Tenchi Muyo is the property of Pioneer and AIC. I've
no intention of using this to garner profits of any kind or
type, so unless you like to take a poor man's computer away
from him, please don't sue me!? Please?

All other characters, depictions, places, and
theories that have been put into place are my own creation
and have no relevance to Tenchi Muyo in any way except in
the ways I've explained. These are my own thoughts and
imagination, and any relation to other stories that are not
my own are accidental. Honest.

My e-mail is kai_kerrigan@attbi.com for any and all
feedback. Please, PLEASE SEND FEEDBACK OF ANY KIND!!!
Thank you! ^-^

Author's Notes: I'd like to thank Evil_Pii and Jocko
for helping me out with what has been a very serious
writer's block in this story. I don't really know if I
would have ever gotten this far without them.

Thanks, guys.

*****************************************************
Tenchi Muyo: The Web of Life
Chapter 6: Gifts and Goddesses
*****************************************************

Journal Entry: G.D. 102000
Time: 12:43 A.M. (Terran Time)

I finished analyzing Ashe's genetic code after
several days; something I thought akin to impossible,
personally speaking. Regardless of that fact, the
computers have given me the following results: "No cohesive
match found; result: unknown species."

Obviously, I know that is complete crap; so, with yet
another of my clandestine strokes of insight, I scanned
individual sections of Ashe's DNA. What I found was
something close to indescribable. His DNA... the only real
analogy I could use would be 'Genetic Frankenstein's
Monster'. The man's genetics have been spliced and sewn
together from virtually thousands of different species that
live, or have lived, in the known universe. I'm still in
the process of finding out what species contributed over
145 different 'pieces' to the creature that Ashe has
become; this stemming from the 2500+ individual components
that I've isolated thus far.

By all rights, Ashe should not even be here; while
all of the segments are compatible and capable of
interaction without any form of rejection, the powers that
he exhibits seem to partially stem from his spliced coding.
However, the spliced code shows no sign of a 'battery', a
segment so named because of its purpose; to generate and
amplify energy that fuels a species' innate abilities.

The question that I have now is this... what is
fueling Ashe's powers? I've considered an outside source
of power, rather similar to Ryoko; however, he had no such
objects on his person when he regenerated the damage he
suffered from falling though the Earth's atmosphere, so
I've ruled out any items or artifacts. I considered a form
of vampirism, but when he still exhibited powers after I
created an energy resilience field to surround the
proximity of the Masaki residence and the fact that he
never left the premises once in the entire time he was on
Earth with Tenchi's family has forced me to rule this
concept out as well.

It is entirely plausible that his abilities may be
fueled by celestial intervention, but I find that to be
rather speculative. Ashe has heard of Lady Tsunami, but
believes it to be nothing more than a legend. Not
surprising considering he's a wanderer by nature; however,
it's not impossible for other celestial beings to be in
this universe. Lady Tsunami's mere presence proves that
the celestial theory can hold a great deal of water.

The question is whether or not the water is going to
be worth swallowing.

End of Entry

-----------------------------------------------------

Washu sat back in her laboratory cushion, thinking
over what she had said in her latest journal entry.
Although the lab was dimly light on this particular moment,
the light given off more than illuminated the control node
where Washu sat; her features, if anyone could see them,
were wrought with heavy thinking.

"You shouldn't think so hard, Washu. You'll hurt
those brain cells if you try too hard." Another voice
seemed to echo out through the lab.

"Who's there?! How did you get in here? Computer,
scan and pinpoint the location of any intruders!" the child
scientist roared, spinning around to peer into the
blackness that surrounded the control node.

"No intruders present, Doctor. All life forms
present and accounted for." The computer voice spoke, the
mechanized voice echoing through the control node
ominously. Washu hopped off of her cushion and began to
creep out toward one of the entrances toward another area
of the lab, when she heard the same voice resound from
behind her.

"What was that line again? Ah, yes. Murphy's Law,
number such and such; what you're looking for is always in
the last place you expect to find it." The voice said
aloud, chuckling quietly at the comment. Washu turned to
find an elder Washu sitting, her legs crossed at the knees,
on the cushion that she sat on just moments ago.

