Katsuhito Masaki looked at his grandson with a mild sense of disappointment in his eyes. Tenchi didn't look any different than usual; he was the same lanky boy with the same scraggly black hair and brown eyes. However, today Tenchi had not performed well during his sword training. Tenchi had made a critical mistake in each of the two bouts with his grandfather. In the first, Tenchi's stance had been incorrect, despite the hours Katsuhito had spent correcting it, and as a result Katsuhito easily caught Tenchi off his balance and knocked him to the ground. In the second battle, Tenchi disarmed Katsuhito, but dropped his guard as Katsuhito pulled a second weapon and quickly gave Tenchi a nice crack on the head. This was another mistake Tenchi had been corrected on in the past, and he hadn't committed either flaw in a considerable amount of time. "What's wrong, Tenchi?" Katsuhito asked. "You seem to be a bit distracted today." Tenchi thought for a second. During his training today he had been nagged with regret for a decision he had made earlier in the day. "Well, Grandpa, I'm just a little worried. Sasami asked me to go grocery shopping for her today, but I told her I couldn't because I had to come train with you."

"I see," Katsuhito replied.

"Yeah, well...you know, Washu was busy in the lab, and Kiyone and Mihoshi got a call from GP Headquarters this morning and had to make their report, and Aeka was taking a bath, so I didn't want to just walk in on her," Tenchi explained, "so I had to send Ryoko to buy the groceries."

"Yes, well, I don't think you need to worry about her, Tenchi. There are no dangers in the marketplace that Ryoko can't handle," Katsuhito reassured. "Grandpa! That's not what I'm talking about!" Tenchi snapped. "You know every time I send Ryoko shopping she just uses the money to get drunk!"

"And yet you sent her without even a word about this...?" Katsuhito asked.

"I told her that if she spent the money on anything that wasn't on the list I gave her, she'd have to sleep outside for a week," Tenchi said, before adding, "I don't think she believed me, though." "Relax, Tenchi. Ryoko may yet prove worthy of your trust. You may go, Tenchi. Same time tomorrow," Katsuhito told him.

*****

The town marketplace was very busy this day. In this very old-fashioned market, vendors showed their displays in front of tents. They called out to customers encouraging them to purchase the items they sold, including fish, rice, vegetables, clothing, and pottery. Amongst the noisy crowd of people, a tall, beautiful woman with tall, unkempt hair a light shade of blue and yellow, catlike eyes walked through the dusty street. In her hand she held a list. She looked at a nearby vegetable cart for a moment, then double-checked the list.

"Let's see, I need squid, fish, asparagus, mushrooms, fresh fruit..." Ryoko looked around. She seemed to have wondered into a remote part of the marketplace. Tucked between two tall buildings, light didn't reach this area very well. The crowd was strangely absent from this area, and there were three or four vendors here, each selling mysterious looking novelties. She stopped at one tent and looked inside. The vendor showed her what appeared to be handmade children's toys, including a yo-yo that caught Ryoko's interest.

"I bet Kiyone would like that," she thought to herself. She forced herself to focus. This wasn't a pleasure trip, after all. She started to walk back toward the main street. When she reached it, a vendor stepped out from the shadows to stop her. This vendor had no tent or display yet carried all his belongings in a pack he wore on his back. The man had very strange features, resembling that of a mole, along with the whisker like mustache. He wore very small, tainted glass shades that barely covered his beady eyes. He looked at Ryoko and grinned, revealing his large rodent like front teeth, overlapping the bottom ones. "Hello, hello!" The Mole man said. "You need not walk any further, young woman, for anything you are in need of, I can provide. Please, please, take a look at my selection." Ryoko stopped, not sure whether this strange man could be trusted. Certainly it would be hard for him to be involved in any legitimate enterprise. Especially with such a very dirty ensemble of clothing, and the man had a distinct smell, it was something similar to wet gravel or mud.

Her curiosity got the better of her, though, and she stood on the corner as the Mole Man opened his pack. It didn't seem to contain anything Ryoko would want. It had an old, beat up candlestick, a very used and beat up shovel and pick that were probably used for mining, and a very tarnished lamp, among other things.

"I'm sorry, but you don't have anything I need today. I'll be going now," Ryoko said.

"Oh, don't be in such a hurry. I can see you are a woman of higher tastes than this. Yes, I could tell you were quite special when I first saw you. I have an item that may be of great interest to you," the vendor said as he stepped into Ryoko's path. He pulled a small stone from a pocket and held it out to Ryoko in his dirt-encrusted hand. It was dark pink and teardrop shaped.

"Legend has it that this stone can grant wishes. I've also been around to witness this marvelous stone in action. Imagine, all your earthly desires fulfilled by the purchase of a single, small stone," he said. Ryoko cooed like a little schoolgirl. She knew that it probably wasn't best to trust this guy, but he was obviously not from around town, so there may have been more to that stone than appeared. Besides, she was a space pirate. If the stone didn't work, it would be easy to come back and steal the groceries she needed.

“How much do you want for it?" Ryoko asked, hesitantly.

"5000 yen," came the reply. It would be all the money Ryoko had, but if the legend were true, it would be well worth it. Ryoko thought for a minute, then consented to purchasing the stone. It was pretty, after all, so if it didn't grant wishes, it would still look good hanging from her neck.

**************

*Some time later*

***************

"I'm home, everyone!" Ryoko sang as she floated through the front door. She held something in her hands and held it behind her back. "Tenchi, come see this!"

Hearing Ryoko's calls, Sasami entered the living room from the kitchen to greet her. Ryoko was pleased to see the smiling little girl with long, blue pigtails and large, pink eyes. Her attitude became somewhat smugger as she noticed a woman with long, purple hair and pink eyes coming down the stairs.

"Hello, Ryoko," Aeka said, "I trust your shopping trip went well?"

"You bet it did!" Ryoko said, "wait 'til you see what I bought!"
Tenchi, who sat on the living room sofa, met Ryoko at the door. "What is it, Ryoko?" he asked.

