Disclaimer: Tenchi Muyo! is owned by Pioneer. Claric, Mico, and Rica are mine. =-=-=-=-= Tenchi Muyo!: Dark Times Part Two: Endless Darkness Brian Burke Tenchii@hotmail.com =-=-=-=-= She doesn't know how long she's been here. Standing, she starts to wander about the dark area. "Hello? Is anyone there?" No response. "Tenchi? Ayeka? Ryoko? Anybody?" The last thing she remembers is being dropped in here, whatever here is. Looking around, she sees nothing but darkness. She would check her watch, if she could just see it. Sitting back down, "where am I?" But, her question is answered only by silence. In fact, she's been surrounded by silence for the past 30 minutes. Out of nowhere, a sourceless light shines from above, and Sasami can see herself again. "Is someone there?" Stepping out of the shadows, "Sasami Jurai. It's so nice to meet you." "Claric? Is that your name?" "Indeed, Sasami." "What do you want?" "I have been given the pleasure of doing what I wish with you, as long as I don't harm you." Sasami takes a step back, her face full of fear. "What are you going to do?" "Nothing much." For a second, his eyes glow, partially masking the darkness of them. When they fade, the fabric of Sasami's sleeves explodes from her arms. "No...don't!" she cries. "I will stop, if you do what I wish." "What is it that you want?" "Join us." "Never." A second later, her shoes and socks find a similar fate to Sasami's sleeves as they shred off. "Leave me alone, you bully." "Join us, Sasami." "No. I won't." Her pant legs disappear in a familiar fashion. "You're getting personal, Claric." "Sasami, make this easier on yourself." "Leave me alone. I haven't done anything to you." In response, the bow on her sash falls onto the floor, and the rest of the article joins it. "You're not going to get away with this." Her kimono's shoulders rip off, and the item hits the floor. "Don't worry. I have no interest in you, physically. But, if you still refuse to cooperate, your torment will continue." "I will always be loyal to Jurai and my friends. You will never turn me against them." "Really?" he says, disentigrating Sasami's left hair ornament. The hair flops down as the other half stays in a ponytail. "I will ask you one final time. Join us." "No." "If that is how things will be, then so be it." His eyes glow a final time, and Sasami's remaining garments disappear. "I shall leave your one hair ornament. Let it serve as a reminder of what you've lost." Mico and Rica appear to the sides of Claric. "What shall we do with her?" Rica asks. Walking over to the girl, "I have some things in mind. But, we need her unharmed, don't we?" "Yes, sister. We do. I'm afraid your usual habits will have to wait." Bending to the girl, Mico takes the girl's chin in her hand. She turns her face one way, and then to the other. "Too bad she's so young. Not much use to us yet." "She will be," Rica says. "But, not today." Mico lets her go, and walks back to the group. Then, she disappears with Rica. A pillar appears behind Sasami, which is wider than herself. From it, vine like appendages snag the little girl's ankles and wrists. A moment passes, and her naked form is slapped agains the column. Stone bubbles out and covers her completely, except for her feet, hands, and head. The rock continues to grow, making one giant rocky bubble, with Sasami's exposed hands, feet, and head barely movable. "I told you it would continue. I'll see you later." With that, he disappears into the darkness, leaving Sasami behind. Then, the light disappears "Someone help me!" she shouts. "Tenchi! Ayeka! Ryoko!" =-=-=-=-= Ayeka walks up to her room, completely depressed. It was only a minute ago that her sister was taken from her. "Sasami...I'm sorry. I couldn't protect you..." =-=-=-=-= Finally coming around, Ryoko sees the trio gone. "What happened?" "Sasami was taken," Washu says. "We did all we could, but they were too strong." "Sasami?" Ryoko says, tearfully. "No...no...NO!" Taking off, she flies up towards the mountains. "Not Sasami. She was like a sister to me. How could they have taken her?!" she screams. =-=-=-=-= Tenchi looks at Washu, "you can find Sasami, right? Tell me you can." "Don't worry, Tenchi. I'll get her back. We all miss her already. But, right now, I think Ayeka will need some comforting." "What about Ryoko?" Tenchi asks. "I'll take care of her. I am her mother, after all. Ayeka's mother is on Jurai. She's gonna need somebody to lean against for a time." "I guess you're right." "Don't worry. I don't think Ryoko will take it the wrong way." "There's been enough fighting today, that's for sure." Then, he retraces Ayeka's steps and walks towards the house. =-=-=-=-= Knocking on the door, "Ayeka?" Tenchi calls. Drying her eyes a bit, "yes, Lord Tenchi?" "Can I come in?" he asks calmly. Instead, Ayeka walks to the door and opens it herself. "I guess it is a good time for this." Walking in, "I'm sorry. I feel as badly as you do. Maybe moreso being that I couldn't protect her." "I know you tried your best. You