Well, since AOL is only letting 32000+ characters to a page, Homecomings is 
released in parts.  it is reccommend you download then cut and paste each 
part into one whole file.  Or check the homecomings website in a day or two 
and the complete fic will be up (http://members.aol.com/deunan/home.htm)  
also, the page will be undergoing a revamp so check back to see some 
interesting image Kain has produced.
AND ON TO THE FIC!

Homecomings: A Tenchi Muyo/El Hazard crossover

By Kain the Seeker
  AKA Andrew Graham (kaintskr@aol.com)
  Co-authored/Plotted/Connived by Deunan (deunan@aol.com)

CMA Disclaimer: All characters are the respective property of the owners, 
Original characters are mine (or Deunan). 
Actions of all characters are not by my hand/or fault. (Blame my MUSE! I do!) 
 :-}


Afura Man floated up to the Eye of God and landed gently at the edge of the 
platform. She hadn't been up here since that day, six months ago when the war 
with the Bugrom ended. 

The day Ifurita had been banished across space and time. The day he started 
dying bit by bit without her. 

Makoto didn't even notice her land, he was concentrating on a section of the 
book that he had taken from the Royal Archives. Nearby was Ifurita's Power 
Key Staff. He looked frustrated as she approached, tossing the book aside.

"I was so sure," he muttered as he picked up the staff key and walked over to 
pick up the book, "I'm so close, I know it." He noticed Afura Man as he 
turned. "You here to bring me back to the palace, Afura?"

"No, Makoto. The princesses' didn't send me, I came on my own. To see how you 
were doing. Everyone is worried about you. You don't sleep, you don't eat and 
you've pulled back from everyone that cares for you."

He turned away and looked at the surface of the immense artificial moon that 
he stood on. Trying to put the feelings into simple words was the hardest 
thing that he had ever done.

"Afura, have you ever loved someone so much you can't get out them out of 
your mind? I see her every time I close my eyes, gliding down that shaft and 
knowing that she will waiting for me before I ever met her. 10,000 years 
worth of waiting. She might not be able to survive past the time that she 
sends me back here."  He closed his eyes and pushed the pain back down deep 
before continuing "I'm afraid that she won't recognize me when I finally get 
back."

Afura sighed and turned him to face her. "You love her more than I have ever 
seen anyone love before Makoto. You will find her." She took his hand and 
walked him away from the platform," If you don't kill yourself in the 
process. 
Come on, when was the last time you ate?"

"I.... I can't remember." Makoto replied quietly, the fight and fire had gone 
out of him, exhausted if she was any judge of things.

"Well, as a friend, I won't let you work another minute without some food and 
rest first."

------
Elsewhere, a world away...

Ayeka closed the large textbook startling the concentrating Tenchi. Sasami 
,who was watching nearby, giggled at watching him jump.  

"We're done already?"  Tenchi asked. For the past couple of weeks, he was 
being tutored on his Jurai heritage.  So far the tutoring sessions only 
concentrated on the Royal Language.  It was beginning to gnaw on him that 
nothing, so far, ever delved into Jurai's past.  It was almost as if she was 
hiding something.  

"I know it's been bothering you that we haven't gone into any of our history, 
Lord Tenchi.  But I wanted you to learn enough of the Royal language to at 
least understand part of this...,"  The princess trailed off trying to find 
the right terran words for it, "This...song?"  Tenchi watched as a strange 
emotion flickered across her and Sasami's face.  "It embodies Jurai itself."  
  

The song began softly in the royal language of Jurai seemingly penetrating 
and surrounding his very essence at the same time.  He was mesmerized like a 
siren's call, yet not understanding all of the words.  So beautiful and yet 
very sad at the same time, his heart seemed torn.  Then he saw...

A world beautiful and at peace with a civilization that spread almost to the 
heavens. Then images of a brutal senseless war encompassing all.  Children 
turning to men on the battlefield.  Bodies strewn across entire landscapes.  
Then a man.  His face hard and cold looking down upon a city. Tears mixed 
with blood as he thrust his clenched fists towards the sky. Then ebony flames 
consuming all...

