Okay, since the Tenchi VS Borg guy never replied, I've decided to post
this shortfic anyway. There won't be ANY confusion between our works, I
assure you ^_^;; It's my first attempt at Tenchi (not counting a more
serious work that's WEEKS from completion) so please feel free to read
and enjoy. I PROMISE to commit on and cherish any and all C&C I get this
time <I've... ahem... kind of been neglecting my duties in that arena,
gomen to everyone who gave their support on Ninja Gecko or 3on1&1on3, I
still have your posts and I call them up whenever I'm feeling low>

	So without further ado... it's short, it's almost funny, it was written
in an hour, and completely free of Dead Parrots OR Haggis... 

OtakuNXS presents...

		Gems Cubed

	Ryoko stifled a yawn as another cube went to pieces. These guys were
pretty insistent and their ships did seem to take almost two full blasts
now that they had strengthened their shields for the tenth time, but
really, she used to annihilate planets for a living, what did these guys
expect? Still, this was all taking too damn long, she just KNEW Ayeka
was doing something kinky to Tenchi, inept at it as the little girl
would be. 

	If they had trusted her with all three of her gems, this would all be
over by now and she could be recieving her just rewards from a greatfull
and perhaps even willing, Tenchi. She wasn't sure what annoyed her the
most, the fact that she had only been allowed the let use one of her
other gems or that the idea had been Ayeka's.

	"Your giving her gems back? Are you out of your mind?" Ayeka's face
turned a deep red as Tenchi looked at her abashidly. Scarlet colored her
cheeks as she regained some of her composure, but her path was clear and
not even embarrassment was going to slow her down. She continued in a
quieter yet resolved tone. "Lord Tenchi, really, think about what your
doing. She's already destroyed the house three times with just the one,
the woman has no control."

	"Listen little princess, I'll have you know I've been doing this a good
millenium before you were even a gleam in your mother's eye. I have
complete control." Ryoko beamed at her rival, for once, Tenchi was on
her side and that was all that mattered.

	"Complete control? Like the control you have over those monsters of
yours? Maybe you've been doing this a little TOO long. Old age has
softened your brain." 

	Sitting opposite the discussion at the dinner table, studiously
ignoring the vapious blonde beside her, and only partially paying
attention to the argument in front of her, Kiyone sipped from her soup
bowl. "Point Ayeka." she interrupted into one of Mihoshi's police
stories, something about chasing Cabbits down holes and eating mushrooms
to get bigger, just what she needed, thought the first class detective,
MORE Mihoshi.
 
	Ryoko's normally pale features flared under the red of her face as she
gritted her teeth. "Having reached puberty does NOT make one old.
Besides, I told you what I need was my other Gem. If you want me to help
defend your highness' highney, I need my Gems."

	Kiyone slurped up an errant noodle. "Point Ryoko."

	Smiling proudly to herself, she continued. "Besides, if you want proof
of my control, see how I handle you. I've already shown you just how
nasty I can be when I'm serious, don't you think certain things would be
over and done with if I didn't have any control? Hell, I've got more
then enough power to accidentally fry you with just one real gem and one
falsie. With two real gems, I could easily smoke a small planet." The
last was punctuated with a crackling sound as tendrils of energy danced
about Ryoko's hand and illuminated her face.

	"Well then, if you're really that powerful, you don't need your other
gems, do you?"

	Ryoko's jaw hit the floor. Fearfully, she looked to Kiyone, her eyes
demanding a recount. "Game, set and match, Ayeka." The police officer
shrugged her shoulders as she set her bowl down.

	Still, thought Ryoko, Tenchi HAD let her snag one of her gems. If only
Ayeka hadn't spent the whole day congratulating him on his intelligence
and judgement. Any objections the space pirate might have had would have
seemed like pathetic begging. Damn that woman! 

	Her last thought came to a close as she let out an incredible assault
on the latest the Borg had to offer. Though their shields had improved
almost to the point to deflect it, the raw force of the blast was enough
to send the cube spiraling. That gave Ryoko her first genuine moment of
satisfaction. The angle of it's spiral, it's subsequent running over of
the Hubble and the crash landing into the Moon, gave the once demon her
first jolt of fear and finally exasperation.

	Just great, thought Ryoko, how do I explain this? She landed beside the
cube that had inserted itself rather nicely into the natural satellite,
burying for all times the man made satellite. Strangely enough, the
space telescope had NEVER given clearer images of the moon. Sighing to
herself, she sat atop the massive wreckage and tried lifting it from its
newfound perch.

	"Having problems are we?" Ryoko turned to see her mother standing to
the side of the smashed cube, Washu's thoughtful eyes full of mischief. 

	"Where have you been? The Sol systems been attacked by these freaks,
you can see what they did to the Moon. Just when we needed some kind of
dimensional whatsit and you're off promoting your stupid book."

	"Can it Ryoko, I know your energy signatures too well not to know you
did this, and stop mentally humming Yappa Pa to block my thoughts, it's
not going to work." 

	Ryoko sighed again and teleported down to her estranged, strange
mother. "Ummm, mommy?" she nearly gagged at the thought much less
spewing the word, "You, uh, wouldn't maybe help me clean this up before
Tenchi sees it, would you?"

	"Of course my little angel. That's what a mother's for." The sparkle in
Washu's eyes unnerved Ryoko like no destroyer of planets or eater of
Galaxies ever would.

	"Really?"

	"Well, you see, it's partly my fault. Think back to a time when the
universe was younger, before Kagato, before even you. Think back to a
little girl, a super genius and exceptionally cute." Ryoko sighed as she
used the power in both her gems to lift the cube from its resting-place.
Washu crawled under and began surveying the devastation, a holographic
computer pad in hand. "Now think what happened when she accidentally
breaks open her hybrid, techn-organic Ant Farm."

	Ryoko dropped the cube on her.

The End
	
(And the Moon was as blood, the Storms crashed and the Seas BOILED!)
(Typical, thought the Lobsters)  
      /  
 Oo
(~, )
 V