This story takes place after the events in the OVA. Which means Washu is Ryoko's mother. Ryoko was Kagato's slave and was imprisoned in the cave at the Misaki Shrine by Yosho. Lord Katsuhito and Yosho are one in the same, and Ayeka and Sasami are his half sisters. Not to mention that Sasami and Tsunami have that merging thing going on. I'm going to pretend that none of the events in the TV series (Tenchi Universe), Tenchi in Tokyo, or the movies ever happened. However Kiyone will be in here, just pretend she came to earth with Mihoshi looking for the Souja and Kagato, and there may be appearances of Hotsuma or Nagi later on but I will deal with that when it happens. Confused yet, I know I am!
Another Like Me.
A man floated in nothingness. A void, an empty place, his soul. Aware of himself he opened his eyes and looked at his body. What was once turning old was new again. His white hair now black, his weathered hands now smooth, his mind free, for the moment.
...you are to kill him. The voice was right next to his ear but everywhere at the same time.
"I will not."
...you do not have a choice.
"You cannot control me any more."
...I can and I will, I gave you that body, it is mine to do with as I see fit.
"Please, just let me die."
...you will not, you are an onna, and you still serve a purpose.
"As your odalisque?"
...yes, you do know you can do it without me controlling you.
"Do you really think I would ever submit to you?"
...in time you will, they all do in time.
"Why have you let me keep my mind?"
...for questions such as that. Although I am a God I still wish to see your limitations.
"You are no God. Nothing that could ever be good would ever take a child and enslave them to do their bidding."
...but you did the same as I.
"Yes... I did."
...go now and kill him, Clay has failed me.
"I failed you too."
...your body was week and old, I should of never let you keep it, now go, do as I say.
"I will not."
...very well.
The voice faded. The figure jerked violently as energy shocked and pierced his body. Struggling, he tried to hold onto his control but the overwhelming pain let Tokimi's energy take possession of his being. Just like all the times before, he lost his control, his conscious was just a passenger in Tokimi's vehicle of destruction. His eyes opened once more, the once calm dark green orbs turned a blank yellow. Then he was gone.
~~~:*:~~~
A cool breeze blew across the woods at the Misaki shrine. Tenchi Misaki worked his way to the last row of the carrot field hoeing the small weeds in the furrows all under the gaze of a very concerned cabbit.
"Miya?"
"He he, no Ryo-ohki they're not ready yet, but they will be soon." Tenchi said looking at the creature staring at the tassel of green which hid the orange root. "You know, they say a watched carrot never grows." Tenchi said chucking at Ryo-ohki's behavior.
"Tenchi!!!" a cyan haired woman called as she fell from the air and tackled Tenchi to the ground and sat across his chest.
"Ryoko! Don't you have anything better to do than clobber me to the ground like this?"
The space pirate smiled and placed a finger on her chin mimicking thinking. "Actually I don't, and it has been a week since I "clobbered" you last."
Tenchi laughed as he and Ryoko got up off the ground.
"So what brings you up here?" Tenchi asked picking up the spade and walking to the path that lead to the house.
"Well, Ayeka wanted me to help with the housework, I told her I didn't want to, she yelled, I yelled, Mihoshi started crying, and I came up here."
"You know it wouldn't hurt you to help her out once and a while."
"I know, it's just that she asks so snotty. When Sasami or Kiyone ask me I help, but that little princess just makes me want to scream." Ryoko said as she picked up Ryo-ohki and walked with Tenchi to the house.
"Are you doing alright?"
Ryoko blushed as she was caught a little off guard from his question.
"I mean are you ok, after what happened with Zero?" Tenchi stammered.
"Yea fine, it just takes a little getting used to."
"Good."
"Tenchi?" Ryoko asked as they walked down the steps.
"Yea?"
"Well... I don't know how to ask so I am just going to come out with it. Do you think you will ever decide? Between Ayeka and me?"
