Dammit, Gai-chan! You shocked me!" Gai raised his hands in defense. "Didn't mean it!"

Hikaru frowned at her friend before turning to Uribatake. "What's wrong with you?" Uribatake glanced at the younger girl before sighing. "Is it that obvious?" Hikaru nodded knowingly. "It's about Ayuko and Genji, right?" Uribatake squeaked. "How do you know about them?"

Hikaru shrugged. "Nadesico Grapevine." Gai stood and leaned on the foot, nodding. "Who DOESN'T know you're married?"

Uribatake sat down next to the leg. "Yeah, well… I told her I'd come back, so we could cut things off officially, you know?" Hikaru cocked her head. "Cut things off? You're getting a divorce?" Uribatake nodded. "We need to be apart, and I'm not a very good father to Genji. Hell, I don't even know if he's mine!" Uribatake felt a slight wind on the air that made him look up at Hikaru, for some reason. She was smiling, genuinely happy.

"Thank you for sharing that with me, Uri-P," she whispered. The wind seemed to whip her hair around, but it did not hurt her, nor affect her in anyway.

Gai was a bit astounded at the scene. 'Is this another strange phenomenon? Or are the air systems messed up again?' Uribatake was cheered slightly by the elf-like Hikaru in the flowing air, enchanting herself and those around her with a random show of ethereal beauty. 'Why is it that when she looks so natural and untainted, why is it those times when she looks most mature, and in her place in the world?'

~*~

Akatsuki noticed Yurika walking alone from the bridge to her room. A feral grin twisted his face as he formulated a somewhat evil little plan to make Yurika his. 'I'll get her before that bitch, Erina.' He walked up behind the captain and clapped a hand on her shoulder. "Hey, Kanchou. Where do you think you're going?"

Yurika turned to the man and smiled politely. "Why, I'm hungry, so I'm going to dinner, of course. Omoikane can hold the fort for us while we go eat, so don't you start yelling at me to go to my post." Akatsuki cringed a bit. 'She's right. I may outrank her, but we're nowhere near Earth and the crew likes her better.' He regained his composure, however, and flapped a hand at her. "Now, now, Kanchou. Why would I yell at you for going to go eat? No, I was only wondering if I could have the honor of buying you dinner." He swept a great bow, which made Yurika blush a bit at the obvious flirting.

"Oh, well, if you are so kind to offer, it would be disgraceful to turn you down," cooed Yurika, taking his arm and letting him lead her. It felt good to accept obvious attempts to win her heart. And, though Akatsuki may have no conscience, he sure was acting chivalrous, and Yurika knew that was her favorite trait in a man.

What she didn't notice was Jun watching Akatsuki lead the woman he was in love with away, towards the breakfast room. Jun narrowed his eyes at the couple, more angry than upset. He sniffed snobbishly before taking another way to the cafeteria, intent to telling those he called his friends how wrong the situation was.

~*~

The man in white never really looked at her. All she could tell was that he had long, dark hair, hair of night; and a robe of white, so white, whiter than snow. The contrast was pleasing, yet harmful to the eye. She shielded her eyes from the light that seemed to emanate from him. The light was not white, or black. It was silver, and barely visible in the clouded haze. For the first time, the man turned to her, golden yellow irises dancing in the mixture of white and black, but she couldn't see any true details in his face, not enough to pick him out of a crowd. And, also for the first time, she heard him speak.

"Together we stand…" rasped the figure, in English no less. This made her blink and, for the first time, answer back. "And?" Figure repeated it again, which made her angry. "Yes, I've got that. Stand and do what?"

"Together we stand…"

"And do what?!" She turned away from the man, angry at her confusion and the man for making her confused. Then she turned to him. "Why don't you just-"

"-tell me?!?" shouted Megumi, sitting upright in her bed. She was panting. She clutched her light pink nightshirt and tried to catch her breath. 'The dream again. Only… I saw his eyes. And he spoke to me. Does this mean something? I mean, we are headed near an alien planet, and we have no clue what's on it. Could there be humans? Or the man I keep seeing?'

~*~

"Dammit, Ryoko!" Ryoko cringed as she heard the other woman's voice, shrill with annoyance, intent on annoying whoever had disrupted her peace. Ryoko swiveled on the piano bench, glared at the purple haired woman. "What?"

"You played the wrong note! AGAIN!" Itsuki was slightly fuming, but she didn't have much effect on Ryoko in terms of intimidation. Ryoko crossed her arms. "For one thing, I happen to think it sounds better with the change, and it's hard to push the note you said, this one is easier!"

"Baka! Do you think people make music the way they do because it's easy?"

"Well, it should! Only those who have talent should be doing it!"

"Ryoko, you know damn well that that is one of the most important notes to this piece. It makes it soft and sad, which is what we're aiming for here!"

"I'm not aiming for it! I like the new way better. It gives it an out-of-control feel, and that's how I see it!"

"Control is important, and never overused in music! You have to make sure you please the audience while doing what you want!"

"Fine." Ryoko stood abruptly, stepping away from the bench and the keyboard. "I don't want to fight with you Itsuki. But I'm not going to apologize. Apologies are for those that are in the wrong, and I know I'm not wrong this time." Ryoko walked just as suddenly as she made her final comment.

Itsuki glared at the door before throwing her violin in its case, switching off the keyboard, and flinging herself on her bed in a fit of anger. "Damn her… just damn her…"

~*~

Gai was just slipping the envelope under the door when Ryoko stomped out of one of the other rooms in the hall. Itsuki's room. Gai sighed and left the envelope in its position before going to pacify Ryoko. "Okay, what is it this time?"

