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, and everyone for helping me with keeping me

interested and enjoying what I've written thus far. I

don't really know if I would have ever gotten this far

without them.

Thanks, guys. I owe you something I don't think I

can repay in any lifetime.



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

Tenchi Muyo: The Web of Life

Chapter 7: Reflections and Pudding

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



The Heaven Tree, massive ode to the Jurai Empire that

it is, isn't the only famous structure on Jurai. There is

one, among the myriad, that resides directly next to the

tree and is quite well known. Nearly all of the bounty

hunters, couriers, and treasure hunters in the galaxy, if

not the known universe come here to find the next big

`thing'. The four story building, having been disassembled

and transferred from a long desolate planet, was composed

mostly of ancient ruins that had been renovated and

modernized from the baseboards up. Designed with natural

curves and architecture, the building was artificial,

though one who was unfamiliar with it would swear that the

building should be inside the huge Juraian tree instead of

alongside. Ashe looked upward at the building that he

stood in front of and gazed at the sign that, as it hung

over the main entrance, flicker and turn on for the

evening. Silently, Ashe shook his head in amusement.



"The more things change, the more they stay the

same." With that, the wanderer stepped into the building.

Looking around inside, Ashe made his way to the entry

point. Standing directly in front of the doorway was a

huge tentacle-covered morass, with an octopus-like face

strategically placed on the top. Two bulbous eyes swiveled

themselves around to stare unflinchingly at Ashe, who

chuckled and waved to the creature.



"Rocco, it's you! Anybody get busted by the bounty

hunters lately?"



A series of nondescript clicks and gurgles emerged

from what could be considered Rocco's mouth as Ashe

listened intently. Several of the tentacles moved and

shuffled in a form of body language.



"Yeah, I figured that he'd get caught someday. He was

a pansy outlaw, anyways. Any other news while I've been

gone?"



Another series of gurgles, this set excited and

rushed. Ashe raised his hands quickly in response, and

attempted to calm the tentacled bouncer.



"Okay, okay, don't get your tentacles in a bind!

I'll ask Deo about it. Just wait here and keep the drunks

out."



"Okie dokie." Rocco said, crystalline with his

pronunciation. Ashe stopped halfway past Rocco, and raised

an eyebrow upon hearing those words.



"You have got to stop watching the television, bub.

It's bad for your brain." And with that, the wanderer

entered the building. The outer portion of the main area

was huge, with several different floors of the building

resembling the natural motif of at least a dozen different

planets; at least thirty or more people were here, dining

on cuisine and discussing their days and weekends. The

central area of the building held a tower as the main

support, and it was here that they held the cafeteria and

grill areas. Several walkways interconnected the rest of

the building to the food tower, and it was in this way that

the place maintained itself. Surrounding the bottom of the

tower in a perfect circle was a bar that was larger than

most rings on planets, guaranteed. At least that's what

sign said on the counter, if you were to walk and read the

entire ring. Ashe, however, decided to walk straight up to

the ring and wave to him one of the ten bartenders working

the ring.



"Hey, is Deo here today?"



"Yeah, I'll get him. Who's asking for him?"



"Ashe. Tell him Ashe is here."



"Like you needed to tell me you were here; I could

smell your arse from a light-second away," a gruff voice

erupted from behind Ashe. Turning around, the wanderer

placed his eyes on the source of the voice; an older man

stood directly behind him, leaning upon a crescent-moon

shaped cane with his left hand while moving a lock of salt-

and-peppered hair out of his eyes with the right. Ashe

chuckled nervously as the elder man pulled up the cane and

lightly tapped the wanderer on the forehead with it. "So,

how goes the wanderer?"



"Me, I've been fine. Went sightseeing, free-fell

into a planet's atmosphere, was nearly killed. You know,

it's the usual." A more serious thump on the head from the

cane cured Ashe of his semi-cynical tone of voice.



"Alright, you smartass, that's enough with the tone.

