Rain child:  This was a REALLY hard chapter to write for me, so don't be too harsh, okay?  Oh yes, thank you for the reviews!

Jillian the miko:  Here ya go!

Celine:  Sorry you don't like it, but you know what?  There's only about a million other ten/ryo stories!!! Leave us in peace!!! We don't flame you (that I know of), so don't flame us!

Namestealerthedemented:  A/T is the best!!!  Don't worry, Ayeka is going to show up in the next chapter, I promise, and it's a long one too!  Please update your story!!!

Desert crane 12:  I'm glad you like it!!!  No, thrilled!

Rain masaki:  Here you go!

Cindy V:  I'm glad you like it, and here's the next chapter. 

Raye:  Thanks!

Sir Eval Sweetwater:  Cool!!! Your idea sounds interesting, and I sent you the e-mail.  I forgot one thing though:  If the tree/ship/thingy dies, I think it's kinda like killing the person, so you might want to look into that.

Metallica-Wedo:  I read the new chapter!  I'm glad to see it!  Oh yes, Tenchi apologized for kind of being, well, a jerk. 

By-tor:  I'm sorry that this disappoints you, now allow this hurt author to defend herself:  1:  Maybe you don't know the pain when a girl gets her heart broken, and the guy acts ignorant?  Ayeka is in a state of major anguish right now, and the last person she wants to see is the one that put her in that state.  Especially the way he treats her.  2:  Lengthwise, you're getting your wish in the next chapter.  3:  If you think that Ayeka wears her emotions on her sleeve, that's not true.  If you go back to the cabin episode, you see a little bit of the real her, and that's who I'm trying to show, only altered by time.  4:  as for the authors you mention, may I say in defense:  I'm only 13(!), and the authors you mentioned are much older than I. 

Okay, enough ranting at mean people who flame!  And the nice peoples with constructive criticism.  On with the story now!!! *Cheers* Right after Ryo-ohki does the disclaimer!!! *Groans*

Ryo-ohki:  MIYA!!!!

RC:  IVAN!!!! Translate!!!

Ivan:  *mind-reads* She says that 'Rain Child doesn't own her, or anything else but the plot and the original characters'  she also doesn't own me, or want to own me either…*sniffle*

RC:  Aww…cheer up Ivan!  You could always go back to Golden Sun!

~*~*~*~*~*~

            Raindrops

     ~chapter 5:  The Week That Took Forever!  Meet Kiyone!  Mihoshi's former partner!

~*~*~*~

Ryoko's POV:

            I wonder—why did I give up?  I'm supposed to be Ryoko the Notorious Space Pirate, who never gives up, and I can't even get along with Tenchi!  Now we're on a wild goose chase (a/n: so to speak) to find Ayeka!  I guess I shouldn've known we wouldn't last, but I loved him so much, and I still do!  Why can't we work?   Now that we're over, everything feels right again.  I guess my true love is out there somewhere, probably swooning over Ayeka…

~*~*~*~

            Washu's POV:

                        I feel like dirt.  We're out in space, chasing after the girl Tnchi hurt five years ago, and Ryoko needs me, and she won't let me be a mom!  Doesn't she know all I want is to be a good mom, if she'd give me a chance, maybe things wouldn't be so bad.  I feel all the pain she feels, and I know how it feels.  It hurts so much!  I wish she'd let me ease the pain!  I guess it's time to go back to being an adult.  Ryoko needs me!  I hope…

~*~*~*~

            Sasami's POV:

                        I hope we find Ayeka soon.  I really miss her, and it would be a lot easier to get things done with her help!  I feel so guilty about how she felt unwanted (a/n:  Let's just say Sasami asked Tsunami why Ayeka left!  Okay?), we weren't exactly understanding of her.  Come to think of it, most of the time everyone thought she was stuck up.  Why didn't I stand up for her?  I'm supposed to be her sister, and all I did was laugh along, wanting to believe Ayeka believed Ryoko's pranks, be like everyone else!  I should've—

(a/n:  regular POV)

            "Oh no!  The bread!"

