If it ain't mine….IT AIN'T MINE. Yes, this is the LAST CHAPTER! Also, anyone who considers themselves a Sina fan you will cry buckets. And Hikki deffinatly is not mine….OR Showstopper.

The ships were en route to Oava’ia’i. Normally Kushi was excited, but not this time. Her mother Sina was dead. It was now beginning to really sink in. She knew her close friends Dwayne and Sara had both lost parents (Dwayne his mother, Sara her father), as had her not so close friend Kat (her mother). But now it had hit home. No more would that woman she looked up to, the one with orange wings, reassure her. No more would there be those words of encouragement from her soft voice. Many happy moments were flashing through her mind. Never again. She sighed. She had chosen to ride the Red Zeppelin instead of the ship that her siblings and father were on, simply because she needed the encouragement and comfort of her friends, especially Teuila and Tammy.

Aboard the other spaceship, Kumere, husband of the late Sina, was pacing up and down. He hadn’t said anything since they took off. If anyone tried to say anything to him he’d just growl. In the main lounge of the ship, just behind the bridge, an open coffin lay on a pedestal, with Sina lying their, mostly covered in cloth to cover up her wounds and her lack of wings. Because of lack of a suitable container they bought a coffin from a Jamaican undertaker at the last minute. Flowers were laid around the coffin and on top of Sina, as was the tradition, and special scents and herbs and spices were thrown into the coffin before they lowered in Sina, both to slow down the decay process and to get rid of unpleasant smells.

It took two days to reach Oava’ia’i, and those were a rather terrible two days. Woo’oof tried to liven things up with cards and video game matches, but that did nothing to help. Onboard the royal Ai’a’ive ship all of Kushi’s family were hugging and crying to each other, and staying away from the purple-winged white furred Kumere, who was rapidly sinking into depression. He would sometimes speek, but mostly it would be criticisms, or sometimes to condemn Vai, and he’d speak about him as though he completely knew Vai and the entire Golden Glocks organization. He’d also sometime mumble to himself.

Kushi spent a lot of time sharing the moments of her life with her mother to her friends. Everyone tried their best to cheer her up, but it was impossible. The first night she couldn’t get to sleep at all. She was having nightmares about it all. In one of them she saw Vai grinning and shouting "You’re Next!" Another dream had Rachel Hope Williams (The Underground) grinning at her, and then putting every wrestling move she knows on her. Kushi was left lying in the middle of a ring, amid cheers and jeers, while the Undergrounder talked trash and started stomping on her. "Sorry, Kootchie I-A-Have-Ay, did I hurt you? Go run to your mommy! Oops, I forgot, she’s DEAD! So you no longer have anyone to run to, you stuck up princess!" Still another dream had Kushi being stuck on top of a very narrow mountain-top.

She woke up, and then ran through the hallways, not sure where she was going. First she stumbled into the room that the Pororos were sleeping in.

"Uh, Kushi is acting funny!" commented Woo’oof.

"What is it?" asked a sleepy Mia’aou. She slowly got up and noticed Kushi stumbling in the near-darkness.

"Kushi, are you ok?" asked Loookie, who also noticed this. Kushi just stared blankly, turned around, and left the room. She then walked down another hallway, into another one of the Zeppelin’s rooms. There she saw Ian and Tammy sleeping in each others arms. She ambled into it in a zombie-like stupor.

"Gone, she’s gone, she is gone!" muttered Kushi in a robotic manner.

"Kushi, what’s wrong?" asked Tammy.

"Gone, she’s gone, she is gone!" uttered Kushi.

"What the bloody hell’s going on?" asked Ian. Kushi just repeated what she said. Ian and Tammy whispered to each other, while Kushi stood still, and repeated the words. Ian jumped out of bed, wearing only sweat-pants, and ran towards Kushi. He then picked her up and hugged and kissed her. Kushi suddenly snapped back into reality.

"Where am I?" asked Kushi, "What the…oops, sorry if I barged in on you!"

"I think the stress of your lost mother is getting to you!" commented Tammy.

"Well, heheh, I’m sorry if I happened by chance to catch you, o, o, o Muguri equivalent of "uh, er, um", what am I saying?"

"Sleeping?" asked Ian, "Because that’s all that we were doing, but thanks for being concerned. You were walking in here like a zombie and talking about "gone, all gone!"

"So is it just a dream? " asked Kushi sleepily, "My Kiri-Tina is still alive?"

