InuYasha Fan Fiction / Vision Of Escaflowne Fan Fiction / Sailor Moon Fan Fiction / Tenchi Muyo Fan Fiction ❯ Miko Love ❯ Epilogue I: The Miko and the Princess ( Chapter 4 )

Title: Miko Love

Epilogue I: The Miko and the Princess

Status: Alpha

Author: Matthias aka MysticMew

Email: Minaru@gmx.de

(Plot) Beta-reader: Ayrki

Rating: PG-13

Category: Romance, Drama/Angst, Crossover/Fusion (somewhat)

Fandoms: Sailormoon (manga), Tenchi Muyo (OVA), Inu-Yasha and Vision of Escaflowne (both later on)

Main Pairings: Rei/Sasami

Timeline: Mainly about three years after the manga (BSSM) and OVA. This is part of the Soul Lights Continuum

Summary: After a hard decision of leaving Jurai Sasami and Tsunami find unexpected shelter with a young miko on Earth and something else…

Distribution: Soul Lights Continuum (http://sl.catstrio.de), Starsinlove-group (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/starsinlove), ff.net (www.fanfiction.net), Mediaminer (www.mediamer.org), ASMR (www.moonromance.net), Shoujo Ai.com (www.shoujoai.com). Anyone else, you can have it but please ask first, 'kay?

Disclaimer: See individual disclaimers below intro

Story Disclaimer: Copyright©2004 by Matthias Engel

Note: () indicates change of POV to the listed character, if empty then the following will be done in third person, a question mark indicates a character who is either unknown yet to the reader or should stay that way for now. <> Indicated time/place if necessary

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M&M DreamWorks Presents

Miko Love

Epilogue 1: The Miko and the Princess

A Soul Lights Side Story

Based on the works of Takeuchi Naoko and all other assorted authors

Bishoujo Senshi Sailormoon(c)Takeuchi Naoko

Tenchi Muyo(c)Pioneer

Inu-Yasha, Ranma 1/2(c)Takahashi Rumiko

The Vision of Escaflowne(c)Kawamori Shoji, Yatate Hajime

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(Sasami)

The transportation system of Juraian ships - and generally most ships in this part of the galaxy - was, like many other things, based on subspace. Jurai had by far not been the first to master subspace but because of the Ouke no Ki, they had been by far the most successful and innovative. And yet, no one would probably ever, truly understand the entire volume of subspace. I, thanks to Tsunami, did a little better than most but we did not know everything. So saying that someone mastered subspace was a bit… excessive thinking.

Nevertheless, for most of the daily routines, constantly dealing with the use of subspace had become second nature to most space traveling races. We did not truly think about how it really works, or just how complex the processes involved are. Most of us grew up with it. Like the people on Earth used things like telephones or fax machines, only a selected few REALLY understanding what was behind it. Subspace manipulation was - to us Juraians at least who we were bonded to an Ouke no Ki - like riding a bicycle. We learned it once and never forget it.

And so, the brief disposition as space warped around us did not even fully register in my mind. I was too wrapped up in the kiss, currently shared with the older, raven-haired miko, and the harmony that had settled around us when this final barrier had been torn down. Crisis situations had a tendency to break through subconscious defenses all that much faster and made you aware of just how much you could lose by making up excuses for what your heart already knew. I needed Rei, desperately, more than I ever needed anyone other than Tsunami - but that was a whole different plane of need.

I had known for awhile now what I was feeling for the older miko but my past experience with Tenchi had made me… careful. That is what I had called it. This had been different, a part of me knew that right from the start, but that part had been outweighed by the hesitation of the rest. I had not wanted to be hurt again, ESPECIALLY because this was different. And so the point that we were at right now had come much later than it might have needed to be. Trust didn't come easy for us both, thus making us dance around instead of with each other far longer than needed.

That was okay. Maybe… No, not maybe. We both needed the time. Not just Rei, but I as well. To be certain. And I was now. I was certain and not afraid anymore of rejection. The strings that tied us together were too strong and too unyielding to let us stray far from each other now that we had been caught in them.

It took several moments for me to realize that Rei wasn't kissing me anymore and I was pretty sure I had to look rather stupid, eyes closed, lips still ready to continue the sweet contact. I would have been embarrassed had I not been so absolutely content. And the adoring smile gracing the other girl's lips was enough to warm my already overheated heart even more. Rei's hand lingered on my cheek, purple eyes focusing on mine and chaining me to their gaze. Not that I wanted to look anywhere else. "I love you," the miko stated simply.

I leaned my head forward, nestling against her chest, content to be in the taller girl's arms for the moment. I felt secure. That place, that I had been searching for when I left Jurai, that I had wondered if it existed for me, it was right here, with Hino Rei. I knew that now. "I love you, too," I replied softly. I didn't want to leave this place, never again. The comfort by the older girl's mere presence was calming, shooing away the shadows that had encircled me most of my life. There was no doubt that I could stay like this forever…

But there were other things to take care of.

