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Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters of Tenchi Muyo! They are owned by AIC and Pioneer North America. I did not create them, and their use here is strictly for the enjoyment of myself and anyone who gets bored enough to read this. In other words: Please don't sue my poor ass. Tenchi Muyo! Again, Mihoshi's attention had drifted away from her endless paperwork. The case they had just been on wasn't that big of a deal. How could she and Kiyone have gotten stuck with so much work? They hadn't been promoted, thankfully. That would take them away from Earth. She sighed, thinking about her second home. She missed her friends so much that she was having trouble falling asleep. And that was something she'd never had trouble with! There hadn't been any problems on Earth since... well, she couldn't remember. Everyone had been happy for so long, that even Kiyone had begun to relax. And now Tenchi... and Ryoko... and even Akira... Mihoshi could feel the tears building up. She mournfully wailed, and buried her face in her hands. Salty tears ran through her fingers and down her arms. She didn't notice the flashing screen above her desk, heralding an incoming call. The screen quickly changed, and Shadow Dog found himself looking at a sobbing Mihoshi. "Hey, is anyone... huh? Mi... Mihoshi?" She didn't even hear him over her own sobs. Shadow looked to the office door when he heard it open. Kiyone walked in, and looked from Mihoshi, to Shadow, and back again. She looked at Shadow, and yelled, "What the hell is going on?" Shadow's instincts for self-preservation immediatly overrode his rationality in the face of an angry Kiyone. The screen backed away as Kiyone approached Mihoshi's desk. "Hey, I didn't do anything, Kiyone! Honest!" Kiyone put a hand on her partner's shoulder. "Mihoshi? Are you all right?" Mihoshi looked up at her, her big blue eyes filled with tears. She sniffed, "Kiyone?" She wailed, and put her arm's around Kiyone's waist. "WAAH! I miss them, Kiyone!" "Urk! Mi... ho... shi!" Kiyone's face started to turn red from lack of oxygen. Shadow Dog sighed, and shook his head. "Mihoshi, normaly I wouldn't say this to anyone in a time like this, but: Get a grip!" Mihoshi looked up, her crying having stopped abruptly. "Oh, Shadow. When did you call?" "Mihoshi!" Kiyone's face was now blue. Mihoshi looked up, and let go of her partner. "Oh, I'm so sorry, Kiyone. I was just thinking about Earth, and then I started thinking about Tenchi and Ryoko, and..." Mihoshi sniffed, and started to cry again. Kiyone straightened out her uniform, and stared at Mihoshi. She tried to be angry, but it wasn't working. She looked at Shadow, "You called about something?" Shadow nodded, "We need you to meet us on Jurai." "When?" "In three days. It'll take us that long to get there from where we're going." "And where's that?" Shadow paused. "To see an old friend." Kiyone nodded. "All right. Three days." "Kiyone," She stopped. Shadow's face was, for once, serious. "Take care of yourself for me, all right?" She smiled a little. "Of course I will, Seayo. Just look out for Sasami and Mayuka." The screen disappeared. Kiyone looked down at Mihoshi, who was now quietly sobbing. "Mihoshi...?" Mihoshi looked up. "I... I'm all right, Kiyone." She sniffed, and wiped the tears from her face. "It's just been a long shift. That's all." Kiyone smiled. Mihoshi had seemed to... mature in the past few years. Not much, but at least it was an improvement. "I know, Mihoshi. I miss them, too." She sighed. "Well, come on, I guess we'll need to start getting ready to leave, if we're going to get to Jurai in time." Mihoshi stared blankly. "What do you mean? Why would we go to Jurai?" Kiyone's eyebrow twitched. "Mihoshi, did you not just see Shadow call us, and tell us to meet them at Jurai?" Mihoshi looked up, thinking. "Um, he did? Gee, I guess I must've missed it." Kiyone groaned, and squeezed her fists. Okay, so it wasn't even that much of an improvement. *** "Who the hell are you?" She was yelling, now. "I'm sick of this! Are you here to take me, too?" She felt her power rising inside of her, her hands flexing as they sprouted claws, her own clothes changing into the familiar purple suit. She looked around, trying to see him through the black. He emerged from it, his face cold and still. He walked up to her, unafriad of the girl's seething anger. He raised an eyebrow. "Do you wish to know who I am?" Mayuka tried to calm herself, and nodded. "Why are you bothering me? Sasami said you're not an enemy, but why are you doing this?" He was motionless. Mayuka could feel his eyes staring into her. The sensation made her skin crawl. "Answer me, dammit!" She lashed out with her claws, and they passed straight through. She tried it again, with the same result. Mayuka growled, and spun around, holding her claws inches from his real face. The illusion