"It's you again. I should've known." Washu declared,
a hint of annoyance in her child-like voice. The elder
Washu snickered, and raised an eyebrow.

"Should've, could've, would've, but didn't. That's a
problem you need to work on, don't you think?" The child
scientist gave the other Washu a flash frozen gaze.

"I think getting pointers on how to understand who I
am shouldn't be coming from a mental block, of all things."
The elder Washu bowed from her position on the cushion, and
stood up slowly.

"Touché, madam scientist; perhaps you are right.
But, considering that I am your own mental block, I figured
that it was my place to say if anyone at all." Washu strode
over to her control panel, and began to pull up various
windows. The elder Washu turned to face the younger Washu,
as the child scientist continued with her goings on.

"Don't bother; I'm not really in the room. Benefits
of being a mental projection, I'd suppose. However, I find
it intriguing that I'm able to manifest outside of your
subconscious. I wonder…" The elder Washu spoke; both women
turned to face the only lit area on the outskirts of the
control node. A cylindrical tube of glass was jutting out
of the floor by a couple of feet, with two red orbs
hovering several inches above it.

"I knew you'd reclaim them. I'm amazed it was this
soon, however. How did you..."

"They came from Tenchi's energy sword; after I
explained my 'flashbacks' he was willing to allow the gems
to be removed from the weapon's hilt, though he chose to
remain in the room while I studied them.' Washu said
quietly, 'Though it took about 4 times as long to get
Tenchi to leave them here for the night. He may be
confused about some things, but Tenchi's stubborn when he
feels the need to be."

"I see; he's a smart boy. Well, now that you have
them, why not use them?" The elder Washu asked as the
younger Washu walked toward the gems.

"I've tried to tap into these gems a thousand times;
every time I have I've gotten the equivalent of feedback
that leaves me with a headache for days. How am I supposed
to tap the power of these gems if they act like this?" The
elder Washu shook her head at those words.

"Let me give you another hint; regardless of what it
may be, knowledge has power."

Washu glanced at her older self and looked back at
the orbs as the two hovered and danced above their
pedestal. Reaching out and scooping them tenderly into her
child-like hands, the scientist watched them for some time.

"What am I supposed to ask you? Teach me?" The
younger Washu wondered aloud to the gems, as if expecting
some kind of laughter in response. The supernova of red
light that erupted from the gems, however, burnt all forms
of cynicism and doubt away in a heartbeat. When the light
faded away, Washu found herself floating in space and in
front of an absolutely huge planet; it seemed as if it were
a shimmering purple dot on a satin sheet called space.

"Where… This is Far Eden!" Washu declared mentally,
as information began to pour into her mind like water from
a spring thaw. An echo of her own voice seemed to
reverberate from the depths of her mind as she stared at
the long forgotten world.

"Astute, aren't we? I'm amazed that you've
assimilated so much information so soon. I'm impressed
with myself yet again. Now, however, comes the tricky
part."

Washu noticed that everything blurred for a moment,
which was all that was needed to completely change the
point of view from orbit above, to planet-side as the child
scientist noticed the huge and bustling city she stood in
the center of.

"Far Eden was a center of scientific and
technological progress for the galaxy, when the galaxy's
inhabitants began to find each other for the first time.
The planet's strategic placement in the galactic star-
charts made it a perfect place for various forms of life to
congregate and mingle. The advancements made in genetic
research and biotechnologies were unprecedented, almost
comparable to that of modern day. Even now, most of the
now basic theorems and accepted rules of biology, genetics,
and biotechnology stem from the discoveries that were made
on this little purple rock. In short, Far Eden was the
closest that the galaxy had to a universal place of true
enlightenment in ancient times, be it social or
scientific." The city street she stood upon seemed to
evolve and grow around her, as the technology blossomed and
interwove itself into the world in the course of minutes.
Wheeled vehicles became hovercraft, which in turn evolved
further and became more streamlined. Clothing and fashion
seemed to evolve and become more modern, and the species of
life seemed to grow and change at an awesome rate.

