Chapter Three
The Gallery was empty that afternoon.
As Suki made her way cautiously along the arched hallways, she glanced idly at the images that adorned the walls, her heart heavy. The last conversation she had had with her brother echoed forebodingly in her mind.
"Whatever it takes to protect the Tennan family." She whispered, pausing in front of an old, gilt-framed portrait with a sigh. "I wish I understood. Seiryo's homecoming should have been so happy - and now I don't know what I feel. That perhaps ten years has been a long time, and maybe I don't know him so well as I might."
She locked gazes with the painted figure before her, meeting his unflinching malachite eyes with her own sad aqua ones. Dressed in the ornate, ancient robes of an Old Era councillor, Suki knew that he had been the then Emperor's right hand man and his ally in all that he did. He had laid the foundations for her whole dynasty and the powerbase that they had once held. As a child she had been taught to revere him and hold his name in the highest esteem - almost like a God who walked among men. Now, however, she saw him in a new light. Did those flecks of dark ochre indicate ruthlessness in his eyes? Was that line across his brow simply a sign of the painting's age, or was it an indication of an unyielding character, who had taken first and asked questions later?
"I wish I knew." She murmured. "Is my family's honour always based on lies and violence? Am I just another Tennan with blood on my hand? Is that the curse of our whole line in our constant search for power?"
"Lady Suki?"
The voice was soft-spoken, but Suki visibly jumped, starting guiltily as she realised she had company. She turned, meeting the sombre gaze of the younger Princess of Jurai and her heart skipped in her chest. Had the girl overheard her berating herself out loud? Had she followed her here? Or was it mere coincidence, meeting in the deserted halls of the Gallery at an hour when noone else was normally around?
For a moment, they just stared at one another. Then Suki remembered her manners and belatedly she bowed her head, cheeks flushing red as she realised how rude she must have first appeared.
"Sasami-hime." She murmured, fighting to pull together the shards of her shattered composure. "I'm sorry. I was lost in thought and I didn't realise that I had company."
"I didn't mean to startle you." Sasami offered a contrite smile. "I thought the Gallery would be empty, while Uncle and Ayeka are in session with the Council."
She grimaced.
"Usually the only people who come here are Councillors reliving family glory days or foreign dignitaries in my Father's company." She added. "But today you and I both came to visit our ancestors at the same time. Isn't it funny?"
Suki managed to return the smile, nodding her head.
"Great minds think alike, so my mother always says." She agreed.
Sasami gazed up at the painting, a thoughtful look in her eyes.
"You'll think me very stupid, but I'm afraid I don't know his name." She said apologetically. "So many pictures hang here and this is a very old one. I can tell he's a Tennan, though. He has the same eyes as your Lord brother does. I can see the family resemblance."
"Yes." Suki looked wistful. "So can I. His name was Senichi Tennan, Sasami-hime. He's a very, very old ancestor of mine, but perhaps the most important of all to any member of my family. He was the trusted friend and agent of Kings - a long time before either you or I were born."
"Kings who were my ancestors, perhaps." Sasami suggested. Suki nodded.
"I expect so."
"Was he a great man then, your ancestor?" Curiosity sparkled in Sasami's crimson eyes, and despite herself, Suki found herself put at ease by the youthful inquisitiveness. Sasami-hime was, she reminded herself, still just a child, even if she was the niece of the Emperor.
"I always believed so." She agreed now. "He was a fierce and brave soldier, a skilled tactician and negotiator and a born leader. He was Council Elder for many, many years, and brought the Tennan family to their current position and beyond in Juraian society. He led Juraians across space on Imperial orders and conquered in the name of Tsunami and his homeworld. Yes, Sasami-hime. He was a great man."
"But maybe not always a nice one." Sasami said pensively. Suki eyed her sharply, wondering if she had underestimated the girl at her side, and the princess shrugged.
"Great historical men aren't always nice people." She said with a grin. "Women too. My studies have taught me that. But Jurai probably owes him a whole lot."
"And I owe him my family's honour and standing." Suki said quietly. "To remain a major Council family even though we lack all forms of magic, or a blood bond with Tsunami's line. That's his legacy to us...the status of our family."
"Are you thinking of your father?" Sasami asked gently. Suki sighed, then nodded.
"Every day I think about him." She admitted unsteadily, absently touching her mourning robes as she did so. "I wish he was still here, Sasami-hime. But I can't...he can't...it's too late."
