"Nobuyuki-kun, it's beautiful." Achika's voice was barely above a whisper as she stared at the final prints of the house that Nobuyuki had promised. Her fingertips hesitated a breath away from the framed picture, drawn and painted by Nobuyuki's careful, talented fingers and created by his own vivid imagination.

Nobuyuki beamed, his brown eyes dancing behind his tortoise-shell glasses. "Do you really like it, Achika-chan?" he asked softly, his fingers tight over the edges of the frame as he held it to her.

"Oh, Nobuyuki-kun.." Achika leaned against him, brushing her fingertips against the glass of the frame, wisps of black hair falling over her ruby-colored eyes. "..I love it. I can't wait to see it when you've finally built it." She gave her high school sweetheart a teasing smile. "You do remember your promise to me, don't you, Nobuyuki-kun?"

Nobuyuki's eyes shifted away from her, suddenly setting the picture down on the porch chair. "Achika-chan, I've been thinking about that.. my promise to you, I mean," he mumbled quietly, fumbling in his pocket.

Achika's eyebrows came together, something in her growing cold and nervous. Oh no, he can't be.. he wouldn't... Numbly, she whispered, "Wh-what do you mean?"

The first actual date that Nobuyuki and Achika had been on was to see an American romance film, very sappy and the audiodubbing hadn't been too great, but Achika had loved it. Nobuyuki's fingers closed over the item he was searching for and dared to lift his eyes to Achika's worried ones. He smiled inwardly; she must think I mean to break up with her. Oh, lovely Achika, what a thing you would think. "I've been talking to your otosan.. Katsuhito-san.."

Achika gave the barest of nods, nibbling a fingernail. "You'd better sit down for this one, Achika-chan," Nobuyuki instructed her gently and she did, plopping down on the chair next to the one holding the painting, folding her hands in her lap. "I have something very.. very important to ask of you."

Nobuyuki took one of those hands in his, clasping it gently. He smiled up at her, eyes as gentle as his hand. "A while back, when we went to Tokyo, I asked you what you wanted to be when you grew up.. and you told me, a bride." His cheeks colored only slightly as he withdrew his hand from his pocket very slowly; do it just like in the movie, he coached himself silently - and smiled at her, slipping the ring - simply designed and very plain, but pretty all the same - on to her finger. "Achika.. would you.." He inhaled, calming the butterflies in his stomach. "Achika, would you like to be.. my bride?"

Achika's eyes were large and round, lifting a hand to her mouth as her jaw dropped, the hand in Nobuyuki's shaking slightly. "N-Nobuyuki-kun.." she whispered.

Nobuyuki squeezed her hand slightly. "Please?"

"I.. I.." Achika's eyes liquefied. "Oh, Nobuyuki-kun, I-I.. hai! hai! I would love to be your bride, my Nobuyuki!"

Nobuyuki thought his heart would burst. "A-Achika-chan..!" he breathed, then a smile spread across his face. His voice was wobbly as he whispered, testing the sound, searching her eyes for the reaction, "Achika.. my ok'san..?"

Achika's arms wound around his neck, burying her face into his shoulder. "H-hai," she whispered, her sweet voice muffled by the material of his tunic, then pulled away from him. Her ruby eyes stared fondly into his mahogany pair. Her voice was barely audible as she murmured, caressing his cheek with the back of her hand gently. "My danna-san."

Theirs had been the carefullest of relationships, gentle and loving, almost perfect. They had kissed rarely and never gave in to their hormones. They had been content just being in each other's presence, always feeling that they had endured more together than they would ever remember and that somehow, they were meant for each other. That the future was already written and that no matter how much the world around them tried, Nobuyuki-kun and Achika-chan were very much in love. As the two came together in an embrace, forgetting all time as they kissed gently, time stood still for one moment and they never noticed. They never noticed how precious that time was until it was gone.

"Nobuyuki-san.. hey! Nobuyuki-san! Wake up!"