behind her dissipated. He smiled, slightly. "You are improving. But, you still have much to learn." Mayuka put her hand down, and again tried to calm down, taking deep breaths. "I am the Lord of Fallen Leaves. I have wanted to meet you for a very long time, Mayuka Masaki." "The Lord of Fallen Leaves? What... are you from Jurai, or something?" He shook his head. "No. I am a god, who was once a man. I am the lord of lost dreams, dead hopes, and all things lost and forgotten by time. I am the only one who remembers them." Mayuka listened, but only one thing really mattered to her. "Why are you talking to me in my dreams?" He reached up, and brushed the side of her face with his hand. She didn't cringe, or back away. "You are the Light inside the Darkness, Mayuka. When the Shadow comes for you, you must not be afraid. Otherwise, you will not be able to save your family." "Mayuka?" Shadow gently shook the young girl. She'd been asleep all morning, and they would soon be at the station where Bryant lived. At least, Shadow hoped he still lived there. "Mayuka, come on, wake up!" Mayuka's eyes opened up, and she immediatly shielded them from the light. She groaned, trying to sit up. "Ugh, what...?" "Wake up, little girl. It's time for another trip out." Shadow chuckled, and Mayuka sat up, wiping the sleep from her eyes. "I hate it when you call me 'little girl.' It's embarassing." She lifted herself out of the bed, and slowly stood, staring at Shadow Dog. He gave her a curious look, "What?" "Get out so I can dress!" She tried to yell in a groggy voice. Shadow smiled, "Did I ever tell you that you're just as great a morning person as your mother?" He made a hasty exit before Mayuka could yell at him. The girl sat down on her bed, holding her head in her hands. "What did that dream mean?" Was it just a dream? Or was it real? *** Washu stared out at the near-dilapitated space station. She didn't have to look to know that Shadow Dog had walked up beside her. "Nervous?" He looked at the station. "I'm as calm and composed as ever, Washu." Washu chuckled. "Right. You haven't been composed since the day you showed up, Seayo. You try, but it doesn't work." Shadow's gem flashed briefly. Washu could swear she heard him grate his teeth. "What makes you think you're right?" "Twenty thousand years of experience." Shadow stiffened, visibly, from the wierd feeling of deja vu he was having. But, this time, the roles were switched. He started to laugh. He began to hold his sides, and fell to the floor, laughing. Washu continued to look at the space station, smiling. Shadow finally stopped laughing, and looked up at her. "Okay... heheh... so... so maybe you're right." He tried to stand up between laughs. "So, you're saying I fail at being calm?" Washu sighed, "Basically. It's more like you're calm because you don't take anything seriously. I could go into greater detail on the psychological processes, but we'll just leave it at that." Shadow stood up, smoothing out his shirt. "Yea, well, you've always been a short, red-headed pain." She nodded. "Your point?" "Is that it?" Mayuka walked up behind them. She looked out at the station with the same level of amazement she'd shown on Airis. "Wow. It just orbits around that little moon, all the time?" She pointed at the bluish-gray sphere next to the station. Washu nodded. "Yea, and the rent must be pretty cheap, too. How could anyone live in a place like that?" Mayuka unintentionally ignored her grandmother's critisizm, too enthralled by the fantastic metal satellite, which resembled a dragonfly. Shadow brushed a bit of hair from his face. "Just my old partner's style, too." *** Tenchi splashed some of the water from the stream onto his face, wiping away the dirt. He had no idea where the stream was coming from; the current seemed to change direction every few minutes or so. Nothing in this place seemed to make sense. "Tenchi?" Ryoko walked up behind him. She knelt beside him, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Hey, are you all right?" He nodded. "Don't worry, Ryoko. I'm fine." She stared at the sword in his hand, for a moment. It was his sword, Tenchiken. He and Ryoko remembered little of what had happened to bring them here. Why would whoever did this bother to leave them with a weapon? Ryoko stood up, and growled to herself. "Dammit! I just don't get it!" They had both been having the same problem: they couldn't use their powers. Ryoko still had her gems, but she couldn't draw power from them. It felt like there was something else that was... bleeding the power from them. She couldn't even feel her link with Washu and Ryo-ohki. And they still hadn't found Akira. Tenchi sighed, and stood up, looking around. The night hadn't gone, yet. It was still in the same blue glow of that umoving moon. He wondered if anything changed in this place, if there wasn't something keeping it from changing. Or maybe it just looked that way. Tenchi