FIRE UPON EMERALDS

by Dude Jupiter

DISCLAIMER: I do not own any Tenchi Muyo! characters or related plots. I do not intend to profit
from this story in any way except in my own entertainment, and possibly the entertainment of
others. Tenchi Muyo! characters and related plots belong to AIC and PIONEER.
CONTACT: Either
[email protected]
or
[email protected]
Hate mail senders will receive a hearty blocking!
NOTE: Well, I can't say I've never written a serious short story! Sure, my books are all serious, but
almost all of my short stories have been comedies. The books are slow, emotional, and mental
books, with just enough action to keep you turning the pages, but my short stories have mostly
been fast-paced, emotionless pieces of action. I'll see how much emotion I can cram into a short
fic.
PRO-TENCHI+WASHUERS SCREAM FOR JOY! Normally, I am pro-Tenchi+Ryoko.
However,... well, if you want to hear my reasons for writing a Tenchi+Washu fic, you'll have to
read the author's notes at the end of the text. The story of inspiration is strange, of course. (I am
strange.) Anyways, have fun, and don't get mad if you are not pro-Tenchi+Washu. I am not
making a statement, I'm just following the strange direction of an entity known as inspiration.
REMEMBER: Think 12 new insane thoughts every day, and be mad at our US government for
destroying Napster!
NOTE: This story starts off weird.



