Note: This was a story in five parts. Now, Who knows how long it will get. I am writing this for the enjoyment of others, but I know that some of you may not find this story up to par. If you find this is so, please don't ruin it for other people by ripping it on the Bulletin Board. If you hate it, E-Mail me & tell me why so I can work on it. O.K.? Cool. Also, I wrote this as if it would be made into an anime show. Therefore, there may be some semi-adult storylines in it. Not to worry, though. I've tried my best to keep it all ages. But remember, you have been warned...

THE COURTSHIP & MARRIAGE OF RIKA
BY STEVEN GARRETTSFEOTAKU@GEOCITIES.COM
Part 3: Origins O.K. When the story ended last time, Ryin had convinced Rika, Chaz, Kyra, and daughter to help her kill Zio. Demi's staying behind so as to guard the fort, and Ryin's sand worm has left for now. The last part was kinda short so as to leave this whole part dedicated to Ryin's story. Note: This is also where we start the lillte "side" story between Kyra and Ryin, so pay attention! You will be tested later on the Big Board, Natch!

Act One [The scene opens in the hovercraft. Chaz is manning the controls, Rika is sitting next to him deep in thought, Daughter is opening the box containing the BT-97 and polishing each piece. As the scene shifts to the back of the hovercraft, we see Ryin and Kyra sitting on a couch against the back wall. As we zoom in, we can hear their conversation...]

Kyra: [As if a little scared to ask] So, how did you train that sand worm? You DID promise to spill the beans about it once we were on our way.

Ryin: [reminicing] Oh, that's something one of my **friends** taught me.

Kyra: Friends?

Ryin: Yeah, but that was a long time ago, way before I heard about mom's death.

Kyra: How did that whole mother thing with Alys and Rune happen, anyway?

Ryin: Well, this is the way I was told by my friend...[The scene fades into memories, and as the scenes become clearer, Ryin's voice fades away to a whisper. The new scene is the outskirts of Adieo. We see a young Alys, obviosly with child, gardening in the sun in front of a friendly cottage. As she weeds the plants, a very different Rune sneaks up behind her and grabs her. They laugh and tumble about before falling on the ground in a fit of giggles. Rune is a happy and joyful person at this stage, not at all like his modern self. As they lie in the grass, The camera zeroes in on Alys as she gazes up at the Sun. Suddenly, she turns to Rune and Begins in a worried tone.]

Alys: Rune, don't leave to become an Esper.

Rune: [sitting up] But why?

Alys: It's just too soon. We only got married three months ago, and what with the condition I'm in, I don't think that I could handle your being gone.

Rune: [In a reasurring tone] Don't worry. I'll only be gone for a year. And besides, Dorin will be coming by to help out with things.

Alys: But I just have a bad felling that if you go, I may never see you again.

Rune: [standing up] Now look. You and I have discussed this over and over again. I WILL leave to become an Esper, and I WILL be back as soon as I can. [cuddling her] Don't worry, nothing will happen.

Alys: [rearing back in a pouncing pose] Well, I better give you a reason to come back... [And with that jumps at Rune with such a force as to knock him to the ground. As they start doing what couples who are married will do, the camera swings up to the sun. Then, the sunlight engulfs the whole screen.]
End of Act 1

Act Two [When it swims out again it turns out that the whitish circle is a reflection on the eye of Alys as she watches Rune's shuttle fly away. As she begins to cry, a much younger Dorin comes over and hugs her gently around the shoulder.]

Dorin: There, there. The time will pass quickly, and he'll be back soon enough. You'll see.

Alys: [in an exausted tone] I know, but it still hurts to see him go. It's just that..ungh. [clutches her stomach as she falls to the ground]

Dorin: [catching her as she falls] ALYS!!! What's wrong?

Alys: [in a hurtinng tone] I...think...it's...timeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooouuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccchhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh! [As she screams in pain, the scene switches from the outside to Alys laying bed, covered with sweat. Her legs are up and she is covered with a sheet from the waist down, and Dorin is there delivering. After she finishes screaming, sce colapses on the pillow, and we hear two sets of crying.]

Dorin: [in a joyous tone] CONGRADULATIONS!!! It's twins! A boy and a girl. What will name them?

Alys: [holding them in her arms] I'll follow my family's traditions on the naming. The boy will get the family name of Ashley, and his first name will be Chaz. [turning to the girl] And you, my little fighter. Will be honored by carring my ancestor's name of Brangwin. And as tradition dictates, her name will be a blending of both her parents names, so I think it best to call her Ryin, what do you think?

Dorin: fine names, my dear friend. Fine names indeed. I think Rune will aprove. [At the menyion of Rune's name, Alys starts to tear up again] Oh, Alys. I'm so sorry to make you cry again.

Alys: [sniffing] It's all right. Just let me be for a moment, and I'll be fine.