"Tenchi?"  Sasami shook him gently breaking the trance.  

"Oh, sorry."  He whispered as Ayeka finished the song on one last mournful 
note.  Sasami wiped a tear from her eye. He wasn't far from one himself. 
"That was beautiful," he said.  Ayeka gave him a wry smile.

"Thank you.  I apologize for my lack of skill, but Funaho is the true singer 
of the family."  

"What was the song about?"  He asked even as the images of his vision seemed 
to slowly slip away, "I still don't understand enough to make it out."

"It is about how the Lost Clans came to Jurai, over 10,000 years ago. We, our 
forebears, were at war with a great evil. Finally, they were forced to use a 
weapon of the greatest power to turn the tide." Ayeka sat on the grass beside 
Tenchi, "a few of those people stood their ground against the enemy, to buy 
the time that the others needed to make the Great Weapon ready. When it was 
unleashed, they expected to die. Instead, they were banished from their 
homeworld and found themselves stranded on what would one day be called the 
planet Jurai."

"Which means 'haven' in our ancestor's native tongue." Sasami added as she 
unpacked the lunch that she had brought.

"Exactly, Sasami. We were given a second chance at life, on a world that was 
fertile and peaceful. Our ancestors eventually lost hope at ever getting back 
home and instead set about making Juria our home. Very few reminders of the 
Time of the Beginning remain. You have one of them, The Master Key. The other 
is our traditions and stories of that time.

"What does the last bit mean, Ayeka?" He couldn't get that last mournful 
verse from his mind.

"The song ends like this... 'When will we return, when will the clans be 
reunited, when will our hearts again be whole."

------
Sheyla ran through the halls of the palace.  -Afura, you little weasel 
bringing Makoto down and not even telling me.-  She finally arrived at the 
palace kitchen. Carefully, she put her ear to the door listening for 
anything.  Nothing.  She opened the door to find Makoto sitting alone at a 
table staring into a goblet.  

"Makoto?"  She asked tentatively. He seemingly took no notice and downed the 
entire contents in one swift stroke. Setting the goblet back down, he 
refilled it.  

"Hey, Sheyla."  He whispered.  "Now I can see why you and Fuji-sensei drink 
this stuff."  She went to his side and saw four empty jugs of wine. -Oh lord- 
 

"You'd better ease off the stuff, you're going to feel like hell in the 
morning."  She tried to say it lightly only to choke. It pained her to see 
him that way.  A bitter chuckle worked its way to his lips.

"I don't care," he said slightly slurred.  He held up the goblet to his eyes 
swishing around the red liquid.  "I still see her you know..." he said his 
voice trembling on the brink of choking in sobs, "in my dreams just like the 
day she left."  He rose suddenly and hurled the goblet against the stone 
wall.  It shattered into a million shiny pieces. "And I couldn't save her... 
and I can't save her now!"

Sheyla stepped back startled at the force of his words.  "No, you can't 
believe that.  YOU PROMISED TO FIND HER," She said almost in disbelief at 
Makoto's words. She had never seen him lose faith, even in the darkest hours 
of the war. It scared her to see him like this. He took several breaths. He 
looked up at Sheyla tears coursing down his face.  

"I know."  He said hoarsely. His body was wracked by sobs, and he collapsed 
in a ball. Sheyla rushed to his side holding him in her arms. He cried into 
her shoulder, and she held him gently rocking him and stroking his hair.

Sheyla looked down at the boy, no, man that slept fitfully in her lap. She 
wondered why he had started drinking. The answer came to her easily, she had 
used alcohol for it enough times. -To keep the memories away, I'll bet. - 

She wished she could talk to someone about this. Everyone had been out of the 
palace attending to some duties or another. Afura, she flew back to Mount 
Muldoon to check the shrine. Miz and Fujisawa were off planning their 
wedding, and Nanami had been keeping to herself lately. Alliele was moping 
about the palace while Fatora was out on some royal tour. 