Rei shifted slightly and I could feel her tender gaze on me leaving, its attention diverted albeit hesitantly. I glanced up and caught her taking in the scenery. Wonder reflected in those purple eyes, turned quickly to an overwhelming amazement and astonishment as, no doubt, her other senses added to the picture. It was impressive, I knew from experience. I still remembered the first time I met Tsunami and the first time I saw what a Ouke no Ki could do to subspace. The potency of manipulation was unchallenged by all but maybe a few life forms commonly known in the galaxy. And the stronger - and older - the tree, the stronger this potency.

"What is this place?" Rei asked breathlessly. For someone as sensitive as Rei was, the feedback all her senses were receiving had to be enormous. In fact, I realized that something had changed in my perception of Tsunami's subspace pocket as well. I wasn't entirely sure why that was exactly. I felt closer to Tsunami now than I had before. Not so much because of our impending assimilation but for a variety of different reasons.

The main one of course being the experiences from the battle this morning. There was a new understanding of the basic connection and dependency between Tsunami and I. For the first time I had really, fully realized that there was something that I contributed to this relationship. I had known this before, had been brought away from that scared perspective of thinking that I was simply assimilated into Tsunami, just a tool, a creation of hers. Many still thought so - one of the greater aspects why I decided to leave after all - and yet a bit of that had always been on the back of my mind. Nagging mercilessly.

It was ironic that it had taken Tokimi's attempt of removing me from the equitation before I began to comprehend my own potential for our bonding. Not that I wanted to say Tokimi had been responsible for that. Her interference just gave me the final nudge to draw the necessary conclusions. The process had begun much earlier and a lot of it I owed Rei. Through her and with her I felt more important than ever and she had made me more self-confident.

These short few months I had spent here on Earth had done wonders to me, as well as my relationship with Tsunami. When we left Jurai and also before that time, this place was like a sanctuary. Tranquil, calming… but lonely. Now, now the sounds and other impressions of nature all around me were more… vivid. More meaningful. Now it felt more like home whenever before. And I wondered how much of that was my own change in perception and how much Tsunami's own doing.

Anyway, the answer to that could be pondered at another point. Rei's attention was already diverted to a point where recreating any romantic atmosphere was mere wishful thinking. If this went as I hoped, however, the end result would certainly serve to strengthen our formed bond even more. I could only hope so… no, not just hope, steadfastly believe. Because if my belief proved to be false, all that I thought to know about Rei would collapse in on itself.

"That is somewhat difficult to answer," I spoke eventually with a gentle smile, sensing the miko's growing expectation. "Maybe we should start with the more important question surely on your mind." Which to guess was not entirely difficult at all, seeing as all her finely-honed senses would be drawn to this one, overwhelming object.

Rei did not answer right away, her gaze stayed fixed forward, focused on the majestic tree in the center of the subspace projection and one of the few things actually real… though that a very limited term to begin with.

I wasn't all that surprised at the eventual precision and underlying wonder in the words of the older girl. "Is this… the World Tree?"

I smiled sympathetically at the to be expected misunderstanding for one who did not know the entire picture… Heck, I barely grasped more than a part of it. "Actually, this is ONE World Tree, as you put it. Other terms could be Life or often Mana Tree, although World Tree describes its best for what it is. The technical as well as mythological-rooted term is…"

"Yggdrasil," Rei finished with a sharp exhalation of breath.

I closed my eyes somberly. "Hai. Don't get it confused though with the Norse mythology. They have the basic idea right but the actual concept is much more complex than either of us - including myself - is able to grasp."

"So… We are in the center of the world?" Rei asked in a disbelieving tone which I found once more totally understandable.

"No. We are actually in Earth's orbit, inside a subspace field generated by this tree." As expected confusion showed on the miko's face and I could see the counter argument already forming in her mind. To avoid needless further confusion I was quick to continue and give the answer before the question. "I never said this is Earth's Yggdrasil. This is Tsunami, the Yggdrasil of a distant yet rather important planet in this galaxy called Jurai, which - to a certain degree - is also my home." I looked up feeling curious and still wondrous purple eyes having torn away from the enchanting sight. "I know, it's all a bit much but… I'll try and make you understand better, if you let me." My voice dropped a bit and I couldn't help the note of uncertainty that lurked at the edges of my conscious awareness even if it had been temporally pushed aside by the contend nature of this new relationship.

"Why wouldn't I?" Rei asked and once again I knew immediately why I felt so secure around the other girl. That intimate understanding that did not need graspable knowledge of the other but that was there beyond and above that simple material thinking. Not the topic of understanding was the deciding factor but understanding itself.