and Ryoko." "They were just too strong. But, don't worry. We will find Sasami, and that trio." "We shall all fight, and we will win. But, I do not know if we can get to them." "Why is that?" "Because their dimension is sealed from both sides. We can't get in, and they can't get out." "Ayeka, the seal must be broken. How else would they have gotten here?" "Rica!" they both say. "He was able to use those dark armbands to take Sasami away," Ayeka says. "He must have used the same power to transport the rest." "I'm going to find Washu," Tenchi says, leaving. =-=-=-=-= Her voice hoarse, Sasami has stopped calling for the others. Over the past four hours, she has been alone in the dark. "I'm getting hungry," she says weakly. Looking over to her hand, or in that direction, she tries to move it, but to no avail. "I'm never gonna get outta here," she says, leaning her head against the pillar. "Sasami Jurai. I've heard a lot about you." "Who's there?" she rasps towards the voice. A light appears, to reveal Rica standing about three feet from her position. "You could've saved your voice, if you stopped screaming." Looking down, she can see a tray of food in his hands. "Is this some kind of joke?" she asks. Shaking his head slightly, he sets the tray down on the ground. Pressing his fingertips to her throat, he rubs it gently. "I'd advise you not to carry on again. It's not good for you." "Thank you," she says, her throat healed. "But, why are you helping me? Aren't you with them?" "It's a long story." With one swift punch to the rock, Sasami is freed, as she flops to the floor. "I'll tell you about it later." He then creates a blanket to cover the girl. "I'll leave the light on so you can see what you're eating." He then disappears into the darkness. Taking out her lone hair ornament, she puts her hair into a single ponytail. Looking towards where Rica disappeared to, "he's actually nice to me. He's not like the rest." =-=-=-=-= Closing the door to Ayeka's room, Tenchi goes in search of Washu. "If he can transport them, then we've got a lead on how to get there." Walking into his own room, "there is something else I should do. Something I should've done a long time ago." =-=-=-=-= "So many memories here," Ryoko says, sitting at the entrance to the cave. "For 17 years, all I could think of was Tenchi. I had hoped he would free me. After all, we spent a lot of time together." "Yes. You did," Washu states. "I can see it in your mind. I can see why you love him so much." "Don't go invading my memories!" "I don't need to. Your thoughts are telling the whole story." Walking closer, "but this isn't about Tenchi, is it? This is about Sasami." "I came here to think. To be alone. Who'd think to look near my old prison?" "I would, just for that reason. Ryoko, I can see what Sasami meant to you. She was like the sister you never had." "Why are you speaking in past tense?" she shouts. "She's not gone yet! You can still find her!" "Yes. I can. And, I will. But, I'm gonna need your help." "Help? You? What can I do that you can't?" "Support the others. While I'm searching, you will have to be strong for Tenchi and Ayeka. This is tough for them, too." "I know. Alright. I'll do what I can." "Meow?" Ryo-Ohki asks, running up to Ryoko. "Meow meow," she says, depressingly. "Don't worry, Ryo-Ohki," Ryoko says, "we'll find her." "Ryoko?" Tenchi asks from nearby. "Don't tell me this was the first place you looked," Ryoko whines. "I thought I could hide for awhile." "Actually," Tenchi answers, "I just followed her," he says, pointing to the depressed cabbit. "Washu," she starts, but sees her mother is already gone. "What can I do for you, Tenchi?" "As a matter of fact," Tenchi states, holding up the sword, "it's what I can do for YOU." Ryoko teleports over to Tenchi, "you mean it?" she asks happily. "I realize I should have given these back to you earlier. I'm sorry for keeping them so long. Are you ready?" Holding out her hands, "I am." Holding up the hilt, Tenchi concentrates, and sends the two final gems into Ryoko. One of them appears on her right wrist, and the other in the back of her neck. Hugging him hard enough to make Misaki jealous, "thank you, Tenchi." Pulling back, "I know I can trust you with them. Ayeka probably thinks you'll go on a rampage, but I tend to disagree. Besides, we're going to have be at our peak the next time we fight the Exiles." "You can count on me, Tenchi." "I need to find Washu. I'll see you later, Ryoko." Turning, he runs down the path, back to the house. =-=-=-=-= She is older now. With a sword in hand, she wonders why she is fighting Tenchi and the others. ~What am I doing? They're my friends!~ One by one, they disappear. Finally, only she is left. ~NO! Come back!