-Not to long ago, I would have killed to hold you like this Makoto, - she 
silently told him as she ran a hand through his hair, -Now, all I want is to 
see the pain leave your face for a second even if it had to become my own. It 
isn't fair, you saved this world. You deserved a little peace of your own.- 
Tears ran down her face at the injustice of it. The pain that was almost as 
bad her own pain when had she realized that Makoto could never love her. 

"It's just not fair," She whispered to the night, not sure whether she was 
referring to her situation or Makoto's. 

Makoto stirred restlessly trapped in the dreams of the past. Images of 
Ifurita, before and after her imprisonment, flittered through his dream along 
with the Eye of God. He saw images of the Great War, memories he had taken 
from 
Ifurita when they bonded last, the Time of the Makers as it had become to be 
called, An age of marvels before the end of the war. The ebony fires of war 
parted and suddenly their was only one image left in his mind. A simple 
object, but one of great power. -The Master Key- whispered a gentle voice in 
his mind. Then his dream faded as he fled into a deeper sleep.  

Fujisawa examined the door carefully.  Sure, it'd be easy to break it down.  
When he got sober, of course.  But he didn't really want to intrude. Which he 
wasn't, meeting Miz's parents wasn't something that he hadn't wanted to do 
sober. He had stopped by just to check on his student after a Miz commented 
on the fact that she had left her room much for over a week.

"Nanami, we're getting kinda worried.  You've been cooped up in that room for 
a couple days now.  I've only seen you come out to grab the odd bite to eat.  
Is something wrong?"   He put his ear to the door hoping to hear something, a 
hint of what his student was up to.  "I'm going to break down this door!  
Clear out!"  He rammed his shoulder against the door hard. He bounced off the 
door and landed clumsily on his rear end.  "Gotta lay off the wine," he 
mumbled rubbing his shoulder.  

"Don't come in...." Came Nanami's voice from inside.  

"Why?!  It's been two days since you came out for food," He shouted, 
concerned for his student. Makoto was the obsessive one, wasting away while 
looking for a way to master the Eye of God. Nanami, on the other hand, was 
the proverbial salt of the earth. This wasn't like her.

"Umm...CRAMPS!"  Fujisawa slowly backed away from the door.

"If you need anything.... I'll be..." Losing the battle with what he wanted 
to say, Fujisawa did what any dedicated bachelor would do in a situation like 
this. He cut his losses and ran. -Maybe, I should have Miz handle this. -

Nanami almost laughed at the sound of Fujisawa's frantic retreat, but the 
pain was too much. -Well, mom, you were right. That's the perfect way of 
getting a man to leave you alone. - She had bolted to her room not too far 
ahead of her teacher and it was only luck that he was slightly drunk this 
time, or her secret would be in the open. She shuddered as the pain wracked 
her body. 

"Not again, please, not again." she begged in the futile hope that someone 
out there would take pity and spare her the pain. It was like her entire body 
was on fire, it was worse than the last time. Something that she had been 
sure was 
impossible. 

Then as quickly as it had come, the pain vanished. Like a dream in the 
morning. For long seconds, she lay on the bed whimpering as the last remnants 
of the pain washed away. She struggled to sit up and ran her hand across her 
face to brush her hair out of the way. Only to freeze in horror as her gaze 
rested on the lock of hair on her hand.

-No!no!no!no!no!no!no!no!no!no!no!no!no!no!no!no!no!no!no!no!no!no!no!no! 
It's not possible!, Please let this be a dream!- She silently screamed to 
herself in shock. Reality refused to change for her, and she curled into a 
fetal position 
in her bed.

"This can't be happening to me," she whispered to the reflection in the 
mirror across the room. 

------- 
Elsewhere, a world away...