Without a further word, because there were none needed, my hand grasped hers and I pulled her along as I walked forward. Long had I thought about this after it became evident to me that this point could come soon. I did not wish to repeat the same mistake, the same misunderstanding produced when I tried to explain Tsunami and my relationship towards each other. I did not wish to do the same with Rei who was so willing to understand. And not just to try and understand a little…

After long thinking I had come to a rather simple solution actually but one which should suffice, especially for one such as Rei who had much more spiritual comprehension than others.

We stopped at the base of the tree and just stood there for a moment, hesitant. I had let go of her hand after a long time the miko tentatively reached out, the wish to establish some sort of contact with this magnificent life form tangible but also the awe and hesitation that came with it.

"Go ahead," I encouraged softly, making Rei almost jump, so lost in Tsunami's presence had she already been. The raven-haired miko looked sideways, searching for confirmation and finding it. "We want you to see, to know." I spoke these words with certainty and not just my own mind and voice. Tsunami herself had long come to approve of the other girl as a - if not THE - potential mate. And her opinion, or so I perceived now, seemed to have only grown with the events just a couple of hours ago.

Rei focused forward again but she closed her eyes in anticipation as her arm outstretched and her palm came to rest against the surface of the tree. Unlike other Ouke no Ki there was no key needed for Tsunami and I anymore. We were above such a simple tool necessary for communication since the bond that slowly brought us closer to assimilation was our own, personal key.

And so it was easy for me to mingle my awareness with that of my other half and, in a way, to share the same experience.

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(Rei)

In my time as miko at a Shinto shrine I had touched many minds, minds with an awareness ranging from tiny to large. I had touched even more… things… in my time as a Senshi, much vaster and often darker than any formal training could ever prepare for. However, nothing compared nor prepared me for that moment that I touched the bark and through it the HUGE awareness of the majestic tree. The sensual overload was dizzying as I was pulled right into what one could hardly describe as the mind of tree. No mind was supposed to that complex, that vast, nearly unlimited in its reaches. From the little that I could grasp it seemed like the consciousness of the tree seemed to expand far above this system even, throughout the galaxy and into its furthest regions… and all that from its position in the orbit of Earth…

Those were only rudimentary impressions though. The process was too rushed to pick up more the one or other detail. I believed that I could have spent years studying this mind and would never tire of it. I felt not only the vastness but the beauty of this mind, the peaceful sense of security it emitted. Old, wise and comforting. For a moment I lost myself in the sensations, just feeling, just experiencing what my senses picked up on their own. Forgotten were the endless-seeming questions that had plagued my mind moments ago. The hows, whys, whats and so forth.

Then my spirit jolted back to reality - well, what you could call reality - and I noticed that what had at first been just a swirling vortex of colors to fast to be followed, had now stabilized into a semi-solid form. From other experiences I guessed that this was a mental image of the tree's consciousness, most likely a memory. Others might have been disorientated and quite spooked at finding themselves floating, I wasn't paying it much mind, instead focusing on the scenery.

A vast, barren plane lay before my eyes, stretching wide onto the horizon, here and there scant rock formations and the one or other cliff, they were to irregular to be classified as mountains. It was a lifeless planet. No forms of nature, no forms of light. Except for one - in this desolate terrain shining like a bright beacon of light. The very tree in which's mind I was now. Younger, but still the same. I could tell at once. There was no comparable life form to be found anywhere. There was no doubt about it.

"When the Cauldron gave birth to the stars, the life as we know it now, we were also born." I looked to the side at the melodic, unknown and yet strangely familiar voice. What I saw was a figure in a long dress of regal design and beauty. At first glance I thought that it was Sasami but than I noticed that this woman was older, her blue hair unbound and she was radiating the same sense of security that the tree itself did.

My attention was drawn back to the scene as the landscape began to change. Soft light was flowing out from the tree and over the land, making it fertile wherever it went. "We, who are known as the Yggdrasil, providing the mana, the source of life that life needs to exist and to grow. A planet with no mana cannot bear natural life. Of course we were far more than just the provider of the mana for a planet but most of that is not important right now. For a long time this was the reality. Life grew and evolved under our protective shields."

The scene changed, now showing a star system full of planets, all of them emitting a glow of some kind. I could feel the life force from every single one. "To every star, every planet, their own tree. That was the law and the necessity." Suddenly several of the planets darkened. The glow so clearly visible before, drained away and the life force extinguished like a flame, their presence suddenly cold and simply dead.

"And then there was She." The scene switched back briefly to the tree from the beginning, now standing on fertile ground, surrounded by a picture book scenery of nature. Then the image wavered and eventually expanded, now showing two more trees like the first one. They seemed almost identical and other than the distinct differences in their spiritual structure I couldn't tell much of a difference. Then again, I have never been good with plants. Makoto would have had an easier time pointing out differences in appearance.

