The Legal Info.... Course I don own these characters the characters
Belong to the creators of Tenchi Muyo, Tenchi Universe, and Tenchi In
Tokyo. So don sue I’m broke.


The Path Of The Traveler VIII:
Home Sweet Home?


                   (Opening Theme: Stars Falling - Smashing Pumpkins)


 (Theme slowly fades to the end where we come to the opening scene)

  (Cold Shoulder – Garth Brooks)
  Blackness… She saw blackness. Ryoko stood in the void once more.
  Instead of hearing the ‘I’m sorry Ryoko,’ she immediately heard the
hitting of feet. It was that body flipping and twisting. As it came close
she, of course, saw it was Verijsha. He walked to her this time. He held the
back of her neck. He closed in for the kiss, then the image shattered and
Ryoko woke up.
  Ryoko looked around, she expected to be looking into her lover’s arms, she
wasn’t, she expected to at least feel the mud under her, and she didn’t.
  A sharp voice came from behind her, “Looking for me?”
  Ryoko slowly got up and stared to where the voice was coming from. She
smiled because it was Verijsha, leaning on the doorjamb. She began to run to
him but he stuck his hand up and halted her.
  “Listen girl, and listen good,” his face and voice very sharp and somber,
“last night was a mistake, a complete mistake! Ok? Now take a shower, for
god’s sake put some clothes and we will set course for your home.”
  Ryoko was awestruck; she stared into Verijsha’s eyes for some relief that
was just kidding her, there was none, everything was somber about him. His
eyes were glazed in mist, lifeless, robotic, robbed of feeling was he, she
perceived. It wasn’t back, just in dormant till that morning.
  Verijsha turned and left down the cold hall slowly fading into darkness by
Ryoko’s sight.
  She stood there for a minute, her head drooped, her sadness suddenly caved
into anger, she knew that Verijsha was much too powerful to confront so she
decided to storm out.
  She stomped toward the hull door, but every step, little by little a
terrible pain arose in her chest. She was not two yards from the door until
the pain grew unbearable. She collapsed.

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

  “Tenchi!” Washu called while looking at a regular computer screen.
  Tenchi walked over, “Yeah?” Tenchi had yet to leave the lab for the days
Verijsha and Ryoko had been gone. Washu did not question. Just accepted. It
was Very Unusual, even for her.
  “Tenchi… as long as you’re here, how about a history lesson?”
  “What?” Tenchi was surprised that she called him to her just for a history
lesson.
  “I was reading something about a man called Havix Echkonral.”
  “Who was he?”
  “Listen, and find out. According to these News Fragments, that for some
reason were stored in the back-memory of Omega, Reveal his life Story.”
  Washu began to read; Today was a rueful day in the lives of the people in
The New Injurieouan Colony, Juriah. The “Impervious” Jurian Bank was
attacked last night Around Midnight. The few Injorian guards still alive are
puzzled how “such an innocent looking boy” can cause such disaster. After
the bank was robbed, the boy destroyed it, killing everyone inside.

- Injurieouan Times (IY 2,000,000 JY 134)
  “What, ok a few Questions, Injoria? What the hell is that?”
  “Injurieou was the greatest civilization anyone has ever known,” Washu
began to explain. “The fall of the Civilization was nearly 10000 years ago.
When Injurieou and its Daughter Planet, Juriah, was separated.”
  “What? What do you mean ‘daughter planter’?”
  “Injurieou came before Juriah. Injurieou sent colonists to set a planet
they called Juriah. It was successful. And that is how Juriah stands today.”

  “What does it mean ‘IY 2,000,000 JY 134’?”
  “It means, simply, Injurieouan Year 2,000,000, Jurian Year 134.”
  “And also… What do you mean by ‘When Injurieou and its Daughter Planet,
Juriah, was separated’?”
  “Well, this Article explains that,” Washu pointed to the screen.
  Blackness now replaces the Father, Daughter Bridge. Early This Morning a
sudden eruption of power caused this great bridge, that once connected the
planets, to demolish. Nearly Seven Million people were killed in this major
explosion. No life has been found at this point, but the Jurian Guard have
been on their way to detecting the, if there is, lives of survivors.

- Jurian Daily Yr 1000499

  “What does this have anything to do with… anything?” Tenchi asked.
  “That’s what I want to know…” Washu looked at it. “Can you answer me, why
an apparent assassin has clipping of Havix Echkonral?”
  “His next victim?” Tenchi reasoned.
  “Or maybe a friend, or an enemy.”
  “‘Keep thy friends close and thy enemy’s closer.’” Tenchi quoted.
  “Very good Tenchi.” Washu complimented the boy’s insinuation.
  “Is that it?”
  “Yes Tenchi, you may go back to your work. While I figure out this case.”
  At that Tenchi walked back into the dark Lab.