Someone was shaking him and he didn't like it. His dream was fading, Achika was slipping from his fingers and, damn it! he didn't want to wake up! Nobuyuki grunted, reaching up to brush away the hand, mumbling, "Go 'way. I don' wanna wake up."

"Damn it, Nobuyuki, if you don't wake up, the boss is going to have your ass served to him on a silver platter."

That woke him up with a start. Nobuyuki jerked his head up, his glasses cock-eyed on his face and a thin line of drooling running down the side of his chin. "Achika?" he mumbled dumbly, staring at the easel and half-finished blue print before him before he remembered. He was at work. He was supposed to be working on the biggest project of his career, something that would definitely get him a place in architectural history. Achika would be so proud, he smiled, remembering the dream, the day he had proposed to her...

And then he remembered. Achika was dead, lost many years ago, not long after Tenchi was born. Something inside Nobuyuki curled into a ball and hardened, and he swallowed, reaching up to adjust his glasses and wipe his chin clean. He turned his head to look at the person who had awakened him.

Kazichi Orikasa looked down at him and frowned, folding his arms over his chest with a sigh. "I know that look, Nobuyuki-san. You've been thinking about her, haven't you." It wasn't so much a question as it was a statement of fact.

Nobuyuki scratched the back of his head, sighing. "I can't help it, Kazichi," he mumbled. "Our anniversary is coming up."

Kazichi's eyes softened. "Really? Damn. Sorry, Nobuyuki, I didn't know.." He sighed, reaching over to squeeze his friend's shoulder. "And neither does the boss. You need to catch up with yourself, Nobuyuki, or you'll blow this opportunity big time. He won't take excuses this time."

Nobuyuki only nodded quietly, reaching for his pencil and applying it to the paper as if to give Kazichi wordless answer that he would. Somehow.

Kazichi smiled sympathetically and turned to leave, then paused. "Oh! Before I forget.." He dug around in his briefcase and pulled out a slightly dog-eared book. "I found that manga of 'Cutey Honey' you wanted.." He winked and tossed it at Nobuyuki, who caught it easily. "Might want to look through it. There's some in-ter-est-ing pictures in there, if you get my drift." He winked, then turned to leave.

Nobuyuki, being Nobuyuki, flipped through the manga with the right amount of 'curiosity' and found one of the 'interesting pictures'. But Cutey Honey's face kept turning into Achika's and after a few moments, he put it down with a sigh. Not even cheesy 'hentai' mangas would bring up his mood now.

. . Winnowill-san, anta da omoshiroi mono . .

Her eyes opened at the sound of her name, but the words that came after it were frighteningly gibberish. She was nude and.. floating? Feeling suddenly and very frighteningly vulnerable, Winnowill shot up and curled into a ball, hugging her knees to her chest as her hair formed a dark frame around her. ** Who's there? ** she called challenging to the darkness, suppressing the strange, unfamiliar fear inside her.

. . Watashi no namae da Kain. . .

Winnowill frowned, uncurling to stand defiantly, her hair whipping back from her face, wind traveling through it that she could neither see nor feel. ** I don't understand. ** It was then she realized that she was.. alive? She blinked once, twice, then pressed a finger into her arm before pinching it. She winced; It.. it hurt! ** What's going on? ** she called out, sounding.. less defiant. ** What's happened to me? **

A laugh. . . Anta da ikite imas'iru, Winnowill-san.... ureshii na? . .

Winnowill whirled around, straining to put a face to the disembodied voice. ** I can't understand you, ** she sent frusteratedly, then exploded with, ** Stop it! Speak so I know what you're saying! **

. . Heh heh heh.. Bimbona chiisai Winnowill... sonna ni komarimas'. . .

Winnowill's fingers curled into fists, tears burning in her eyes. ** Stop it!! ** Why was she so afraid? What was she afraid of? She had not been afraid in.. since.. she.. her knees gave way beneath her, her hair cascading over her. She sent as she put her hands to her face. ** Just.. stop it! Stop it, leave me alone! **

. . Iie. Watashi shimas'u to watashi noyoni irimas'. . .