"Sorry, but that’s true!" replied Tammy, "Please, come here!" Kushi was beginning to cry. She walked towards the bed that the two were lying in. Tammy gave her a big hug. Kushi’s eyes were watering profusely. "Here, I’ll move closer to Ian, and you lie next to me!" Kushi closed the door, turned out the lights, and ran to lie next to Tammy. Ian loved his girlfriend moving closer to him, but didn’t quite like having a third person in the bed. But then again, if Tammy was truly the one…eventually they’d have children, and most likely there’d be occasions where they’d come in wanting to lie with their mother, he remembered he once did it. Kushi quickly fell asleep, but was still crying, and making a noise that sounded like a cross between crying and snoring. He also noticed an unusual light coming from near him.

"Love, did you turn on the night-light?" asked Ian.

"No I didn’t, sweety!" replied Tammy. Then they noticed what it was from. In her confused sleeping state, Kushi’s ike’u was glowing with a faint yellow glow. Tammy grabbed a t-shirt from a chair by the bed and draped it like a curtain over the head of the bed and the ike’u of Kushi.

"Thanks, I didn’t really want a light, all I need is you to brighten my life!"

The next morning things seemed better, although not by that much. Ian, Tammy, Kushi and Teuila went for a walk around the Zeppelin. They tried to cheer her up by talking about everything other than her mother. Kushi learned that Ian, while being the definite King of Fighters in roughly twelve leagues and "ALMOST" in a couple where there is one better than him, he wasn’t always that good, and until Tammy, he never had a good relationship. There were a couple of relationships that were derailed, and then there were all those girls who either wanted his money or they just wanted a "hunk" to "show off" (these girls would always have "porridge for brains" as Ian put it). She also learned about how Tammy got her first boyfriend, Dwayne Wayne, by stripping for him. Ian, Kushi and Teuila had a good laugh at that.

"It wouldn’t work for me, see?" asked Kushi, as she took off her floral necklaces and her Star Amulet, "Now I’m completely naked. Nope, it wasn’t that interesting!" She put her neckwear back on. They had a good laugh at that.

Kushi talked about her life on Oava’ia’i and that in Myronville. The idea that some place could be as terrible as Myronville was scary. She then talked with pride about "Grandma", and even about Kerenge. Teuila then spoke, talking about where she was from, and the seemingly carefree life she led that was shattered when the Steel-Men arrived. Kushi asked if Teuila ever had a boyfriend.

"Not really!" answered Teuila, "There was a moogle I fancied in Poru, but he was just so thick. NO THANK YOU!"

Everyone did their best to cheer up Kushi, but they only marginally succeeded. On the other ship things were much worse, as Kumere had progressed, or possibly regressed, into a state of denial. He’d insist that Sina was not dead, and then even approach the coffin and try to shake her to wake her up. A number of guards and family tried to talk him out of it, but he’d just yell at them. He then accused his children of deserting their mother.

"She’s dead, Father, please just accept it, we’re sad enough as it is!" yelled Kusiapo.

"SHUT UP!" yelled Kumere, "Don’t you DARE back-mouth me! Now, you’ll all kiss your mother!"

"But…" began Kulia.

"DO AS YOU’RE TOLD!" yelled Kumere, and he picked up the siblings one by one and made them kiss the corpse. He then ordered the "ungrateful brats" to leave the room. Kumere would soon shift to the "nobody cares, leave me alone" stage where he realized that Sina was gone, and he didn’t want to talk to anybody for any reason.

That night aboard the Red Zeppelin, Kushi was once again not in her own bed, this time it was with Teuila. Teuila was just changing into a rose-colored nightgown when Kushi began crying again. They hugged.

"My mother wore a dress that color on the day I first went to school, I’ll never forget it!"

"It’s ok!" replied Teuila. The two hugged some more. "You’re my big sister, even if you’re not, I don’t want you being sad!" Their arms were around each other in an embrace while they slept.

The next morning they reached the spaceport just outside Poru. Both ships were parked there. The news had already arrived, so flags with symbols of sadness and Ai’a’ive in more somber clothes than regular were seen everywhere.

Several days were spent preparing for the funeral. A proper Ai’a’ive Matriarchal coffin was procured, but it had to be modified, since she would be lying face up, while the funeral usually called for the deceased to be laying on the stomach but with the head tilted up facing forward, and the wings spread in glory. However, Sina didn’t have any wings anymore.