Ryoko held out her hands to show everyone the small, pink stone she held. "It's kinda pretty, isn't it?" she asked. The group nodded their agreement. "You know what's cool? The vendor said that it grants wishes! Maybe we should try it out, huh Tenchi?" Ryoko shot Tenchi a seductive look. Aeka had heard enough. Her face turned red with rage as she began to shout. "YOU MEAN TO TELL ME YOU SPENT OUR GROCERY MONEY ON A PEBBLE BECAUSE THE VENDOR SAID IT GRANTS WISHES?!?"

"Groceries?" Ryoko mumbled. Tenchi smacked himself on the forehead. "Oh well, if it works, we can just wish for all the groceries we want!" Ryoko said in an attempt to justify her purchase. "Now, what should I wish for first..."

"OH NO YOU DON'T!" Aeka shouted, snatching the stone from Ryoko. "You're going to use it to try to make Tenchi fall in love with you!"

"Well you're the one that says it won't work, so why don't you just call my bluff?" Ryoko shot back.

"I never said that it wouldn't work, I just said that it was stupid to buy it without knowing! Besides, maybe I want to try it first!" Aeka shouted back.

"Well I'm the one who bought it!"

"With OUR grocery money!"

"So?"

Aeka was growing angrier by the second. "Ryoko, you drive me crazy, sometimes I wish you'd just go away!"

At that moment, a strange blue light came down from the ceiling. It completely enveloped Ryoko as she began to lift off the ground. "What's happening to me?" Ryoko said, inaudibly. The others could only shield their eyes from the blinding light as they had no hope of stopping it. As quickly as it began, it was over, and Ryoko was nowhere to be found.

*****

On another planet, not too far from earth, a young man, by the name of Van Fanel, stared at the blue glow of the earth with awe. This young man doesn't seem to mind having his hair blown in front of his brown eyes by the cold gusts of the wind. His slim and young figure hid the heart of a samurai that beat inside his chest. Right now, however, You can tell, from simply looking at his eyes that this young warrior is lovesick and lonely. He leans down on the banister of his balcony, sighs and whispers a name. "Hitomi..."

Suddenly, he notices a bright beam of blue light streaking past the stars from the earth to his home planet of Gaea. Immediately as the beam disappears in a nearby forest, Van quickly straightens himself up with a surprised look on his face. "Hitomi? But... How?"

Van opened his left palm, where he held a pendant. A pink stone that Hitomi had given him before she left and also, the same pendant Ryoko had bought from the mole man. Van looks at it for a second, then turns back towards the beam of light that is about to disappear. Van tosses the pendant on top of his bed, takes off his shirt and jumps off his balcony, plunging towards the ground. Just as he's about to hit the gravel, Van spreads out his wondrous white feathered wings from his back and rises above his kingdom's buildings, flying majestically towards the area where the light had landed. Back On the roof of his very own building, a young cat hybrid with pink hair looks at Van fly away from his kingdom.

"Wh_where's Lord Van going?"

*****

Farther off to the north, a giant floating fortress hovers over the trees of Gaea. It's antigravity stones cover the entire bottom of it as the entire structure of it all has clearly been built over at least three giant stones. Inside this fortress, a human/wolf hybrid soldier quickly rushes throughout the fortress, bumping into other hybrid soldiers of other species. The wolfman arrives to a room with its large doors wide open. He immediately stands straight and salutes.

"Sir!! Gamporo of the..."

"Simply tell me what you have to say Gamporo."

In the shadows we can only make out a pair of eyes through all the darkness. Near Gamporo's feet, a very wet and slimy tentacle sways from side to side, spreading a sticky substance all around. Gamporo seems a little distressed from the sight of this tentacle.

"Oh, my apologies lieutenant."

The tentacle suddenly disappeared into the shadows from where it had come, and Gamporo feels ready enough to talk.

"Ummm... Well sir, my men have just seen a beam of blue light near Fanelia. This might be the girl you've been searching for sir. The girl from the mystic moon, the..."

"The girl with the magical pendant..."

The man in the shadows finally stands up in front of Gamporo. Clearly, this man is very tall for he almost towers over Gamporo. his red, blue and silver armor covers his black leather suit and his mane like beard demonstrates an air of arrogance and power, just like a lion. Strangely enough however, this man has a blue eye and a red eye.

"Gamporo, we should head for the kingdom of Fanelia!! Take us to the exact coordinates where you have detected this beam of light right away!!" "Right away sir!!"

Gamporo runs off, leaving his commander to grin like a Cheshire cat.

*****

Near the area where the beam was sighted, Van carefully lands and hides his wings once again. He takes a few steps through the forest and hears a tree fall off in the distance along with a loud roar. Van pulls out his sword and walks with precaution. Only a few feet in front of him, two dragons seem to be fighting over the leftovers of a dead animal. Van keeps his eye on them and walks backwards with his sword in hand as he makes his way around them, using the trees as cover. He takes ten steps backwards until he finally trips on something. He quickly gets back up to his feet, making sure nothing heard him. He looks back at the dragons. They're still fighting each other. He looks down at what he tripped on and is surprised to see Ryoko, unconscious on the ground.

~Who is this?~

The wind started to shift and started to blow faster and stronger. The Dragons stopped fight each other and looked around, completely alert yet confused. Van covers his eyes with his forearm. When the wind dies down, he sees the giant floating fortress.

"What!?!? Zaibach?"

Suddenly, a Zaibach Guymelef battle suit lands behind Van, sending him rolling on the ground. The grayish, blue suit seems useless, for it doesn't have any mechanical hands, but instead, has holes where the fingers should be. The Guymelef's cape blew in the wind as Van got back up to his feet to face the Guymelef.

"SHOW YOURSELF COWARD!! FACE ME!!"

Van hears a voice inside the Guymelef talking to him. "Ah!! Van Fanel! I've always wanted to meet the young man who helped in the effort to destroy Zaibach and for also delivering my freedom from my Scientifically obsessed oppressors. You may feel better in knowing that I do not wish to fight you, boy."

"Then why did you attack me!?!"

"Oh, I've simply come here to collect this girl from the mystic moon. You see, she will be helpful in making me obtain the goal I have for this pathetic planet."

"You aren't taking anyone!!"

Van spreads his wings and jumps towards the Guymelef.

"Then you have just become an enemy to the man who shall reinvent Gaea. The man you'll now know as Malfeasance!"