"But, power tends to corrupt, and corrupt the world
of Far Eden it did. The Edenians, obsessed with
perfection, strived to use their technology to create an
ultimate being composed of their own genetic code.
Believing that their own species were the only ones capable
of achieving this, the Edenians purged their home world in
a bloody display of power. Their civilization, once a
diverse and beautiful tapestry, had fallen apart a thread
at a time. But for everything that had been destroyed,
there was one who strived for what the Edenians had sought,
and without the pretense of arrogance and haughtiness."
The voice of the elder Washu echoed, as the vision
continued; the view shifted and blurred yet again, this
time with an environment that rivaled the complexity of
Washu's own lab. As the child scientist gazed around the
room, an older man strode past, with a navy blue shawl
covering his left shoulder, with what seemed to be a coat
of arms embroidered on it. With an old walking cane in
hand, the old man ambled his way toward his goal; a
cylindrical tube that was connected to thousands of
different machines and diagnostics equipment. Filled with
a greenish translucent fluid, the old man placed his hands
on the tube as if he were caressing a small child.

"Brynn; his name was Errol Brynn." Washu noted
aloud, gazing at the figure with the esteem of a lost
colleague.

"The man was a genius in genetics recombination and
bio-energy; his colleagues spoke rumors that God himself
gave Brynn the knowledge of the creation of all life.
Regardless of the rumors, he headed the project that would
create the very thing that his race had waited for with
baited breath. But he created something not out of desire
of perfection, nor a bid for power, but rather…" The elder
Washu said, with a tone that all but spoke of the confusion
that permeated her thoughts, "That he was infertile; that
the awesome genius possessed by this man was used to create
life… in order to have a family. Of all the things he
could have done, he created a child of his own, with
components from thousands of differing races in the galaxy
including portions of his own genetic code as a template;
he knew that perfection was impossible within his own
fractured and corrupted race, so Brynn sought to achieve it
through the unification of all that he knew. The results
of everything he had done would be the greatest achievement
that he would ever have, and the fatal strike to a broken
civilization."

"I've read bits and pieces about Brynn and Far Eden's
civilization in what little was salvaged from the planet's
surface; what I don't get is how the planet died so
suddenly." The younger Washu wondered aloud, watching
again as the world blurred around her; this time it placed
her back into the metropolis where she stood several
moments before. However, the hustle and bustle ceased as
everyone within her line of sight stared at the now-
darkened sky; a monstrous ship devoured the skyline above,
with the underbelly giving the illusion of a huge hand
reaching down to grasp the city. Every receiver,
television, and radio turned on automatically, and an
ominously dark and foreboding voice came across every
speaker in the city.

"I have found the world of Far Eden guilty of crimes
against yourselves and your fellow sentients. The
sentencing for these crimes is death; may God have mercy on
all of your souls." Washu turned as she stood in place,
looking at one of the view-screens that had activated; she
saw an intimidating young, spiky white haired man; his arms
crossed in front of purple battle armor, and a navy blue
embroidered shawl covered his nose and mouth. The shawl
draped itself over each of the young man's shoulders and
fell back toward the ground.

"Oh dear God," the younger Washu half-choked, "Who
are you?" Almost as a response the figure planted his
blue-purple eyes directly into the child scientist's own,
and spoke.

"I am the Dirge of Worlds. I am Zane." And the
world went red with light and pain.

The younger Washu screamed out loud, and her eyes
shot open; realizing that she was still in the laboratory,
the child scientist forcefully threw the gems back onto the
pedestal where the grav-unit caught them. Staring at the
gems, Washu visibly shuddered and clenched her hands into
fists. She growled, and turned back to the control node to
enter all of the information she had learned.

"The more I'm finding out about myself, the less I
like."

******************************************

"That is the biggest tree I've ever seen in my life.
What do you feed that thing? Miracle Grow?" Ashe wondered
out loud, staring straight up the trunk of a tree; no small
feat, considering the trunk was several miles in diameter
and the tree canopy shot tens of thousands of feet into the
air. The family stood in front of a set of open gates into
the tree, the size of which shot several hundred feet
upward as well.