Dorin: [leaving the room] All right, but if anything happens, I'll be right in like a slippery sand worm. [chuckles as he leaves]

Ryin: [speaking as a narrorator] And so, Chaz and I entered the world. At first, everything was all right. [As she speaks, we do three scenes. The first is of Dorin and Alys giving the twins a bath. Just as they finish, Alys slips and falls in the river. Dorin starts to laugh, but then Alys pulls him in and Dorin comes up looking like a drowned rat. They look at each other, and everyone just starts rolling.] Dorin helped out with our upbringing during the first year or so. He was a good person whose good humor reflected upon us all. [the scene shifts to night. Dorin is sitting inside the house, holding a twin in each arm and rocking them to sleep. Chaz is playing gently with one of his beaded strands of hair, and they both are gently cooing. Alys is standing outside, leaning against the doorframe and watching over her shoulder. She then turns around and looks longingly at the sky, her want for compaionship very clear.] But each night, Alys would search the skies and wonder, "Where is my husband, and when will he return?" When he didn't return after the first year or even the seond, she suprisingly grew to forget about him, but still replayed the ritual every night, even though it seemed pointless to her now. [In this next scene, we open in a bedroom, and just as Ryin's narritive ends, the talking begins. Dorin puts the twins to bed, and tren goes outside where he sees Alys outside, looking at the sky. This outrages him so much that he runs over to her and whips her around, thus beginning the dialouge.] Then, after Rune had been gone for about four years, the inevitable happened.

Dorin: [very angrily] DAMNIT, ALYS! When are you going to stop lamenting over that man! He's gone and run out on you and your children, yet you keep pining for him like he's going to return someday. Well, I've got news for you, HE"S GONE!!! GET OVER IT ALLREADY!!!

Alys: [outraged] HOW DARE YOU...

Dorin: [interupting] Because you need it, damnit! You don't know how mad it makes me to see you like this. Chasing a shadow that will never return to you, and living in the past like some old wench in an abondoned town hoping for her live to return. [clutching her on both of her arms and holding her tight.] Alys, can't you see how much I care for you and the children? Why else would I have stayed for the past four years, FOUR YEARS, to help you out?

Alys: [blushing a little] I...I always thought that...that mabye it was true, but I didn't want to seem too forward in my advances.

Dorin: [more gently than before] Alys, you could never be too forward with me. [sigh] I know we come from different species, but I would be proud to call you my life companion, if you would have me...

Alys: [wrapping her arms around his neck and twiddling with the fur on his head] Oh Dorin, I only hope that you don't mind getting damaged goods...[they both kiss in the moonlight as the scene fades out.]
end of Act two

Act Three [As the scene fades in from black, we see Alys and Dorin sitting in the yard on a checkered blanket underneath a tree in full of ripened apples. Ryin and Chaz are crawling around; batting around a red apple that fell from the tree. The whole scene has a cheerful scene to it, as if nothing could go wrong.]

Alys: [to Dorin] So, have you decided when we'll leave for Tonoe?

Dorin: Well, I was thinking of taking Ryin there tomorrow so as to begin her training, and having you and Chaz come around in another week or so. What do you think?

Alys: [cuddling up to Dorin] As long as your there, our future will be as bright as this sunny day. [Suddenly, the sky begins to darken as clouds fill the sky. As thr rain begins to gently fall, Dorin and Alys snatch up the twins and hurry them inside.] Damn this weather! You'd think the planet was going Haywire or something!

[They all run into the house, laughing and cursing the rain at the same time. The scene slowly shifts from the happy family cuttled up around the fire to outside the window. We see a sinister looking man looking thro it. Just as Alys and Dorin kiss, the lightning flashes and we see that the man is Zio, and his face is filled with pure rage. Screen fades out into a rainy blur.]

[As the scene fades in again, the watery blur is the reflection of Alys on the river rocking Chaz gently to sleep. All of a sudden, the reflection is overclouded by a dark shadow.]

Zio: [In a Voice full of hate and disgust] Hello, harlot.

Alys: [confused and mad] A Wha...Who are you?

Zio: Don't you recognize your husband, or has that BEAST clouded your vision as well as your mind.

Alys: [angrlily] Now look here, you. I don't know who YOU are, but you are NOT Rune!

Zio: Ah, but I am, my little tramp. At least, his better half. You see, when Rune became one with the "great leader"; all his interesting qualities were hoisted out of his body, thus creating me.

Alys: [a little scared] So your saying...

Zio: [angrily] What I'm saying, whore, is that I've come home to take what's mine. Mainly my revenge on you and my "better" half's children. [smacking Alys hard to the ground] But, to be fair, I'll give you a running start. Oh, and by the way, your little Ryin is also dead. It seems thet she and Dorin met up with an "accident" on the road. [laughs minalically as Alys sprints away thro the trees, crying for her lost daughter and lover, and praying for her and her son's life. Fade to black.]

[Fade in to Ryin on the Hovercraft.]

Ryin: [She has tears in her eyes, and Kyra is hugging her around the shoulders. Everyone else is gathered around her, paying attention to the story. Ryin wipes her eyes and continues] Lukily, Zio's plan failed. Dorin and I had survived, but to keep alive had to lay low in Tonoe, where I aquired my training in becoming a hunter and in riding sand worms. Alys hid Chaz with relatives, and went on to her career as a hunter to drown the pain of losing me and Dorin. Eventually, she found out the truth, but had to keep playing like we were dead so as to protect the Brangwin line. That's also why she "aprenticed" Chaz, and acted like she didn't know him. Her dying wish was that I reclaim her place as top hunter, and defeat Zio with my brother, Chaz.

Chaz: Well, that's all well and good, but why didn't he die the first time we killed him?

Ryin: [extreme face shot] Because, in order to kill Zio, you have to kill Rune at the same time.[End of Part Three]

Note: Stay tuned for the next installment; "Reunions". It will bring this story into the other Fan Fiction stories, and will also lay the groundwork for "Worlds of Destiny", which will be the ongoing Ryin/Kyra storyline. Peace---U. S. Otaku