"I'm sorry." Sasami rested a gentle hand on the girl's arm and once again Suki had the impression she was speaking to someone much older than the child who stood before her. "I didn't mean to be insensitive."
"You're not." Suki managed a wan smile. "Not much else is in my thoughts these days, anyhow. That and my brother's safety...while he risks his life for the Galaxy Police."
"Yes, of course." Sasami nodded.
She fell silent for a moment, eying the painting carefully. Then she lifted a hand to touch the edge of the canvas.
"What are these?" She asked softly. "These symbols at his feet. What do they mean?"
"Each of them represents a world Senichi-dono conquered in Jurai's name." Suki shrugged. She lifted a slender finger, indicating each in turn. "Yubisu. Hotaru. Shiwase. Sentori..."
"And Kihaku." Sasami's face became chalky white and she fingered the final image gingerly. "The eagle's feather - I knew I'd seen it before. Just like on the priest's cape...the brooch he wore! This is the badge of Kihaku, isn't it?"
"Yes, it is." Suki looked confused at the sudden change in her companion's demeanour. "But how did you know that? Kihaku has been dead for generations. Only the Tennan family keep the memory alive, because of family honour."
"No, not just the Tennan family." Sasami looked troubled.
"Sasami-hime? Are you unwell?" Suki gazed at the girl anxiously, and Sasami seemed to pull herself together, shaking her head.
"No." She said finally. "I'm sorry. I'm all right. It's just...I know what happened on Kihaku. When it...when they all...died. And...I didn't know that it was your family who conquered it, that's all. I had no idea the Tennan family were so old as that."
"One of the oldest families on this planet...perhaps the oldest, debarring your own line." Suki spread her hands. "But I don't understand..."
"It's nothing." Sasami shook her head. She managed a smile, slipping her hand into her companion's. "Will you walk with me, Lady Suki? Out in the gardens? This place is dusty and full of old, dead people. No wonder noone comes here. There are no flowers or lakes or trees to look at."
"If you want me to." Suki nodded, eying the girl's still peaky face with concern. "But are you sure you're not ill? You've gone very pale."
"Some fresh air will help. I've always preferred being outdoors." Sasami assured her.
"Sasami-hime, why did you come to the Gallery this afternoon?" Suki asked curiously. Sasami smiled.
"I came to see the pictures." She admitted. "To find Azaka and Kamidake and see which Emperor they fought for. But I couldn't find their paintings. I know that Grandfather had some pictures put in storage when he became King of Jurai, so he could better honour those who served him loyally during their and his lifetime. I suppose at that time the two knights seemed like just a legend. He didn't know they were real."
"Do you believe in legends?" Suki asked quietly. "And myths, too?"
"I believe in legends." Sasami agreed. "My tutors always taught me that legends are history with embellishments. Myths are stories with bits of fact glued on to the edges just to make them sound good. But legends are real things...they just get changed, over time."
"I think so too." Suki sighed. "Ever since the resurrection of the two knights, I've believed in those kinds of things more and more. But Seiryo never has and Father always discouraged it. Seiryo doesn't even believe in Tsunami. Not that she's a real being, I mean...just that she's a name people give the magic your family are all born with. He thinks it's a lot of rubbish...and when bad things happen on Jurai, I wonder if he's right."
She blushed, looking embarrassed as she remembered who she was talking to.
"I'm sorry, Sasami-hime. I didn't mean to cast a slur on your family."
"It's all right." Sasami shook her head. "You didn't mean it that way. And I understand. A lot of people feel that way."
"Thank you for understanding." Suki bit her lip.
"You miss Seiryo-san very much, don't you?" Sasami asked. Suki nodded.
"Yes, I do." She said sadly. "Although I should be used to it by now. He was sent away when I was seven and it was the worst thing in the world. I cried for weeks. He's older than me by about as many years as Ayeka-hime is older than you - and I've always looked up to him. When I was small, he'd make time for me over everything. He was my closest confidant - and he still is. My best friend. The one I trust above all others to look after me and make sure I'm safe."
"That's what a big brother or sister should do, though." Sasami said simply. "I feel the same about Ayeka. But I didn't know Seiryo-dono was sent away."
Suki looked stricken, her hand flying to her mouth.
