Something is Out There  Chapter 5 - "Ryoko's Tangled Web:  There can 
be Only One"

By "Meachy"  (meachy@hotmail.com)

Author's Forward:  This was the conclusion of the original fic. However, it is now only the end of the first volume. The next volume has a different name.  That's only because it was wrote so that you don't have to begin there instead of the begining. Then next volume is entitled, "What Evil Lies in the Heart of Mihoshi?" It'll be posted shortly after this.
 


Chapter 5
Ryoko's Tangled Web:  There can be Only One


The morning seemed to come to quickly, to Meachi as he woke up and 
stretched. He looked around his room.  Everthing seemed to be normal. 
Could it all have been a bad dream, he wondered to himself.  He then 
looked down at his hand. The marks in his plam flashed. His head flopped 
back on his pillow, as he relized that it had actually happened.  

After a few seconds there, he got up and got dressed.  When he left 
his room he saw his grandfather eating breakfast. 

"Come and have something to eat."

"No thanks grandfather.  I'm not really hunger."

"Hmph.  You will go to the shrine today, right."

"I don't have much of a choice.  Do I?"

"I guess not.  When you get home I will be here.  If you have any 
questions, I will try to answer them then."

He then went back to his breakfast.  Meachi wanted to ask him some 
question at that moment, but he remebered his grandfather telling him 
that he had to learn somethings by himself.  Anyway, he was running 
behind on getting to school.  He headed toward the Masaki house, since 
it was on the way.  He inticipated Tenchi still being home.  "I am 
going to need some help making sense of things," he thought aloud.  He 
then continued on his way.

***

In the Masaki house Tenchi was getting dressed for school.  Sasami had 
breakfast cooked and served.  Ayeka and Ryoko were eating at the 
table. They sat facing each other.  There was some tension in the air 
between the two of them, but it stayed only in the form of hard stares that 
they exchanged at one another.  There was a sense of cease-fire, until 
Tenchi came down to get something to eat.  Sasami handed Tenchi a 
plate, he then walked over to the table.  He looked at the situation 
before him.  Both Ayeka and Ryoko were staring at him as he stood 
before them.  The choice he would make now would decide if he would 
have any peace while he ate his food. 

Recognizing the importance of his next move he smoothly walked to the 
end of the table.  He sat down and began to eat.  Both of the girls 
stared at him, and then back at each other.  Tenchi continued to eat 
his food, as he knew he just avoided a serious disput. He took a bite 
of his food and then slowly looked up to see what the two girls where 
doing.  His eyes meet Ryoko's.  She winked at him and licked her lips. 

Feeling a little ackward by the situation, Tenchi quickly dropped his 
head back down and went back to eating.  Ayeka watched as Ryoko had 
toyed with him.  Her experssion and body language can only be compared 
with that of a lion preparing to pounce its prey.  Aeka's was now getting closer to here boiling point, so she began to 
get up and prepare to attack.  However, Ryoko noticed her and thought up something else she could do 
to make her mad.  She quickly got an idea.  

"Ohhh Ayeka.  Are you all right?"

Tenchi looked up to see what Ryoko was talking about.  His eyes caught 
Ayeka in an angry ackward position.  She instanly dropped back down in her 
seat.  Ryoko smiled evily at the annoyed princess, knowing that she managed to make her feel embrassed in front of Tenchi.

Sasami walked over to the table to tell Tenchi something.

"Hey Tenchi.  Meachi is coming up the side of the house."

"Oh, thank you Sasami.  I'd better get going.  Bye everybody."

Ryo-ohki jumped off of the top of Sasami's head and meowed at Tenchi. 

Sasami walked over and picked her up.  She then looked at Tenchi 
again.

"We're just about out of carrots for Ryo-ohki.  Could you pick some up 
for her on the way back?"

Tenchi walked over and petted Ryo-ohki on  top of her head.

"Sure I will."

He then walked out of the front door and let out a sigh of releif.  

"It's getting harder and harder to eat around those two."

He picked up his pace to catch up to his friend.