Tenchi stirred restlessly in his bed. The night was quiet, Kiyone and Mihoshi 
were out on patrol, and Washuu was locked away in her lab meddling with the 
secrets of the universe. -Something that doesn't require the services of her 
favorite guinea pig'- He smiled wryly, life had certainly not been dull since 
the day that he sneaked into the family shrine. Even Ayeka and Ryoko had held 
off feuding today. -All in all, a very good day-

The only thing that kept him awake tonight was something he had heard this 
afternoon. Ayeka's voice kept ringing through his head, a little bit of her 
song that wouldn't go away. -.. when will we see our homes again... when will 
our hearts be made whole.-

"What does it mean?" He rolled over, pulled something out from under the 
sheets beneath him. He lifted the small slender object into view. -The Master 
Key-, he looked over the sword, many people had hinted that it had greater 
power than he had drawn from it yet. Ayeka, Grandfather, Washuu, Ryoko and 
Kagato to name a few. "What are you really capable of?"


Afura coasted up to ledge outside the Shrine, as the priestess with mastery 
over air it was child's play for her to fly out to check the mountain shrine 
periodically.

She looked back across the vast crags of Mount Muldoon, even here you could 
seen the Eye and the Stairway into the Sky. Her thoughts were pulled back to 
Makoto. In a way, she was jealous of Ifurita.

The Demon had the love of a man willing to tear away the wall between worlds 
to save her. -What have I got?- She asked as she walked into the entryway and 
checked the systems of the shrine. Artifacts that were centuries old hummed  
at her command, displaying the entire status of the holy shrine. All clear, 
the images showed her. Her task finished she walked back onto out onto the 
ledge.

She stopped short, troubled by questions that suddenly came to mind.-Why 
should I go back? There isn't anything for me back there. Miz has her 
husband, and Sheyla is still trying to trip up Makoto, but I don't have 
anything to tie me there.- She looked away from the royal city, and a 
determined look settled on her face. She pulled open a small device on her 
belt and quickly typed a message on it, and then placed it on her belt again.

She stepped out of the concealing shadows of the shrine, and paused for a 
minute as she repositioned the pack on her shoulders. Then she turned and 
head north into the mountains.

------

Yosho gave his grandson an appraising look as he came down for breakfast. The 
boy was moving sluggishly and had dark bags under his eyes. He put a gentle 
hand on Tenchi's shoulder and stopped him before he entered the dining area.

"Are you okay, Tenchi? You look like you haven't been sleeping well."

"I've .. had .. some dreams." Tenchi answered reluctantly, and Yosho waited 
patiently for him to continue, "I just can't sort out what it was that I was 
dreaming, but it is just on the tip of my tongue." He looked up at his 
grandfather, "I'm sorry, but it is a little bit frustrating you know. Not 
being able to explain it, I mean." Yosho patted him on the shoulder and 
pushed him gently forward.

"You go ahead and get ready to eat, Tenchi. I have to talk to Sasami for a 
moment, and then I will be with you." He smiled, "We have a lot of things to 
cover in your lessons today."  Tenchi groaned as he shuffled over to the 
table. Yosho stopped Sasami as she rushed by with breakfast, "Sasami? Could 
you fix a picnic lunch today? I think that we all could use sometime away 
from the house." She nodded as she rushed to put the food on the table.

-------
Makoto looked over the tome again, it had taken days to find the right tome. 
A half remembered fragment of a dream wasn't much to go on. The forgotten 
diary of a historian that had lived centuries ago, his notes contained the 
needed references to books and papers even older. Finally his paper chase led 
him deep into the palace archives, to sections that hadn't been touched in 
decades.

"Finally," he whispered. He read the passage several times, consulting his 
translation notes at several points, and in slow ponderous steps he coaxed 
the story from the yellowed pages of the book in front of him.

He read through the story of the last days of the War, told through the eyes 
of the aide of Lord Kaizen -one of the great generals. He went cold at the 
last few pages of the story. -The Great Key-.

