Introduction and Disclaimer

What is there to say? Not much really :) Here's part two of Tainted Spirit - though I very much think that this story is heading into three parts a la Hawk of Jurai, so don't expect a swift or simple conclusion just yet. Right now I don't know myself how it's going to end, not totally - so it will be interesting to see where it goes.

Observant folk will have noticed that Pixy Misa has become simply "Misa" for the purpose of this story. I hesitated over this for a while because of the obvious confusion factor between Misa and Misao, but on balance I think it suits the story better for her to be simply "Misa". In any case, in the Pretty Sammy OVA and the TV series, Sammy often refers to her as Misa, anyhow...so it's not entirely authorial licence here ;)

Usual legalities apply!

Synopsis

T he Space Pirate Haki has been stirred from his sub-space prison, anger and revenge on his mind as he courses through space, looking for the one he holds responsible for his failure and defeat. After the failure of his attack on Tounochi, Haki steps up his quest for the Dark Heart of Jurai, certain that the gemstones he sacrificed so much for can break both Ramia's hold over him and the original spell that cast him into darkness.

On the planet Earth, Ryoko and her friends seek to reunite the lost Misao with her family and her people, but the sudden appearance of a mysterious girl hell-bent on causing mischief and destruction adds a new complication. Could Misa be the odd blue bird that Misao saw with Haki aboard Jiro's space station?

But interest in Misa and the unknown bird takes second place as Ramia's darkest spell begins to take hold, striking deep into Tsunami's heart as she seeks to control and dominate the Goddess's will. As all those who are touched by Tsunami's magic begin to weaken, Ryoko is reminded of her father and the way in which he had tried to poison Tsunami's core. Could this be a spell of a similar nature - and can it be broken before Tsunami's tainted spirit is driven beyond the point of no return?

TAINTED SPIRIT: PART TWO
A Tenchi Muyo! FANFICTION
by
VRAIEESPRIT

Chapter One

"Sakura!"

The shriek of Ryoko's voice from somewhere overhead caused the Earthling's eyes to snap open as suddenly the gentle pressure of Misa's blade was gone from her throat. As the pirate dropped down through the trees at speed, the interloper seemed to lose interest in her pinioned prey, wheeling around to face the new challenge with a glint of amusement in her marigold eyes.

"Well, so now it gets interesting, does it?" She murmured, dancing absently from foot to foot as glitters of light flitted around her form. "Much better than an Earth girl...what colour blood does a space pirate have, Ryoko? I'd like to see...let's find out, shall we?"

"How do you know my name?" Ryoko's forcefield flared up around her as the girl came at her with her glittering black and silver weapon, glancing it harmlessly off the bright amber glow. "And who are you, anyway? Why did you attack Sakura?"

"I think she has Misao." Sakura swallowed hard, fear in her eyes. "I think...I think that's why we can't find the kid. Because this girl has her."

"Is that true?" Ryoko glared at Misa sharply, launching towards her, but the young girl was too swift for her, leaping up into the branches of the tree as she gazed down on her attacker.

"Missed me. Are you that slow?" She taunted, and Ryoko's eyes narrowed, shaking her head.

"You have no idea who you're dealing with." She said darkly, flickering out of view and re-materialising behind the attacker, grabbing her tightly by the shoulders. "And you should look behind you. I guess you thought you were clever, knowing my name - but you don't seem to realise that I'm not so easy to beat down. Now for some answers, all right? I don't like brats who attack my friends, so don't think I'll go easy on you if you refuse to tell me what I want to know."

"And you shouldn't take for granted that you can hold me for long." Misa's eyes glinted with mischief. "Sayonara, sweetie. It's been a blast, but I have to run."

With that she disappeared, and Ryoko started, staring at the empty tree branch beside her as she did so.

"What the hell was that?" She demanded.

"You're asking me?" Sakura exclaimed. "Get me down from here, will you? I don't know what she pinned me with, but I can't get loose of them on my own."

"Oh. Right." Ryoko dropped down onto the ground, light flaring from her fingers as she sent out sharp amber shards in her friend's direction, dissolving Misa's glittering shrapnel as she did so. "There...can you move now?"

"Just about." Sakura sank down against the tree's base, gazing up her companion. "She just came at me from nowhere...I guess she did that vanishing thing you do, and just appeared like she disappeared. But she did know about Misao, so I think she knows where the girl is."

"Maybe." Ryoko pursed her lips. "I wonder...what did she say to you?"

"Aside from wanting to kill me? Not a lot that made any sense." Sakura grimaced. "It was almost like the whole thing was a game to her - that she didn't really care whether I was alive or dead - or that anyone was. But she wanted to...well, play."

Ryoko was silent for a moment, then she held out her hand to haul her friend to her feet.