"That is the Heaven Tree. It is, quite literally,
the capital city of the Jurai Empire and I feel that you
should give it due respect." Ayeka flared, giving the
wanderer daggers for eyes as the entire family stood in
front of the main gates into the city. As the wanderer
visibly winced under the elder princess's scrutiny, a small
drone dropped down from above, and began its speech.

"Welcome to the planet Jurai. The city you are
entering is named Jurai City; you may also know it by its
royal name, the Heaven Tree. Legend states that the
Tsunami tree was birthed in the protective confines of this
very tree and, as such, the Heaven Tree is the royal seat
of power for the Jurai Empire." The drone guide blared,
reciting its entrance message with perfect clarity.

"Amazing! Are there more drones like this all over
Jurai?" Tenchi asked Ayeka as the group listened further
into the message.

"Oh yes. There is a series of drone guides to talk
about the vibrant history of Jurai at every historical and
scientific landmark; do you wish to visit more of them?"
Ayeka asked, a faint smile creeping across her lips as she
waited for Tenchi's answer.

"That'd be great, Ayeka. I don't know why, but I've
wanted to understand Jurai… my heritage… for a while now."

"There is no surprise, Tenchi. You've been brought
into a larger world, and you feel the need to understand
your roots; it's only natural to want to understand what
has come before you." Katsuhito spoke quietly, taking
several steps toward his grandson to put a hand on his
shoulder. "And I will not stop you from finding your
heritage; after all, you deserve to know."

"And I'd love to know all about this place, too. I
mean, look at the architectural treasure trove we've got
here! I could borrow from a tenth of the styles I'm seeing
and still not put all of those to use by the end of this
century!" Nobiyuki exclaimed, staring at the huge and
ornate buildings that jutted into the sky around the
gigantic tree that the family stood in front of. His voice
faded away, however, when he saw several beautiful ladies
enter the gates ahead of the group. The drone began its
usual program, and ushered everyone into the city; they
were shown various sights and sounds, and most of the
family were awed by the sheer beauty of what they saw. As
the drone continued with its explanations, the family took
one of several of the teleport platforms skyward; a huge
wooden platform with several runic words written into the
platform, glowing a faint blue. As the platform took the
family up toward their final destination, Tenchi looked out
over the side of the portal, wondering what he would see;
huge buildings, both commercial and residential, that were
symbiotically designed to be integrated into the side of
the tree itself and huge catwalks that link the opposing
sides of the tree. The various teleport platforms that
linked the differing levels of the tree together was the
final piece of the organic puzzle that turned the Heaven
Tree into a vibrant and thrumming metropolis of life.

"Awe-inspiring, isn't it?" Ashe whispered to Tenchi;
the young Masaki could only nod in dumbfounded agreement.

"You've been here before, Ashe?" Tenchi asked aloud;
Ashe nodded in the affirmative.

"Yes, I have. See, down at the bottom levels of the
inside and outside of the tree is the homes of the
citizens. They're nice people, all of them, and you'll
never find anyone as helpful in half the galaxy. The
central levels that we've just passed by are the commercial
and military levels; mostly businesses, embassies, and law
enforcement. The stuff we're about to see at the top
levels is what I call the 'Big Five'. Those are the houses
for the four Juraian Royal Houses, plus the house for the
current Emperor and his immediate family. I love the
Masaki royal house; it's really beautiful when the house
changes color to match the seasons." The whole family,
including Ryoko, the drone, and Mihoshi, turned to face
Tenchi and Ashe.

"How do you know of that? No one ever sees the Royal
Houses unless they are invited personally." The drone
queried.

"I guess I must've been invited personally, then."
Ashe chirped, and went quiet for the rest of the ride on
the platform. As the platform finished its ascent,
Tenchi's eyes shot open like saucers. In front of the
whole family, climbing into the sky like a child straining
to touch the clouds, was the house of the royal family.
Huge spires thrust themselves out of the very tree that
birthed them, and almost all of the Royal House had
branches growing in various and predetermined places,
giving the whole place a camouflaged look; from what Tenchi
knew of Jurai, he half-expected this. Looking about,
however, Tenchi noticed that there were four other huge
properties with houses, grown in a similar fashion from the
tree itself. It was these four houses that circled the
home of Emperor Azusa. Huge gardens stretched out before
each house, each done in the respective styles of the noble
houses. One of the houses, situated at the family's left
side, was shaded in a plethora of differing shades of
browns, greens, and blues; it was this house that seduced
and captivated Tenchi's imagination. Katsuhito smiled at
his grandson, and nodded in silent agreement when the
younger Masaki looked at him with wondering, star-struck
eyes.