The Guymelef hits Van across the chest, sending him flying to the ground. A metal spike shoots out from one of the Guymelef's finger holes and it takes down a tree. The Guymelef then forms bands of liquid metal from the same finger holes, and wraps them around Ryoko, picking her up.

"I hope these two will keep you occupied Van, for I have no time to waste on you for now."

The Guymelef switches to flight mode, merging the two legs together and having the arms bend behind the back. the Guymelef's shoulder pads, which haven't moved, start levitating the giant suit. Van gets up and runs after the Guymelef as it flies away, but it's too fast. Van turns around and sees the two dragons he was attempting to avoid, running straight at him. Van lets out a frustrated, primal yell that startles the birds out of the trees.

*****

Inside a dimly lit laboratory, a small woman with pink, crab shaped hair stared into a microscope. She remained in that position for a moment, and a look of pure confusion swept across her face. She looked up, and the light from the room’s only lamp gleamed in her green eyes. She shook her head.

"Have you found anything out, Little Washu?" Tenchi asked.

"Absolutely not. I've run every test I can think of, and there's still no indication that this is anything besides an ordinary rock. Why it worked in the first place is an absolute mystery," Washu replied.

"I still don't get it! We've tried using the rock to bring her back, but it doesn't work! We've got to go find her somehow!" Tenchi said frantically.

"Well, the fact of the matter is she could be anywhere in the universe for all we know, so you might want to start looking," Washu said.

"Well can't you contact her telepathically or something?" Tenchi asked. "No, for some reason my telepathy with Ryoko is cut off. It must be the distance. Either that, or..." Washu hesitated. Even she wasn't ready to admit THAT possibility yet. Tenchi took the stone in his hand. He looked at it for a second, then closed his eyes in frustration. "Ugh, this gives me such a headache! I wish I had a couple aspirin..." Tenchi opened his eyes to look at the stone again. On each side of it was an aspirin tablet. "I see the stone is still functional. That makes the fact that it won't bring back Ryoko even more of a mystery..." Washu said, thinking out loud.

"Maybe...hmm," Tenchi said, deep in thought, "Maybe it can't undo a wish that's already been made?"

"That's a definite possibility. Like I said though, it is completely non-responsive to my tests, so the only way to find out is trial and error," Washu replied.

"I think it's time we got a search party together," Tenchi said.

******************

*A few minutes later*

******************

Tenchi and Washu gathered the rest of the group into the living room. Washu stood out in front of the group and, holding the stone in her hand as she spoke, began to announce her newly made plan.

"The stone has been utterly unresponsive to any of my tests. However, Tenchi and I have found that the stone still has the power to grant wishes," she said, retelling the events that took place in her laboratory.

"If it still grants wishes, why can't we use it to bring Ryoko back?" Sasami asked, frustration beginning to show in her voice.

"We think that it can't undo a wish that's already been made," Tenchi replied, though he sounded like he didn't believe what he had himself just said.

"We cannot possibly know the exact nature of the gem, but for some reason wishing Ryoko back using it is impossible. We do know that it can still grant wishes though, so we're going to use a different alternative," Washu explained.

"And what would that be, Washu?" Kiyone asked.

Washu smiled at the green haired detective. "We're going to have the gem take us to Ryoko!"

Kiyone turned a blue eye to her blond partner. Mihoshi's own blue eyes filled with tears.

"But what if we can't get back?!" Mihoshi cried, nearly screaming. "You did say that it couldn’t undo wishes!" "Well, we only need wish our way there because we don't know exactly where Ryoko is. But we know we're going back to Earth from wherever we end up, so as long as we take Ryo-okhi with us we should have no problems," Washu quickly tried to explain in an effort to calm Mihoshi down.

"So, looks like we're all set," Tenchi said, taking the gem from Washu and holding it into the air. "Here goes..."

"Tenchi!"

Tenchi turned to the stairs where Katsuhito was descending. The old man tossed Tenchi a small, decorated woodcarving.

"Sword Tenchi...?"

"Take it," Katsuhito said. "It may come in handy."

Tenchi nodded. He turned back to the group and held the stone in the air. He took a deep breath, then spoke. "I wish..."

**************

*Back on Gaea*

**************

A white owl soars over the forests of Gaea flapping it's wings silently as it catches the sight of an airship. The ship hovers only several feet above the tall oaks and evergreens. It has two anti gravitational stones and webbed sails to each side, which can easily catch an updraft. Several propellers on the ship helped it float in any direction needed as the pilots easily demonstrated from avoiding the extremely tall trees and small mountains. The white owl slowly descends onto one of the ship's balconies and lands on the forearm of a tall and gallant blond man. This man proudly wears a sword, which is attached to his belt. The man's long blond hair easily compliments his beautiful blue eyes that almost sparkle in the moon's healthy glow. He starts speaking with a somewhat soothing voice.

"Found anything to eat out there Natal?"

He kindly starts scratching beneath the feathers of the bird, around the neck. It cocks it's head from side to side, accepting the kind gesture, emitting a soft cooing noise which is just as reassuring as a cat's purr. Behind them, a young blond woman comes and joins them on the balcony, admiring the lights of the night. She begins to speak.

"The mystic moon seems to be shining more brightly tonight, isn't it Allan?"

"Yes, it is quite beautiful tonight queen Malerna."

They pause for a few seconds, then Allan begins to speak once again.

"Have I ever told you that, I do not enjoy the idea of having you out in the open like this?"

She sighs and looks at him with a small hint of disappointment.

"You've mentioned it several times already ~Alan~." She added, coldly.

"I'm simply keeping an eye on your safety Malerna."

"I know, and that is your job, but, have you ever heard the expression 'Lighten up'?"

Allan raises his hand into the air, sending Natal flying off once again. He then turns back towards Malerna.

"I've heard that expression several times... mostly from you queen Malerna. I'll chose to do so once the proper time arises."

She sighs once again.

"You'll never get the idea, will you Allan?"

Malerna storms off the Balcony, leaving through the door. Allan looks down in shame, forming tight fists out of his hands.

"I'm Sorry Malerna, you... You just don't understand."

As Queen Malerna storms off to her quarters, she notices Selena, Allan's sister, simply standing next to the door to the ship's balcony, admiring the astrological forms in the night sky as well. Allan's sister has a few features similar to Allan, however, her hair is shorter than Allan's and even paler. Of course, her hair has grown since the Zaibach empire had fallen a year or so ago, the same day she had been "found". She talks to Malerna, without turning towards her and still admiring the stars in the sky.