Tenchi had a very disturbing dream that night.
Everything was blackness. Tenchi did not comprehend this blackness, since his mind was
buried within the blankets of non-consciousness. He knew nothing. He, for all he knew, didn't
even exist. Of course, he couldn't even know this.
One never can tell when dreams start. It could seem like one, for one moment, was not
dreaming, and then again, it seems as if he were. As if there had been a beginning before the
beginning, yet the story itself with no beginning.
All Tenchi knew was what he saw. In the darkness he saw shining green upon the ground.
He felt goose bumps travel up and down his arms, on the back of his neck, even on his legs. He
approached the shining green, hearing strange, ghostly music in the background.
He came to the green. He saw that they were emeralds, in all their glory, lying upon the
blackness of something, perhaps nothing. No light source could be found in the room, yet the
emeralds seemed to sparkle in reflection.
They sparkled as if they were... seeing.
Tenchi again felt shivers running through his body. He continued to watch as small flames
began to lick at the surface of the jewels. Then, suddenly, a full fire broke out upon them. The fire
hovered a few inches above the precious stones, burning no fuel, yet living in the strange, random
dance of chaos.
Tenchi watched, confused. What was happening? What did this mean?
Of course, he did not realize he was dreaming. It seemed so real, so alive. Tenchi felt a
strange presence, so strong it seemed to course through his very veins.
What was this?
There was a deafening explosion. The strange, thick dreamworld reverted rapidly into
reality, though reality not quite planting itself in Tenchi's awareness. For a moment, in the
darkness, Tenchi seemed to think he was still in the strange world of burning emeralds.
However, a flash of light, followed by another explosion, told Tenchi that this was reality,
and a storm was in progress outside. He opened his eyes fully. His room was dark, though he
could see, his eyes adapted to the dark.
Rain battered the house in a never-ending sound, like thousands of tiny soldiers trying to
use their collective efforts to destroy the huge Masaki house. Tenchi could hear the thousands of
small sounds, and the water rushing down a gutter.
Flash. Bang.
Tenchi looked over to his glowing digital clock. It said 3:00 AM.
Ugh, Tenchi thought to himself.
He closed his eyes to sleep, not even remembering his dream. The strange symbols simply
planted themselves in his mind and let themselves rest as Tenchi did.
They would arise again.
* * *
"Breakfast!"
How the world stirred to the voice of a small, Juraian, twelve-year-old girl known as
Sasami! The odors of a breakfast cooked better than some professional chefs permeated the house,
the smell itself seeming to have the strength to pull every head off its pillow, even Ryoko, an
infamous late-sleeper.
Everyone who was not already up (namely, Ryoko) got up. Ayeka had just finished
brushing her hair, and Tenchi had just stepped out of the shower. Washu stopped work on a
project. Katsuhito was out at the shrine, and Nobayuki was straightening his tie.
After all, he thought, everything must be perfect. You never know when you will run into
someone whose very presence could scorch your face. You never know where you'll find beauty.
Everyone found their way to the table. Somehow, as always, Tenchi managed to be the last
one down. And, of course...
"Tenchi, you can sit by me this morning!"
"Tenchi, you can sit by ME this morning!"
"Or, Tenchi, you could sit by ME..."
"Or me..."
And what could he do? Everyone but Sasami had just offered him a seat. This was a sticky
situation... whoever he chose to sit by there would be hurt feelings.
Unless, of course, he took the escape route...
Tenchi sighed and sat down next to Sasami. She couldn't help but giggle. Tenchi, she knew,
was very clever. He could always manage to work himself out of situations... most of the time.
Four sets of females stared at him in a silent stupor. They had all, obviously, expected him
to sit by one of them. Each one had expected him to sit by her. Except for Sasami.
Before Ryoko could teleport to the open spot, Nobayuki sat down in the spot. Of course,
had he known that Ryoko was trying to sit by Tenchi, he would not have taken the spot, ever so
happy to watch his son "develop". But, somewhat fortunately for Tenchi, his father had saved him
from upsetting anyone.
They all ate and thanked Sasami for the amazing breakfast. She had her morning's fifteen
seconds of pride, and then set immediately to work.
Tenchi went outside to begin his chores. He had a whole lot to do today, and he needed a
whole lot of time to think.
What had been wrong with him during breakfast? No one had quite noticed that he had
been acting strange, but he had been having a strange feeling. A feeling not justifiable by terms of
logic. He had felt that... something was going to happen.
That was all that could be said. Something was about to change, or happen, and it would be
bad. He felt that this something that would happen would be fairly soon, how soon he could not
tell.
Of course, perhaps these feelings were irrational. Perhaps it was just a weird morning, a
morning better spent in bed. Perhaps he had had a weird dream or something...
The fiery emeralds.
Tenchi shook his head. What? He stopped his work for just a moment and stared at the
ground. The smallest thought of a strange memory tingled at the front of his brain. What was it?
Not best to concentrate on it. As far as remembering dreams, you push it, you smoosh it. He
tried to let the details come to him at their own rate.
The darkness... the shiny emeralds... the fire... what? What could it mean? Tenchi could
only wonder.
"Tenchi!" came an old voice. Tenchi turned to see Katsuhito.
"Grandpa!" Tenchi called. "Good morning!"
"Good morning, Tenchi," Katsuhito said. "Did Nobayuki tell you?"
"About what?"
Katsuhito said, "He did not tell you about the vacation?"
Tenchi's eyes widened. "What vacation?" he asked, interested.
"Ryoko has offered to take us in Ryo-Ohki to planet Harvaei to see the Great White L'varo."
Tenchi's eyebrows drew together in confusion. "Great White L'varo?"
Katsuhito smiled. "Harvaei is a strange planet riddled with legends. They say, everything
has happened there.
"One of the greatest attractions of the planet," Katsuhito continued. "Is the Great White
L'varo. It is the largest river in that solar system, and probably the fastest-flowing one, as well. Its
continual flow at such a fast rate of so much water confuses scientists everywhere... the source of
the river seemingly has no way to be replenished, yet it continually gives trillions of gallons of
water a day."
"How big is the planet?" Tenchi asked.
"Larger than our sun. That is another riddle that continues to confuse scientists. A body
with that mass, and no way to keep its outer layers from collapsing in, like a star, should collapse
in on itself. Perhaps even become a star, if there were enough hydrogen to begin nuclear
reactions."
"Strange," Tenchi commented. "When do we leave?"
"Tomorrow," Katsuhito said.
Tenchi's jaw fell. "Tomorrow?"
"We didn't want you to have to feel like you'd have to wait forever for the trip," Katsuhito
said. "Actually, I wanted Nobayuki to tell you yesterday, but he said it'd be better to tell you
today."
"Wow," Tenchi said. "Geeze! Tomorrow!"
Katsuhito nodded. "You should be excused from chores today," he said. "So you can
prepare yourself. If I am correct, Nobayuki should be telling the girls right now. Or, concerned for
your 'development as a man', perhaps he wants you to tell them. Ryoko already knows, but
somehow she managed to keep it a secret."
Tenchi thanked his grandpa for telling him and excusing him from chores and went inside.
True to Katsuhito's words, Nobayuki let Tenchi tell all the girls.
Sasami squealed. Washu's eyes raised in interest. Mihoshi giggled. Ayeka looked excited.
Ryoko smiled knowingly.
"On planet Harvaei, you say, Tenchi?" Ayeka asked.
"Yeah," Tenchi said.
"The 'Mystery Planet'," Ayeka commented. "I've heard of it, but my father would never let
me visit it. 'Too dangerous,' he would say. 'When nature begins to play dangerous games, don't
ask to join in.'"
"I'm sure we'll be safe, though," Tenchi said.
"Yes, especially with ME to guard you, Tenchi!" Ryoko said. "Oh, imagine it! It will be so
fun protecting MY Tenchi!"
"Your Tenchi!" Ayeka said in her voice that usually indicated a fight about to start. "Why,
everyone knows that princes belong to PRINCESSES, not evil space pirates!"
"We'll see," Ryoko said, standing up, forming a sphere of energy in her hand, and gripping
it so it became an energy sword. She put it up, ready to fight.
Ayeka summoned her small guardian things which formed the protective dome around her.
Tenchi, Sasami, Mihoshi, and Washu all dove behind a couch as the ferocious battle began.
There were several powerful explosions and screams before it finally died down. Then the four
behind the couch poked up their heads.
Ryoko and Ayeka lay together on the floor, their tongues hanging out. Neither moved for a
moment, till Ryoko stirred and made a noise that sounded more like a word...
"Ouch..."
"Ugh," Ayeka grunted.
Sasami sighed to herself. "When will those two ever grow up?"
* * *
The day seemed to pass quickly. Everyone got all their things ready, planning for the
upcoming vacation that had suddenly come up.
Really, the surprise was almost... bad. Sure, they'd have a great time on the vacation, but
such short notice for something so big was just plain sudden. It left people wondering if the
vacation would really even happen.
But everyone got ready and went to bed early. They knew they'd all get up early the next
morning.
* * *
"Time to get up!" came a voice... Sasami's.
Tenchi stirred. He looked at his clock. 5:00 AM! So early? Really, Ryo-Ohki could fly
fast... faster, much faster, than light-speed, since she seemed to be able to whiz right out of the
solar system... so why wake up so early?
"Why so early?" Tenchi called.
"Because our tickets to the Shev'sti tower," Sasami called back, walking up the stairs. "They
could only be bought for the 4 o'clock slot! So we have to leave immediately."
Tenchi got up and showered quickly. He came downstairs to find everyone loading Ryo-
Ohki, who was, of course, in spaceship form. Then they began to climb into the ship and Tenchi
followed.
Ryoko took the pilot's seat, gave the command to Ryo-Ohki to head to their destination
planet, and the cabbit-ship took off.
The trip lasted a long time. The planet was a long ways off. However, it was made in
relative ease, as the passengers inside did not have to sit in chairs for 11 consecutive hours. They
were free to move around.
They finally made it to the planet and checked into a hotel they had made arrangements
with and headed off to the Shev'sti Tower.
The planet was strange. The ground was composed of red mud and dust, with red rocks
spread about. No vegetation could be seen. The sky also seemed to be red, and was covered with
grey-yellow clouds. Off in the distance, Tenchi could see, for some strange reason, blue skies,
white clouds, and the green of plant life. As if a portion of earth had been stuck there.
They rode a public transportation device, something that looked like a cross between a train
and an airplane. It had wings, and it had cars, just like a train. Each car had a set of wheels and a
set of wings. Apparently, each car also had its own engines on the back.
They rode the machine for awhile. They watched as other cars broke off from the link and
soared down to their own landing place. A little later, the car the Masaki family and friends were in
broke off and the roar of engines fired. The vehicle flew down to a landing point and touched
down softly.
"D'j'j'j l'k'Hook, D'j'j'j l'k'Hook."
"Shev'sti Tower," Ryoko translated.
"You know the local language?" Katsuhito asked.
"If I didn't," Ryoko replied. "We'd be in trouble. Yes, I picked this planet not only for its
wonders, but also because I learned the language."
"When did you learn it?" Nobayuki asked.
"Years, many years ago," Ryoko said. "Kagato had anxiously been searching for hidden
treasure on the planet, or at least legendary hidden treasure. He put the language into my brain and
had me threaten them with many things if they would not tell me where it was."
"It sounds like an interesting language," Tenchi said.
"It is," Ryoko said. "It is almost... poetic. Sounds are repeated very often, and everything
seems to follow a beat."
The gang got off the vehicle to see a towering building. It was massive. It was larger than
any building Tenchi had ever seen in his life. It soared right up past the clouds, clear out of sight.
A sign above the door of the building read, "uuuuWkfkk@m."
"The Shev'sti Tower," Ryoko said, assuming the role of tour guide. "Is the largest building
on the planet. Maybe in the whole galaxy, probably not the universe, though. Inside is nothing but
attractions. Equivalents to Earth shopping malls, movie theaters, arenas, restaurants, other alien
entertainment. A great place. I almost destroyed it, but Kagato pulled me off the planet. He had
found something more amusing for me to do, continuing the attack against Jurai."
Katsuhito, changing the subject, asked, "Why is the gravity not as intense as it should be for
a planet of this mass?"
Ryoko shrugged.
The group went inside. What they saw totally amazed them. Everything was in here. What
Ryoko had told them about plus about a trillion other things. They could stand by a moving
staircase (somewhat like an Earth elevator) and look up and see endless stories, past their range of
vision.
Another strange mystery of the planet.
There they enjoyed themselves for the next hour. The building was so popular that people
had to buy tickets into it and could only stay for their time slot. Though it was so large, people
from all over the universe came to see it and have fun.
After they left the building, they took another public transportation vehicle to the Great
White L'varo. They weren't going to do anything on the river this day. It was planned they would
go see it to fill their minds with the many adventures they would encounter on the last day of the
vacation.
Adventure was what they sought. No one knew how much adventure would be bestowed
upon them. Or at least two of them.
They all came up to the river in awe. It made the Mississippi river look like a little trickle of
water through a mud groove. It stretched beyond vision range. It surged on, spraying white foam
and water everywhere. It roared a mighty roar that could deafen one if he or she stayed here too
long.
All along the river were buildings. The group could not read the signs on the buildings, but
could see the many activities along the river. People rode all sorts of strange vehicles on the white
waters. They were very advanced vehicles and were able to battle the demonic waters with relative
ease.
They walked out on to a bridge over the river. They just kept walking until they were, what
must have been, at least half a mile out over the river. There they stood and watched.
Sasami began picking up things and throwing them into the water. She squealed in delight
every time the object she threw, no matter how big, simply vanished in the raging waters.
Tenchi was enjoying himself. The river was amazing. Like looking up at a large sky-full of
stars, it made one feel insignificant, like...
He snapped his head up. Something was wrong. Something... he sensed it, just barely...
He looked up. There, standing on one of the large crafts in the water, stood a man dressed
entirely in black. He was holding up a large device, a spherical device. It looked somewhat like an
Earth bazooka...
There was a flash. A yellow bolt screamed through the air and in no time bashed the side of
the bridge. There was a terrible explosion as the bridge was torn. The bridge metal was thrown
everywhere, just outside a ball of fire.
Having hit a support, the bridge tipped. All the people standing on the bridge slid just a
little. Everyone was still in shock from the explosion and had no idea as to what was going on.
The man on the boat just kept firing and firing, taking out multiple supports.
Finally, the bridge tipped so much that everyone standing around the point of the original
explosion slid towards the side. Tenchi felt himself sliding towards the side of the bridge, and for
the briefest of moments, he feared he'd plunge over the edge and into the waters probably 75 feet
down. He, however, landed against the railing.
Everyone else landed against the railing, except for Sasami and Washu, who slid down to a
point where the railing had been blown away. Sasami flipped around and caught a piece of the
bridge which was sticking up, but Washu had nothing like that, so she simply fell right off the
bridge.
Tenchi, though his shin burned in pain from having smacked against the railing, pushed
himself up so he was leaning against the bridge and his feet were against the railing. He walked as
fast as he could on the railing to where Sasami, crying out in terror, clung for her life to the piece
of bridge.
Tenchi reached down and pulled her up and helped her to find something solid under her
feet, being the railing. Tenchi looked around.
Mental checklist... Nobayuki, Katsuhito, Ryoko, Sasami, Mihoshi, Ayeka... Washu!
Tenchi looked around quickly, and then suddenly, his heart fell as he realized what had
happened. He looked down. Sure enough, he could see her red hair being thrown along in the
water by the current.
Almost without hesitation, he jumped off the bridge. Perhaps, for a moment, after jumping,
Tenchi thought that he had done the wrong thing. However, discarding these primitive feelings of
preservation of self, Tenchi decided that he was doing the right thing. The other life was just as, if
not more, important as his.
Tenchi saw the white waters come closer and closer. Finally, he braced himself and
straightened his body. He slid right into the water right after taking a life-saving deep breath. His
body was instantly surrounded by a terrible, chilling cold. His body was battered from every inch
by the amazingly strong current. It was as if Tenchi were confronting a gang, and he was getting
his butt whipped.
After what seemed half an eternity, Tenchi's head popped up over the water level. He
puffed out the breath he had held for who knows how long and sucked in another ragged one just
as he was sucked under again.
After another half minute, he resurfaced. He forced his eyes open as he sucked in a few
more ragged breaths. He quickly looked around. He could... see a mass of red hair bobbing up to
the surface. For the briefest of moments, he felt darts of agony go through him as he witnessed
another living being's agony; He could see Washu's innocent face, eyes closed. It popped up from
the water in a twisted expression of short breath, the mouth sucking in breaths. Then, just as soon
as it started, it ended. Tenchi saw Washu being sucked under, then he felt himself being sucked
under.
Tenchi swam with the current. He did not add much speed to the speed he already had, but
it would bring him closer to Washu. He swam until he managed to resurface again, when he
quickly refilled his lungs again as best as he could before he was taken down again.
He had no idea anymore where she was. He could not see through the water. In fact, Tenchi
wouldn't even open his eyes in this water, due to natural human instincts. His brain obviously
feared damage to the eyes if opened, and he could not seem to force them open.
He surface again just in time to see something red duck under the surface, perhaps twenty
feet away. He breathed hard before being pulled down again, and he swam towards where he
believed he saw Washu.
The next time he saw her, which was two resurfacings later, he was at an even level in the
downstream movement as her, but he was now at least thirty feet away from her.
Tenchi, for some miraculous reason, managed to stay above the water level for the next ten
seconds. In that time, he exerted himself as much as he felt safe to swim in the direction of Washu,
who he could not see during any of that time.
Tenchi's mind was racing. He could think of little logical things, no matter how much he
had trained. His life kept seeming to go almost out of his grasps, only to seem to return. Was Fate
playing with him before killing him? Several times Tenchi believed he had been had, that he was
experiencing his last moments.
Tenchi felt his body go down again. He kept swimming under water.
He felt his head bob up. There was Washu, right in front of him, maybe a foot away! Her
head poked up, she coughed desperately, threw a hand out of the water, and drew in a broken
breath.
Her hand.
Tenchi reached out and grabbed it.
At this moment, almost everything was instinct. Washu, having lost a logical train of
thought and having reverted to a primitive feeling of self preservation, quickly recognized
Tenchi's hand as not something to help her calm herself, but saw it as a support for a breath. Not
even completely realizing what she was doing, she yanked the rest of Tenchi to her and climbed
him. Tenchi felt himself thrust down by Washu.
Oh, geeze! Tenchi thought to himself, not quite in words, but in more of a type of
realization. She's drowning, and she's panicking.
Tenchi simply held his breath and let Washu have hers. Then he calmly pulled himself up.
When he was up, he pulled Washu back up.
He saw her face break through the white waters. Her face was pale with cold, and her lips
were starting to darken. Tenchi felt her arms, shaking desperately, wrap around him. She breathed
raggedly.
"Was... wash... Washu!" Tenchi said between moments of having his head dunk under only
to resurface. "Calm down! We'll sur... vive! But... we need to h... hold onto each other... no m...
matter what!"
Washu made no response.
Tenchi, beginning to feel weak, light-headed, and the cold losing its chill, shouted through
trembling lips.
"We... have to stay t... together!"
A subconscious thought. Tenchi knew that they needed each other. If they both rolled up
on shore, somehow, and one was unconscious, unless the other was there, the unconscious one
would die. Or something similar.
Tenchi and Washu sped along for what seemed an eternity. All the time, Tenchi pushed to
swim towards the shore.
After a while, Tenchi realized that he and Washu were lost to the grave almost beyond a
shadow of a doubt. It had not occurred to him yet, but they would most likely drown before they
reached the shore, at the slow rate they were moving towards it.
The surroundings changed. Every time Tenchi resurfaced with Washu, he noticed the sky
getting bluer and bluer. He saw the ground turning from red to dark red to brown, to, eventually,
black. He saw vegetation.
Washu was struggling less and less as the moments passed. She began to rest more fully in
Tenchi's arms with each passing moment.
Tenchi swam for all he was worth, wracking himself in pain. He knew Washu was
drowning, and he had to save...
A branch! Tenchi's arm flew out of the water and caught the low-hanging, thick branch
before he was even sure what had happened. In a moment he gained awareness that he was being
slammed all over by the raging waters.
With determination like steel, he held on to Washu while inching his way towards the shore.
After what seemed forever, Tenchi dropped Washu onto the shore and jumped on himself.
He immediately pulled her further away from the shore until he was sure the river would never
reach them. Then he immediately began first aid procedures.
Check for pulse. There was a pulse. Check for breathing. No breathing.
Tenchi himself felt barely conscious, definitely dazed. He could not remember everything
he had learned about first aid and everything, but he did what seemed most logical...
Shouldn't start CPR, Tenchi thought. Of course start assisted breathing...
(CPR = Cardio Pulmonary Russucitation, I think, cardio- referring to heart. No need to start
a heart that's already ticking...:) I'm definitely not a doctor or a RN, so don't sue me if I get a lot of
this wrong! Take away my Boy Scout First-Aid merit badge, whatever...)
Tenchi immediately started breathing into her. She started choking, and Tenchi rolled her so
she could empty her lungs onto the ground.
Tenchi continued to assist her in breathing until she began to breath on her own. Other than
that, Tenchi didn't know what to do. Of course, treat for shock and possible hypothermia... He
stripped himself and her of everything but the essentials of modesty and quickly set out to gather
wood.
It didn't take him long. Apparently, he was in a forest of some sort. He grabbed the nearest
sticks and brought them back to the clearing where Washu was.
Tenchi dropped the sticks on the ground. He reached into his pocket and sighed the most
relieved sigh in his life as he felt a small, waterproof tube. He pulled it out, unscrewed the cap, and
pulled out a match.
The sticks were dry and lit correctly. He lit the sticks and then went over to Washu and held
her against him, so the two could share body heat until the fire got going.
The water had been frigid cold, even though it wasn't that cold outside. Of course, water
didn't change temperatures very quickly, especially such a vast quantity. Perhaps it always
remained cold. Tenchi couldn't know.
It hadn't been a very warm day. And now it was getting colder. Tenchi's watch read 6:48 as
the time, but it was already growing dark. Well, of course... perhaps this planet spun around faster
than Earth. Who knew. Tenchi didn't.
Washu felt like a piece of ice in his arms. Tenchi was sure he felt the same. However, in a
while, they warmed up, and the fire got going. Washu was still unconscious even when night set.
After the fire got going very well, Tenchi put Washu down by the fire at a comfortable but
safe distance from it. Then he set out to take care of some things.
He put all their clothes next to the fire. His next concern was keeping the fire going all
night, so he gathered all the wood he could find. His next concern was wild animals, so he
gathered a large collection of long and sturdy sticks and several rocks.
All taken care for, Tenchi thought wearily. All that had happened thus far weighed heavily
on him. He yawned in sleepiness...
No, stay awake, Tenchi told himself.
He plodded back to the fire and sat down. He hadn't strayed too far from the fire...
definitely not with an unconscious person lying there alone and unprotected.
Tenchi kept an eye out. Them both stripped down to only undergarments until the fire dried
the clothes, Tenchi kept his eyes averted to retain Washu's dignity. Of course, she would never
know if Tenchi did cast a glance at her, but then Tenchi's conscience would be on him if he told
Washu that he had let her keep her privacy and he really hadn't.
Tenchi tried to stay awake to keep guard, but he couldn't. Not after all that exertion. He just
closed his eyes for one moment, he told himself, to rest them. And he didn't reopen them; he had
fallen asleep moments after closing them.
* * *
Tenchi heard a buzzing.
Dumb alarm clock!
Tenchi reached over and tried to hit the snooze button, for some reason feeling so tired he'd
swear he'd only fallen asleep a couple hours ago.
Tenchi hear a quiet slap. It sounded almost like... flesh?
Tenchi suddenly realized he was not lying down in a warm bed, but hunched over, sitting
on hard ground. And he was not indoors.
His eyes snapped open. He was outside. He was... in a forest.
The memories of what had happened came flooding back. And, although everything was as
Tenchi had remembered it, it seemed like all of it had been a dream, something that had happened
while he was asleep. So far away.
Tenchi felt a sinking feeling in his stomach. Now, confronted with a brand-new morning,
the reality of his situation weighed heavily upon him. This was really happening. He was lost on a
huge planet with no idea what to do.
Well, of course. He'd follow the river back upstream, carrying Washu, if necessary.
Washu! Tenchi looked down to where his palm was. It was resting on her forehead. Her
eyes were still closed. She had not moved all night.
Tenchi knew he was dry, as was she. He looked at their clothes. They, too, were dry.
The fire was only gray coals. It gave off no heat that could be felt, but it smoked lightly.
Tenchi approached it and could feel a little heat.
This fire had not gone out long ago. Tenchi noted on his watch that not many hours ago he
had checked his watch... before going to sleep. It had not been that long.
It had turned dark at, what... 7:00 PM, according to Tenchi's watch. His watch now read
5:00 AM. It had been 10 hours...
Tenchi looked at the sun. It was just past sunrise. So, using this data, Tenchi arrived at the
fact that the planet had, roughly, a 20-hour day, assuming that each half lasted approximately 10
hours. 4 hours less than Earth. The adjustment would be hard to this time setting, but...
Tenchi wondered how far he had gone from the bridge. Many miles, most likely. The
current had battered he and Washu along at an amazing speed. Perhaps over a hundred miles, for
all Tenchi knew. He had no idea.
Washu still unconscious, Tenchi clothes himself and her. Then he took a vine off a nearby
tree, tied it to one of his sticks, and threw it over his back, just in case he needed a weapon and
there wasn't one handy.
It occurred to Tenchi that he could use the LightHawk Wings, but he was sure Katsuhito
had said that this planet had something in its atmosphere that blocked off Juraian powers... Tenchi
could go with the assumption that nothing could block such a power, but that would be unwise.
What if he was confronted with an enemy and tried to form the LightHawk Sword, only to have a
few sparks appear? And then what? No, he needed to be prepared for anything.
Tenchi picked Washu up. He began to walk towards the massive roar of the river, down the
slope, until, once again, he faced the surging hell. He looked at it in weariness. That river could
have claimed his life, had it not been for that branch...
...Branch? Tenchi looked all around. There was no branch hanging out over the water at all.
Tenchi looked out in confusion, wondering what had happened. Or if anything had happened.
Were he and Washu dead? No, he decided. I feel to alive for that.
He began carrying Washu upstream, staying away from the fearful river, yet remaining on
its shores. He walked on and on, carrying the limp form in his hands.
"Heroic," came a voice.
Tenchi spun. There, on the beach, was a man... no, THE man. The man dressed completely
in black. At his side was the large weapon he had used yesterday.
Tenchi tried to summon the LightHawk Wings, but felt nothing. Not even that sensation that
had coursed through his veins like before.
Tenchi carefully put Washu down and stepped in front of her. At this point, there was only
one thing to do; go down fighting. He reached behind his back and pulled his stick out in front of
him.
"Honestly," the man said. "You're going to try to defeat me with THAT?"
Tenchi nodded. "I'll do my best."
"Of course," the man said, looking thoughtful. "I could easily kill you and the woman with
a simple pull of a trigger. But two factors will keep me from that... #1. What's the fun of that? And,
#2, I can't face a boy with a stick, as a man with a huge laser bazooka. It would simply be...
savagery."
Tenchi held his weapon, ready to fight.
The man cast his weapon aside. "You defeat me, I let you and your lady live. I defeat you,
you must cast the lady into the river."
Tenchi's eyes widened. "But... what about me?"
"I don't care about you," the man said. "If your conscience is heavy on you, you can join
her in her icy, and very wet, grave. I only want her dead."
"Why?!" Tenchi demanded.
"I have my reasons," the man said. "Now!"
Tenchi watched as the man tossed off his long, dark cape and pulled a small, spherical
metallic device from his side. Tenchi watched as the man pressed a button and a long, glowing
blade shot out from one end.
"Hey..." Tenchi said, not believing what he was seeing. "I... thought you wanted to fight
fair!"
"Yes."
"Then... why are you going to use a laser sword?"
"Not laser," the man said. "Energy, energy that solidifies." The man, to prove to Tenchi that
his weapon held no advantage to Tenchi's, reached up with his hand and batted at the glowing
blade. The blade reacted as if it were a normal, wooden pole.
Tenchi sighed. But, he decided. Now was not the time for relief.
Tenchi and the man drew close, holding their swords in front of them. For a few minutes,