and Ryoko whirled around when they heard it again. That same dark, hideous laughter that had been following them all night. The blue blade of Tenchiken flashed to life in it's master's hands, and he stepped forward. "Who's there? Come out, dammit!" He could sense Ryoko's own anger. She tried to summon her powers, but they still wouldn't function. She stood beside him, anyway. The laughter settled into one place, floating out of a tree from the row in front of them. In the dim light, Tenchi could barely make out the figure sitting in the branches of the tree, leaning against the trunk. The figure kept laughing, and a grin of shining teeth split it's face. Tenchi tighened the grip on his sword, and took another step forward. "Who's there?" Ryoko yelled at the figure before Tenchi could. "Get out here, you damn coward!" It laughed again. The figure fell out of the tree, landing on it's feet. It rose, slowly, being obviously overdramatic. "Nock it off," Ryoko said. The figure stepped out of the shadows, brushing back his shoulder-length, light hair. His eyes shined in the blue moonlight, sending a chill up Tenchi's spine. The young man smiled, and narrowed his eyes at Tenchiken. He raised an eyebrow, "Who do you plan to use that toothpick on, eh?" His body slinked closer, thin muscles stretching under a blue body suit. He walked up to them, grinning. "Do you plan to use it on me, eh? Now, why would you want to hurt Hellcat like that?" "Who are you?" Ryoko asked him, giving the creep her most intimidating stare. He looked at her, unmoved. "I'm Hellcat. You're Ryoko," he looked at Tenchi, "and you're Prince Tenchi. You're the ones who killed a god." "How do you know that?" Ryoko growled at him. Tenchi kept his body tense, ready to defend himself and Ryoko if this... Hellcat attacked. Hellcat didn't take his eyes off of Tenchi. He stared into Tenchi's eyes. "You're god-killers. You're our friends, not our enemies. Why don't you just relax here, for now? Let us show you--" "Where's my son?" Tenchi cut him off. "I don't care who you are, or what you want. Just give me my son back, and let us go." Hellcat smirked, "You try and threaten us, Tenchi Masaki?" He laughed. "He threatens us! He threatens >us<!" He seemed to find the idea amusingly absurd. Ryoko lashed out with a fist, moving too fast for Tenchi to clearly see her move, before she was already in front of him. Ryoko, however, felt like she was moving through water. Her movements were slower than usual, almost sluggish. Hellcat had already vanished when her punch should have connected. "Hey! Hold still, damn you!" Ryoko yelled out at the flora around them. Hellcat's dark laugh echoed from a neaby tree. Tenchi and Ryoko looked around, and saw him sitting in another tree. He laughed, and flashed his bright grin. "Welcome, Tenchi and Ryoko Masaki, to the garden of Lord Tomarou! I hope you like it here." Tenchi watched as a small blanket of mist crawled out from behind the tree. The mist rumbled, and growled. Tenchi thought he was hallucinating when shapes came out of the mist. A taloned paw, the indication of fangs, the brief form of eyes. The mist broke up into three parts, the forms become more static. Three large, cat-like bodies of fog stalked toward Tenchi and Ryoko. Hellcat laughed from his perch. Tenchi's sword deactivated, and he took hold of Ryoko's wrist. "Ryoko, come on, we can't fight him, now." Ryoko looked at Tenchi, her eyes full of anger. He knew it wasn't directed at him, but it still made Tenchi gulp. "But, we have to find--" "We won't be able to find him if we're dead. Now come on!" Tenchi tugged at her arm. Ryoko stalled for just a moment, looking back at Hellcat and the mist-beasts, and followed after Tenchi. *** Mayuka covered her mouth, trying not to gag as the recycled air filled her lungs. She looked at Washu, who was faring little better. Her grandmother was a shade of green that Mayuka swore could not be natural. She looked at Shadow Dog, who seemed to be doing fine. "How much longer are we gonna be here?" Shadow took a breath. The sight almost made Mayuka gag. "Don't whine. We'll try to get out of here as soon as possible." "This place should be condemned," Washu muttered. "The water's probably worse than the air. Cheap recyclers, bad lighting..." Shadow ignored them, and looked at the door to his old partner's apartment. He hadn't seen Bryant in six years. The last time they had spoken, Shadow told him that they'd never see each other again. How would Bryant take it when he showed up again, asking for help? Shadow knocked on the door, and waited. A gruff, scratchy voice crackled from the speaker next to the door. "Who is it?" Shadow looked up at the camera above the door, and cocked an eyebrow. "What, you've forgotten me, already?" There was a moment of silence, and the Shadow heard the locks on the door being opened. Washu and Mayuka attempted to stand up straight, the scientist