Chapter 5
There was a cold wind whipping across the gentle Juraian landscape that morning.
Sasami pulled her thick, finely woven cloak more tightly around her shoulders, stifling a shiver as she padded purposefully through the grasses and ferns towards the most sacred and restricted area of the Royal grounds. As she neared the ornate fencing that marked the boundary between common land and the sanctuary of the Royal Trees she paused, bowing her head and pushing her hands together as if in prayer.
For a moment, nothing moved. Then she let out a heavy sigh, walking forward and resting her hand on the big oaken gate. It swung smoothly back beneath her touch, and she set her teeth, slipping silently through the sleeping ground of some of the oldest trees on the planet Jurai.
As a tiny infant she had loved to play hide and seek here, often falling asleep curled in the roots of one or other of Tsunami's many children. But this time she was not here to play games. Her anxieties weighed heavily down over her as she continued forwards, only too aware that she had limited time to carry out her task.
Most of the household were still sleeping, but she knew that she would be missed as soon as they began to rouse, and she bit her lip. Her mother and father may have accepted her connection to Tsunami-kami-sama, but neither one of them liked it, and had all but forbidden her from actively seeking the Goddess's presence.
"But she's going to have to give me some answers, and this is the only place I can come and get her to speak plainly to me." She murmured sadly. "Even Ayeka doesn't understand, or she'd have realised how important it is that Jurai gets involved in this. I don't know who Tokimi is or why she really wants Tenchi, but I know that Jurai is a part of it and I need to know more. Ignoring Tsunami is a bad thing. Better I find out exactly what she knows as soon as I can…then I can start telling people and everything will work out and go back to normal again."
With that thought pushing her onwards, she passed by the austere, forbidding shadows of her parents' tree-ships, hesitating for a moment at the empty space where Ayeka's ship, Ryu Oh had once slept. Then, out of the corner of her eye, she caught sight of a glistening, shimmering dance of light and she turned, Ryu Oh's exile forgotten as she gazed fully upon the Tree of Life.
Tsunami's tree was the tallest in the Royal Forest, her rich green foliage spreading out over the boughs of her children and casting a mottled shadows across their leaves and the ground below as she surged taller and stronger towards the vibrant Jurai sun. At Sasami's approach, she sent out another bevy of strong iridescent light beams, and Sasami stepped forwards, holding out her hands to touch the rain-like rays as they glittered towards the ground.
"Hello, Tsunami." She said softly. "It's me. Sasami. I've come to talk with you."
"Yes, Sasami-chan." The voice was soft and echoey, barely more than a whisper on the wind that still whipped through Sasami's hair, but as she watched the trunk of the old, strong tree began to haze and reform into the image of a woman. "I wondered when you would come here."
"I need to know what's going on." Sasami frowned, folding her arms across her chest. "Tsunami, I thought we came to an agreement after everything that happened with Kagato. You promised me that this was my life to live and that I would always be Sasami. How can I be that if you're always making me see funny dreams? I already don't feel like the Sasami I was before I took your ship to Earth to find Tenchi. Are you ever going to leave me alone?"
"You of all people should know that such a divide is impossible." Tsunami's ghostly form shook her head regretfully, sadness in her eyes. "You are Sasami, Princess of Jurai, but part of you is also part of me. It has always been that way, Sasami-chan. You are my sister…we are united through everything that we do."
"Ayeka is my sister!" Sasami exclaimed. "And that's all! I can't always be your messenger! I want to be a little girl again – why won't you let me do that? What's so important this time that you have to interfere in my life all over again?"
"When Karasu's rocket fired a blast into my ship, you took the force of that blow. We took the injury together, and neither one of us was destroyed." Tsunami spoke gently, reaching out a hand and despite herself, Sasami was drawn to meet her fingers, feeling a buzz of energy beneath the wisened wood. "Didn't you stop to think about that? From the moment you were born, Sasami, you shared your life with me. Did you never wonder why you had no Royal Tree till now? Ayeka had Ryu Oh when she was very small. Yet you borrowed ships belonging to your father's fleet – and never bonded to any."
"I don't have the Jurai Power like Ayeka does." Sasami responded. "And I'm not Crown Princess! I didn't need a spaceship until now!"
She sighed.
"I wish I hadn't taken yours, sometimes. Now I'm worried about Tenchi and I'm frightened because of the things you made me see and nobody is listening to me! They don't want to believe that I'm talking to you and it's driving me away from my family! Tsunami, this isn't fair! How can I be your heir if I don't have the Jurai Power?"
"You are impatient to know everything." Tsunami chided. "And know it all at once. Right now, there are more important things than your relationship to me. As we grow, you will understand better how we are connected in all things, and you won't be afraid. But Tokimi's actions cannot be ignored. She is a threat to us, Sasami-chan. To you and I as we now are…and to your world of Jurai, that you love so much."