Word has been going around that you were escorted back to

Jurai by members of the Jurai Royal Family. Is it true?"

Deo asked, taking a seat on one of the empty stools on the

ring, and motioning Ashe to do the same; the wanderer sat

down quickly, and nodded in the affirmative.



"You find out quickly. Yeah, I got strange luck."



"Darn right you do. I still remember the sheer

amount of balls it would've taken other people to do what

you'd done to help me out that fateful day."



"You know, that reminds me. You're looking even more

like an old fart every time I see you."



"Oh, you're one to talk. I wasn't even in a triple

digit age when I met your sorry arse. Besides, you're

getting off point. Do you know WHO you were with?"



"Would you believe me if I said not really?"



"You foolish boy! You've got your head in a solar

flare if you don't know who Tenchi Masaki is! He's the boy

who single-handedly defeated the Ruins Buster! He's also

the one who freed Washu Hakubi from her imprisonment at the

hands of that madman. It's absolutely amazing that you've

stumbled across them at all. Besides, I'm amazed that you

haven't been skinned alive by Washu Hakubi yet."



"Oh? I'll tell her you said that when I take her out

on our date later." The elderly man's jaw would've hit the

floor, had nature not seen fit to attach sinew and muscle

to the appendage. Quickly recovering himself, Deo shook

his head and chuckled to himself as he looked out over the

establishment he created from scratch.



"It'd figure that you'd have Washu wanting to dissect

you, though; you're as much a mystery to all of us today as

you were 300 years ago." Ashe bunched up his lips, and

stared out at the crowd of patrons that had filled up the

bar rather quickly.



"So, how's the sanctuary doing?" Ashe asked,

attempting to avoid the comment as much as possible; Deo

simply shook his head in obvious defeat and answered his

question.



"Waiting for you, as usual. That rain tree is a

downright bitch to take care of, you know that?"



"That's an extremely hard tree to grow, mind you, and

I hope you haven't killed it." Deo swung the cane around,

and would've clocked the wanderer straight in the forehead

had Ashe's reflexes not shot his hand up and out to

intercept. Deo raised an eyebrow, and took the cane back

from Ashe as he pulled himself away from the seat; nodding

respectfully to the wanderer, he pulled out a strange

looking key from beneath his dress shirt and handed it to

Ashe before walking toward the entrance to the tower area

of the place.



"By the way, if you haven't noticed, I found a name

for the place, finally. `The Wanderer's Way'."



"Yeah, I noticed. It fits the place, I like it."



"I thought you would. Remember to bring Washu here

for dinner, or I'll have Rocco thrash you for the rest of

the year."



Ashe chuckled, in a very nervous tone, as the doors

to the entrance of the tower closed behind the elderly man.



"You know, for being a former bounty hunter, you

figure he wouldn't try to be so. so." Ashe muttered under

his breath.



"Hard up on the homies?" Rocco offered up from his

place at the front door, again in crystal clear language.

Once again, for the few times in his life, Ashe had to

agree with Rocco's choice of words.



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



Zane stood quietly in the meditation chamber, his

eyes darting in various directions as 4 man-sized sparring

robots circled Tokimi's champion, taking in their target.

He stood his ground and kept in the only lit area of the

chamber, smoothing his black and purple sparring gi out as

he kept mental note of the situation. The mechanized eyes

of the units took in the dark champion as they circled him

with a quickening pace. One of them darted quickly out and

away from the rest of the group and brought a fist to bear,

hoping to drive it through Zane's skull. The attacking

unit realized the error of that decision when Zane's left

hand shot outward and caught the unit's wrist; he then

spend several more seconds regretting it while a heel was

driven home in several locations, strategically and

lethally important had the warrior been dealing with

organic humanoids.