Pain washed over her like an ocean tidal wave. Her muscles turned to jelly, her hair limp and her form lifeless. She summoned enough strength to curl again, but it didn't stop the onslaught of pain. She screamed, loudly and clearly, for she had never screamed before, and tears ran down her cheeks like raindrops. She felt as if her very life was being stripped from her, her magic flaring up, but out of her control, as if something was reaching out and grabbing it, even as she flicked it out. Desperately, she reached out and tried to pull it back into her, but that only made her hurt more. But she didn't give up.

But it hurt. A lot.

So she screamed.

The first thing Rayek thought when he woke up was that it was very dark. Then he realized his head hurt, then that his back did as well, and it wasn't until moments later he realized he had died. He opened his eyes, expecting to see the familiar crystalline walls of the Palace of the High Ones, but instead, he found himself staring into the biggest pair of blue eyes that he had ever seen. Then, a high-pitched squeal startled him nearly off of the bed he lay on. "Sasami-chaaaaann! Kore da mezameru!"

Rayek scrambled away from the yellow-haired woman as fast as he could. "Wha-?" he spluttered, fingers digging into the carpet. "Wh-where am I?"

The yellow-haired woman gave him the biggest of smiles and giggled. "Iie, iie!" She scrambled for him, her five-fingered -- five-fingered?! human!! he realized with a sickening thud - hands reaching for him. "Anata itai des'!"

"Get away from me!" Rayek thundered, batting her hands away and his eyes flashed. The yellow-haired human's eyes widened and she backed away from him slowly as a eldritch glow took over him. "I'm warning you, human, get away!"

A hole appeared in the wall as a section of it gave way and another blue-haired human with great big eyes and her cyan locks pulled into two pigtails ran in. "Mihoshi-san?" she called questioningly, then she too stopped in her tracks. She was barely a kit, Rayek thought dimly just before his head started to pound. "Oh iie! Mihoshi-san?"

"Gomen nasaaaiii!" The yellow-haired one wailed, looking suddenly very upset. She said more, but Rayek didn't hear it, let alone understand it, as everything went black and he fell to the ground with a dull thump.

"Oh no! Mihoshi?" Sasami darted forward as the strange point-eared alien fell, his onyx-black tresses forming a dark halo frame around his head. "What happened?"

"I'm sorry!" Mihoshi wailed, darting forward to help, but instead just stood over the fallen, dark-skinned alien, clasping her hands to her mouth. "He woke up and started shouting and I -tried- to keep him from going anywhere, but Sasami, he just wouldn't -listen-, and then he started chirping like a bird and.. and.."

"Mihoshi, be quiet," Sasami ordered quietly, hefting the strange one up. He was barely taller than Sasami herself and he weighed even less. "Wow, is he ever light! Its like.. like.. picking up a feather pillow!"

"Mmmn.. pillows..." Both heads looked up as Ryoko's head appeared through the wall. "Hmmn.. konichi wa, Sasami-chan, Mihoshi-san. Whacha got there, kiddo? Another one of those aliens?"

Sasami bobbed her head up and down. "Konichi wa, Ryoko-san," she answered formally, then grinned, nodding as she adjusted her grip on the black-haired alien gently. "Hai. He woke up and scared Mihoshi."

"I wasn't scared!"

Ryoko smiled, gliding over to kneel beside Sasami, reaching to tilt the unconscious alien's head slightly. "Handsome one, isn't he.." she murmured softly, her eyes flickering mischievously, then she straightened. "You think you were having trouble. Better put him down and come help Tenchi. One of them woke up and is giving -him- a helluva time."

Sasami's eyes widened. "What's happening?"

"Heh." Ryoko's smile was wry. "I think you'd better come with me and see it for yourself."

"Hey! Hey! Can't we work this out?!" Tenchi ducked as the sword went over his head, only to come back at him with amazing speed. The leather-vest bound elf refused to let him near the others of his kind; an auburn-haired female and two males, one with a mane of frost, the other with hair as blonde as Mihoshi's. The moment Tenchi had gone near them, he had come after him, chirping like a sparrow. Tenchi had his sword out, but was reluctant to -use- it.. he didn't want to hurt the little guy.

