Blood Red Moon Eternity
 Chapter 5: Nightmare Path

Disclaimers: All characters belong to their various 
Copyrights; Reinhart, Rosa, Cain, and Elayne belong to me.  
Alucard, Carrie, Sheann'a, Drathar, and Dracula belong to Konami.
Tenchi, Ryoko, Ayeka, Mihoshi, Tsunami, Sasami, Yosho, Nobuyuki,
Washu, Mayuka, Ryo-Ohki, and Nobuyuki all belong to Pioneer/AIC.
Beyond my characters, I claim no rights to any of the characters,
beyond their use in this story. Comments, quips, insults, and death
threats will only be accepted at Platinum_Dragon@usinternet.com
     Blood Red Moon: Eternity is set one year after the events
in Blood Red Moon: Resurrection.  Reinhart and Carrie have been 
married, and their daughter Elayne has been born.  Alucard and his
familiars have built a small cabin near the rest of the clan.  
Blood Red Moon: Eternity is the last in a three series story arc.

    "Here we belong, fighting to survive in the war with the darkest 
power!" - Queen, Princes of the Universe 

*****

     "Miya!" Rosa looked up from Ryo-Ohki's command chair as the 
ship's interface crystal floated before her.  The cabbit's face 
appeared there for a moment, and twitched her nose.  Beside the 
crystal, a screen appeared with a star map and glowing line.  She 
grinned, pleasantly surprised.  Reinhart came up beside her.
     "She says that she found an engine trail, and that it heads 
straight toward Jurai.  I don't know, but I think that we may have 
picked up our first bit of luck, brother."  He nodded.
     "It's gotta be them.  Ok, this is what we'll follow, sis.  
Let's get moving."  Rosa nodded, and laid in the course.  Ryo-Ohki 
miyaed in acknowledgement, and sped along the chosen route.  Rosa 
leaned back for a moment, and sighed.  A person would think that 
being in a ship that was smarter than most human adults, they 
wouldn't have to do much work to pilot it, but Ryo-Ohki took a lot 
to keep flying.
     Turning, she looked at her companions.  Reinhart walked back 
over to Carrie, and dropped down beside her.  She was sitting on 
the floor, poring over her huge spell book with her staff across 
her lap.  Above them, Sheann'a and Drathar were staring out 
Ryo-Ohki's viewing dome in amazement.
     A little off to the side, Alucard was sitting on his 
haunches, doing his best to avoid looking up at the stars.  She 
grinned, and stood up, walking over to him.  She sat down next to 
him, and smiled.  Alucard looked at her out of the corner of his 
eye; his skin was a little paler than normal.
     "Who would have thought?  I guess even vampires can get 
spacesick.  At least we were still within range of Washu's subspace 
transporter, and she was able to send some of her remedy up to take 
care of it."  He made a non-committal sound, and shifted slightly 
to look at her fully.
     "Only half-vampire, Rosa.  Not exactly what I would call a 
pleasurable experience.  At the least, the nausea is subsiding; I 
believe that I will be able to move about comfortably again before 
long."  She grinned.
     "I stand corrected.  Don't take it so hard.  Reinhart and I 
both used to have troubles until Washu finally altered the genes 
that were doing it to us."  Sheann'a floated down next to them.
     "You gotta see this, Alucard!  It's amazing!  That... 
planetarium doesn't have a touch on the real thing."  He grimaced 
at her.
     "Perhaps in a little while.  At the moment, I am somewhat 
indisposed," he said, raising his hand.  He held the small, but 
thick booklet that Washu had included with the shield.  He frowned.  
    "I believe that some of the magical spells Sypha and I penned in 
Carrie's book were a good deal less complicated than this."  Rosa 
grinned again.
     "That's grandma for you."  She was about to say more when 
Ryo-Ohki miyaed again.
     "-hoshi to Ryo-Ohki, come in please!  Yukinojo, are you sure 
this is on?"  Rosa stood, and trotted over to the command chair.  
She pressed the flashing button she found there, and a large screen 
appeared with Mihoshi on it.
     "What's up Mihoshi?"  She grinned, and waved at them.
     "Oh, hi Rosa!  Now what was I... Oh yeah, I remember!  
Headquarters just sent a message that their frontline spies saw a 
small battle fleet leaving Jurai, heading toward you guys.  They 
said that it was only a dozen or so ships, but that they are all 
heavy duty cruisers.  Anyway, just thought you might like to know!"  
Ryo-Ohki miyaed nervously, and Rosa grinned.
     "What do you mean you aren't as feisty as you used to be, 
Ryo-Ohki?"  She looked back at Mihoshi.  "Thanks for the heads up 
Mihoshi.  We'll be ready for them."  She grinned, and waved.  Rosa 
smiled back, and then closed the communication.
     "Miya?"  She sat down, and looked at the interface crystal.
     "I imagine that we will, Ryo-Ohki.  Now that we know they're 
coming, can you pick them up on long range?"  
     "Miya..."  Rosa frowned.  
     "Are you getting old on me, Ryo-Ohki?"  The cabbit's face 
screwed up indignantly.