they simply circled each other, shooting halfhearted attacks at the other, both sizing up the other,
prying for weaknesses.
Tenchi made a weak slash to the man's left. The man blocked, and Tenchi circled a little
more before slicing at the man's right. That's when Tenchi noticed the man's torso, as if in reaction,
jerk away from the blade, while at the same time the man blocked.
Tenchi attempted another attack to the right. This time, the reaction was a little more
controlled, but it still occurred.
Tenchi made a mental note: the man favors his right side.
Tenchi quickly changed direction in his circling. He noted that the man did not turn as
quickly as a normal person would. Perhaps an ankle injury? Tenchi didn't know. He only knew
that another weakness existed.
Tenchi waited for the right moment. Tensions were building, and one of them would have
to snap into the real battle before long. And Tenchi wanted to be the one to assault the man with
the first attack to give him the element of surprise.
So, finally, Tenchi lunged to the right. He swung his sword as hard as he could. The man, a
little surprised that the boy would initiate the real fight, was a little delayed in blocking. However,
he moved his weapon. It successfully blocked Tenchi's weapon, but unfortunately for the man, the
momentum in Tenchi's swing caused the man's own weapon to smash into his right side.
The man cried out in agony as Tenchi felt something give way. Perhaps a bone snapping.
The man, in deep pain, fell to his knees. Tenchi brought his sword back and smashed in on the
side of the man's head. The dark figure fell into the sand.
Tenchi, claiming the victory, knocked the man's weapon away and pointed the end of his
own into the man's throat. The man opened his eyes in pure shock and stared at the boy.
"Defeated by a boy!" the man finally said, a note of shame in his voice. He reached back
behind his head and nervously scratched his hair.
Tenchi smiled triumphantly. "I have won," he said. "You shall let me live."
The man nodded and, with a "yes", brought his hand back from behind his head. Tenchi
suddenly realized there was a small object in the man's hand. The man smiled. Before Tenchi even
knew what happened, he saw some large, green electricity bolts flash out from the device and
smash into his chest. Tenchi felt a terrible pain and everything went black.
* * *
Thoughts, awareness, and reality evaded Tenchi for who knew how long. He was not aware
of anything. Darkness that could not be comprehended as existing. Nothing.
Until he had the realization that he was alive. His chest ached. It was dark, Tenchi knew. He
opened his eyes to find it dark, just as he had thought.
He was completely devoid of memories until he saw his surroundings. A forest, yes. No
moon tonight, though he remembered last night seeing two... one a little less bright than Earth's
own moon, one barely visible.
As he remembered everything that had happened up to this point, he came to the realization
that he no longer heard the roar of the mighty river.
He also came to the stunning realization that he was alive.
He sat up and, through the bottom of his vision, saw a brief and very faint flutter of light.
He looked down to see, dimly through the dark, something white. Perhaps paper. He closed his
fingers around it, and it was as he had guessed.
Tenchi used the glow on his watch to light up the paper. He could barely make out what the
note said, but with concentration he managed to read it.
"Well," the note said. "I said I'd let you live if you won, and I am always true to my word. I
just didn't tell you HOW I'd let you live."
A cryptic message. One with underlying meaning, that being danger.
Tenchi looked to his side and was very relieved to see the small form of Washu. Tenchi
leaned over and patted her on the cheek. "Awake yet?"
"Unh..." came a response.
Tenchi gasped. "Washu? You awake?!"
"Ugh," Washu said softly. "Wh... where am I? It's so dark... did I die?"
"Are you afraid you're about to face eternal damnation?" Tenchi asked with a laugh.
Washu bolted up, nearly hitting Tenchi. With a desperate voice, she gasped, "Tenchi?!"
"I'm here," he replied.
"What happened?" Washu asked.
"We almost died," Tenchi said.
Washu was silent a moment before continuing. "I... remember... My life was ending.
Someone was holding onto me... and then it all went away. It was all gone."
"You're okay," Tenchi said. "Well... I think. I don't know where we are right now."
"What do you mean?"
Tenchi proceeded to tell Washu everything he knew. He started with swimming to her in
the river, proceeded to tell her the medical aid he'd given her, the first night, the fight. Up to the
present.
"Oh," Washu said simply when Tenchi was done.
"Yeah," Tenchi said, rubbing his head, feeling a headache coming on.
"I'm very tired," Washu said. "I... hope I haven't suffered... brain damage from this...
'experience'."
"Nah," Tenchi said thoughtfully. "I don't think anything could destroy a mind like yours."
Washu was silent for a long moment. Then, suddenly, he felt Washu throw herself into his
arms and her body begin to shake in tears. She cried for just a moment.
"I thought I was going to *die*!" she cried into his chest.
Tenchi put his arms around her comfortingly, backed up, and leaned against a tree. He
closed his eyes and rested.
* * *
"Surely Miss Washu will behave herself!" said a fretting Ayeka, who was pacing back and
forth across the room in growing anxiety. "They might have landed somewhere in that forest on
the horizon... and what then? I'm sure that's a very private place!"
"Ayeka, calm down!" Sasami said, grabbing her sister's wrist in an attempt to stop the
pacing. Ayeka, however, broke free and continued as if Sasami had never done anything, never
spoken or even tried to stop her.
Suddenly, Ayeka stopped in her tracks and spun. "Did you say to CALM DOWN?!" she
said in disbelief. "You KNOW how Washu can be! Sure, she's all innocent at times, but
EVERYONE'S got a bad side, and when she reverts to hers, believe me, it's bad!"
"They're experiencing a tragedy!" Sasami told her sister. "I don't think Washu will be
naughty!"
There was a knock on the door. Ayeka turned and bolted to it. She peeked out the door
hole before throwing it open. Katsuhito stood in the door.
"DID YOU FIND HIM?!" Ayeka asked frantically.
"No," Katsuhito said. "I came to tell you no one found a sign of him, they are still
searching. Ryoko has regained consciousness and..."
"I don't want to hear about Ryoko!" Ayeka said in desperation. "Where's Tenchi?!"
"I have no idea!" Katsuhito said. "I can't feel his Jurai energy... this planet blocks access to
Juraian energy, for some reason."
"Just great!" Ayeka sighed.
"I also came to tell you about some research I've done on the planet." Katsuhito paused for
a moment before continuing. "Apparently, this planet seems to have a mind of its own. It has a
will, and it has nearly infinite power to accomplish its will. It can use its powers as it pleases on
this planet, but only this planet.
"Apparently, there has been an entire religion founded upon this planet's will. Ancients had
their certain ways, according to history books, to actually *hear* the planet talking. They wrote
the Books of the Will, which has, seemingly, been forever lost. They had a few exerpts from the
Books, however, recovered by unknown means, and I think you will find one of them most
interesting."
"What?!" Ayeka asked, eyes widening. "Does it have to do with Tenchi?"
Katsuhito said, "You decide. The exerpt I read says...
...And the blood of a prince from afar shall touch the grounds;
He shall bring with him Lady Emerald, who wears a crown of fire,
A dress of foreign lands, foreign worlds,
And shall be as a child, though older than the old, and wiser than the wise.
The prince, Sir Dark, shall wear a crown of night;
He shall come to the Holy House with nothing but Lady Emerald
And the branch of a tree.
And the two shall be attacked by the Dark One.
He...
"And that's all there was," Katsuhito said. "In the titles of their names, you will note that the
colors, such as Emerald and Dark, could represent their eye colors, and their 'crowns' are their
hair. It says they shall come from afar, perhaps 'foreign worlds'. They describe Lady Emerald as a
child... in the old days on this planet, anyone under a certain height was considered a child. And
the branch of a tree would be, I think, Tenchi's first weapon-of-choice if he knew he were blocked
from Juraian energy and he had nothing about him than trees. Also, they *were* attacked by a
Dark One... I saw a man, dressed entirely in black, standing on a boat in the river, holding a
weapon, before the explosions."
"That all sounds more like prophecy!" Ayeka said. "I thought you said the planet could not
affect anything but itself."
"We shall never know the truth of these matters, I don't think," Katsuhito replied. "The
power is one far greater than I can comprehend. Perhaps it can affect things outside of itself. I
don't think I'll ever know."
"Great!" Ayeka said. "What next?"
"Mihoshi is worried about you," Katsuhito said, changing the subject completely. "She only
sees you worrying. Of course, she is worried to death herself, but she sees that you are taking it
much worse."
"I'm taking it just as fine as anyone else," Ayeka said.
"You haven't eaten for two days," Katsuhito said. "The last 'meal' you had was a cracker."
"Eh..." Ayeka said. Then she added obstinately, "Well, I'm just worried, that's all!"
"Eat," Katsuhito said, holding out a small tray with cookies. He also held out a small cup of
steaming tea.
Ayeka looked at the food longingly. Then, suddenly, she realized how hungry she was. She
reached out and practically ate the tray along with the cookies, the cup along with the tea.
Ayeka, for probably the first time in her life, belched loudly for several seconds. "Excuse
me!" she said immediately.
"Sit down," Katsuhito said.
Ayeka, feeling a little tired, did that. She fell into a nearby chair.
"Relax," Katsuhito said.
Ayeka, subconsciously did.
'Hey!' Ayeka thought suddenly before the effects of the drink took place. 'I've been
drugged!'
Katsuhito watched Ayeka fight to keep her eyes open, but she lost the battle. He watched
her slump into the chair.
"YOU KILLED HER!" Sasami screamed.
Katsuhito laughed lightly. "No, I just gave her extremely powerful sleeping pills. She hasn't
slept in over 36 hours... she needs to rest or she'll die from lack of sleep!"
Sasami shook her head. "I don't know why she's so darn worried," she said. "I know Tenchi
will come back. He always has."
* * *
Tenchi and Washu continued on into the forest.
Tenchi had decided that going east, following the sun, would be the best chance at getting
back to the city, to the bridge, to home. Tenchi had noted, just before encountering the strange
man dressed in black, that he had been traveling eat along the river. He had simply glanced at the
sun, for no apparent reason, and had decided he was going east.
Of course, for all Tenchi knew, he could be traveling north. But he called it east since that
was the direction he would have been heading, had he been on Earth.
The forest, practically a dense jungle like those on Earth now, was thick and hard to get
through. There were foreign plants all over the place. There were strange flowers, trees, brush, and
other strange things. Tenchi could have sworn one plant back about half a kilometer had had
appendages of some sort.
They continued on, ignoring their hunger for the present. They couldn't find anything they
thought was edible, and Washu had none of her devices which could tell her. So they kept going
until Tenchi found his first wild life of the planet.
It was a small animal, resembling a squirrel, with eight legs and four eyes. It ran along the
ground. Tenchi picked up a rock and prepared to throw it.
Then the creature stood up on its haunches and yelled, "Eh! K'varo Le toto nodo
AKKKKKhhhhhh!!!"
Tenchi, horrified, let down the rock a little. The little thing was speaking to him! How could
he eat something that spoke to him?!
Tenchi shook his head. Survival was important, and this was the first life he had seen in a
long time that looked like it could be eaten. There had been no berries, no fruit, no nothing except
for strange leaves that, for all Tenchi knew, could explode.
Tenchi threw the rock. The creature, not having suspected attack, got hit in the head. It fell
limp, and Tenchi moved in and finished it off with his weapon.
Tenchi proceeded to cook the thing. It was much larger than a squirrel, and served as a
somewhat decent meal. It was very tasty. And the amazing thing was, it did not taste just like
chicken. (As all meats on Earth have a tendency to do, especially when parents are trying to
convince children to eat, or when friends are convincing friends to eat some kind of crazy meat)
Then the two continued on into the rapidly darkening forest. Several times Tenchi had to
stop to cut vines or brush out of the way, when there was no other path to take.
Tenchi came upon one such situation just before dark fell. He came upon a thick wall of
vines in his path. To his left was a cliff, and to his right was an even thicker wall of vines. So,
Tenchi began hacking at the vines with his branch, and tearing at them. Finally, he moved them,
and peeked through into... a clearing.
Tenchi stepped into the seeming room carved into the forest. As soon as he did, he gasped.
This seemed to be a village!
Hopefully not of the small rodent creatures which Tenchi had eaten just a while ago...
The village seemed dead. It was composed of several hollowed-out rocks. There were holes
for doors and windows. There was a fireplace filled with ashes, a large barrel of water, and other
things like that. An ancient village.
At the center was what appeared to be a wooden dome. It had no entrances which Tenchi
could discern, no windows, no nothing. Just a strange dome.
To Tenchi's surprise, the curtain over a door on one of the buildings stirred. It was pushed
aside and a man with blue skin stepped out. He looked pretty much just like an old human except
for his blue skin: long, gray hair (thinning out), long gray beard, and old-looking skin. He wore a
pair of what looked like pants.
The man, not having heard Tenchi come, was obviously surprised. He immediately
straightened up and his eyes turned from their brown-on-white to completely red. He raised his
hands to just above his shoulders and spread his palms. Immediately, small whisps of what looked
like colored mist began to swirl around his open palms.
The man looked at Tenchi and Washu through his red eyes for a moment. Then the red
faded away, and his normal eye color returned. He dropped his hands.
"Sir Dark and Lady Emerald?" he asked in a shaking voice.
"Excuse me?" Tenchi said, thoroughly confused.
The man spread his palms and put on a look that made him look on the verge of tears. "The
Great Will of the Planet lives!" he said in a shaking voice. "Praise be to Gert'sti, they've come!"
Tenchi stared, stupefied. What was the man talking about?
"Oh, you know not of the roles you play?" the man asked.
"No," Tenchi said.
"And we can understand each other..." the man said. "Yet we speak different languages."
That was the first time Tenchi noticed that. He had been perfectly understanding this
foreign language, as if it had been English (Or, more correctly, Japanese) to him! And he had
spoken the language just as easily and fluently, as if he had learned it and had used it half his life.
"How... do I speak this language?" Tenchi asked.
"You don't have to know it," the man said. "It is the language of the universe, or at least that
is what Gert'sti has told me. Perhaps he has lied, and this is only the language of the planet, but in
any case, it can be spoken naturally."
"Wow," Tenchi said. "Who's Gert'sti?"
"He tells me he is a god," the old man replied. "I sometimes hear his voice from the mouth
of the planet. He tells me he is god. I know not if this is true or not, but he has given me many
things, or at least so he claims, so I have chosen to believe him."
"Wouldn't you know if he were a god?" Tenchi asked.
"Well..." the man said unsurely. "I... he has given me rain, and light..."
"The clouds give you rain," Tenchi said. "And the sun gives you light. Gert'sti is lying."
The man nodded. "Anything you say, Sir Dark, prince of lands afar! Gert'sti speaks heresy,
so says the Sir Dark! Thus it is so!"
"But I may be lying as well," Tenchi said. "Perhaps I am lying and Gert'sti is telling the
truth."
The man stared dumbly at Tenchi, apparently not knowing what to do.
"Don't trust everything you hear," Tenchi said. "Believe what you know to be true."
After a moment of thought, the man said, "Well, I believe the planet over all, and he told
me all about you... so I can trust you," the man said. "The planet has never, ever lied to me."
"Eh? The planet talks to you?" Tenchi asked, beginning to fear that the man was a little out
of it. He could envision someone hiding in what the man considered the 'mouth of the planet' and
tricking him, but to dream that the very planet was talking to him?
"Yes, yes!" the man said. "It has told me countless things of great importance! He told me
you would come and defeat the Dark One..."
"Hold on," Tenchi said. "Why do you think the planet talks to you?"
The man, realizing what Tenchi thought, put on a look of complete graveness. "I am not out
of my mind," the man said. "No, if anyone is out of his mind, it is you, thinking you speak a
language you have never even heard!"
Tenchi thought that one over for a moment. The old guy had a point.
"How does the planet speak to you?" Washu asked.
"It is a great, misty pit, the mouth of the planet. From there it speaks to me." The old man
motioned to the two. "Come, come into my hut! I have things to show you! Many things the planet
has told me! Then I must send you off on your way to defeat the Dark One."
Tenchi looked and Washu, and Washu looked at Tenchi. She shrugged. They followed the
man into his hut.
It was very small. The two had to stoop just to enter, and they had to stoop to move around.
The old man plopped down on the floor, and Tenchi and Washu did the same. Then the man
produced a book. Its covers were wooden, and the papers inside looked homemade (which, of
course, they were). The man opened the book.
Inside were pictures of Tenchi and Washu, sketched with a black chalk-like substance. The
two stared in awe at the amazingly accurate details. The drawings had been done professionally,
and the likeness to the images and reality was astonishing.
The book had pictures of them on their quest. It showed them on the bridge, them in the
water, the first night, the following day, the fight, and leading up to the present. Finally, it had a
picture of the two looking at the book of pictures.
They saw in vivid detail the destruction of the bridge. Washu saw herself helplessly falling,
and a sketch of Tenchi leaping off. It went on to show Tenchi in his struggles to reach Washu.
It showed a sketch of that single moment that had so affected Tenchi in the waters, of
Washu's agony to get a breath. Tenchi felt his stomach turn at the extreme detail. As if viewing a
memory.
It showed Tenchi reaching up to the branch that had been there, but not there in the
morning. And Tenchi pulling them up on shore.
When the page was turned to the first night, Washu gasped and said, "Tenchi, you took off
my *clothes*? While I was unconscious? Were you trying to take advantage of me?!"
Tenchi gulped. "Uh... standard procedures for treating for hypothermia!" he put in quickly
and nervously. "You could have died if those wet clothes had stayed on too long!"
The man turned the page to Tenchi holding Washu.
"Oh, well, that's nice!" she put in. "I wish I had been awake to enjoy that!"
Tenchi got to see himself readying to take off in the morning, and his journey. That went on
until he encountered the strange enemy man. There were several sketches of the fight, and of
Tenchi's victory. Washu, sitting beside him, seemed very impressed.
It showed the man shooting Tenchi with whatever it had been. Then the two waking up
later, and their journey. Finally to the blue man's house.
The man turned the page. The page was blank.
"This," the man said. "Is already drawn. However, since it has not yet happened, you are
not allowed to see it. The planet prevents you from seeing your future."
Tenchi stared at the page, not certain whether to believe the man or not. There had to be
some kind of explanation...
"Incredible!" Washu said, leaning towards the book. "Who drew these, and what were your
methods of looking into the past and future?"
With modesty, the man replied, "I drew these." Then he continued, "The planet tells me of
things, and sometimes shows me things. He showed me these things over a thousand years ago. I
have been waiting ever since then for the arrival of Sir Dark and Lady Emerald."
"You can call me Tenchi," Tenchi said.
"And you can call me Washu," Washu put in.
"Yes, as you say, Tenshi and Wayshoo. Ah - come, I have more to show you! I must give
you some clues about your future to help you along! If you can complete certain tasks, the planet
will make sure you are safe and live!"
Tenchi and Washu followed the old man out of the house. Just after exiting, he turned and
said, "Oh, forgive me! I am so exited, I forgot to introduce myself! I am Yobo, leader of Tribe...
well, the tribe's dead, so, really, I'm leader of myself." With a chuckle, he added, "And I have no
trouble keeping the citizens in line."
Tenchi and Washu paid their respect and laughed, though the joke was a bit stale. Yobo led
them to the large, wooden dome in the center of the dead tribe. There he stopped and looked at
Tenchi and Washu.
"Eh... I have not opened this for a long time," he said. "So... it might take just a while."
The man lifted his hands and placed them on the outside of the dome. Then he spoke...
"O planet, hear me now!
Open your great shrine!
If your great Will will allow
These secrets to be mine."
Then he proceeded to say some old chant that went something like, "Oh ma chee chee lay...
Oh ra go va naeyh... Oh ma chee chee lay... Oh ra go va naeyh..."
He continued to chant these words until the dome began to glow white. Soon the entire
dome was shining brightly, glowing. Then Yobo lifted his arms and the entire dome went up with
it, the other end staying down, as if hinged. It was as if the man were lifting a door. And the "door"
must have been at least a couple tons.
Finally, the "door" was open enough. Yobo stopped chanting, and the dome stopped
glowing. He removed his hands and stepped back. Under the dome, which Tenchi saw was solid
wood, was a square staircase leading down into the ground as far as he could see into the
darkness.
"AIYE!" Yobo shouted. Suddenly, the entire hallway lit up as if lit by electric lights, yet
Tenchi could see no source of light. He could only see the light.
"Down we must go," Yobo said. "Down there we find the secrets of the planet."
"Okay," Tenchi said. He made a motion towards the stairs, but the old man stopped him.
"You cannot go down yet," he said. "There is a certain way to get to the bottom."
"Is there a maze or something?" Tenchi asked.
"No," the man said. "You must not use your feet to get the entire way down. It is much too
far. You must go down in a spiritual way."
"Okay," Tenchi said.
"To get down," the man said. "You must not concentrate on walking. You must begin to
walk down, one at a time. Then forget you are even walking. Just start walking down. Keep
walking and walking and walking, just staring down into the blackness. Soon you will loose
awareness, and you will simply find yourself at the bottom."
"Eh... So I just... walk until I seem to be at the bottom?"
"Yes."
"How long does that take?" Washu asked.
"For people new to the job, it can take a full day," the man said. "But that is for the most
weak-minded people. For them, it is less spiritual, and more tiredness. They just keep walking until
they get so sleepy they actually fall somewhat asleep, and wake up at the bottom."
"How do you know all this?" Washu asked. "I thought you said people go down the stairs
one at a time." She was obviously intrigued with how ancients held so much powers. She had her
inventions, Tenchi knew, but what did these... uh... this person have? Only his mind.
"I sense things," Yobo said. "I sense when people have reached the bottom, and how they
have reached the bottom. I just sense everything."
"Wow," Washu said. "Tenchi, isn't that amazing?!"
"Yeah," Tenchi said.
"The young man may go first," Yobo said. "Just remember... forget you're even walking.
Just let your mind drift."
Tenchi stepped forwards and down onto the first step. As he went down, he noted that only
a certain portion of the hallway before and ahead of him was lit; the rest was dark. As if he were
carrying a torch. But still he could detect no light sources.
The entrance, which had been allowing light into the staircase, became dark, though
nothing, apparently, was placed over it.
Tenchi gulped, swallowed brief fear, and walked on into the strange unknown.
* * *
Ryoko gasped and bolted upright.
*She had seen Tenchi!*
He was in someplace... small. But where? And dark. And lonely, quiet...
Tenchi! Where are you? she thought.
Outside the room sat Mihoshi and Nobayuki, each waiting for news on Ryoko. Ryoko had
been very badly injured in the explosions. She must have been; such a tough space pirate didn't go
down that easy. The doctors had seen no way that she sustained as much injuries as she had.
The Masakis and friends were just plain lucky that none of them had, yet, found out that
Ryoko was an alien, and that's how she had sustained such damage! All the doctors, having
mostly been atheists up to this day, had suddenly found religions more interesting!
Neither Nobayuki nor Sasami knew that Ryoko was awake. Sasami sat asleep, leaned back
in her chair, while Nobayuki sipped a cup of coffee thoughtfully. Normally, one would be down-
and-out after experiencing the things he had experienced, but, no, Nobayuki was always the
same...
"Long day, eh?" he heard himself say.
The nurse, very attractive and in white Nobayuki found to be very appealing attire, glanced
his way and smiled. "Yes."
Nobayuki instantly reverted to get-the-chick mode. He motioned to his cup of coffee. "How
'bout some coffee to calm things down? My treat."
"Don't be too generous," the nurse said. "The coffee here's free."
"Uh..." Nobayuki said, beginning to feel the pangs of embarrassment. "Eh... that is to say...
I could take you to a nice coffee shop or something!"
"I'd not be surprised if that coffee maker, the one you got yours from, is the only one on
this entire planet."
"Unh..." Nobayuki searched for a way to cover up his blunder. But, as usual, there was no
way to back out of the corner. Usually, in a situation like this, the only thing to do would be to run
and hide, but Nobayuki finally gave up. After all these years, he was tired with his bad luck. He
finally caved in.
"AAAAA!" he said, tearing out his hair. "I give up! I will never again try to 'pick up
chicks'! From now on I resolve to build friendships and let it rest there! AAAAA!"
The nurse walked in Nobayuki's direction. She sat down next to him. "Now, I could go for
a guy like that," she said softly. "One who doesn't think big of himself and actually holds a
relationship..."
In the next moment Nobayuki's resolve almost completely shattered. However, by sheer
strength of will, he decided to keep it.
* * *
Tenchi could have sworn that just a moment ago he had been on the stairs.
He had been walking and, as directed, let his mind drift. He was caught in thoughts of
things other than the stairs, and walking down them had become just a subconscious procedure.
He had almost not been aware he was even walking, and suddenly he had snapped into reality in
this room.
A light lit the center of the room. There was still no source of the light. There was just a
glow which lit the center of the room and faded into darkness. Tenchi had tried walking to the
edge of the light, to see if the light would follow him and allow him to see more than the stone
floor. He had even left the light. But the light hadn't followed. Apparently, this small part of the
room was all he was allowed to see for now.
So he waited. After a while, he began to be thirsty. He glanced to his right to find a metal
cup with water in it. He was very surprised, but drank from it. It was cool and refreshing.
It continued that way for a while. Food appeared the second he would get hungry. He
would just glance in another direction, and there it would be. He would never hear it coming down
on the floor; indeed, he never heard any movement of any kind.
After a while, he yawned. He looked to his right to find a straw bed. He was amazed, but
laid down in it to wait.
He fell asleep...
* * *
"Oh Tenchi... my sweet Tenchi..."
Tenchi heard the words flow into his ears.
"Oh, Tenchi! Wake up, my dear Tenchi!"
Tenchi awakened and looked to find Washu standing beside him, whispering into his ear.
He sat up. "Washu?"
"Of course," she said, standing back up and smiling brightly. "I thought it'd take me forever
to get down here! But then I just stopped thinking about it, like I was told, and, poof!"
"Well you two have made it down," came Yobo's voice.
Washu spun around. "Already? How?!"
"I have done it many a time," Yobo said. "I can loose thought of coming down upon going
down the first ten, twenty steps."
"Wow," Washu said, amazed. "Such incredible mental discipline!"
For the smallest of moments, though Tenchi would deny it both to himself and the world,
he felt just a little jealous. Washu was so amazed with Yobo, but Tenchi had been through so
much with her and yet she didn't find that quite as amazing as the things Yobo could do! Why? It
wasn't quite fair.
"I guess so," Yobo said. "Now, I must show you your clue to the future. What you must do
for the planet to help you."
Yobo walked towards the edge of the darkness and beckoned the two to follow. They did.
The sphere of light kept Yobo at its center at all times. After a moment of walking, they came to a
wall. Beside the stone wall was a single shelf, and on the shelf was a single piece of old paper.
"Your clue," Yobo said. "You must read it and decide what it means, put it to heart. Then
agree you two are ready to leave, stand, close your eyes, and you will wake up later in my hut. I
shall leave now."
With that, Yobo walked into the darkness. As soon as the old man's figure went into the
black, not even his footsteps could be heard. He had vanished.
"Well," Washu said. "Perhaps we should read the paper and be back on our way home?"
"Sure," Tenchi said. "But I don't get it... why should we do what a... planet wants? We
could just go home."
"I would think," Washu said. "That, if we are on the planet, then the planet owns us. And if
it owns us, it can do whatever it pleases with us. Therefore, I would think that we must obey the
planet."
Tenchi, before he even knew what he had said, said, "You mean obey *Yobo*?"
"What, Tenchi?" Washu asked, turning her green eyes to look deep into Tenchi's.
Tenchi spilled everything. "I've just been noticing how much Yobo and his dead ancient
friends amaze you so much."
Washu smiled. "You're jealous."
"I am not!" Tenchi objected. "I'm... simply... observing."
"Admit it!" Washu said, throwing her hands behind her back and leaning forwards, putting
on a goofy grin. "You're J-E-L-L-O jealous!"
Tenchi blushed. He hoped in this darkness Washu would not see. "I am not jealous."
Washu jumped forwards and threw her arms around Tenchi. "Oh, Tenchi, you know you're
the only one for me! You don't have to worry!"
Tenchi was shocked. He sat there for a minute, feeling Washu laughing lightly. Then,
slowly, he put his arms around her.
"I just wanna survive," he said.
"What do you mean?"
"I have this feeling. Like things aren't going to be that easy."
* * *
Sir Dark shall continue his journey.
He shall meet the mouth, where he shall hear many things.
He and Lady Emerald shall then find blood boiling in rage,
Blood seeking vengeance.
The blood can be dried by the powder of the tear.
Then they shall find the many jaws of hell.
The jaws shall belch forth the life of the planet,
But the mouths can be silenced by their own noise.
They shall find the eyes that see not;
The eyes that eat flesh.
The eyes that can be destroyed by the breath of a dragon.
A dragon that spits fire and flies through the air.
The Dark One shall cause Sir Dark and Lady Emerald to ride upon the tail
Of the evil creature.
If the two upon the tail
Shall crawl upon the very intestines of the dragon to its head
And there destroy its pouch of water,
All shall end in happiness.