"Pathetic; increase the combat A.I by two additional

levels." Zane called aloud, tossing the unit outside the

lit portion he continued to stand under. The remaining

units twitched visibly in response to Zane's verbal

commands. After the twitching subsided, the units moved

with even more of a predatorial slink, watching the man

with a single, lethal intent. Soon after taking their

opponent into account, the remaining units dove at Zane;

one of them stopped in mid-stride and jumped at the

warrior, attempting to jump-kick Zane where he stood. Zane

smirked and looked with a faint sense of humorous pity at

his opposition as it bore down upon him like a pack of

starved wolves.



"Too little, too late." The fighter bemoaned, and

ruthlessly slapped the airborne drone in the thigh area;

the trajectory of the attack was thrown far off-kilter,

rendering the jump-kick useless. Zane chose to take the

left-hand drone, waiting for the opportune time for his

attack; when the drone came in with the intention of

landing a fierce series of jabs, Zane countered with a set

of side kicks that landed on the kneecap, the pelvic area,

and finally the sternum of the drone. The unit's eyes

flared a luminescent yellow for a moment, and then faded as

the unit dropped, lifeless, to the ground.



Zane threw up his right arm blocking a knife hand

attack from the third drone that had attempted to take the

warrior by surprise; taking hold of, and ducking under, the

offending hand and the wrist it was attached to Zane pulled

the drone toward him, driving the palm of his free hand

straight at the nose of the drone. A glimmer of yellow and

yet another drone fell to the ground. The warrior

snickered to himself a second time.



All that remained was one final unit; however, Zane

noted that there was no visible sign of it. Two bursts of

yellow light came from behind Zane as he searched for the

drone, and two energy daggers attempted to fillet his

shoulders; a shower of sparks flew from the daggers as they

met opposition, forcing the fighter into a low and

defensive stance. Turning and eyeing the drone through

slatted eyes, Zane watched as the drone continued its

attempt to power the twin blades through the Light Hawk

Wing that had been summoned up, the arcs of purple and

yellow energy dancing on the surface of the wing. Zane

stared for but a moment, in complete awe of the raw and

primal beauty of the display; he then hopped back several

feet to gain a more strategic advantage. The wing barring

the way of the drone flickered and disappeared, leaving

nothing between it and Zane. Weaving and whirling, ducking

and diving, the drone tried time after time to plant one of

the energy daggers home in Zane's body; however, using two

Light Hawk Wings to cover his hands and forearms, Zane

slapped the two weapons away from the drone without so much

as a cognitive thought. Just as suddenly, Zane flipped

upward and over the drone; clutching the drone's head in

his hands, he snapped its neck in a sickeningly fast

display of agility before he even landed behind the now

slumped over drone. Brushing himself off, Zane gazed out

into the darkness.



"Lights," Zane growled; the meditation chamber's

lights gradually bathed the whole room in an eye-pleasing

radiance. At the opposite end of the room stood Ersatzu,

leaning against the wall of the meditation chamber as she

took in the scene that played out before her.



"The combat A.I. in the drones still requires work.

However, they should be more than capable of dealing with

GP or Jurai's ground forces. You have done well, Ersatzu;

I am quite pleased." The artificial gave a muted nod in

Zane's direction, and pulled away from the wall. She

strode over to the drone that had been tossed aside in the

early portion of the sparring match and knelt down to

analyze it as she spoke.



"The information I was able to glean about Ayeka's

combat style and effectiveness was incomplete, as she gave

little opposition. Ryoko, however, seems to have a great

deal more combat skill than she has shown in the

documentation that is currently available. I have made it

a personal quest to find out exactly how skillful she truly

is." She held the drone's head in her palm, gazing into

its eyes with an almost pitiful expression. Zane gave the

artificial an amused smirk.



"If I hadn't known any better, I'd say you hold the

former pirate in respect, Ersatzu." She dropped the drone

back on the floor, and turned her head just enough to see

the warrior.



"She spearheaded the only truly successful attack on

the Jurai home world, and is the only survivor of any such

attack against the Jurai Empire throughout its known

history. I will acknowledge her ability, nothing more."