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

  As Ryoko walked away from the hull door, the unbearable pain went away,
gradually until it went subtle.
  “Damn you Omega.”
  “What?” Omega’s voice came from everywhere.
  “You stopped me from leaving this ship! The pain!”
  “I don’t know what you are talking about Miss Hakubi”
  “Don’t call me that.” Ryoko said sternly.
  Omega Gave no Response.
  Ryoko decided, since she couldn’t leave she would do what Verijsha had
asked of her.
  “Omega?”
  “Yes Miss Hakubi?”
  “I told you not to call me that.”
  “Ok then Miss Ryoko.”
  “Where’s the Shower?”
  “The Restroom Miss? Down the hall second hall to the left last door, can’t
miss it.”
  “Ok” She walked down the metal hall until at the last hall she saw a
wooden door, beautifully made, but it didn’t quite fit in. She grabbed the
knob of the door and twisted. She lightly pulled on the golden knob. She
swung the door open seeing a large bathroom. In the back was a two-person
shower. It stretched wall to wall. To the right, in front of the shower was
a large Jacuzzi Bath. It almost reached the door in the middle front of the
Shower. To the left was a very exquisite hand carved wooden sink. Underneath
her stretched wall-to-wall marble tile. The tile was thin and set close
together so you could barely feel the crack.
  She strutted her bare feet across the marble tile floor as the lights
above her, that had turned on the minute she opened the door, shined off the
marble tile floor.
  She tempted the Jacuzzi Bath but she was muddy, and needed to clean off,
not pleasure herself. She gripped the golden side of the jewel like
translucent sliding shower door.
  She gripped the knob closest to her on the left side, she twisted lightly
and water spurred out of the showerhead. Water splashed onto her face and
dripped to the white marble shower tile floor from her beautiful long Cyan
Hair.
  (Love Hurts – Nazareth)
  Her face was set into a typical frown. Which soon became a wailing
expression. No sound, but little squeaks, came out of her mouth. She covered
her face with her hands as floods of tears flowed out of them.
  “Why?” came through her hands muffled. Ryoko dropped to her knees her
hands covering her face.
  A woman with dark blue, almost very dark green hair and light milky skin
stood outside of the shower, watching her. The woman had on a light pink
spaghetti Strap tank top and low cut blue shorts. She wore no shoes; she
just stood there watching. Watching with her beautiful almost comforting
emerald eyes. She frowned.
  “I did too Ryoko…” she muttered under her breath sternly and disappeared.

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

  Verijsha walked around the bridge, which was right behind the cockpit. He
was working on the control panels, which, like anything, need tuning up ever
once in a while.
  He climbed under the weapon control panel; the ship was apparently a multi
crew ship, though Verijsha lived on it alone. He put on tented safety
glasses (that looked much like pool swimmers glasses) he picked up his mini
flashlight and his torch (which looked a lot like the flashlight) and he
began to work.
  Sparks flew under the panel as black tall woman uniform boots walked
across the room. The boots drew back and kicked Verijsha’s kneecap.
  “Shit!” Verijsha yelled as his body, instinctually, sat up. He hit the
panel and flung back. “Fuck!” he yelled again.
  Verijsha slid from under the panel and stat up rubbing his head. Verijsha
looked up.
  “What the fuck are you doing Tseru?” Verijsha stood up and faced the
emerald eyes of the woman.
  There stood the woman from the shower room. She now was wearing black
pants and a dark red shirt that had a golden V on top of her right breast
that had a silver half loop over it. Her hair was down and reached just over
her ass. She looked at him with her emerald eyes seething through him.
  “No, What the fuck are you doing, sir?”
  “What are you talking about?”
  “I’m talking about Miss Ryoko, do you realize she is in the shower bawling
her eyes out?”
  “What do I care what she’s doing?”
  “You should, sir. She loves you.”
  “What do you know about love?”
  “I know that it’s strong with her. And with you.”
  “No its not.”
  “Don’t try to lie to me, sir.”
  “I am not.”
  “You can’t stand here and tell me you don’t love Ryoko.”
  “Yes I can, and do you want reasons? Sure. One, She’s my pupil it doesn’t
look right for the master to date his pupil.”
  “Sir, she’s more than your pupil, she’s your friend. You good friend,
would a master drink liquor on a roof with his pupil?”
  “Not, But, She’s easily tempered, if she gets mad and hits me, I can’t hit
her back, you know me, I can’t hurt a woman.”
  “What about the blonde on The Elraxa Space Station?”
  “That was Assassin work.”
  “Humph” Tseru looked at Verijsha sternly, “Any more Excuses?”
  “Yes, umm… Well… Uh…”
  “You’re straining yourself to find excuses not to like her!”
  “There has got to be something you need to repair.”
  “Admit that you love her.”
  “Go and inspect the ship, Tseru.”
  “Admit it, sir.”
  “That is a direct order.”
  “Fine sir.” Tseru slowly disappeared.
  Verijsha threw his tools down. He sat down on metal floor.