Tenchi stared at the paper. That was all it had said.
"What do you make of it?" Washu asked.
"I don't know," Tenchi said. "It is very cryptic."
"We should try to commit it to memory," Washu said. "If Yobo is right, it should come in
handy later."
"I guess," Tenchi said. "I don't know. This is very strange."
"It's all been strange," Washu said. "Everything so far has been strange. This whole
vacation has been strange. To tell you the truth, Tenchi, I'm scared."
"I'll protect you," Tenchi said in a solemn, and very serious, tone. "To the best of my
ability."
They were both silent for a while, looking at the strange paper, written in a language neither
had ever seen before, yet they seemed to be able to read.
Suddenly, Washu broke the silence with a sudden change of subject. "Tenchi, was I ever
your friend?"
Tenchi looked at her in confusion. "Of course you were,... I mean, ARE, Little Washu. Why
do you ask?"
She shook her head. "I don't know... it always seemed like I was just a little pest," she
confessed. "Of course, I've always liked... you, in a certain way, if you know what I mean. But... I
didn't really know how to make that apparent! I'm sorry if I've driven you off."
"Uh..." Tenchi said, trying not to stutter.
"Oh, now I feel dumb."
"Don't feel dumb, Washu," Tenchi said. "I understand how you feel... I mean, uh..."
"Don't tell me candy," Washu said. "Tell me what you're really thinking."
Tenchi frowned.
"I'll accept it," Washu encouraged. "Go ahead, tell me I was always a little pest... I think,
now, I can handle it."
"No, never a 'pest'," Tenchi said. "Okay, I'll tell you the truth. We're alone now, and I hope
this conversation stays in these walls."
"Of course."
"Yes. You've always been my friend. I respected each of you ladies with a deeper love than
you'll ever know. But... I was... attracted to Ryoko for quite a while.
"Before the vacation, however, my feeling had begun to change. I was no longer attracted
to Ryoko any more than any of you other girls. No one held any special position in my heart that
the other didn't.
"Then came the vacation. Everything was fine. But then I saw you fall over the edge... I
jumped in after you, fully prepared to die to try to save you. As I swam down the river towards
you, I saw you in such terrible poses, which will be forever etched into my mind, as solidly as they
were sketched upon that book. It had to be the worst thing I'd ever seen, I guess... an innocent
person like you drowning. In panic.
"Then came saving... your life. Doing as much as I could to keep you alive. You were so
helpless, and... I helped you live. I even fought for you! I won for you, I guess.
"After that we traveled through the forest, talking, laughing, living. Surviving. Helping each
other along. I felt so close to you it wasn't even funny.
"We met Yobo, and at that point I hadn't even realized how close I'd felt to you until you
kept... being amazed at him. You were impressed with him, and I... was jealous. So... uh... that's
the truth."
Washu stared into Tenchi's eyes. Tenchi watched her green eyes move slightly, searching
his brown eyes. She had on a surprisingly serious expression.
To Tenchi's surprise, she leaned forwards, placed her hands on Tenchi's shoulders, and
kissed him full on the lips. Tenchi didn't move, but definitely didn't fight it. It ended as suddenly
as it had started, and she pulled away.
"I'm sorry," she said. "I don't know what came over me."
"Probably the same thing that's coming over me," Tenchi said.
Washu shook her head. "Silly. We're not down here to kiss. We have to study this paper
and get on with our mission."
Tenchi nodded. "I guess you're right." Tenchi knew he longed to move back into that
moment he had shared with her, but would not admit it right now. She was right. Their purpose
down here was not for a heart-to-heart, it was to study these clues.
So Tenchi picked the paper back up and read it again. And again. And again.
* * *
Katsuhito stared at the computer screen.
*I wish I could operate these things...* he thought.
Sure, he had operated machinery from Jurai, but he had never really bothered with Earth
computers. They were, pretty much, obsolete little things. The humans who built them were so
proud of their "incredible" abilities, but Katsuhito often found himself laughing.
Really! These devices were so crude. They used eight entire digits to represent characters.
And people thought that computers with 100 gigabytes could hold anything. The computers
Katsuhito had used before coming to Earth (700 years ago at that) were much smaller than these
things but held, commonly, around 500-1000 gigabytes. Juraians had long ago given up magnetic
media as a storage medium.
He typed in the subject: "Legends."
A whole bunch of results came up.
Legends of Pillow Hours, by Jevry Orbille. *Jesz explores the amazing world of sleepy
land!* Location OOD6.3.
Well, these certainly were different methods of documenting resources within the library
from Earth. Well, of course. This was not Earth, after all.
Katsuhito examined the next result.
DevorLegend, by Uhii---. *Megfa'dor must fight and defeat the evil devor if the planet of
&&&&& is to survive.* Location OTD8.3.
Next...
Harvaei Legends, by (unknown). *A deep study into the legends regarding the planet.*
Location IFD7.3.
Katsuhito pressed a button for extended information.
HARVAEI LEGENDS
(unknown)
A deep and comprehensive study into the many legends regarding the planet.
The unknown author goes from religious rites to strange tales to prophecies
He/She claims they heard from the planet itself. This documentation contains
Never-before-read information, recently discovered.
Katsuhito got up to search for location IFD7.3.
* * *
"Okay," Tenchi said. "You through reading it?"
"Yeah," Washu said. "But I still think it's confusing. It's obviously symbolic of something,
but it is hard to tell what."
"Really," Tenchi said. "Well, if we remember what it says, I'm sure we'll be able to confront
the situation correctly when we come to it."
"Yeah," Washu said. "So you're ready to... go back up?"
"Yeah," Tenchi said. "All we have to do is close our eyes."
Tenchi watched as Washu closed her eyes. Then he did the same.
It was silent for a moment. It was very dark. Then, breaking the silence, Tenchi heard a
slight giggle, and he felt a hand snake into his hand.
Bringing back a small part of their earlier conversation, Tenchi heard Washu say, quietly,
"You better protect me!" before he lost awareness.
* * *
Tenchi awoke in a straw bed. He looked up to the ceiling, which wasn't very far away.
Oh, of course. He was in Yobo's hut.
He looked around. At the far end of the one-room hut, farthest away from the door, slept
old blue Yobo. Tenchi slept to one side of the door, and Washu to the other. Neither was awake.
Tenchi crept out of his bed and went outside. It was early morning. The sun was just barely
above the horizon and beginning to spread its warmth. There wasn't a cloud in the sky. Everything
was quiet.
The huge dome in the center of the village was down. It lay on the ground as if it had never
been moved. Tenchi began to wonder if it ever had.
Yes, it had. He remembered vividly what had happened far below.
Tenchi wondered why Washu had kissed him so suddenly. It had just... happened, and was
then over in what seemed an instant.
Like she herself had said, though, many things about their adventure were very strange.
Perhaps so strange an answer could never be given. But to survive would be answer enough to
Tenchi.
He had managed thus far. Several times he had seen the face of Death itself, yet survived.
Many times in the river, many times in Washu's innocent face, and that time when he had been
shot by the man in black.
"Tenchi?"
Tenchi spun around, breaking his reverie, to see Washu. She looked somewhat tired, but
definitely rested. She yawned and stretched.
"What are you doing up?" she asked. "I heard you get up... and I got up."
"You don't have to," Tenchi said. "I was just out... looking."
"Thinking?"
"Don't probe my thoughts," Tenchi said as a joke, but it came out in more of a serious tone
than he had intended.
"I won't," she said. "But will you let me in on them?"
"Uh..."
"Don't tell me I'm gonna have to PAY you!"
"No, that's not it," Tenchi said. "I was just thinking about... what's happened thus far. How
strange it has been. And everything."
"Yeah," Washu said, looking out to the sun, which seemed cut up into a zillion pieces by
the trees of the forest surrounding the village. "Really. Well, we'd better leave soon."
"Indeed," came Yobo's voice. "I shall hate to see you go, though. The prophecies regarding
you, Tenshi and Wayshoo, are among the most significant I have ever been told of. I do not even
know why they are so significant, but the planet has told me that they are, and I trust it."
Tenchi nodded. "Thank you for everything," he said. "Thank you very much."
"You are very welcome," Yobo said. Then, in a shockingly grave tone, he said, "And good
luck to you."
"Good bye!" Tenchi and Washu said, almost simultaneously.
With that, the two set off. Tenchi simply tore away some vines from the end opposite that of
which he had entered the clearing and he found a path. He wondered how he had chosen the exact
spot where the path had been to tear away the vines, but dismissed it as something that the planet
"wanted Tenchi to find".
Tenchi and Washu walked on and on, discussing the cryptic messages they had read. They
could not possibly know what it meant. It was so strange.
Then, ahead, Tenchi heard something. He stopped and readied himself for anything. But it
was not a sound of moving. In fact, it was not an audible sound at all. It... was a sounds Tenchi
*felt* with his soul.
Tenchi continued on until the path broke into a clearing. There, in the center of the clearing,
was a crater with a diameter of perhaps fifty feet. Out of it came gray mists. Tenchi approached the
pit and looked down. He could see no bottom.
"The... the mouth!" Washu said.
Tenchi's eyes widened. "Perhaps... the mouth of the planet?"
"INDEED," came a voice which seemed to rock the heavens. Yet, apparently, only Tenchi
and Washu could hear it, for nearby animals went on their duties as if nothing had happened.
The voice spoke again. It's low, powerful tone shook the ground with its mighty sound.
"SIR DARK AND LADY EMERALD, YOU HAVE COME TO THE MOUTH OF THE MIGHTY
PLANET."
"Uh... hello," Tenchi replied nervously.
"DO NOT FEAR ME," the planet roared. "I MAY SOUND LOUD TO YOUR PHYSICAL
EARS, BUT I SHALL NOT HARM YOU. I SHALL GIVE YOU MY BLESSING."
"Go on, great planet!" Washu said.
"IF YOU OBEY WHAT YOU HAVE READ AND DO EVERYTHING AS I HAVE
WILLED, I SHALL HELP YOU. EVERYTHING ON ME IS MINE, AND I CAN DO WITH IT AS
I PLEASE. IF YOU DO NOT OBEY ME AND COMPLETE THE TASK OF DEFEATING THE
DARK ONE, YOU SHALL BE CURSED."
"Yes," Tenchi said. "I understand."
"I SEEK REST," the planet continued, its voice almost sounding tired, fatigued. "FOR
CENTURIES I HAVE HAD THESE CREATURES CRAWLING UPON ME. I HAVE PROVIDED
FOR THEM AND HAVE DONE THINGS FOR THEM. I HAVE HOSTED THEM. YET THEY DO
NOT EXIST. I PITY THE POOR CREATURES SO MUCH THAT I HATE MYSELF FOR
CREATING THEM. I THOUGHT, IN ALL MY WISDOM, THAT LIVING BEINGS WOULD BE
ENTERTAINING TO PROTECT AND PROVIDE FOR. I WANTED CHILDREN, AS BEINGS OF
OTHER PLANETS HAD. SO I CREATED THESE POOR BEINGS.
"THEY ARE NOT REAL, BUT THEY THINK THEY ARE. THEY MAY INTERACT
WITH THE REST OF THE UNIVERSE AS THE UNIVERSE COMES TO THEM, BUT THEY
CANNOT GO TO THE UNIVERSE. THEY HAVE TRIED, BUT HAVE NEVER SUCCEEDED. I
CANNOT RULE THE UNIVERSE, I CAN ONLY RULE MYSELF. WHEN THEY LEAVE MY
RULE, THEY LEAVE REALITY. THEY CEASE TO EXIST.
"I HATE MYSELF FOR GRANTING THEM THE ILLUSION OF EXISTENCE. I SEEK TO
DIE."
"Why do you want the Dark One defeated?" Tenchi asked.
"HE IS MY WORST ENEMY," the planet explained. "HE HIMSELF IS ANOTHER
PLANET. HOWEVER, HE FOUND A WAY I KNOW NOT OF TO MANIFEST HIS BEING IN A
HUMANOID FORM. HE KNEW OF THE PAIN I WAS EXPERIENCING, AND HE, BEING MY
ENEMY, DECIDED TO PROLONG MY SUFFERING. IN HUMAN FORM, HE WAS SOMEHOW
ABLE TO PREVENT MY SELF-DESTRUCTION AND MAKE ME CONTINUE ON. HE MUST
DIE IF I AM TO FIND REST AMONG THE UNIVERSE."
"You want me to kill someone for you so you can commit the most terrible act of genocide
ever and commit suicide?!" Tenchi demanded.
"SUCH WORDS FROM SOMEONE STANDING UNDER THE RULE OF A PLANET.
YOUNG ONE, THESE CREATURES DO NOT QUITE EXIST. THERE WOULD BE NO
GENOCIDE. AND THE IDEA OF SUICIDE IS NOT THE SAME FOR PLANETS AND
HUMANS. HUMANS HAVE THEIR OWN BELIEFS REGARDING THE AFTERLIFE, BUT WE
PLANETS, ONCE WE DIE, SIMPLY FLOAT IN THE UNIVERSE. OUR BEINGS JUST
CONTINUE TO FLOAT UNTIL WE COME ALIVE AGAIN. AND I NEED REST. MY
CONSCIENCE WEIGHS HEAVY UPON ME."
"But... If I kill the Dark One... you said he's the manifestation of a planet's being, didn't
you?" Washu asked. "What happens when we destroy that manifestation? Would the planet it
represented also die?"
"YES IT WOULD. BUT THERE IS NO LIFE ON THE DARK ONE'S PLANET. HE
WOULD NOT ALLOW IT."
"How did you work us into your prophecies if you could only rule yourself, and not the
universe?" Tenchi asked.
"THERE WERE NEVER ANY PROPHECIES," the planet said in an almost sad tone. "AS I
SAID, THE BEINGS DON'T QUITE EXIST. I CAN CHANGE THEIR THOUGHTS EASILY. I
SIMPLY ADDED THE PROPHECIES TO WHAT THEY CONSIDERED THEIR PAST WHEN
YOU CAME AND I SAW YOU HAD THE ABILITY IN YOU TO DEFEAT THE DARK ONE."
"Why did you make the prophecies so complex, then?" Washu asked.
"BECAUSE THE DARK ONE HAS MANY AGENTS ON THIS PLANET THAT I KNOW
OF. I AM SIMPLY WORKING ALL OF THOSE INTO THE BEINGS YOU MUST CONQUER."
"Why can't you just tell us directly what to do?" Tenchi asked. "Instead of plaguing us with
riddles, why don't you just spell it out?"
"THIS IS THE WAY PLANETS DO THINGS," the planet said wearily. "WE BEINGS
WHICH MAKE UP THE UNIVERSE HAVE COMPLETELY SEPARATE REASONS FOR DOING
THINGS THAT YOU HUMANS DO. WE SEE THINGS COMPLETELY DIFFERENTLY, AND
WE HAVE REASONS FOR ALL THAT WE DO. IF YOU WERE ON OF THE BEINGS WHICH
HELD A PHYSICAL UNIVERSAL BODY AROUND YOU, SUCH AS I, YOU WOULD
UNDERSTAND."
"Oh," Tenchi said. "Does that mean it is too complex for my small mind to understand?"
"YES."
"Oh," Tenchi said. "That's... okay."
"YOU MAY NOW CONTINUE ON YOUR JOURNEY," the planet said more softly than
before. "PLEASE FINISH IT. I GRANT YOU GOOD LUCK. AND AFTER THE DARK ONE IS
DESTROYED I SHALL REFRAIN MYSELF FROM DESTROYING MYSELF SO YOU CAN
ESCAPE. THEN I SHALL ACHIEVE REST, FINALLY."
Tenchi nodded, though he wasn't even sure if the planet knew.
Well, of course it knew. It seemed to know everything.
Tenchi and Washu walked on. They found the path continuing on into the forest. They took
it.
* * *
They continued down the path for quite a while. Both remained silent. They had just
listened to a planet... a planet!... pour out its heart. its agony. This journey had taken on a brand-
new meaning. Now there seemed much more purpose to what they were doing than before.
The only thing that bothered Tenchi now was the fact that he was aiding a suicide. Sure, the
planet said it'd live on until it reformed, but still it was going to take its own life. Tenchi was not in
favor of suicide. He was definitely not in favor of aiding suicide.
But what, really, could he do? He was on the planet; thus, the planet owned him.
Tenchi stopped dead in his tracks, his train of thought also stopping.
It was another one of those little squirrel-like creatures.
"AIAIAIAVVVE! H'NARRA!" the little thing squeaked.
Down from the trees scrambled hundreds of little creatures. They all gathered together
behind the one. They stuck out their little paws, and suddenly, two-inch, jagged claws poked out
from each paw, five per paw. The wicked little things clawed at the air menacingly.
"Kidder hoomans!" the little thing squeaked, giving its best shot at Japanese. "Oo kid mi
budder, we kid oo!"
"Did they just say they'd kill us?" Washu asked.
Tenchi gulped. "That's what it sounded like to me."
Tenchi and Washu were horrified when each and every eye, four to an animal, lit up red.
Each opened its mouth to reveal their wicked set of teeth, and each mouth began drooling. Within
seconds, the entire mob had turned into little demonic creatures from hell.
"Blood boiling!" Tenchi hissed. "Boiling for vengeance!"
"The powder of the tear!" Washu filled in. "I hope that doesn't mean our tears, dried out!!"
Tenchi searched around desperately. What could represent a tear? Something dark, as in
sad? Something wet?
"A tear!" Washu screamed.
The creatures began to advance very slowly. They walked along on four legs while holding
up the other four paws. They walked along, looking at Tenchi as if the prey were caught for sure.
"What?!" Tenchi said, spinning.
Washu lifted up a white rock. Sure enough, the glittery rock was shaped like a tear.
Tenchi turned around just as the first creature leapt. He took his stick off his back and tried
to bat it away, but it sailed straight up to his shoulder and bit him with its demonic teeth. Tenchi
cried out as he felt the sharp little things pierce straight to the bone.
He reached up and grabbed the squirrel by the head, threw it up, and hit it with his weapon
back into the mob. The creature, skull crushed, landed against two others.
Then on came the full attack. Ten jumped Tenchi, who batted off about five, but the other
five latched onto him in various places. He felt wounds on his legs, arms, torso. He cried out at
tore the creatures off, all the while trying to bat away oncoming creatures.
Washu was pretty sure she knew what to do. She just hoped she was right. She threw the
rock down on another rock. The once tear-shaped rock shattered. Then she took some pieces and
began grinding them against the rock in the ground. Sure enough, powder began to form.
She wondered why no creatures attacked her, only Tenchi...
Tenchi found his entire body covered with the satanic little creatures. He tore and tore, but
new ones constantly came. He cried and writhed in agony against the mass of the creatures, but it
seemed to no avail. Tenchi, subconsciously, knew he was going to die.
Or maybe not... if Washu... could...
"Washu...!" Tenchi cried. "Hurry, Washu! AAAA!"
Washu hurried until there was enough powder that she could get a handful. The rock
ground up surprisingly easily, so she very soon had a handful. Then she ran over as quick as she
could and threw the powder at Tenchi, who had creatures latched onto him all over.
As soon as the powder hit the creatures, they screeched loudly and immediately burst into
flames. The little creatures burned up in an instant and were lost.
That took almost three-fourths of the things on Tenchi out. Apparently, only a very small
amount of powder was necessary to destroy the creatures.
Washu ran back and ground the rocks some more. Then she returned and threw the powder
again. The creatures screamed in a very high-pitched squeal before they simply vanished in a
single burst of flame.
The strange thing about this flame was that, though the creatures had been right against
Tenchi, the flame didn't seem to bother him in the least...
Washu kept grinding more and more powder, frantically. Tenchi, she could tell, was
growing weak from battling the things. Even with his attacks, the little things didn't seem to die.
They would crash into the ground, seeming dead, only seconds later to jump back up, alive. As if
resurrecting.
Washu finally threw the last handful of powder. The last of the creatures were caught up in
the small burst of flames. The smoke trailed on up in the air before it was lost.
Tenchi stood still, blank look on face. His clothes were ripped all over and he was soaked
in blood. He had pierce wounds all over.
Tenchi grunted, fell to his knees, then pitched forwards onto his face. Washu ran over to
him and flipped him over onto her lap.
"Tenchi!" she cried. "Tenchi!"
"Ow," he said, eyes half closed.
Washu didn't know what to do. She was stuck in these woods without any of her
machinery. She couldn't simply reach into another dimension, this time, to pull out a healing unit.
She was here, alone.
Well, she decided. The first thing I must do is try to wash Tenchi's wounds, or they'll infect.
Thus far, the forest had had small streams and creeks running through it. The water had
been relatively clean... it had been Tenchi and Washu's drinking water. But Washu wasn't so sure
about using it to clean wounds like this.
Her best bet, then, would be to try to boil some water and clean Tenchi off with the water as
hot as he could stand. Hopefully, the hot water would kill any germs not washed away...
Good idea, I guess, Washu decided.
She put Tenchi back down onto the ground and went off to search for some source of
