Part Five
Time-Space-and-the-Other Stranger


	"And so," Tenchi later put into Kiyone's report, "we all headed off for 
Tokyo."

	The train sped up east to the capital city, laden with students and a 
few volunteer teachers in addition to its regular users. Towards the back 
end of one car, a small knot of very familiar people were gathered.

	"If Kain is going to attack, you'd think it'd have the decency not to do 
it during a school trip," Ryohko said irritably.

	"Your mother wasn't *certain* that it would happen in the next three 
days," Kiyone said patiently. "She just said that that was when it was 
most probable."

	Ryohko glared at Kiyone.  *What* mother?

	"I'm scared," Mihoshi said. "This Kain is powerful enough to have 
destroyed the entire Headquarters? I wish we were home!"

	"Mihoshi!" Aeka snapped. "What are you saying! What happens if there's 
no one to protect Okaasama? We have a mission to return Tenchi-sama to 
himself by protecting her."

	"Aeka... " Tenchi said gratefully. Next to him, Sasami smiled from her 
seat at the window.

	"And since when did Achika become your mother?" Ryohko asked, hands 
behind her head. Tenchi smiled weakly. "Hmm?"

	Aeka glared at her. Ryohko smirked.

	"I know just what you're doing," she told the Jurai princess, suddenly 
aping demure manners for a moment. "'Oh, you look just like one of the 
family.' See!"

	Aeka began to nnying.

	Ryohko made assorted derogatory sounds.

	"Aeee! I cannot take this anymore!" Aeka yelled, pointing at Ryohko. 
"Your brains must have rotted!"

	"Oh, the truth hurts, doesn't it?" Ryohko mocked, easily catching Aeka's 
stretching hands. "You think I didn't see you and Achika sneaking off 
yesterday to talk about things -- like what boys you both prefer?'

	"You know that's totally untrue!" Aeka said, shrinking in on herself for 
a moment before snatching Ryohko by the collar of her school uniform.

	"Want to fight?" Ryohko demanded, hands beginning to spark with energy.

	Tenchi jumped up from his seat and between the two of them. "Stop it!" 
He held Aeka back. 

	"Aeka, calm down!" he begged.

	Aeka was still ranting. "This time she's just gone too far! I'm going to 
teach her a lesson! Watch!"

	"*You* are?" Ryohko demanded.

	Electricity almost visibly flowed between the two girls' eyes. Tenchi 
was flung backwards into the seat by the sheer pent-up energies that were 
finally being loosed. Aeka began calling her shield and Ryohko her 
energy-sword, to the accompaniment of Kiyone, Mihoshi, and Sasami 
frantically demanding them to stop it, please!

	A globe of energy flared in the aisle.  Excess energy went into the car, 
with results not unlike those which would have been caused by it being 
struck by several small bolts of lightning -- which in fact was precisely 
what had happened. The train slowed to a stop, the one car smoking.


	Late that evening, the train *finally* pulled into Tokyo. 

	"We apologize for any inconvenience you may have been caused," the 
loudspeakers were proclaiming. "The automatic sprinkler system was 
engaged, which resulted in this delay." Tenchi, Sasami, and Ryoh-oh-ki 
quickly slipped out of the train as the other four women went forward to 
join the group.

	"Yeah," one of the students was saying as they filed towards the 
school-chartered bus, "we were supposed to arrive in the evening. It's 
the middle of the *night*."

	"Third-year Class 2," Mihoshi called from the front of the bus. "Is 
everyone here?"

	"So who keeps watch tonight?" a charred Ryohko hissed.

	"Somehow," he equally charred seatmate murmured in response, "I rather 
believe that it shall be us."


	The next morning dawned bright and clear. The students were slow to 
reboard their bus.