From the greater interest were the three, female forms at the base of each tree. The middle one was the same as the one still floating at my side, albeit a tad bit younger seeming. That was hard to tell though since their features appeared to be timeless. The figure in front of the left tree was shorter than the other two, with spiky red hair, while the other one had short gray hair. A golden jewel could be seen on her for head and four strands of red in two pairs extended from it. What really pulled me in about her were the emotionless-seeming eyes. Cold and calculating. I had seen too many of them in this and my past life. They were hungry for power, for control.

"We were the Three. The Three who were and still are supposed to watch over the other Yggdrasil. Our powers were great, our influence larger and far beyond the boundaries of our given stars. We were the judging, the enforcing and the executing aspect of the Law of Life." I glanced to the side at hearing the soft, mournful sigh. "I do not know why or how she changed. Neither my sister Washu," she indicated at the redhead, "or I understood her motives. For us spirits, who we are above the simplistic categorization of Good and Evil, greed, the thirst for power, all this was unknown to us. However, Tokimi," she indicated at the other woman who stood cold and aloof. "She had never been satisfied with her role. With the passiveness. Only watching and protecting was not enough for her. She saw Evil spread in the world and believed that - since we had the power - we should do something about it. A noble sentiment, of course, but that had never been our purpose. We were part of the natural order and not above it. And so we refused to take any action, secure in the knowledge that doing so would only fuel what we would hope to extinguish."

Silence reigned for a few moments and nothing changed. The narrating spirit's face appeared deeply troubled by the stirred up memories. "She didn't take it well," I stated, not needing the confirmation. The spirit nodded wordlessly.

"Indeed not." Once again the image changed, now showing countless planets, their glow of life being sucked away. "Against our warnings Tokimi started to use her power to bend the other Yggdrasil spread out through the galaxy to her will. Many of our kind were erased from existence when they resisted and Tokimi took control over their trees. Some she allowed to further flourish, albeit through her own means and imprint, others were sucked dry and their mana added to hers." The spirit bowed her head and one could feel the shame she felt at what had happened.

"Is this why so few planets are inhabitable throughout the galaxy?" I asked quietly, trying to grasp all the information I had received so far. Of course, I had heard about the World Tree and suspected that if something like that really existed on Earth, there had to be others on other planets. The Moon, to my knowledge never had one… And with this new information it made some sense. After all the atmosphere and the rest of the beauty of the Moon Kingdom had been created and sustained by the Ginzuishou.

"Yes. Many have fallen to Tokimi's greed and only the strongest have survived and remain steadfast against her grasp… for now." The spirit lifted her head and once more the scene shifted. "Tokimi grew in power and as you might expect already, we were soon not safe anymore from her. As she gathered more and more mana, expanding her influence, even the combined power of Washu and myself was struggling to stand up against her. We have tried of course to bring our sister back from the path of madness she had chosen to follow. It was fruitless, however, and she became more and more aggressive over time… until she managed to even get to us…"

Now I saw the gentle blue-haired spirit - what had Sasami called her, Tsunami? - locked in combat with her darker sister, barely holding Tokimi off with a glowing energy shield that slowly crumpled until it lost all its power. At the verge of collapse the now defenseless spirit managed to release a huge burst of energy that made the other one recoil and shortly afterwards vanish with an angry snarl on her face.

"With a last effort I managed to repel Tokimi, but that effort almost cost me my existence. It would have if not for…" The image switched back to the outside and showed the tree on the planet again. Even to the untrained eye it did not look as healthy and impressive as before. Branches were hanging limp, some leafs were already turning a sickly dark shade of color. The ground around it was similarly effected. Once rich, green land was withering away, back to the lifeless state from which it originated. It made me sick just to look at. Seeing such a miraculous being dying was hard to endure.

That was when something unexpected happened. Just like before I thought it was Sasami that I saw but something told me that wasn't the case… even though I was hard-pressed to detect any difference. Not just physically but also spiritually they seemed to be identical twins. I shook my head, forcing myself to concentrate once more on what was happening. The Sasami look-alike had approached the dying tree, kneeling before it. "Yes, if not for her. Curiously, she bore the same name as I. I believe that our meeting has been fated for a long time. A long war had just ended on her home planet, Earth." I started at that, looking at the spirit passively floating next to me and telling her story. Tsunami smiled. "That has been a long time ago, around twenty millennia actually. What is important here is that it was because of her that I have survived this day. You may call it selfish, I - possessing now both of our individual perspective - shall call it fate's calling. Our essences mingled with each other, our individual star energy being nearly identical." The girl had one hand on the bark of the tree, her head bowed in deep concentration and eyes closed. A flare of energy emitted from her forehead briefly, too brief to get a better look. It almost looked like…

Suddenly the girl's body literally evaporated into burst of energy, her essence reduced to her spirit alone. The energy moved forward and was then absorbed into the tree. "And so not only was I saved this day but through the assimilation of our individual spirits, something new was created. Something far greater than any of us could have ever imagined at this time.