"Skreee! Chee-puh sk-teeee!" The elf shouted as it darted at him again,

the sword aiming for his gut, but Tenchi moved aside quickly. "Skeetai!" the elf might as well have been cussing his mouth off, the way he spat the bird-talk at Tenchi so vehemently. "Tah goureeya *whistle* skree! SKREE!!" The elf leapt at him, sword arching down like silver moonlight…

...and jumped back as a flash of blue light caught him off-balance and the Tenchi-sword slashed through the material of his vest. Tenchi puffed, clenching the handle of his sword tightly. "I didn't want to do that, little guy, but you gave me no choice."

The elf whistled softly, the pitch altering slightly as if in speech, his wolfishly blue eyes regarding the sword of blue light with sudden attention. The gaze shifted to Tenchi, then back to the sword, then, slowly, the elf retreated back to the trio he had defended so fiercely. "Hoo-hee ta-kree," he murmured softly, then clicked his tongue twice.

"Umm.. yeah," was all Tenchi had to say, having no idea what this pint-sized alien was saying. It sounded more like bird-chatter than real speech to him, anyway.

"Tenchi-sama?" Ayeka stepped into the room followed by the black-haired, dark-skinned maiden. Ayeka looked confused, but frusterated as well, her fingers laced together in front of her. "Tenchi-sama, this one woke up.. s-she keeps talking, but I don't understand what she means.." She frowned. "What do I do?"

"Ayeka-san.." Tenchi started, but the male elf behind him darted forward, interrupting.

"Vayka!"

The maiden behind Ayeka brightened, stepping forward as well. "Cut-tuh!" she replied happily, taking his hands in hers and squeezing tightly. "Noree oui Rahk'tee?"

Cut-tuh - or so Tenchi assumed was his name - frowned faintly and shook his head. "Hei." He whistled softly, then changed in pitch so sharply that Tenchi and Ayeka both winced. He finished up with a solemn, "..qua-eye teynee."

Vayka's face dropped as well and she turned quiet yellow eyes to Ayeka and Tenchi. "Noree oui Rahk'tee?" she whispered pleadingly. "Ha-hee?"

Tenchi stammered, swallowing, "I-I'm sorry.. Vayka?" She nodded once, looking hopeful. "I don't know what you're saying."

Vayka regarded him for a moment, then sighed softly, looking to Cut-tuh. "Ha vouriee *click* neeyei, Cut-tuh." Cut-tuh nodded solemnly again, turning his eyes to the trio, still asleep. "Leiadah asseii'nee twa?" Again, he nodded. Vayka sighed.

Ayeka touched Tenchi's sleeve. "Tenchi-sama," she murmured quietly. "I think that we need to pay Washuu-san a visit. We can't possibly hope to understand them without her help." She pursed her lips. "Surely she has some sort of.. um.. universal translator or something.. that would help."

Tenchi paled. "Washuu-san? Ayeka, I don't know.. I don't really want to go see her."

Ayeka nodded sympathetically, but gave him an encouraging smile. "But she'll listen to you, Tenchi-sama. Please?"

Somehow, whether he liked it or not, Tenchi found himself outside the closet door that led into Washuu's (the greatest scientific genius of the universe!) quarters. He moved to tap on the door politely, but it gave way at the slightest touch. Holding his breath, Tenchi poked his head inside. "Eh.. umn.. Washuu-san? Hello?"

"TENCHI!" The high-pitched squeal sent him barreling inside. He found himself on the floor and just as he started to sit up, he found himself back on the ground again, this time someone on top of him. Washuu was just barely four feet tall, if even that, yet her weight was enough to keep him firmly on the ground as she sat on his shoulders. She leaned forward, placing her hands on his forehead with her bosom brushing up against the back of his head. Her green eyes flashed, making her bright red hair seem ever more red. "Hey there, cute-stuff. What's up?"