"I wonder." She murmured. "Obviously she didn't come from the Earth, so obviously she got here some other way. But there aren't any spaceships around, except for Ryo Ohki and that great big ugly thing sitting over the shrine. Even though I don't like that Tennan guy, I don't think that this is his work. So that means she got here somehow without using space travel."

"I guess that's unusual, huh?" Sakura looked pensive. "Not to have a ship, I mean."

She grasped Ryoko's hand in hers, allowing the pirate to pull her upright, and as she did so, her companion's expression changed, a look of surprise crossing her features.

"Ryoko?" Sakura frowned. "What is it - did she come back?"

"No...no." Ryoko faltered, then she bent to pick something up from the ground, glancing at it briefly before holding it out to her companion. "Just...this."

Wordlessly Sakura took the object from her friend's hand, her eyes widening in dismay as she registered what it was.

"My hair!" She exclaimed, her free hand going to the base of her neck. "My braid...what the hell did she do to it?"

"Cut it, by the looks of it." Ryoko said frankly. "I guess those things she used to pin you didn't react too good with your hair fibres, whatever they are on this planet. Either way, you're lopsided right now, Sakura-chan - this one's been cut clean through, but the other one is intact."

Slowly Sakura slid her fingers under her remaining braid, glancing at it with a rueful grimace.

"I guess I should be glad that my hair was all that suffered, then, considering." She said quietly. "But I've had my braids for a long time, Ryoko - it's sort of a shock."

"Well, you can't stay like that." Ryoko pursed her lips, her sabre flaring into a blade as she grabbed the surviving long plait from Sakura's grip, searing through the hair before the student could react. "There. Now you look a bit more level, at least. It's not perfect, but it's better than it was before."

"Ryoko!" Sakura stared at the pirate in indignation. "I didn't ask you to do that!"

"No, but if you'd seen yourself, then you'd have done the same thing." Ryoko replied unrepentantly, handing the second braid to her companion. "Here, it's your hair...I don't know what to do with it. But I'd advise you unwind what's left of it on your head and get someone to cut it or something, so it doesn't look like you got savaged by a wild animal. Maybe Yume will be able to do it...unless you want to explain to an Earth hairdresser why your hair got burnt off."

"Burnt..." Sakura shivered, reaching up to touch the tips of her hair once more. Absently she unwound the ragged ends, fingering them wistfully as she did so.

"Just to my shoulders, if that." She murmured. "And to think, it took me so long to get it to grow."

"Well, there's no use crying over it now. If you ask me, you look better without those ropes glued to your ears." Ryoko decided. "And in the meantime, we need to find this girl and what she's up to. Did you notice how she was dressed? It seemed pretty odd to me."

"It all seemed odd to me." Sakura said grimly. "When Tenchi invited Hiroshi and I to spend a weekend with you guys, I didn't expect any of this."

She sighed, slipping her shorn braids into her pocket and as she did so, her fingers closed around the hilt of Seiryo's sword. She pulled it out, glancing at it.

"I wish I'd been able to use this...if I had, maybe she wouldn't have pinned me so easily." She remarked. "It's Seiryo Tennan's sword - Katsuhito-san gave it to me to return to him. But even if I could use it, I wouldn't know how to fight with it. I feel like a useless Earthling, if you want to know...we don't have any special abilities or strength to defend ourselves, and if you hadn't been flying overhead, I'd be dead now."

"I came down because I saw what looked like a large swan's feather, glittering in the sun. I wanted to see what it was, and then I realised what was happening." Ryoko pursed her lips. "Good thing I did."

"Thank you for saving me, by the way." Sakura pinkened, looking sheepish. "I guess that's the second time I've owed you my life."

"Don't worry about it." Ryoko shrugged, awkwardness touching her expression. "Besides, I let the brat get away. Who knows where she's gone now? And we're no closer to finding Misao."

"The white feather you saw was on her headband...she had a silver...well, it was almost like a crown or a tiara, but in place of a hairband." Sakura said thoughtfully. "Do you think that's important?"

"Well, it occured to me that Jiro and Misao both saw a bird in association with Haki." Ryoko said grimly. "Now here's this kid with a bird motif going on...it seems convenient to me, anyway."

"You think she was the bird? The person who can change shape, like Yume-san?" Sakura looked startled. Ryoko shrugged.

"Maybe. I don't know." She agreed cautiously. "It's not impossible. After all, Yume can fly through space without a craft of her own. I don't know if that's because she can shape shift or because she's part robot, but that yellow-haired kid must have got here somehow. Maybe that's how she travels. As a bird."

"I suppose that would make sense." Sakura agreed. "If any of this makes sense at all."

As they reached the shrine once more, they found Seiryo waiting for him, and he cast them a quizzical look as he took in the expressions of both girls.

"One of you has my sword, I believe?" He said quietly. "It's not a toy, you know - you can't play with it."