"still no luck Queen Malerna?"

"No, he still won't get the idea. I'm starting to hate my position in Asturia. I wish I had never been born into royalty."

"Why? You rule an entire country. You can order everyone you want to. what's so bad..."

"Ever since I've become queen, it seems as though he has gotten worse. I can't be mad at Hitomi for it, but, I really wish I didn't marry Dryden." Both of them look down, reflecting upon the moment. Selena looks up towards Malerna then breaks the silence.

"Is it true that king Dryden has been missing, ever since the country of Zaibach had been set to ruin?"

"I'm sorry, but..."

Malerna starts to walk away from the conversation.

"...But I don't feel like talking about it." She finishes her sentence just as she turns the corner of the hallway.

*****

Dawn has finally risen over Fanelia, however, the citizens of Fanelia should brace themselves for a very rude awakening. As we look upon Van's tower, we can see a man rushing to the top where a giant cymbal shaped object simply hangs from the ceiling, just as a bell would from a chapel. The man reaches the very top of the tower and immediately grabs a padded stick then hits the giant bong. The bong resonates ferociously, waking up every single villager. A small crowd quickly starts to gather in front of the tower as the Villagers rush to hear the grave news they might not expect. Inside the crowd, Merle, the pink haired cat hybrid that saw Van fly off into the forest, stood out among the crowd. She starts wondering The bong's tiresome noise suddenly stops once most of the villagers had arrived. Everyone looked up towards the top of the tower's steps, giving their undivided attention to a tall and muscular man who wore extravagant knight's clothing. He clearly has many years behind him, for he had gray hairs wherever hair may be found. Although, his strong and solid body might make others think otherwise. The man began to speak with a strong and very deep voice. "Everyone, please do not be alarmed but our King, Van Fanel, has disappeared."

The crowd gasped and started to whisper amongst themselves. Merle grabbed the front of her shirt and clenched her fists, gaining a sense of security. ~Oh Van...~ she thought. "We have already sent our best samurai to search the forest for our king in teams of two. With such odds, any dragons they might encounter will be no trouble at all, definitely not for our skilled samurai."

Suddenly, a man in charge of the gate yells out to the town's people.

"They found him!! They found Lord Fanel!!!!"

The crowd rushed for the gate as two samurai walked in, carrying Van over their armor covered shoulders. Van has a few cuts and bruises and seems to be exhausted beyond belief. He had what seemed to be an energist clutched tightly in his right hand. One of the samurai speaks out.

"We found him next to two dead dragons!!"

The crowd backs away and leaves an empty path. The man who made the announcement earlier, walks upon this path and comes towards the samurai, giving them clear and quick instructions as soon as he saw the young king.

"Take him to the infirmary, QUICKLY!!"

The crowd seem to be in shock, simply to see Van in such condition as the samurai rush him to the infirmary. Merle looks on as her childhood friend is taken away.

"Oh Van... Please be O.K..."

*****

"Kill me now if you think that would get you anything out of it."

Somewhere, inside the dark dungeons and tunnels underground, a man is chained to the wall as he practically bleeds to death from cuts over cuts. He doesn't have much of a choice but to watch as a man in a dark cloak slashes and stabs him all over his body with a small dagger. The man in the cloak jabs the dagger one more time through the man's right palm, making more blood drip onto the dark puddle on the floor. Several maggots on the ground attempt to squirm and crawl out of the crimson liquid, saving them from drowning. The tortured victim holds back the pain for several seconds, but succumbs and yells out in pain. The man in the cloak licks his lips in enjoyment as he watches the crimson liquid trickle and spurt from the new injury. The cloaked man starts talking, with a slightly hoarse voice.

"Now where would the fun be in that? Hmm...?"

The man gasps and coughs, then looks up at the face hidden in shadows. "I admit it now. If I would've known you would have turned out this way, I would never have participated into cr..."

"Shut UP!!!!!"

The cloaked man stabs the prisoner directly in the chest and immediately takes out the stained red blade. The prisoner expels one final gasp of air before his head, and the rest of his body, drops limp. "I was getting tired of his annoying babble anyhow."

The cloaked man straightens himself up, whipping his cloak clean of any dust or annoying insects. He turns to a few armored hybrid soldiers with a somewhat cocky smile protruding from the shadow produced from the cloak's hood.

"Dump his body in the engine. He's just firewood now..."

As he turns to leave the prison area, another soldier comes towards him. This one is a hybrid Dolphin.

"Sir, commander Malfeasance has asked you to join him in his floating fortress to verify..."

"What? Did he find another one of those wizards?"

"No, not at all, he..."

"Good, at least I wouldn't have to listen to anymore of their nonsense before I kill them."

"Well sir, he believes that he has found the girl from the mystic moon."

"WHAT!!??!!?? He's got Hitomi?"
,br> *****

The cloud of darkness was starting to lift from Aeka. She yawned and stretched, as if she had just awakened from a deep sleep. As she opened her eyes, however, she was surprised to realise she was standing on two feet. She tried in vain to recall her last memory, as the haze still lingered. She looked around. She was standing on a hill overlooking a barren field. In many places, large, brown white, often long and pointed objects protruded from the rocky, grassless ground. They seemed to be arranged into specific patterns, and Aeka immediately recognized what they were.

"Skeletons?" Aeka gasped, halfway under her breath.

"Yes," Kiyone replied, surprising Aeka. Aeka turned to look at the detective.

"Massive ones," Kiyone continued. "We seem to have landed in a graveyard for some...gulp...fairly large creatures."

"Graveyard...how..." Aeka stuttered. She stopped and thought, and finally remembered how she arrived in this place; the wish that Tenchi had made.

"Where are the others?" Aeka asked.

"I don't know. We've all been scattered somehow, I guess," Kiyone responded.

Aeka turned to walk in the other direction, but she immediately tripped over a small object and fell to the ground. As she started to stand up, the small object looked at her apologetically.

"Meowww..."

"Oh, it's just you, Ryo_okhi," Aeka sighed. She got to her feet and bent over to pick up the cabbit. She turned back toward Kiyone. "So, do you know where we are, exactly?"