Tenchi tried to sit up, but he couldn't, so he just mumbled to the floor, "Um, hello, Washuu-san."

"What's that?" Washuu pressed even firmer against him. "I can't hear you, Tenchi, you have to speak louder!" She paused, then got a wicked grin on her face. "No, even better, don't say a word." She turned around, somehow without lifting her weight from his shoulders, to face his backside. She reached over, fingers dancing along the length of his back to rest at where his shirt tucked into his pants. "Hm.. now what could be behind.. Curtain Number One!" She dug her fingers into his shirt and pulled it out, exposing his back. "Hmmn, not bad.." she mused, running her fingers along Tenchi's spine idly.

Tenchi wriggled, eyes wide. . o O (I knew it! I shouldn't have listened to Ayeka!) "H-Hey! Wa-Wa-Washuuuuuu!"

"Hush." Washuu licked her lips, green eyes gleaming mischievously. "We still need to find out what's behind.." She reached for his belt. "...Curtain Number Two!"

"Tenchi-nii-san? Washuu-san?"

Washuu's head jerked up to look up at Sasami, standing just at Tenchi's ankles, and her jaw dropped. "Sasami?!"

"Sasami-chan!" Tenchi breathed a sigh of relief.

Washuu was off of Tenchi's back in a flash, dusting her hands off as if to rid them of evidence of some terrible crime, shooting the Jurai princess a wavering smile. Sasami returned Washuu's look with one of her own, her eyebrows coming together. "Washuu-san.. what are you doing to Tenchi-nii-san? Ayeka thought you two were taking too long, so I came to check up on you."

"Who, me?" Washuu blinked innocently. "We were.. uh.. just playing, Sasami." She winked meaningfully at Tenchi. "Just playing a game."

Sasami oh'ed softly.. "...can I play?" she asked curiously, oblivious to the meaning between Washuu's words.

Washuu reached over to tousle Sasami's blue hair. "When you're older," she promised amusedly, then grinned, folding her arms over her chest. "So.. what are you two doing here?" She had obviously forgotten about the entire incident with Tenchi, or was pretending to have had anyway. "This isn't just a place you wander into, y'know."

Tenchi fumbled to tuck his shirt back in. "We need your help, Washuu-san. We need you to build a.." He paused. What had Ayeka called it? "...an 'universal translator'," he quoted.

"You know I would do anything for you, pretty-face," Washuu winked at him again, then hrmphed, lifting an eyebrow at him. "But you have to do something for me."

Tenchi swallowed. "That is?"

"You have to call me..." Washuu clasped her hands together, her eyes dancing as she tilted her head to the side with a childlike smile. "... Little... Washuu!"

Tenchi blinked once. "Little Washuu?" he repeated, shooting Sasami a look that could only mean, Wha-? The 'greatest scientific genius of the universe' wanted to be called.. Little Washuu?

Washuu beamed. "Done!" She snapped her fingers and a hole appeared in the air above her hand. A small device dropped into her hand and the hole promptly closed. "Universal translator. Came up with this baby on a rainy Saturday morning when I was really bored. Just take me to the people you need translating and I'll show you how to work it."

Cutter knelt beside Leetah as she started to awaken. The auburn-haired healer's head was tilted back, her lips partially opened, and her breathing was shallow. Her hands glowed faintly, as if healing, but it was still very faint, and he knew that she was slowly healing the damage inside of her. He and Venka seemed to have made it through all right, and Leetah would recover. Suntop and Skywise appeared all right, though Skywise's arm was bent wrong. Rayek wasn't in this room, but Venka said she could 'sense' him nearby. What really worried him, though, was that both Timmain and Two-Edge were missing.

"T-Tam?" Leetah's whisper was breathy, her eyes opening. "T-Tam, where are you?"