"Hey Meachi... Wait up."

"Good Morning Tenchi."

"Good Morning Meachi.  Did you have a hard time last night?"

Meachi was shocked by this question.  He jolted as he looked at 
Tenchi.  How could he already know what happened last night?

"What do you mean by that?!"

"Your homework.  You didn't get my notes yesterday.  You must have 

been up all night doing it."

"Ohhh...  Yeahhh...  My homework.  I was up all night with it."

Meachi sighed as he dodged telling the truth about what happened last 
night.  He thought to himself, it was not the right time to drop 
everything on Tenchi.  He also realized that he didn't do his school 
work.  Meachi let out another sigh and wondered what else could go 
wrong.

***

While in class the teacher went over the next section in their book.  
Meachi sat quietly as he hoped that the teacher would not ask him any 
questions about the work from yesterday.  

The clock on the wall above her head showed there was only 35 minutes
left in the class.  It was just about over and there had not been any 
questions about the work that Meachi had neglected to do.  He was 
begining to feel better, as he saw things were starting to go his way. 

Meachi's bladder ordered him to go to the restroom.  He asked for 
permission and then went.  As he walked to the bathroom he couldn't 
shake the feeling that he was being followed.  He dismissed it as he 
walked inside to the stales.  He stepped into one and began to relieve 
himself.  His eyes were closed as he did his business.  
"Hey, Meachi."

He quickly opened his eyes to see Ryoko's head sticking through the 
wall in front of him.  

"What are you doing here?!"

"I came to tell you something that will help you with Ayeka."

"This is not a good time!"

Ryoko looked down then back at him.  She grinned and closed her eyes.

"I guess this isn't the best time.  I'll wait till later."

She then faded away.  Meachi stood there, he still had a look of 
amazement on his face.  It slowly turned into annoyment.  When he 
finished he washed his hands and left.  As he walked back to the 
classroom a feeling of dread sweep over him.  When he opened the door, 
he was surprised by the site of students hard at work. The teacher 
walked over to him and softly told him that they were taking a pop 
quiz on the work that they did yesterday.  He was instantly hit by a 
feeling of nausia.  When he sat down she handed him the quiz. 

It was multiple choice and there were 20 questions.  He began to the 
read the questions, in hope that he could guess their answers.  Ten 
minutes passed and he had not answered a single one.  
The teacher walked to the middle of the room and informed the class 
that there was only one minute left.  

Meachi began to panic as he thought that his first grade at a new 
school would be a failing one.  All of a sudden, certain answers on 
the paper began to glow red.  Meachi was surprised by this, but with 
little time to spare he circled them.  

The teacher told everyone to put down their pencils and exchange their 
papers with the person next to them.  Meachi and Tenchi traded papers. 
She then told the answers so they could grade them.  When she was 
through, the students passed back their papers.  Meachi was stunned to 
see he got every last answer right.  

"Not bad Meachi.  You hit a homerun on your first try."

"Yeah.  I guess I was lucky."

Meachi sat there staring at his paper.  He was wondering what showed 
him the answers.  He then thought that the sword had helped him.  In that sense, he began to wonder just what he could do with his new found weapon.  Its full usefullness had yet to be seen.  

***

Meachi and Tenchi were walking out of the school together, after the 
class ended.  Tenchi noticed that Meachi seemed a little dettached.  
He walked some more and paused.  He looked at Tenchi and started to 
speak.

"Tenchi, have you ever had something so unusual happen to you, that 
you could not explain it."

"Actually, I have.  More than once too.  Is there something that you 
want to tell me."

Tenchi stopped walking and looked back at Meachi.  He looked like he 
was going to say something, but he was hesitating to speak his mind.  

Tenchi cut him off before he could speak.

"Oh, I almost forgot.  I promised Sasami that I'd pick up some 
carrots.  Do you want to come with me to the market?"

"Sorry, but I don't think I have the time.  I have to do a lot of 
things today.  I can still meet you at the shrine, though."

"Okay, I'll meet you there."

