AN: Happy Days, folks! Thank you for your reviews, I'll try to make this story worthy of them! Let's cut the chit-chat and get down to it then.

Chapter 5: What, Strange Hair?

Everyone agreed that explanations should be given, but Ryoshu asked his 'rescuers' to remove their Safe Suits before they talked anymore. "Juraians prefer technology that utilizes the natural/organic aspects of the universe. Speaking to two people wrapped in plastic and metal make me kind of queasy," he explained. It wasn't a difficult decision for Amariah and Craven to make considering that they'd been sealed in their uncomfortable Suits for longer than they'd have liked and that their scans had produced nothing harmful in the ship's atmosphere. It was a relief when Amariah cracked the seal that held her helmet in place and cool, fresh air rushed in to caress her face. She bent over to sling her hair free from the helmet and Ryoshu gasped.

"What is it," she asked not unkindly. The boy, he couldn't have been more than twelve, blushed and grimaced with embarrassment.

"Sorry...it's just that I've never anybody with hair like that before."

"Said the boy with girlishly long, pink hair..." muttered Craven under his breath. Amariah whacked him on the arm and looked to see if the boy had heard the small joke. Obviously, by the way his blush had turned from light pink to deep rose, he had.

"Don't sweat it, Ryo," she grinned at the boy before she made an overdramatic fluffing movement with her hair. It fell in a spiky cascade of blazing oranges and reds down to a point just past her knees and despite her willy-nilly movements, it stayed in relatively the same shape. "Few people outside of the tiny country of Windom on a planet far, far away have ever laid eyes upon hair like mine. The stylists who've tried to recreate it have dubbed my unique style, 'The Falling Flame.' Not really original, but then, they were trying to copy something anyway."

"If you think Amariah's was surprising, get a load of mine." Craven's hair had been the envy of all of the Court ladies in both of their Kingdoms. Like water, his deep blue, wavy hair flowed down to just past his shoulders, where it sparkled despite the ship's dim lighting.

"Wow," Ryoshu enthused. "Jurai has never had people with hair like yours!" Amariah was slightly shocked to see the kid's eyes tear up a little.

"What's wrong, Ryo?" The young boy wiped at his eyes and tried to make light of his reaction.

"Oh, it's nothing," he laughed. "It's just nice to know that Tsunami wasn't just trying to make me feel better when she said that Jurai was only a tiny part of the Universe, and that people who thought that hair should be limited to straightened purple, teal, or black were just small minded." Amariah surprised everyone when she leaned over and hugged the young prince. When she let him go, Ryoshu was again blushing, but he didn't look unhappy at all. "Why'd you do that?" Craven shared a look with his friend and answered for her with what they both felt.

"That was because it seems that despite the Universe being huge, some things will remain the same."

"Huh?" The two pirates just smiled and finished removing their Suits. Ryoshu darted out of Tsunami's cathedral, but quickly returned with some cushions to sit on.

"Thanks, Ryo!"

"I like that, Amariah. The way you shorten my name, I mean." They shared a smile before flopping onto the cushions among Tsunami's roots. The tree herself beamed a message at Ryoshu which he quickly translated for his two new friends.

"Tsunami says that she's going to tell you our story herself and that you should try to relax."

"Wha-" Craven had no more time speak before his vision went completely dark.

AN: Yay! Another chapter completed. Remember for the next chapter that this is way before Sasami and Tsunami melded. Stick around for the next one for sure!