"Oh! I didn't mean..." She faltered, then she sighed. "Well, what does it matter now? Father is dead, and he won't get to hear of it. He and Seiryo-oniichan didn't always see eye to eye. Father thought it would be better all round if they had space from one another and so sent his son to train with the Galaxy Police. But Seiryo is good at it...one of the best there's ever been. So he stayed. He only came back now because...because...because of Mother."
She bit her lip.
"Because I asked him to, although he'd never admit it to anyone outside the family." She added unwillingly. "Because we both know Mother is dying, and I didn't want it to happen before he got to say goodbye."
Sasami's crimson eyes softened and she squeezed her companion's hand reassuringly.
"Seiryo-dono's home is Jurai. He'll come home again soon." She said seriously. "When he's caught your father's killer."
There was a long silence, as Suki fought against her tears, and Sasami did not press her for a response. They walked together in quiet companionship for a while, both deep in thought as they headed across the palace grounds towards the silvery stream that ran through the land. As they reached the water's edge, however, Sasami turned to her older companion, flashing her a warm smile.
"I've never really talked to you before, and it's a shame." She said pensively, as she settled herself on the grass with little regard for her long skirts. "You're closer to my own age than most of the young girls about the court, even if you are older than me. And I don't know that many of the others, not really. Father's always been a bit protective of both Ayeka and I...but especially me. I'm the baby, after all."
"Your father is a very conscientious man." Suki said thoughtfully, hesitating and then dropping to the ground also, crossing her legs as she idly trailed the tips of her fingers in the speeding current. "I think he shared a tutor with my father - they were friends, a long time ago."
"I didn't know that." Sasami looked surprised. Then she grinned. "But it makes sense. My Uncle trusted your father a good deal, I know that. And at one time, I think Father wanted Ayeka to marry Lord Seiryo. I don't know why it didn't happen. I suppose it just didn't work out that way...Ayeka was still only a kid at the time, anyway."
"Yes." Suki paused, then, "And now Azusa-heika will have to learn to trust Seiryo, too. When my brother finally returns home."
"Are you lonely, Suki-kyou?" Sasami asked gently. Suki looked startled, then she nodded.
"Very, with him away." She admitted, her cheeks pinkening at the admission. "I've never been good at making friends, and recently it's all been so difficult."
"Well, there's always me." Sasami grinned, holding out a hand, and after a moment, Suki took it, shaking it firmly.
"All right." She agreed. "It's been nice talking to you. Your sister...she's very proper and official, and I'm a little afraid of her. She's the Crown Princess and even though I can see she's kind and sympathetic, her status makes me afraid. But you don't seem...you seem different. I don't want to offend you, Sasami-hime...but you seem less that way."
"I'm not Crown Princess." Sasami shrugged her shoulders. "It makes a difference. And Ayeka's always been better at those Crown Princess things than me anyway. She understands a lot more than me about court ritual sometimes. I think a lot of it is so boring."
She sighed.
"Sometimes I wish I wasn't a princess." She admitted, and Suki saw a faint shadow in her companion's eyes. "It seems so complicated."
"All life is complicated." Suki said frankly. "Especially on Planet Jurai."
Sasami nodded, stretching out on her front as she rested her chin in her hands, gazing down into the fast-moving stream.
"But it all seems a lot less crazy when you're out here with the trees and the grass." She decided. "Don't you think so? Nobody to tell you what to do or who to be or what to wear. Just you and the elements. You could do anything you wanted to do on a day like this. Or go anywhere. The universe is bigger than Planet Jurai and I want to see as much of it as I can. Don't you?"
"I'm a little scared of leaving Jurai." Suki admitted. "I did go to see Seiryo-oniichan at Headquarters the other day and that was far enough for me."
"I'm sure he was glad to see you."
"He was very busy." Suki bit her lip. "And I shouldn't really visit him when he's working. But..."
She shrugged.
"Oh well. I'm home now and Mother needs me." She said practically. "So here I stay."
She paused, then,
"Mother believes in the Goddess and always has." She added. "I know your family has her magic, Sasami-hime, but do you believe in her? I mean really? Do you think Tsunami is real, beyond Jurai's own power?"
Sasami was silent for a moment, then,
"With all of my heart." She agreed softly, reaching down to trace an idle line in the racing current. "I know she's real. And that she loves Jurai, more than any other world in the entire universe."
Suki opened her mouth to respond, but as she did so, she caught sight of the rippling reflection on the surface of the water and she gasped, her heart stilling in her chest as she took in the illusion before her.