"That is House Masaki, Tenchi. That is where your
history lies. As of right now, however, it is best to go
and present ourselves in front of the Emperor. Afterward,
when we are finished with the formalities, we will make our
way to the House and rest." Tenchi nodded in agreement,
and followed his grandfather as the family entered the
central house to visit the Emperor. The family disembarked
from the platform, and followed the walkway that led
directly to the Royal House. Mihoshi stopped for a moment
and, as she watched everyone else enter through the main
doors into the building, she noticed something.

"Um, where's Washu? I thought that she was with us
when we left Ayeka's ship."

"She was; Washu said that she'd get here ahead of us
and be waiting in the main audience chamber. She said that
she had to talk to some people while we were preparing."
Ryoko replied, never taking her eyes off of the Jurai royal
guards that were posted on either side of the entrance to
the main audience chamber for Emperor Azusa; the guards
were doing likewise to her as well. On one side of the
grand hall, a tall and beautiful female stepped out and
strode over toward the group as they waited for entry.
Ashe was the first one of the group to spot her as she made
her way over; she had long red hair that was pulled back in
a formal but sultry style, while the sparkling green dress
that she wore held a dignified grace and yet carried a
heavy tone of primal sexiness. Ashe's mind screeched to a
halt as his eyes met the beautiful woman's green eyed gaze.

"Hello!" Ashe wistfully declared to the woman as she
stopped in front of the wanderer. She smirked and raised
an eyebrow, realizing in no large amount of time and
pleasant satisfaction that Ashe, while being obviously
flirtatious, had absolutely no clue in the world to whom he
was being so friendly toward.

"Hello, yourself; now, I've already talked with who I
needed to. Everyone is ready to see you at any time."
Ashe scratched his head, still not understanding something.

"Do I know you, miss?" Ashe asked, quizzical and
curious in one awestruck moment. She cackled for several
moments, and Ashe's eyes shot open wide as he began to
realize exactly who she was. "W-Washu?"

"The one and only! Who were you expecting to see,
the next Miss Jurai?" Washu looked herself over for a
moment, and posed herself in a very classy and provocative
stance. "Hmm... I think I'd cut it, from what I can tell."

"WASHU!!" Ryoko screeched, shoving Ashe's head down
in the process of getting eye-to-eye with her mother.
"What in the hell as gotten into you?" The pirate
mentally screeched.

"Other than the fact that you're ticked off because
I decided to go adult form today?… Not much." Washu
mentally declared, and walked off toward the entrance of
the Royal house. Ashe watched as the scientist leave, and
looked back at the rest of the family.

"Well, I guess I've gotten the ride I needed to get
back into the heart of the galaxy. It's much appreciated,
guys, and I owe you one." Ryoko flashed a dark and mocking
smile at the wanderer, and briskly walked him right up to
the entrance.

"Yeah, well, how about we just put that on your tab,
okay? It's been great having you around; loads of fun,
attempted to beat you senseless, but I hope there's no hard
feelings!" She declared and pushed him closer to the
entryway. Ashe stumbled for several steps, and turned to
face Ryoko with cynical eyes.

"Why thank you. It's nice to know that my life was
worth that much." Ashe retorted, though those words fell
on deaf ears as the space pirate walked back toward the
rest of the group.

"Well, it's been nice having you around, Ashe. I
hope you have a good life ahead of you." Tenchi voiced out
loud, and waved good-bye to the wanderer.

"I'll still be in the city for some time, so if you
still need me for anything at all, come and get me!" Ashe
replied, and waved back at the young Masaki. As the
wanderer stopped at the entrance and stretched himself out
with a cat-like grace, Washu strode over away from her
place next to the information desk and up to Ashe's side.

"Ashe, I wanted to ask you a question."