** I'm right here, beloved, ** he sent quickly, gathering her into his

arms. ** Be careful, Venka is near, I don't want her to hear you.. **

** ..say your soulname, ** Leetah finished, sounding stronger. Now that she was awake, she could heal herself quicker and she was, and soon she was sitting up of her own accord only to lean against him once more. ** Tam.. where are we? **

** In a human's hut.. I think. ** These humans were very strange to him. Their eyes were almost as large as an elf's, but they were shaped differently. Their hair was strange colors - why, that female's hair was purple.. -purple!- And the cub that had run through before had hair as blue as the sky. And this hut was like no hut he had ever seen before.

Venka approached, looking faintly relieved. "My chief," she spoke softly. "I've found Rayek and Two-Edge. Rayek is.. unconcious, in another room, as is Two-Edge, though he's coming around. Another blue-haired human woman was attending to him.. She.." She frowned slightly. "She had yellow eyes, like my sire and I. She wouldn't let me near him, she kept.. jabbering. It's like no other human language I've heard before, my chief."

Cutter nodded shortly. "Aye.." At a stray thought, he turned to Leetah. "Leetah, many are wounded. Do you think you have strength enough to..?

"Of course," Leetah answered, sounding much more confident than she really was. She pulled away from Cutter to move towards Suntop first, her son. She gathered her sun-haired child into her arms and bowed her head, eyes fluttering shut as she fell into a healer's trance. Spheres of pure magic started drifting out from her hands as she healed her son and, soon, she was too far into the trance to respond to the outside world, even sends.

After a moment, Cutter turned to Venka, starting to his feet. "If you've found the half-troll and your father, then its best we go to them. I'll make that blue-haired human let you see him, even if I have to use New Moon on her."

Venka pursed her lips, murmuring softly, "I doubt even that would work.." Before Cutter could question her words, the purple-haired human approached, carrying a tray of steaming.. things. Without a word, she placed a few good feet from them, bowed her head slightly, and backed away. Cutter started to growl at her as she approached, but Venka pushed him away, stepping forward instead. She placed a hand to her chest. "Venka."

The purple-haired woman tilted her head questioningly, then smiled. "Ayeka." She paused, then looked to the tray. "Tabemono."

"Ai-yeh-ka," Venka repeated softly and stepped forward to regard the tray. She knelt, giving the twin sticks placed on it a confused glance - what were those for? - then reached to pick up a steaming bit of something that -looked- like meat. "Ta.. tah-beh-moh-no?" she repeated, stumbling over the strange word.

The woman smiled and nodded once. Cutter sent quietly, ** Venka..? **

** It's... food, ** Venka replied uncertainly. ** It tastes funny, but.. it's food. **

Cutter's sending was hesitant. ** Maybe its poison. **

** I don't think so, ** Venka returned swiftly, popping the rest of the 'tabemono' in her mouth. She wrinkled her nose, for it did indeed taste very odd, but before she could make any comments, three more humans entered the room. It was the boy of before, the blue-haired girl cub, and a strange red-haired maiden who was small enough to be a human cub, but was too maturely formed to be one. She blinked. ** Who..? **

The red-haired woman spoke no words, instead tapping a few buttons on a strange metal thing in her hands. A light on its side started to flash and she shouted, "Watashi no atarashii hatsumei!" just before a beautiful, blindingly white light flooded the room. Cutter squalled in surprise, his hands jerking up to cover his eyes and Venka ducked, her hands over her head. Leetah shook out of her trance just as Suntop started to awaken, and threw herself over him, crying out for Cutter. The humans scattered, each shouting "Washuu!"

The light subsided and the red-haired woman sat there giggling. The purple-haired woman who had identified herself as Ayeka cowered behind a chair, then peeked around, whispering loudly in surprise, "Washuu-sama!"

A head appeared in the wall as a human woman with very blue, very wild hair phased through. "What the hell was that?"

Venka blinked the tears from her eyes, then blinked again. ** Cutter-? **

"Hey!" Cutter stumbled to his feet. "They.. we.. can understand what they're saying!"

Suntop blinked drowsily. "Mother, what's a hell?"