"Oh no..." She whispered, shuffling back from the edge. "What have I done? I've offended her and now she's come to haunt me!"
"Lady Suki?" Sasami turned, staring at her companion in confusion. "What do you mean? Who's come to haunt you?"
Suki raised a trembling finger, pointing at the water, and Sasami turned back, her brows knitting together.
"Don't you see her?" Suki fought against her rising panic, struggling to her feet. "She knows and she's come to hunt me down. She heard what I said and now...but she knows, doesn't she? That's why she's here! They say nothing is a secret from Tsunami, that she watches all of our souls. It's true and now she's come for me!"
Sasami chewed on her lip, reaching up to grab her companion's hand, pulling her back down to the grass.
"Tell me what you see." She said softly.
"Tsunami-kami-sama!" Suki breathed, unable to tear her gaze away from the reflection. "In the water...am I mad, Sasami-hime? Am I seeing delusions now? I keep dreaming of retribution so much now I'm seeing it all around me. But she looks so real...so much like Mama's tapestries..."
"Shh." Sasami slipped a gentle arm around her shoulders. "You're not mad or imagining things. I see her too."
"I don't understand." Suki's tone became increasingly agitated as she struggled to release herself from Sasami's grip. "Why aren't you alarmed?"
"Because I've seen her before. She won't hurt you." Sasami said with a shrug. "I didn't know that you'd be able to see her, Suki-kyou. So far only members of my family have done."
"But she is there?"
"Yes. She's there."
"But why? How? Is it a spell? Witchcraft? Or...?" Suki trailed off, going even whiter as a new idea occured to her. She pulled her hand from her companion's cool grip, staring at her in wary dismay.
"Where is your reflection, Sasami-hime?" She whispered. "Why do you reflect Jurai's goddess, instead of your own face?"
Sasami was silent for a moment. Then she sighed.
"I reflect my own face." She said reluctantly. "It's Sasami you see in the water. Sasami, Princess of Jurai."
Suki swallowed against the bile that rose in her throat.
"That's not possible." She managed at length. "It's Tsunami's reflection...it's a grown woman and the image of the Goddess! Why does she come if not to torment me for what I've done? Sasami-hime, you must help me...I have noone I can trust in, and I'm scared. I'm so scared!"
Sasami got carefully to her feet, dusting her dress down and then reaching out to pull her companion upright also.
"We'll walk away from here." She said quietly. "I'm sorry. I didn't know you would see her, or I wouldn't have brought you to the stream to sit. Father doesn't like me to talk about her...especially not outside the family. I didn't mean to scare you."
Suki swallowed again, staring at her young companion as she struggled to digest the princess's words.
"There is a legend." She said unsteadily. "That when Jurai needs her, Tsunami will walk once more among men. When I was a little girl, my tutor taught me to write by making me copy out the passages time after time, from one of Mother's old books on the Goddess. There is such a legend, isn't there? The story exists?"
"Yes, it does." Sasami nodded her head, all levity gone from her crimson eyes.
"And that her guardians would be there to guide and protect her when she did." Suki whispered. "The two knights. Azaka and Kamidake."
Sasami did not answer, and Suki fought to control her rising hysteria.
"The book gave another name for Tsunami." She added shakily. "It was written by an old scribe whose dialect was poor and who interchanged her name, often misspelling it. At times he called her...he called her Sasami. I always thought your Father named you after the Goddess, because it was another name she had once been called and to name you Tsunami would have been considered blasphemic. But...but..."
She faltered, unable to say any more. Her knees suddenly felt weak, and she walked a few paces away from the stream, leaning up against the trunk of a nearby tree.
"You are the Goddess come again, aren't you?" She managed finally. "You are Tsunami-kami-sama...in human flesh! That's why you came to me in the Gallery...to make me speak about things I must never speak of!"
"I am not Tsunami." Sasami said carefully. She paused, then sighed. "At least...not yet."
"Not...yet?" Suki eyed her companion warily, and Sasami nodded.
"I'm not fully grown yet. There are a lot of things I need to know." She agreed. "But...when I am grown..."
She left the sentence hanging, and Suki swallowed hard.
"Have you come to punish me?" She whispered. "I will do whatever penance you ask, I swear it...only Mother must never know. It would kill her...and Seiryo would be angry with me if he knew."
Confusion flooded the young princess's face at this, and she shook her head.