"Ah umm Ryoko..."
"Its ok, I just... I guess if you chose her it would be ok."
Tenchi couldn't believe what she just said. They both stopped walking as Ryoko turned away and looked out over the plush green mountains.
"I mean I would be heartbroken but, at least I would know, for sure." She said staring off into the distance gently scratching a purring Ryo-ohki's head.
"Ryoko I don't want to..."
"Tenchi when are you going to understand that we will both be here fighting for you until you decide? Neither of us are going anywhere so you are not going to get out of hurting someone by waiting. And no matter who you choose, I don't think either of us will leave. She... she and I have been talking, rather she and Zero have been talking, and she feels she same as I do."
Tenchi stood dumbfounded at Ryoko's confession.
"Tenchi, I have loved you since you first played outside the cave as a child. And I know more than anyone else that you truly don't want to hurt either of us." Ryoko's tears flowed freely now as she looked at the ground. "I promised I wouldn't cry." She chuckled.
"Ryoko..."
"Please Tenchi. I'm going to clear my head for a while, I'll be back for supper. Please don't bring this up ok, lets just leave it here."
"Ok Ryoko." With that Ryoko disappeared out of sight with Ryo-ohki in her arms. Tenchi resumed his walk to the house. Washu had told him that Ryoko would be acting strange after the merging with Zero, and it would take a while for the two personalities to completely form into one. He sighed walking past the shrine. Grandfather would know what to do, but he was on his yearly meditation, Tenchi doubted he would even come out of the shrine for a week.
"Tenchi you're home!" Sasami yelled from the kitchen as he stepped through the door. "Supper will be ready in about an half hour, go wash up and help Ayeka and I!"
"Sure thing Sasami, let me take a shower first."
~~~:*:~~~
"How are you today Ayeka?" Tenchi asked getting down the cutting board per Sasami's instructions.
"Fine Lord Tenchi, just hungry, working with Sasami in the kitchen always works up a appetite."
Sasami smiled at her sister. "Remember Ayeka, don't cut the vegetables too thick again."
"Kind of unforgiving isn't she." Tenchi asked retrieving two knives from a drawer and setting the vegetables out.
"Yes, make no mistake, in the kitchen what ever Sasami says goes." Ayeka said watching her blue pigtailed sister flutter about the kitchen like a bird.
"Ayeka, Ryoko came to see me this afternoon."
"Oh! I new that was where she was going. All I did was suggest to her that the house needed vacuuming and she huffed out of the house." Ayeka flustered.
"Is all you two do fight?" Tenchi chuckled.
"Well, it used to be that way." Ayeka said carefully slicing a carrot. "But after the events with Zero, we actually have begun to get along. Why do you ask?"
"Well, she mentioned today that you both agreed on something."
"Really, what was that?"
Tenchi sighed; he had not wanted to tell her this. *You have to, no more avoiding this.* "The fact that me waiting to choose between you two hurts more than the rejection probably will."
"Oh." Ayeka said not looking up from the cutting board.
"Ayeka, I'm going to stop running from it. I realize you both love me, and I love you both to but..." Tenchi closed his eyes and seemed to carefully consider his next words. "...I won't choose today, and I won't choose tomorrow, but I am going to start listening to my feelings. If I feel drawn to you, I'll show it, and vice versa. I won't just wake up one morning and say 'I think I will marry Ryoko and turn to a life of crime in outer space!'"
Ayeka chuckled. "No, I doubt you will. Besides I think you will have a harder time than you think trying to convince Ryoko to go back to that way of life."
"So you understand what I'm going to try and do?"
"Yes Lord Tenchi," Ayeka said looking up at him. "But I think you need to tell one more person what you have just told me."
~~~:*:~~~
"Oh Sasami, this looks so good." Nobuyuki said as he sat at the table.
"Thanks father, Ayeka and Tenchi helped me cut up the vegetables for the stew." Sasami said setting down next to her sister.