"Does it involve any more tests? Because if you even
bring one more needle near me…" Washu gave a slight
chuckle at that comment, though it seemed more enjoyment of
the humor than recognition of an obvious phobia.

"Hardly, don't worry about that. I'm still
interested in hearing more about your life, however, and
since I have the time available, I'd like to talk with you
when you have the chance." Ashe, after staying silent for
a moment, decided to foster a smirk that rivaled Washu's
own.

"Sure, on two conditions."

"Oh, and what are those?"

"You stay in adult form for one; it'd look strange if
I went out on a date with a 12 year old girl. Secondly,
I'd like to take you to a couple of places on Jurai, if
we're going to do this. I don't like sitting in a lab for
4 hours as I babble on about things long since past; fair
enough?" Washu gave the wanderer a smirk of her own,
tinted with both annoyance and humor.

"Who said this was a date?" Ashe gave a wide grin to
Washu, and walked out of the entryway toward the exit
transport that would take him downward into the rest of the
city before giving his reply.

"Who wanted to get to know me better?"

**************************************

Tenchi ambled his way through the myriad halls and
areas of House Masaki; complete awe and child-like wonder
shone through his eyes as he took in the spectacle in front
of him. The main rooms were all designed to be similar to
an arboretum; plants and flowers of thousands of kinds grew
and intertwined themselves into the walls and ceiling. The
young Masaki turned the corner, and ended up at an alcove
with a balcony that jutted outside of the house; looking
out over the edge, Tenchi saw the huge expanse of forests
and plains that stretched out toward the horizon along with
several star-ports and smaller towns as well. He sat down
and gazed out over what he had seen; it seemed like an
eternity had passed before he realized that someone spoke
behind him.

"I believe you are in my favorite alcove." Tenchi
turned in a flash to look at Funaho; she was no longer
dressed in her official garb, and took to a motherly style
of dress. She gave Tenchi an endearing smile, and motioned
as if she wished to take a seat near him. The young Masaki
stood quietly, showing his manners and allowing Funaho to
take a seat before he did.

"Very few people sit in this very alcove and look at
the view of the surrounding area. It's one of my favorite
places to come and think about many different things."
Tenchi sat down and looked out over the scenery as he
spoke.

"Yeah, I see what you mean. It's captivating,"
Tenchi mused, leaning out to take in the view more fully.
"...and peaceful." Funaho nodded in silent agreement, and
followed Tenchi's gaze outward, toward the tree ships that
had been landing at a small nursery. A pair of Light Hawk
Wings emerged for several moments around one of the ships,
and disappeared just as suddenly; Funaho saw, for a brief
moment, Tenchi flinch as he watched the wings come and go
without a second thought. She decided to speak when she
saw the young Masaki's eyes droop toward the ground.

"What bothers you, Tenchi? Please, if you would be
willing to sate a curiosity, I would be honored to help you
with any dilemma that you may feel caught in."

"Huh? It's not that big a deal, really. Thanks for
your concern, though." Tenchi spoke, the quiet thrum of
his own confusion echoing through the words.

"It is, however; your own voice gives it away. I
have not, and will not, tolerate someone unwilling to
explain what pains their heart. So, speak up; you have
someone willing to listen." Tenchi stopped mentally,
realizing how much he gave away.

"It's... well, it's the Light Hawk Wings. I can
summon them... sort of." Funaho nodded in understanding.

"I know about your unique ability."

"I figured you all would at one point or another."
Funaho nodded in solemn agreement, and looked out over the
scenery over the balcony in the alcove.

"Well, then, what is it about the Light Hawk Wings
that has your mind and heart ill at ease?" Tenchi remained
silent, though at several times he moved as though to begin
his explanation. It almost caught the royal lady by
surprise when Tenchi finally vented his feelings on them.

"I just don't understand why I was given the Light
Hawk Wings. I have the feeling that anyone else in the
universe could've gotten these, but it was me who they were
given to. What I still don't get is why they were given to
me. I mean, look at the Royal Family; they have some of
the most powerful beings in the galaxy all under one roof,
I'm sure that one of them is more than qualified to wield
them." Tenchi, now finished with blurting out a condensed
version of his frustrations on the subject, slumped in his
seat and hung his head. Funaho kept her eyes looking
forward and unmoving, save for a moment when she looked at
her great-grandson.