"I don't understand." She said honestly. "Punish you for what? I only spoke to you because you were alone in the Gallery and you looked like you could use a friend. I don't want to hurt you or your mother or your brother. Your family has been through enough with your father's sudden death, and...Lady Suki?"
For Suki's fragile emotional defences came down at this final mention of her dead father, tears spilling down her cheeks as she dropped to her knees on the grass. She raised hopeless, desperate aqua eyes to the Princess's, grasping the girl's hand tightly as she did so.
"Please don't kill me." She begged. "I didn't mean it...I didn't mean it!"
"You didn't mean what?" Sasami stared. "Lady Suki, what on earth is the matter?"
Suki drew a ragged, gasping breath of air into her lungs, feeling light-headed and nauseous as panic ruled her senses.
"Father." She managed. "Tsunami-sama, please, forgive me!"
Sasami hesitated for a moment, then crouched at the girl's side, putting an arm around her shaking shoulders. This only seemed to elicit more sobs from the distraught noblewoman, who found herself unable to check her emotions once they had begun to spill out. Fear began to take second place to desperation and guilt and she clung to her companion, burying her head in the young princess's shoulder.
"It was me." She choked out. "I killed him. Not pirates or bandits. It was me."
Sasami tensed, and Suki raised her hopeless gaze to her young comforter.
"I didn't mean to." She added brokenly. "He was going to kill Seiryo. He had his sword at Seiryo's throat and I..I just grabbed the first thing I could. I meant to stun him, but...but..."
She swallowed.
"And Seiryo said if I ever told anyone it would be the disgrace of our family and I'd go to prison. He went back to the Galaxy Police to try and cover my tracks." She added. "But I'm worried about what he's had to do to protect me. I'm so afraid...and when I saw you in the water...I thought..."
She trailed off, unable to go any further, and for a moment there was silence. Then Sasami sighed.
"No wonder you've been so sad." She said finally. "Stop crying, Suki-onechan. Noone is going to hurt you...least of all me."
"Do you promise?" Suki looked fearful.
"I promise." Sasami nodded.
"Will you...will Tsunami...will anyone find out?"
"Not from me." Sasami said simply. "It was an accident. You didn't mean it."
"But I'm afraid for Seiryo, now." Suki drew a shuddering breath into her lungs. "I...I feel better for having told you. To tell someone...I've been bottling it up all this time and I've felt like I'm going mad. But Seiryo told me I mustn't...and if Mother knew it might kill her."
"Why are you afraid for Seiryo?" Sasami asked gently.
"When I spoke to him the other night there was something wrong with him." Suki said slowly. "I...I don't know what. But he seemed different. And when he touched me, it was like there was an energy between us. Like magic. But we don't have magic. Our family never have."
"Magic?" Sasami stared. "What kind of magic?"
"I don't know." Suki shook her head. "But I didn't like it. It made me feel unsafe...like it was dark and dangerous. I thought it was witchcraft but he said there was no such thing. I...I didn't completely believe him, and he wanted me to leave as soon as possible."
She bit her lip.
"Are you really Tsunami-kami-sama, or was that just a trick of the light?" She asked hesitantly.
"In the future, maybe." Sasami said heavily. "I'm Sasami now, that's all. Not Tsunami. Not yet. But I was born to be her heir, Suki-kyou. And so I'll make a deal with you. I won't tell anyone your secret if you don't tell anyone mine. Not even Seiryo or your mother."
"Seiryo doesn't believe in you anyway." Suki said with a shaky laugh. "So it's an easy promise to make. Noone else takes much notice of the silent Tennan girl. I've always been in the shadows...noone will bother about me."
"Then we'll help each other." Sasami pulled her companion to her feet. "And keep each other's secrets. Like friends do."
"You really are easy to talk to." Suki eyed her companion shyly, and a spark of hope settled inside of her. "I've never really had a proper friend before - only associates and contacts that my father introduced me to. Potential husbands, or girls of my own age who fit the right social background. I've always found it hard to fit in among them. I guess I spend more and more time at home with Mother."
She paused, then,
"Do you really think that what I did...that Tsunami would understand?"
"Tsunami does understand...probably better than I do." Sasami assured her, compassion in her reddish eyes. "Besides, I think you might have told her something that she needs to know. I don't know what, yet...but when you said...something, I felt her flare up inside of me. Like she wanted to speak, but wasn't sure what to say."