"So Tenchi, getting closer to the princess I see." Nobuyuki whispered elbowing his son in the ribs a few times for good measure.
"Dad! Stop it." Tenchi said through clinched teeth as he noticed Ayeka blushing.
"Lord Tenchi, have you seen Ryoko? It's not like her to miss meals." Ayeka said passing a bowl of noodles around the table to Mihoshi.
"Uh, she said she might be a little late. She's..."
"Right here." Ryoko spoke up as she telaported into her usual seat across from Tenchi.
"Well so nice of you to join us daughter." Washu said really stressing the daughter part. *I love to get on her nerves.*
Ryoko shot a perturbed glance at the chibi scientist and filled her plate with a variation of Sasami's cooking. Looking up she saw Tenchi staring at her with an overwhelming sense of concern playing his features. At first she thought she had food on her face but then remembered the conversation they had earlier. Having Zero inside her at this point gave her mood swings to say the least. One minute she would be the old space pirate Ryoko, terror of the universe, the next just a giggling love struck idiot. She smiled and nodded indicating that everything was okay as they both continued filling their plates.
"So, does anybody want to hear how out patrol went today?" Kiyone asked between bites of food.
"Oh, I do." Sasami said cheerfully. Kiyone loved telling the stories, no matter how exaggerated they were, to the little girl.
"Well, Mihoshi and I were patrolling the Gurgin system when..." Kiyone was cut off by the ringing doorbell of the Misaki home.
"I wonder who that could be at this hour?" Nobuyuki asked as he finished slurping a mouthful of noodles.
"I'll get it!" Sasami yelled cheerfully as she hopped from the table and ran to the door. She opened the door to find a young man clad in black and dark green Jurain robes at the door. The man was a little taller than Tenchi, with broader shoulders and a slightly larger build. He had two bangs of black hair pulled down either side of his face with the rest pulled behind his head in a ponytail. Tsunami grew wary looking through Sasami's eyes, the stranger's appearance was not threatening, but his eyes looked out of place, they burned a lifeless yellow.
"Sasami, may I speak with Tenchi for a moment." His voice was cold and emotionless, but carried a hint of familatry in the girl's mind. Sasami stood without moving as the stranger's eyes moved past her and onto Tenchi at the table. *How did he know my name?*
"Go ahead and finish eating Sasami," Tenchi said getting up and approaching the door. "What is it you wanted?"
"Not here, may we step outside for a moment?" Tenchi nodded and the two walked to the open yard between the house and the lake. Although he couldn't prove it, he was sure he had seen this man before.
"Yes?"
The man remained silent, but quickly spun around forming a black energy sword with a flaming green edge. The simple move caught Tenchi off guard as the blade arced down right above Tenchi's head, had it not been for Tsunami he would have been cleaved in half. Tsunami instantly summoned the Light Hawk Wings around Tenchi. The blade struck them full force but the man did not back down, he just put more power into his attack. Tenchi struggled to remain standing under the force of his opponent's blow. Finally ensuring his balance, he formed the Light Hawk Sword and was able to break himself free. The two warriors leapt high into the air and landed apart from each other by the moonlit shore of the lake.
Witnessing the attack, the Misaki household had leapt from the dinner table and ran outside. Ryoko and Ayeka ran halfway into the yard transforming into their battle gear. Sasami and Mihoshi screamed and hid behind Nobuyuki as Kiyone and Washu stood at the front of the porch.
"Why you little.." Ryoko said forming her energy sword and preparing to attack.