water, being sure to remember which way she had come. After just a minute, she found what she
was looking for. A small creek ran across her path.
Now, what would she use to carry the water back up...?
Washu, in the back of her mind, thought she could hear a voice...
*You have done what I have told you. Fear not. I shall help you.*
Washu glanced to her right and saw a large, metal container that had not been there the last
time she had looked. She gasped, staring in wonder.
No! her mind told her. Quit staring and help Tenchi!
Washu ran down the sharp decline over to the container and picked it up. She filled it and
then took it back to where she and Tenchi had been attacked. Tenchi was still lying on the ground,
moaning in pain, in a small pool of his own blood.
Washu gathered some nearby sticks and made a pile. She stuck some dead leaves and what
looked like dead pine leaves (though shaped a little different) and stuck them under the pile. She
grabbed the matches out of Tenchi's pocket and lit the fire.
Once going, she put the container over it and went over to Tenchi. She'd wait there.
"You hang on, Tenchi," Washu said. "Tenchi? Can you hear me?"
Shock! Washu thought to herself. Of course!
*Don't worry,* came the voice again.
Washu moved Tenchi over by the fire. She could only hope that would keep him warm.
"Tenchi!" she said again. "Tenchi! Can you hear me? Oh, I don't want to lose you!"
Tenchi stared back up with uncomprehending eyes. He moaned slightly, but did not appear
to be in too much pain.
*Don't worry,* the voice seemed to say again. *What you cannot do for him I shall.*
As soon as the water started boiling, Washu took off Tenchi's shirt and used it to yank the
container off the fire. She set it down and soaked the shirt in the water.
Tenchi's wounds were very dirty, but Washu did her best to clean them. She washed all of
his wounds (within the "laws of dignity" -- fortunately there weren't any wounds to necessitate the
breaking of these laws). After she was done cleaning his wounds as best she could, she looked to
her left to find what appeared to be a beach towel spread out.
Well, Washu thought. I guess that WOULD be better than the ground... I owe you one,
planet.
She put Tenchi's shirt back on and laid him on the towel. Then she simply sat down beside
him and watched.
Tenchi didn't seem to do anything. To Washu's horror, he lost consciousness. And he didn't
move long into the night. Washu couldn't remember, but at some point just before dawn she fell
asleep. She simply slipped into the dreamworld, hugging her knees to her chest, her cheeks stained
with trails from tears.
She woke up to feel her face being dried. She opened her tired eyes to see Tenchi gently
brushing away tears she had apparently been shedding, even when she was asleep. Tenchi was
looking into her eyes solemnly.
"I thank you," he said in a low tone. "Thank you so much."
Washu smiled, but for some reason she seemed to feel worse now that he was awake then
before. Tears spilled out of her eyes.
"I thought you'd die," she said.
Tenchi shook his head. "You took care of me."
Washu opened her eyes, her vision a little blurry, but still saw many of the wounds on
Tenchi look as though they'd been taken care of professionally. Also, considering what little
treatment Tenchi had received, Washu knew he should be in excruciating pain right now. Really,
Washu had been expecting a long setback because of this incident. But Tenchi didn't even seem to
be in pain.
"Especially with that ointment you put on me," Tenchi added. "Sometime during the night I
woke up and felt you spreading some strange stuff all over me. I saw the things you had picked...
leaves, berries of some sort that I hadn't seen around... what was that stuff? It made all the pain...
vanish."
"I didn't..."
*Shhh...*
Washu held her tongue. The planet had helped Tenchi, Washu now assumed... but it
wanted Washu to take the credit? How odd. Of course, Washu had done as much as she possibly
could have, but...
Suddenly, another thought popped into her head. She had been awake almost all of the
night, yet she had never seen anything. She had been watching Tenchi the whole time, yet she had
never seen so much as Tenchi move. She hadn't seen leaves or berries, she hadn't even heard a
movement!
The planet's doing, no doubt now. And on a higher plane than she could comprehend with
her physical mind. And the planet was giving her the credit.
Well, she'd play along then.
*It was natural herbs and medicines,* the planet hinted.
"It was natural herbs and medicines," Washu repeated.
Tenchi nodded. "Oh. Well, whatever it was, it was amazing."
"So you can... continue?" Washu asked.
"Yeah."
"How do you feel?"
"Better than I should," Tenchi said. "I knew that if or when I woke up, I'd be in extreme
pain from all sorts of untreated bite wounds with who-knew-what kind of venom along with them.
I figured if the little suckers did bite and release venom, I'd die..."
Washu brushed the last of the tears off of her cheeks. Then she stood.
"I'm glad you're okay."
"Thank you," Tenchi said.
She put her arms around him and hugged him tightly. "You're very welcome... my
Tenchi..."
Tenchi returned the hug. Though he, naturally, had the male sense of protection sweeping
over him, he had a strange thought tugging at the back of his mind... part of the "clues"...
Tenchi had thought he had already encountered as many jaws as he would ever need, but
the next clue of their trip regarded the "jaws of hell" which "belched forth the life of the planet".
Tenchi shivered slightly. What if those jaws were *literal*? What if that meant more things trying
to bite? Tenchi had had quite enough of that.
Well, he decided. I guess I'll come to that when I come to it.
He sighed and hugged Washu a little tighter. Hard things were ahead, he knew.
* * *
The rest of the day went uneventful for the most part. They walked on and on in the forest.
Tenchi wasn't even sure if they were going the right way, for he was *sure* they hadn't been
dragged THIS far back by the river.
Of course, that excluded the fact that Tenchi had been moved by the man who had attacked
him on the beach. It also excluded the fact that this planet was very strange. Or, perhaps, he had
been dragged downriver much farther than he had realized.
Any way it turned out, Tenchi and Washu were tired by the time night fell. Their bodies
seemed to have taken the shift from a 24-hour day to a 20-hour day fairly well. Now when night
fell it triggered their sleeping instincts, as before.
Of course, they weren't quite the "kids with 9 o'clock bedtime" either. Both often stayed up
late, especially Washu. Sometimes there was just something about the dark that caused one to
come alive rather than to fall asleep.
They continued for a while into the darkness until they decided it would be more prudent to
stay and sleep on the trail that had continued on ever since they had left Yobo's dead village than
to risk more damages by unsuspected harsh terrain.
So, for what seemed one of the only peaceful nights thus far (maybe there had been another
peaceful night... Tenchi couldn't quite remember...), they both sat down with their backs against
the trees, facing each other. The sitting position, after all this adventure, seemed more wise. To be
able to jump up at a moments notice seemed best to both.
After a moment, Tenchi got up and gathered some wood. He had plenty of matches left. Or
he could build a fire using friction, which would take awhile, but save matches. After all, it had not
rained yet, and the sticks were very dry.
He used a match, however. He built the fire and lit it off to the side. Then he sat back down
against the tree.
Sleep did not call. Both sat simply staring idly into the fire. Sure, they had been tired a
while ago, but it was not that way anymore. They stared blankly at the fire. Memories if what had
happened thus far came flooding back in the amazing silence. No bugs were there to interrupt their
thoughts. Perhaps bugs didn't even exist on this planet, or maybe they had an the planet had
destroyed them, or something. Neither knew nor cared.
Tenchi's gaze shifted to Washu. She seemed so small sitting up against the tree. Her sweet
face was turned, gazing into the flickering fire. Shadows played strangely across her face, and her
green eyes sparkled from the light of the fire.
He didn't know how long he just sat there staring at her. Why? Who knew.
Tenchi became weary just staring at her. He had survived with her. So far, anyways. They
had helped each other, proved to each other how they could trust the other. They had shared
emotions, had risked their lives for each other, and had built upon their relationship in the
strangest of ways.
Surviving on a planet, together, that seemed to have a will of its own. That DID have a will
of its own.
"When I first met you..." Washu began, her eyes still fixed on the fire. Tenchi watched as
they turned to meet his eyes. He looked deep into her sparkling eyes, which were marked with a
serious note now. "I could tell there was something special about you. I didn't quite know what, to
begin with... but I saw something." She was silent a moment before continuing. "You accepted me.
You welcomed me into your home. I hadn't been treated so nicely for a long time... And after a
while, I found out what it was that I saw in you that struck me as so... significant."
"What?" Tenchi asked quietly.
"You."
Tenchi stared at her, not gaping, but simply letting that single word sink in.
"I love you, Tenchi," Washu said.
Tenchi closed his eyes and bowed his head. How was he to respond? Well, of course! If he
didn't speak what was in his heart, the answer would be a lie!
"I love you too, Washu!" he said, a smile spreading across his face.
A smile worked its way onto her face as well. Tenchi wasn't sure, but he could have sworn
he saw a single tear glide down her cheek.
"You don't know how long I've wanted to hear that," she said.
Tenchi held out his hand. She took it and moved over by his side. She sat down next to him
and leaned on him. She looked up at him with a smile on her face, and he smiled back to her. He
kissed her forehead, leaned back on the tree, and closed his eyes.
There they fell asleep, holding each other.
* * *
Katsuhito closed the book and closed his eyes in thought.
This book was speaking to *him*. A certain letter in the book had been addressed to "the
grandfather, wise and seemingly old, of Sir Dark himself". It had informed him that the letter was
still being written. Indeed, the letter had contained a considerable amount of text, but the letter had
not been finished.
After that, Katsuhito had closed the book and gone back to the hotel. A day or two later he
had returned to find more text added to the letter.
Something about this planet, Katsuhito knew, was wrong. Very wrong.
He had been spending most of his time in the library. Certain books had just... seemed to be
of interest. Katsuhito had pulled them out of the shelves, read them, and found things of wonder.
The planet, he had learned, was rumored to be weary of something. A lot of resources had
referred to the planet's "children", which Katsuhito assumed to be the people living on the planet.
It had further said that many thought the planet "desired to end its own life". How they had come
upon such a belief none of them told, they only told the bare facts.
He had also discovered, from the letter, that his grandson was currently on a mission for the
planet. That Tenchi, or Sir Dark, was out defeating the many agents of the "Dark One" which were
on the planet helping the Dark One carry out some evil deed which the letter would not specify.
That he had been seriously wounded by the attacks of many creatures, but was "fine now".
"Yosho?"
Katsuhito spun around in his seat to see Ayeka walked up to him.
"Ah, Ayeka," he said, smiling and discretely closed the book, trying not to make it too
obvious. The letter was clear that a relationship was developing between Sir Dark and Lady
Emerald, and such knowledge would certainly destroy Ayeka. "How is my princess?"
"It's 2:30 AM," Ayeka said.
Katsuhito's eyes widened. "What?!" he said in shock. "The last time I looked at my watch it
was 9:45! It surely could not have been over 5 and a half hours since then!"
"10:00 is, relatively, midnight," Ayeka said. "We've just counted out 11:00 and 12:00 from
our time from both AM and PM."
"Oh, that's right," Katsuhito said. "So... it's about 12:30, Earth time."
"Right," Ayeka said. "Katsuhito, why don't you come back to the hotel?"
"Okay," he said. He stood. He picked up the books and began walking back to where he
got them from and Ayeka followed. "How do you just... count out 11 and 12 from your watches?"
Katsuhito asked, hoping Ayeka would not want to look in the books.
"The only way is to reset them every ten hours," Ayeka said.
"Oh."
Katsuhito began to put away the books. He hoped, he hoped. He hoped the planet *did not
will for Ayeka to see the letter*.
He began putting up the book with the letter in it.
"Let me see that one," Ayeka said suddenly.
Katsuhito hoped, prayed, this was not the will of the planet. Because, from what he had
read, what the planet wants, the planet gets.
"It would not be best," Katsuhito said, sliding the book into the shelf. "You must not read
it... now. I can tell you what it says, only later. Please, Ayeka, just trust me. Do not read it... for
your own good."
"I want to read it!" Ayeka said. "Why do you not want me to read it so much?"
"Why do you want to read it so much?" Katsuhito countered cooly. "Ayeka, there are times
when one should not discover certain things. If a team of scientists wishes to study a volcano, no
matter how excited they are about studying it, they must not go near the volcano if it is about to
erupt. They must wait until it is safe."
Ayeka seemed to think this over for a moment and then said, "Okay, I will not read it... for
now. But I WILL read it sometime, sooner or later."
Katsuhito nodded gravely. "Yes, later. Right now the magma is seeking its way to the
surface."
* * *
Crunch...
Tenchi's eyes flew open. He stayed perfectly still.
Snip...
Tenchi's eyes darted towards the source of the sound. He saw it. A dark shadow... a
humanoid. The identity was impossible to determine in such darkness, but Tenchi *knew* who it
was. He simply knew the very presence of the person. It was the man he had fought.
Tenchi, as quietly as he could, stood.
"Ah, so he is awake," came the voice.
"Yes," Tenchi said, reaching for his weapon. He grabbed it and pulled it to him, in the
process waking Washu. Tenchi heard her stir, but he motioned for her to be still. Miraculously, she
saw the signal and knew what to do.
"Where's the lady?" the man asked.
"She's... lost," Tenchi said, feigning sorrow. "She fell... straight off... sniff... a cliff..."
"Liar!" the man said. "I can feel her presence!"
"What do you want from her?!" Tenchi demanded.
"I want her dead," the man said.
"But why?"
"I am offered much for her death."
"What?"
"Many things."
"From whom?"
"Someone," the man replied.
"Why is Washu wanted dead?"
"If she is dead, and dies on this planet, I will be able to harness the powers of this planet to
create a single gem which will contain all of her knowledge."
"I don't understand," Tenchi said. "And who are you?"
"I am the Dark One," the man said. "And, let me explain. I walk upon this planet as a
foreigner. I'm sure you know my true identity by now, as the manifestation of a desolate planet.
However, I have had certain... powers granted me. I am able to control the use of the power of this
planet... to some degree.
"I am working for... someone... who has an intense desire for all of Washu's vast
knowledge. With the powers granted me, I am able to harness the rather strange powers of this
planet, and I will be able to collect all of Washu's knowledge into a gem... an emerald... which my
master can assimilate with. Then his, as well as my, dreams shall come true.
"Not only that, I am also after her to redeem planet blood. She destroyed my brother, and
did such a great job at it that now he'll never come back alive again. Therefore, I have several
reasons for wanting to kill her.
"I've been trying to get you guys to come down onto this planet. I finally succeeded by
accessing what was left of a link in Ryoko's mind... I don't know where that link led to, but
whoever it is is dead now. The link itself was almost gone as well, but I was able to access it and
put the idea of coming here in her brain.
"From there the tasks seemed simple. But you've been preventing me from reaching my
goals all along! And I cannot stand it! If I can only kill her, not only will my brother be avenged,
but I'll be lifted to a higher plane of existence!"
"You'll kill her over my dead body," Tenchi said.
"If that's the way it has to be," the Dark One said. "And if I can capture you two, I tell you
the truth... I shall not let you die slowly. I watched my brother die in extreme pain and torture.
Washu was performing an 'experiment'. It ate him away like acid. Until he died. I was pretty much
powerless then. But now...!"
Tenchi lifted his weapon, ready to fight. "Come attack me, then," Tenchi said. "I'll defeat
you like last time."
The man simply smiled. He laughed. He laughed again. Then he broke into a fit of laughter
which he, seemingly, could not control.
"What?!" Tenchi demanded. "Come fight me!"
"Fool," the Dark One said, barely recovering. "Don't think the rules applied to the first time
will apply to the second."
He lifted that same gun he had the first time, the small one, and shot Tenchi and Washu.
They both went out cold. They never felt themselves picked up and hauled off.
* * *
Tenchi felt himself regaining consciousness. Before he even became fully aware, he had a
single thought. A thought that remained planted in his brain until he became fully conscious.
Just my luck. The jerk.
He finally gained the thought to open his eyes. So he did. He gasped. He was in a metal
room!
He looked around. He was on the metal floor. It was a cube-shaped room, and Tenchi was
in a corner. On one side of the room, the side to his right, there was a metal door. And directly
opposite from the door sat a chair. On the chair sat... Washu!
A large lamp was facing her. The light was on, and by the amount of light that hit her,
Tenchi could tell the light was very bright. The room, on the other hand, was very dark.
Washu sat in the chair, eyes open, sweating. She breathed nervously.
She was strapped into the chair securely.
Tenchi realized what was going on, and the first thought was --go to her!-- However,
when he jerked forwards to get up, he felt a tug on his wrists... a tug of steel. He realized that,
unfortunately, it was steel. He was chained to the corner hand and foot.
"T...Tenchi!" Washu said, looking around, but obviously not seeing Tenchi past the bright
light and into the darkness.
Tenchi tried to open his mouth to talk, but to his dismay he found it taped shut. A minor
detail he had overlooked upon regaining consciousness.
So all he could say was, "Mmm-mmm..Mmmm!"
"Tenchi!" Washu said in somewhat desperation.
Tenchi could see two shadowy figures move into the room through the door. Whatever
room was behind the door had been dark as well. Tenchi could not see either figure clearly.
"Ah, so our genius scientist is awake!" one person said.
Washu did not respond.
"Did you realize that you tortured my brother to death?"
The Dark One!
"I didn't know!" Washu said. "I didn't! I thought it was just an ordinary experiment!"
"Do you further realize," the Dark One continued. "That, although some beings on a lesser
plane of existence than ones as high as the being of a planet, beings such as yourself, would be
content to let a 'law' judge a person for the crime of a murder of a sibling, it just doesn't work that
way with those of us who are the beings of a planet. You cannot comprehend our ways. When
someone permanently destroys one of our brothers or sisters, we are bound by everything in the
universe to hunt down the killer and give them a slow and painful death."
"I swear I didn't know!" Washu said desperately.
"It doesn't work that way when you're dealing with a planet, a heavenly body," the Dark
One replied with a light laugh. "Avrion, tell them to bring in the... equipment."
Tenchi could see Washu shudder when the Dark One said the word 'equipment' with a
sprinkling of extra emphasis.
The other figure left the room. Then three entered the room, one walking ahead of the other
two, who were pushing what looked like a cart of some sort. They pushed it until they came just to
the edge of the light shining on Washu.
Up to that point, no one had entered the light. However, the Dark One himself took the
honor of pushing the cart into the light and then leaving the light for Washu to see.
Tenchi was sure he had seen something like all of this before. But he had thought that this