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

  Ryoko stepped out of the shower; she looked around and finally found a
pink towel. She dried her body slowly moving it down her arms. She lifted
one legs and from the thigh she rubbed down her calf. She repeated with the
other leg. She picked up the pink towel and wrapped it around her torso. She
grabbed another, conveniently pink towel and dried her hair. She ruffled it
through the beautiful cyan locks. She slowly wrapped her hair in the pink
towel.
  “Omega?”
  “Yes Miss Ryoko?”
  “Does Verijsha have any clothes I can wear?” Ryoko looked at the camera
her eyes puffed up red from crying.
  “Yes, down this hall to the left, the to the right third hall, first door
to the left.”
  “Thank you.” Ryoko followed the directions.
  The door opened in front of her. She walked in graciously. Ryoko looked
around the room. It was dark and hard to see. After stumbling she finally
found the dresser. She gripped the golden knobs.
  “Lights please?” a spotlight gleamed on the dresser. It was a beautiful
oak. “Thank you.”
  She looked at the clothes and they were woman’s clothing.
  “Why does Verijsha keep woman’s clothing?”
  “God only knows Miss Ryoko.”

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

  Ryoko stepped out of the room. She was wearing the black uniform boots
with its black leather like pants. She wore a pink tank top. She looked down
seeing the emblem on her right breast. She shrugged and walked on.
  Ryoko walked down through the halls until a door opened to her that lead
to the dining room. She looked at the table it had food on it. Fish, Rice,
Bread, Steaks, A Duck, A Ham, A Salad, Biscuits, Eggs, Bacon, Potato’s, and
Ryoko’s favorite, Sake. Ryoko looked at the table in amazement. It was light
brown, it didn’t look much like the rest of the room. It was a beautiful
Maple. On one side was a red pillow, to sit on. In front of the pillow on
the table was a red cloth placed under a white china plate. Two chopsticks
lay neatly to its left a cloth to its right.
  “Whoa, who’s the party for?”
  “What Party Miss Ryoko?”
  “So Much Food…”
  “Standard.”
  “You’ve got to be kidding me… It’s a feast. Is Verijsha joining me or
something?”
  “No, he ate hours ago… Didn’t want an awkward situation.”
  “Ah… So this is all for me?” Ryoko pointed to herself.
  “Yes.”
  “Thank you…” She sat down on the pillow.

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

  An hour had passed and Verijsha was still tinkering on the Bridge.
Verijsha sighed because his work was done on the bridge. Every panel was
fixed, every button selectable, everything done.
  “Tseru,” Verijsha looked at a screen above a long keyboard. Tseru’s
Beautiful face appeared on the large screen. Her shirt was off exposing her
black bra. Her Dark Blue long hair was tied back. She whipped oil off her
face.
  “Yes?”
  “My work is done here. Did you find anything on your rounds?”
  “Yeah.”
  “Like what?”
  “Our right main thruster in on the fritz, half of our back outside
defenses is off, and half of our internal defenses in dock three is out.”
  “Ok, I’m on my way,” Verijsha chuckles a bit, “by the way nice outfit.”
  Tseru rolled her eyes and turned off her view screen.
  Verijsha was about to walk out of the bridge.
  “Sir? Speaking of Dock Three…” Omega started.
  “Hmm?”
  “We have an unexpected visitor in Dock Three.”
  Verijsha sighed, “Put him on the screen.”
  Up came a round-faced man with very short chestnut hair.
  “Hello,” the man said, “just for you to know, I’m going to be using your
ship as a cargo ship, that ok?” the man smiled.
  “Sir, we have a user hacking into my Navigational Systems.”
  “Then shut them off.”
  “Step Ahead of you sir.”
  “Ok.” Verijsha walked out of the bridge.
  As Verijsha walked down the halls, Ryoko stepped out of the Dining room,
surprised because the food was even better than Sasami’s.
  Ryoko watched Verijsha.
  “Stay Here.”
  He did not even have to say that, having saying it drove Ryoko into
suspicion.
  “Why?”
  “Just do.” Verijsha walked on the weapon room.
  Verijsha looked at the Shells he had left. There were three of them, all
42’s.
  Verijsha frowned, “Only 42’s? You know I have to have a direct hit with
that.”
  “You’re a good shot sir.”
  Verijsha did a fake sarcastic laugh and walked out of the armory room.
  Verijsha walked down the halls stopping at a door, over it saying ‘Dock
III’
  The door slid open in front of him. He walked down the six metal steps and
walked to the unwanted ship. A man stood there in a light brown cloak, A
Black Jacket, and Black Pants. With Completely black Army Boots.
  “Hello, The Captain I presume?” The Man pulled out a full sized castor.
  “Who are you?” Verijsha said calmly.
  “My name is Vinsiro, Space Pirate Extraordinaire.”
  “You don’t impress me.”
  Vinsiro shrugged, “Don’t have to. I have Ten 43’s, I predict that you
should be dead soon.”
  “Cockiness gets you nowhere.” Verijsha fired off a warning shot hitting
Vinsiro’s cloak.
  “I’ll show you cockiness!” Vinsiro shot at Verijsha, three rounds in a
row.
  Verijsha Rushed and ran up Vinsiro’s ship, flipping, dodging the bullets.
In the air Verijsha twisted shoots his second shot at him.
  “Err…” Vinsiro bent on one knee. Vinsiro laughed and pulled out a pellet.
“42’s, only two places these work my friend, and the calf isn’t one of them.
As for my 43’s…”
  “They work anywhere you hit them I know.”
  “Precisely,” Vinsiro shot at Verijsha. Verijsha dodged easily. Vinsiro,
aggravated shot out five shots rapid fire, missing all of them. “Damn, can’t
hit you.
  “Just leave now… Maybe you’ll live.” Verijsha pointed his loaded gun at
Vinsiro.
  The door to the Dock opened.
  “Verijsha?” came Ryoko’s voice.
  Vinsiro laughed and pointed his castor at her, figuring she was close to
him, and if he had to die, at least he would scar him.
  “Ryoko!”
  Vinsiro fired his castor at her. Verijsha appeared right in front of her,
firing his. Verijsha flew back and twisted, landing on the stairs, hitting
his head. Blacking out.