"Stop!" Tenchi yelled holding his hand towards Ryoko halting the space pirate from advancing. "What do you want?" Tenchi yelled. *What was that? The Light Hawk Wings are almost gone, and that was just one attack! I cant risk Ryoko or Ayeka getting hurt, I need to finish this quickly.*
The man did not respond to Tenchi's inquiry, he grunted as he took flight just above the dew-laden grass and charged the Jurain Prince. Tenchi blocked the first few blows from his opponent, but was loosing too much ground. The mans' blows were hard and unforgiving, each time their swords met Tenchi's grip was pushed to the edge until his arms felt like dead weight. The man stepped forward slicing horizontally through the air and striking Tenchi's energy sword full force. The sheer strength behind the blow broke the Light Hawk Blade from Tenchi's grasp. The blade landed impaled in the shore of the lake and dissipated. The man charged again at the defenseless warrior, and Tenchi waited for the final blow.
The blade was stopped short of finding its mark by a newly formed energy bubble encasing the Jurain prince.
"Lord Tenchi!" Ayeka yelled. The Jurian princess strained fueling the energy shield that protecting him from his opponent's sword. "Azaka, Kamidake!!"
"Yes Maam!" The two log guardians rushed into the fight with their energy cannons blazing. The attacking figure leapt backward easily avoiding the guardians' attacks, and then flew high into the air at an incredible speed. Azaka and Kamidake positioned themselves directly beneath him and prepared to fire their main bean cannons, but it was two late. The figure plummeted towards earth faster than he ascended and scored a direct hit to Kamidake with a roundhouse kick, sending the damaged guardian flying into the lake. Without even turning, he seemed to effortlessly backhand Azaka sending him past the house and crashing through the forest. His eyes then turned back to Tenchi.
"Oh no you don't!!" Ryoko yelled charging the figure.
*No, please, not her.*
The clashing of their energy swords sent sparks flying into the air. Ryoko fought with almost primal rage. *I'm not losing Tenchi like this, not again!*
For some reason the figure did not advance on Ryoko, just wielded his sword with ease in deflecting her attacks.
Suddenly, Washu's computer beeped and appeared before her on the porch.
"What is it Washu?" Kiyone asked still clutching her GP issue blaster, mostly by habit seeing as the two fighters probably wielded more power than a garrison of patrol ships.
"I'm picking up some sort of interference around him." Washu said quickly typing away on her holo-laptop.
"You mean like a jamming device?"
"Exactly, but jamming what? Wait a minute... It can't be!" the speed of Washu's typing increased as she narrowed down the possibilities. "He's being controlled."
"What? You mean someone is using him like a robot."
"Yes, now if I can just omit the same frequency but in a negative form I should be able to cancel out the force that's controlling him." Washu continued to work as the fight between the mystery man and Ryoko continued. "THERE!" Washu yelled triumphantly as she pressed the infamous big red button on her computer.
Sparks cracked and engulfed the stranger's head. Straining in pain he fell to his knees. As the sparks subsided the stranger stood, and carefully watched his hand as he raised it to his face. *I..I'm moving it, what happened?* he thought overwhelmed by his situation.
"You're not going to trick me!" Ryoko yelled charging once more.
"RYOKO DON'T!!!" Washu yelled, but to no avail.
The stranger stood there and made no attempt to dodge Ryoko's energy blade speeding towards him. He let his own sword dissipate, and lowered his head with open arms, seemingly welcoming death.
Ryoko plunged her sword deep into the center of the mans chest with about a foot protruding from his back. She was so close to him he could feel her ragged breaths against his face. As the blood spilled from his wound he looked up at her. The once yellow, dead eyes now a beautiful green that radiated with a surreal glow.
"Thank you..." His last words as he slumped down to the ground, and fell.
"Thank you?" Ryoko murmured as she stood taken back by the change in the attacker.
"Ryoko, Tenchi, help me get him into the lab NOW!!!"
Tenchi, knowing better than to question Washu, ran to the man and lifted his motionless body with one arm over his shoulder.
"What? Why should we help him? He tried to kill us." Ryoko yelled regaining her flamboyant attitude.
"Because," Washu said. "HE wasn't trying to kill us, he was being controlled by someone else, and if we don't get him to my lab he will die and we will never know who is behind this!"