"I see. Do not allow your personal decisions to

override your current objective, however." Zane reminded

her, to which Ersatzu nodded. Standing up and following

Zane, she hurried her pace to keep up with the dark

champion. The two exited the meditation chamber and fell

into a march of sorts, leading through the different

chambers of the ship that Zane called home. Zane fell into

a quiet mood as the two traveled the ship toward Zane's

private quarters. The quiet ambience was broken when

Ersatzu had made note of something she recalled from an

earlier date.



"I have an inquiry; is the name Marius Tsurigama of

any importance?" Zane's head turned to look at Ersatzu.

His pace slowed in response, and his attention was now

wholly directed at the artificial; something that Ersatzu

found unsettling.



"Yes. How did you come across that name?"



"I recall hearing the name from D-3 in a previous

debriefing for the Lady Tokimi. He seemed to say it with

quite a cynical tone of voice, though I do not understand

why." Ersatzu said, noting the interestingly large lack of

information available about the name in her memory.



"Marius Tsurigama is the name of the man that

murdered my father and destroyed everything that was good

about my father's accomplishments. His life was forfeit

when he chose to become a bigot and a coward."



"Forfeit? An odd choice of words, as the man was

said to die of extraordinarily unusual circumstances and no

absolute conclusion could be determined as to the cause of

his death."



"The cause is quite simple. I killed him myself."

Ersatzu raised an eyebrow, noting one piece of information

that was still questionable.



"Marius had died about 40,000 years ago, however.

That would place you at approximately a similar age, would

it not?"



"That is a part of history you needn't concern

yourself with; keep your attention and your focus on the

present." Zane muttered, waving the thought away and

stepping finally into his private quarters. As the doors

closed behind the dark champion, he released a deep

sounding and very reluctant sigh. Zane placed his gaze at

the far end of the room, and directly stared at a pedestal;

a singular light shone upon a deep purple sphere, an

intricate design bearing scorch marks on its surface. I

will finish what I started all those years ago, Zane echoed

through his mind; his thoughts began floating back to that

fateful day.



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~



Deep in the vast and icy reaches of space, a singular

chamber floated in deep space; housed within it was the

cryogenically sealed body of Zane. Deep within his mind,

however, there was a world much different than what existed

outside his frozen form. Zane sat underneath a tree,

admiring the view of his father's huge mansion and the

outlying countryside. The view, however, became much

darker as more painful thoughts began to cloud his mind and

take his attention away from what he looked at now.



"I know you, Zane of Far Eden. You are worthy."



Zane's eyes fluttered in place, as he sought to find

the source of the whispering feminine voice. One by one

the shadows of many different objects shimmered and

unnervingly detached themselves from what once anchored

them; pooling together and coalescing into a singular pool

of darkness, a face began to emerge from the eclipsed

morass of woven shadows. A beautiful yet ominous woman was

what Zane saw most clearly of all, a flittering but

consistent image amongst other darker aspects of the young

man's life.



"Who are you?" Zane asked, obsessively curious and

yet almost afraid that he would scare the image away. The

morass slinked and shifted so much that Zane swore that it

looked as if a million black insects were crawling in

unison before him.



"I am the one of the Three Ladies, though I have many

different names on many different worlds. In your world I

have the name of the Lady of Law and Justice." The shadows

whispered, as a singular hand pierced the morass; slowly as

if peeling the skin from a fruit, the woman slowly arose

from her former place in the shifting shadows. The young

man could only gawk at the near sensual aspect of what he'd

just witnessed, and through it all, the name this woman

possessed rang through the winds like a thousand dull

chimes.



"You are Lady... Lady Tokimi?" The woman smiled, and

twirled the shadows of a dozen reeds between her fingers.



"Yes." She said, still toying with the morass that

crawled and cascaded about her feet.