~ Waking on the dark, and oddly cold floor, she finds she is still covered with the faintly blue blanket that Rica dropped on her, which tells her at least one thing about the man. Wrapping up herself a bit, "where am I?" she asks, expecting no reply. "You are in our world," a deep voice surprisingly responds. "Get used to it, because this is your new home." A second later, Claric walks out of the darkness. His eyes glow slightly. "They've abandoned you." "NO! My friends will find me!" Wrapping up the blanket tighter, thinking he might take it, "you'll see. Then, you'll be in big trouble!" "Really?" he asks. "Then why aren't they here? If they want to get you back so badly, why aren't they here? It's because they don't care as much as you think." "Liar." "Really? Let's take Tenchi for example. You love him. That I can tell. But, you know he can't return those feelings for an eleven year old girl." "That's not true!" "Are you certain? There are five other girls in the house. Do you think he'd wait 7 years for one girl when there are others his age, if not older?" For a second, Sasami considers this. "You're just trying to trick me!" Claric just smiles. "You know it's true. He may think of you as a friend, but you know you'll never win him. You're too young!" "So I won't get Tenchi. So what? That doesn't mean they'd leave me here! I'm their friend!" "We'll see." His eyes flash brightly, as the blanket is ripped from Sasami's hands and body. A second later, she is placed back on the pillar and encased as before. "We'll see." As Sasami watches him walk off, the light disappears after many hours of luminace. And as all is dark again, her young mind starts to process the new information. =-=-=-=-= Ayeka walks out of her room to see Tenchi walking into his. "Lord Tenchi. Did you find Miss Washu?" "Not yet. There was something else I had to do first." "Ryoko. You gave her the gems, didn't you?" "Yes. I did." "But, Tenchi-" "Listen, Ayeka. I can trust Ryoko. She's on our side. And, if we're going to get Sasami back, she's going to need all three." "I know. I'm sorry." Putting the sword on his dresser, "Ryoko won't turn on us. I know her." Sighing, Ayeka watches as Tenchi walks down the stairs. "You may trust her, but I do not." Then, she returns to her room and shuts the door. =-=-=-=-= "Little Washu!" Tenchi calls from the lab door. Seeing her on her floating pillow, "are you busy?" "I'm just searching for Sasami, and trying to find a way to break the seal. Nothing that won't take months on end." "Months? You mean-" "Tenchi! It's only been 70 minutes since her departure. Even I can't work that fast." "I'm sorry. But, I saw something during the fight that might help." Turning towards him, "I'm listening." "Well, Rica seemed to be the one moving everyone between here and there." "I know. It's part of his powers. In truth, I saw no Jurai power in him." "Then, he's not Juraian?" "I didn't say that. He did have the unique DNA signature that the Royal Family has. But, he had no power." "How is that possible?" "I don't know. But, it seems he was relying on those bands of his." =-=-=-=-= "There's one thing I haven't tried," Sasami says. Closing her eyes, "by the royal seal and my true name, open the path to our ancestors in space, please. Heaven to ocean, ocean to Earth, Earth back to Heaven. Show me the path engraved by the light." "I'm afraid that won't work here, kid," a woman mocks from the shadows. "There's not a single tree here, Jurain or otherwise. Besides, not even Tsunami could get you out of this one." "What do you want, Mico?" Sasami says coldly. "I came to show you what's happening on Earth with your friends." "You won't trick me. I know they're looking for me." "This is no trick. This is what's happening right now." A three foot wide globe appears, filling the area with light. The image on it shows Tenchi talking to Washu. "Little Washu, are you saying there's no way in?" "Yes. The Juraian Royal Family sealed it themselves. There's no way we can break through." "So, what do we do?" Tenchi asks. "All we can do is hope she comes back on her own." "Well, if that's all we can do, that's all we can do." "This can't be true!" Sasami shouts. "They can't just abandon me! I mean, how am I supposed to get out of here?" she asks, tugging at her prison with her wrists. "Afraid so, kid. They've left you behind. If Washu can't get to you, she either isn't trying hard enough, or it can't be done." "Washu would not abandon me! You're just lying to me!" "Washu is so cut off from the world, that she only cares about people if she needs them." "You lie!" "Say that enough, and you might actually believe it. Look at how she treats Ryoko. Her daughter!" The globe changes to a scene in Washu's lab. In the background, Ryoko is suspended in the air by Washu's machines. "Mommy? Let me go...please??" she cries. "It's dark! Please! I don't want to be alone!" "Ryoko's not a baby," Sasami comments. "She wouldn't act like that." "Normally, no. But, Washu had her strung up like that for nearly a day. Is that how a mother treats her daughter? Leaving her like that, just to see her break down?" "That can't be true. Washu wouldn't do that to Ryoko." The image changes again to show the said scientist with a video camera. "This must be what they mean by the