Ryoko gasped. He was innocent, he was a slave, he.. he was like her. Running to Tenchi's aid she draped the man's other arm over her shoulder and telaported them to Washu's infirmary.
...Well, what do you think so far? Haven't started on the next chapter but reviews will get me going. Who is the mystery attacker, is he someone the gang already knows of... Maybe, find out next time.
Another Like Me.
A man floated in nothingness. A void, an empty place, his soul. Aware of himself he opened his eyes and looked at his body. What was once turning old was new again. His white hair now black, his weathered hands now smooth, his mind free, for the moment.
...you are to kill him. The voice was right next to his ear but everywhere at the same time.
"I will not."
...you do not have a choice.
"You cannot control me any more."
...I can and I will, I gave you that body, it is mine to do with as I see fit.
"Please, just let me die."
...you will not, you are an onna, and you still serve a purpose.
"As your odalisque?"
...yes, you do know you can do it without me controlling you.
"Do you really think I would ever submit to you?"
...in time you will, they all do in time.
"Why have you let me keep my mind?"
...for questions such as that. Although I am a God I still wish to see your limitations.
"You are no God. Nothing that could ever be good would ever take a child and enslave them to do their bidding."
...but you did the same as I.
"Yes... I did."
...go now and kill him, Clay has failed me.
"I failed you too."
...your body was week and old, I should of never let you keep it, now go, do as I say.
"I will not."
...very well.
The voice faded. The figure jerked violently as energy shocked and pierced his body. Struggling, he tried to hold onto his control but the overwhelming pain let Tokimi's energy take possession of his being. Just like all the times before, he lost his control, his conscious was just a passenger in Tokimi's vehicle of destruction. His eyes opened once more, the once calm dark green orbs turned a blank yellow. Then he was gone.
~~~:*:~~~
A cool breeze blew across the woods at the Misaki shrine. Tenchi Misaki worked his way to the last row of the carrot field hoeing the small weeds in the furrows all under the gaze of a very concerned cabbit.
"Miya?"
"He he, no Ryo-ohki they're not ready yet, but they will be soon." Tenchi said looking at the creature staring at the tassel of green which hid the orange root. "You know, they say a watched carrot never grows." Tenchi said chucking at Ryo-ohki's behavior.
"Tenchi!!!" a cyan haired woman called as she fell from the air and tackled Tenchi to the ground and sat across his chest.
"Ryoko! Don't you have anything better to do than clobber me to the ground like this?"
The space pirate smiled and placed a finger on her chin mimicking thinking. "Actually I don't, and it has been a week since I "clobbered" you last."
Tenchi laughed as he and Ryoko got up off the ground.
"So what brings you up here?" Tenchi asked picking up the spade and walking to the path that lead to the house.
"Well, Ayeka wanted me to help with the housework, I told her I didn't want to, she yelled, I yelled, Mihoshi started crying, and I came up here."
"You know it wouldn't hurt you to help her out once and a while."
"I know, it's just that she asks so snotty. When Sasami or Kiyone ask me I help, but that little princess just makes me want to scream." Ryoko said as she picked up Ryo-ohki and walked with Tenchi to the house.
"Are you doing alright?"
Ryoko blushed as she was caught a little off guard from his question.
"I mean are you ok, after what happened with Zero?" Tenchi stammered.
"Yea fine, it just takes a little getting used to."
"Good."
"Tenchi?" Ryoko asked as they walked down the steps.
"Yea?"
"Well... I don't know how to ask so I am just going to come out with it. Do you think you will ever decide? Between Ayeka and me?"
"Ah umm Ryoko..."
"Its ok, I just... I guess if you chose her it would be ok."
Tenchi couldn't believe what she just said. They both stopped walking as Ryoko turned away and looked out over the plush green mountains.
"I mean I would be heartbroken but, at least I would know, for sure." She said staring off into the distance gently scratching a purring Ryo-ohki's head.