"What do you want with me?" She turned to stare

directly into Zane's eyes, and began walking in his

direction. From his perspective, it seemed that she could

calm and command the very darkness itself. Frightening and

darkly enthralling prospects to be sure, exactly like all

of the proverbs that told of the Lady of Justice.



"It is not what I want from you; rather, what I can

offer you."



"As interesting as it sounds, I honestly doubt that

you would have anything I would want."



"Justice." The morass gave up the image of Zane

striking down his enemies. Zane raised an eyebrow, eyeing

the dark morass with questioning glances. The shadowy and

ephemeral face of Lady Tokimi shifted again as she looked

upon the brooding young man.



"More specifically, I can help you to mete out

justice against the dogmatic and prejudicial people that

forced you into your current situation. I can give you the

ability to bring justice unto those who brought this

pathetic state unto you."



"And in return, I would be expected to do what?"



"Bring the same judgment that you bring to those who

have wronged you, to anyone who would wrong innocent people

such as your father ever again."



Zane's eyes shot open wide, in recognition of the

last component in Tokimi's comment.



"How could you know my father?!"



"As I told you in the beginning, I know you, and

always have. I bore witness to all the indifference and

hatred shown to you, as well as your father and your

brother." The morass shifted to show Zane reaching out to

grasp at two shadowed figures, both of them reaching out to

Zane as well, though neither was able to maintain their

grip on the other. "And, again, I offer you the ability to

follow through with your father's wishes; to make a home,

this whole universe, where there is no cruelty or

hypocrisy. A home in which all can live in joyful peace

with those around them. What say you, Zane of Far Eden?"



Several moments of silence passed, almost as if

eternity begged an audience.



"On my honor and my word, I say yes."



An explosion of celestial energy emerged from the

cryogenic pod as Zane's cryogenic capsule was decimated and

Zane now floats freely in the black, icy grip of space;

however, his body does not die. Zane stared in doe-eyed

panic as he moved his hands in front of his face, though

feeling no pain.



"What kind of power is this, which I can live in the

deepness of space?"



"You are evolved far beyond the scope of your peers,

Zane. The gifts granted you by your father had lain half

dormant; I merely nudged them to complete wakefulness. Now

rise in your ascension and bring justice to the guilty, my

champion, my judge," Tokimi said quietly, almost drunk with

what could be considered elation in a goddess, "My angel of

death."



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~



A discordant tone shook Zane out of his thoughts, and

toward the communication screen at the opposite end of his

chambers. Ersatzu's voice could be heard over the tone,

talking into another channel of the communication screen.



"What is it, Ersatzu?"



"Master Zane, a diplomat from the Jurai Empire wishes

to speak with you. It involves our early arrival into

Jurai Empire space."



"I will talk with him here." He strode over toward

the unit and away from the pedestal, and touched the screen

faintly. The view screen lit up, revealing a Juraian

diplomat; his face was pleasant, though rather confused as

well.





"Ambassador Zane Brynn; we were not expecting your

arrival into Jurai space until the end of the galactic

week. We may have trouble providing a definite place for

yourself and your entourage to reside, as a celebration

that includes the Jurai Royal family is about to be under

way." Zane nodded in agreement to the diplomat's

statement.



"Your hospitality has been more than enough; however,

I wish to become more acclimated to your culture and

society. I felt that an early arrival would provide me the

best possible opportunity to immerse myself in it. And, as

for a residence, the Erebus has been more than sufficient

for my needs; do not strain matters further in that

regard." Zane noted to the diplomat, his posture and face

taking on a very patient and stoic look as he spoke.



"I understand Ambassador, and I thank you for being

so lenient with our current situation. We are greatly

honored that you are so willing to come and witness our

wondrous culture. On behalf of Emperor Azusa and the Holy

Council, I welcome you and your ship to the Jurai Empire."

The view screen faded out swiftly, leaving Zane again alone

with his thoughts. He snickered for a moment as he eyed

the bauble.



"Welcome to an empire, indeed." He said aloud,

toying with the purple sphere in his hands as the dark

champion contemplated his next course of action.