"I've helped Jurai's goddess by slaying my father?" Suki looked doubtful. Sasami shook her head.
"No...but something else you've told me...I'll have to reason it all out for myself when I'm alone and it's quiet." She replied. "She speaks to me then, at night, usually in my dreams. She'll tell me then. But she wants me to thank you. You're not to be afraid of her, Suki-onechan. I think she feels for you as much as I do. I don't think you're a brutal killer and nor does Tsunami. We both like you...and we both forgive you for what you did."
She shrugged, once more the happy-go-lucky child.
"After all, if I ever walked in on Father attacking Ayeka like that, I think I'd probably do the same thing you did." She added.
Suki sighed heavily, putting a hand to her head as the emotion drained out of her.
"I feel so tired now." She said softly. "But better, like a burden has been lifted from me."
She bit her lip.
"I just wish I could be so sure about my brother's burden." She added. "Can Tsunami try and reach him too, Sasami-hime? Because I don't know what's happening to him, but I'm afraid of what it might do. I've lost my father...I may soon lose my mother. I can't lose Seiryo too!"
Sasami was silent for a moment. Then she shrugged, spreading her hands.
"I don't know." She admitted. "But I have a feeling Tsunami wants to reach your brother as much as you do. Keep faith, Suki-kyou. Even if she doesn't always make sense, Tsunami usually knows what she's doing. If she can help Seiryo then I know that she will."
"Princess Sasami!"
Before Suki could respond, a fresh voice interrupted the conversation and both girls turned to see Azaka hurrying across the grass, his expression one of some urgency even as he stopped and made his bow to the younger princess. "Princess Sasami, the Lady Ayeka sent me at once to find you. She and my Lord Emperor are in the Throne Room - and need to see you at once."
"Uncle, too?" Sasami looked surprised. She cast a glance at Suki, then shrugged. "Then I suppose I have to go. Suki-kyou, I'm sorry...I guess duty calls."
"It's all right." Suki smiled slightly. "You've helped me enough already. Thank you, Sasami-hime. I have something to cling to now that I didn't have before."
"I'm glad." Sasami dimpled. "And don't think you're ever alone at court, all right? We're friends now and we're going to stay that way, no matter what happens."
With that she turned to the waiting knight, casting him a warm smile.
"Okay, Azaka, lead the way." She said decidedly.
Suki leant back against the tree, watching the two leave.
"Seiryo would be so angry if he knew what I'd done, but I don't think I could have done anything else." She murmured. "Sasami-hime understands better than I imagined anyone ever would. And if she really is connected to Tsunami, then she understands also...and I'm less scared of what's going to happen. If only Tsunami can reach my brother and bring him safely home - that's the only thing I ask. Life's never going to go back to how it was before - that much is clear. But if Seiryo is safe, at least things will be better."
She sighed, gazing up at the sky.
"I shall have faith in the Goddess and in my new friend." She added. "And hope that somehow they can break through whatever it is that has its hold on Seiryo's heart."
--------
"So what is this all about, Azaka?"
As she skipped towards the throne room, the knight in tow, Sasami cast her companion a questioning look. "Why do Ayeka and Uncle need to see me so urgently? I thought Uncle was still cross with me for being rude to him the other day."
"The Emperor has received contact from the planet Earth." Azaka said quietly, a troubled look crossing his face as he met her gaze. "Sasami-hime, is what Kamidake says true? Does Tsunami-kami-sama live within you?"
"From Earth?" Sasami blinked, then, "Tsunami? Azaka, I thought you knew already. I am Tsunami...or I will be. But didn't she tell you that herself? She told me she chose you and Kamidake to protect me, so I thought she'd at least give you a clue."
"Well, Tsunami has always had a sense of mischief about her." Azaka looked rueful. "I wanted to be sure that this wasn't another of her games. And you're so young, Sasami-sama. It's a heavy burden to bear so young."
"I haven't exactly had a choice." Sasami frowned. "Azaka, what contact has Uncle had from the Earth?"
"I think it's better that he explains it. It's not my place to do so." Azaka shook his head. "But it has worried him, that much I can tell you."
"I've tried to warn them, but they won't listen to me." Sasami sighed. "Even though they know my words come from her. It's so frustrating when adults don't listen to you."
"Kamidake and I listen, Lady Tsunami." Azaka said solemnly, and Sasami gazed up at him in surprise.
"But I'm not..."