"Ryoko I don't want to..."
"Tenchi when are you going to understand that we will both be here fighting for you until you decide? Neither of us are going anywhere so you are not going to get out of hurting someone by waiting. And no matter who you choose, I don't think either of us will leave. She... she and I have been talking, rather she and Zero have been talking, and she feels she same as I do."
Tenchi stood dumbfounded at Ryoko's confession.
"Tenchi, I have loved you since you first played outside the cave as a child. And I know more than anyone else that you truly don't want to hurt either of us." Ryoko's tears flowed freely now as she looked at the ground. "I promised I wouldn't cry." She chuckled.
"Ryoko..."
"Please Tenchi. I'm going to clear my head for a while, I'll be back for supper. Please don't bring this up ok, lets just leave it here."
"Ok Ryoko." With that Ryoko disappeared out of sight with Ryo-ohki in her arms. Tenchi resumed his walk to the house. Washu had told him that Ryoko would be acting strange after the merging with Zero, and it would take a while for the two personalities to completely form into one. He sighed walking past the shrine. Grandfather would know what to do, but he was on his yearly meditation, Tenchi doubted he would even come out of the shrine for a week.
"Tenchi you're home!" Sasami yelled from the kitchen as he stepped through the door. "Supper will be ready in about an half hour, go wash up and help Ayeka and I!"
"Sure thing Sasami, let me take a shower first."
~~~:*:~~~
"How are you today Ayeka?" Tenchi asked getting down the cutting board per Sasami's instructions.
"Fine Lord Tenchi, just hungry, working with Sasami in the kitchen always works up a appetite."
Sasami smiled at her sister. "Remember Ayeka, don't cut the vegetables too thick again."
"Kind of unforgiving isn't she." Tenchi asked retrieving two knives from a drawer and setting the vegetables out.
"Yes, make no mistake, in the kitchen what ever Sasami says goes." Ayeka said watching her blue pigtailed sister flutter about the kitchen like a bird.
"Ayeka, Ryoko came to see me this afternoon."
"Oh! I new that was where she was going. All I did was suggest to her that the house needed vacuuming and she huffed out of the house." Ayeka flustered.
"Is all you two do fight?" Tenchi chuckled.
"Well, it used to be that way." Ayeka said carefully slicing a carrot. "But after the events with Zero, we actually have begun to get along. Why do you ask?"
"Well, she mentioned today that you both agreed on something."
"Really, what was that?"
Tenchi sighed; he had not wanted to tell her this. *You have to, no more avoiding this.* "The fact that me waiting to choose between you two hurts more than the rejection probably will."
"Oh." Ayeka said not looking up from the cutting board.
"Ayeka, I'm going to stop running from it. I realize you both love me, and I love you both to but..." Tenchi closed his eyes and seemed to carefully consider his next words. "...I won't choose today, and I won't choose tomorrow, but I am going to start listening to my feelings. If I feel drawn to you, I'll show it, and vice versa. I won't just wake up one morning and say 'I think I will marry Ryoko and turn to a life of crime in outer space!'"
Ayeka chuckled. "No, I doubt you will. Besides I think you will have a harder time than you think trying to convince Ryoko to go back to that way of life."
"So you understand what I'm going to try and do?"
"Yes Lord Tenchi," Ayeka said looking up at him. "But I think you need to tell one more person what you have just told me."
~~~:*:~~~
"Oh Sasami, this looks so good." Nobuyuki said as he sat at the table.
"Thanks father, Ayeka and Tenchi helped me cut up the vegetables for the stew." Sasami said setting down next to her sister.
"So Tenchi, getting closer to the princess I see." Nobuyuki whispered elbowing his son in the ribs a few times for good measure.
"Dad! Stop it." Tenchi said through clinched teeth as he noticed Ayeka blushing.
"Lord Tenchi, have you seen Ryoko? It's not like her to miss meals." Ayeka said passing a bowl of noodles around the table to Mihoshi.
