The Kata

A Tenchi Muyo Fan Fiction

All Tenchi Muyo characters are the property of their respective copyright
holders.
(I'm just thinking out loud here)
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He took a breath in an attempt to calm himself, but it didn't work. He was
angry, but he wasn't sure why. He took the ready position again, the bokken
raised above his head. He closed his eyes and took yet another breath. A
calm wind blew through the small clearing. It gently caressed the leaves and
the grass, but it did nothing for him. His arms shook and he lowered the
bokken, his tight grip turning his knuckles white. DAMN IT! HOW COULD HE
HAVE LOST?

\\\ "Oh, I see. You still need that little aid. No shame in it really.
I'm sure you'll reach the point where you will no longer need such a crutch
to draw power from a tree-ship... someday," the Jurian Noble closed his
empty palmed and formed his brilliant gold energy sword. ///

For the third time, Tenchi raised the bokken over his head. Without pause,
he quickly began his kata.

\\\ "Are we to fight with these sticks? Come now, Prince Yosho, I'm
sure our young prince here is ready for a man's weapon. Let him use the
Master Key, and I, the might of my tree."

"Tenchi lacks the control necessary to fight with anything more. Besides, it
matters not the weapon, we are testing skill."

"If you say so, Prince Yosho. Who am I to question?" ///

'Lacks control,' Tenchi's eyes burned as he moved through the movements of
the kata. 'And I LOST! I lost to that pompous...' His grip tightened and the
bokken began to smoke slightly. The gentle breeze that had been gracing the
forest grew in intensity.

\\\ Tenchi looked along the length of the bokken pointed at his neck and
into the smirking face of his opponent. He'd lost. He gave a wan smile, it
had been just a friendly contest. He was about to ask for a hand up, when
the sound of clapping hands turned his head. It was Aeka. ///

Tenchi's movements were furious as the bokken sliced through the air, caught
fire in his hands, and burst. Tenchi continued the kata, not noticing the
brilliant blue blade that extended from his hands.

\\\ "Well done, well done Lord Pestil. I have not seen such a display
of swordsmanship in sometime. I'm  so glad father sent you to check on my
welfare. To speak truthfully, I have been feeling a little lonely and
homesick of late," the princess said with a small smile.

"Nonsense my Lady, the honors are all mine to give thanks for. His Majesty
has allowed me the opportunity to meet the crown jewel of all Jurai," he
kissed her hand. "And make amends for the folly of my brother, Seiryo. "

The two walked off, Aeka in the crook of his arm, as he went on about how
"perfect" they were together. ///

The wind howled through the woods where Tenchi moved through his kata. His
hands and arms were a blur, as the aura around his blade grew and its energy
danced as sparks through the air.

'And Ryoko. Probably the only reason *she* didn't applaud, was because she
was too busy hanging off her BOYFRIEND.'

\\\ "Not bad. I could have done better, of course," Ryoko smiled cling to a
young man in a GP uniform.

"Don't you ever get tired of talking about yourself," the GP detective said
with a grin, his arm around Ryoko's slim waist.

"Should I talk about you instead?" she asked with a feline smile, one that
Tenchi had once believed reserved for him. Their faces were just inches
apart when they turned from the area of the shrine and went off together.
///

'Mihoshi's new partner,' Tenchi's mind spat. His movements were blinding.
His energy sword flared violently.

'He and Ryoko seemed to hit it off right from the start,' Tenchi cursed, his
sword beginning to glow intensely white. The wind raged.

"I almost laughed when he arrived and asked her out," Tenchi said aloud, not
noticing how the wind stormed and his sword blared.

"And she said, 'YES!'" he yelled, his sword grew brighter.
"And then they went out," his voice strained against the din of the wind.

"then again," his sword grew brighter still.

"and again," brighter.

"and AGAIN!" A blinding light consumed the clearing. When it abated, Tenchi
could be seen continuing his kata, a trail of light shadowing the every move
of his Light Hawk Sword.

But it didn't stop there. His eyes were closed; he felt what he needed to
know. His movements were fury, but held an under lying grace. Image upon
image entered and left his mind. The girls laughing, smiling, blushing...
none of it for him. His moves grew faster still, his Light Hawk Sword
beginning to glow.

Laughing, Faster, Brighter

Smiling, Faster, Brighter

Blushing, Faster, Blinding

An image, red hair, familiar voice. "Let it be."
An image, blue hair, familiar voice. "Let it go."
No image, just silhouette, a voice he had never before heard. "Let it out."

"*All of it *"

A brilliant light once more enveloped the small field.

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Ryoko entered the Masaki home with a sigh. Her date had gone reasonably
well, dinner and a movie. The detective would make someone happy. She
noticed Aeka sitting on the couch watching the credits to some movie roll
by. She decided to join her.

"How did it go, your Princess-ship."

Aeka made no movement as the space pirate phased in next to her. Aeka had
become quite used to her by now.

Not looking away from the screen, Aeka let out her own sigh and answered.

"Lord Pestil is a very nice young nobleman."

"Yeah, Ryoji is a good guy too."

A moment passed.

"Do you think its working?" they said simultaneously.

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Katsuhito Masaki swept the walk to the shrine as he mused over recent
events. He had been very proud of Tenchi today. He fought extremely well
against someone with several thousand years more experience then he.

"Almost won. You're closer than you think, Tenchi. Closer than you think."

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The light faded. The kata finished. His sword was less than a centimeter
away from Funaho's trunk. He lifted his wooden bokken to his shoulder,
relaxing from the position of the kata's final strike.

He let out a breath.

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Damien
Damien_searight@msn.com