The two young men seperated, as Tenchi headed toward the market and 
Meachi went to the Masaki house. After walking for a few minutes, 

Ryoko teleported beside him.  He starting to become accustom to her, because 
he did not get surprised when she appeared.

"So, is this a better time."

"Well...  Its better than it was earlier today."

Ryoko giggled as Meachi blushed with a frown on his face. He paused and 
then turn toward her.

"What was so important that you had to tell me?  I hope it is worth 
the embarresment that you seem to keep causing me."

"Trust me.  I heard from Ayeka, herself, that she is waiting for you 
to make the first move.  All you have to do is go to her and tell her 
how you feel.  It's that simple, just be yourself."

"Are you sure?  I mean, what if she doesn't want to be that forward.  

"Listen to me.  This is your best bet on getting her.  She needed someone to be assertive.  If you just go and confront her, you'll win her over."

They walked the rest of the way to the house together. When they got 
to the front door Meachi walked up to knocked on it.  He motioned his 
hand in the task, but stopped within an inch of the door.  

Ryoko looked at the door to see if there was something in the way.  
She didn't see anything.  So she looked back at Meachi, his face was 
straining and a single sweat droplet began to travel down the side of 
his face.  She dropped her head into her hand and shook it in 
disbelief.

"You've got to be confident! Now snap out of it!  Come on!"

She reached out and knocked on the door herself, and then teleported 
away to a discrete location so she could observe without being seen.

The door was opened by Kiyone.  She looked at the young man and then 
spoke.

"What can I do for you?"

"Hi, my name is Meachi.  I came to see Ayeka.  Is she here?"

"Yeah, hold on I'll get her for you.  Hey wait, I heard about you from 
Sasami.  My name is Kiyone. Oh, by the way.  Have you seen a tall 
tanned blond girl anywhere around here? "

"No I don't remember seeing anyone that fits that description, but 
I'll keep an eye out for you."

"Thanks, I haven't seen her in a while.  And I'm starting to get a little nervous. "

Kiyone turned around to go get Ayeka.  After a few seconds Ayeka came 
up to the front door.  

"Hello Meachi."

"Hello Ayeka.  I came to tell you something."

Ayeka put her hand up to his mouth to silence him.  She then stepped 
past the thrushole of the door.  She looked into his eye and began to 
speak.

"Meachi, I don't know how to tell you this...  I know how you feel 
about me.  I wish that I could share your feelings, but my heart 
belong to another.  I only care for Tenchi.  I know that he and I will 
be together someday.  I'm sorry, but I could love no other man."

Meachi heart was broken in have half.  He turned away from her.  His 
eyes began to water, but he held back his tears.  Ayeka put her hand 
on his shoulder to comfort him. He raised his head and stared straight 
ahead.  

"I did not know you felt that way...  It was a mistake to try for you affection.  I will not persue your feelings 
again."

He began to walk down the stairs.  Ayeka's hand slowly slid off of his 
shoulder with each step that he took away from her.  Amazingly she felt hurt as 
she delivered her message, but to keep from hurting him later she
knew it had to be done.

Ryoko angrily swung her fist in the air, as he walked off.  She wanted 
this to work so Ayeka would no longer come between her and Tenchi.  If 
only he got to actually say something, she thought.  She folded her 
arms and teleported to him.  

Ryoko reappered next Meachi and grabbed his arm.  He angerily 
jerked away.  She was surprised by this.  At that moment she looked 
into his eyes and felt his pain.  She had been using him to get Ayeka 
away from Tenchi.  His feelings had meant nothing to her, until now.  

She too knew how it felt to love someone that did not show their love 
in return.    

"Ryoko...  Leave me, I would like to be alone."

She nodded her head and quietly faded away.  Meachi started to walk 
off again.  He reached the lake and then traveled alongside it.  His 
only companion was the wind that gentlly blow past him. He continued 
walking till he reached a cherry tree on the far left bank.  There he sat down to rest and rethink his situation.