"Perhaps what you say is true. I doubt that,
however." Tenchi turned his head to look at Funaho,
confusion overriding the look of frustration that clouded
his face earlier.

"How so?"

"It may be true that your lineage may have had
influence on God's choice of giving you command of the
Light Hawk Wings. However, even with that, one does not
garner even an inkling of the power of God without first
having been proven to be respectful of its power and wise
in its use." Tenchi scratched his head as he tried to
understand what Funaho was attempting to explain. She
beamed a smile of patient and gentle understanding as she
watched the young Masaki delve into deeper thought.

"In simpler terms, Tenchi, by simply being who you
are, you have earned a gift that no one in the universe has
ever had or will ever have in a very long, long time."

"Oh. I guess I don't see how."

"Perhaps you will, when the time comes. For now, be
patient with yourself and perhaps the answers you seek will
come to you then."

"Um, Great-Grandmother?"

"Yes?"

"Thank you. You know, for talking with me." Funaho
smiled again, and nodded in response.

"Of course, Tenchi."

Tenchi bowed to Funaho as she turned to view the
scenery, and left to look at the rest of the house and to
think about a great many things.

**************************************

The field officer looked over the information with
acute fear, though it was the same load of apprehension
that locked the man's eyes on the pictures as well. After
his eyes had their fill of what was shown to them, they
rose upward to look at the Juraian noblewoman who sat
across from him. Dressed in the standard garb, the only
real strangeness that he felt from the woman was the
feeling of sterility from her purple and silver eyes.

"Are you sure that these photos are accurate?"

"Of course, I can attest to the source myself."

"Well, then. The Jurai militia is eternally grateful
for the information that you've provided to us, and we will
make sure that this is given to the right hands."

"That is all that I would ask of you, sir. Now, I
must leave as I have other issues that require my
attention." With that, the woman walked away from the
young man and exited the building that housed the higher
officials of the Jurai militia. After walking several
steps, the woman quickly ducked behind a tree and closed
her eyes for several moments; the royal façade dissolved
away to reveal Ersatzu, clothed in her usual garb. She
pulled a small communications device out of a small pocket
on her suit, and activated it.

"Results?"

"They have the information you wished to give them.
All you need do is wait for your moment to act." The
silence that echoed out from the communication device did
little to hide the smirk that crossed the lips of the man
on the other side.

**************************************

Washu stood in front of a doorway, contemplating the
conversation she had earlier in the day. She had been in
the throne room, talking with Funaho and Misaki.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"And so you believe that there is someone who is
attempting to harm the Royal Family. Do you have any ideas
as to who it may be?" Funaho questioned, the worry storming
her face like a hurricane. The scientist shook her head in
response to the lady's question.

"Unfortunately, I haven't any real clue. The girls
think it may be Ashe, but I've kept him under constant
surveillance from the time he first made show at the Masaki
home. From what I can tell, if it's him, he's got some
serious equipment if he can communicate to someone without
my knowing." Washu said, taking the seat that one of the
aides provided her as she spoke. Funaho also took as seat
herself, sitting across from Washu. Misaki stood behind
Funaho, munching away at some shortbread cookies as fast as
the aide was wheeling them out.

"Well, if it's about fighting, then that's my
department. I'll simply have Yosho, Tenchi, and the rest
of the family kept under watch for their stay. That ought
to make sure that nobody even gets close!" Misaki chirped
after gulping a bite of shortbread cookie. Funaho put a
finger to her lips in thought for several moments.

"Useful, sister, but I doubt that the attacker would
attempt the same tactics here. Almost all of Jurai is well
armed and quite capable of finding such a person, not to
mention the sheer risk they would take by trying to
infiltrate the Royal Quarter." Misaki shrugged and stuffed
yet another shortbread cookie into her mouth.

"Eh, I'll still increase security around the Royal
Quarter, just in case." Funaho turned to Misaki and smiled
warmly.

"I would expect no less from you, sister. And I
thank you, Little Washu, for bringing this information to
us; no doubt that you wished to keep from alarming everyone
at once with this news. Though, I must ask," Washu raised
an eyebrow as she waited for Funaho's question, "Why you
have decided to take on your adult form to see us?"