	"I'm tired," Achika yawned, leaning back in the seat by the window. She 
had not had much sleep last night, and what she had had was plagued by 
strange dreams. There had been one with the Golden-eyed Lady wearing some 
sort of red-and-black outfit molded to her skin, holding a sword made out 
of light and flying through some large hall, face steadfast beyond 
determination. A dream of a little girl with blue hair, whom she could 
almost recognize, running frantically from something until she ran right 
off of a... cliff? Or had it been an explosion that sent her off? Achika 
couldn't remember... only how she'd stretched out her arms in a vain 
attempt to catch the little girl.

	And there was one of somebody saying to a man whom she knew to be 
Aeka-san's father (although she couldn't have told anyone HOW she knew; 
dreams are like that), "You've done it backwards; you're supposed to take 
the one you WANT as your number two, after you marry the one *arranged*." 
Was that true? Of course she'd *heard* of men who kept a number two and 
their children, but she hadn't thought that one of those would be as 
ojousama as Aeka-san... now why was she assuming that Aeka-san was the 
second woman's daughter?

	And finally they had all dissolved into a little boy with black hair and 
brown eyes, who looked a little like Nobuyuki-san; he'd been at the cave 
by the shrine, sobbing his heart out, barely able to choke out "Kaasan... 
kaasan's gone..." and she'd woken up with tears streaming down her face, 
heartsick from the child's sorrow. 		She heard a whirring noise and 
looked up. "Ara? Nobuyuki-kun! What are you doing?"

	"It'll be a great souvenir for our school trip," Nobuyuki told her as he 
put the 8-mm camera down and slid into the seat next to her.

	"Mou," Achika told him, feinting a blow. "Did you sleep well last 
night?"

	"Not at all."

	"Ke! It's too early in  the morning for that," the girl in the seat 
behind the young couple groused.

	"Yes, they do seem to be getting along well," Aeka said, agreeing with 
the intent if not the words. "And we are very tired from staying up all 
night." She yawned; even 'spelling' Ryohko, she'd had nowhere near the 
amount of sleep due an imperial princess. Although the space pirate's 
idea of taking turns to watch had ensured that she'd at least had 
*some*... of course, she had no plans to admit that that oni woman could 
have a good idea once in a while.

	Below them in the luggage compartment, Tenchi moaned from his position 
atop the baggage, "I'm so hot! Are we leaving soon?"

	"I'm thirsty!" Sasami chimed in. Ryoh-oh-ki, not to be outdone, miyaaed.


	Above them, Kiyone, now garbed as a bus driver, made testing noises into 
a microphone before straightening and telling Achika's class, "Good 
morning, everybody. Did you sleep well last night?"

	"We did not!" they chorused.

	Kiyone laughed in embarrassment. "Little brats," she muttered.


	The park was an island of peace amidst the city. Well-kept paths and 
ponds... glorious trees shading the grass... Achika, walking along in the 
park, as autumn leaves fluttered in the wind and her black ponytail 
bounced...

	Nobuyuki followed closer and closer on her heels until she turned 
around.

	"Ah? Mata... " Achika attempted to shield her face from the camera with 
her hands. "What are you shooting that for?"

	"A memory record," he told her. "Now, I have one question for you. Are 
you having fun on this trip?"

	"Well, yes, but there's one thing I'm worried about."

	"E?"

	"I'm worried if my father's eating properly... " She turned to continue 
her stroll. He followed, with camera.

	"Oh! Don't worry, he'll be fine. People don't die just because they 
haven't eaten for three days."

	"Are you sure?"

	"Probably."

	Achika giggled.

	"I have one more question."

	"Yes, yes? What is it?"

	"What do you want to be? In the future?"

	Achika giggled again, dropping her eyes.

	"A bride... perhaps?"

	"Woohoo!" Ryohko called from behind them. "Getting a bit hot and heavy 
there, aren't we?"

	Achika spun, blushing. "What are you getting at? We're only talking."

	"Woohoo," Ryohko repeated.

	"You needn't be shy," Aeka chimed in.

	"Mou! You're mistaken!" Achika told them. "Nobuyuki-kun, why don't you 
say something?"