"I wasn't going to. I was going to give it back to you." Sakura held out the hilt, and Seiryo took it. "Now we know that you're not here to attack everyone."

"You might need it, anyhow." Ryoko said darkly. "Some little brat tried to kill Sakura, and I think she might have your Misao. She got away before I could nail any answers...but from what Sakura says, it seems likely she knows more than she's telling. She knew me by name, too, and that I was a pirate. I think she might be the bird who's in league with Haki - else how would she know so much about me?"

"She knew my name, too." Sakura remembered. "Haki wouldn't know that...or would he?"

"Sounds like she's been doing some spying of her own." Seiryo looked thoughtful. "But I don't understand what you mean by bird, Ryoko-sama."

"Misao saw a bird, when she was kidnapped. Or maybe just after, I'm not sure which." Ryoko replied. "A blue parrot, who a friend of mine also saw with Haki. We think the bird is a shape-shifter...and this girl who attacked Sakura had a feather on her headdress. It seems too much of a coincidence not to be connected."

"Yes, that does create an interesting complication." Seiryo's eyes darkened with comprehension, and his grasp tightened around his sword as it flared into a blade of white hot energy. "I appreciate the warning. I trust this means that noone has seen head nor tail of Misao-sama herself, then?"

"No, but I'm starting to worry about her." Sakura bit her lip. "This girl would really have killed me, if Ryoko hadn't intervened. As it was, she gave me an impromptu haircut...too close for my liking, if you want to know the truth."

"I wondered why you looked like someone had been chewing on your hair. Now it makes sense." Seiryo remarked. "All right. Kamidake hasn't seen anything of her, but perhaps I can convince him to break his sulk and come help, now it looks like the child is in danger."

"What in hell did you say to him, to make him sulk?" Ryoko demanded. "Kamidake isn't exactly that kind of guy - you must've done something pretty bad to upset him!"

"I don't think that's important." Seiryo's lips twitched into a faint smile. "What is is finding Misao."

"Or stopping that brat before she does any more damage." Ryoko said grimly. "I'm with you on that."

She glanced at Seiryo, then held out her hand.

"Give me the key to your ship. I'll go talk Kamidake into helping us." She said briskly. Seiryo stared at her,

"Give my ship to a former space pirate? How long do you think I worked with the Galaxy Police, Ryoko? I'm more than familiar with your file - you have to be joking."

"Like I'd want to steal your hunk of space junk, when I have Ryo Ohki." Ryoko said scathingly. "And I'm a former space pirate, just like you're a former galaxy police agent. You focus less on my past and I won't bring up too much of yours, does that seem like a fair arrangement? After all, I chose not to be a pirate any more because I wanted to. Your situation isn't quite so simple."

Seiryo's eyes narrowed, and Sakura saw genuine annoyance flicker across the man's face. Then he shook his head slowly, slipping the control key from his wrist and holding it out to her.

"Misao can't afford for us to waste time arguing, and I want to get back to Yousai and Lady Sasami as soon as I can." He said quietly. "But if you do anything to hurt my ship, Ryoko, by Tsunami's name you'll wish you weren't born. Mark my words."

"Yeah, yeah." Ryoko snorted. "Like I care about your tin can anyway. You go back to the house with Sakura and don't let this crazy girl have a second shot at her...understand? You're the one with the sword, so I'm going to trust you can use it."

With that she flicked her finger over the band, disappearing into the ship and leaving the two, Juraian and Earthling alone together once more. Sakura eyed her companion hesitantly.

"Do you think that girl will come back?"

"If she has Misao, she might well have already tried to leave." Seiryo said grimly. "Come on. Do what Ryoko-sama said, and don't dawdle."

Sakura grimaced at him, but did as she was bidden, and they made their way in silence down towards the house itself. By the time they reached it, Ryoko was already there, the Knight and Washu in attendance, and one glance at their expressions told Sakura something else had happened.

"What now?" She asked apprehensively.

"Our mystery girl struck again." Ryoko said frankly. "Washu just had her in her lab, where she blew up some equipment and then vanished."

"Inside your lab?" Seiryo eyed the scientist in surprise. "But how did she manage that?"

"I'm not sure, but she still did." Washu spread her hands, a grim look in her green eyes."Whatever her agenda, we need to find her before she does anyone any real harm."

She glanced at Sakura, and her expression became grimmer.

"Ryoko told me what happened to you. I'm sorry that your trip to the mountains is proving to be so chaotic - you're not hurt?"

"I'm fine. Just a bit bereft of hair, that's all." Sakura assured her. "Thanks to Ryoko, I'm all right."

"Ito-san! What on earth happened to your head?" Hiroshi pushed open the front door at that moment, stopping dead as he took in his friend's new haircut.

"She was attacked." Ryoko said simply. "And her hair came off worst in the fight."