In addition to many symbols and clothes of mourning, wanted posters were sprung up everywhere. They all had a likeness of Vai Vikehama on them. There hadn’t been such hatred towards anyone in this area for a long time. But the idea that someone would kill someone so sweet in cold blood and say "it’s just business!" was sickening to everyone. Sina was far bigger in Oava’ia’i than Princess Diana was in the UK or President Kennedy was in the USA. Despite being from a rather well off family, she was loved by everyone, even the Ra’udi ("tribal" gangs and highwaymen) of remote areas. She cared for everyone, she was an inspiration for everyone. She was called "mother" not because of tradition, but because that is what they saw her as. And the fact that she not only believed in equality and bridging all barriers, but married a Moogle, had helped make her far more popular. And nobody objected when she decided to take on the Emperor of Moravia, for use of dangersou weapons, and to defend the Ai’a’ive homeworld. However, it was not Emperor Moravia, or even a Nuanua warrior, but a gang-leader that killed her. And hearing all the tails of just how evil the Golden Glocks were made them that more shocked. Basically, the Glocks had cooperated with an evil emperoro who was using his resources to kill an innocent woman and her child just because of ancient backwards laws, and then they wanted to kill millions of innocent people with missiles. Vai was now public enemy number one on Oava’ia’i. And even hearing that he had cooperated with Tapuitea made him more hated still. In many households, young muguri and Ai’a’ive children who misbehaved were warned that the "Golden Gunman" would come to get them if they didn’t shape up. "Vai" became such a detested word that the Muguri word "Sikipi" became used for water instead of the Ai’a’ive/Samoan word "vai." Local music groups had all composed two types of songs, both tributes to Sina, and songs that were basically blowing steam at Vai. Such as the lyrics from one song "You enjoy watching people die? Then you’ll soon see yourself die, if you dare set your ugly ass on Oava’ia’i!"

The same temple and auditorium that a couple of weeks before was used for celebrating both the Chosen Ai’a’ive and the marriage of said Chosen Ai’a’ive (Sara) to Sekola, were now used for prayers and last rites for Sina.

The sixth day after arriving there, the communications equipment onboard the Red Zeppelin was used to contact the planet Roma, specifically to talk to Sekola, Sara, Katherine, and Dwayne. A visual and audio link was quickly established. Sara was especially shocked. Sekola did his best to comfort her. Katherine was slightly shocked, and Dwayne was immensely upset. He had feelings of rage for Vai. No longer was he just the head of the Golden Glocks, to Dwayne, Vai was the man who murdered the mother of one of his friends. Now it was personal. At the same time he was sharing sadness with Kushi. Dwayne had lost his own parents. Kat lost her mother, and Sara lost her father. Sekola was the only one at his end who still had both parents alive. For a short period Megumi came on and spoke to Dwayne. Dwayne was enjoying life as the manager and "herald" of a wrestling group, Sara and Katherine were enjoying life as wrestlers, and Sekola loved being an announcer. Kushi was shocked when she heard about the Undergrounder, AKA Rachel Hope Williams. The jerk had beat up Sara for no good reason. Kerenge, who was in the room with the communications equipment, said "This is what I think of her!" and gave a double "New York Middle Finger Salute." Kushi and Kerenge only both wished that Rachel was the worst worry. But it wasn’t.

Later that day the ceremonies were to begin. Firstly, the casket was loaded into a special vehicle, a glass "coffin-room" with large windows that was loaded onto the back of a semi truck. Kiro drove this truck, but, as per Sina’s request, Kuro was in the front as well. She wanted that they reconcile.

"I’m sorry I’ve been such an ass!" commented Kiro.

"No, I’ve been far more ornery than you!" retorted Kuro. After that they were in silence. Reconciliation was so difficult. The truck, escorted by a convoy of other trucks and a few soldiers on motorcycle, ran down the 666 from Poru, and then onto the 66. Kushi and her siblings and father, as well as the friends, including the Star Posse, were all riding in a bus just behind the funeral truck. The seating was set up "rapid transit style", with seats facing in different directions, rather than "Schoolbus style", which would be all seats facing forward. Getting appropriate attire for the event on such short notice was hard but possible. The women in the group, apart from the Pororos and Kushi, were wearing sombre colored dresses, and necklaces of purple Faualei flowers, the traditional symbol of mourning on this planet. The guys all wore the best shirts they had on hand, as well as dark green, yellow, and brown ie lavalavas., with the exception of the Fiddler, who’s clothing, he assumed, was right enough for the occasion.

"This is just so not me!" commented Creaig, "I prefer a T-shirt and jeans!"

"It looks nice on you!" replied Hikki.

"I’m sorry that this happened, Kushi!" said Tammy.