"And Tenchi-sama was never my Emperor, but I would serve him unto death as I would Lord Azusa." Azaka shook his head. "Whether you're Princess Sasami or the Goddess herself, Kamidake and I exist in this world to protect and serve you in whatever way you need us."
"Yes, I know." Sasami smiled. "Kamidake told me, and so did Tsunami. That she chose you especially...to help to guide me. But I hope I won't need you to, Azaka. I don't want to go against my Uncle's will, not even for the sake of Jurai. It could cause all kinds of trouble and I don't want that."
At that moment they reached the throne room, and Azaka exchanged greetings with the guard on duty who bowed to the Princess, then swung open the heavy oaken door. Sasami stepped inside, her companion not far behind her.
"Uncle Azusa? Ayeka-onechan? What's going on?" She asked softly.
"Sasami!" Ayeka turned from the uppermost dais, indicating for her small sister to join them. "You were quick."
"I wasn't far. I was talking to Lady Suki in the gardens when Azaka found me." Sasami hitched up her skirts, hurrying up the steps two at a time and tumbling into a heap at the top, gazing up at her sister in confusion. "He said you've had a communication from the Earth."
"Yes." This time it was the Emperor who answered, rising from his carved throne as he offered his hand to pull the young princess to her feet. He seemed tired and worried, Sasami thought, and she bit her lip.
"What's happened on the Earth?" She asked softly.
"That is precisely what Ayeka and I are trying to make sense of." Azusa sighed, indicating for both girls to sit down. "This morning, our central communication tower received a message from the Ryo Ohki."
"Ryo Ohki?" Sasami's eyes widened. "Is Ryoko on Jurai, Uncle?"
"No. Ryoko and the ship are still on the Earth." Ayeka shook her head. "It wasn't a long enough message to go into great detail, either...we hoped you might be able to make more sense of it than we could."
"Or that Tsunami might." Azusa added softly. "I've done my best to keep out of the Earth's affairs, but I'm beginning to be afraid that it won't be possible any longer."
He reached a gloved hand across to the panel of buttons that were embedded into the arm of his throne, pressing the middle one and a hazy screen materialised in front of them. He pressed another sequence of buttons, and a grainy image of the space pirate appeared before them.
"This is Ryo Ohki calling Planet Jurai." Sasami squinted at Ryoko's face as the woman spoke, noting the frustration that bubbled deep in her amber eyes. "We need your help - and we need it pretty fast. I don't have time to explain everything, but Washu is sure that Tenchi, the Earth and Jurai are in danger from some woman called Tokimi. I don't know if the name means more to you than it does to me, but what I do know is that she's dangerous and that she means a lot of people harm. She has spies in the Galaxy Police...who have already tried to kill Kiyone and very nearly succeeded in doing so, too. She wants Tenchi because she believes he's Tsunami, but when she finds out he's not she'll look elsewhere. Washu says that only Tsunami is even remotely a match for this headcase...and that we need help as soon as you can send it."
She paused, biting her lip, then,
"Tenchi's life might count on it, and so might the Earth and Jurai, in the long run." She added, a troubled note in her tones. "We need Sasami and we need her as soon as possible. Ryoko and Ryo Ohki, over and out."
The screen flickered and went dark, and Azusa hit the middle button again, dispersing it as he met his younger niece's gaze.
"This is what you warned me of, isn't it?" He said softly. Sasami bit her lip, nodding her head.
"I knew Tokimi was after me." She agreed. "And that we had to go to Earth, Uncle. I don't know what's going to happen when we do, but I do know that Washu knows more about this enemy than any of us...so if she says Tsunami is needed, then I have to go."
"Your father would never forgive me if I sent you into danger, Sasami-chan." Azusa shook his head. "You're too young and Tsunami is too seperate from you."
"Perhaps." Sasami sighed, twisting her hands together. "But it might be the only option. Tsunami has told me about Tokimi - the things I told you - and that if she isn't stopped then she will mean harm to all of us in the long run."
"I'm wondering what happened to Kiyone and how she got mixed up in this." Ayeka remarked apprehensively. "Spies in the Galaxy Police...which means there could be spies literally anywhere."
Sasami's eyes became big at this, and she shook her head.
"Oh no..." She murmured.
"Sasami-chan?" Azusa looked startled. "What's wrong? You've gone white as a sheet!"