"Attacked? By what?" Hiroshi paled. "That kid? The Misao girl? Was it her?"

"No. Some other girl - Ryoko thinks it might have been the bird that Misao saw when she was kidnapped." Sakura shook her head, reaching up to touch her head self-consciously. "I'm just lucky I didn't lose more than my braids, to be honest...she was real close to slitting my throat."

She shivered involuntarily, and Washu shot her a sympathetic glance.

"Befriending my daughter and her paramour comes with it's own cost, I'm afraid." She said gently.

"Now you can see why you don't usually get involved so much in Tenchi and my world." Ryoko added frankly.

"Masaki!" Before anyone else could respond, Hiroshi let out an exclamation, raising his hand to indicate in the direction of the mountains. "And look who's with him - isn't that the kid we've all been searching for?"

"Misao-sama!" Seiryo's expression became one of relief, as the young prince approached the group, his weary-looking companion clutching hold of his arm. "We've been so worried - where have you been?"

"Lord Tennan?" Misao's tired aqua eyes lit up with surprise and hope. "Kamidake-san! Oh! Have you come to take me home? Tenchi-sama said that people had come."

"Where did you get to, Misao-chan?" Washu asked gently. "We've been looking all over for you - nobody hurt you, did they?"

"Hurt me?" Misao looked startled, then she shook her head. "No...I...I don't think so. I just went for a walk in the trees, and I guess I sat down because I was tired. I must have fallen asleep, because the next thing I knew, Tenchi-sama was shaking me awake."

"So she did wander off alone, after all." Ryoko reflected, and Misao blushed, looking uncomfortable.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make anyone worry." She said contritely. "But it was so bright and beautiful outside and I wanted to see."

"It's all right, so long as you're safe." Kamidake told her seriously, his violet eyes soft with compassion. "Sasami-hime will be glad to see you, and so will Lord Oshima and Lord Hirayama. Lord Hirayama is aboard Seiryo-sama's spaceship, waiting - we should probably get going right away. It's a long way to Yousai, and they've all been very worried."

"I suppose so." Misao nodded her head, offering him a faint smile. "I'll be glad to get back there. Thank you for coming to find me, both of you. It was kind of you, especially since you barely know me."

"Lady Sasami seems quite fond of you already." Seiryo said pragmatically. "And the people of Yousai consider you quite important, Misao-sama. Of course we were going to come find you."

"You were lucky that Ryoko-sama and her friends were able to bring you here." Kamidake added. Misao nodded her head.

"They've all been nice to me." She admitted, turning to face the group shyly as she did so. "I'm grateful for everything you've done...thank you. Especially you, Ryoko-san. You brought me here and I'm glad you did. I'm happy to go home, but your planet is beautiful and I hope I might see it properly one day."

"I'm sure that once you're officially Lady of Yousai, there'll be plenty of chances for you to travel." Seiryo remarked. He cast Washu a smile, then, "So we'll take our leave, and I can move the Unko from above the shrine. It was good to see you, Washu, and your current habitat - even if it does sit at odds with the scientist you are. And Lord Tenchi, Lady Ryoko, our thanks as well."

"Tell Sasami we said hi." Tenchi grinned, and Kamidake nodded his head, as Ryoko held out the ship's control key to it's rightful owner.

"Without a doubt." He promised. "Come, Lady Misao. The Unko is waiting this way - follow me."

As the two men and their precious, delicate companion headed off in the direction of the shrine, Sakura let out a sigh of relief.

"So she was safe after all." She mused. "But what about that other girl? Tenchi-kun, there was noone with Misao when you found her?"

"No, noone at all. She was all curled up beneath a tree, fast asleep." Tenchi looked startled. "Why? What girl do you mean? And Sakura-chan, what did you do to your hair?"

"A strange girl came at her, and in the ensuing struggle, Sakura lost her braids." Ryoko said succinctly. "She's all right, Tenchi, so don't look so freaked out. I stopped any real harm from coming to her. And besides, I think her hair looks better like that, don't you? Pigtails are for schoolkids. I think this Misa girl did her a favour."

"Misa." Tenchi repeated the unfamiliar name, then, "And you think this girl is still here?"

"She might be." Washu nodded her head. "We'll have to be on our guard, just in case she is. Her attack seemed somewhat random - she went for Sakura, and then came and vandalised some of my lab equipment, but she didn't seem to be acting with any intent. It was almost like she was playing a game - I'm not sure she would have killed you, Sakura...I think she was just testing us out, seeing what we had and distracting us from finding Misao."

"But there were more of us than there were of her, so she failed." Ryoko remarked. "Maybe now Misao's back with the people she should be, Misa will go after them instead of us."