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

  (Two Out Of Three Ain’t Bad – Meatloaf)
  Verijsha slowly cracked his eyes open to a bright light. He felt cold
metal underneath him. Verijsha sat up, noticing his toga bandage over his
left shoulder and under his right arm. A red spot was on his left pictorial.
He saw sitting with him on the cold stainless steel table was the cyan hair
goddess.
  “Ryoko…”
  Ryoko turned to him and smiled sweetly, “You’re up.”
  “Yeah…” Verijsha found himself lost in her eyes.
  “You saved my life, Verijsha… Why? You could have let me day, saved a lot
of trouble for yourself.”
  “I could never watch you die, Ryoko.”
  “Why not?”
  “Because, I-I-I, hell I can’t say the words…” Verijsha moved closer to
Ryoko and kissed her slowly. Their tongues began to explore each other’s
mouths. Verijsha moved to deepen the kiss; he hugged her tight to his body.
  Tseru smiled as she watched from the metal doorjamb.
  Slowly Verijsha broke the kiss and stared into Ryoko’s eyes.
  Ryoko would have asked, but she didn’t care, she knew now that Verijsha
loved her, and that’s all she needed.
  So instead she asked, “So, Verijsha, Where do we go from here?”
  Verijsha held her, her hand on his chest, half on the toga half feeling
his skin. Verijsha’s left hand was around her head, the other her waist.
  “Omega,” He called out.
  “Yes sir?”
  “Bring up Navigational Systems and set course for…” he looked down at
Ryoko’s beautiful Golden cat-like eyes, “Home…”


                                                   THE END


(Ending sequence) A Picture of Verijsha walking into the set sun, his back
to the camera, the stone of the road beneath his feet. His shadow elongated,
beneath him. Holding his gun over his right shoulder. The other characters
appeared, walking with him one by one. Omega flies over Verijsha's head, and
finally Ryo-Ohki appears on Verijsha's shoulder. The camera zooms in to
Ryo-Ohki smiling and closing eyes. (Accompanied with the Closing Song - Turn
The Page - Mettalica)

 (Preview Sequence) Hi, this is Ryoko, we finally return home, but looks
like a few people are still longing after Verijsha (Mihoshi’s picture
appears) Shoo Shoo! My man! Also it seems Kiyone and Tenchi aren’t looking
real well. (Shows Kiyone Yelling at Tenchi) And Verijsha! Who’s that Woman
On the Ship? Are you cheating on me already? Find Out next Time On the
Newest Tenchi Series, The Path Of The Traveler IX: Trouble In Paradise.

 Authors Note: I am sorry I have not had time to write since August, I think
it was. I hope you liked this new installment, I’m proud of it. Though I am
sorry I got a little sloppy in the end, its 5 In the Morning and I haven’t
had an ounce of sleep. But I think it’s still good. If you have Any
Questions, Flames, Praises, Or Suggestions, please E-mail me at
gamekeeper@shawhan.net. Thank you for Reading my Fic.

The Fallen Gamekeeper