"Uh, she said she might be a little late. She's..."
"Right here." Ryoko spoke up as she telaported into her usual seat across from Tenchi.
"Well so nice of you to join us daughter." Washu said really stressing the daughter part. *I love to get on her nerves.*
Ryoko shot a perturbed glance at the chibi scientist and filled her plate with a variation of Sasami's cooking. Looking up she saw Tenchi staring at her with an overwhelming sense of concern playing his features. At first she thought she had food on her face but then remembered the conversation they had earlier. Having Zero inside her at this point gave her mood swings to say the least. One minute she would be the old space pirate Ryoko, terror of the universe, the next just a giggling love struck idiot. She smiled and nodded indicating that everything was okay as they both continued filling their plates.
"So, does anybody want to hear how out patrol went today?" Kiyone asked between bites of food.
"Oh, I do." Sasami said cheerfully. Kiyone loved telling the stories, no matter how exaggerated they were, to the little girl.
"Well, Mihoshi and I were patrolling the Gurgin system when..." Kiyone was cut off by the ringing doorbell of the Misaki home.
"I wonder who that could be at this hour?" Nobuyuki asked as he finished slurping a mouthful of noodles.
"I'll get it!" Sasami yelled cheerfully as she hopped from the table and ran to the door. She opened the door to find a young man clad in black and dark green Jurain robes at the door. The man was a little taller than Tenchi, with broader shoulders and a slightly larger build. He had two bangs of black hair pulled down either side of his face with the rest pulled behind his head in a ponytail. Tsunami grew wary looking through Sasami's eyes, the stranger's appearance was not threatening, but his eyes looked out of place, they burned a lifeless yellow.
"Sasami, may I speak with Tenchi for a moment." His voice was cold and emotionless, but carried a hint of familatry in the girl's mind. Sasami stood without moving as the stranger's eyes moved past her and onto Tenchi at the table. *How did he know my name?*
"Go ahead and finish eating Sasami," Tenchi said getting up and approaching the door. "What is it you wanted?"
"Not here, may we step outside for a moment?" Tenchi nodded and the two walked to the open yard between the house and the lake. Although he couldn't prove it, he was sure he had seen this man before.
"Yes?"
The man remained silent, but quickly spun around forming a black energy sword with a flaming green edge. The simple move caught Tenchi off guard as the blade arced down right above Tenchi's head, had it not been for Tsunami he would have been cleaved in half. Tsunami instantly summoned the Light Hawk Wings around Tenchi. The blade struck them full force but the man did not back down, he just put more power into his attack. Tenchi struggled to remain standing under the force of his opponent's blow. Finally ensuring his balance, he formed the Light Hawk Sword and was able to break himself free. The two warriors leapt high into the air and landed apart from each other by the moonlit shore of the lake.
Witnessing the attack, the Misaki household had leapt from the dinner table and ran outside. Ryoko and Ayeka ran halfway into the yard transforming into their battle gear. Sasami and Mihoshi screamed and hid behind Nobuyuki as Kiyone and Washu stood at the front of the porch.
"Why you little.." Ryoko said forming her energy sword and preparing to attack.
"Stop!" Tenchi yelled holding his hand towards Ryoko halting the space pirate from advancing. "What do you want?" Tenchi yelled. *What was that? The Light Hawk Wings are almost gone, and that was just one attack! I cant risk Ryoko or Ayeka getting hurt, I need to finish this quickly.*
The man did not respond to Tenchi's inquiry, he grunted as he took flight just above the dew-laden grass and charged the Jurain Prince. Tenchi blocked the first few blows from his opponent, but was loosing too much ground. The mans' blows were hard and unforgiving, each time their swords met Tenchi's grip was pushed to the edge until his arms felt like dead weight. The man stepped forward slicing horizontally through the air and striking Tenchi's energy sword full force. The sheer strength behind the blow broke the Light Hawk Blade from Tenchi's grasp. The blade landed impaled in the shore of the lake and dissipated. The man charged again at the defenseless warrior, and Tenchi waited for the final blow.