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(Tsunami)

It was strange speaking about myself in third person. To me the Tsunami of then and my present self there was no difference. But this way I believed it was easier to understand for the young Senshi. I did not wish to go into too much detail at this point. Especially about the war. Sasami and I had debated long about whether to reveal the information from Martel and all that was connected to it but with my vague perception of the future I had the impression that doing so would not be profitable in the long run.

"Assimilation?" Rei questioned and I smiled a little thankfully for the question. After all that was the root of the problem, the one thing many seemed to have trouble to understand. To tell the truth, I - that was the part of me that had once been that other girl - had not known what exactly I was getting into either. However, there had been the overwhelming feeling of belonging. That meeting twenty millennia ago was by far not coincidental.

"Hai. Assimilation. The process of two individual souls becoming one. There are several different types of assimilation. Mainly those where one parts gets absorbed into another, or where a true balance is achieved, a preservation of both souls. Nothing lost, but everything gained." That was rather crude, of course, the actual process was far more complex and to say that nothing was lost and everything was gained was… a matter of perception. "The individuals involved do not lose their self in the latter case. Rather they gain all that constitutes the other being and vice versa."

Of course, such a process did not leave you totally unchanged regardless of how compatible you were. Each life was different and merging two together you were able to retain the individual memories on one hand but compromises would have to be reached in your personality. The elemental spirit I had once been had not known much of mortal dealings and likewise the human had not known much about the spirit world. Not to mention that the soul of an Elemental and a human worked rather differently. Two vastly different worlds had collided that day and it had changed us… But not in a way where I ever felt that I totally lost anything of my aspects. It would be the same with Sasami… I just hoped Rei would understand it. Understand it better than Tenchi and the others had.

Seeing as the raven-haired miko was deep in thought but not further questioning, I decided to continue my retelling of what was practically my life. The memories were still so sharp and clear as if it had been yesterday. Dryads had another understanding of the time concept and even with a human's perception, millennia seemed to pass me by like years would to others. As helpful as it might be to have such vivid memories, they also made some of them even more painful.

Concentrating I called up another image from the depths of my recollection. One that still hurt to look at. I still remembered that day so clearly… Through my human part I had already known enough loss recently and so this one seemed even more needless than it was. "While our sister was temporally set back, my near death had shaken Washu quite a bit." I closed my eyes, not needing and not wanting to see the images accompanying the words. "It was too much for her." Foolish girl… "She choose to give up her power and lock it away forever, so that Tokimi could never reach it up. She gave up her power and became human, with no recollection of her former life, with only three gems that stored her power as a last link to her past."

A gentle touch on my shoulder made me look up, however, I wasn't really surprised to see Sasami where. She had been there all the time, silent, unnoticed, listening. Pink eyes shone with understanding and compassion, and it was an eternally comforting sight.

"A time of prosperity followed for planet Jurai," Sasami continued for me and I was grateful for the pause so that I could pull myself together. "The assimilation of a Yggdrasil and a pure star seed had unexpected side effects. The first, as we on Jurai call them, Ouke no Ki was born. Not only did Tsunami receive a great expansion in her natural talents but she was the first and only Yggdrasil at that time that could produce offspring." I smiled faint but fondly at the images of my first children seeing the light of life.

"At this time an Empire grew on Jurai that under the guidance of Tsunami and her children was soon to span most of our known galaxy. Tsunami and her children had also earned the ability to travel through space if properly outfitted. The incredible spiritual and subspace manipulation abilities that the Ouke no Ki possessed would prove to make them spaceships unlike any and challenged by very few others. Sentient ships that bond with their users, enabling the transfer of power between tree and partner in both directions."

"Jurai soon began to expand to the stars," I continued. "And a long time passed in which its territory expanded. It was a little more than 700 years ago, in the reign of Emperor Azusa that a young girl was born who you should know very well." I smiled knowingly at Sasami and my other half blushed slightly. I called up the memories of Jurai about seven centuries ago, still vivid in both of our minds, albeit slightly blurred in that of my young charge. A young girl was walking through the Royal Palace while in the background sounds of Ryoko attacking could be heard. "A couple of years later planet Jurai was attacked by a space pirate known as Ryoko. She was not truly evil… but that is a story for another time."

Young Sasami had now walked into the great chamber of the Ouke no Ki where all my children rested until a partner was found for them. "To each of the Royal Family a tree, so it has been since the birth of the Juraian Empire. Sasami of House Masaki, Second Princess of Jurai had been of great interest to me since her birth. I had felt something special right away and so, for the first time ever, I took a partner like my children did. That day though…"

I trailed off, feeling a wave of sadness wash over me, seeing the younger version of my other half fall down to the bottom of the chamber, flung of the platforms when an explosion rocked the chambers. There was also still the twinges of guilt. Guilt that I had not been able to save her that day, taking away the peaceful, normal childhood she should have deserved.