"I wonder if Misa is even her real name, or if she just made that up to confuse us because we were looking for Misao." Sakura suggested. "It could just as easily have been a play on words - don't you think so? In which case wouldn't it be kind of hard to find out who she is?"

Ryoko snorted.

"I wouldn't be surprised if she did make it up. She was obviously nuts." She said bluntly. "I don't really care what she called herself, to be quite honest. So long as the little brat goes somewhere else to play her games, that's all I care about. We don't need to find her. If she's gone away, that's good enough for me. And if she comes here, well, she doesn't need a name for me to blast her into orbit."

"What I don't understand is why anyone would kidnap Misao and then let her be so easily rescued." Washu sighed. "Oh well. Whatever the truth, it seems to be over now. We'll keep a look out for this Misa girl, and I'll make sure the house is on high alert for any strange DNA readings. But otherwise, we can get back to doing what we were doing before Misao ever came into the equation."

"Which was working out what the heck Haki is up to." Ryoko said grimly. "Although the two things might be connected. He is acting very odd, when you consider what's already happened."

"Until Haki makes his move, we probably won't get any further with that enquiry, either." Washu shook her head. "I meant that we can try and get back to normal life. As normal as it ever is, in this part of Japan."

"Well, I won't mind if the rest of this long weekend calms down a bit." Hiroshi owned. "Exciting as all this alien stuff is, it's a bit much to take in all in one shot."

"You mean you're both not scared enough to go running back to Osaka already?" Tenchi looked rueful. "That's good to know. I did warn you that things weren't exactly average around here - do you still think you can handle that?"

"Sure. It's over now, like Washu-san said, and there was no harm done." Sakura dimpled. "My hair aside, at least it hasn't been a boring weekend. We're not running away that easily, Tenchi-kun. At least it's different, spending time with you and your family!"

"Different is one word for it." Tenchi said dryly. "But I'm glad you want to stick around. And Washu's probably right - if this Misa girl is after Misao, she won't stay here long now that Misao herself has left the Earth. Guess we'll just settle down and see how things are. After all, it might be that nothing does happen with Haki at all!"

-------------

"Lady Misao, you have no idea how relieved I am to see you safe."

Aboard the Unko, as the great ship lifted up through the Earth's outer atmosphere, Misao glanced up from her seat, casting her companion a shy smile as he settled himself down beside her. "We were so afraid, when Lord Oshima said that horrible black ship had abducted you...I trust you're unhurt from your experiences?"

"I'm fine, Lord Hirayama. Thank you for coming to get me." Misao assured him. "I was very scared, but Ryoko-san and her friends were good to me...their Earth is so pretty, and thanks to them I'm all right."

"Lord Tenchi and Lady Ryoko are kin to Princess Sasami." Kamidake observed from his post beside the door, where he had been polishing his weapon as he listened to the conversation. "They are trusted allies of the crown of Jurai, so you were fortunate to fall into their hands, Misao-sama."

"I think so, too." Misao nodded. "I hope I wasn't too much trouble for them."

"Do you remember what happened, back on Yousai?" Hirayama asked softly. "You must have been terrified, my poor child...I'm glad that he didn't harm you at all, but it must have been a frightening sight, to see him bear down on you like that."

"I...I don't remember it all so clearly." Misao admitted. "It's all a bit of a blur in my head, to be honest. Somehow I know that he came and took me, but I don't remember it actually happening. And I know I had a...a dream about a bird...at least, I thought it was a dream. Perhaps it wasn't. Then I was on the space station and Mr Jiro was asking Ryoko-san to take me somewhere safe. So she did. I remember more about flying with her on her Ryo Ohki than I do about being with the pirate Haki."

"That's probably for the best." Kamidake said gravely. "Haki is an unpleasant character, without a doubt. He's crossed our path before, when he took Lady Sasami's sister Ayeka-hime prisoner in order to try and hold Jurai's crown to ransom. Thankfully, he failed in his objective...but it seems he's once more free to roam space."

"Do you think he'll come back to Yousai again?" Misao asked hesitantly. "I mean, well, if he kidnapped me for a reason...will he try again?"

"Let's trust not." Hirayama said fervently. "Perhaps the strength of Lady Sasami's divine magic will be enough to put him off another attempt. I hope so, at least."

"Lady Sasami's...magic?" Misao looked startled, and Hirayama nodded.

"She called on the Goddess within her to protect us all." He agreed. "Thanks to her, nobody was killed."

"She really is Tsunami-kami-sama." Misao murmured. "In human form, just as they said she was. Maybe that's why she's so kind, Lord Hirayama. She's been very good to me, and now I find she's protected my people, too. I must thank her, when we return home."

"Lady Sasami is a unique individual." Kamidake reflected thoughtfully. "But I think it does her a disservice to put all of her kind nature at Tsunami-kami-sama's door. It's true that the Goddess is benevolent and good to the people who serve her...but Sasami-sama is more than an extension of Tsunami's will. When she protected Yousai, I'm sure that it was her impulse to call on Tsunami's magic, not the other way about."