Sasami sighed, settling herself down on a straggling tree root as she gazed up at her ghostly companion.
"I'm not supposed to do things like this." She objected. "Even Ayeka doesn't have to think about saving Jurai all the time! Why do I?"
"Because you are me, and I am you. We are connected. That's why."
"Then un-connect us." Sasami begged. "At least until I'm older."
There was a long silence, and Sasami thought she saw tears glittering in the Goddess's eyes. She frowned, biting down hard on her lip.
"Tsunami?" She murmured.
"I can't change what's already been done." Tsunami said softly. "You don't understand. You come here to talk to me, but really, you talk to yourself. I am you, Sasami-chan. To part us would be to destroy us both. We can't be divided. We are one."
"To…myself?" Sasami looked confused. "But you're a tree…and a spaceship…and I can see you. You're older than me! And you…you're a Goddess…a spirit of the planet!"
"You've read the prophesies. You know that my coming was predicted by seers centuries before you were born." Tsunami replied carefully. "Did you never stop to consider the fact that from the moment you drew your first breath, you were destined to become Tsunami-sama? Oh, not in name – but in heart and in deed? You bear my appearance, Sasami-chan. You are my true descendant, even though I had no children in my life to pass my bloodline on to. You are a child of the planet Jurai, and that is why you exist. Jurai needs you and so do I. This is who you were always meant to be."
Sasami swallowed hard.
"What are you telling me?" She whispered. "That even before I was born, I was going to become you?"
"Exactly that." Tsunami's lips twitched into a faint, affectionate smile. "You are so much younger than Ayeka, Sasami-chan…and your parents did not intend on having a second child. Ayeka was gifted with the Jurai Power and bringing her into this world spent much of Misaki-denka's energy. You were born because I needed you to be. That is why you don't have the Jurai Power. You would never need it. What I will give you will be far greater than anything an Emperor of Jurai can wield. You are the spirit of Jurai, in your good nature and your zest for life. And because of that, I can speak to and help my people against threats to their survival. Isn't that what happened against Kagato, after all? Without you and I, Sasami-chan, Kagato-dono would have won."
"When I saw you in the future, you had taken over my body and I wasn't allowed to feel for myself." Sasami said bitterly. "I don't want that destiny, Tsunami. I don't want to lose myself in becoming you, just because you want me to. I want a choice…don't I even get that?"
"When we are one, Sasami, it will be by your will, not by mine." Tsunami shook her head. "I remain here, separating myself from you, because you are not ready to accept me yet. The future world from which I sent Nozomi no longer exists. The timeline has changed. You will not be forced to accept assimilation with me – on any terms. You are Sasami as well as Tsunami. I would not take that life from you."
Sasami eyed the Goddess warily for a moment, then she sighed.
"Do you promise?" She asked at length. Tsunami nodded.
"I swear it to you on the Heart of all Jurai." She agreed solemnly. "By yourself, you are already hope enough for this world. With my magic, you will be the one to protect it. And that is why you must heed me now. Tokimi is a danger to us all, and she must be stopped."
"All right." Sasami rested her chin in her hands, gazing up at the tree in resignation. "Then who is this Tokimi? She's not from Jurai, is she?"
"No, she is not. She is the Priestess of a planet called Kihaku, many light years to the south west of Jurai."
"Then what has she got to do with us? Why do you show me pictures of her? I thought you could only touch the children of Jurai that way."
"My telepathy and precognition connects me to all of my children." Tsunami agreed. "But your heart helps me to reach out to others, also. Those you have connection with are also within my sphere, now. And besides, Kihaku and Jurai share a history. Once, Kihaku was a colony of Jurai. The landscape is still littered with the empty shells of abandoned settlements and the hollow tree-stumps of my dead descendants. The pictures I showed you were from a time when Jurai's residency there was at it's peak."
"Those I have connection with?" Sasami frowned, then, "But that's crazy. I never heard Tokimi's name until you put it into my dreams. And wait a minute – did you say Kihaku was a colony of Jurai? But…did Juraians do all of that? You showed me it being destroyed! Was that our fault?"
"It's complicated." Tsunami admitted. "You already know that Tokimi is connected to Kihaku the way that I am connected to Jurai."
"So we did hurt her planet." Sasami looked troubled. "Tsunami, I didn't know people from Jurai could do anything so mean to another planet! I thought we always helped other worlds, not hurt them! Why would we do something like that, and take away all of those people's lives?"
