Ell, here is the second installment of this fic.

--
Hunter
aka
Jonathan Lloyd

"Im not a nice person anymore"
Rand Al'Thor, A Crown of Swords

Chapter 2:  Impact!.

As usual, mail all C&C to starstrike@geocities.com

Despite what you may think, I am NOT being cruel to Ryoko, and the battle and the reasons for it will become apparent in the next few chapters.  For all the Ryoko fans, Ryoko does NOT die.
 
 Ryoko walked down the old beaten path through the forest.  The day had started out all right, first with her morning ritual of 
scaring the socks off of Tenchi when he woke up.
 "Why can't he realize that I watch over him all night because I love him so?"  Ryoko though to herself.  She tried to do 
everything that she could to get Tenchi to actually NOTICE her, not a a friend but as a person who loved him.  The day had 
just gotten worse.  Down at breakfast, she had made her usual morning greetings to Sasami out of courtesy for breakfast, and 
to Tenchi out of love.  Unfortunately, Ayeka had decided to awaken early, and had walked down the stairs at precisely the 
wrong time.  "The girl can be an utter twit at times.  Why cant she just leave Tenchi and I alone?"  Ryoko asked herself.  But 
she knew the answer, just as Ayeka also knew the answer.  They both loved him, and neither would surrender.  A sigh 
escaped Ryoko's lips.
 As usual, Ayeka had gone on her tirade to Tenchi, ending up with Ryoko grabbing Tenchi for support in her side of the 
argument.  Unfortunately, Ayeka had done the exact same thing, and they had nearly pulled Tenchi's arms out of his sockets.  
When Tenchi had let out a yelp of pain, both of the girls dropped him like a hot coal.
 She had then turned around to berate Ayeka for such foolishness as Ayeka had done the same.  "I'd swear they were the same 
person at times."  Ryoko had overheard Washu stating.  One thing had lead to another, and now another corner of the Masaki 
house had been reduced to rubble.  Ryoko had stalked off after Ayeka accused her of starting the entire thing.  Well, maybe in 
a way...
 "Damnit!"  Ryoko yelled, striking a tree with her fist.  Tears glistened in her eyes as she thought that Tenchi could die of old age 
before she and Ayeka could work this out.  And there was that damn Tsunami who could steal Tenchi out from under both 
their noses...  No!  She couldn't afford to be like this.  She had always thought that crying was a true show of weakness, and 
tried very hard to never do it.  It was just so frustrating!  She had watched over Tenchi through his entire life, and Ayeka had 
come and buried all that.  Now she had to win Tenchi from Ayeka soon, or she might loose him forever.
 What were the problems that Ayeka and Tenchi kept telling her about?  Mainly how irresponsible she was.  Well, perhaps...  
Mainly she had been in so few circumstances where she had NEEDED to be responsible that she really didn't know how.  
Wait a second!  I can show that wind bag Ayeka!  Perhaps that damaged section of the house would come in useful after all.  
She would go back and repair it, and prove that she could take at least some responsibility for her actions...
 Ryoko turned around and started back towards the house.  "Im the type of wife Tenchi needs, someone who can express her 
emotions, and be his equal...  Not like that demure, Royal Princess of Jurai type.  Ayeka almost never tells Tenchi how she 
feels.  She uses the subtle approach.  Oh damn, but what if that is the type of wife he wants?"  Ryoko muttered.  Well, if that 
WAS what Tenchi wanted, she knew she would probably abandon all of what she was and try to be that way...
 Her thoughts were interrupted as a twig snapped off to her left.  She spun around lightly on her heel, looking for the source of 
the sound.  The leafy forest stretched out in all directions, but she couldn't see anyone.  Cautiously, she rose into the air, 
glancing left and right to make sure things where all right.  "Tenchi?"  she whispered.  
 "Ayeka?" Wouldn't that be great if she had come out to pick another fight?
 "Mihoshi?  Kiyone?  Ryo-oki?"