wiping her brow and the girl shaking her head, trying to clear it. No one expected to see the wrong end of a very large gun when the door opened. Shadow felt a small bead of sweat form on his forehead, but stayed calm. "Who the fuck are you?" Shadow kept his eyes on the gun barrel in front of him. "You did forget me, didn't you, Bryant?" The barrel pressed against Shadow's forehead. He could see the gun was being held by a middle-aged human, his face covered with two scars: one over his left eye, and the other traveling along his chin. He was dressed in old, unwashed, dark clothes. His dirty gray hair hadn't been washed, and Shadow could smell the small amount of deoderant that tried to hide the man's body oder. Bryant hadn't changed a bit. He was still crude, and dirty, and paranoid. "You look like a damn ghost, but I only get fooled once." "You just can't stay out of trouble, can you Bryant? Who's after you, this time?" Bryant pressed the gun a little harder against Shadow's forehead. "If you're not Shadow Dog, then I'll kill you right here and now." Shadow took the cue. "Mayuka, Washu, move." Before either of them could move, Shadow twisted his body. As he turned around, he grabbed the gun barrel in one hand, pulling it over his shoulder as his back turned to Bryant. Mayuka and Washu jumped out of the way in case the gun went off, and Bryant was pulled forward, trying to keep a grip on his gun. A bolt of pain shot through his gut as Shadow's elbow slammed into him. He fell backward, and landed hard on the floor of his own apartment. Shadow threw the gun on the floor, and turned around. He held out his hand as Bryant shook his head and tried to sit up, laughing. Mayuka and Washu peered around the doorway. Washu frowned, and looked at Shadow. "What the hell was that about, Shadow? Someone could've gotten hurt!" Bryant laughed. "Relax, lady." Washu frowned at him. "It's the exact same thing he did to me when we first met." Shadow helped Bryant to his feet. The two men hugged, patting each other on the back. "Damn, it's good to see you." Bryant turned back into his apartment. "Come on in, but watch your step." They followed him in, Mayuka almost tripping over some small piece of junk. There was more littered around the floor of the place. Cans, boxes, and some things that she didn't even really want to name. Shadow sat in a chair across from the one Bryant sat in. "I'd thought you'd eventually died, ya know?" Shadow nodded. "I'm sorry, Bryant. If I could help it, I wouldn't have put you through that." There was a moment of silence. Mayuka stood next to Washu, who carefully watched the two men talk. "You wouldn't believe that someone tried to impersonate you, once. That's why I was so paranoid when you answered the door; I'd almost bought it, that time." Shadow smiled. "You never could stay out of trouble." "Yea, neither could you," Bryant laughed. "Shit, it's been a long time. So, who's yer friends?" He looked at Washu and Mayuka. "Bryant, this is Washu, and her granddaughter, Mayuka Masaki." Shadow pointed to them. Washu nodded at Bryant. Mayuka waved at him, "Hi. I'm Mayuka." Bryant looked back at Shadow, "What the hell where you doing on Earth, eh? Whatever happened between you and that target... what was his name?" Washu cleared her throat. "That is a very long story. One you know we don't have time for, Shadow." He nodded. "Relax, Washu. I know; we need to get to the point." He looked at Bryant. "The target's name was Tenchi Masaki, Mayuka's father. He and Mayuka's mother, Ryoko, and their son were kidnapped two weeks ago. I tried one of my contacts in the smuggling ring around Airis, but that didn't help." Bryant sat, thinking. "So, you need me to use the resources in the Hunter Guild's archives, is that it?" Shadow nodded. "I'm sorry to use you like this, Bryant, but Tenchi and Ryoko are friends of mine. I'd very much like to see them, again." Bryant looked over at Mayuka. "And that little girl is their daughter, huh?" Mayuka answered. "Yes, sir. And I'm not a little girl, so don't call me that." Bryant chuckled, "All right, Shadow. What the hell, I don't have anythying better to do." "Mayuka." Mayuka's muscles froze for a moment. She heard his voice. The Lord of Fallen Leaves. "Mayuka, you must leave. There is little time for you to stay here. Your enemies are coming fast." "What do you mean?" Mayuka could feel her voice inside her mind. The others around her continued to speak, but she couldn't hear them. She only heard his voice. "Why are you helping me?" She looked down at the pouch holding her ring. It was tied around her wrist, and gave off a soft, blue glow. She could feel the warmth of it inside. "I suggest you go, Mayuka. The Shadow is calling you." "... go to Jurai? Who the hell is this kid, a prince?" The rest of the world came back into Mayuka's perceptions. She was still looking down at the pouch on her wrist. The glowing had stopped, and