The blade was stopped short of finding its mark by a newly formed energy bubble encasing the Jurain prince.
"Lord Tenchi!" Ayeka yelled. The Jurian princess strained fueling the energy shield that protecting him from his opponent's sword. "Azaka, Kamidake!!"
"Yes Maam!" The two log guardians rushed into the fight with their energy cannons blazing. The attacking figure leapt backward easily avoiding the guardians' attacks, and then flew high into the air at an incredible speed. Azaka and Kamidake positioned themselves directly beneath him and prepared to fire their main bean cannons, but it was two late. The figure plummeted towards earth faster than he ascended and scored a direct hit to Kamidake with a roundhouse kick, sending the damaged guardian flying into the lake. Without even turning, he seemed to effortlessly backhand Azaka sending him past the house and crashing through the forest. His eyes then turned back to Tenchi.
"Oh no you don't!!" Ryoko yelled charging the figure.
*No, please, not her.*
The clashing of their energy swords sent sparks flying into the air. Ryoko fought with almost primal rage. *I'm not losing Tenchi like this, not again!*
For some reason the figure did not advance on Ryoko, just wielded his sword with ease in deflecting her attacks.
Suddenly, Washu's computer beeped and appeared before her on the porch.
"What is it Washu?" Kiyone asked still clutching her GP issue blaster, mostly by habit seeing as the two fighters probably wielded more power than a garrison of patrol ships.
"I'm picking up some sort of interference around him." Washu said quickly typing away on her holo-laptop.
"You mean like a jamming device?"
"Exactly, but jamming what? Wait a minute... It can't be!" the speed of Washu's typing increased as she narrowed down the possibilities. "He's being controlled."
"What? You mean someone is using him like a robot."
"Yes, now if I can just omit the same frequency but in a negative form I should be able to cancel out the force that's controlling him." Washu continued to work as the fight between the mystery man and Ryoko continued. "THERE!" Washu yelled triumphantly as she pressed the infamous big red button on her computer.
Sparks cracked and engulfed the stranger's head. Straining in pain he fell to his knees. As the sparks subsided the stranger stood, and carefully watched his hand as he raised it to his face. *I..I'm moving it, what happened?* he thought overwhelmed by his situation.
"You're not going to trick me!" Ryoko yelled charging once more.
"RYOKO DON'T!!!" Washu yelled, but to no avail.
The stranger stood there and made no attempt to dodge Ryoko's energy blade speeding towards him. He let his own sword dissipate, and lowered his head with open arms, seemingly welcoming death.
Ryoko plunged her sword deep into the center of the mans chest with about a foot protruding from his back. She was so close to him he could feel her ragged breaths against his face. As the blood spilled from his wound he looked up at her. The once yellow, dead eyes now a beautiful green that radiated with a surreal glow.
"Thank you..." His last words as he slumped down to the ground, and fell.
"Thank you?" Ryoko murmured as she stood taken back by the change in the attacker.
"Ryoko, Tenchi, help me get him into the lab NOW!!!"
Tenchi, knowing better than to question Washu, ran to the man and lifted his motionless body with one arm over his shoulder.
"What? Why should we help him? He tried to kill us." Ryoko yelled regaining her flamboyant attitude.
"Because," Washu said. "HE wasn't trying to kill us, he was being controlled by someone else, and if we don't get him to my lab he will die and we will never know who is behind this!"
Ryoko gasped. He was innocent, he was a slave, he.. he was like her. Running to Tenchi's aid she draped the man's other arm over her shoulder and telaported them to Washu's infirmary.
...Well, what do you think so far? Haven't started on the next chapter but reviews will get me going. Who is the mystery attacker, is he someone the gang already knows of... Maybe, find out next time.