     "Mi miya! Miya!"  Rosa laughed.
     "So there's fight left in you after all.  Tell you what; you 
help us blast through, and I'll give you a whole basket of carrots 
when we get back."  Her eyes grew wide, and she miyaed in agreement 
as Carrie and Reinhart came up beside her.
     "Trouble?" asked her brother.  She nodded.
     "It sounds like Tokimi may know that we're on our way.  
There's a chance that they could just be there to escort Cain back 
to Jurai, but why would Tokimi send a dozen heavy cruisers to 
escort him through her own airspace?"  
     "Good point."
     "Can't we just go around, Rosa?" asked Carrie.  Rosa shook 
her head.
     "There's no telling how far we would have to go, and if we 
leave Cain's engine trail, we may not be able to find it again 
without wasting valuable time.  See, tracking in a spaceship isn't 
nearly the same as tracking on ground...  the scent, so to speak, 
doesn't spread out.  It's up to you, though.  If you want to try 
circling around..."  Carrie frowned, but before she could say 
anything, Alucard slowly came up beside them.
     "I think... Perhaps if they could not see us, they could not 
attack?"  Carrie looked at him in surprise, and so did Rosa.  "Or 
perhaps even a trick to turn their eyes else where?" he said, 
smiling faintly.
     "Well, yeah, that would probably work, but Washu didn't 
exactly include a cloaking device in Ryo-Ohki...  She made her 
tough to detect, but Ryo-Ohki isn't really intended to be a stealth 
craft, rather, Washu made her to punch through just about anything.  
We don't have any way to make her invisible."  Carrie broke into a 
grin.
     "Yes, we do, Rosa!  Did you think that I was reading my spell 
book just to kill time?"  Rosa blinked, as Carrie turned to 
Alucard.  "Do you think that we would have enough power between us 
to maintain a spell large enough to hide Ryo-Ohki?"  He frowned.
     "I believe so, though Sheann'a would have to lead it."  
Carrie nodded, as Sheann'a dropped down between them at the sound 
of her name.
     "I agree, illusionary magic is the specialty of the fairies."  
Rosa and Reinhart looked at each other, and then at them.
     "So what you two are talking about is using magic to make us 
disappear?" asked Reinhart.  Carrie shook her head.
     "Not really disappear.  What the spell will do is...  Hmm...  
Sheann'a, could you explain it, please?"  The fairy landed on 
Alucard's shoulder, and nodded.
     "Well, if what you are talking about is what I'm thinking, 
then what the spell will do is bend light away from us to create a 
'reflection' a little ways away."  She gestured, and in the middle 
of their little circle appeared a small sphere of light, and 
miniature Ryo-Ohki.  A small beam shot out from the sphere, and 
touched Ryo-Ohki.  It was turned at a ninety degree angle, and Ryo-
Ohki disappeared, only to reappear a short distance away from where 
the beam turned.  "For a spell powerful enough to hide something as 
big as Ryo-Ohki the reflection...  I guess it would be about half a 
mile from where we really are."  The illusion disappeared, as 
Carrie nodded, and looked at Rosa.
     "Would that work?"  She frowned and thought about it for a 
moment.
     "It... might.  It depends on how smart their ships are, and 
how smart their crews are."  Carrie nodded.
     "Well, then we'll try that.  Warn us before we reach them; we 
may not be able to hold a spell of that size for long, so we'll 
have to wait till the last second to cast it."  Rosa nodded.
     "All right... hmm...  Well, it'll take awhile to reach that 
point...  Anybody up for a game of cards?"  They all stared at her, 
and Reinhart's eyes went hard.
     "Rosa, do you think we're here for fun?  This is serious!  
Can't you grow up for a little bit?"  She poked him in the chest, 
hard, and he stumbled back, as she stood up, and put her face in 
his.
     "You think that I don't know that, you bonehead?  Did you 
forget that she's my niece too?  And we can't leave Aunt Ayeka!" she 
snapped, and he blinked in surprise at the sudden flare of anger.  
Usually he was the one to blow up, like he just had, but Rosa had 
inherited her mother's temper too.  Taking a deep breath, and 
composing herself, she stepped back a bit, and continued.  "We 
can't let this get to us, or when we do find them, we'll all be 
wound so tight that we'll make mistakes that we can't afford."  She 
looked at all of them in turn.
     "Being serious, and knowing that we are here for a serious 
problem is to be expected.  We have to be serious about it.  But we 
can't let it get to us, or the fight will be over before we even 
get there.  So I'm gonna ask you again; are you interested in a 
game of cards while we wait?  Because I, for one, don't intend to 
drive myself crazy by worrying about something that we can't do 
anything about until we get there."  They looked at each other, and 
then Carrie sat down, shaking her head.
     "What are we playing?"