Meachi dropped his head down and put his hands on the back of his 
neck.  Every thought reflected on Ayeka.  He began to think to himself 
how much he loved everything about her eyes, hair, and the way she 
walks and talks.  He closed his eyes as and continued trying to cope 
with all that had happen.

"Such pain."

Meachi opened his eyes and looked up to see who said that.  Standing 
about five feet in front of him was a tall tanned blonde girl.  He 
wondered how she got so close to him without him hearing her.  Then 
he remebered what Kiyone had told him. 

"Hi, is your name Mihoshi?"

She did not answer.  Instead she looked directly into his eyes.  She 
began to slowly walk toward him.  Meachi was a little surprised by her, so he stood up.  Her exspression 
was completely deviant.  She smiled at him evilly as she moved closer.

"I could feel your pain as I was wondering throughout the forest.  It called out to 
me.  If you'd like, I can make you feel better.  In your pursuit for love you lack 
confidence.  I can also give that to you."

She was right in front of him at this point.  They were so close that 

Meachi could feel her breath as she spoke.  He tried to pull away but 
his body did not respond.  It was like he was hyponotised by her gaze. 
She drew closer to him.  Their lips made contact, then Meachi began to 
drift off while they held their embrass.

***IN MEACHI'S MINDS***

Meachi was falling down a long dark tunnel.  He hit the ground hard 
and closed his eyes.  After a few seconds he opened them.  He was 
at the Masaki Shrine.  Everything looked blury.  He stood up and 
looked around, as he tried to make sense of the situation.  

"MEACHI!!!"

The voice came from behind him.  He quickly turned around to see who 
called him.  There was a shadowy blob-like figure about ten feet from 
him.  It began to move, but not toward him.  It was molding itself 
into Ryoko's form.  Once it had completed her formed, she spoke.

"YOU COWARD!!!  I tried to help you, but you wouldn't do what I told 
you.  If you did you'd have Ayeka by now.  The only person responible 
for her not loving you -- is you!"

"NO!!!  I did everything that you told me.  I..."

"MEACHI!!!"

It was Ayeka's voice.  It had come from behind him.  He quickly turned 
and saw her laying on the ground.  A pillar like structure appeared 
from no where.  It was begining to topple over in her direction.  

Meachi ran to her.  He picked her up and jumped out of the way as it 
crashed down on the ground.  
Meachi place Ayeka on the ground, and then kneeled down beside her.

"Are you all right?"

"Yes.  Thank you, Meachi."

She reached out to touch his face with her right hand. The instant her 
fingers made contact with his skin, she began to melt away into 
nothing.  Meachi could not believe what had just happen.  He stood up 
and began to step back.

"What is going on!"

He bumped into the shadowy figure of Ryoko, as he stepped backward.  
Shocked by the bump, he turned around to see her.  She had her arms folded and was shaking 
her head in disapproval.  

"You said you loved her.  It must have been a lie, because you gave up 
without even trying.  If you really loved her, you would have done 
anything for her."

"I would do anything for her!"

"Help me Meachi!"

It was Ayeka's voice again.  This time it came from Meachi's leftside. 
He turned that direction to see Ayeka on her knees.  She looked 
terrified.  Behind her stood Tenchi.  He had her hair cluched in his 
left hand.  In his other hand was the sword that shares his name.  He 
smiled at Meachi evilly as he aimed his sword toward him.

"She belongs to me.  No one else can have her."

He then raised his sword up into the air and lunged it through her 
back.  The blade came out of her chest.  Meachi could not believe what 
had just happen.  He began to run to them.  His heart ached ached as Ayeka looked at him.  Tears began to 
run down the sides of her face.  She choked out her last words, as he 
ran to her.

"Meachi...  Please...  Save...  Me..."

As he was about to reach them.  They faded away to nothing.  Meachi 
dropped to his knees, and everything turned black.  The shadowy figure 
of Ryoko began to appear before him.  

"You could have stopped this.  You still can if you only fight for the 
one you love.  So will you?"

Meachi's anger began to boil over.  His eyes glowed red and the air 
around him burst into flames.  He was floating with his hands clutched 
at his sides.

"YES!  I will fight for her!"