was a way to extract information from someone. But then again, it could also be used as a way of
torture. After all, what kind of torture was worse than mental torture? Making one see the horrid
things to come to make the things twice as horrid.
Tenchi shuddered as he saw what was on the cart. Several things like surgical tools, small
vials of liquids, and other sharp items. On a bottom shelf were more wicked things like saws and
large knives.
The men stood behind the light for the longest time just whispering under the audible level
and occasionally snickering at something.
Tenchi saw the four figures take something out of a nearby container. Apparently clothes.
The men put them on. When Tenchi saw them placing masks over their mouths, he had a fairly
sure idea what they were putting on.
How could he escape?! He was stuck here, and for what? To watch the girl he had just
recently told he loved her die in torture! To hear her screams and see her pain as she died before
his eyes! And then what? Him too?
Tenchi broke out in a cold sweat. He began to think frantically of what he could do. But
against metal restraints? What COULD he do?
The four 'doctors' walked into the light. They were dressed exactly like doctors on earth did
for surgery, complete with masks and hats.
"Now this will be a simple procedure, Ma'am," the Dark One said in a mock-business tone.
"We find out what hurts creatures like you the most -- and we do it."
Washu cringed and Tenchi could see tears spill out over her eyes. Tenchi strained on his
restraints. Why wasn't there anything he could do?!
Tenchi would have gasped if he could, but he couldn't. The epiphany, however, was not
lost. The LightHawk Wings, or the Sword! What if he could access them?
But alas, he tried, and could not.
All hope was lost, apparently.
The Dark Doctor brought out a small container from the bottom shelf. He opened it. One of
the other doctors brought out a small strap. He made Washu straighten her right fingers, which
caused them to go just a little past the end of the armrest her right arm was strapped to. Then he
strapped her fingers like that.
The Dark One brought out a small, wooden stick, with a red-and-white top...
Tenchi's eyes widened.
The Dark One proceeded to strike the match. He waved it menacingly in Washu's face,
causing her to cringe even more. Tenchi watched, eyes wide, wanting to see it yet at the same time
not wanting to see it more than anything else. He just remained strained against the chains, eyes
wide in shock.
The doctor lowered the match to her fingers.
No, Tenchi could not watch. He closed his eyes and wished he could close his ears to the
soul-shattering screams.
Complete shock, agony, sympathy, and fear gave way to anger. Tenchi jerked forwards
again against the things holding him to the wall, but could not jerk free.
The other doctors began to take out small devices. They were metallic boxes with two long,
silver needle-like objects at one end. They began to fire small bolts into her arms and legs, which
caused even more pain and cries of agony.
Tenchi pulled harder and harder. He knew, subconsciously, he could never defeat the
metal, but the rage igniting in him was becoming so strong that thought was of little importance to
him.
Next they took out small devices which small, circular saw blades with tiny teeth. These
saws were not large, as if for cutting wood, but very small, as if for cutting... flesh...
They turned the devices on, and Tenchi heard the engines fire to life.
Tenchi lost control and began jerking desperately on his chains. He pulled and pulled,
wanting nothing more than to wrap his fingers around those men's throats and wring the very life
out of them.
They turned Washu's arms around, exposing the bottom of her wrists. Tenchi, for the
briefest of moments, stopped and saw. He saw as two doctors slit her wrists, and the other two
began slicing her with their saws on other places such as her face, arms, legs, even her stomach.
*By gosh, they're animals!* came a voice that sounded distant to Tenchi, who was
experiencing a rage beyond words, even if he could have spoken a single word. *Let Jurai have its
way!!*
Tenchi felt a sudden rush through his veins, a sudden power, a sudden tingle. Before he
even knew what happened, his chains snapped off his wrists and off his ankles. He jumped up,
LightHawk Sword in hand.
The Dark One spun. "Not possible! Jurai is... cut off here!"
"NO!" Tenchi shouted. "By gosh, you fools, I'll kill you all!"
"Proceed," the Dark One said, with a wave of his hand, to the others. Then he pulled a
device from his belt and clicked it on. A laser sword flashed out.
Tenchi did not wait. He immediately attacked. The Dark One easily perried it, but Tenchi
pulled back and slashed again. The Dark One, taken a bit by surprise, facing the rage of a near
animal, could barely defend himself the second time. But he did.
Tenchi's attacks came on in an onslaught. Strike after slash, he tried to get past the man's
weaknesses. He fought with all the strength he could, hearing Washu's screams in the background.
Then Tenchi remembered. His right side.
Tenchi leapt to the right. The man followed, but was not as quick as was necessary. Tenchi
leapt right again and then slashed. The man, seeing it was futile this time to try to block, jumped
away, but not without Tenchi's sword gliding along his right side and opening up a bloody wound.
"AUAAAUGH!" he shouted, gripping his side in terrible pain. "No! Not again! Blasted
side!"
Tenchi sliced again, but the man backed away just before it sliced through his stomach as
well. The Dark One ran to the door and was through it before Tenchi could catch him. Tenchi tried
to slice through the door, which he found locked, but the sword could not go through, for some
reason.
A scream reminded Tenchi of something more important than killing the Dark One at the
moment.
Tenchi turned around to see the 'doctors' torturing Washu with some new device.
Tenchi made a mad dash for them. They did not notice until it was too late. Just as a couple
turned their heads up to look, Tenchi's sword was flying through the air. Three heads fell to the
floor in the next moment.
Tenchi looked at Washu. She was crying her eyes out, terribly wounded, and her wrists
were bleeding nonstop. Tenchi unstrapped her as quickly as he could and then ripped off his shirt
to tie around her wrists. He held her wrists as best as he could, trying to stop the flow.
He knew she could bleed to death if he could not clot the wrist wounds. That kind of blood
flow was notorious for failing to clot... often a suicidal technique. Simply slit your wrists and you
might bleed to death.
Washu sat in the chair crying, letting Tenchi hold her wrists, but Tenchi knew they could
not stay in here forever. The people might come back, with more people or weapons... and what
then? No, they had to leave as soon as possible.
"We've gotta go as soon as you possibly can," Tenchi told Washu, looking into her tear-
streaked face, which was broken with bruises and cuts. "They might be coming back."
She nodded, biting her lip. In just a few minutes, she indicated she thought she could make
it out.
Tenchi picked her up and tried to hold pressure to her wrists at the same time. He walked
over to the door... but... what to do?
*Just go through.*
Tenchi wondered about that. What was that voice?
"It's the planet," Washu said in a weak voice. "Just walk through the door."
Tenchi decided, what the heck. He walked towards the door, but flinched just before he hit
it. However, instead of walking smack into the metal door, he passed through and into the forest.
He looked behind him. There was nothing there.
Tenchi looked down. The campfire. This was where they had been just before they had
been kidnapped.
Tenchi shook his head wearily. He sat down with Washu, still holding her small wrists.
This, he decided. Was definitely a strange trip.
* * *
Of course, the curiosity was overwhelming. What, exactly, did he not want her to see?
Ayeka pulled the book out of the shelf. She began flipping through the pages. They had
endless texts of strange legends, ancient pictures...
She stopped when she reached a strange text which lasted for numerous pages. She turned
to the beginning of the article and found it to be a letter... to... the... grandfather of Sir Dark?
Hadn't Katsuhito said that Tenchi was Sir Dark? Then this latter was addressed to Katsuhito?!
That meant...
Ayeka almost started to read the letter, but something felt wrong. It was as if... she were
reading someone else's mail. But... no, she decided. This was a book. It was for everyone.
So she started reading. Indeed, it described everything... even the bridge exploding! Ayeka
read and read. She read the story of what had happened to Tenchi thus far. Her eyes were glued to
the pages... to know that, as the letter said, this was happening right now, thus writing the letter,
was intriguing. She skipped on to the end and saw that, as the book has said, letters were forming
continually on the page. The letter was writing itself!
The journey, up to the point Ayeka had read, was something right out of a book. It must
have taken a lot of courage! And the book had been very plain in saying that neither Tenchi nor
Washu had done anything "naughty", which was of the utmost importance to Ayeka.
So she continued reading. Up to the point...
"Indeed, I believe Sir Dark's heart has been lit with fire for Lady Emerald! His soul has
turned for her, he has, unknowingly, given Lady Emerald his heart to hold in her hands!"
Ayeka stared at the page. No, it couldn't have said that... oh yes! That's it... Ayeka was...
simply tired, that's all. She had, somehow, misread the page. Yes, her eyes were somewhat...
possibly 'misinterpreting', perhaps she was even hallucinating. Yes, that was it. She decided to
read the line again.
"Indeed, I believe Sir Dark's heart has been lit with fire for Lady Emerald! His soul has
turned for her, he has, unknowingly, given Lady Emerald his heart to hold in her hands!"
Ugh. Ayeka stared at the line, read it over and over. Something was going terribly wrong.
She shook her head in dismay, feeling tears coming on.
Denial broke through, and Ayeka realized this was reality. It was not a bad dream. The
letter was implying that Tenchi was falling in love with Washu. But... how? She was nothing more
than a mad scientist. And she was a princess!
Unfortunately, this was not the movies.
Denial set back in.
The letter is lying! Ayeka decided.
* * *
After a while, Washu's wrists clotted. Then Tenchi tended to her other wounds as best he
could. Washu told him they'd better move on, so Tenchi reluctantly did. He had wanted Washu to
rest, to regain her mental composure which, he was sure, had been somewhat broken by the
torture. But she assured him she was fine and could move on. She just felt a little dizzy, a little
battered and injured (but she FELT --very--- injured).
So they set off, following the trail. They soon found that they must have been in the metal
room well past lunch. Tenchi, upon glancing at his watch, found it to be 3:44 PM, which was a
little over six hours to this planet's midnight.
But... no, it couldn't be that early... Then Tenchi realized he had never had the chance to set
his watch ahead by two hours when 10:00 in the morning came, as he had been doing pretty
regularly since he had found out the lack of 4 extra hours on this planet, as compared to Earth.
So Tenchi set ahead his watch, and then found it to be 5:44, a little over four hours to the
planet's midnight.
Tenchi, later, a couple hours before midnight, found some food in the form of small
animals moving around on the forest floor. They were much too slow to avoid Tenchi's attacks. He
had a few down before they even realized what had happened.
They slept on a tree on the trail that night in peace. No one caused Tenchi to jump out of
sleep as the night before, but Tenchi still held his weapon ready and did not build a camp fire. He
knew that, if there even were bugs in this forest to be driven away by fire smoke, bug bites would
be much preferred to what had happened last night and this morning.
They both sat with their backs on the same tree, Washu leaning on Tenchi. They both fell
into a deep sleep, needing it to recover.
* * *
The next day was completely without event. They traveled on and on into the green world,
never stopping. They knew not how far they had come nor how far they had to go, only that they
needed to complete their objectives and that, by golly, they were going to complete their
objectives.
So they walked on into the night and again slept by the trail. Another peaceful night was
bestowed upon them.
The next day they awoke and set out as the day before. They were full from a strange alien
animal they had feasted upon the night before, and even had some for the morning. Tenchi threw
the rest over his back and walked on.
At about noon, the path took a dip down. The path became steeper and steeper as they
continued down the path. Finally, about 1 in the afternoon, the path lead into a clearing.
Tenchi stepped into the clearing and gasped. Before him were thousands of holes in the
ground, leading who-knew-how-far down. Seemingly forever.
Tenchi heard a small laugh come from somewhere. He couldn't tell where.
"YOU HAVE REACHED THE JAWS OF HELL," came a booming voice. It shook the very
ground. It was not the planet's voice... no, this voice was much deeper and had a sinister twist to it.
It spoke of evil. "YOU SEEK TO CROSS MY FIELD TO HELP THIS PLANET, BUT YOU
SHALL NEVER SUCCEED. YOU SHALL FEEL MY POWER WHEN I ASSAULT YOU WITH
THE HORRORS STRAIGHT FROM THE GATES OF HADES ITSELF."
Tenchi waited. Nothing happened.
The terribly voice laughed loudly. "ARISE, MY CHILDREN, AND SHOW THESE FOOLS
WHAT THEY SHALL HAVE TO CROSS TO CROSS MY FURY!"
With that every hole blew up, throwing up all sorts of substances. Some erupted in towers
of lava, others blasted boiling waters and oils high into the air, others threw different colored fires,
and others even lasers. There was a terrific roar, and Tenchi and Washu threw their hands to their
ears and dropped their jaws, knowing this would help save their eardrums.
The roar was something straight from hell, indeed. It shook the ground, and Tenchi and
Washu had to struggle to keep their feet. From deep within the mighty sounds of the fury, Tenchi
could hear the harsh and terrible laughter of whoever was making this attack.
Then it stopped. Everything died down. The roar stopped.
Tenchi pondered how he could get across the field. He was supposed to "silence the jaws
with their own noise". But how could he do that? He couldn't very well make them be any louder.
He couldn't dash across. It was too far to the other side. There was no way across.
Except by making the holes make so much noise that, somehow, they would be silenced.
Tenchi looked around. To his surprise, far to the left he saw a small mountain, complete
with snowy cap. He hadn't seen the mountain before, maybe because of all the trees or something.
At any rate, it was a rather small mountain, but was still pretty high.
That's when Tenchi had his idea. No, he couldn't *make* the holes be any louder, but he
sure as heck could challenge them to...
"Ha!" Tenchi called out, loud enough so that he was absolutely sure the person, whoever it
was, could hear him. "Is that all you're going to try to stop me with? I have special abilities... I
could dash right through your gauntlet."
Washu's eyes darted over to glance at Tenchi's. "Are you nuts?!" she whispered.
"FOOLISH HUMAN!" the voice boomed back. "I'LL SHOW YOU TWICE AS MUCH
HELL AS I HAVE BEFORE. THEN WE SHALL SEE IF YOU ARE SO BRAVE!"
As the voice had promised, the holes in the earth erupted with twice as much ferocity as the
first time. They shot forth what seemed the very bowels of the planet. The ground shook as if in an
earthquake, and the roar was magnificent.
Tenchi only wondered why *none* of the substances shot forth from the planet hit him or
Washu. He could also only wonder why this roar did not immediately deafen him.
After what seemed ages, the turmoil ceased. All was still, but the ground was covered with
all sorts of stuff like lava and the other substances shot forth.
Tenchi, though thoroughly shaken, forced a laugh. "Pathetic."
This time, the voice seemed enraged. "PATHETIC?!" it cried in a voice almost twice as loud
as before. "I SHOW YOU THE VERY GATES TO ETERNAL SUFFERING, OR WHAT I
PERCEIVE AS ETERNAL SUFFERING, AND YOU, A MERE MORTAL, CALL IT PATHETIC? I
BRING FORTH FROM THE DEPTHS OF MY WISDOM THE SUBSTANCE OF MORTAL FEAR,
AGONY, AND ANGUISH, AND YOU CALL IT PATHETIC?! I SHOOT FORTH, OUT OF THIS
THE GROUND OF MY CHILDREN, THE VERY LIFE OF THE PLANET ON WHICH I DWELL,
AND YOU, A MERE, MINDLESS MORTAL, CALL IT PATHETIC?! VERY WELL, MORTAL,
FEAST YOUR EYES UPON ETERNAL DAMNATION, THE HELL OF HELLS, THE FEAR OF
FEARS! NOW I SHALL UNLEASH EVERYTHING I KNOW UPON YOU!"
Tenchi, though placing a composure of calm, shuddered.
The earth erupted with a force the likes of which Tenchi had never seen before. To add to
that, the roar shook the earth like a rag doll. Within the fire he could glimpse demons and other
infernal creatures. He could see thousands of souls, burning in agony. He could hear their screams
and see their pain.
He heard a mighty shout, a voice of anger. Both Tenchi and Washu cringed. They, in that
moment, truly believed they were looking straight into hell.
Then another mighty roar could be heard. Through the heated, wavy air, Tenchi could see
the ice cap of the mountain falling. The ground shook with a terrible force, and Tenchi and Washu
were thrown to the ground and shaken around like a couple of toys. They were unable to regain
their feet. All they could do was curl up and be tossed around.
It continued for what seemed ages. Tenchi and Washu were battered continually by the
ground. The overwhelming heat from the inferno ahead of them on the trail made the trail seem
like an oven, but, miraculously, did not scorch them.
Another thing to add to the "strange list".
Tenchi gulped as he saw the biggest mass of white he had ever seen before rushing towards
the clearing. The snow, water, and ice swept into the field. There was a terrific hiss as the fires
were put out and the snow was lifted in vast columns of water vapor.
The vapor completely enveloped the entire place. Tenchi couldn't see anything in any
direction. Everything was as if in a dense fog. He couldn't see the hand in front of his face, if it
had been even still enough to keep his hand in front of his face.
The shaking continued for the longest time. Finally, it died down. Tenchi and Washu did
not get up; they just laid on the trail, not knowing what to do. They couldn't see anywhere. After a
while, the rumbling stopped.
"Washu?" Tenchi called.
Washu coughed. "Here," she said in mock response, as if Tenchi were taking a roll call.
"You okay?"
"N... never better," Washu responded.
"Glad to hear," Tenchi said.
"When do you think this fog will clear?" Washu asked.
"I have no idea," Tenchi said. "Wow, that was amazing. Where are you?"
"Here," Washu said again.
Tenchi reached out into the gray and searched until he found a finger. Then he moved his
hand into the palm of that finger.
"There you are," Tenchi said.
"Yeah."
"Now we have to find the eyes," Tenchi said. "Then comes the dragon."
"Yeah."
Tenchi sighed. "I wonder how much longer this will last."
"Well, it wasn't quite what we'd planned when we came for a vacation," Washu said with a
laugh. "It's been a little strange."
"Tell me about it!" Tenchi said, recalling his thoughts from a few minutes ago. "We should
be dead now. Some of that stuff should have landed on us, burned us to death. Or just plain the
heat from all that should have burned us. The noise should have deafened us, if not just plain
*killed* us. Also, it must be by *mere chance* that none of that snow and ice from the mountain
hit us. Some more stuff too."
"Don't say 'what if', Tenchi," Washu said. "Concentrate on the fact that we're alive, by no
matter what means. Perhaps it was the planet... again."
"Of course," Tenchi replied. "I'm getting sick of this 'the planet helped me' thing."
"Why?"
"It's not right!" Tenchi said. "I mean, a planet! We talk to the planet, we get help from the
planet...! C'mon, if it were a deity, it would be understandable, but... a planet?"
"Who knows?" Washu said softly.
"Not me."
"Nor me," Washu said. "But we're alive, and that's what counts."
"I hope we can live for a little longer."
* * *
They laid on the trail for, probably, a couple of hours. Then, finally, at about 4 in the
afternoon, it became clear enough for the two to move on. No wind having been there to move the
mists, it had hung for quite a while.
