Hello! Welcome to the seventh pit of Hell! Here's your pitchfork... Anyway, this is my contribution to the mass of fanfics out there, it has been on my mind for a while now. (I'd be afraid too, if I were you) It takes place after "No Need For Ryoko". It's my take on what happened to ryoko, so you should brace yourselves for some interesting twists along the way, (would we have it any other way? hell no!) comments welcome! Just no misspelled attempts upon my person; you have no idea how evil the illiterate can be ^_^ ok, so here we go… Opps forgot; I don't own tenchi… ryoko does o_-. So no suing please. I have enough problems without creepy ayeka fans and Pioneer lawyers at my door. All Things… Chapter one: space debris I don't remember anything... It was just cold, so cold... A flash of blue-white light struck my eyes. A figure hazed by fog. Was that tenchi, or was it death? Pain...unbearable pain... Then blackness... Time passed, I had no idea how long I cried out. I could feel arms around me...I dared to open my eyes...tenchi? Was it him? Cradling me... caressing my face...I don't know... "Shh..." Blackness all around me. Was I awake, or dreaming? Did it matter? Blackness, all I see is blackness... And then, the Flames… Everywhere I turned the Flames seemed to follow They whispered things I couldn't understand I shook my head...many voices at once I heard but one fragment Join us No. You must join us No! The flames were closer to me now, growing... You are one of us oni-hi No! Stay away! The fire was licking all around me now No, leave me alone! The flames hissed But you are us as we are you... come to us and we will end this pain... I don't believe you! Get back! For a moment the fire stopped, seemed to hesitate But quickly it reared up like a feral beast and enveloped... I bolted up...a dream...was that all it was? "You're hurt. Lie down." He stared at me, unreadable eyes holding mine. "What? What happened?" I managed to say. "You're hurt." Was all he said. Then he turned and left the room. I tried to get up to follow him... "Eeyaaa!!!" ...I must really be hurt. I noticed the bandages around my side. Wonderful... I again tried to get up, careful of my side this time, clenching my teeth so I wouldn't scream out. I headed towards the mirror, pain coursing through my body with every step. I looked at My reflection. Hell. I looked like hell. I was covered in blood, and my, damn... even my hair looked bad, much of its length clumped together by dirt and by blood. When did I get... ...Ugh...what was happ- I felt light-headed all of a sudden...all I could see was a blur. A sound behind me... A creak? The door? It didn't seem to matter all that much. "dammit miss ryoko!" was all I heard before I collapsed into nothingness, caught by strong arms... I woke to the sound of running water. "Good, you're alive" Blinking, trying to focus my weary eyes, I saw him, the same one from before, pouring a glass of water. He walked over and put the glass in my hand. "Drink this." was all he said. I took the cup and found myself drinking before I thought to do so. The water seemed to steady me and he seemed calmed by this. I looked at him, trying to place his features; a medium height and slender build, his hair was a blue so dark it was almost black, but his eyes, his eyes held me, a light blue with flecks of silver around the edges that seemed to reflect the light at strange intervals. "Who are you?" He stiffened; as if I had said something I shouldn't have said. "You may call me Menno" He seemed to have trouble saying it, like he hadn't spoken it in years. "Would you like some more water?" "Yes" He went to get more. And I noticed for the first time we weren't aboard a ship, but rather in a small cabin. How strange But before I could discern where I was, he came back in with a pitcher of water. As he poured from the pitcher I asked him "Why did you save me?" "Why do people do anything?" It was all he was going to say Even stranger Suddenly, the door burst open, revealing... "MMMIIIIIYYAAAAA!!!!!" We both turned as a brown ball of fluff scrambled into the room and proceeded to jump onto the bed. "Ryo-oki! Hey!" I gave the cabbit and affectionate scratch between the ears "How are ya, you little fuzz ball?" The little cabbit went into a long series of miya's obviously happy I hadn't... "Ok, ok I won't do any thing that stupid again." "Miya