He rushed out the door at a run. -This time, I've got it. I'm coming Ifurita 
hold on just a little bit longer-

-
Sheyla's hair stood on end as she climbed out of the tub. The wind had picked 
quite severely and the sky was darkening with ever passing second. -No, - she 
went cold as she realized what was going on, -he couldn't have- She was out 
the door, dressing as she ran down the hall.
-
Makoto closed his eyes and concentrated on the image in his mind, ignoring 
the howling wind that was picking up. -Reach for it,- the Eye of God 
shuddered as his mind tripped switches deep within, then he saw the object 
that he was 
seeking in his mind's eye, -Bring it to me- He commanded the Eye. The wind 
suddenly ceased and he opened his eyes as the sky exploded in rush of light.
-
Sheyla's mad rush to the Stairway to the Sky skidded to a halt as the Eye 
exploded in a rush of light. "Makoto, what have you done?" She whispered as 
she stepped onto the transport disc. 

She rose into the spire in a rush of speed that blurred the wall as the disc 
finally brought her to the top of the Stairway. She gasped in surprise as she 
took in the wreckage and ruin around her. -One of the blasts must have gone 
off right above us. -  She finally found Makoto, unhurt to her relief. Then 
she saw the other body laying beside him.

A young girl, out cold like Makoto, dressed in an outlandish style of 
clothes. Her concern for the girl was cut short as she realized what must 
have happened. She picked up the girl and Makoto.

"Oh, Makoto what have you done?"
-----
On Earth

Washuu typed out a command on her computer and read out the results of her 
last test cycle. -Very interesting- she watched as the data scrolled by at an 
unbelievable rate. -Very close to the results that I wanted.- 

Her train of thought was broken as the entire Subspace lab shuddered. -What 
is going on?- Nearby, a computer screen exploded and alarms started sounding. 
Washuu grabbed her computer and with quick strokes called up the dimensional 
controls of her workspace. -Massive subspace disruptions- She typed out a 
flurry of commands, trying to stabilize the dimensional fields. Another, much 
heavier shock shook the lab. This time dozens of machines exploded. -Not 
good, what ever it is that is doing it has resonance's that are tearing down 
the stabilizers faster than the systems can reconstruct them- It was like 
trying to rebuild a small spider web when someone is dropping anvils through 
it.

She hit the door to the house at a full run, and was through it without a 
second's hesitation. It was that very second that the lab's field failed 
completely. One second she could see the lab, a variety of machines and 
holding cells exploding. The next it was the small room underneath the stairs 
of the Masaki home. She took off her lab coat and looked at the now missing 
tail of it.

"And with not a second to spare." she whispered. She had been literally a 
step away from being thrown across time and space. She frowned in 
frustration, "Now what am I going to get those specimens again?"  She 
shrugged.  It was no big lose; it'd be a weak or two before she had another 
up and running.

Then it hit her, the emptiness in her mind and heart. Where Ryoko's thoughts 
had been. Washuu turned and ran out of the house at a full run, fear driving 
her to greater speed.

"Ryoko! Ayeka! Tenchi! Anyone!" She came over the hill's top, to where the 
Masaki's picnics were held. She knew it well enough, Sasami was always eager 
to take advantage of a spring time day to eat out of doors. -Please let them 
be alright- She prayed , only to stop short at the ruin was left in the place 
of their favorite picnic spot.

"No!" Washuu screamed to the sky, as her heart broke into a million pieces. 
"Give her back, damn you!" her voice dropped to a whisper as she slid to the 
ground, "please give her back to me."

-
Tenchi landed roughly, his fall barely broken by the undergrowth. For long 
minutes he lay senseless on the ground. He returned slowly to his senses. 
Finally he was able to sit up and take in his surroundings.

"Where am I?" he asked as he took in the alien surroundings around him.

-
Yosho slid down the slope, acting more on instinct than anything else, 
pushing himself to the limits of his strength and endurance. He managed to 
grab Ayeka's hand only by the smallest of margins. 

With a grunt he pulled his half-sister up to safety. Her landing hadn't been 
as smooth as his, she had hit her head and fallen down further down into the 
ravine. He eased her down gently, -I hope the others made their arrival a lot 
better than we did,- he thought to himself as he looked the vast crystalline 
walls above him. -I've heard of this place somewhere- He slid the key into 
his belt. It would come to him in time he was sure.

