I sort of wrote this in a hurry, in fact, I'm getting ready to run out the
door. But before I do, let me just say that this is based on ideas in the
shortfic, "Cold Depths. I'll explain a lot of stuff in the next chapter and
that its set with the TV continuity with a little spillover from Tenchi
Forever.
C&C enjoyed, and the title will probably be changed,
--Komodo
**************
Ayeka was worried. . .
Who is Ayeka you ask? Well now my young friend, that is a good question.
Come, sit down with me and I will tell you the story.
What? Oh yes, its a very good story. Now, where was I?
Ah yes. . .
**************
Ayeka, First Princess of the royal house of Jurai was feeling worried. You
see, Ayeka was involved with a young man named Tenchi Misaki.
That is, she obsessed about him. She also had a rival, a space pirate named
Ryoko, an attractive but rather ruthless lass who tended to go through
obstacles rather then around them.
Ayeka was an obstacle that Ryoko had yet to go through. Not a day would go by
that the two weren't fighting and causing massive amounts of property damage.
Ryoko had yet to fight and the whole house was edge. I suppose the sensation
was not unlike living next to a volcano, you know its going to explode, you
just don't know when.
Ryoko, however, seemed to be even more on edge then the others. She had spent
the morning and most of the afternoon down by the lake, staring up at the sky
as though waiting for something.
Unable to take it anymore and needing the fight, Ayeka went down to the lake
and stood there for a moment before speaking.
"It would be of great benefit, Ryoko," Ayeka said in the tone of voice she
knew set Ryoko's teeth on edge, "if you were to help us with the dishes.
Sasami hardly needs to do all the work."
"She can handle it, she enjoys it," Ryoko said. "Now go away." Ayeka was
confused, there was almost a script to their fights. Trade insults, then
fight, watch some TV. Ryoko was not following the script.
"Are you suggesting that a princess of Jurai would actually enjoy such a
thing?"
"I know her better then you, trust me on this, she enjoys it. Now leave me
alone!"
"How dare you!" Ayeka gasped. "How could a common space pirate like you
possibly presume to know the mind of a member of Jurai's Royal Family?"
"Easier then you think. Now go away Ayeka, go annoy Tenchi or something." It
was starting to occur to Ayeka that maybe Ryoko meant what she was saying.
Unfortunutly, she was unable to grasp the concept, and she wanted the fight.
"Now see here Ryoko," Ayeka said striding forward and laying her hand on
Ryoko's shoulder. "I demand you explain how you can possibly assume you know
Sasami!" At the touch of her hand, Ryoko turned, and Ayeka caught sight of
her eyes. A fire made from anger, dispair, and worry burned there.
"I said, leave, me, alone!" Ryoko yelled as there was a bright orange flash
and Ayeka felt pain explode throughout her body as blackness claimed her.
When she awoke, she heard the soft hiss of a ventilator, and felt a cool
sensation all over her body. She couldn't move and something was around her
head.
"Don't move and don't try to talk," said a woman's voice in her ear. "This is
Washu, you can't move because I've shut down most of your nervous system. You
had a nasty accident. Ryoko just put you through the wall of the house, the
kitchen counter, another wall, and a couch."
Confusion flared within Ayeka, How could Ryoko have ever managed to do that?
That would take a tremendous amount of power and Ayeka knew that the Space
Pirate didn't have that level of power. As though reading her mind, Washu
spoke again.
"No, we don't know how she managed it. As soon as you were stabilized, she
went into town. You may want to make note of the fact that she sat vigil
right here until you did."
Well that was no help. So where was here? Again Washu seemed to be reading
her mind.
"As for here, you're inside a tank of healing gel, a sort of liquefied ooze
that promotes regeneration of skin. You had bad burns over your chest and
face. But don't worry, you'll soon be good as new! Fixing you up was way to
easy with someone of my genius!" From there, Washu launched into one of her
well known laughs and Ayeka found herself wishing for blackness again.
**************
The Misaki home sat in the hills overlooking a small city in Northern Japan.
Like most cities its size, this one boasted a small fast food restaurant,
that, like most of its kin, was marked by a pair of golden arches.
Inside, one of the cashiers, a twentysometing brunette named Kiyone wiped
down the countertop with a soft rag. Hearing footsteps, she looked up, the
prepared speech dying on her lips as she saw who it was.
"Ryoko? What are you doing here?" Even as she asked, Kiyone noticed that
Ryoko seemed depressed.
"Got a minute?"
"Sure," Kiyone said, glancing to see if her boss was anywhere nearby.
"Can you access Yagami's sensor logs from here?" Ryoko asked as she leaned on
the counter, her voice soft.
"Yagami? Why?"
"Just a funny feeling, and I don't want to ask Washu. She'll ask to many
questions."
Nodding, Kiyone touched the small bracelet on her wrist, causing a small
keypad and screen made of light to form above it.
"So what, exactly, are you looking for?"
"Any ships, wormhole or portal openings, energy flares, or anything like
that?"
"No." Kiyone said after inputting the request. Yagami's logged nothing of the
sort."
"What about the monitoring buoys?"
"Nothing but the usual space debris and a freighter passing by Neptune. It
didn't stop or anything. Nor was any ship or other matter released. That was
three days ago."