The detective shook her head. "There's no way to tell where we are right now. All I know is that Ryoko isn't around here, and the others aren't here either."

"Perhaps we need to survey the area from the air," Aeka suggested. "Ryo_okhi, are you ready?"

Ryo_okhi perked her head up, but she appeared as if she were trying to hear something from some distance away. She jumped out of Aeka's arms and began to run.

"Meowwwww……..!!"

"Wait, Ryo_okhi! Come back!" Aeka shouted as she and Kiyone began to chase the cabbit. It was clear that neither of them was fast enough to catch her though, and they quickly gave up.

"Great, there goes our ticket out of this place..." Kiyone mumbled.

Aeka sat on the dusty ground. She thought for a moment, trying to figure out a course of action. No ideas came, however, and she started to get very frustrated.

"How is it that I've ended up in this awful place, searching for that awful woman, separated from the others, separated from my Guardians, with no ride home?!?" Aeka shouted.

"Princess Aeka!" came a deep voice from behind her. Aeka shrieked in fear and surprise as she turned around. When she saw the source of the voice, she relaxed, though she struggled a minute to catch her breath.

"Oh...it's...it's only...you...Azaka," Aeka gasped, turning to face the large, log shaped Guardian. "Where is Kamidake?"

"He is not within detection range," the Guardian replied, "and I cannot locate any of the others either."

"Great, so we're still lost," Kiyone whined.

"Well, I have detected a settlement about five kilometers southeast of here," Azaka said.

"I guess we could at least go there and get some directions, so we have some idea where we are," Aeka replied.

"Yeah, but even so, where do we go from there?" Kiyone asked.

"We'll just have to see, I suppose," returned Aeka.

*****

Vendors were beginning to set up their shops in what would soon be a busy marketplace. They came in riding furry, horse like creatures, which pulled their carts in from the dusty road leading into town. They would stop their carts on the side of the road, at the place just before the road entered the town. The carts then would be unfolded into large displays for the items they carried. Many different things were sold here: Fruit, meat and fish, jewels, small toys, and various collectibles. People of all classes patronized the market, from peasants in homemade rags, to the occasional Knight in silver armor riding through. Eventually, two women who looked severely out of place wandered through the market. One had long, curly blonde hair, and the other had large, pink, crab shaped hair. Both wore brightly colored, manufactured clothing that stood out against the drab, homemade clothing of the peasants.

"Washu, where do you suppose we are?" The blonde woman asked.

"I'm not sure, Mihoshi," The pink haired woman replied, "this looks like a marketplace of some sort, but it's definitely not the one by Okaiyama..."

At this moment, one of the strange, horse like creatures passing by decided to take a nibble on Mihoshi's ear.

"Hey, that tickles!" Mihoshi protested. "I've never seen one of those before, what do you think it was?"

Washu thought for a moment. "I don't think I've ever seen one of those on Earth before, but they look vaguely familiar..."

"WHAT? You mean we're not on Earth anymore?" Mihoshi asked, surprised.

"I don't think so," Washu said, "but this place seems kinda familiar."

"You mean you think you've been here before?" Mihoshi asked.

"Well, no..." Washu replied, "It almost seems like something...something I saw in a dream."

Washu turned her head to look at the blonde detective, but Mihoshi was nowhere to be found.

"Mihoshi?"

"Wow! A karaoke machine!" Mihoshi exclaimed as she ran toward a small shop. She stared at a device that was for the moment being used to prop up a table with a missing leg. "Can we buy it, please Washu, can we, huh?!?"

A large drop of sweat appeared on Washu's forehead as she looked at Mihoshi in embarrassment. "Listen, Mihoshi, I don't exactly have a lot of money right now..."

"Aw, pleeeease, Washu?" Mihoshi begged.

"Do you have any idea how hard that's going to be to carry on foot?" Washu argued.

"Don't worry, I'll carry it, I promise!" Mihoshi said. "Washu?"

"Shh..." Washu said, looking into the distance. She stayed perfectly quiet, and looked as if she was listening to somebody yelling at her from far away.

"Washu?" Mihoshi prodded, quietly.

"Stop worrying about that machine, Mihoshi," Washu said, "We've got a big task ahead of us."

"What's wrong, Washu?" Mihoshi asked.

"Well, I still can't communicate with Ryoko. That's certainly going to complicate finding her..." Washu replied.

"What do we do now?" Mihoshi asked.

"You tell me, you're the police detective," Washu replied.

"Well, if we're on an entirely different planet, we have a lot of searching to do, that's for sure," Mihoshi said.

"We might as well concentrate on this town, Mihoshi, at least until Ryo-Okhi gets here," Washu responded.

*****

Kiyone looked out over a seemingly endless stretch of wasteland. She and Aeka had been following Azaka for what seemed like three hours. Her shirt was soaked with her sweat, and she was beginning to feel faint and slightly dizzy. She turned and looked at Aeka for a moment. Aeka was also sweating profusely, and she stumbled every few steps.

"Are you sure your guardian is leading us in the right direction? You can't see anything but sand and bones for miles! We're going to need water soon, or we could..." Kiyone trailed off. She stopped walking, and both Aeka and Azaka turned to look at her. Kiyone was bent over, trying to catch her breath. "Don't...mind me...just...have to rest...a minute." "Azaka, how near are we to the settlement?" Aeka asked the guardian.

"It is just over this hill, Princess," Azaka replied, "About 200 meters from here."

"Let's go, Kiyone, not much farther now," Aeka urged.

The three continued to press forward, and just as Azaka predicted, a settlement came into view as they came over the crest of the hill. A city of tents spread before them, sitting just in front of one of the largest skeletons they had seen. Even through the distance, they could see men working near the skeleton; they appeared to be digging.

"It appears that we've come upon an excavation of this site," Aeka observed as they continued down the hill toward the temporary city. As they arrived, men stopped their work and stared at their unusual visitors. Many looked as though they hadn't seen an attractive woman in some time, and seemed pleased that these ladies had stopped by. Aeka and Kiyone responded with nervous grins as they continued past.

"Maybe this wasn't such a good idea after all," Kiyone whispered.