pleasures of motherhood." "She'd never do that!" Sasami screams. "She already has. Remember how Ryoko disappeared for two straight days?" "A couple years ago, I do." "The first day, she was in here. The second she just went into hiding." "Washu did this?" "She doesn't care about her own daughter. So, how do you think she feels about someone outside her family?" "Washu does care about Ryoko! And about Ryo-Ohki!" "Is that why she left them for 2000 years, shortly after they were 'born?" "She was captured by Kagato! It wasn't her fault!" "Maybe. But, she still isn't around as much as she should be. She rarely exits her lab. You know that. Where does that leave Ryoko and Ryo-Ohki? They hardly ever see their mother." "Maybe. But, what about Tenchi? She cares about him." "Only because she needs him to discover the secret of the Light Hawk Wings." "She's trying to help him!" "NO! She's helping herself. She just wants to make her own Wings. Before she saw him generate the Light Hawk Wings, she showed absolutely no interest in him." The globe changes to the Mirror world, on board Soja. Ayeka, Washu, and Mihoshi are present. "See? She's not interested in him." "I never saw this." She doesn't say this, as it might reveal their intentions. On the globe, Tenchi creates the Light Hawk Sword for the first time. "Watch." "Transmutation of energy to matter!" Washu cries out. "The Wings of the Light Hawk!" "She looks interested now, doesn't she?" "It can't be true..." "It is. Washu cares about no one. Not you. Not Tenchi. You know it's true." The image changes yet again to the current, slightly altered scene. Ayeka appears in the globe. "So, Sasami is gone...forever?" "No, Ayeka," Tenchi says. "She'll be back someday." "That's not like her. She won't abandon me! She's my sister!" "Some sister." The image now shows Ayeka walking ahead of Sasami, slightly faster. Sasami, only about five, is running at her fastest pace. "Ayeka! Ayeka wait for me!" she shouts. "That did happen..." she says. "She knew she could keep ahead of you, so she played this prank on you. Only when you fell to the ground, bawling, did she notice you." "See! She does care! She played a prank, but she realized her mistake." "What about when Taro showed up? You went into partial isolation. Did Ayeka ever show up to check up on you? Did she ask why you were upset?" "Well...no. But, she found out why." "After Tsunami told her, and the others." "That's one person you'll never be able to lie to me about. Tsunami cares about me deeply." "I know. She's been very good to you. Perhaps the only one." The image changes to that of the lab. "I'll leave this for you." That said, she walks into the darkness. "Don't worry," Washu says. "We'll see her again." "HOW?!" Sasami screeches. "I'm stuck!" =-=-=-=-= "I know you can find her, Little Washu. If you need anything, let me know." Washu gives Tenchi an interesting glare. "Anything...but that." "Tenchi, this is neither the time nor the place. I have to find Sasami first." Turning back to her laptop, she continues her search. Tenchi walks towards the lab door. Even though he wants to help, he knows there's still work to be done. As he exits the lab, he sees Mihoshi and Kiyone standing in the living room. "I thought you were on a mission?" "We were," Kiyone says. "Is everything alright? Mihoshi and I both got a dark feeling while we were in space." "Actually, Sasami's been kidnapped." "What? Sasami?" Mihoshi cries. "Who could have done such a thing?" "They called themselves the Exiles. They defeated us, and took her." "That's terrible!" Kiyone shouts. "Where did they come from?" "I don't know. But, Ayeka and Grandfather seem to know. Ayeka's in her room, and Grandpa is up at the shrine, praying for her safety. Washu is looking for Sasami as we speak, but she hasn't had much luck yet. And, I gave Ryoko her gems. She's going to need them when we confront those people again." "We'll go talk to Katsuhito," Kiyone says. He can probably tell us what's going on. Come on, Mihoshi," she says, running out the door. "Right behind you," she says, following her partner." =-=-=-=-= Sasami is watching the slightly altered scene on the globe. Although she's trying to deny it, she just can't seem to discredit how real it is. "Those two aren't much help. If I ever get out of here, I'm going to teach them a lesson." The screen suddenly pops out of existance, and the area is dark again. "Now what?" Looking ahead, she sees a ball of white energy fly at her. "No!" she shouts instinctively. But, on impact, it merely shatters the rock and pillar. Landing on the floor, she feels a blanket dropped on her once again. Looking up from under the large cover, "Rica?" "No." A light shines, revealing a taller man with long black hair and purple eyes. His clothes are curiously unplated. "I am Mica. And, I'm getting you out of here." Wrapping up the little girl, he leaves a small opening for her to see out of. Then, tossing her over his shoulder, he takes off into the darkness. -Continued? Definately!-