"Thank you for trying to cheer me up!" replied Kushi, as she hugged her friend. Through the entire trip Kumere sat in a corner not saying anything. This made everyone nervous. Kushi and her assorted brothers and sisters told everyone their happiest moments with Sina. Tammy did likewise, remembered conversations she had with her. She was so intelligent, so thoughtful, so well-spoken, so well-behaved, so gentle, so kind…she was sadly missed.

"Kushi," began Ian, unexpectedly, "I doubt this will cheer you up at all, but I wanted to thank you!"

"Thank me?" asked Kushi.

"Yes, thank you, for helping me and Tammy be with each other. You and Tammy were very good at getting Noriko away from me. No offense, Megumi, but your mom just isn’t my type!"

"No offense taken!" replied Megumi. "She’s like that!"

"Anyways, you confessed that both you and Tammy were making sure I chose one of you. Well, I WANTED to, Tammy that is. I’m sure you’ll find someone, Kushi!" He then hugged the Muguri. The convoy drove through many towns and villages and gave people their chances to pay their final respects. The road trip, which lasted for hours, ended south, in the newly formed O’iveland Republic. The president, Chaim Goldmuguri, a brown-furred moogle with orange wings, gave a moving eulogy, in which he also praised the Star Guardians for helping end the rule of the Steel-Men. However, all the guests were escorted by guards in shiny uniforms at all times. The Star Posse learned of the recent problems with several factions emerging, and the death of Sina seems to have somehow aggrivated them. Everyone was worried that a civil war was imminent. The Star Posse all spent the night in Anatevka, in the mansion owned by Tevye Kumorovitch, who was now mayor, once just a simple milkman. This house was big, it had a least a dozen bedrooms, and it had a pair of express staircases, one of them just going up, and one even longer coming down (it had more landings), and then a third staircase, this one in the library, that had a sign "Staircase Out of Order."

"This one goes no where, it’s just for show!" explained Tevye.

The Star Posse, especially the Guardians, enjoyed being with the Kumorovitches again. It just happened that Tzeitel and Motel were also staying. And now Hodel was engaged. But Golde and Tevye were worried.

"He’s one of the White Hats…But it’s better than the Black Hats!" reassured Golde, when speaking of her fiancé.

The next day the Star Posse left town, this time by train. It also marked the official connection of what was the Steel-Men rail network to the Ai’a’ive rail network. The funeral train was led by a steam locomotive, a "Royal Hudson" 4-6-4 that was now known as a "Masiofo" (Samoan word for "Queen", in honor of Sina), number 2864. While it was in a similar black with red accents (where it was maroon it was now red) paintjob it had been back when it was on the planet Earth under the Canadian Pacific Railway, it had all evidence of this removed, and all mentions of the CPR were replaced with "Ai’a’ive Railways", and the name and dates of birth and death of Sina Ai’a’ive were painted on the sides of the locomotive. Attached to that was the tender, from which the coal was taken. Behind that was a former Amtrak F-40 locomotive that was running as a generator car to provide power for the train. It had been painted both with a red accent to match the front locomotive, and with the Ai’a’ive seal (crossed nifo oti Samoan knife and to’oto’o chief’s staff with a bird and a sunset behind it) Behind that were numerous train cars, some of them bi-level "El Capitains", some of them dome cars, and "transition" cars connecting them. At the back of the train was a dome-car with a rounded end. It was in this area that Sina’s coffin was laid. The windows were widened to give all a better view of the coffin. Her family and friends were in this car most of the time. Kushi heard that it was in a similar car that Sara first proposed to Sekola. She only wished that happier events were happening now.

Once again she bursted into tears. While all of the Ai’a’ive siblings were crying, Kushi was crying the most by far. Her ike’u was beginning to glow faintly. Her siblings and Tammy tried to comfort her.

Kumere suddenly got up, and began walking towards Ian, with a sudden grin on his face. "Thank you very much, Ian!" he began, "Thank you for NOTHING!" he then bitch-slapped Ian in the face, "You let down Kushi, you should have gone with her, rather than choosing that WHORE! My daughter don’t put out enough? My daughter isn’t cheap enough for your tastes, asshole?" He then punched Ian. Ian was trying to control his urges to retaliate. "It’s YOUR fault that she’s crying!" He then turned towards Tammy, "And you, you stuck-up BITCH, I hate you. I wish you’d just drop dead!"

"Dad, she’s my friend!" yelled Kushi.

"No she isn’t missy, she’s a common HO!" retorted Kumere.

"I am not a ho!" yelled Tammy.

"SHUT UP!" yelled Kumere, "I’m ranting here. You are a ho, because you stole him from my daughter!"