Tenchi and Washu made their way across the clearing. Only upon going over it did Tenchi
realize how futile trying to cross it would have been. It took quite a while to cross. They got to the
other side again, but could find no trail. Apparently, it had died upon coming to the clearing.
Tenchi doubted if anyone ever tried to cross the clearing. It had been very large in all
directions. This place had probably been considered the gates to the infernal regions, and Tenchi
couldn't condemn them for it. For a while, he had seen the terribly power and had believed that
very thing himself.
So, finding no trail, they started walking into the forest, picking their way more carefully.
The amount of thorn-like plants increased rapidly as they walked along. After a while, what
seemed a solid wall of thorns invaded their path and seemed to stretch in both directions for what
seemed forever.
Tenchi stood looking at the wall for awhile. What was he to do? He couldn't possibly climb
it, and ripping through it would take hours of careful work. No, there had to be a way around it.
Well, of course, Tenchi thought. If you can't go around something, and you can't get
through something, and you can't get over something, how do you get past it? Go under it.
Tenchi looked down. The ground was very moist. Probably from all the mist and water and
ice and stuff. Whatever the reason, it was not a terrible task for Tenchi to dig under it.
He dug a hole about half a foot from the wall. Then he dug straight under, which did take a
while, considering how thick the wall was. Then he had to get down in the hole and dig. He
managed to stay in one piece, but got pretty scratched up. However, he finally finished the hole
and got through on the other side.
"Okay, Washu," Tenchi called. "You can come through."
"Ugh," came the reply from the other side. "My clothes will be died brown."
Tenchi looked at his own clothes. Indeed, they looked like not clothes, but mud.
"We can wash off in the first stream we find," Tenchi promised.
"Okay, I'm coming."
Washu came through with much more ease than Tenchi, she being smaller than him. Both
on the other side, they turned to walk on.
Walk they did. They walked into the night, and finally sat down and went to sleep.
They woke up the next day and began walking more. Just before noon, Tenchi saw one of
the last pieces of the journey mentioned in the clues.
He snuck up to a bush and then got down. He peeked over the edge. There he saw large
balls of fur with legs poking out at the bottom. On the front was a design of fur that, in a way,
resembled an eye. Tenchi knew that the eyes, being just designs, could not see. So these were the
"eyes that see not".
Tenchi watched for a while. The creatures, having no apparent head, would reach up into
the trees and grab little animals and eat them raw.
The "eyes" were something to behold. And almost laugh at. They appeared to be, simply,
large spheres of fur with, of course, the eye designs. Their feet, when Tenchi examined them more
closely, looked like the legs of an ostrich. As stated before, they had no head poking out. In the
center of the "eye" design was a mouth with many jagged teeth. There they stuffed the small
animals, crunching them to bloody shreds.
Tenchi heard a noise. A familiar noise.
It was a king of whistling noise. A noise that changed pitch, as if it were causing the
Doppler Effect.
Tenchi's eyes widened.
The sound of a starship!
Tenchi and Washu both whirled to face the sky. Coming in their direction was an extremely
long but narrow starship in the shape of a rectangle. Tenchi could see circles glowing brightly on
the underside, and he could see the large tubes of laser cannons mounted on the front of the
weapon.
Tenchi thought a moment. That could be the "dragon". If it was, neither Tenchi nor Washu
would have to deal with these "eye" creatures.
Indeed, when the ship approached the area, its cannons took aim and, with a few blasts,
made a large clearing and, in the process, vaporizing every "eye" creature. The ship made a crude
landing. The door at the front end of the ship swung open, and the Dark One jumped out. He
landed on his homemade clearing.
"I've found you!" the man said. "Somehow, you, Sir Dark, are able to defeat me constantly!
Perhaps this fool planet has something to do with it. Whatever the cause, it matters not anymore! I
have had enough! Businesses have been pressing me from every side, and I'm sick of it!
"It seems that I am not meant to defeat you, Sir Dark! It seems that I am not meant to kill
you, Washu! I have visited the blasted Av'r himself, and guess what he told me?! 'Lady Emerald
shall live on, for the blood vengeance you seek from her shall not come about'. Well, you know
that my only mission, Lady Emerald, is to kill you. I cannot just say, 'I am doing it to collect your
knowledge' anymore. I know that, any time I try to kill you, the memory of my brother will
interfere, and I will not be able to kill you because of those feelings!
"Well, so be it! Because of what the Av'r says, I shall never be able to kill either Sir Dark or
Lady Emerald! So my dreams of a higher realm are destroyed, and I cannot avenge my brother!
But I can still take vengeance on you two, you blasted mortal fools!"
Neither Tenchi nor Washu said a thing. They both stared coldly at the Dark One.
"If I cannot have either of your lives," Sir Dark said with a laugh slightly tinged with
insanity. "Then I shall have the lives of the ones you love. Then you will be alive to know you
were not there for them!"
Tenchi and Washu's mouths dropped. They stared.
"Ha!" the man shouted as he simply floated up in the air and back into his ship. The door
slammed closed, and Tenchi heard the engines of the ship fire up.
"No!" Tenchi shouted subconsciously. Then, out of almost pure reaction, he ran towards the
ship. At the back he saw an open area closed off by railing. Tenchi jumped up and was barely able
to grab onto the railing. Washu ran over him and jumped, and Tenchi caught her with his other
hand.
Washu climbed Tenchi and the railing and jumped onto the back of the ship. Tenchi felt the
ship rise up quickly, and he nearly lost his grip and fell, but he felt Washu's hands wrap around
his.
Tenchi quickly slipped under the rail and onto the back.
But what to do there? He was supposed to climb the "intestines" of the ship.
Tenchi looked around. In front of him was the back of the ship. The wall had a door, but it
was locked. To his right, left, and back was the railing.
The ship raised up above the forest. Tenchi leaned over the side railing to look. He could
see, in the distance, the end of the forest and, beyond that, the city he had come from.
*You must act quickly!* came the strange voice again. The voice of the planet. *The Dark
One has turned suicidal! He intends to crash this ship, with himself inside, into the area hospital,
which, right at this moment, houses ALL of your friends and family that came with you! It will kill
them all!*
"No!" Tenchi said in disbelief. He looked around. No, he couldn't climb the wall to get on
top of the ship...
Tenchi put the pieces of the puzzle together. Of course! The "intestines" of the ship were
the long tubes he had seen on the underside of the ship as it was approaching! He had seen a fuel
tank in front under the ship and tubes leading to all of the shining circles.
Tenchi shook his head. The cryptic writings said that "If the TWO upon the talk shall crawl
upon the very intestines". That included Washu. Tenchi didn't want Washu in any more danger
than she already was in!
But, no, it had to be that way.
Tenchi and Washu braced themselves as the ship accelerated wildly. For a while it just
continued to surge along until it finally achieved a steady speed.
"Washu," Tenchi said after it had achieved the constant velocity. "We've got to climb on the
pipes under the ship."
"What?!" she said.
"That's the dragon's intestines," Tenchi said, feeling himself breaking into a light sweat.
"We have to hurry or... you heard the planet."
"Yes," she said.
Tenchi went over the railings. He found, however, that he could not possibly reach the
underside of the ship, even when he had his hands on the lowest bar.
"What are we supposed to do?" Tenchi thought aloud and desperately.
They both were silent until Washu took Tenchi's hands. "Trust me," she said. She tried to
pull Tenchi's fingers off the rail.
Tenchi looked down to see the tops of very tall trees flashing by in an almost blur. He
looked back up.
This was the moment of truth. He was about to put his very life in Washu's hands. If she
made the slightest mistake, Tenchi would fall a long way and smack into a tree so hard he'd be
dead before he saw the tree that would kill him. Or perhaps he'd take down a few trees,
considering how fast he was going.
But he let go. His stomach turned and for just an instant he felt panic, but the hands held
steady. He felt himself lowered until his body was just a little under the ship. Immediately, the air
assaulted his body and turned him into a flag.
Washu had to swing Tenchi like a pendulum until he could wrap his shins around one of
the pipes. Then she let go and Tenchi felt his torso drop. He picked it back up and gripped the
pipe with his hands.
Tenchi suddenly saw Washu's feet and he knew what to do. He grabbed them with his right
arm. He felt her let go with her hands and she fell. Tenchi caught her waist just before she became
a human flag as well. Using all the strength he could muster, he helped her grip the pipe.
Then Tenchi set about to climb to the front. He was upside down and the wind was blowing
like a hurricane on him, but he began to move along the pipe, even though the wind practically
blinded him.
His sweat increased. He could see the end of the forest coming near now, and the city
drawing a little closer.
Tenchi crawled on.
"Ten... chi!" came a call from behind. "I'm... oka...eeeeeey!"
Tenchi wondered what that was supposed to mean...
He kept moving along the pipe. He heard Washu behind him. They both kept going.
The was drawing near an end. Soon they would be out of it and to the city, but they still had
a long way to go.
Tenchi crawled on for all he was worth. The pipes began to get a little warm, and the air
was still bombarding his body like a small army, but he kept crawling with all the determination he
could muster.
Finally, a minute or two later, he neared the front. "You... sti...ll there,... Washu?!" he called
back.
"H... Here!" she shouted, her voice nearly lost in the wind that filled Tenchi's ears.
The edge of the forest whipped by. Tenchi's arms were sore, his vision was nearly gone to
tears caused by the wind, and his stomach was turning, but he kept going.
Finally, he found the huge box he was looking for. It was labeled 'fuel'. Tenchi gulped,
trying to control his breathing.
He climbed from the upside down position on the pipe to the top of the box. He crawled flat
on his belly, as the bottom of the starship was just a couple feet up from the top. He helped Washu
up to where he was.
"What now?!" Washu asked.
Tenchi smiled. "We're going to destroy a really big pouch of water," he announced.
Tenchi felt along the sides of the huge fuel tank. Finding no entrance to the tank of any
sort, he scanned the edges of the tank until he finally looked down the end of the tank at the front.
There, in all its glory, sat a single fuel intake. Tenchi could tell, by its shape, that a hose of some
sort was screwed on over it and the fuel was pumped in.
Tenchi knew he couldn't reach it. After having a quick conversation with Washu, he was
lowered over the sides, Washu holding onto his ankles with her hands, and her own feet wrapped
around a couple support bars going from the top of the tank to the bottom of the ship.
Tenchi reached as far as he could but, to his dismay, found that he could still not reach the
cap. He looked up towards where the ship was heading, and his stomach fell as he saw a very tall
building growing in size as the ship approached it. On the top of the building was a sign that
flashed a word in several languages. At one moment, the moment Tenchi had looked, it flashed
the message in Japanese: "Hospital".
Tenchi strained to reach the cap. But his efforts were in vain.
Tenchi heard the sudden blast of a laser cannon. He looked up quickly and saw a single,
large bolt of light slip through the sky like a dolphin through the water, and crash into the
building. The side erupted in a massive fireball.
But, Tenchi told himself, the building was very tall. Perhaps it had not hit anyone... Perhaps
it had hit a section not in use, or a section like... a laundry room, or something...
He returned his attention to the fuel tank when he saw how close they were getting to the
hospital. What could he do about that intake?! He couldn't reach it, and the "cap" was probably
screwed on tighter than he could hope to undo.
A thought occurred to him. He had used the LightHawk Sword and Juraian energy when he
had saved Washu...
Tenchi opened his hand and concentrated. In the next moment, Tenchi was happier then he
had ever been in his life. Or, maybe, relieved would be a better word. There was a flash of light,
and the LightHawk Sword flashed into his hand.
Tenchi slashed the sword at the intake. The sword went through easily. The intake flew off
and the fuel of the ship started pouring out.
Tenchi watched as gallon after gallon pumped out every few seconds. It gushed out like it
was being pumped out. It sprayed out and fell to the land below.
Tenchi sighed. Now what? The thought suddenly occurred to him that he was up here in a
spacecraft, possibly half a mile above ground, and he had opened the fuel tank.
With help from Washu (a lot of help) Tenchi managed to get back up on the fuel tank.
"Did you get it?" she asked.
"Yeah," Tenchi said.
*Then your mission is complete.*
Tenchi and Washu's eyes both widened.
*Jump off of the dragon.*
"What?!" Tenchi called back.
*Do you think jumping off will in any way confirm your death? You have done so many
things to defy death thus far, and now you are afraid to do it again?*
"Okay," Tenchi responded. "I'll go."
"Me too," Washu said.
"But... what will happen?" Tenchi asked. "Will the ship crash into the hospital? Will my
family and friends live?"
*The ship will crash,* came the response. *The Dark One has noticed the sudden decrease
in fuel. He is slowing the ship, in case you did not notice. Once he finds that what you have done,
his suicidal tendencies will be multiplied and he will give every bit of effort that he possibly can to
cause this ship to crash into the hospital as possible. But there is no way he can make it. It is over.
Jump.*
Suddenly, there was an enormous sucking sound, the sound of something crunching, and a
breaking sound. This was followed by an extreme gushing sound.
Neither Tenchi nor Washu seemed to notice.
Tenchi looked at Washu. She was smiling. Her rich, green eyes shone with relief, with pride
for her and Tenchi's accomplishments, and, Tenchi could have thought, love.
The ship's engines sputtered. Tenchi felt the ship jerk a little.
*Things have taken an unexpected turn,* the voice came again. *Your slicing into the tank
somehow destroyed a tank pressurizer. As you know, the Dark One slowed the intake of fuel to
the ship. So much going out and so little pressure going into the tank created a vacuum, and the
tank imploded and broke on the very bottom. The tank is almost empty. Jump.*
Tenchi stared into Washu's eyes for just a moment longer. In them he saw love, he was
sure. He smiled, and she did as well. The ship stalled and stopped.
None of it mattered. There, in a crashing ship, between the fuel tank and the ship bottom,
Tenchi kissed Washu. They kissed for such a short time, yet it seemed for years upon years.
Then Tenchi felt himself slide over the edge of the tank. He jumped out into the vast sky
and fell. He saw Washu follow. He stared at Washu, falling, her clothes tattered and dirty, her
small frame, her lovely face. Her green eyes, and her hair, red hair, waving in the wind, waving
like...
And, for the first time, Tenchi understood his dream.
* * *
Though they had been falling, it was as if that moment had faded into another. Tenchi and
Washu found themselves gazing upon the scene in a sort of dreamlike state. They gazed calmly, as
if the fact that they had been falling was no fact. The moment had simply faded, and here they
were.
There was the large wreck of a starship maybe half a mile away from the hospital. It was
smoking, as if it had crashed hours ago, and a fire had gone down. Maybe even days ago.
Tenchi and Washu were standing on a high... hill. It was something they had not seen
before. Maybe something that hadn't existed. That mattered not either. It was a green grassy hill,
sticking out like a sore thumb in the red wasteland.
"Friends," came a calming voice.
Tenchi and Washu turned to see a familiar man... a blue man...
"Yobo," Tenchi said. "Well, I'll be."
"It's time I told you," Yobo said. "You see, I know so much about the planet because I
*am* the planet."
Tenchi stared at the man in disbelief.
"Well, how else did I get here? I put on the act of being an ancient person. I could not have
told you, at the time I saw you, that I was the manifestation of this planet."
"Why not?" Washu asked.
Yobo smiled. "As I have said before, from my mouth, the mouth of the planet... We planets
have our reasons, and sometimes our reasons you mortals may not understand."
Tenchi looked at Yobo thoughtfully. "So now you may die in peace," he said, his voice in a
low, spooky tone.
"Yes," Yobo said. "I am an old, weary person. But now I may rest... finally. I thank you."
Tenchi nodded.
"Oh..." Yobo said, remembering something. He reached into his cloak and pulled out a
large, square object. A book. The sketchbook.
"For you," He said, holding it out between Tenchi and Washu. The book, then, simply
separated into two parts, as if viewed in double vision. Tenchi and Washu each took one, but did
not open it.
"And what will we do now?" Tenchi asked.
Yobo smiled a peaceful smile. "It is over. You'll all leave. And things will end."
Everyone, friends and family to Tenchi and Washu, seemed to fade into reality. They all
had a dreamy look in their eyes, as if completely oblivious to anything. Ryo-Ohki was there as
well, in spaceship form. The family stood and watched the next scene.
The city, bustling with people, vehicles, and every other imaginable thing, simply faded. As
if none had existed.
Yobo's expression was so thoughtful, so peaceful. He spread his arms. Two small, neat
incisions appeared on each wrist. He bled what looked like diamond dust. It fell to the ground in a
cloud, like dust.
"I thank you," Yobo said. "Now, go. I shall never forget you, either of you. And, maybe,
someday, I'll see you again."
Tenchi and Washu turned and walked toward the ship, themselves in a hazy, dreamlike
state. They boarded the ship, as did the family. The ship taking off was as distant as a star viewed
from Earth, as far as awareness was concerned.
Old blue Yobo stood gazing as the ship lifted. He smiled peacefully. The glittering dust
going from his palms soon ran out. He fell to his knees and, for the first time in thousands of
years, felt sleepy. He closed his eyes, and died. He faded away and, with him, his planet. Him.
* * *
Everyone on board Ryo-Ohki seemed to awaken hours later. They each stretched sleepily,
and just sat and thought. Everything that had happened on the planet seemed hazy, as if it had
been a dream. Like none of it had ever happened.
Especially Tenchi and Washu. They would never be able to quite explain what had
happened down there. They had seen so much, experienced so much. They had been through
everything... together.
They all gathered for a meal a while later, but everything was quiet. No one said a word
throughout the entire meal. So much had happened, yet no one could quite find anything to say.
Perhaps there was nothing to say.
Later on, in the evening, the silence was broken. They discussed everything. Tenchi and
Washu recounted their tale, and the group listened, enthralled. Of course, they left out certain
parts.
Only Ayeka knew of the parts left out. But she kept this to herself.
There was no answer, no answer to a lot of things. So many things had happened that could
never be explained. Nor was there any explanation demanded. Tenchi and Washu had their own
lives, and each other. That was all that mattered.
As Ryo-Ohki shot through space, a kind of happiness beset Tenchi and Washu. They would
never know what that was, either, but they were both sure they had a pretty good idea. Perhaps
Yobo was thanking them for rest.
Ryo-Ohki, a large starship as seen by mortals, shot into space, a tiny pebble in the vast
unknown. It's course: Earth.
Earth; home.