"Jurai's invasion did not cause the natural disasters you saw in the mirror pool." Tsunami said thoughtfully. "But their invasion of Kihaku did bring unrest among the ruling class. Tokimi was – or maybe is – the planet's surviving Priestess, and her soul is tied to that of her world. The angrier she becomes, the angrier her world becomes and vice versa. It is a vicious cycle. Maybe it was begun by the greed of Jurai settlers to steal mineral resources from Kihaku and give nothing in return. Maybe it was antagonised by the settlers' faith in me over the native spirit. Maybe it was Tokimi's own rage. It's hard to say. But storms still rage there as long as hate burns in Tokimi's heart."
"I see." Sasami mulled this over for a moment, her eyes shadowed. "So if you were to get really, really mad at someone, Tsunami, would all of those things happen to Jurai? And what about if I do? Because if I'm you and you're me…could I kill everyone here just by being upset?"
"No." Tsunami shook her head. "To begin with, it isn't in your nature. I know you better than you probably know yourself, and I know that you could never inflict such pain on anyone, no matter how angry you became. And, perhaps more importantly, I am blood of this world, and you are blood to me. Tokimi is not blood to her world. She was never meant to be the Priestess of Kihaku. That honour was forced upon her and she was not prepared to handle it. That's all."
"And now she's after Tenchi?"
"Tenchi is in danger so long as Tokimi pursues him, knowing that he is a Prince of Jurai and that, in his battle with Kagato, he used my magic to triumph." Tsunami agreed. "Sasami-chan, Jurai must become involved in this before it's too late. Tenchi-sama is no match for a crazed Goddess such as Tokimi, even a false goddess. And the Earth has no defences to speak of. I fear the outcome, if we do not play a part in this. I'm afraid you must once more carry my word to the Emperor."
"Do you think Uncle Azusa will listen to me?" Sasami looked doubtful. "He might believe that we're connected, but he and Mother and Father still think they can protect me and he wouldn't like it if he knew I'd come here to speak to you like this. He'd more likely be cross - and even Ayeka said there wasn't enough information to act on. She at least believes in me. Tsunami, why can't you speak to him yourself? Maybe he'd listen to you."
"I can't." Tsunami shook her head. "Only you can see my form within this tree. I can bless the others, but I cannot speak to them. I can only speak to you, because we are connected."
"You spoke to Nozomi!" Sasami objected. Tsunami sent her companion a gentle, affectionate smile.
"Nozomi was sent here by my magic, to obey my wishes." She corrected gently. "She was outside of this time - operating purely on my instruction. That's the only reason why she was able to speak to me like this. She was my messenger...my magic preserved her life and kept her heart beating until she had served my purpose here. That's all."
"So you did send her here to die!"
"Nozomi's existance doesn't rest in my hands." Tsunami shrugged her shoulders, a smile on her face. "So you know that that's a futile question. I sent her here to help save Jurai and she did so. You must not concern yourself with her fate. If she is meant to be, she will be...and that is all there is to it. It's far too soon a time to know the answer, one way or another."
"What about Tenchi?" Sasami frowned, her brows knitting together as she ran over the options in his mind. "Uncle listens to him. Could he speak to you? He did make Light Hawk Wings so he does have some of your magic. Could he try?"
"Tenchi-sama is not here."
"No, but if he was to be?"
"I don't know." Tsunami admitted. "Lord Tenchi has never tried to speak to me like this, and in some ways he is an enigma even to me. He is part Earthling, and that part of him is concealed from me. I don't know the answer to your question, Sasami-chan. I don't know if he can speak to me the way you can."
"And I thought you were supposed to know everything."
"Sarcasm is Ryoko's defence, Sasami. Not yours." Tsunami chided gently, and Sasami frowned, running her fingers through her thick loose hair in her agitation.
"I'm sorry." She said slowly. "But it all seems so much. I'm just a kid, Tsunami - just one kid!"
"You're the spirit of this world, and you will understand more as you grow what that means." Tsunami assured her gently. "For now, know only that I need you and so does Jurai. Do you have faith in me to protect this planet?"
"Of course." Sasami looked surprised, nodding her head. "The trouble is, you always find such crazy ways to do it and people I care about wind up in trouble."
"If you think about that, you'll realise the logic behind it." Tsunami smiled. "But there is time enough for those things. For now, just speaking to Ayeka-dono and the Emperor will be enough to start the ball rolling."
"There's nothing else you can tell me about Tokimi?" Sasami asked at length. "In my dream there was a man and another girl - are they important too? Are they working with her also? Or...why did you show me that scene? It must mean something. They always have before."
"The man was Priest of Kihaku, before he died and Tokimi inherited his coronet." Tsunami responded. "And the other girl was his daughter...the heiress of Kihaku and the one who should have become Priestess in his stead. I'm surprised that you ask me these questions, though, Sasami-chan. I would have thought that you needed no explanation."
"Why not?" Sasami looked mystified. "I don't know these people and I've never heard of Kihaku! Why would I know anything about the people from a planet which died out..."