*****

     "Cain, the Empress appears to have recovered from her 
affliction.  Instructions?"  Cain blinked awake, as the shuttle's 
computer spoke, and stretched out automatically.  As he did, he 
noticed the surprising weight of the child in his arms.  Looking 
down, he saw that she was sleeping quietly.  To his side there were 
two empty bottles, and floating somewhere behind them in space were 
three... diapers, the text had called them.  He sighed, and 
carefully stood.  He moved toward the back slowly.
     "We should arrive on Jurai in a day, Empress.  Were you 
injured when I captured you, to be in such pain?  Please tell me if 
you were; I will have one of the ship's robots take care of it."  
She looked up from the chamber's only chair, and scowled at him.
     "Why have you done this?  And why did you remove Elayne from 
here?"  He blinked in surprise.
     "I did this because Lady Tokimi asked me to, and I took 
Elayne because you told me to... some twenty-four hours ago, I 
believe.  If you wish to have her back, I will place her in your 
chamber again."  She blinked in surprise, and then frowned 
thoughtfully.
     "I am asking a rabid wolf to watch a baby because I am 
turning into a rabid lioness," she said, shaking her head.  She 
looked back at him.  "I swear, if she is harmed, I will personally 
take you apart, but because of chi'partain, I do not dare keep her 
with me."  He stared at her, confused.
     "I mean no harm to you or her; my only task is to bring you 
to Jurai and await Tokimi's wishes."  Ayeka chewed on her lip for a 
moment.
     "Why now, of all times?  Faugh!"  Suddenly, she blinked, and 
looked at him.  "Are you still here?  Unless you intend to free me, 
get out of my sight!" she shouted.  Elayne, in his arms, woke up 
with a startled cry.  He looked down, and did his best to soothe 
her.
     "If you wish food or drink, simply ask the computer," he 
said, sighing, and then jumped back in surprise as the chair Ayeka 
had just been sitting on bounced off the shield between him and 
her.
     "LEAVE ME NOW!" she screamed.  Shaking his head, he turned, 
and moved back to the cabin.  After a moment, Elayne settled back 
down, reaching up to pat at his cheek.  He blinked, and then 
grinned slightly.  Perhaps Tokimi would not be too displeased that 
he had been forced to bring her with; in any case, he could deal 
with that once he saw his lover once again.
     "Hungry again, little one?  Come, we will get you something."