she could hear Bryant's voice raise, slightly. "Actually..." Shadow looked at Washu, who sighed, and nodded. "Tenchi is the grandson of Prince Yosho of Jurai. Yosho imprisoned Ryoko there about seven hundred years ago, and eventually Tenchi was born. He released Ryoko, and..." Washu shrugged. "The rest can be explained onboard Tsunami, if you'll come with us." Bryant raised an eyebrow, "And if I don't come with?" Mayuka spoke up, "Then you've done nothing but waste our time." She was a little shocked to hear her words. So was everyone else. She regained her composure, and pressed on. "Please, Mr. Bryant. We don't know what's happened to my parents, or my brother. I need to find them, and if you can help at all, then that's all we're asking for." Bryant looked calmly at her for a second, and said, "Shadow, you pick some strange company." He smiled, "All right, kid. I'll help you. And call me Bryant, okay?" Mayuka smiled, "Okay." She noticed her grandmother smile at her. Washu turned around, and whispered to her. "Good job, Mayuka." *** "Do you honestly think this will work, Tomarou?" He heard the man's voice, again. That cold man with a cold face, framed by white hair. Tomarou looked up from the book, and frowned. "I thought you would have more taste than to harass me in my private study, in my own home." He stood up, and walked around the desk to where the man was standing. The man remained unmoved, which only made Tomarou angry. Tomarou could not feel fear. "Still looking for a way to break the Seal? You honestly think the boy will be able to do it?" Tomarou walked up to him, looking the man in the eye. "It does not matter what I 'think.' Either the boy can do it, or he can not. What concern is it of yours, anyway?" "I know what you are, Tomarou." "Indeed?" Tomarou raised an eyebrow. The man nodded. "I know a great deal about you. All the things you lost, everything you gave up on. I see it all in what you have left of a soul." Tomarou sneered. "You know nothing of me, coward. The force I serve could destroy you in an instant. It probably will, if I do not." The man smiled, "Ah, I see. You're trying to find out who I am, aren't you? Searching through all of your precious books just to learn my identity. How cute." Tomarou growled, and his sword rose out of the folds of his cloak. The strike should have split the man in two. Instead, he remained unmoved, not even so much as blinking. "You can't kill a dream, Tomarou. You can try to forget it, but it never dies." His expression changed suddenly, and he growled at Tomarou, "You will never break the Seal of Eternity. I swear it. You will never get your hands on the Talon. I will send the Shadow to stop you, no matter what." Tomarou bolted upright in his seat. His face hurt from being pressed between the pages of the book in front of him. What was that? Had he been asleep the whole time? If so, had the man really just been a dream? "You can't kill a dream, Tomarou." Tomarou cleared his head, taking deep breaths. Too many things were going through his mind right now for him to act properly. He opened his eyes, and looked around the library. "Mina?" She appeared in front of him, kneeling before her master. "Yes, my Lord?" "Where is Kenji?" "He is still in his labratory, my Lord, as you instructed." He nodded, and stood. "Thank you, Mina. You are dismissed." She vanished in a blink. Tomarou walked out of his study, and found Kenji in his lab, just as the servant had said. The scientist had his back turned, staring intently at a monitor screen. Tomarou could see past him, looking at the images of the boy's parents. What were there names, again? "Kenji," the man stiffened at the sound of Tomarou's voice. "I thought you were instructed to inform me when you finished your analysis of the boy?" The young man turned around, sweat visible on his forehead. The man had been hard at work. "Of course, Lord Tomarou, but I am not finished with the study, you see." He looked back at the monitor. "I have been examining the boy's parents while my equipment pulls all the data on the boy that it possibly can. They are very interesting specimens. Tenatious, to say the least." Tomarou walked up beside him, looking at the people as they ran. "You've placed them in my garden, I see." Kenji nodded. "I hope you don't mind, but I decided to let Hellcat play with them a bit. I thought that since he is merely an illusionist, he could not possibly do them any serious, physical harm." Tomarou nodded. For a scientist, the man had good forethought. "Very well. With the void-field over my garden, they will not be able to use their full strength, if any." He looked down at Kenji. "Now, about the boy..." He nodded, and stood, "Yes, of course, sir." He led Tomarou into another room. In the middle of it, the boy lay strapped to a table, sensors running over him, wires and clamps attached to the boy's skin. If the blood in Tomarou's body had not already