 "None of the above I'm afraid." said a cold chilling voice that cut through to her bone.
 She whirled around, fearing that she WASN'T hearing things.  She wasn't.  Floating five feet off the ground was her old mentor 
and arch-nemisis, Kagato.
 She sputtered in suprise, trying to force the words out of her lips.  "Perhaps you are trying to say:  Oh Kagato!  Im so glad to 
see you survived!  Please free me from these evil people who have captured me!?"  Kagato smiles an evil smile as Ryoko 
sputtered in rage now.  "More like:  You bastard, Kagato!  How did you survive getting cut in half?"
 Ryoko finally got the words out.  "Yes, how did you survive?"
 "Now wouldn't you just like to know Ryoko?  But Im not going to tell you this time."  Kagato sneered at her.  "In fact, I've got 
a score to settle with your friends."
 "I wont let you touch Tenchi, you bastard!"
 "Now now Ryoko, lets watch that temper."  Kagato tisked her.  "Im not going to kill him yet.  In fact, if you defeat me, I wont 
touch him at all!"
 "Why do I not believe you?"  Ryoko asked. 
 "Why Ryoko, Im hurt.  How can you say such things about me?"
 "Die you bastard!"  With that, Ryoko snapped her hand shut and leaped at the man who had hurt her more than anyone in her 
life.  Her energy sword snapped into existence as she crossed the intervening distance in less than a second.
 Kagato stood there, calm and unmoving.  Ryoko shot over him and brought her sword strait down through his head.  She 
swore as he vanished in a fountain of energy.
 "Stop throwing your shadow and face me!" she yelled.
 "As you wish Ryoko."  She span around and barley deflected Kagato's Energy sword as it descended towards her head.  
"You have become more powerful Ryoko." he noted, sending a measured thrust in her direction.  "Lets see how much..."
 Ryoko came in with a savage backhand with Kagato ducked under.  Her sword sliced the tree behind him in half, and it began 
to fall.  "You are still impulsive Ryoko.  And you never really invent new maneuvers."  He demonstrated this point by forcing 
her guard high with a series of blows, and then drove a fist into her stomach.
 "Yeargh!"  she cried.  She cut three quick punches towards him, one catching him in the face, one in the ribs, and another to his 
face.  Kagato was pushed into the path of the falling tree.  He spun to see the thing descending on him.
 "An interesting tactic."  he said as he leapt from under the tree.  He grimaced when her sword struck him a glancing blow to his 
arm.  Ryoko leapt into the air, intending to gain a height advantage to either continue fighting or to escape.  "No, you wont get 
away that easily.."  Energy bolts were exchanged, and soon the forest floor in that area was filled with smoking craters.
 "I grow bored with this game Ryoko." Kagato stated blankly.  "Now it is your turn to DIE!!!"  An insane look fill his eyes, as 
he reached into his shirt and removed what appeared to be a red gem.
 "Oh, Im so scared of that piece of jewelry!"  Ryoko moaned.  "Oh, whatever shall I do?"  She covered her forehead in 
melodramatic style.
 If anything, the mad look in Kagato's eyes grew even brighter.  "You will DIE RYOKO!!!  TECHNO POWER!!!"
 A bright flash of light shot through the clearing.  Ryoko was briefly dazzled by it, and covered her eyes.  She was stunned 
when she turned around.
 Kagato was no longer there.  In his place stood some type of armored battle suit, its black and green finish seeming to absorb 
the light in the clearing.  "What the..." she said.
 "Do you like my new toy Ryoko?  It was given to me by some friends from out of town." Kagato's voice sounded completely 
insane now.
 "No suit of armor is going to save you Kagato!"  Ryoko lunged towards him.  Her sword stretched out in front of her.  Her 
energy blade hummed as she pumped power from her gem into it.
 "Heh.  Wait and see"
 As Ryoko closed the gap, she knew there was no way he could dodge.  Unfortunately for her, he didn't have to.  Clenching a 
clawed fist, he delivered an uppercut to her chin, ducking under her sword in the process.  The force of the blow shot her into 