"But I thought Sasami-sama and Tsunami-kami-sama were one and the same being, Kamidake-san?" Hirayama looked puzzled. Kamidake nodded his head.

"They are, but they are split into two spirits at present." He replied. "Most assume that Tsunami is the dominant force within their bond, but I know Sasami-hime better than most, and I believe it is the other way about. I think that Sasami holds all the strength - and from time to time, I've seen my belief borne out in her actions. As I said, she is a unique individual. And it is not simply Tsunami that makes her so."

"Fine words, Kamidake-san." At that moment the door of the chamber slid back to reveal the ship's captain, and Misao observed with some surprise the look of dismay, followed by annoyance that flickered briefly across the knight's features. Seiryo seemed to see the look as well, for he smiled ruefully, inclining his head slightly towards his companion as if in acknowledgement of some unspoken remark.

"I've set a course for Yousai." Was all he said, however. "Lady Misao, I trust you are comfortable?"

"Yes, thank you, Lord Tennan." Misao pinkened, nodding her head. "Your ship is very beautiful, you know."

"So I've been told." Seiryo's smile widened. "I confess I'm very fond of her."

"Do Yousai know that our Lady is safe and sound with us once again, Seiryo-sama?" Hirayama asked anxiously, and Seiryo nodded his head.

"I sent a signal, and finally it seems they were able to pick it up. I suppose they've fixed the radars that were damaged in Haki's raid." He agreed. "It also doesn't look like the pirate has made a second attack in our absence, which is all to the good. Although I can't help but think that he will make a return at some point - probably when we're not expecting it."

"You think he'll come back?" Terror surged through Misao's heart, and she stared at him in consternation. "Really?"

"Well, he hasn't fulfilled his objective, so I imagine so." Seiryo shrugged his shoulders.

"His...objective?" Hirayama's brows knitted together in confusion, and a look of comprehension flitted across Kamidake's features.

"Tounochi." He murmured. Seiryo nodded, and Misao bit her lip, her heart skipping a beat in her chest. She glanced across at the Yousai lord, seeing the same consternation in his expression, and for a moment there was silence. Then, at length, she found her voice, raising her eyes bravely to the Lord of Jurai's piercing malachite gaze.

"Why do you say Tounochi, Lord Tennan?" She murmured softly. "What is so important about the Tower?"

"I think that's something you need to tell us, rather than we tell you." Seiryo leant back against the wall of the chamber, folding his arms across his chest as his eyes flitted between them. "An evil spirit is sealed up inside - isn't that how the story goes?"

"Yes." Hirayama agreed. "You know as much, Lord Tennan. That's why we were so anxious that the seal wasn't broken. If La...if that spirit should be allowed to roam free, it would mean terror and destruction for Yousai. No doubt about that."

"An evil spirit." Seiryo pursed his lips. "Why would a space pirate who has been sealed in subspace for the last few years suddenly manage to get free...and then come to a planet known for it's peaceful outlook, in order to release such a spirit from its confinement? I was an agent with the police for long enough to have seen Haki's rap sheet, and Kamidake has encountered the man in open space before, when he took a random shot at Sasami-sama's spaceship. What would be in it for him, to break through Tounochi's seal? And why would he kidnap Lady Misao?"

Misao swallowed hard, glancing at her hands.

"It's not a spirit." She murmured softly, as inwardly she made up her mind. "In the tower...it isn't a spirit, Lord Tennan."

"Lady Misao!" Hirayama's eyes opened wide with alarm, but Misao shook her head.

"No, Lord Hirayama. They came all the way to rescue me, and Jurai are our allies." She said hesitantly, apprehension in her aqua gaze as she eyed her escorts one at a time. "Lord Azusa was responsible for securing the seal around Tounochi in the first place. The Imperial Family must know what really resides in Tounochi. I know you don't speak of it, because you don't want it to affect me. But...but if someone is trying to break through the Juraian seal, then we have to stop them. And I...I think that means we should tell them the truth about...about Tounochi's prisoner."

"The truth, Misao-sama?" Kamidake settled himself opposite her, casting her a gentle smile and something in the Knight's compassionate violet eyes induced Misao to return the smile, twisting her hands together in her lap as she composed herself, ready to tell her story.

"I was only three years old, so I don't remember any of it." She said slowly. "And I would never have known, if I hadn't overheard Oshima-sama and some of the others discussing it, when I was about nine or ten. I knew of course that my father had passed away sealing something evil in the Tower of Blood, and that it must never be opened, because the creature inside would hurt all of us. Especially...especially me. I've always been kept so close to the Council's domain, you see...Lord Azusa's protective charms keep me safe there, but outside of it, they were afraid harm might befall me."