"I figured it'd be entertaining to go walking around
like this for a while and stir things up a bit." Washu
remarked, and chuckled. "Besides, I've got a feeling that
there's a certain wanderer just hasn't learned to fear the
Greatest Scientific Mind in the Universe!" The cackle
heard from Washu made both of the ladies, and almost all of
the aides, in the room sweat drop in response. The
scientist stood up and bowed to the two women, and began
heading toward the entryway to the waiting room. "However,
I still plan on finding this assailant as soon as possible.
If you'll excuse me…"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Of course, her response to Funaho's question wasn't
completely wrong; at least, not about the stirring things
up component. However, Washu thought as she stood in front
of the doorway, she began to wonder if it was more to prove
something to Ashe. What could it be? She thought to
herself; simple proof of her actual age is something that's
easily found out through the right sources. Unless, it had
deeper roots than proving that she was older than he
thought. The doorway opened suddenly, giving the scientist
no time to consider her current thoughts too deeply.
Mihoshi stumbled out of the doorway, raggedly dressed in
her officer's uniform, and quickly righted herself before
she could fall into Washu.

"Uh, yeah, Little Washu? What was it that you
needed?" Washu looked the space officer over once and
smirked. She let Mihoshi stew for a moment as she raised
an eyebrow at her appearance.

"Mihoshi, come with me." Washu turned and began
walking down the corridor. Mihoshi stood there for a
moment in confusion, and then hurried herself to fall in
step beside the scientist.

"Well, what's up? I'm sure that you don't just call
on me for just any old thing, since this is the first time
you've ever done that." Mihoshi stood there, and tapped
her fingers to her chin in seemingly deep thought. "Yeah,
it's the first time you've done that."

"You're right, Mihoshi, it is. However, the reason
for getting you up at so early of an hour was because of
your access to files that I might need."

"What kinds of files would you need that only I can
get?" Mihoshi scratched her head and thought about it as
the two kept walking. The officer snapped her fingers in a
stroke of understanding. "Ohh. You need files and don't
want to try hacking the GXP database, don't you?" Washu
chuckled nervously at the comment, and shrugged to Mihoshi.
The two kept walking as they entered the Galaxy Archive
that was stationed in the front half of the Royal House.
Washu waved her hand over a control sphere that sat next to
the doorway, and the doors to the great archive parted to
allow the two women entry.

"More like keeping things official and clean;
besides, what would the GXP have that I wouldn't have
already recorded or archived?"

"Well, obviously something that isn't in your current
database." Mihoshi said with a yawn; the words, however,
caught the scientist off guard. Washu gave the space
officer a stare, amazement flooding over her features.

"Touché, Mihoshi." The space officer blinked twice
and stared at Washu with utter confusion in her eyes.

"For what?"

"Never mind." Washu shook her head in defeat, and
then entered the archive. She breathed deeply, and took in
the appearance of the Galaxy Archive again for the first
time in roughly 7000 years. Huge in size and abundant with
information, the archive looked rather similar to a library
that one may find on Earth. However, the size of the
largest library on Earth would pale in comparison to the
size of the Galaxy Archive. Thousands of books and
monitors graced the walls of the archive; several Juraian,
Galaxy Police, and Galactic Science Academy drones could be
seen scuttling about as they organized and maintained the
archive; Mihoshi whistled in awe, and turned to face Washu.

"Well, um, Little Washu… now that we're here, what
are we looking for?"

"Three things; the first is information of any barren
or extinct planets that may have housed life at any time
before the creation of the Galactic Federation OR the Jurai
Empire. The second is anything that you can find that
pertains to Ashe or his past. And the third," Washu said,
then quieted down as if not wanting to be heard by anyone
else, "Find anything that you can, legends, myths, real
life events if at all, about any thing or person that can
scorch the life off of an entire planet."

Mihoshi gulped audibly at the mention of the third,
and quickly nodded her agreement. Slowly but surely, the
two women then stepped into the archive, their goals etched
into their minds.

*************************************

End of Chapter 6