THE END

EPILOGUE
Things went back into a sort of normal procedure. They arrived home. Things went back to
normal, pretty much.
Of course, upon the revelation of the true feelings between Tenchi and Washu, hearts were
crushed. However, all of the girls being strong, these crushed hearts were repaired. They found the
mere knowledge that Tenchi was their friend as good as anything.
Tenchi and Washu had survived. They held a new respect for one another. They had seen
each other through thick and thin, and had lived. Every time they looked at the sketchbooks,
whether alone or together, the memories came flooding back. And, although much of these
memories were ones of terrible pain and horror, they held some amount of fondness.
Strange. What in the world could be happy about looking death in the eye?
Had it been the will of the planet that caused Tenchi and Washu? Had it been chance? Or
true attraction? What had caused all of this?
Who knew.
The fact remained that Tenchi and Washu loved each other dearly.
There were a lot of questions left unanswered. But, in the moments Tenchi and Washu
spent close together, looking at pictures of themselves, of them taking care of the partner with all
the love in the world, they believed they knew the answers to these questions. And that was good
enough.


AUTHOR'S NOTES:
Wow. I don't know what happened. I was planning a simple plot, nothing too complex. But as I
wrote my way into the story, I got completely blown away! I got so caught up in the plot that, like
when I write my large stories, I was just driven by some insane force to see the entire soul of the
story, to finish it and work wonders.

I dunno. I usually write short stories as emotionless, funny junk, and my larger ones as filled with
emotion and "things beyond our realm" as possible. I'll have to confess, this story was the one that
had me the most emotionally involved out of all the short stories I've ever written, very close to the
amount of involvement I achieve in my larger stories. And that's not to say I think *you* got
emotionally involved... I, as the writer of this story, will probably be more involved than anyone
who ever wants to read it.

Ok, I'll speak more about myself later in the notes. Right now, I want to say a few things about the
story in closing.


First is that I am not implying that anything written in this story is a religion of mine. I wrote a lot
of stuff about the "being of a planet", which you could interpret as the implication of pantheism. I
DO NOT believe that everything is god, and god is in everything. It is simply an idea, and not one
that I even believe.

Next would be the message to everyone who is not for Tenchi+Washu. This story might really
have ticked you off. Fortunately, there are alternate solutions to hating me for writing this! They
are:
1. Use the search function on your text writer (whatever it is) and replace the name you would like
with the name "Washu", and the name "Washu" with whoever you chose.
2. Go completely insane and live the rest of your life in a nut house.
3. Email me and tell me to write a story about who you believe deserves to be with Tenchi. After
writing this story, I cannot guarantee that there will be results. I try not to give out, for free,
anything of my writing that I have invested much emotion in. In this story, I tried to limit myself,
because I don't like giving out my writing for free (I want to profit from writing sometime!). So,
whatever, I'll probably end up writing a story to your liking anyways, cuz I'm stupid and insane
and I love to write.

You got anymore questions about the story, email me. Please, if you can muster a compliment,
grace me with it.


And now for how I got the inspiration for this story!!!
HI! My name is Dude Jupiter! And where do I write my stories? I have a table (like one you'd find
in a public building) against a wall. To my left is my stereo and a whole bunch of tapes and some
CD's. I almost always have that running when I write. Music fuels my emotional level to higher
levels. Like I said, I'm dumb.
My word processor, a Brother "Whisper Writer", sits in front of me (of course). The monitor is in
the corner, and in front of the monitor is the actual machine, upon which my fingers play.

To my right is Tenchi stuff. Tenchi episodes, movies, comic books, posters, cards. Heh... I can see
everyone, right there...

Anyways, back to my point. One night, (I think it was a Sunday night) I just couldn't fall asleep.
Now, I stay up, usually, to about 12 or 1. (recently its been even earlier then 12). I don't know if
you think that's late... heck, I have friends who stay up till 3 or 4 sometimes. Recently someone
stayed up till 5! Anyways, I couldn't get to sleep. I stayed awake for what seemed an eternity.

About 2:30 in the morning, I tried the little "think happy thoughts" method. Heck, I had school the
next morning... I HAD to get some sleep for school! (I've been falling asleep too much... hehe...)
So I tried thinking of something I really liked...

Well, let's see... what in the world do I like? Oh, yes, of course, Tenchi! So I was just thinking
about Tenchi&gang, and this strange phrase came to mind : "fire upon emeralds". I thought - hey,
Tenchi and Washu... why not? A long time ago, I had been for Tenchi+Washu until I was
converted to the ways of Tenchi+Ryoko. But I was plagued with that thought. Fire upon emeralds,
Tenchi's love.

The next evening I sat down to my word processor. I looked up at Washu, and I was like, man,
she's cute... uh... well, I took a shower (the place where I develop my inspirations). I suddenly had
this complex plot developing in my brain... when I stepped out, my head was exploding with
ideas.

So I started to write. This story came out quickly. It was largely uninterrupted in progress, except
for my little episode with the sidewalk on a Wednesday night (if you'd like to hear about that one,
read on later). But I've finally finished it, being free from school.

Well, rather than bore you, I'll just say that, personally, I liked this story. I hope you found it fairly
decent too. I dunno, I'm dumb. Well, that's it for now. I guess I'll sign out.

A WEDNESDAY NIGHT ADVENTURE
Here's my personal side-story, just for fun, I guess... don't worry, it's a true story...

It all started when I told my brother, "Hey, you up to a little night race?"

Well, of course, we got on our bikes and sped off into the darkness. It was just around the block,
and I'd been around the block probably half a billion times. I *knew* that block. So I was, of
course, winning the race.

However, my dear brother decided to cheat. He was way behind me, and as I glanced back, I saw
him pull off of the street and cut into the block.

I determined to go doubly fast to see if I could get back before he did, even though he cheated. So
I pedaled as fast as I could. Then, 3/4ths the way around the block, it happened. I was speeding
along the sidewalk, when suddenly I felt a sharp dip. I looked down to find an entire block of the
sidewalk lifted out.

The rise ahead was like three inches. I was going way too fast. I didn't have time to react. So I hit
the rise. I was flipped over my handlebars -- wow, the feeling of flying! Until I smashed my face
and my bike flipped onto me and bashed me a little and went crashing on ahead.

(It hurt just like the time I was dropped on my head as a newborn baby... just kidding...)

I came out with a scraped-up elbow, a sidewalk-burned eye, a busted lip, two cuts over my left eye
(5 stitches), and, to top it all off, two teeth knocked back, one sent back and the other chipped all
up.

I walked into my house all bloody, and my mom thought I was faking with ketchup until she got a
better look. I guess all those times I *had* faked with ketchup really got into her head!

Well, that's all, really. See ya later. And, please, above all else, think 12 new insane thoughts a
day.