"Pardon me, Mr. Ai’a’ive, I never was Kushi’s boyfriend, and she can appreciate that, even if you cannot!"

"That’s it, you’re dog-food, asshole!" yelled Kumere. He then ran at Ian, and began fighting him. Kumere’s diminutive size gave him a slight advantage, as Ian had to concentrate on kicking, with his best punch attacks being nearly useless. Ian was at a further disadvantage because with the way he was dressed, his ie lavalava was in the way of his legs when trying to kick. Kumere blocked a kick and then punched Ian in a way to make him scream like Michael Jackson.

"That’s my boyfriend, mister!" yelled Tammy, as she charged at Kumere like an NFL linebacker. She then pulled an inverted piledriver on him, sending him smashing onto a seat.

"You bastards, I’ll skin you all!" yelled Kumere. Kushi and her siblings restrained their father. "HOW DARE YOU, I’m the father, I’m in charge here, let go, you ungrateful assholes!"

"How do you think Mom would feel if she saw you acting like this?" asked Kulia.

"Well, she’s dead, so that doesn’t matter now, does it!" commented Kumere with a sick grin.

"SNAP OUT OF IT!" yelled Kerenge, "We’re all upset by this, but you’re only making things worse by freaking out!"

"And who asked you?" demanded Kumere, as he got up and marched towards him, "You inbred, half-assed LOUT, you broke Kushi’s heart, and I suggest you shut up. Better yet, you better marry her, since you fucked her good, you GIT!"

"Father, stop it!" yelled one of Kushi’s brothers.

"Shut up and do as you’re told!" yelled the enraged Kumere. He then charged Kerenge and pushed him to the ground, and began pummeling him. Kerenge just rolled out of the way. "That’s right, run, RUN!"

"Forrest, Run!" finished Woo’oof, thinking he was quoting a movie.

"And just who do you think YOU are?" fumed Kumere.

"I is Woo’oof, People says I is Woo’oof, But others says I is a Pororo, an’ Mr. Fish says I is a half-wit!" he sheepishly replied.

"Well he’s wrong!" yelled Kumere, "you’re a complete idiot! And I am the man, I am Kumere, I am the man of this family, I speak for everyone, and I say that Ian and Tammy should DIE, and that Kerenge will marry Kushi!"

"I’ve had enough of this!" yelled Lara.

"Oh, the slut awakens!" yelled Kumere, "How did you enjoy seeing Kushi’s heart smashed to pieces?"

"We have gotten over that!" replied Kushi.

"Just leave us alone!" added Teuila.

"I don’t think so!" yelled Kumere, as he suddenly reached out and tried strangling Teuila, "I lost my wife, so someone has to DIE!" he was suddenly laughing. Teuila managed to break free. A pair of Kushi’s siblings, a brother and a sister, ran off to get help. "Oh, I forgot, we may soon reach a destination, and everyone will think I’m unstable. Well I am. UNSTABLE GUY!" He then noticed a red handle that he pulled, and the brakes of the train all engaged simultaneously and suddenly, throwing everyone around. "We’re going NOWHERE!"

"STOP THIS RIGHT NOW!" yelled Kushi, as she ran towards Kumere.

"No way, in fact, I may as well fuck you up right now, it’s all your goody-goody fault that my wife is dead! If you’d just stayed home like all your brothers and sisters instead of going off to ‘help people’ then you wouldn’t have found Lara, and there wouldn’t be this Empire scuffle that killed her!" yelled Kumere. A fight ensued, and in the end everyone around had to pull the combatants apart. "This is YOUR FAULT, KUSHI! And you fault, Kerenge. Same for you, Ian, and Tammy, and Lara and Teuila! You make me sick!" ranted the unstable Muguri.

"Calm down!" yelled Megumi, "Some of us are still upset over previous deaths. We’ve all been going through so much. The last thing we need is that more tragedy be made over tragedy!"

"Why do you care, BITCH?" yelled Kumere, as he charged at her, but ended up being flipped by a judo throw.

"We’re all upset here, you know!" said Creaig, "like you’re the only one hurt by her death!"

"We should be helping each other instead of bickering!" commented Mitsu.

"Sina herself said that we shouldn’t be stuck in the past!" said Kushi’s orange-furred brother, Kolo. "Remember that which is the best, and learn from that which is worst, but don’t let either control you!"

"BLASPHEMY!" yelled Kumere, "How dare you mock your mother like that!"

"We’re getting tired of your attitude problem!" shouted Robert, "We suggest you apologize!"

"We want to help you, that’s what we should do, but you’re making it bloody difficult!" echoed Ian.