the air, where she hung, trying to clear the fog from her head.
 "Man, zat wuz a hard punch..."
 "Now Ryoko, come down here and fight fair..."  She was amazed as a red wire shot from Kagato's wrist and wrapped itself 
around her arm.  With a might tug, Kagato slammed her into the forest flood several feet away.  Ryoko looked up in time to 
see his clawed foot smash into her face, and then she flew backwards into a tree.
 A pair of boosters fired behind Kagato, and he rushed along the ground towards Ryoko.  She didn't have time to dodge as his 
armored fist slammed into her midsection.  The force of the blow shot her strait through the tree she was pinned against, and 
she rolled to a stop fifty feet away.  Calling on the power in her gem, she stood shakily to her feet, and whiped the blood form 
her lip.  "Damn you Kagato."  With that she hurled the strongest energy bolt she could at him.  She gasped in amazement as his 
flicked it aside.  "DAMN YOU!!!"  She had to get away, had to warn Tenchi...
 With that she shakily took to the air, her mind to stunned to teleport.  Kagato looked at her on the way up, then shot up after 
her on his boosters.  "You should stay and PLAY!"  He emphasized his last word by shooting up over her and bringing both his 
fists down on the small of her back.  She shot strait down into the forest, and she dug a crater at her impact point.
 "Really Ryoko, I thought you'd be more of a challenge."  Kagato looked over her inert body.  "I guess it was too much for 
you."
 He was amazed as she staggered up and set towards him.  "Really Ryoko, this is not the time for foolish noble gestures.  
Surrender, and accept your former post at my side.  You wont be hurt any more..."
 Ryoko looked at him through one eye that was already swelling shut.  She could feel several of her ribs moving with a life of 
their own, and the bone in the upper part of her left arm felt broken.  She could no longer feel her left leg.  "Kagato, Ill never 
work for you again.  In fact, Im gonna KILL YOU!"
 Kagato sighed.  "I told you no foolish noble gestures.  Well, it seems my favorite assistant needs to be taught a lesson."  The 
armored pads of his shoulders rose into the air, showing four crystal orbs on each.  "Good bye Ryoko.  I hope your dear 
Tenchi can get along without you.  Oh Im sorry, he'll be joining you shortly."
 Ryoko reached for Kagato, thinking she had to stop him...
 Kagato shouted "TEKNO BOLT!!!"
 Energy surged towards Ryoko...
 All she could feel was pain...
 She came to a moment later in the shattered wreckage of several trees.  She felt burned all over, and her wounds were hurting 
whose than before.  Her gems...  She needed power from her gems...
 She screamed in agony as Kagato slammed a green tinged sword through her arm that held her only gem, severing it at the 
elbow.  She screamed even louder as a second sword smashed through her abdomen into the ground behind her.
 Miles away at the Masaki household, Washu grimaced in pain, and looked around.  "Where's Ryoko?" she asked.
 "Damn."  Thought Kagato.  She had lost consciousness.  He picked up her severed arm.  A gift for Tenchi, he thought.
 The forest clearing was a scene of devastation.  The ground was pocket marked with craters.  A tree had fallen to the ground 
and had been subsequently blown to splinters.  Rubble had been kicked up everywhere, and a scorched path of devastation 
moved out into the forest. And at the end of that path, a broken battered form lay in a widening pool of her own blood.
 Ryoko looked up through her half closed good eye.  She saw a armored form walking towards her.  She though, "No...He's 
comming...to finish me...off"  She never felt herself being tenderly lifted into the air, nor did she feel the breeze as the armored 
figure flew away, holding her...

 "RYOKO!!!"
 "RYOKO!!!"
 "RRRRYYYYOOOOKKKKOOOO!"
 "Do you sense her Washu?"
 "Nothing Tenchi." 
 "I do hope she's ok..."
 "Im sure she is Ayeka."
 "Woah!  What happened here?"  Washu asked.
 "Some sort of battle..."  Ayeka said.
 "Was, Ryoko here?"  Mihoshi asked.
 "Washu!!!  Over HERE!!!  QUICKLY!!!!!!!"


End Chapter 2.