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



Ryoko floated down the ancient corridor, carefully

noting the route she took with a saddened and fearful eye.

Dressed in her most comfortable and provocative outfit she

could find, her mind darted this way and that, debating if

her clothes were right for the occasion. However, her

purpose was set and her will defined, and Ryoko was

determined to deliver what was held behind her back. A

singular rectangular black box, tied together with a

scintillating red and gold ribbon was carefully held in the

pirate's hands, as she stopped in front of the huge doors

that heralded her destination; the Royal Nursery. She took

a long, deep breath and pushed one of the ancient doors to

one side and entered the sacred place.



The nursery was quiet and pristine, save for the

other singular figure standing in the whole area. Tenchi

stood at the edge of the balcony, staring out over the

nursery with wide eyes. The young man turned to face the

door after hearing it swing open, and smiled pleasantly at

Ryoko.



"Hello Ryoko. You know you're pushing your luck by

coming down here, right?"



"Nyaa to those old farts. I'm not here to play

gardener; besides, there's a more important reason to be

here right now. I've got something I want to give you,

Tenchi." The audible gulp from Tenchi's lips and throat

wasn't lost on the former pirate, and she secretly giggled

at the sight of a startled and mildly frightened Tenchi.



"What's that?"



"I don't know, it's REALLY important though, and I

can't just give it away without getting a gift in return."

Tenchi's eyes grew to huge proportions, and an almost

nonexistent drip of blood had begun to slip out of his

nose.



"Do I get a clue about what it is?" Ryoko's voice

began to drop, becoming more husky and sultry as she began

speaking again; the pirate floated directly up toward

Tenchi.



"Hmm... I don't know; it might spoil the surprise..."



"Okay, then, what do I have to pay?" Tenchi gasped,

both exasperated and nervous about Ryoko's advancing body.

Her eyes took on a sultry hue, and her body began moving in

a distinct and obviously potent rhythm, causing Tenchi's

eyes to widen even further than what they had been moments

before. Ryoko placed her index finger on Tenchi's lips,

and drew it with a silky tenderness over each lip before

giving her response.



"A kiss... would fit the bill perfectly."



"A KISS?" Ryoko nodded, her lips curling into a

faint but very seductive smile. "Is that really fair to

ask of me?" Ryoko's face went blank for a passing moment,

though, for Tenchi, it slipped by like an eternity.



"Is it unfair to get a gift when you give one away?"



"Well, not really, no..." Ryoko flashed a beaming

smile and edged herself closer to Tenchi.



"There you are, then! You give me the gift of a

kiss, I give you this."



"But..." Tenchi began, stretching his arms out to

begin an explanation that would never leave his lips.

Ryoko's eyes slanted and her body burst forward, wrapping

up Tenchi in a comforting and passionate vise, kissing the

young Masaki with a ferocity that rivaled desperation.

Moments passed without the pirate letting up on Tenchi,

though neither one of them really was able to relinquish

enough mental capacity to notice. Ryoko pulled away first,

rubbing her lips together and taking several shallow

breaths; Tenchi simply tottered on his legs, his eyes wide

and his mind reeling from the sheer intensity of the kiss.



"That was a rush," the pirate breathed, her mind

still wound around the sheer power of what had just

happened. Tenchi, finally finding the words that would

make sense, gaped at Ryoko as she drew her lips into a

devilish, seemingly innocent smile.

"You mean... that was your first....?"



Ryoko winked mischievously, phasing away while

keeping the smile that found its way onto her lips.



"That's for me to know and you to find out..." Ryoko

echoed through the nursery, leaving Tenchi to gawk wide

eyed at the now-empty place where Ryoko once hovered. Only

two words were able to dislodge themselves from the young

man's throat as he yelled them out in a half-serious, half-

confused tone.