chilled ages ago, he would have shivered. "I've been looking over the data, but there's an extreme amount. The boy's power is huge, to put it bluntly. I'm sure that he will have more than enough power to break the Seal, but..." Kenji trailed off as he looked at a reading on one of the many screens. Tomarou's eyes didn't leave the boy. "But?" "The boy's power has not awakened within him, yet. He has no concious control over it, but it is defending him on some subconcious level. All my attempts to gain control over his mind have thus far failed." Tomarou nodded. "So it was wise of you to suggest we keep his parents as bargaining tools." He walked up to the boy, looking him over. Compared to Tomarou, the boy was frail, weak. They were seperated by centuries, even millenia, of experience and the hardening that comes with life. And yet this boy held enough power within himself to wipe Tomarou from existance, possibly make it that Tomarou had never been born. A perfect tool for the glory of-- "Wake him," Tomarou commanded. Kenji paused for a moment, and then pressed a key on the keyboard in front of him. The space around Akria... rippled... and the boy slowly opened his eyes. "Huh...? Wha...?" He opened his eyes wider, shaking his head to clear his vision. He saw a tall, dark-haired man standing over him, a dark cloak draped over his shoulders, with black clothing beneath it. Akira looked up, and gasped at the man's eyes. They were pure black orbs. "Who are you?" Akira looked around, finding himself in a lab of some kind. It reminded him of his grandmother's lab at home, but this one was more... primative. And it wasn't nearly as cool. "I see you're awake. That's good. Tell me, what is your name, boy?" Akira tried to stay calm. He looked around the lab, trying to see his parents. All he could see were machines, and another man in the back, dressed in clean, perfectly cut clothes, with his hair set and parted down the middle. It was clear to Akira that the young man was far to concious of his image for his own good. "My... I'm Akira Masaki. Now who are you?" Akira looked at the man defiantly. Tomarou could have grinned at the boy's bravery. "How couragous for one so young. Tell me, Akira, do you have any idea as to the power within you?" Akira paused. What was this guy talking about. "Who are you?" Tomarou sighed. "I suppose you should know my name. I am Lord Tomarou Kai Aisani. I am the last of the Priests of the Void." He recognized the look of confusion on the boy's face. "I will ask you again, Akira. Do you have any idea as to the power you could wield?" Akira swallowed the lump in his throat, and shook his head. This man seemed to him to be quite insane. "What are you talking about? You mean, like my dad's power? Like the Light Hawk Wings?" "Well," the other man spoke up, "I believe that it comes from the same source, but yes, like the Light Hawk Wings." Akira didn't pay attention to him, his attention captured by Tomarou. Tomarou turned to the man behind him. "Kenji, show Akira his parents." Kenji pressed a button, and a screen appeared over Tomarou. Akira could see his parents, running through a forest or garden of some type. "Mom! Dad!" He struggled against his bindings, and growled. "Let them go, dammit!" Tomarou waved his hand, and the screen disappeared. "I will, Akira, in good time. First, you must listen to me, learn from me, and do as I say." Akira tried to stay calm, and brave, but he couldn't. He could feel the fear in his chest, coiling around his heart like a serpent. He said a silent prayer to himself. "Mayuka, where are you? I hope at least you're okay." *** "Okay, now how do I do this again?" Bryant sat at Washu's computer, the red-headed scientist looking over his shoulder, her arms crossed in frustration. "It's simple. We'll just waste time by going straight to the Hunter Guild's archives, so all you have to do is enter your passcodes, and we'll be able to access them from here." Bryant shook his head, "That's not what I'm having trouble with." Washu raised an eyebrow, "Oh? What is it, then?" Bryant looked at the computer. "How the hell am I supposed to see the buttons on this damn thing?" Washu pushed him away. "Move. Just give me the passcodes." Bryant stood up, and Washu took her seat back. Bryant looked around the ship, and leaned over, whispering the passcodes in Washu's ear. She nodded, and began typing. "Well, how is it going?" Shadow Dog walked out of the shadow of a tree. Bryant shrugged. "Ask her, I ain't the scientist." He backed away, looking around the ship. "Damn, this thing is impressive. This is the Tsunami, you say?" Shadow nodded. "But, I thought that was the flagship of Jurai?" "I am." Sasami appeared almost out of nowhere, walking up behind them without making a sound. Bryant felt a chill go through his body, and then immediatly calmed when he saw the goddess. She bowed her head to him, "Hello, Bryant. I am Tsunami, the