"And this evil...is something we should know about?" Seiryo's eyes narrowed thoughtfully. "Go on. Lord Azusa didn't tell me anything before we left Jurai, about Tounochi or anything else. He just said that Yousai had struggled against dark magic in the past and that Tsunami's presence would help complete what he and his people began ten years ago, when last he visited the planet."

Hirayama sighed heavily, casting his young mistress a doubtful glance, then nodding his head.

"The Tower of Blood holds prisoner Lady Ramia." He said heavily. "Widow of my late Lord, Shigeki Amano, and...and the mother of Lady Misao."

"Your mother?" Kamidake's eyes widened with surprise, and Misao nodded her head.

"Yes." She agreed. "Although I don't think of her really as my mother. She's always been gone, you see...and even when father was alive, before she was sealed, she left my care mostly to servants and other people. She had other plans...I don't know what they were. But I know that...that a lot of innocent people died in mysterious and unpleasant ways. Father found out about it, and asked Jurai for help. Azusa-sama came and between them they managed to seal her up in the old tower of the castle - Tounochi, as it became known. People called it that because when my mother was first sealed inside, the whole place lit up with a blood red light, as if she was trying to fight through the barrier. It could be seen for miles around - and everyone on Yousai knew what it meant."

"Intriguing." Seiryo looked thoughtful. "So basically, what you're saying is that your mother was a witch who plotted against the Empire and even against her own family?"

"That's the core of it, yes." Hirayama sighed. "We tried to keep this from Misao-sama for many years, but as you heard, she discovered it when she was nine or ten. It's not an easy thing to accept, knowing your mother is one who tried to do so much evil...and so it's never spoken of. Lady Ramia's name is never mentioned - the people believe it brings bad luck, in any case. She is just known as the evil spirit, and that is all. The demon of Tounochi."

"And Haki sought to release her from her bondage." Kamidake glanced up, meeting Seiryo's gaze with a quizzical one of his own. Seiryo nodded his head slowly.

"Somehow, it seems Haki has become aligned with Lady Ramia in some kind of breakout attempt." He agreed. "It's too much of a coincidence otherwise."

"But that's not possible." Hirayama shook his head. "Ramia-sama can't leave the confines of Tounochi, after all. How would she travel into space to meet and conspire with this man?"

"That's not something I can answer, without knowing a lot more than we already do." Seiryo admitted. "Tell me, though...Lady Ramia. Was she of your world, in the beginning? Or did your late Lord take a foreign bride, when he chose to marry and secure his line?"

"She was from Airai." Hirayama said miserably. "A daughter of an influential family there - a family by the name of Saotome. We later discovered how intertwined this family's influence was with one of Airai's strongest dark cults...but by this point, it was too late. She is capable of bewitching people with her smile and her manner - they trust her, and don't see her true nature until it is too late. Lady Ramia was - and likely still is - a very beautiful woman. She captivated the heart of my Lord Amano, that's for sure. But..."

He faltered, his gaze resting on Misao, who frowned, sadness flickering in her aqua eyes as she nodded her head.

"To be the daughter of an Arian dark mage is a shameful thing indeed." She whispered. "Jurai have never been friends with Airai, and the mutual suspicion between the two worlds has festered for a long time. This Oshima-sama has told me many times. So I have learnt to conceal my heritage when visitors come to Yousai. I am Misao of the Shizukasari, and that is all."

"Many burdens for one so young." Kamidake reflected, and once more Misao saw the warm compassion in his eyes. "Lady Misao, you cannot - and should not - blame yourself for your mother's sins. Not all people of Airai follow the darkness, of that I am sure. And you are as much a Shizukasari as you are of Arian blood. You should not be shamed by who you are."

"Thank you, Kamidake-san." Misao offered him a faint smile. "But it truly is like I'm not Arian at all, really. I know nothing about Airai's culture or language, and I have never known my Lady Mother. I have been raised by Shizukasari so long as I can remember. In truth, I am one of them, more than I ever have been anything else."

"The Saotome family...that's what you said, Hirayama-sama?" Seiryo asked thoughtfully. Hirayama nodded his head.

"Yes. That's correct. Are they known to you?"

"No. Not at all." Seiryo shook his head. "I've had very little to do with Airai, all things considered. But I wondered whether perhaps members of her family sought to free her from her imprisonment. After all, if Ramia-sama is trapped within Tounochi, someone else must have freed Haki and compelled him to do their bidding."

"I think it is unlikely." Hirayama said tiredly. "Ramia-sama was the heiress of her line - the one in whom the Saotome dark arts were bestowed in entirety. She told us as much, when we sought to confine her in the first place...before my Lord sent to Jurai for help. And there was also a rift in their family - a line of the Saotome clan who tried to move away from their dark connections to live an ordinary, peaceful life without witchcraft and spells. But this line died out when Akito Saotome, Ramia-sama's uncle, was killed in mysterious circumstances. All in all, Ramia-sama was the only one strong enough to raise hell against Yousai and my Lord Amano. None of her kin would have the same power - if any of them still existed to try and avenge her name."