*****

     As Cain left, Ayeka did her best to take back control of her 
emotions, though she knew because of shai'mattak that control would 
at best be fragile, and more than likely impossible.  She looked 
back at the chair, and involuntarily trembled in remembered anger.  
She shook her head.  There was no humiliation in losing her 
self-control during chi'partain.  Slowly, she moved over, and 
picked it up, settling it back down where she had been sitting 
before.  She sat back down.
     Ayeka considered her captor briefly.  She had only a very dim 
recollection of everything that had happened during shai'danak; it 
had taken all her strength to simply cling to her mind during that 
time.  Now, she forced herself to remember.  That he was the one 
that had been described by Reinhart and the others as Cain, she had 
no doubt, for his appearance was just as they had said.  The 
question arose as to how that could be; they had told her that he 
was dead, but she dismissed it.  He was Cain; how he was alive did 
not matter at the moment.
     Yet, who was surely Cain by appearance was nothing like the 
madman that had been described to her.  There had been genuine 
concern in his voice when he had asked if she had been injured, she 
was certain of it.  He could not have understood, of course, had 
she told him of chi'partain.  It may have been an act, yet she 
remembered dimly him asking if she knew who he was.  Perhaps he had 
some sort of amnesia.
     Elayne...  Vaguely, she could now remember begging - begging! 
- him to get the child away from her.  As much as she would have 
preferred to keep Elayne with herself, she could not take the 
chance that in the grip of chi'partain, she might lash out at her.  
Ayeka suddenly found herself laughing and crying at the same time.  
Elayne's survival depended on the man that had killed her mother 
before she had been born.
     Ayeka pounded a fist into her thigh as anger swelled up in 
her at her tears.  She was the Empress!  How dare he intrude upon 
her when she was in this undignified state!  Where was the self 
control that she had painstakingly built through her life?
     Abruptly, the anger, tears and laughter left her, leaving a 
cold emptiness in their place that she fell into in despair.  She 
was trapped, she knew.  There were no paths out for her to take.  
Ayeka suddenly realized that, always before, there had been a way 
for her to escape the truth.  She had escaped Yosho's becoming old 
by going after Tenchi; she had blamed his indecisiveness on Ryoko.  
When they had disappeared, she had kept finding excuses not to 
return to Jurai.
     She had escaped from things for so long that she realized 
that she didn't know what to do without a way to escape.  
Shivering, Ayeka turned away from that thought, not wanting to 
admit to it, and laughed ruefully as she realized that she was 
running away once again.  So be it!  She would run if she had to, 
and damn anybody else's opinion!  She was Empress of Jurai!  She 
didn't have to prove herself to anybody!
     -Not even Alucard?- asked a soft voice deep inside her that 
sounded like a young Sasami.  Ayeka blinked, stopped cold by that 
simple question.  Slowly, she put her head in her hands, and began 
to sob.

*****

     "Unidentified battle cruiser, identify yourself immediately, 
by order of the Juraian High council, or you will be attacked 
without warning," said a female voice.  Tenchi sighed, and looked 
at Misaki and Funaho.  They nodded, and he sighed again.  They had 
drilled him time and time again with what he was supposed to say.  
He looked at Washu.
     "Communication is secured, Tenchi.  She's the only one that 
will hear what you say," said Washu.
     "This is the Dragonship Shukuen.  I am Crown Prince of Jurai 
Tenchi Masaki.  Empress Ayeka has been captured by Lady Tokimi.  As 
her blood relative, and by the Code of War, I am assuming command 
of the Juraian Fleet until such time as she is restored to the 
throne."  There was a tense pause, and then a communications screen 
opened.  The Shukuen was surrounded by three treeships, though they 
were dwarfed in comparison to her.  A woman appeared on the screen, 
and frowned.
     "Proof of your claim is required.  What proof do you offer?"  
Tenchi raised his hand, in which he held Tenchi-ken.  Opening it, 
the Master Key remained floating before him.  He looked up at her.
     "This is the proof I offer."  He opened his palm to the 
sword, and it glowed.  "I order the three treeships to stand down 
completely, and allow us passage to the main fleet."  Immediately, 
the Juraian ships began to back away from them.  Visibly shaken, 
the woman nodded.
     "I accept the proof of your claim, Crown Prince.  You... you 
may proceed."  Funaho stepped forward.
     "If I remember correctly, you are Commander Akagae, retainer 
to Sagami?"  She nodded.  "Tell Sagami that Lady Funaho requests 
his immediate presence here, on the Shukuen."  She nodded again, as 
Misaki stepped forward.
     "You will see to it yourself, Commander, and tell no one of 
Ayeka's capture, or I will personally see to your punishment.  Am I 
understood?"  The commander paled visibly, and nodded, then cut the 
communication.  Tenchi sagged down to the command chair, and 
reflexively caught the sword as it dropped out of the air.
     "Well, we're in.  What's next?" he asked, as Ryoko came over 
to him.
     "Misaki and myself must convince Sagami of the truth to your 
claim.  If he joins with us, we will have the council in our 
hands."  Ryoko frowned.
     "I thought we just finished proving who Tenchi was."  Misaki 
shook her head.
     "All that we have proven is that Tenchi does have control of 
the Juraian power, which only those of noble blood have, and that 
the master key has submitted to his will.  What we must prove to 
Sagami is both his bloodline and worthiness." 
     "Sagami is Ayeka's strongest supporter.  He also controls 
three-quarters of the council; where he leaps, they follow.  If he 
believes we are trying to usurp her instead of help her, then he 
will not support us, and without his aid, we will not prevail in 
the council."  They looked at each other, as Washu piloted the 
Shukuen into the Juraian battle base.

---
The Platinum Dragon
Dragon's Masaki Shrine of Tenchi Muyo - http://dragonsanime.com
"The rising sun will eventually set,
  A newborn's life will fade.
  From sun to moon, moon to sun,
  give peacefull rest to the living dead." - Zelda64
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