"Can't I do what I want on that god-forsaken piano? Jesus, she's such a fucking Nazi!" Gai winced at Ryoko's yelling, and she noticed this. "Sorry, I'm just pissed. Arg. Damn her." Gai wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "Hey, Ryoko, let's get some candy. That'll shut you up, at least for a while." Ryoko punched him before walking with him towards the closest vending machine, which was in the recreation hall.

~*~

Akito nearly stepped on the envelope by his door when he left his bathroom with a towel around his waist and on his head. He carefully bent down, picked it up, and sat down on his futon without getting it wet. He read the front, which made him open it with care. 'Happy Birthday Akito… in Gai's handwriting…' Akito felt his heartstrings pull. 'He was right… I did hurt him over something stupid. Jesus, what is really that important that he tell me every detail of his life? The fuck was wrong with me…' He pulled the single paper out and began to read, hearing Gai's voice behind the words in his somewhat calligraphic scrawl.

'Dear Akito,

Maybe it would have been easier to just refuse to do anything for your birthday. But, as usually, I felt guilty, as everyone else was feeling sorry for you. Even Jun, who has been my Akito-insulting buddy for the past week or so. But the subject of this is, well, you, so let's stop talking about me.

Well, what I wanted to say most to you Akito was, I'm sorry. I'm sorry making you cry. I'm sorry for not being what you wanted. I'm sorry, most of all, for hitting you. I would have rather died than hurt you, but I did it anyway. For that I'm sure I'll probably be eventually forgiven, but I'll never forgive myself.

Dammit, I'm talking about me again! Oh well. I'm just writing whatever I'm thinking, and I bet you're laughing your ass off while reading this, aren't you? I wouldn't blame you if you were. This probably is hilarious to someone who isn't me. And since you'll be the only one reading it… yeah.

The fact of the matter is, I still see you as my best friend. I don't hate you. Well, I take that back, I hate your behavior sometimes, and the things that you say sometimes, but everyone hates something in those close to them. It's overlooking those that they hate that is the most difficult. They just seem to pop up over and over… I don't think that made much sense. Well, I'm writing in pen and I'm not scratching it out.

This may come as a surprise to you, but, I guess, secretly, I still love you. Shit! I can't believe I actually wrote that! But, even if I scratch it out, it will still show. In any case, you read it correctly. I hit you, I hate you, and I love you. Why is it that you do this? Fuck, talking about me again…

Well, it seems that I'm running out of paper and I'm not going to go ask for more. I was supposed to tell you how I wasn't mad at you and how sorry I am, not start rambling. Well, I'm not mad at you. I was stupid, it was all my fault, and I'm sorry. But now I suppose I'll stop writing before I embarrass myself even more than I already have.

Love (you have no idea how good it feels to write that again), Gai.'

Akito folded the paper up carefully, a faint smile on his face. He placed it back into the envelope. He got dressed, thinking silent before collapsing onto his futon. He wrapped his arms around himself and smiled even wider. 'While I read that… I don't know. I think I just fell in love with him.'

~*~

The vision with the woman came again. The woman was, in essence, the vision itself. There was no way a girl that looked like her and dressed like her could live in their world. Her purple hair was in a braid, like so many beggars, thrown out of society, but she was remarkably well groomed, so she was no beggar. Her short dress was not of traditional fashion, and looked odd on someone who definitely was of some sort of high class. What was most clear was the path on her left arm. 'Nadesico…' Her pale legs, her purple braid, her large blue eyes, her freckles, it all seemed to stand out, then fade, as if she was disappearing from sight, but she faded back again. She began to whisper one sentence… but it wasn't even a sentence. "To end all lies… to end all lies… to end all lies…"

Rumiko Adagio opened his amber eyes slowly, not frightened by the vision. This was, in fact, the fifth time he'd had it. They came fast now, the last vision only being the day before. Rumiko sat up and rubbed his eyes before putting his spectacles on and gazing out the window. It was still dark, but it was nearly dawn over the northern horizon. 'Well, I might as well get up now, even if it is early.' He pulled himself out of bed and sat down to a table before dressing. He glanced over the book lying there. 'And the prophecies state that the younger priest would imagine the woman, and the comet would fall, bringing an end to Magus and, in affect, our world.' Rumiko rubbed his temples and got up. "It should be soon, then…" he whispered, pulling off his nightshirt and dressing into his familiar white priest robe. 'I'll have to inform Head Priest Igadosu, of course… I imagine the faithful will start crying if Igadosu works it into the sermon. Idiots. I hate it when they cry, they make such a racket.' Rumiko grabbed his book, holding a finger in the page he was in before leaving his room, and his house. 'But who is the woman? She is not purely imagined, I know that. She is real. But from what time period is she from, WHERE is she from?' He walked silently towards the wood and stone building, the biggest in the forest village. 'She is an enigma… And what is this "Nadesico"?'

~*~

TBC…

~*~

A/N: That was SO freakin' hard! Anyway, yes, the real plot is about to start, which is why I touched base with just about everyone. So, how was everything? This took me a few days, but that's just the school thing. Anyway, how was it? Was it really that bad? Oh, bite me, will you? I actually started feeling bad for Akito, but that doesn't mean he suddenly gets whatever he was again. Oh hell no. But enough of that. What's in store for us next time? Well, this time I actually know! ^^ Get your scorecards out; there will be much confusion with the fusion of machinery and, well, magic. ^^ You're going to be very confused, more so than you have before. Yay! Anyway, I'll see you again, we're finally getting on the track that I wanted to get on. As always, Read and Review!