"And why leave it ten years before doing so?" Kamidake added. "That seems strange, if they were so angered by her imprisonment."

"Maybe not." Seiryo's gaze rested pensively on Misao, who paled, staring at him in alarm.

"Lord Tennan?"

"Misao-sama has just come of age, has she not?" Seiryo asked softly, offering the young girl a slight smile. "And as a political pawn, she suddenly gained in value what she lacked before."

"You think that she was kidnapped so that someone could control her?" Hirayama's eyes widened in horror. "That if something hadn't gone wrong, and Lady Ryoko hadn't brought her to the Earth, Lady Misao might have become someone else's puppet - or even Ramia-sama's herself, once Haki released her from the tower?"

"That would be my guess, yes." Seiryo agreed grimly. "Fortunately for all concerned, Tsunami's magic prevented Haki from breaking Ramia-sama out of Tounochi, so I imagine that was why the girl was abandoned. The plan fell apart...there was no longer any point in having Misao-sama as a prisoner, if the main antagonist wasn't able to break the Juraian lock on her cell door."

Involuntarily Misao shivered, gazing up at the lord in dismay.

"So you think that they will try again?" She whispered. "To take me prisoner and hold me so that my mother can take control of Yousai in my name?"

"It seems possible." Kamidake pursed his lips, gravity in his violet eyes. "In which case, I think that our first priority when we return to Yousai is to improve the defences around the Lady Misao and her rooms. Remember, there is still this strange girl that Ryoko-sama mentioned seeing, and we shouldn't count out the stories about the bird, either. They might be connected to it all, in the end. Seiryo-sama, I think we should remain on Yousai a little longer than we planned. The planet has few defences against Haki, but clearly he's weak against Tsunami's power. If Sasami-sama is strong enough to keep him back long enough for us to work out who is aiding and abetting the Lady's schemes, then we might have a chance of destroying the plot completely."

"I agree." Seiryo nodded. He cast Hirayama a glance, pursing his lips.

"You know, if you'd just slain the witch when she first started giving you trouble, you'd have saved a lot of this." He said bluntly. "Corpses are very rarely as much trouble as living prisoners...and it sounds to me like her crimes have already been many."

"Lord Tennan, you are speaking of Misao-sama's mother." Kamidake chided him softly, but Misao shook her head.

"Not really. I mean, it's all right." She assured him hurriedly. "I don't think of her as mother. Not really. After all...after all, it isn't as if she's ever loved or really wanted me, except as a tool."

"Lord Azusa was the one who advised us against the ultimate punishment, where Lady Ramia was concerned." Hirayama added gravely. "She is of Airai, and there are a lot of stories associated with dark mages of that planet. Some say that witches - both good and bad - are near impossible to kill. They can send themselves into a deep trance, and appear dead to all around them, but then revive themselves generations later, when the danger has passed. And it's also said that if you slay a dark mage, her curse falls over you forever. Her spirit will haunt you and plague your fortune for as long as you live...naturally, the people were frightened of the possibility of Ramia-sama's revenge."

"Superstitious nonsense." Seiryo muttered.

"Perhaps not, Seiryo-sama." Kamidake shook his head. "Juraian magic has kept spirits alive beyond death before, we both know that. Lord Kagato was one such example, who drew on Tsunami's core and the spirit of his tree, Souja, to retain life after his body was destroyed and interred. And Washu-sama has spoken before of her sister's long dormancy, within Kihaku - that she slept for many centuries before she was awoken by some unknown force. Why should it not be possible for those strong in Arian magic to do the same thing? Clearly Ramia-sama is not an amateur at her art. I think that Azusa-heika was wise to be cautious. Powerful magic is difficult to destroy, after all. It can linger on in the souls of those whose life force has stilled. Think of Azaka and I, preserved for generations merely by Tsunami's own will. Magic is beyond life and death."

Seiryo frowned, chewing on his lip as he considered the truth in his companion's statement. At length he sighed, nodding his head in acknowledgement.

"Perhaps you're right." He admitted reluctantly. "How I do dislike these struggles with forces I don't understand."

"So what do you suggest we do now, noble Knight? We can try and protect Lady Misao, but if the pirate should return?" Hirayama eyed Kamidake anxiously, and Kamidake looked solemn, brushing his hand absently against his weapon as he got to his feet.

"We will have faith in Tsunami and Lady Sasami, to keep Yousai safe." He said softly. "And in the meantime, we will discover whatever we can about Lady Ramia and any assistance she might have gained from outside worlds."