Washuu looked over at Cutter and giggled again. "What do you know, it worked. Not that I doubted it wouldn't, its pretty easy for a genius like me." She thumped her hand against her chest and crowed, "I'm such a genius!"

Ryoko frowned, stepping all the way through the wall. "Washuu, what's going on?"

Tenchi shook his head, rubbing his eyes. "We can understand the aliens," he mumbled numbly, reaching for the wall for support so that he could stand. "Ryoko-san?"

"Tenchi!" Ryoko was at his side in a moment. "Tenchi, my koibito, are you al-"

"Koibito?!" Ayeka screeched, darting to Tenchi's side instantly and shooting the ugliest of looks at Ryoko. "Get away from him, you awful criminal, get away from him right now!"

Ryoko's amber eyes widen and a few sparks flew off of her. "Hey! Watch what you're doin', Princess!"

"You watch what you're doing, you.. you.. you..!"

"Ayeka..!" Mihoshi's head popped out of the door that led into the room that Ryoko had been in moments before. "Sasami.. everyone! The alien's woke up! The one with black hair and.."

"Father!" Venka flew past humans and elves alike, pushing past Mihoshi to run into the room.

Rayek had woken up again to find the same blue-eyed, yellow-haired idiot of a human staring at him again and he had nearly hit her. Sure, her jabbering actually made sense now, but that didn't make her voice any less annoying. To make things worse, the minute she had stepped away from him, he got to stare into Two-Edge's oh-so-lovely face. "Maiden's sire up and about? Made the human wench give quite a shout," the half-blooded Master Forger whispered softly, his yellow eyes glinting.

"Be away from me, Two-Edge," Rayek grunted, reaching to push the half troll from him. He gasped as something inside his body protested. "High Ones..!"

"Best lay down, rest yourself.. or you will awaken a more broken elf." Two-Edge's words, though rhymed, seemed to make sense to the weakened serpent-eyed hunter and he started to lay back again, but he was interrupted by a sudden shout.

"Father!"

Rayek sat up. "Venka?"

He had not seen her enter, yet she was here already, her arms wrapped around him tightly. "Oh, Father!" Tears moistened his tunic as she buried her face into his shoulder, holding him as if she were afraid he'd disappear within moments. "I woke up and you were not there. I.. I could feel you, but not.. see you. And the human woman wouldn't let me near you.."

Rayek patted her back awkwardly, at loss of what to say. Not to mention her embrace was.. painful. Something was broken inside, he could feel it ebbing away from him, and he bit back a gasp that still escaped. Venka pulled back from him, her brows coming together. "You're hurt," she stated plainly, looking aghast that he hadn't told her the moment she had entered the room. When he offered a simple nod, she frowned. "Why didn't you.. Leetah should attend to you, Father. You could be hurt seriously."

"I'm fine..!" Rayek started to argue, but Venka was already up and headed for the door. She stopped when she got there, for three bodies barred her way out. The violet-haired Ayeka, the cyan-haired Ryoko, and the boy Tenchi. "Oh..!"

Ryoko phased partially into the doorway so that she could move into the room without fear of tripping over someone, then Tenchi followed her lead, taking the space left open by her. Tenchi's eyes turned to rest on Venka, his voice sounding much softer to her ears than before, when she could not understand a word he said. "My name is Tenchi Masaki.. these are my.. um, friends, Ryoko and Ayeka. Who are you?"

"I.." Venka looked behind her towards Rayek and Two-Edge, then back to the three humans, taking a step back to allow them room to walk in. "I am Venka. This is my father, Rayek, and my.. friend, Two-Edge. Where.." Her brows came together. "Where are we?"