My voice seemed detached, even to me, as I watched Sasami's near lifeless form lying at the base of my tree self, her blood mingling with the Waters of Life and my own translucent form performing the only aid that I had been able to give at that moment. "There was nothing left for me to do other than to merge with Sasami, bonding her life to me. I did not wish to rob her completely of her childhood though and so I initiated a slower process of assimilation that would take several years to finish."

If only it had been that simple. If only I could have predicted all that followed… Sometimes I wondered if it had been more merciful to finish the process just then and there. Nothing of her personality would have been lost after all… But I hadn't been able to bring myself to do that, a lurking fear remaining that maybe my more mature and greater soul would unintentionally swallow hers. I wanted to prepare her better for what was to come.

By doing that though, I had brought about much fear, sadness and misunderstanding…

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(Sasami)

Being bonded like we were for such a long - well, for her it might have been relatively short - time, it was not hard to sense the feelings. I needn't even probe our link, too familiar the signs of guilt and misery. The gentle spirit of Jurai's patron ship never quite forgave herself for this incident and the years that followed, regardless of how foolish it was to blame herself.

I moved forward silently, taking her hand and looking up to meet the mirror image of my own self now not so far away in years anymore than it once had been. However, these eyes held something painfully old, countless millennia reflected in them. It always made me sad to look but at the same time all the more determined and assured that regardless of how this turn of events had come to be, it was the right thing. We had been made for each other, as corny as it sounded, I believed it to be true. Neither of us could explain, yet already now, drawing closer and understanding each other better, we realized that together we could… we WOULD be much happier.

Tsunami smiled softly, blinking away a ghostly tear… The space around us warped and at the next moment we were back on the physical plane, at the base of Tsunami's tree self. I glanced to the side and found Rei still unmoving, eyes closed and hand outstretched. Slowly purple eyes opened, a storm of conflicting emotions in them, awe, wonder, confusion, a thousand and one questions and for a horrible long moment I felt a numbing fear grip my heart that I had been wrong again. Despite all trust and certainty, that Rei wouldn't understand.

Then the miko slowly lowered her hand and she looked at me, her gaze somewhat impassive, not judging, just looking. After a few seconds - which felt more like an eternity - she took a step forward, her hand coming to rest on my cheek. The smile I was favored with lightened my heart but her next words nearly made me weep with joy. "So," she asked seriously. "If I get this right, in a few years when this assimilation is finished you are going to be what? A human dryad?" Soft humor danced in her eyes and I couldn't decide whether to cry or laugh. And so I just leaned forward, melting into the embrace that came naturally.

I hadn't been wrong. She did understand. And it didn't matter to her. This had been my greatest fear… and Rei had brushed it aside with uncharacteristic humor. I really wanted to pound her for what but was simply too happy and relieved at the moment.

"Is this what you have been so worried about all the time. That I would lose yourself in this assimilation thing." I moved my head slightly against her chest, attempting a nod but not really wanting to move, too contend in the safe haven I had found here. "Silly girl," Rei chided, "I love you. I know that now. And nothing is going to change that. You tell me that you'll still be the same?" Again the barest nod. "Then I believe you. I've seen things in my life that were much weirder than this… well, not many, but maybe a few." She grinned but then turned serious again. "And if you were to disappear one way or another, believe me, I'd be there to pull you back right away. Because I have just found you, this incredible, mysterious creature who has been so persistent in opening and earning a place in my heart. Do you really think I'd let you go that easily?"

I didn't answer but snuggled a bit tighter into the older girl's embrace. Yes, I had found my place. The one I had set out to find upon leaving Jurai. I hadn't really looked, not even meant for it to happen… But it had happened and I wouldn't want to have it any other way.

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(Rei)

So strong and yet so fragile, I thought with a mixture of fond- and sadness. How someone could go through all this emotional trauma and still smile at the simple joys of life, meeting each day with such enthusiasm as Sasami did, it was truly marvelous. I had thought I had had a tough childhood but somehow, comparing it to the other girl's tale it felt… insignificant. She had truly led an interesting life, that was for sure.

After a time of just holding each other, basking in the freshness and the soothing warmth of this new feeling, we had settled down against the base of Tsunami's tree self. I couldn't deny that I felt humbled to be allowed such a privilege but the tale I heard showed once again that sometimes even behind the great legends and myths a rather human-like story was to be found. Wonder, happiness, sadness, they were all close together, not even something as unique as a Yggdrasil was standing above it.

The atmosphere of this place, a subspace pocket as Sasami had called it, was contributing greatly to my efforts of soothing the other girl. It was hardly a wonder she was so worked up about this, being scarred once already.

Sasami had told me about her and her sister ending up on Earth, being in stasis for seven hundred years, chasing after their wayward half-brother - my head still kind of spun from all the family relations and I still couldn't quite wrap my mind around the concept that marriage between close family members on Jurai seemed to be normal…

She had told me that they had spent - despite some interruptions - a rather nice and happy year in Okayama, with the family their half-brother had founded and especially his grandson, a remarkable and talented boy called Tenchi. I kind of pitied the poor guy. From Sasami's description it sounded like he had been a totally unwanted girl-magnet. I doubted it was just my imagination that when Sasami was talking about this time, she seemed wistful, obviously very fond of the memory.