While lost in thought, she had let the bread burn, which was now on fire.  Grabbing the first liquid she could find, which happened to be tea, she poured it over the bread.  Surveying the damage, she was relieved to find that the only damage was soggy burnt bread soaking up tea (a/n:  NASTY!!!! YUCK!!!).  She grabbed a dishrag and cleaned up the mess.  As she called everyone down to eat, one thought pulsed through her mind:

"I'm sorry Ayeka…"

~*~*~*~

            The Group aboard Ryo-ohki was quickly running out of things to do.  Sasami had beaten everyone at checkers (a/n:  or was it chess she plays???), Ryoko had no one to fight with, Washu had no inventions to work on, and even Mihoshi hadn't managed to break anything.  By the fourth day, it had been labled, The Week That Took Forever.  Minutes were as though hours, hours days, days weeks, you get the picture.  Finally, on the fifth day, there was something worth seeing. 

Katshuto had been looking out the windows, lost in thought, when something caught his eye.  A star, very dull red, seemed to be at the end of its life.  Knowing the others would love to see this, he called them all.  As they stood watching, the star glowed dully, then went dark.  Suddenly, lights, almost like Heavenly fireworks, went off exploding and forming brilliant bursts of light in amazing patterns.  The final one resembled a young maiden, beautiful and glowing.  This one slowly became brighter and brighter, until they all had to look away, except Sasami, for Tsunami had allowed her to witness what no other would ever see:

The other stars took the forms of men and women, some young and some terribly old.  They sang a song over the last light, the one that looked like a maiden, wild and sweet for a moment, then sorrowful and sad the next.  It is too beautiful for Sasami, Tsunami, or I to describe to you.  After some time, the new star joined in, adding her sweet melody to the song.  When she joined in, the stars began to glow brighter and brighter, until they were merely what they always appeared to be:  stars, in their normal place.

As the others turned around, they heard the end of the song, sorrowful and joyous, telling of a star's end.  Tears sprung to all eyes, Sasami already crying hard.  Washu kept muttering between sobs science had been wrong, stars really were like demi-god/goddesses after all!  Tenchi could only think that the new star, (a/n: you know, the light that looked like a maiden!) looked something like Ayeka.  Drawings were already forming in his head.  (A/N:  AWW!!!!! SO SWEET!!!  Okay, I'll shut up now…-_-)

~*~*~*~

Finally, they approached the planet.  Nervousness and excitement ran as high as the tempers.  Whether or not they should land or orbit a little first was the biggest argument.  Ryoko wanted to land, Washu wanted to orbit, and Tenchi was nervous either way.  Finally, Yosho made the most valid suggestion,

"First, you might want to check with the GP officers.  They look ready to shoot us down."

(everyone falls over anime-style, except Yosho/Katshuto)

The turned back to the vid-screen.  There was the GP officer, and she did look ready to shoot them down!

"This is first-class detective Kiyone.  I need to see some identification."

"KIYONE!?  Oh my goodness, I can't believe it's you!!!"  Mihoshi shouted.

"Mihoshi?  What the hell are you doing here?  Oh well, I guess that means you can go ahead and land."

"That's great!  Thanks!  Hey, I know!  How about you come with us?  It'll be just like old times!  (a/n:  Kiyone sweatdrops)  That's okay, right guys???"

            By now, the entire crew (except Mihoshi of course) was completely confused.  Finally, Ryoko whispered to them (once again, except Mihoshi),

"We might as well.  We already have a crowd, what's one more?"

"Okay."

Louder, Tenchi announced,

"Sure, why not?  We're only here to visit a friend though, so don't expect any adventures, Ms. Kiyone."

"Oh goody!!!"  Mihoshi exclaimed.

Rubbing the back of her neck, Kiyone admitted,  "I could use a little vacation, quite frankly.  Thank you for allowing me to come, I'll try not to cause any hassle."

            During the discussion, they had entered orbit.  It was decided they might as well land.  Washu transferred Ayeka's location back over to her holotop, and now they were ready to begin the search!!!

~*~*~*~*~*~

RC:  Well, what do you think?  This chapter was kind of hard to write, as I'm not very fond of Ryoko (don't get me wrong, I don't hate her, I just find her slightly annoying!), and I wanted to show a lot of things you can't see.  So please review!  I'd love to hit the 40 mark!  So please hit the nice little review button, okay????

'Til Next Time!

~The Rain Child