"FUCK YOU ALL!" yelled Kumere, as he charged at everyone, but he was immediately stopped and restrained. Just then the two siblings returned with Kuro, who was engineer of the train, and a couple of Ai’a’ive rail-police. One of them was male, had black hair, blue wings, and wore a blue and purple lavalava as well as a bobby helmet that had the Ai’a’ive Railway Police emblem. The other was female, with green wings, and she wore a similarly colored lavalava and puletasi, and an officer’s cap on her head. Everything was arranged for Kumere to be temporarily restrained, just for the rest of the ride. At the same time they’d determine whether or not he had gone insane. They were in silence until they reached the town of Pana, where the Star Posse and Kushi’s family left the car with Sina in it. They explored the rest of the train, talked to various people aboard, and tried to cheer themselves up however they could. Of course, the train’s sluggish pace didn’t always help. This was one of the few occasions that Kuro wasn’t highballing. AT every village and town and level-crossing the horns would be sounded, and songs of sadness would fill the air.

The final destination would not be reached until the next day, so the train overnighted, fittingly enough, at Pirini, which was relatively close to where the last ingredients for Sina’s cure were found. The next day they had to run all the way to the out of the way village of Moaga because that was where the nearest turning loop was, and this train didn’t have a cab at either end (in fact, steam-pulled trains generally didn’t).

The grand finale was at Poru, where the train was led onto a more obscure track that was street-running on an elevated road, and here, the train was moving at a parade speed, with a procession in front of and behind the train. The procession was led by female Ai’a’ive drum-major extrordinaire Tolu, who had relatively light skin, lighter hair than most Ai’a’ives, and a rather good talent for drumming.

After this was over, a final ceremony was held at the building that was Sina’s official Poru residence. Hikki sang a rather sad song with local teenage sensation Rasela Ai’a’ive. She wore a purple dress, and had long black hair, almond-colored skin, bright blue eyes, and yellow wings. The song had alternating verses in Japanese and Samoan, and they were completely different, yet all about saying goodbye to Sina. Everyone cheered the duo at the end. Final speeches were made by various beloved of the deceased, including Kumere, who was finally under control. But when his speech ended he ran out of the room as if he were being chased.

It was finally time for the final part of the ceremonies. Sina’ blood was drained, and then her body was taken to the top of the tallest tree in Poru, which could arguably be called a wooden Sears Tower. There was an elevator there, which many where thankful for, especially those without wings. A large platform, known appropriatly as the Sky Platorm, was there. Upon this was a large round bowl like structure filled with wood and coal. There was also a Zeppelin parked on the platform. Sina’s body was lowered onto the structure, and then Kushi, being the eldest daughter of Sina, was handed a torch. She cried as she slowly approached the structure. She yelled "TOFA SOIFUA!" before throwing the torch onto the pile of flamable materials. The thing caught on fire, and within moments Sina’s body was consumed. When the fire had died down, a group of eight winged Ai’a’ive females in dark dresses went to pick up portions of Sina’s ashes. They jumped off the platform and flew off in different directions, spreading the ashes to the winds. What was left of Sina was put into an urn, and everyone there boarded the Zeppelin to fly to Mt. Trina, where Kuprolu (one of Kuro’s brothers) was waiting. There was a pair of giant fans on the side of the mountain.

"These fans," explained Kurpolu, "are normally activated when a diesel or steam train passes through the tunnel below. But this time, it shall be activated to spread Sina’s ashes!" More prayers were said, and then the fans were activated, and most of the ashes were poured into the vent so they could be blown up into the sky. Everyone watched with awe as the ashes were scattered.

The next day it was time for those from the Earth to go home. Many hugs and goodbyes were exchanged. Kushi ran up to Tammy.

"I hope we see each other again. I really look up to you, Tami-Kiri, Kupopo! I have something for you!" She handed her a necklace with numerous small crystal balls on it. Tammy put it on. "You mean much to me, uso (sister’s sister)!" More goodbyes were said, and the Earth posse boarded a large spaceship that resembled the other Ai’a’ive spaceship. The yellow furred Koro was also aboard, to take a trip with his new girlfriend Kalete. This Kalete was the same light brown furred Muguri who used to mix the Kopuri Water up in Kupori. Finally, there was a pair of Ai’a’ive buttlers and the pilot and captain of the ship Kara, who was the sister of Kuro, Kiro and Kuprolu.