"I wouldn't worry about them, they've probably just been away from their families too long," Aeka responded, though her voice had a nervous quality to it. Something about their stares didn't seem completely innocent, and Aeka was trying very hard to ignore it. "Perhaps we should find somebody who's in charge." "Agreed," replied Kiyone. The two continued past the workmen toward the largest tent at the edge of camp. By the time they arrived, they were sweating heavily again. A heavyset, muscular man with very dark hair and dark, brown eyes came out to meet them. He greeted them warmly, yet something in his voice bothered Aeka, like the stares of the men before.

"Good afternoon, what brings you ladies to this facility?" He asked.

Thinking the story about the small gem and the wish would seem quite farfetched to this common looking man, Kiyone responded with a story that was slightly distant from the truth.

"We were, uh, hiking in the desert a few miles from here and, well, we got a little bit off the trail. We saw your tents in the distance and thought maybe you could direct us to the next town," she said.

"Hiking, in this area?" the man replied, raising an eyebrow. "You two have quite a sense of adventure. This is pretty dangerous territory," he said, looking them over. "You do look exhausted though, please come sit in the tent, you'll get some shade and we can have some water and food brought to you.."

Aeka started to object, but the prospect of walking miles to the next town without even a drink of water was too much, despite her strange gut feeling. She and Kiyone graciously accepted. Soon they had drunk, eaten, and rested. The large man then returned to the tent, and Aeka rose to thank him.

"We certainly appreciate your hospitality, but we really must be going now. If you could just direct us to the next town, we'll be no further burden upon you," she said.

"Before you go, I have a proposition for you both," the man said, as the two women looked at each other and shrugged. "I don't know what kind of business you have where you come from, but you both seem fairly strong, and we can always use more help around here. You're welcome to stay awhile, and you could earn some extra cash for your journey home."

"I'm sorry, but we really should be moving on," Kiyone replied.

"Yes, we really don't need the extra money, but thank you for your offer," Aeka added.

"Oh, we insist," the man snarled, as three more large men entered the tent, blocking the exit.

Kiyone and Aeka jumped to their feet. The men closed in on them, backing them into a corner. Their leader, the man who had first greeted the two women, grabbed Aeka by the arm and started to drag her out of the tent. Aeka resisted, digging her feet into the floor. He gave her arm a hard jerk, but Aeka reached around and grabbed his wrist with her free hand, pulling her arm free. She grabbed the man's wrist with both hands and threw him over her shoulder to the ground.

Meanwhile, Kiyone assumed a martial arts style defense stance as the other three men closed on her. She ducked a punch from one of the men and came back with a roundhouse kick to his face, knocking him down. The other two men reached for her, but she dove between them, coming up behind them. As they turned to face her, she grabbed their heads and slammed them together, and they fell to the ground. She and Aeka ran out of the tent, but immediately backed into it as two more men with swords faced them.

"We'll give you three seconds to give up before we resort to using the blades of our swords."

"This is your only warning, I am the First Princess of the Royal Family of Planet Jurai, and I am not to be trifled with," Aeka replied.

"Planet Jurai?" the other man laughed, "where the hell is that?"

"One!" the first man yelled.

Kiyone started to reach for her gun, but was met with the second man placing his sword beneath her chin.

"Better not try that," he said.

"Two!" the first man yelled as Aeka continued to stare at him defiantly. The two men readied their swords.

"Three!"

Both swordsmen charged for the two women, their swords ready to cut through flesh. Suddenly, they all bounced back. The men stared in awe as a force field protected Aeka, Kiyone, and Azaka from harm. Kiyone pulled her gun, and as Aeka dropped the force field, the two men readied their swords again. Two shots rang out. Afterward, the two men were gripping their hands in pain as their swords lay on the ground. Meanwhile, several small wooden cylinders had appeared in the air and surrounded the two men.

"I warned you. I am the First Princess of the Jurai Royal Family and I am not to be trifled with," Aeka repeated, "now I suggest you step out of the way and let us be going."

The two men glared at Aeka, then bent down to pick up their weapons. Aeka raised her arms, and the small logs surrounding the men began to emit bolts of lightning. The men screamed in pain, then fell to the ground unconscious as Aeka ended her attack. She, Kiyone, and Azaka exited the tent once again, only to be confronted by a very large, armored robot.

*****

"Aeka? Aeka!!" echoed a young, female voice through what seemed to be an ancient ruin.

The walls of the building were metal, giving the echo a metallic twang to it. They were rusted through and collapsing in places, exposing the old interior to the sunlight. Years of storms and wind had covered the exposed floor with dirt and dust, allowing plants to take root and grow straight up through the ceiling in places where the sun reached. The entire place was a maze of collapsing metal walls and ceilings, giant plants, and strange old machines and robots, rendered useless by age and the elements. There was no sign of life anywhere, except for the lone voice of a little girl calling for her older sister.

"What is this place?" Tenchi thought to himself as he stumbled through the ruins.

He looked at the small pendant that he held in his hand; the pendant that had brought him to this place. He had wished for the entire group to be taken to the place where Ryoko was, yet somehow, they all became separated. Tenchi was alone, he had no idea where Ryoko was, no idea where he himself was, and no idea what to do next. Were the others in this ruin too?

Tenchi decided that the best thing to do was to search for the others. It seemed like a safe assumption that they had all landed in the same general area. Perhaps even Ryoko was at this moment lost in some part of these ruins.

"Ryoko!" his voice echoed down the ancient hallways, but was met with no response. "Aeka! Sasami! Anybody?" He called over and over again, but still nobody called back. He was confused. Certainly the others were close enough for somebody to hear him! He couldn't understand why the pendant would scatter them in such a way. "Ugh, once this is over, I'm going to have Ryoko take this pendant back and get a refund..."

"Aeka! Tenchi?! Hello?" a voice echoed through the halls. Tenchi raised his head, trying to hear where the voice had come from.

"Sasami?" he called back.

"Tenchi!" came the reply.

"Where are you?" Tenchi called.

"I, I'm not sure..." Sasami's voice trailed off.

Her voice was getting closer, Tenchi decided, and it seemed to be coming from behind him. He turned around, and a long hallway spread before him. He ran down the hallway for perhaps one hundred yards, and came to the end, where the hallway split into a T shape to the left and right.

"Sasami!" Tenchi called.