"Sneak thief!" He tossed at the walls of the

nursery, pointing his hand upward toward the direction he

was pretty confident that she had run off to. Satisfied

that he had said his piece, Tenchi took the present that

Ryoko gave him in both hands and began to tenderly open the

gift. The bow undone and the top of the box pulled away

from the rest, Tenchi peered into the box to look at a

single piece of equipment; the hilt of a sword, black and

red, shone brilliantly despite the half-lit nursery he

stood in, it's metallic casing having been polished and

kept in very good condition. Tenchi gingerly pulled the

hilt out of the box, turning it over in his hand to look at

the designs that were etched into the hilt with a more

critical eye.



"It's beautiful." He whispered aloud, almost

entranced by the flow and feel of the design, the grip of

it seemingly felt as if meant to be held by him. Tenchi's

eyes locked with the end of the hilt, and aimed the hilt

far and away from his body. A single red shaft of energy

burst forth, illuminating the room in a douse of crimson

and highlighting the red metallic designs etched into the

hilt as they began to glow in a sympathetic rhythm. All

things being said, the weapon was awe-inspiring to the

young Masaki as he was captivated by the raw purity of the

blade.



"Thank you, Ryoko. I'll keep it with me always." He

spoke to himself, and turned to look back out over the

nursery again. Through it all, the crimson and obsidian

hilt was clutched tightly in his hand.



"And I'll keep you with me always, too." An

invisible pirate whispered from her perch above the nursery

door, watching the young man as he continued to stare at

living history.



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



Deep within the Royal House, an esteemed princess sat

within her own bedroom, staring into and through the huge

piece of artwork hanging over the far wall in her room.

Ayeka let out a sigh, contemplating the celebration that no

doubt would be occurring later in the week. Her sighs may

have gone unheard, had it not been for the chambermaid

tidying up the bed for Ayeka's sleep.



"Something troubling you, your Highness?" Ayeka

shook her head quickly, realizing that there were others in

the room as well.



"No, I'm perfectly fine. Thank you for being so

considerate."



"You are most welcome, my lady." The chambermaid

said, and finished her rounds in a timely fashion. It

wasn't long afterward that the princess found herself alone

in her bedchambers; Ayeka sighed, and had strewn herself

over the bed as she began to fall deeper into thought.

"I had nearly forgotten how comfortable these beds

were. I could almost fall asleep for..." A faint scent, a

reminiscent mixture of caramel, mint, and chocolate, crept

slowly into the room, and wafted over the elder princess's

nose.

*Sniff*

"For hours on this." Her stomach, once thought to

have been placated by the five-course meal that she and her

newfound family had eaten along with the Jurai Royal

family, began to respond to the inviting smell of a faintly

sweet, potent, and mouthwatering dish.

*Sniff, sniff*

"What is that scent?" Ayeka whispered; her stomach

now thoroughly intrigued with the smells that seemed to

pierce her senses and eradicate her willpower. Following

the near-figment of a scent up and down several halls, and

finally stopping at the doorway to the grand kitchen, Ayeka

looked inside. Within those doors was a kitchen that made

the Masaki kitchen look as if it were a tool-shed; standing

inside were three females, two were easily recognized as

Sasami and Ryo-Ohki, but the third was much taller.

Although several centimeters shorter than Ayeka, the woman

had several staggered pairs of orange ponytails that was

covered by a thick layer of hair that circled the rest of

her head like a silk crown. She turned her head to look at

Ayeka, her catlike green eyes as beaming as her smile.

"Oh, more guests! Please, take a seat, I'll take

your order in a moment; I wasn't expecting my tree-leaf

pudding to be so much of a hit." Sasami and Ryo-Ohki

turned to wave and smile at Ayeka as well.

"Hi, Ayeka! I'm learning how to make tree-leaf

pudding; do you want to try some of it?" Ayeka nodded her

approval, and took the opportunity to sit down on one of

several bar stools that were placed underneath the

countertops.

"I do apologize for my forwardness on this, but who

are you?" Ayeka asked of the orange-haired girl. The new

girl turned to face the elder princess.