"Okay, thanks."
"Sure." Kiyone touched the bracelet and the keypad and screen vanished.
Ryoko turned, took two steps and vanished from sight.
Sighing, Kiyone picked up the rag again, wondering just what that was all
about.
**************
When Ryoko returned, Tenchi was waiting for her. He was a slim youth, with
short black hair and a tiny pigtail. It was obvious he was not happy with her.
"Why Ryoko?" He demanded and then watched in astonishment as she suddenly
paled.
"No," She said, more to herself. "this didn't happen last time. . . I . . ."
Then she screamed and launched herself into the sky, headed for the mountains.
"Hm. Ryoko's acting very strangely." Noted Tenchi's Grandfather. Tenchi
jumped, he hadn't heard the old man come up behind him.
"G-Grandpa!" He gasped.
"You should always be aware of your surroundings Tenchi." The old priest said
reprovingly.
"Yes Grandfather." Tenchi sighed.
**************
The next morning, Ryoko was on edge even more then usual. She skipped
breakfast and had resumed her place on the lakeside, staring up into the sky.
Ayeka, now fully healed, watched her rival like a hawk.
"She's up to something," she muttered as she polished the table, "I just know
it's all part of some plot to get Lord Tenchi away somewhere and do. . .all
sorts of things!"
"And how exactly does putting you through two walls, a counter, and a couch
fit in to this plot?" Asked Washu as she passed by.
Ayeka frowned, that hadn't really occurred to her and she set to polishing the
table furiously as her mind tried to fit that into the plot She was sure
Ryoko had.
**************
Ryoko had not attended lunch so Sasami made a sandwich and took it out to
where she sat.
"I made you some lunch Ryoko," she said cheerfully as she put the plate down.
"Won't you eat?"
"Yeah, sure. Thanks." She made no move to take the sandwich though.
"Something wrong?" Sasami asked and then noticed she was staring at the sky.
"Ryoko?"
"Run!" Ryoko shouted, grabbing a startled Sasami around the waist and flying
back towards the house, behind them a loud roar sounded and Sasami saw a
chunk of the lakeside vanish in a ball of orange fire.
"Ryoko?" asked Tenchi as she burst into the house.
"No time! Here!" She thrust Sasami at Tenchi. "Get her into Washu's lab! If
she dies, I'm toast!" Without waiting for a reply, Ryoko turned and launched
herself back out the hole in the wall she had made.
When she returned to the lakeside, a man dressed in all white armor stood
there. He had a staff topped with the number eight in his hand.
"I am Mobius. Give me the girl."
"I'm Ryoko," She said cheerfully as her palm glowed orange. "go to hell!"
With that, she flung the energy ball at him and watched in horrified
amazement as the ball simply disappeared just before it made contact with him.
"Time field displacement." Mobius said. "Your attack was temporally relocated
to where it can do no harm."
"Relocate this!" Ryoko snarled and formed her sword.
"Impressive," Mobius said as he reversed his grip on the staff, sliding his
hand down until it touched the base of the eight. When it did, the staff
glowed and reformed itself into a sword. "I accept your challenge."
Inside the house, the others watched as Ryoko and the man began their fight
and the air flashed as energy attacks were brought into play.
"What's going on?" Washu demanded, as she exited her lab. "My temporal
monitor is going insane!" Without saying a word, Tenchi pointed outside. "Oh
yes," She said thoughtfully. "that."
Outside. Ryoko had managed to put Mobius on the defensive and she hammered
away at him, hoping to find a hole in his defense.
"Why are you doing this?" Ryoko demanded. "You're destroying everything I've
worked so hard to create!"
"I'm here for the once called Sasami. Give her to me."
"No! Without her, Tenchi is dead!"
"She has violated the laws of Time. The penalty is death."
"What are you talking about?"
"She willingly engaged in temporal travel for the purpose of self-worth."
"What the hell are you talking about?"
"You know as well as I do Space Pirate."
"She had no choice!" Ryoko seethed, "She did what she had to do!"
"And died because of it!" Mobius replied. "Because of you!"
"And if she hadn't, I wouldn't be here!" With that, Ryoko began to glow
orange and the faint outline of wooden cylinders seemed to form in the air
around her. Then she screamed.
**************
"What's taking so long!" Tenchi asked as he paced outside the door to Washu's
lab.
After Ryoko had screamed, they had run outside to find Ryoko lying at the
bottom of a small crater, bruises all over her skin, hands and face.
"Patience, Tenchi." Said his Grandfather. "All will work out, you'll see."
**************
"Now how the hell did she manage that?" Washu asked as she looked at her
monitor then at the prone form of Ryoko. Sighing, she got up and headed for
the door. Ryoko needed a blood transfusion and as luck would have it, a
perfect match was right outside the door.
**************
"Excuse me!" Washu said as she poked her head out the door. But I need Sasami
for a minute."
"Me? Why?"
"Ryoko needs a blood transfusion, and you're a perfect match!" Washu said
cheerfully as she grabbed the startled girl by the arm.
"Now just a minute!" Ayeka said, grabbing Sasami's other arm. "How can Sasami
possibly be compatible with that. . .that. . .harlot!"
"Because," Washu said quietly, "They're the same person."