-
Ryoko shook her head to clear it, -What happened, the last thing I remember 
was arguing with Ayeka at the picnic. Then..-
  
    Ryoko's reply was interrupted by an explosion of light above 
    them. Several globes of darkness formed in the open sky and 
    shot down towards them. Ryoko dodged one, and shot towards Sasami. 
    Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Yosho grab for Ayeka. 
    -Got to get the kid clear of whatever that is- Her thought was cut
    off as she hit the girl at almost full speed, and shot high into 
    the sky with her. One of the blasts landed where she had been only 
    a second before. Another engulfed Yosho and Ayeka. 

    "No!" she screamed as the blast left nothing behind but swirling dust. 
    Then another figure in the clearing drew her eye. Tenchi, sheltering 
    behind the Wings of the Light Hawk with five of the spheres burning
    through. "Tenchi!", Ryoko dove towards him trying to reach him in 
    time. The distance, along with Sasami's weight, were too great. 

    The Wings collapsed and she saw Tenchi engulfed by the dark spheres. She
    flew through the dust that was left in the wake of his disappearance, 
    and then she was overwhelmed by the sensation of falling as two spheres
    engulfed her and Sasami. 

Ryoko shook as the memory replayed itself in her mind's eye. The last few 
seconds before she blacked out felt familiar. -Like when I teleport - She 
looked around her, taking in the ruined landscape all around her. -Where ever 
the hell I am,- she told herself silently as she stood up and started down a 
convenient path, -it sure ain't earth.- She turned at the sound of falling 
rocks behind her.

"Ah," she said as she popped her fingers ,and a dangerous glow formed in her 
hands, "You aren't what I expected out of the welcome wagon, but I'm glad 
you're here anyway." she lashed out as she took to the air. 

The explosions keyed her into the berserk mode that Washuu had designed in 
her for combat. The world turned red as her blood roared with her rage. And 
as much as she had come to despise it in the last year, it felt so good.

---
Yosho helped Ayeka up, and looked her over. He had dressed the wound on her 
head, but he was still a little worried that she might be concussed. He waved 
his hand in front of her.

"How many fingers?" Ayeka squinted for a moment and Yosho saw a little bit of 
the delicate sister that he had know on Jurai all those years ago.

"Two."

"Good, you're most likely not concussed." Ayeka gasped in shock as he moved 
to one side to help her up.

"Great Spirits of Juria," she whispered in shock with wide eyes, "Yosho, tell 
me that I'm not seeing things."

Yosho turned to look at the object that she was pointing at. Long seconds 
passed as what he saw registered, 700 years of life on Earth had given Yosho 
the impression that nothing could surprise him. He was wrong, this was the 
first time that he was left speechless in that time.

"It's the Eye of God, just like in the old legends," Ayeka whispered, "then 
that means....." Yosho finished for her.

"... the Enemy might not be far behind." He said as he took a grim look on 
his face. They looked at each other, the fear was clear in Ayeka's face and 
Yosho couldn't be sure that he didn't show the same look on his. Suddenly the 
beautiful scenery and sunny skies seemed a little darker to both of them.

On the ridge above them, shadows gathered and watched.

----
Afura knelt down and examine the signs on the ground in front of her. -Bugrom 
raiding party, over two dozen maybe more.- More than she had seen since the 
end of the war. -What are they doing?-

Her thoughts were interrupted by a low rumble from further down the valley. 
She turned and glimpsed a column of dust settle far down the valley as a 
crystalline bridge collapsed. -What was that?- She took off at a full run, 
reaching into her sack for her activation pack. -I hope that I can get there 
before it's too late.-

----
Yosho blocked the claw that flashed down at him with uncanny ease, his shield 
flashing into existence a scant second before it could connect. He followed 
up with a slash that tore a chunk of the beast's hard shell and rolled away 
from another's attack. He risked a look over at Ayeka.