The shadowy Ryoko smiled evilly and began to mold itself into another form.  It now looked like Mihoshi. She continued to smile, as the ball began rolling in her plan.

***

Meachi awoke under the cherry tree that he had been sitting under.  He 
put his left hand on his face and tried to shake out the cobwebs.  

Ryoko teleported behind him.  

"Meachi are you feeling any better?"

She placed her hand on his back.  Meachi turned around and saw her.  
Instantly something snapped inside of him. 

"Where is Tenchi?"

"He should be at the Shrine now."

Meachi turned toward the shrine and began running to it.  Ryoko felt 
something was not right.

"Meachi!  What are you going to do?"

He didn't respond, instead he kept running till he was out of speaking distances.  Ryoko became fearful of his 
actions.  With a calm mind she piece together that he was going after 
Tenchi.  "What is he going to do?"  She thought to herself.

She teleported to the Masaki house.  When she got there she saw 
Sasami.  

"Where is your sister?"

"She's in her room."

Ryoko teleported into Ayeka's room.  When she got there she saw her 
sitting on her bed. Ayeka quickly glanced at Ryoko.

"What are you doing here.  I do not recall giving you permission to 
enter my room."

"Shut up!  I don't care how you feel about me.  Right now, I need you 
to stop a fight."

Ryoko reached out and grabbed Ayeka by her arm.  

"Fight?  What are you talking about?"

Before Ryoko could answer they had already began teleporting to the 
Masaki Shrine.  When they got there the only person they saw was 
Tenchi.  

"Oh, Hi Ryoko. Hi Ayeka."

Ryoko looked around, but did not see Meachi.  Where is he, she 
wondered?  Ayeka shrugged away from Ryoko's grasp.  

"I thought you said someone was fighting.  Just another one of your 
lies, I see."

Ryoko angerily looked at Ayeka.  Before she could say something to 
her.  She caught a glimpse of Meachi coming up the steps.

"TENCHI!!! Come and face me!"

"What?  Meachi, what are you talking about?

"I must rid this world of you.  It is the only way Ayeka can be safe."

"You're kidding, right?!"

Meachi's eyes were glowing red.  He held his left hand out in front of 
himself.  A blinding glare flashed.  When it disappeared Meachi's sword 
was in his hand.  Tenchi and the others were surprised to see him pull a weapon from thin air.  Tenchi did not draw his sword, though.  Instead he 
began to walk toward his confussed friend.  He had his hands out so 
Meachi could see he was unarmed.  

"Look, Meachi. I don't want to fight you.  We can talk about whatever 
has upset you."

"The time for talking has passed.  I know what I must do now.  So 
either draw your weapon or be slaughtered."

Meachi ran toward Tenchi with his sword aimed at him.  With about ten 
feet of distance between the two, Meachi leaped into the air and swung 
at Tenchi.  With little time to think Tenchi rolled out of the way. 

Meachi's slice was so close that Tenchi's shirt got cut.  With little hesitation, he now drew 
his sword.  
Meachi made another pass at Tenchi.  Their blades made contact.  
Meachi continued to swing at him.  His attacks where quickly blocked by Tenchi 's
defensive swings.  

"I have to put an end to this Meachi."

Tenchi jumped back and clutched his sword harder.  It began to change 
into his light hawk sword.  Once it had completly changed he swung at 
Meachi.  The first instinct he had was to block the assault.  Meachi 
readied his sword as Tenchi's sword collided with his. The force of Tenchi's blow caused the end of 

Meachi's sword to brake off.

"Aaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!"

Tenchi pulled back as his friend screamed in pain.  It was like he had 
actually sliced him.  Meachi gripped his handle tighter.  The piece of 
his sword that had fallen on the ground began to shake. The air that 
surrounded him became wavy.  He looked down at the end of his blade.  

The piece that was on the ground floated up and reattached itself to 
the blade.  Then the entire blade of the sword burst into a flame.  Meachi  
gritted his teeth and focused in on Tenchi.

"YOU DIE NOW!!!"