Kalete tried to cheer up the sad feeling travellers by telling stories and legends from her region, around the villages of Kupori and Ripoku. After that she then offered to read everyone’s fortune. This involved her looking in their eyes, as well as "probing" them with her ike’u. Robert and Yolei, Creaig and Hikki, and Tammy and Ian were told that they have strong love. In fact she generally had good predictions as far as love was concerned. She was also able to pick out numerous things from their pasts and presents, including the nickname "Trifling Trio" for Robert, Creaig and Dwayne, without having been told about it.

However, she had bad news for Megumi and Hikki. "I sense a Dark Wind attacking you very soon!"

"Dark wind?" asked Megumi, "Any details?"

"No, it’s unclear, all I know is that it’s evil!" replied Kalete. "And that it’s not either Vai or Tapuitea!"

"Sounds scary!" commented Hikki.

"But remember that you have the power!" continued Kalete. She then continued talking about more mundane possibilities in the future as if nothing happened. She then talked much about her skills with potions and waters. "Some of it works, some of it doesn’t. My family happens to have the recipe for special birth-control herbs. It works, it’s been proven to work!"

Koro was also quite interesting, he was once an author, and then became a diplomat. During that period he developed a passion for space travel. So he enjoyed this cruise. He first met Kalete at Sara and Sekola’s wedding, and it was love at first sight.

That night was relatively calm. However, Megumi had problems going to sleep. The warnings of a "dark wind" as well as missing her boyfriend were worrying her. Not to mention how Kumere had acted. In fact she didn’t even remember seeing him to say goodbye. She hoped he wouldn’t become a bother. When she woke up from a bad dream, she had problems getting to sleep for a different reason. One side of her room was where Robert and Yolei were sleeping. The room on the other side was where Koro and Kalete were sleeping. However, neither couple was "sleeping" much, Megumi wondered if they were trying to cope with all the recent tradgedy by becoming closer to each other. She could certainly here the moans and grunts and squeals of ecstasy from both sides. She also heard the sounds of mattresses complaining. Yells of delight added more dimension. She could also vaguely make out Koro saying "Oh Kalete, Kalete" and Kalete saying "Oh Koro, Alofa Ate Oe!" in repliy. No wonder Kalete was so proud about the birth control herbs. She was probably taking them like they were M and M’s. The thought of them having intimate sexual moments made her feel left out. But she had to remain strong.

Meanwhile, in Tammy and Ian’s room, the spirits of both Natasha and Sina appeared.

"Much as I am with both you and Kushi, Sina will be with both Kushi and with you!" commented Natasha.

"That’s true!" added Sina. Even dead she still seemed rather lively. "Tammy, you, like Kushi, have a very important destiny. You don’t have a star amulet or any Ai’a’ive wings or a Muguri ike’u, but nevertheless you are quite like Kushi in some ways. I’m sorry my husband acted like that towards you. He’s been very stubborn and sometimes reckless. And the only thing that held him in place was me. But had I not gone to take on the Moravian Empire and Glocks, then he and our entire family, no our entire PLANET would be in peril!"

"I understand, uh…since Kushi is my ‘sister’ does that mean I should call you Mom?"

"Only if you really want to!" laughed Sina. She temporarily solidified to hug Tammy. "I hope the best to you and Ian. I only hope that Kushi finds her own ‘Ian’, as it were!" Ian was too far asleep to hear what was in effect a compliment. Tammy and her two guardian angels talked for quite a bit.

The next day the spaceship landed on Earth. All of the Earth Posse left and said goodbye to the crew of the spaceship. They were dropped off in a wooded area on the main island of Japan. It was just a short walk away from a train station, where the group took a bullet train to Tokyo. Megumi pulled out her cell phone and arranged to have Mai come and pick them up in the van. As Megumi sat down in the seat on board the streamlined electric train, she was hoping that she wouldn’t have to attend any more funerals any time soon. She also hoped that the "black wind" was something as mundane as a terrible thunderstorm. Little did she know what terrors would later await her. She was also already thinking about an event that would be held quite soon, the "Night to Remember" charity event.

Back on Oava’ia’i, the Grand Fono (Parliament) met for a special session dealing with the new leader of the Ai’a’ive. According to some of the last wishes of Sina, Kushi would have been first in line to become the next Matriarch, however, since Kushi had so many responsibilites already as one of the Star Guardians, it was decided that her sister Kulia would be given the reign of power. In effect, a merging and bridging of cultures was complete. This was the first Matriarch (officially "Matriarch of the Ai’a’ive and Masiofo of Their Lands on Oava’ia’i") that was not a pure Ai’a’ive. In a few months the official coronation ceremony would be held. A matter of worry was that Kumere was no where to be found. Many sightings of him were reported, but nothing was confirmed. The day after the spaceship left, a note was found saying that he wasn’t going to stay around without Sina to comfort him. He would not kill himself, but he would not stay put. All manner of theories appeared, some saying that he snuck aboard the spaceship so that he could kill Vai himself. Others say that he went to Earth to watch Kushi's friends. Still other rumors had him as a nomad on Oava’ia’i. Many were worried that in his unstable condition, nobody was safe.