** Timmain.. ** Sefra's voice was soft, her breath light against the gentle curve of her ear. ** Timmain, you have to wake up. **

Wake up? The High One's fluid thoughts were uncharacteristically dull, flattened by something she couldn't touch or see. Dimly, she remembered that she hadn't fallen asleep and as she started to sit up to tell Sefra so, a sharp pain shot through her body like arrows set free from an archer's bow. She gasped, out loud, and curled into a ball, her hair of spun glass falling about her in a crystalline halo of threads, stained with blotches of red. The Palace was near, she sensed, perhaps all around her, and for a moment, she remembered the Crash. She cried for her soul mate, lost in that terrible past. ** A-Adya! ** Her mind ached with the effort. ** A-Adya, I.. I hurt..! **

She could almost feel his fingers brushing against her cheek, soft and gossamer, like butterfly wings beating in the wind. His familiar presence knelt beside her broken form and his gentle voice sang in her pounding mind ** My bond, ** he sent. ** You must wake up. **

** The trolls.. they.. they betrayed us! Why..? ** Her fingers dug into the crystal beneath her; dully, she wondered why dirty grits came up in her hands instead of smooth stone, and why it was so wet. She started to sit up and her hands protested, one wrist broken and the other bearing a deep welt across her palm reaching to the side of her thumb. ** H-Hurts.. **

Sefra again. ** Timmain, you must wake up. The Ship.. it has crashed into the water. **

Adya. ** The water will come into the Ship, love. You will drown. **

Drown? She closed her eyes and shook her head, reaching up to touch it and finding it wet. ** Water? N-No.. we crashed.. we crashed into the ground.. H-Humans.. **

Haken's sharp, not quite so welcome, but always straight to the point, sending stung her tired mind. ** Ancestors curse you, Timmain! Wake up or you will die! They will all die! **

That woke her up and she started to sit up, her body screaming with protest. ** Die? ** she echoed dumbly, blinking the tears from her eyes before she realized the wet was not her tears, but the muddy water that was dripping from the shattered ceiling, through the rocks to form puddles all around her. Like a slap across her face, she remembered the Ship being pulled out of its path, the gravity of this blue-brown sphere taking hold of the Ship and yanking it back so suddenly and fiercely she could not yank it back. They had fallen into a lake and the Ship had splintered. The others…

** The children. ** Her sending was becoming stronger as she slowly regained her wits. ** Where are they? **

Adya's gentle sending soothed her. ** Safe. But you must hurry, Timmain. ** He paused and she could almost see his blue eyes searching the cracked walls, as if for someone. ** Even with the Zhantee child's magic, the pressure from the water is great.. **

Kaslen's voice, as gentle and flowing as the plants she had once shaped with her slender hands, intruded upon the conversation, strained with worry. ** Timmain, please. The children will die without you there to guide them. **

** I hurt! ** Her own protest was sharper and louder than she had wanted it to be, and Timmain nearly stumbled off of her own feet from the force of it.

She was standing, she realized numbly, but not very well as she leaned against a wall, sucking in air as it grew thinner and thinner. ** I-I hurt, Kaslen.. I hurt so much.. ** She sucked in another breath and her side cried out in protest. She gasped, a slender hand reaching to it and she winced as her fingers met moist flesh instead of smooth skin. ** ... hurts.. too much.. **

In her mind's eye, Adya chewed his lower lip until he looked to another spirit, beckoning him closer. ** Aerth.. please.. **

Slender fingers wove a path through the air and the healing force flowed from them, spheres of pure energy that reached out, filling her damaged form and soothing the hurts away. Internal bleeding subsided, bones knit together and flesh spun new fabrics of life. She cried out even as the pain drifted away from her to dissipate in the Palace's aura and when Aerth withdrew, Adya's sending was even more urgent. ** Timmain - time grows short! **

They named her Shape-Shifter, Form-Taker, the one that ran with the wolves and took their form as well as ways. She glided up to the ceiling and grew smaller.. smaller.. the smallest of insects, she crawled through the crack, the pressure growing and growing as the water came closer and closer, pressing down against her like nothing else.. she touched the water and the pressure smashed her, scattering her across the water like so much muck and in a desperate attempt to adjust, she changed her form wildly.

But the magic was too great and it flung her up into the air with a scattering of sparkles and she fell into the shallows. And there she lay, falling once more into unconsciousness, her mind drifting until all was as it had been.