Ryoko and Ayeka were standing behind Meachi.  At this point Ryoko 
could not take anymore.  

"I will not allow you to harm Tenchi!"  

She started to fly toward the two fighters.  Meachi plundged 
his sword into the ground.  Flames shot out of the ground in front and 
behind the charging Ryoko.  The flames circled and enclosed her.  She tried to teleport free, but 
found she could not.  Ayeka tried to calm Meachi.

"Please stop Meachi!  This is not right!"

Meachi pulled his sword from the ground and aimed toward Tenchi again. 

He did not hear a single word she said.  His mind was now beyond reasoning.  He was bent on killing Tenchi.  Ayeka saw that he could not be reasoned with.  She began to 
summon force field logs around him, but they burn to a crisp as soon as they 
appeared.  

Meachi jumped over Tenchi.  He landed about twenty feet away from 
him.  He turned toward Tenchi, and spoke. 

"There can be only one, for Ayeka's hand."

The two now began to prepare for the no another.  Meachi and Tenchi both 
charged.  They came closer and closer. With only five feet in 
between the two.  Meachi lep into the air.  Tenchi then became 
airborne.  The two would be in striking distance within a second. Both 
Ayeka and Ryoko screamed.

"TENCHIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

The two young men swung at each other.  Meachi landed back on the 
ground first.  Tenchi landed second, on one knee.  Meachi dropped down 
to his knees.  His eyes slowly began to return to normal.  The flame 
that covered his blade became smaller.  It was eventually blown away 
by a passing wind. The flames that held Ryoko at bay.  Did the same as 
the flame on the blade ceased to exist.  

Both of the girls ran over to Tenchi.  There was a burn mark in his 
clothes across his chest.  He did not move for a few seconds.  When he 
did, he put his hand where the burn was.  He was surprised by the fact 
that he was alive.  He had been slice across the chest by a flaming 
sword, and the only thing that happened to him was his clothes being 
burned.   

Meachi released his sword.  It floated and then disappeared.  

"What have I done?  Please forgive me."

He then toppled over.  Ryoko watched as he did.  She ran to him.  His 
body was limp, as she rolled him over.  

"I am responsible for this.  His blood is on my hands."

She dropped her head on his chest and began crying.  

"There is no need for tears."  

The voice came from inside the Shrine.  Ryoko looked up toward it.  

The voice belonged to Meachi's grandfather.  Next to him stood Lord 
Katsuhito.  

"Child you should not worry about his blood begin on your hands.  If 
you have not noticed there is none."

"What?"

She looked down at Meachi's body.  His clothes were torn, but there 
was no blood. 

"Hey, what gives?"

The two men walked over to the young man.  Ayeka and Tenchi also 
walked over to him.  Watura placed his hand on his grandson's chest.  

"It is hard to explain, but kinsman do not kill one another."

Meachi coughed and slowly opened his eyes.  He saw his grandfather 
first and then everyone else.  His grandfather placed his hand before 
him.  Meachi took it and began to get up.

"Welcome back to the land of the living.  There is much I must tell 
you.  I think you are ready to hear it."

Meachi checked his body with his hands.  To his amazement he was all 
there.  He looked back to his grandfather.  At this point, there was 
nothing that he could say to surprise him.  That was what he thought, 
until his grandfather began speaking.

***

On a cliff in the distance stood Mihoshi.  She had watched the entire 
battle from there.  She smiled manevolently at them.  When they began 
to walk into the Shrine she closed her eyes and began to think to 
herself.  She reopen them and softly spoke out loud.

"I'm going to have a lot of fun in this place.  These people are so 
easy to manipulate.  So many games to play, so little time."

She turned around and began to descend down the cliff.

*******************************************************

This is the end of the "Something is Out There"  If you didn't read the Author Foward,  The story is continued in another Volume called, "What Evil Lies in the Heart of Mihoshi?"  

It picks up right where this fic leave off, and it will be sent shortely after this one.   

I hope you like it so far, and as usual C&C are not only appreciated;  they are requested if you see something that should be changed.



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