"Lord Tennan...dark magic...Lady Tokimi!" Sasami was on her feet in a minute. "Oh, don't you see? Seiryo Tennan is Tokimi's spy in the Galaxy Police! Seiryo Tennan is the one who wants to hurt Tenchi because we just let him leave and now...and now..."
"That's a big leap of faith, Sasami, even for you." Ayeka frowned. "I don't like Seiryo Tennan very much, but I don't think he's the kind of man to get his hands dirty or do someone else's bidding. And I'd also put past him the random attack of another officer. It's not his style."
"I don't care." Sasami shook her head. "I know I'm right. She said...Suki told me..."
She sighed.
"I can't tell you." She realised sadly. "Not everything that would make you understand. But Suki did tell me she was afraid her brother was in trouble. That when she saw him last, there was something wrong with him. Seiryo left Jurai because something threatened his family's safety. After his father's death, he went back to the Galaxy Police to make sure they were safe."
"Are you telling me that Seiryo Tennan has been blackmailed into joining up with this Tokimi woman?" Azusa demanded sharply. Sasami shrugged.
"Tsunami thinks it's likely. I can feel her echoing against my senses." She agreed. "But I don't know. Suki was very clear that when she saw Seiryo at Headquarters he had something else about him. Some kind of magic. I don't know what's happened but I know that Tokimi's magic is very strong. He might not be acting on his own will."
"What are we mixed up in?" Ayeka looked horrified. "One of our leading noble families is tied up in heretical witchcraft and is attacking members of a law-abiding association like the Galaxy Police...an organisation that exists to protect the innocent! And now Tenchi might be in danger, and so might the planet Earth...not to mention Jurai, if she's managed to corrupt one of our Councillors into doing her bidding. Who knows how many more spies she has around the place? For all we know, Sasami-chan, Suki Tennan might be as much involved in this as her brother!"
"Suki isn't involved." Sasami shook her head. "Tsunami would have warned me if she had been. She would have been able to sense Tokimi's magic. But if Ryoko and Washu want us on the Earth, Ayeka-onechan, I think we should go. Or I should, anyway. Azaka and Kamidake could come with me, so I would be safe."
"It's impossible. You can't fight this force alone, whatever Goddess has chosen you to be her vessel." Azusa shook his head. "You're a child, Sasami-chan. She'd destroy you in an instant. And that's not a loss we could take."
"I have to go, Uncle." Sasami said frankly. "There's noone else who can. Tsunami's been telling me this since I first had that dream - that this is my fight because it's hers. I think she'll look after me if she can. Either way, someone has to stop Tokimi. And it's pretty clear from Ryoko's message that they need me."
Ayeka sighed.
"But you're so young." She said sadly. "And none of us could bear to have you hurt, little sister."
"Tsunami told me that one day I'd be Jurai's guardian." Sasami said solemnly, getting to her feet and taking Ayeka gently by the hand. "And now seems as good a place to start as any."
"Then I'm coming with you." Ayeka seemed to make up her mind. "Lord Takeru and I will both accompany you to the Earth. We might be able to help - and the more of us there are, the better our chances must be."
"Ayeka?" Azusa stared at his elder niece, aghast. "Are you sure this is the right thing to do?"
"I'm sure there's nothing else we can do, Uncle. Not when Ryoko sends a message like that." Ayeka looked troubled. "And I'm not going to let my little sister fly light years into space on her own to face some unknown enemy. If Sasami is going to the Earth, so am I. And if I'm going, Takeru will come too. He knows Seiryo Tennan better than any of us, after all...they grew up together. It might be that he'll know something that can help."
Azusa sighed, and for a moment there was silence in the throne room. Then, at length, he nodded.
"Take Azaka and Kamidake." He said softly. "And Tsunami preserve me from your father when I tell him where you've gone and why. Do you have a vessel? Is Takeru-san's ship serviced and in dock?"
"No, Uncle, we'll take my ship." Sasami said firmly. "Tsunami's ship."
"But..."
"Sasami's right." Ayeka frowned. "Tsunami's ship is stronger than any ship in the Jurai fleet. It's the safest one to take...and Sasami is the only one who can fly it, so no subversive forces will be able to hijack it for their own ends. I think taking Tsunami-fune to the Earth is the only possible answer."
"Then go." Azusa gestured reluctantly to the door. "With my blessing. Just make sure you both come back in one piece, my nieces. Jurai needs you both - and so do I."