Things had begun to go wrong when the message of Sasami's vanished and assumed dead parents had reached them. They had to leave for Jurai, seeing as the succession of the throne was undecided and her brother Yosho had made his grandson his official heir, not wishing to rule himself. What had ensued was, as far as I understood it, a good bit of both political and emotional chaos.

"Long peace, power and wealth have planted the seed of eventual destruction in the Holy Council… the seed that will eventually lead to most great dynasties falls," Tsunami had commented, her ghostly form appearing next to us. "The secret about Sasami and I eventually came out and as predicted, fear began to spread through the royals. Fear for their position, fear for their personal esteem…" I hadn't known that elemental spirits could be this emotional, but then again a part of her was already human, or at least human memories. Tsunami definitely seemed sad about this, as well as torn between anger and a bit of guilt.

The revelation about the special condition of their second princess wasn't the real problem. It was far more Tenchi's unwillingness to choose between any of the girls who were devoted at him, which included Sasami who had grown quite a bit more in the year since they met and was steadily continuing to do so - both her physical and emotional constitution. Seeing as Tenchi WAS the prime candidate for the throne and no one dared challenge him openly because of his incredible powers, the fear of the consequence should Sasami and with that Tsunami - their patron goddess as pretty much everyone believed the spirit was - became one of Tenchi's next wives making her Empress was tangible within the royals.

"I had never wanted to rule," Tsunami had clarified, a hint of wistfulness. "I thought I could do better when my sister, believing that watching, guarding and guiding would be enough. Of course, there is no perfect way to build and ensure an empires survival. I had been foolish to think that… But at this point it was already much too late. Maybe it would have been best to actually realize the fear that the Houses of Jurai had, although I believed and still do that it would have been far too late already. And I did not wish to betray my own principle. Even if the events had played out differently and Sasami had ended up at Tenchi's side… I would have not misused my power and standing to correct the flaws that I could see so clearly by force. I would have not been better than Tokimi…"

However, Sasami never ended up with Tenchi. Why they had grown closer and the awkward age difference was slowly melting away, it never worked out.

"Tenchi is just too much of a nice guy to say no to anyone, especially another girl," Sasami had put it and a somewhat melancholic grin underlining the sadness. He had obviously promised all contenders not to abandon anyone. Good sentiments, I suppose, but without her needing to tell me I could see where this was going. Love was not something you could just decide on, that I could say with conviction even with my own limited experience. Not that kind of love at least. The stressful year on Jurai that followed, in which a political struggle for both the succession line and the resulting marriage erupted, brought out "many truths which I should have seen before", or so Sasami had put it. "In the end, what decided for me was not that it became obvious that it had always been my sister and Ryoko who Tenchi had loved," the blue-haired girl confessed, "That realization had hurt sure. Yet what was important was that he never really understood Tsunami and I. None of them did. They tried sure, and I don't even really blame them. However, beneath all the assurances given, all the kind and understanding words… I could see it sometimes in their eyes, Tenchi, Aeka-oneesama… That shadow of the doubt, that inkling fear I think they weren't even conscious aware of, that worry what would become of Tsunami and I when we joined."

And Sasami had been silent after that, no doubt lost in the memories. Tsunami had resumed the tale, telling of how they had decided to leave Jurai for good, a drastic measure that was supposed to rouse the Empire out of its stagnant state. With their Yggdrasil gone and only Tsunami's children left to support the planet, heavy cuts would be made into the organization of the royals' daily life. Tsunami didn't say what drew them to Earth and seemed reluctant to do, so I could only speculate. Yet, in the end, it didn't really matter. Not right now anyway.

Yes, it was really no wonder that Sasami had been so secretive about this. A lot of the mysteries about the blue-haired princess were unraveling now, and yet there was still so much left to explore… and I looked forward to it. I really did. Listening to this bittersweet story, I had come to the resolution that I had to make sure Sasami would be as happy as possible from now on. She had already lost and given up so much, the least I could do for her was to try and make her happy. And I had to be honest about it… which I would. I wasn't like this Tenchi guy, nice words and half truths… When I had my mind set on something, I wouldn't dance around the subject. And now that I was certain about my feelings, I wouldn't… I couldn't let them go again.

"I don't think I really loved Tenchi," Sasami pulled me out of my reflections of the past… what had it been? Minutes? Hours? I could honestly not tell. I looked down curiously at the head resting on my shoulder, reddish-pink eyes staring up at me with a peacefulness that once again reminded me of why the past couple of months since I had the mysterious girl for the first time and the emotional struggles in coming to terms with our mutual feelings were definitely worth it. "Well, maybe I did love him," Sasami corrected, "but I don't think I was ever in love with him. It has never been like this, what we have. I never felt so right about something before, not even with him." I couldn't help pick up the note of uncertainty, tiny, not much more than a whisper, and I realized that this wasn't entirely true. A part of her would always think back with fondness and a certain wistfulness, wondering how it could have been. That was alright though. I did not doubt the sincerity of her last words, the ones which were really important. This unique feeling of belonging, of absolute rightness, it was hard to misunderstand and I did feel it too."