She fought with the fury of a true warrior, lashing out with a blast at the 
one beast that had faced off with her. Two more lay close by, crushed by the 
force of her powers. -She is so like Tenchi -, Yosho thought to himself as he 
danced through his enemies' attacks, -Gentle at heart but capable of such 
great fury and passion- A low rumble above him broke his chain of thought and 
he looked upwards. An enormous shard of crystal had broken free and was 
falling with deceptive slowness towards....

"Ayeka!" he heard the scream tear from him mouth, even as he bolted over and 
through the horde of creatures between them. He hit her hard, and shoved her 
clear of the shard just as it landed nearby with thunderous impact.

Ayeka shook her head clear as she sat up. The last thing she could remember 
was hearing Yosho scream her name just seconds before being shoved clear. She 
looked back where she had been, now covered by an enormous column of crystal. 
Yosho lay beside it...

"Brother!" she ran to him, -Please let him be alive!-. Yosho opened his eyes 
and smiled at her as she held him in her lap. He opened his eyes and looked 
up, not quite seeing her. "No, don't leave me. Yosho, please hold on." She 
whispered as she tried to staunch the flow of blood. Yosho seemed to 
recognize her and then looked past her again.

"They're waiting for me, Ayeka. My wife, and Atchika..." he looked at her, a 
smile on his face, "they're all so beautiful, I... wish..  you could see 
them." Then the life drained from him, one second he was there and then he 
was gone.

She eased his unseeing eyes shut, tears streaming from her eyes as she fought 
down the smothering despair that threatened to consume her. "So passes Yosho, 
first Prince of Jurai," tears blurred his face as she fought down the despair 
that surrounded her, and she was barely able to whisper the rest, "... and my 
first true love." Then her loss overwhelmed her and she wailed helplessly.

----
Afura watched helplessly as the column fell in the middle of the conflict. 
She felt the shockwave that shook the vast crystalline bridge loose. -Whoever 
it is, they aren't going down easily- She thought to herself as she redoubled 
her speed, -but with that many Bugrom, they will still need all the help that 
they can get.- She flashed into the battle area just in time, surprised with 
the level of destruction that had occurred on the small ridge. Bugrom corpses 
lay everywhere, and she could see the survivors clustering cautiously around 
the column trying to muster the courage to finish off their victims. -Well we 
won't have any of that- She swore grimly.

The Bugrom didn't notice the wind in the valley suddenly stop, and then 
return with a vengeance till it was too late. The first blast of wind, 
bearing small shards of rock and crystal tore through the Bugrom like a hot 
knife, and then Afura landed in front of the survivors and really let loose. 
The wind doubled and redoubled at her mental command, and soon only the 
strongest and biggest of the bugs were left clinging to the ground in front 
of her. She looked behind her and saw the girl and her companion. Rage burned 
coldly in her at the realization that she was too late to save the man. -I 
failed again-, she swore to the man, -but you will be avenged- With a 
gesture, she blasted one after another from the narrow ledge and into the 
abyss below. Finally there was no one left to fight and she forced herself to 
power down. She looked back at the two warriors that she had saved, and the 
victory that she had just won turned to ashes in her mouth. -Sheyla wouldn't 
have failed,- she told herself miserably, only to stop short as she looked at 
the girl's outfit and face. 

"Ancestor's guard us." She whispered in shock, suddenly weak in the knees.

Ayeka looked up from Yosho's body, still crying, when a young woman bowed to 
her. She only caught half of what was said as the dark hair woman spoke in a 
dialect that she had never heard. Finally she caught a word that she knew 
for sure. Kaizen.

"Kaizen, he was the progenitor of our people. I am Ayeka, a princess of the 
planet Jurai. " The woman nodded and replied.

"I am Afura Mann, priestess of Mount Muldoon, ... your highness," She looked 
at Ayeka's face closely taking in the war mask that princess still wore, 
"Tell me, if you can, how long have your people lived on this ...  Jurai, my 
lady?"

Ayeka looked back at her savior in shock, finally realizing what had 
happened. -It's not supposed to happen like this, it's was supposed to be a 
time of happiness and joy.-

End part 1