"Tenchi! I'm over here!" Sasami called back. The voice definitely came from the right. Tenchi went in that direction, finding that the path was littered with obstacles such as tall plants and old machine parts. He struggled down the path for another 150 yards, then stopped to catch his breath.

"Sasami!" he yelled again.

"I'm right here, Tenchi," Sasami said. Tenchi quickly turned around and saw the young girl standing directly behind him.

"Sasami! You scared me!" Tenchi said, gasping.

Sasami grinned at him. "Sorry about that," she said.

"Have you seen any of the others?" Tenchi asked.

"No, Tenchi, I haven't..." Sasami replied, "I don't think they're here."

"What makes you think that?" Tenchi asked.

"Don't you think we would have found them by now?" Sasami replied.

"I don't know, this seems like a very, very big place to me," Tenchi said. As he finished that statement, the two heard a low growl coming from back toward where the hallway Tenchi came from split off from the main hall. "Did you hear something, Sasami?"

"I don't know, Tenchi, I thought I did," Sasami returned.

Tenchi thought for a minute. "Maybe it was nothing," he said, trying to keep the nervousness out of his voice. "Come on, we need to keep looking around. If we don't find the others, maybe we'll at least find a way out of here."

The two began crawling through and over the obstacles back to where Tenchi had came from. They passed the original hallway, going some distance past it, where they came to a dead end. They turned to head back the other way, but the low growl came again, this time much louder than before.

"I don't think we imagined it this time," Tenchi said, the nervousness coming out as his voice shook. "Come on, let’s hurry!" The two ran, trying to reach the original hallway, but as they reached it they were cut off by the source of the loud, low growl, as a large reptilian creature came down the hall, backing them into the dead end. The creature resembled a giant cobra, with a round body, long front legs and nearly non-visible hind legs and it's tail ended with a sharp blade. It bent down, looking with some interest at Sasami, though it seemed more curious than aggressive. Sasami giggled as the creature stuck its forked tongue at her, smelling her. "He seems nice enough to me, Tenchi," Sasami said, with a giggle.

"Yeah, but he's in our way!" Tenchi replied, "Here, maybe if I scare him, he'll go away." Tenchi drew his sword and ignited the blade, immediately catching the creature's attention. The creature stared at Tenchi with an annoyed look as he waved the sword in its face. "Come on, you back off now, you hear me?" Tenchi yelled. The creature roared, and Sasami shrieked in fear, ducking behind Tenchi for cover. Tenchi stepped forward, raising his sword, preparing to defend himself and Sasami. The creature raised its head and roared again, preparing to attack. It advanced, backing Tenchi and Sasami farther into the dead end hallway. The creature bared its teeth and readied itself to strike, while Tenchi again raised his sword as he frantically searched for a plan to defeat the monster. Suddenly, Tenchi heard a voice, seemingly coming from his own head.

"Drop your weapon and clear your head of all aggressive thought! It won't attack you if you have no fear or hatred in your heart!"

*****

Van started to stumble out of bed making sure nobody had seen him. He grabbed the energist that simply stood on a night table beside the infirmary's bed. He unwrapped some of the bandages that surrounded his forehead and took his red shirt from the closet, which was several feet away from the bed. During the whole entire time, Van kept mumbling to himself, almost as if he were into a trance. He slipped into his shirt and looked around the room, trying to find his sword and scabbard. He found both simply hanging on an old looking coat rack.

*****

Inside the courtyard of Fanelia's castle, the giant ship Allen and Malerna had been traveling in had landed softly, blowing away some dust and other debris. A rope ladder unfurled itself to the ground from the center of the hovering ship, permitting the occupants to disembark. Allen came down first, followed by Selena then Queen Malerna. As soon as they all touched the ground, the palace guards and Merle, who insisted to see her old friends, greeted them.

"Allen!! Selena!! Malerna!! You're all finally here!! Yay!!" She said as she threw herself into Allen's arms. Allen, out of pure habit, wrapped his arms around the cat hybrid with a slightly surprised look on his face. Merle looked up at Allen, somewhat flirtatiously and said "Hmm... No wonder Hitomi liked you so much..."

"Ahem!!"

They both looked at Malerna, let each other go and blushed. Allen stood up still, as though nothing happened and Merle simply stood there with a feline's smile and a hand behind her head, trying her best to make the gesture look as innocent as possible.

"Oh relax Queen Malerna, I was just joking. Besides, I'm happy to see all of you, not just Allen. No offense Allen."

"None taken Merle."

Malerna smiled. "Thank you Merle, I'm happy to see you also."

"So..." Selena added, after she looked around. "Where's Van?"

"Oh..." Merle thought about everything that has happened recently, having seen the blue beam of light and watching Van fly towards it, then, when they found him this morning... "Van's in the infirmary, he's been there since this morning, and..."

Suddenly, everyone was surprised to see Van ridding past them on a horse with an energist in one of his hands. Merle was extremely shocked to see this and so were the others as they watched him ride away towards the royal cemetery. Allen knew something was wrong, just by seeing the determined look upon Van's face.

"Van!!" yelled Allen.

Van looked back with the corner of his eye and saw his friends standing there, all of them wondering why he's rushing like this. Van turned the horse around to face his friends and give them an explanation for leaving before they could spend some time to reminisce.

"It's Zaibach!! Zaibach's back and I'm going to stop them before anything serious happens!!"

"What?!? But Van!! Zaibach's nothing more than ruins by now!!"

Van turned the horse around and rode away, leaving his friends behind to stare in disbelief. Van would never make up foolish lies about something this serious, but, Zaibach fell to ruins, and It would be hard for anyone to believe what Van had just told his friends.

*****

In the cemetery, the plants had grown and the trees which surrounded the area had grown thicker as well. The same emerald color filled the entire area with the help from grasses, leaves, mosses and vines, giving the cemetery a more soothing atmosphere than a regrettable one. Van arrived into the lush green area, jumping off the horse-like creature and letting it run back to it's stable. He looked down at all the tombstones, until he looked at the tallest one where his parents had been buried below. He looked to the right of that giant tombstone where his Guymelef, the Escaflowne, knelt there on one knee. It would be hard to tell what it was or even how it had been placed by simply looking at the giant lump of vines and leaves. Van looked down to the earth and spoke a few words.