	"Look at him!" one of their male classmates called. "He's stiffening 
up!"

	"I suppose he must be shy," Aeka observed.

	Now why were Ryohko and the boy snickering?

	"What are those idiots *doing*?" Tenchi muttered from their position 
behind a hedge on the hillside, with a good view of his parents and the 
others. 

	"Yes, just when Tenchi-niichan's mother and father were getting along so 
well together," Sasami observed loyally (although personally, she'd found 
it rather funny herself). Then she gasped and called her Tenchi-niichan's 
name as he nearly vanished in a flash of blue light, diving for the 
shield generator as she did so.

	"Just in time," she breathed in relief as he was splayed against the 
golden light for a moment before slumping to the ground.

	"Thanks, Sasami-chan."

	"I wonder if the wards are losing potency? We couldn't bring Myshtar 
with us, and there are so *many* intersecting reiryoku-lines in Tokyo... 
"

	"Maa na," Tenchi observed. "However will I look after my mother like 
this?"

	"Tenchi-niichan..."

	"Myaa... "

	"Oh, *here* you are," Ryohko observed, sticking her head over the hedge. 
"Come on out. Nobody's going to notice you with all these students 
about."

	"Ryohko." Tenchi said quietly, somehow very grateful for her face at 
that point in time.

	"Ryohko-oneechan, Tenchi-niichan nearly disappeared again!"

	"What did you say?" Ryohko moved pack onto the path and looked both 
ways. Then she slowly rose a foot or two in the air, surveying the 
surrounding territory.

	Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Noth --

	Her gaze jerked back to a chestnut-haired student seated on a bench. The 
pigeons before him suddenly took wing en masse.

	That guy!

	"That bastard," she growled as their eyes met.

	He flung himself over the back of the bench and took off running.

	"HALT!" Ryohko commanded as she shot after him, smashing directly 
through the bench in question.

	"Damn," he muttered, running down a leaf-covered pathway with her in hot 
pursuit.

	Ryohko turned the corner. No sign of that narrow-eyed sonofabitch. 
"Bastard. He's mocking me." She looked this way and that.


	Evening.

	Crowded temple.

	Crowded marketplace.

	"Ma'am!" Achika told one of the stall vendors. "Some of this millet and 
rice, please?"

	'I'd like one of those doll sweet bean cakes," Ryohko pointed.

	"This fan, please," Aeka said, snapping open the painted fan in 
question.

	Achika and Nobuyuki were laughing over something as Ryohko watched them 
from across the 'street.' Then she stiffened as the pale man walked up to 
them. He looked searchingly into Achika's face for a moment, then moved 
on.

	"Oy," Ryohko demanded, crossing over to Tenchi's mother. "Did he say 
something to you?"

	"No, nothing. Why?"

	"Take this," the cyan-haired girl demanded, shoving her purchase into 
Achika's hands before taking off after that guy.

	"Is he Ryohko-chan's type, I wonder?"


	The damnable press of people forced her to a humanly plausible pace.

	"Ch! Where'd he go?"

	She walked on, searching.

	And then something jabbed into her back.

	"Put your hands behind your back," a voice commanded.

	Ryohko decided to humor him. For now.

	"Who are you?" she asked, complying. "What do you want with Achika?"

	"Offender 0-9457890345. The space pirate Ryohko, I presume."

	"Galaxy Police." It was not a question. "The Statute of Limitations ran 
out."

	"Oh? When?"

	"It was -- " Chikushou. It was twenty-four years from now. Mihoshi 
hadn't filed her report yet --

	"Do you work with Mihoshi? Or Kiyone?"

	"Fu. You seem to be getting along well with those first-class 
detectives," the deep, satiny voice observed, not quite insinuating 
anything.

	Ryohko barely restrained herself from strangling him.

	"I'm Galaxy Police Special Operations, dealing with *serious* 
criminals."

	That settled it. He was going to be in a great deal of pain.

	"The energy of the fugitive Kain has drawn me to this era."