She faltered, as shards of another conversation flitted unbidden into her head, and her eyes became big with surprise.
"A planet that died out because of colonisation and invasion." She whispered, staring up at the Tree as comprehension flooded her expression. "Tsunami, how many forms can one person have? And why is it that so many of your fears, warnings or hopes lead back to the same root source?"
Tsunami's smile widened, and she spread her hands out in front of her as beams of light littered the forest floor once more. Then, in a moment, the light faded and the tree was just a tree again, the human form disappearing back into the hard, wrinkled wood. Sasami got to her feet, putting her hand to the trunk, but there was no answering light show, and she sighed, leaning back against it as she contemplated what she had learnt.
"I wish she'd stop answering one question and giving me seven more." She muttered. "If we're going to be one person one day, she could at least stop keeping secrets from me now. And how can I go to Uncle Azusa and demand he get involved in something which I don't even understand completely myself? My head hurts...this is so confusing!"
"Lady Sasami?"
At the sound of the voice Sasami turned, consternation flooding her features as she registered the fact she was no longer alone.
"Kamidake." She murmured. The knight bowed his head respectfully, approaching the princess and standing a few feet from her as he gazed up into the branches of the Royal Tree.
"Did she give you words of wisdom, Sasami-denka?" He asked softly. Sasami looked startled.
"How did you know I came to speak to her?" She demanded. Kamidake sent her a crooked smile.
"Because I am very familiar with the legend of Tsunami, my Princess." He said simply. "When Azaka and I served the Emperor, so many years ago, those myths and legends were the most popular ones to be told. In a time of strife, all Juraians hope to hear Tsunami's heart beating again, and to see the Goddess come to their aid. But she never has, until now. She's slept a long time, hasn't she?"
"Did Ayeka tell you something about Tsunami and I?" Sasami looked confused. "I don't think I...did I?"
Kamidake laughed, shaking his head at her confusion.
"I'm not a simpleton. I can see the signs as well as any other citizen of this planet." He assured her. "Besides, Azaka and I have always known there would be a second coming of the Goddess. When we relinquished our spirits and went into deep sleep, we were protected by Tsunami and preserved so we could wake again to serve the next Emperor who needed us. We knew that, when this happened, it would be in an hour of great need. I did not know at first that it was you, Sasami-hime, but I suspected it might be. The castles in which we trained and swore allegiance to our captains and our Kings were swathed in tapestries and images of Tsunami-kami-sama. You look a lot like her...it was too close to be a coincidence. And now...I am sure."
"But I look like my mother." Sasami faltered. "Why didn't you think she was Tsunami?"
Kamidake was silent for a while, then he smiled, spreading his hands.
"I have every respect for Lady Misaki." He said softly. "But she is not you."
Sasami fell silent at this, a frown touching her pretty face.
"Then you knew I was gone from my room this morning? And you followed me here?"
"I didn't follow you, but yes, I knew you had gone." Kamidake nodded his head. "I knew you had that dream the other night, Sasami-hime...and I heard you talking aloud before you screamed. I thought you were talking in your sleep - but when I heard you yell I came to make sure you were all right. You looked like you were...not of this world. And so I knew it was Tsunami reaching out to you again. Like she did before."
"Father has tried to hard to keep it within the family." Sasami raised her face to his gentle one, offering him a slight smile. "But I don't think I mind that you know, Kamidake. After all, you are there to protect us, like you said."
She turned, casting a glance back towards the entrance of the forest.
"I should get back, before someone else notices I'm gone and raises the alarm." She added. "They won't all know to look for me here, and it's somewhere I'd rather Father and Mother didn't find me. I know I need to speak to Uncle and to Ayeka again, because Tsunami asked me to. But I have to work it out in my own head first. I don't understand everything she tells me, Kamidake, or why...but I think it means Jurai is in danger. And that means I have to do something - even if I don't understand yet what."
"I will accompany you back to the Palace." Kamidake said quietly. "If anybody should question your early rising, perhaps we can tell them you took a walk, and I came with you to ensure your safety in the grounds."
"Thank you, Kamidake." Relief touched Sasami's face. "Yes. It's not a complete lie and if you're with me, they won't be so worried. After all, you've almost become my personal guardian in the last few weeks - ever since I went sleep-walking into the royal vault, in fact. Father wouldn't object to me getting up early so long as he thought you were looking after me."
"Then so it shall be." Kamidake made his bow to the princess again, but Sasami laughed at his formality, taking him playfully by the hand and pulling him towards the entrance to the forest.
"I feel better, now I'm not alone and the clouds are starting to clear." She said decidedly. "And maybe Ayeka will have a way to convince Uncle, if I tell her everything that Tsunami told me. She's smart, and Uncle listens to her because she's grown up and Crown Princess now. She'll know what to say...and then everything will be all right!"