ship of Jurai, but, you can call me Sasami." Bryant nodded, and smiled. "Well, is this the reason you stayed on Earth, Shadow?" Shadow shrugged, "One of them," he grinned, and turned away. Sasami smiled, and looked at Bryant. "I thank you for helping us, Bryant. Tenchi and Ryoko mean very much to me." Bryant nodded, "So everyone keeps telling me, but Ryoko... she's not the same Ryoko who attacked Jurai, seven hundred years ago, is she?" Washu nodded, "Yep, that's the delinquint. It wasn't her fault, of course." "You'd better sit down, Bryant," Shadow said without turning around. "This is going to be a very long explination." "I am going to check on Mayuka," Sasami started to walk away. "Is she all right, Mistress?" Shadow's voice echoed through their link. "She's been acting strangely. I'm worried about her." "That's nice of you, Seayo, but don't worry. I'll look out for her. After all, that's what you've done for me for so long, isn't it?" *** Mayuka sat against the wall, looking down at the ring in her hands. It had been glowing, only a little while ago. And the ring was never cold, like every other metal. It was always warm, and had been even warmer when it was glowing. What did it mean? What kind of ring glows? She felt something, and looked up. Ryo-ohki hopped toward her from the darkness of the hallway, miyaing at Mayuka. The cabbit hopped up into her lap, purring. Mayuka giggled, and petted her friend. "How are you doing, Mayuka?" She looked up at Sasami, and tried to smile. She couldn't, distracted as she was by the aura of Light around her aunt. "Aunt Sasami, who is he? Why do I keep seeing him in my dreams?" Sasami sighed, and looked out at the space outside the ship. "I only know very little more about him than you do, Mayuka. He is the Lord of Fallen Leaves, like he said. The caretaker of all lost things." She looked down at Mayuka, and saw her staring at the ring in her hands, her face full of sadness. "Gods like him are meant to be ambiguous, Mayuka. But, I am certain of one thing," Mayuka looked up, "Whatever his reasons, he is trying to help. Otherwise, he would never be able to get past me." Mayuka smiled, and looked at the stars. "We'll be at Jurai soon, won't we?" Sasami nodded. "I've always wanted to go there. Mom and Aunt Ayeka used to tell me about it, even though it probably hurt Mom to remember. She'd never show it, though. She'd always try to be tough, and never let me and Akira see her in pain. I used to think she couldn't feel it." Sasami looked down at Mayuka, again, and could see tears welling in the girl's eyes. "Ryoko has always been like that. She always tried to act like she was made of stone, just as your grandmother meant for her." Sasami knelt down beside Mayuka, and held her niece's face in her hand. She smiled, gently. "But, she was never very good at it, being such a bad liar, and all." Mayuka smiled, and wiped her eyes. "Thanks, Aunt Sasami." She nodded. "I know it is hard to be strong, Mayuka. I had to do it, many times." She paused, "You're so much like her." Mayuka nodded. "I know. Everyone keeps reminding me." Sasami sat back against the wall with Mayuka. Sometimes she seemed very elegant to Mayuka, like the goddess that she knew Sasami was, and other times, like this one, she was just like a normal person. "It's not a bad thing, you know?" They both giggled. "Mayuka, can you keep a secret?" She nodded, "Yes." "I'm afraid for them, too." *** Ingeni grunted as he pulled the blade of his kusarigama out of the man's chest. He hated it when his work got unnecessarily messy like this, but the bastard just wouldn't let him look at the security videos of the station. He pushed the crumpled waste of flesh off the chair, and sat down, scrolling through the logs. Kujato said Shadow Dog would come here, to find his old partner. Ingeni spat at the memory of both Shadow and Bryant. They'd given him no end of trouble in the old days, always getting in his way, stealing his bounties. And then that damn girlfriend of Shadow Dog's-- a bloody cop!-- destroyed his ship. And the bastard had still lived. Ingeni sat back, looking at the security tape of Bryant's apartment. He hissed when he saw Shadow Dog walk in, after knocking Bryant on his ass. The bastard still looked the same, and his behavior hadn't changed, apparently. He was still an obnoxious little shit. Ingeni leaned forward, looking hard at the two girls with him. The one with a lot of red hair seemed to be the professional type, confident and hard-headed. The other one, the young one with blue hair, seemed distracted by something for most of the conversation, and then she finally spoke. Whoever these women with Shadow Dog were, they were strange. Ingeni shrugged. It didn't matter who they were, to him. The only thing he cared about was taking Shadow Dog's head to Kujato on a platter. He turned up the volume on the recording. Now all he had to know was where they were