	Ryohko's eyes widened. So he, too, was from the present. The future. 
Whatever.

	"Kain?" she asked, feigning ignorance. "Just who is this Kain, anyway? 
And what's he got to do with Achika?"

	"Kain is a being that apparently has an interest in the Jurai Imperial 
Family -- more specifically, Empress Funaho. A thousand years ago, after 
it escaped from some personage named Tokimi, it went around randomly 
destroying things or not as it pleased, the Galaxy Police, assisted by 
Imperial Candidate Masaki Azusa Jurai and his woman, succeeded in 
capturing it. As part of its arrest, it picked up the Terran Funaho and 
appeared to be debating whether or not to absorb her when she was rescued 
by her husband-to-be.

	"Then, a week ago, he caused the Galaxy PoliceÕs headquarters for this 
sector to vanish and escaped, and came to this world and time for some 
purpose presently undetermined."

	"But what does that have to do with Achika?" Ryohko drawled.

	"It was interested in Empress Funaho, you recall. I hypothesize that it 
is therefore interested in Achika-dono, who is the daughter of her son 
and a woman who was a distant descendant of her family."

	"You mean *Sakuya* was related to *Funaho*? No way."

	"You are aware of Achika-dono's mother's name?"

	Ryohko rolled her eyes. "I spent seven hundred years exactly where 
Youshou stashed me, with nothing to do but look at the scenery -- which 
included Sakuya, thankyouverymuch."

	"It may be that Kain is interested in revenge on all who bear the blood 
of the woman who enticed it into a trap and its captors -- in which case, 
of course, Youshou-dono and Achika-dono are some of those people. 
However, the nature of its energy is antithetical to that produced by the 
Space Trees of Jurai. When a sample of Empress Funaho's blood was sent to 
the Galaxy Academy for analysis, Professor Halrontalem noted the presence 
of certain mitochondria which produced minute amounts of energies similar 
to the Space Trees and Kain, canceling each other out."

	What was all that supposed to mean? Maybe Washuu'd stay long enough next 
transmission to ask her. Oh well, one thing *was* clear.

	"So she's a kind of innocent bystander."

	And with that, she generated a small burst of energy and flung the 
'Special Operations' guy -- *what* a load of crap -- back and away. The 
situation had rapidly lost any entertainment or informatory value it 
might have had.

	She flickered out and reappeared behind him, noting that he'd apparently 
touched her mini-levinbolt with his right hand and burnt away its 
disguise. As she swung with her energy sword, he flung himself up and 
away, attempting to escape her.

	"Soroo!" she yelled, flinging two levinbolts -- real ones this time -- 
after him as he flipped on his hand and regained his footing behind the 
explosions.

	They were quite satisfying explosions, blowing a nice hole in the 
pavement and sending up clouds of... billowing... smoke...

	Ryohko blinked, coughed once as she automatically ceased her cosmetic 
breathing process, and shifted her eyes to a different wavelength range. 
"Yaroo," she spat.

	That damn operative was *laughing*. "Definitely the work of the serious 
offender Ryohko." It wasn't like she'd had a *choice* -- she ruthlessly 
blocked that line of thought off. Her reputation was made already, and 
she might as well take all the glory that could be had from it. "You're 
very good, you know. I don't know why or how all of you have come to this 
era, but I'll tell you this." He ripped the KA-MEN from his face, 
revealing the features of a native Shinfaxi. "Kain's MINE!"

	"What the -- " Ryohko choked as he leapt up and over her, impossibly 
high for anything fully human, or even human to the ninth. He landed on 
the roof and grinned down at her. "I'll let you run free until I defeat 
Kain."

	And then he transported away.

	"That guy.." she muttered, as the energy globe still in hand dwindled 
and fizzled out.

	No *fair*!

	Ryohko roundly damned the bright minds of Vahlkhan'ss and the Twin 
Worlds who had invented the stupid transporter. She wanted some ANSWERS, 
gods-rot-it, not more questions!