miya miy ya miyaya miya mimiya!!!" Loosely translated this means: (Damn straight you're not doing that again!) "That little one is rather protective, isn't she?" Menno inquired "Wouldn't have it any other way," I quipped. "We've been through a lot together, this little girl and I, isn't that right?" "Miya!" "I believe it" "So, what do you plan to do with us?" I blurted. He seemed shocked I would ask him this. I was shocked myself. Where did that come from? Well, no use in going back. "I asked what you plan to do with us. I want to know the answer." He stared at me then, his eyes burned into mine. "Are you planning to try something? because if you are..." He stared at me like I smacked him and he turned away. "What could I do?" His voice a whisper, his eyes on mine again. That stopped me, what could this person do? I didn't even know this person! the last thing I remembered was the attack on jurai... How long has it been? A week? A month? A year? How long have I been gone? What about the others? Did they survive? Is tenchi... No! Focus on the here and now, you have to find out who this person is and what he wants. "What do you think I am?" his voice still a whisper. What had caused this change? "You could be a bounty hunter..." "I could be, couldn't I?" His voice still low, but his eyes twinkled as he said it And his grin! It wasn't sinister, just mocking. It reminded me of the smile I would have whenever I got one over on... "Do not worry, I am no bounty hunter," he said it like a curse word. "I find anyone who would take a life purely for financial profit to be dishonorable and weak." "Are you G.P.?" "Do I look like a Galaxy Police Officer?" That same smile! "Stop that!" "What?" the light of his eyes danced. "Throwing my question back at me when I ask you something." He moved from the table and sat on the bed. "Very well, to answer your question, I am not G.P." "Nor am I a member of Jurain court, before you ask me that." "Well, I fold, what are you?" "I am a freelance trader" He said this rather proudly. I had to laugh. "So you're a smuggler?" He laughed and moved a little closer. "Such a harsh word from a space pirate!" "is it?" He moved closer. "But surely that's enough about me..." Our faces almost touching "Let me ask you a question, space pirate..." I could feel his breath on my face He whispered... "How's the side?" (^_^ You hate me now, don't you? ^_^) BAM! "Better, I see..." he stated, holding his jaw. >From across the room. "Yeah, it seems a little better." I said throwing him one of my smiles. Only a dull twinge of the old pain remained. if anything he could dress a wound. He stood up and brushed himself off. "That's good, now on to my question..." "Oh you want a little more huh?" "Shall we be serious?" The humor faded from the room as he talked "I was charged with bringing you back to Jurai, his emperor was most persistent on the matter " "What! you mean, he's alive!?!" "Very much so" no... "He was most explicit;" No... "to find you alive or dead, alive preferably" NO... "and bring you back to Jurai" "NOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!" I flew at him intending...well, I don't know what I was going to do, but it would be unpleasant, I could guarantee that much! "Take me back to that bastard? I'd rather die!" I charged him. But he was ready and pinned me to the wall. "Really! Calm down woman!" I spit in his face. "Well, that was...interesting. Really! I don't know what that boy sees in you..." That boy? Could he mean tenchi? My tenchi alive? I knew he was! But if he's emperor... That means he... No... ***************************************************************** She suddenly went limp in my arms Hmmm, she fainted, must still be weak from the injury. "All that fuss! You'd think she'd be happy to see Lord Misaki again!" "Oh well, come on little one," I said motioning to the cabbit, "let's get you two home." "miya?" "Yes, I'm taking you to Jurai, to the Lord Misaki." "Mi-miya?" "Yes, to lord Tenchi." "Miya-ya-mi?" "Yes and the Princess Sasami is there as well" "Mi-ya!" "Let us go before she wakes up" TO BE CONTINUED... Well here it is! The first part! It's done! whooo hoooo! How do you like it? What? I can't hear you though your screen! e-mail me! Oh c'mon you know you want to... Please? I'm so lonely... _j_ (look, I'm upside-down!) ……(damn, my change!) part two is coming soon