headed. He'd follow them into the pits of the hells, if that's what it was going to take. *** Tenchi looked down worriedly at Ryoko's sleeping body. She'd just collapsed while running, mumbling something about her power. He could feel his own power weakening, slowly. There was something about the garden they were in... he just couldn't put his finger on it. He whirled around, hearing them approach. The blue blade of his sword flashed to life, and he held it out in front of himself. The beasts Hellcat had conjoured out of the mist walked through the bushes now, snarling and pawing at the ground. Tenchi stood firm, watching them. They began to pace back and forth in front of him, hissing. "Now, are you willing to listen to me?" Hellcat appeared out of the fog, smiling. Tenchi eyed him, "Where is my son?" "Put the blade away, and let's talk." Hellcat looked around him. "And as a show of good faith..." The mist--beasts disappeared with a wave of his hand. "There, better?" Tenchi stood still and ready for several more seconds, with Hellcat patiently waiting. The blade of Tenchiken disappeared, and he lowered the hilt. "All right. Now, what's going on here?" Hellcat raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean? There are many things going on, Lord Tenchi Masaki. Plots within plots, dreams within nightmares. Where could one begin?" Hellcat plopped down onto the ground, crossing his legs in front of him. Tenchi squeezed his fists. "Don't give me riddles. I want the truth." He tried to stay calm, sure that this man would call his demons if attacked. Hellcat laughed, "Very well, Lord Tenchi. It seems you do wish to settle this like a civilized man!" He motioned to a large stone near Tenchi. "Please, sit." Tenchi looked from the stone, to Hellcat, and back again, then sighed and sat down. Hellcat leaned back, looking up at the dark sky with the blue moon. "Where to begin, where to begin, where to begin," he chanted. Tenchi spoke. "You said this was someone's garden. Lord Tamaro?" Hellcat snickered, "I'll have to remember to use that one! But, no. Lord Tomarou, He Without a Soul, the Last of the Great Priests of the Void. A very brilliant man. A visionary, I dare say. He was the one who found the prophecy, and found the Key to the Seal. He's also the one who will find the Talon." Tenchi shook his head. This man was making less sense than the garden they were in. "This is his garden?" Hellcat nodded. "Then, is he the one who kidnapped us?" Hellcat looked to the side, "Kidnapped? My, what an ugly word. He may have kidnapped the Key, but he did not kidnap you!" He pointed at Tenchi, giving a twisted grin. "Kidnapping would imply that he wants you for some purpose. You, however, are worthless to his plans. Maybe." He snickered. Tenchi gritted his teeth, but tried to stay calm. "Then, does he have Akira? Does Tomarou have my son?" Hellcat bobbed his head from side to side, "Ah yes! The Key is your son, isn't he?" "What do mean? What Key?" Hellcat, stopped, and looked directly at Tenchi. "The Key to the Seal of Eternity." He voice was low, and serious. At least, he appeared to be serious. Tenchi couldn't tell if the man was still being ridiculous. "You don't know the prophecy of the Seal of Eternity, do you, Prince?" Tenchi shook his head. He wasn't sure he wanted to know. "The Seal of Eternity was put in place by the gods, long ago, to hide away something very terrible. To hide away the Talon of Fate." *** "What the hell are we supposed to be doing on Jurai, anyways?" Bryant turned to his old friend. Shadow Dog opened his eyes, and looked over at Bryant. Both of them were lounging under trees, and Shadow had almost fallen asleep before Bryant had asked the question. "Ayeka has been trying to get help from the Supreme Council of Jurai to find Tenchi and Ryoko. But, despite being the First Princess, it hasn't been easy." He sat up, scratching his head. "Juraians are notoriously prejudice and elitist. They nearly spilled their own blue blood when Prince Yosho was revealed to be half Earthling. Do you really think that they'll divert so much of their resources to find his grandson, and the same woman who destroyed half their planet?" Bryant leaned back, and whislted. "Well, damn. How is it going to help with us there?" "To help Ayeka convince the Council is only half the reason. The other half is to go back to the City of Twilight." "You're cooking up another half-assed plan in that bejeweled head of yours, ain't ya?" Shadow frowned at him. "So? They've always worked before." Bryant was tempted to contradict him, but decided to let is pass. "Things are looking pretty damn dark for this mission, ain't they?" Shadow looked out at the stars. "Yea. But that's nothing new, is it?" Bryant chuckled. "Heheh. No, it ain't. Just like old times."
----------- Mayuka: Washu, is it just me, or does this seem to be going nowhere? |
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