Far away, in France, in a secret room inside a stately chateau, Ladenik and Nururu were being extensively interrogated.

"Tell us everything!" demanded the interrogator, shining a light in their eyes, "You’ve been here for days, don’t make us keep you here forever, because we will do that if we have to!"

"We are just enjoying France like millions of people each year!" explained Ladenik.

"LIAR!" screamed a man as he whipped him. "You made a big mistake!"

"What do you want?" asked Nururu.

"All the details!" commented the guard, "And we will get it. Oh, just because one of you is a bigshot Russian Glock, doesn’t mean he’s any higher!" Another whiplash was felt. "We are Les Rats Foux, the Mad Rats. We’re sick of you Glocks holding your noses at us!"

"But you don’t understand, I left the Glocks, so did she, we’re not in them anymore!" complained Ladenik.

"SILENCE!" barked a Mad Rat, "We’re not that stupid, we don’t fall for Glock tricks like that. Now talk. NOW!"

Nururu noticed her hair wasn’t restrained. Their loss, she thought. The crystal ball was still attached to her hair. Perfect. But there were many armed gunmen in the room. She only had one chance. "It’s now or never!" she thought.

8

Above the Earth, Tapuitea’s ship was in orbit. Aboard it were Tapuitea, Pierre, Vai, Jason, and Rebecca. Vai and Rebecca were treated as honored guests, while Jason, much to his chagrin, was forced to work with Pierre. Jason was wearing an Armani suit, which normally made him feel even more powerful, except when it was made clear he wasn’t all that powerful. Tapuitea was wearing an orange and red sarong wrapped beneath her armpits and reaching to a few inches below the knees. Vai was wearing the black and blue robe. Finally, Rebecca was wearing a new sapphire colored dress. Tapuitea, Vai and Rebecca dined on sausages, assorted vegetables, pasta, and even Sina’s wings.

"You know," began Tapuitea, "chopping of an Ai’a’ive’s wings and then eating them is low. It’s against all of the most fundamental codes. It is the lowest thing that can be done, besides killing!"

"Oh no!" said Vai, as his face began to turn pale. "Do you want to kill me?"

"No, far from it. I’m only dissapointed that I haven’t thought of something like that for the longest time!" retorted Tapuitea, as Vai’s color returned. "Maybe we’ll do that to Sara. I’m sure her wings are tasty, and rainbow feathers have so many uses!"

"Thank you for having us here!" added Rebecca.

"You’re welcome!" replied Tapuitea, "I heard so much about you!"

"Well, hopefully I’ll be the next Kamal!" laughed Rebecca enthusiasticly. "Really, soon the day will come, when our enemies are crushed like…like…like things that you crush!"

"Bugs!" commented Jason.

"Leave us alone!" shot back Rebecca.

"But I was only…"

"Silence!"

"Rebecca…"

"Silence!"

"What I’m…"

"Ferme ta gueil" began Rebecca, "Translation, SHUT THE FUCK UP!"

"I’m second in command…"

"Of stupidity? No, you’re first in command!"

"Tapuitea, back me up here…"

"She doesn’t have to do anything she doesn’t want to!" began Vai, "But I suggest you stop bickering with Rebecca!" Jason shot a cold stare at the Muguri he so despised.

Back on Oava’ia’i, it was the beginning of a new stage of life for Kushi. One without Sina. Now she had to turn to her friends, the Star Guardians and the Posse.

SHOUTOUTS: Showstopper….for letting me use his characters……..Silver Rider…..there's a vague reference to you in here……..and EVERYONE ELSE!

Notes: Ok, it's finally over. So what will happen next? Not sure. Need to answer questions about 1)Oava'ia'i, 2)the O'iveans, 3)Kumere, 4)the lovebirds on Earth (Ladenik and Nururu) Well, it will be something. Check out "THREE" by Showstopper to see what happens to the Earth Posse next, and to figure out what Kalete meant.

See ya,

Ra'akone

UPDATE: Follow this link to reach the Dawning of the Age of Kulia, the next story in the series! (go to /read.php?storyid874989 if this link is not working)