"I am sorry for what I must do. I promised that I would keep the Escaflowne here forever, without disturbing it from it's peace, because, this Guymelef might start a war once again, but, I must go back on my promise, to protect the land, the animals and the people from whatever dangers that might be approaching. Mother, father, Balgus and my brother, Folken, I am sorry, but I am King of Fanelia..." Van grabs the hilt of his sword and pulls it out of its scabbard. He then starts to walk towards Escaflowne, raising his sword towards the Guymelef. "...and as King I have to protect my country in any way that I know how!!!"

Van cuts off a few vines that were wrapped around the gem on the Guymelef's breastplate. Once all the vines had been cut, Van reached into his sash and pulled out the dragon's energist. The giant pink gem began to glow as Van's hand, holding the energist, reached for it. Then the gem started to ripple like water as Van's hand went into it. Suddenly, the Guymelef started to make these mechanical noises, which showed that Van had brought the giant back to life. Van took his hand out without the energist and the front of the Guymelef opened up, snapping the vines that were wrapped around it. Van sat into the Guymelef's seat and put his hands into the suit's gauntlets, letting the machinery twist and turn around his arms and legs. The front closed itself right back and now Van had control of the sleeping giant. "I'm sorry I had to wake you up from your sleep old friend, but I need you. Think you can still accomplish what you used to?"

Suddenly, the Guymelef started to lurch back to life, snapping the vines wrapped around it's arms. The Guymelef stood straight up, breaking what was left of the vines. Then, the Guymelef grabbed a hold of the sword, which stood in the ground, pulling it out of the earth without any effort.

"Great!! Now, Escaflowne, let's fly!!"

After what Van had just said, the Guymelef suddenly starts to transform, shifting it's arms and legs to create a brand new form which most people on Gaea had feared most of their lives. The Guymelef's legs bonded together to become the tail and the cape became to wondrously large wings and Van was now on its back holding back reins as though he were ready to control a horse. The Escaflowne had transformed into the white dragon. The mechanical dragon flew several feet above the ground and burst through the trees, flapping its wings ferociously.

Allen had been trying to get to the cemetery and find out what Van had been talking about, but he was only there in time to see the giant white dragon fly away with it's master ridding on its back. Merle, Selena and Marlene all saw the white dragon fly away. Merle stood there, worried and confused.

"Wh... What's happening. What's going on?"

*****

Back in the damp underground dungeons, the cloaked man walks through the corridors, following the dolphin hybrid who told him that Malfaisance had captured Hitomi. The cloaked man smiled with anticipation, thinking what Malfaisance might want to wish for with the pendant.

"I hope everything will burn!!"

"Excuse me sir?"

"The entire planet, I want it to burn!"

"But, why?"

"Just so I can see it all be reduced to ashes. Ha ha ha ha ha!!!!"

The dolphin hybrid felt slightly uneasy about this cloaked man, but, Malfaisance did say that he would prove to be useful. They walked down the corridors some more until they reached a door where a tiger hybrid had been waiting for them. He stands up, gives them a salute and speaks.

"Sir, your Guymelef is ready for departure."

"Lovely..." Said the cloaked man as he walked into a giant room where the roof must've been taller than 10 stories high. He walked along several guymelefs that looked a lot like the one Malfeasance used when he fought Van. He stopped walking once he got in front of a Guymelef that had been painted blood red. The cloaked man grinned as he looked up at the Guymelef. He then removed his cloak to get read to embark. He gave a menacing grin as he looked at his giant Guymelef, thinking of all the villages he'll burn along the way to the floating fortress.

*****

Van drove the dragon above the ruins of Zaibach which now seemed rusted and covered with plant life. Even though it didn't seem possible for Zaibach to have returned from ruins like these, Van still wanted to make sure Zaibach couldn't return to attempt to destroy Gaea once again. Van drove the dragon high above the main citadel of Zaibach until Escaflowne could no longer be seen from bellow. Then, bursting through the clouds, Escaflowne, in its battle form, fell like a rock, it's sword pointed down into the heart of Zaibach. Escaflowne crashed onto the top of Dornkirk's rusted citadel, stabbing the sword straight into the middle. Rusted metal bent like paper as some sparks flew from impact. Inside the castle, Tenchi and Sasami felt the earth-shattering fall as it nearly knocked them both to the ground. The dragon that had been blocking their way sensed something was wrong and dove through the rusted open wall, gliding to the ground.

"What was that?!?!" Said Tenchi with astonishment.

"I don't know Tenchi, but... But I don't want to find out." Said the young Jurai princess as she shook with fear, clinging onto Tenchi's leg.

Van had a look of rage appear on his face. He remembered everything Zaibach had done to Gaea. Burning down Fanelia, killing his teacher Balgus, Dornkirk killing his brother and all the other innocent lives that might've been lost. Too many things he wouldn't want to see happen again. Too many people he loved had died. He didn't want anyone to suffer like that again. Van kept pounding and slashing at Zaibach's ruins, ripping the entire place apart with Escaflowne's sword as though it were a giant paper house. He kept tearing the place apart as Tenchi tried to comfort Sasami inside the same ruins until something took down Escaflowne. The red giant stood up on its two feet and created a giant sword from the holes where its fingers would be. Escaflowne got back on it's feet as well.

"A... A red Alseides...? But..." Van remembered Dilandau's scarred face, the same scar he had put on his face a year or so ago. "It can't be... Selena was..."

"Ha ha ha!! I'm glad I finally got to see you again Vaaaaannnn. I still remember the scar you put on my beautiful face." Said Dilandau as his Guymelef dropped a sword at Escaflowne's head, but Van blocked it with Escaflowne's blade. "And ever since, YOU GAVE YOURSELF A DEATH SENTENCE." The Escaflowne tried slashing the alseides across the stomach, but Dilandau blocked it, creating sparks. "The day you scarred me, I became your judge, jury and executioner." The red Alseides tried stabbing his sword through the Escaflowne, but Van's Guymelef quickly dodged the attack and deflected the sword with his own. "And you, Van, have been sentenced... TO BURN!!! HA HA HA HA HA!!!" As soon as Dilandau said that, a giant blast of fire shot out from one of the Alseides’ arms.