"I'm Kairi Tetsuro. I'm the grand-daughter of Deo

Tetsuro, who owns the Wanderer's Way. It's one of the best

resturaunts and bounty hunter haunts in this sector of the

galaxy." Kairi beamed happily, with no small amount of

pride of her grandfather's establishment. "I used to work

there as the head chef until Lady Misaki and Lady Funaho

had asked my grandfather's business to cater for a small

reception in the Royal Quarter. After they tasted a small

sampling of my food, they immediately demanded that I

become the Grand Chef for the Royal family. How could I

say no?" Ayeka, taking a bowl of the tree-leaf pudding

that Sasami had prepared for her, took a taste; the

textures and tastes of the dessert were vibrant, powerful,

and most of all.... delicious! In no short order, the bowl

was emptied of its contents; Kairi, Sasami, and Ryo-Ohki

did the same to the bowls that they had filled of the

dessert as well.

"Wow, you must really like your grandfather, Kairi."

Sasami mouthed through bites of pudding.

"This... is better than any dessert I've had thus

far." Ayeka declared, and placed the spoon back into the

bowl in a visibly satisfied fashion. Kairi raised an

eyebrow and shook her head slightly.

"Na, there's one thing better than this. I'm just

not going to talk about it with little ones running about."

The chef bantered. Ayeka, upon hearing the subtlety behind

Kairi's words, gave the biggest blush the elder princess

had ever smoldered on her face. Sasami, seeing this,

bunched up her lips and gave her 'I'm not a little girl!'

stance, with Ryo-Ohki mimicking her every move.

"I am old enough to hear all kinds of stuff!" Sasami

beseeched, still holding her pose.

"Yeah, all kinds of stuff!" Ryo-Ohki mewled out from

behind Sasami, in a perfect copy of the younger princess's

stance.

"You think so, huh? What's a fallopian tube?" Kairi

countered, looking at the younger princess with a teasing

face.

"A what-ian tube?" Sasami questioned, more than a bit

of confusion haunting her features. Kairi roared in

laughter, and patted Sasami on the shoulder. Ayeka

couldn't help but chuckle quietly, just to herself, at her

younger sister.

"Don't worry, kiddo. You'll find out when you're

older; right now, just worry 'bout catching butterflies and

playing pretend, okay?"

"Oh, okay.... but I still want to know about what's

better than tree-leaf pudding!" Sasami pouted, and began

spooning all of the pudding into a container to take with

her. "This stuff is the best!"

"Yeah, the best!" was the reply from Sasami's living

shadow. Ayeka nodded in silent agreement, and looked

toward Kairi to continue their conversation.

"Well, I am quite pleased that we have such a capable

chef feeding our family. Thank you very much for the meal,

and I hope to see you at the celebration tomorrow." Kairi

nodded in thanks. Sasami was busy spooning the remaining

portions of the pudding into a large sealable bowl while

Ryo-Ohki watched, licking her bowl clean and waiting for

her friend to finish.

"I'm glad that you enjoy my cooking. However, I'm

waiting for the rest of my staff to come in for tomorrow's

preparations of the feast following the celebration, so

I'll have to shoo you all out now. I'll see you all later,

okay?"

"Yup! See you later, Kairi!" Sasami chirped,

"Yeah, see you later!" Ryo-Ohki blurted out, waving

to the orange-haired chef as the two girls ran out of the

kitchen.

"Princess Ayeka, thank you for being so approving of

me. It means a lot; my grandfather would be proud." Kairi

spoke quietly, politely bowing to the elder princess.

"You are quite welcome, Grand Chef Tetsuro." Ayeka

spoke, using her most formal voice.

"Please, Princess Ayeka, just call me Kairi. I'm not

really used to so much formality, and besides," She said

with a friendly smile, "I hope that we can become good

friends." Ayeka gave a grateful smile in return.

"As do I. Kairi."