Looking back I wanted to laugh at how silly I had been. Hurt by the death of my mother and the tense situation with my father, I had told myself that I wouldn't need love. That I was better of without it. Had I known then, had I really known what the world meant, I doubted I would have been so resolute in my decision. Sasami had shown me, the girl had slipped past my defenses unhindered and found her way right into my heart. Quite remarkable for someone of her age… Then again, saying that brought about a totally different question.

Sasami blinked, most likely seeing my momentary confusion. "What is it, Rei-chan?"

I laughed lightly, the sudden thought and attached question appearing a good bit out of context and probably much too late. I was nonetheless curious. "Just a thought that popped in my mind. How old are you anyway? I would have said somewhere around fourteen or probably younger at first guess but now…"

"Depends on how you look at it," she grinned. "Technically I should be eleven by now. Chronological, with stasis you have to add seven hundred more years. Physically, well, your guess was rather close there. I age about two years for each single one. So it should be around thirteen or fourteen. Spiritually, well…"

I shook my head, laughing merrily. "Don't bother. That would be like trying to estimate Pluto's age." For some reason there was a knowing quality to the answering smile but I shrugged it off to the fact that she - through Tsunami no doubt - already knew about the Senshi. Not that surprising if you just thought what the tree we were sitting under stood for. So, I wouldn't be surprised if the dryad and Pluto were on a first name basis…

The blue-haired girl sat a bit more upright, thoughtful for a moment. "You know, I had been wondering about this. Why did you never ask before?"

Exactly what I had been thinking and which made me laugh in the first place. Yet, the answer was as much simple as it was serious. "Because it didn't matter."

Pink eyes glanced up shyly, full of wonder. "Really?"

I used my free hand - the other wrapped around her shoulders - to caress her face, drawing a tiny sigh from its owner. "Really. Call it corny, but all that mattered to me in those last months was you. Not your age, or your physical appearance. Just you."

Sasami closed her eyes, a calm and happy smile forming that made me feel entranced by its radiance. "I don't think it is corny. It's kind of beautiful," she admitted, eyes opening and staring right into mine. I was startled and at the same time humbled once again at the flood of emotion, unconcealed and overwhelming held within them. All directed towards me. It was mind-boggling on one hand and intoxicating on the other. I couldn't look away and I didn't want to either.

I leaned forward on impulse, lips meeting in gentle contact, each content to enjoy the harmony without feeling the need to go further and faster. This was a perfect feeling, one that I had - despite my resistance - searched for since my mother's death. And I had found it now.

THE END

Author's Note

Well, that was that. Sorry, it took awhile to get this first epilogue out. University life is taking a toll on my free time, and then there is new, exciting games to play too… Ah, oh well. Maia and I finally sat down the last days to wrap this up… Or more like actually write it (we had about a page or so before that…).

I hope I didn't trample on any hardcore Tenchi-fans feet with my explanations. Actually, I pretty much jumped over the actual canon events since for the purpose of this story they are rather low of interest. Remember when you read this that I did change a bit… or more liked added here and there… to suit the purpose of the Continuum. If someone doesn't like it, go find yourself a pure Tenchi fic, there are enough out there (and I have seen others whose grasp on the facts in the TM-verse are even more horrible and twisted… not that I think mine are horrible and twisted but some could think that… and I'm rambling I better stop now.)

Not much too add. For all who hoped to get a good summary of the TM OVA, go look somewhere else (I actually have a few good links for those who need summaries). The position TM takes in the SL-verse is mostly tied to Sasami/Tsunami. Tenchi-tachi will have some measure of appearance later in the second main arc but their importance isn't ranking quite so high. What I tried here was to give you (and Rei of course) an understanding about Sasami and Tsunami's history as portrayed/hinted at in canon (OVA Novels (summaries)) and my own version of tying them in with the other elements, mainly the story about Yggdrasils, the first assimilation etc. That is my own product, so don't confuse it as canon.

With that out of the way, I hope I actually get on with the main story at some point… Or at the very least the interlude. *sighs* I'll do the other two epilogues eventually, maybe even the second if I have time these days but they are not so enormously important for the main arc. As you can probably guess the other two epilogues are about Kagome/Sango as well as Hitomi and Mizuki respectively, explaining their back story. Because that is what these epilogues are for. Wrapping things up and providing a bit of background information.

Have nice holidays everyone… assuming you'll get this before them. And don't forget to leave feedback.

Ja ne, yours

Matthias