These characters don't belong to me, they belong to someone else, probably AIC and Pioneer. I'm not making any money, so don't sue me. The Challenge By Kenzie Kennedy Ryoko stretched her arms and floated through the rafter. Phasing to Tenchi's bedroom, she hovered above his bed until he started to awaken. "Good morning," she chirped at him. "Waaghhh!" Tenchi yelled and sat up in bed. "Oh, Ryoko. I thought I was safe." "What do you mean?" Ryoko asked playfully tousling his hair. "Well, you haven't done this for a few mornings and I thought I could wake up without-" "Oh, so you don't like me protecting you, is that it?" Ryoko started to get a little miffed. "I give up part of my sleep to make sure that you aren't awakened and you complain?" "It's not like that Ryoko." Tenchi ran a hand through his hair and chuckled weakly. "Fine. Sleep by yourself." Ryoko disappeared. Tenchi sighed. *** "Breakfast!" Sasami called. Everyone filed into the kitchen and started eating the excellent food, giving Sasami compliments as they gorged themselves silly. After breakfast, Tenchi went to the fields as was his habit, Ayeka helped Sasami with the dishes, Mihoshi crept toward the TV (really, would you expect her to help with the dishes?), Washu went back to her lab, and Ryoko floated up to the roof. *** She sat there on the roof, arms crossed over her knees, and her head resting on her crossed wrists. Why doesn't Tenchi like me to protect him? He certainly needs all the protection and backup he can get. "Hello, Ryoko." Came a voice. Ryoko turned around. A blond man was floating in mid-air. He was taller than Ryoko by several inches and thin as a rail. "Who are you?" she snarled. He smiled and held his hand out to her, palm facing her. Ryoko did not have time to scream. *** "Where's Ryoko?" Sasami asked at lunch. Tenchi shrugged. "I don't know, Sasami." He replied. "Her lunch is getting cold." The little girl said sounding distressed. "She'll show up soon. She might have fallen asleep." Ayeka offered. "I'll go look after lunch." *** After lunch, Ayeka walked up the shrine stairs and yelled for Ryoko. No answer. Ayeka continued to walk around for the rest of the day, but no one answered her. She finally got tired and walked back to the house for dinner. *** Sasami stared at Ryoko's place. Tenchi smiled at the little girl. "We'll ask Washu where she's gone." "Ask me where who's gone?" Washu smacked her lips over the dinner that was laid out. "Ryoko's been missing since lunch and no one can find her." Sasami informed Washu. Washu shook her head. "She's probably in her garden. She never could tell time in there. I'll check after dinner." *** After dinner, everyone sat down in front of the TV and watched a show while Washu went into her lab to check on her daughter. Washu walked into the house and bellowed, "RYOKO!" There was no answer. Frowning, Washu walked through the living room, up the steps, and down the hall. Casting a glance around the garden, she found no Ryoko. In case she had been hit on the head by something and was unconscious, Washu walked around the entire garden. No Ryoko. "That's strange." Washu murmured. *** Sasami heard the door to the lab open. "Oh, Washu! Did you find Ryoko?" she asked. Washu shook her head. "She's not in there. I don't know where she's gone. I've tried talking to her through our link, but it's like she's too far away. The problem is she's never been too far away before." "Do you think something might have happened to her?" Tenchi asked. "I think we should go and look for her." Washu agreed. The crew gathered up flashlights and headed outside. "Since we don't know what Ryoko's gotten into, I think we should keep together." Washu said. "Sasami, you come with me. Tenchi, you go with Ayeka and Mihoshi." The two groups split up and went in opposite directions. *** Washu and Sasami searched the yard and all over the house. They even peered into the lake. No Ryoko. *** Tenchi, Ayeka, and Mihoshi searched the cave, asked Grandpa, and then started towards the woods. "Do you think she might be hurt?" Ayeka asked worriedly. "Hey, she might have just gotten drunk and passed out!" Mihoshi said cheerfully. Both Tenchi and Ayeka looked at her. "Just an idea," Mihoshi said quietly. Tenchi and Ayeka walked together, swinging their flashlights into the trees and behind the bushes. "Mihoshi, do you think-" Tenchi turned around. "Where'd she go?" *** "Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you! You're so nice to show me where Ryoko is!" Mihoshi cheered. The blond man smiled at her and pointed to where Ryoko lied. Mihoshi ran to Ryoko and tried to wake her up. Mihoshi's eyes started to get heavy and she fell asleep. *** "Where's Mihoshi?" Washu asked when the two groups met up again. Tenchi shook his head. "We were searching for Ryoko and when we turned around, she wasn't there. She was right behind us." He said helplessly. "Hmmm," Washu considered. "I think we'd all better get back inside." *** In the middle of the night, Ayeka was thirsty. She got up quietly and walked barefoot past Sasami. Sasami moaned as the door shut. Ayeka walked down the hall to the bathroom. Holding a glass under the cold water spout, she turned the handle off as the glass filled to a just amount. Ayeka drank quietly. Tilting the glass to pour the water back into the sink, she was startled by a hand on her waist. The glass clattered into the sink. *** Sasami awoke that morning to find Ayeka's bed slept in, but no Ayeka. Rubbing the sleep out of her eyes, she walked down to the kitchen and began making breakfast. Tenchi was the first to arrive for breakfast. "Good morning, Sasami. Did you sleep well?" "Yes, Tenchi. Have you seen Ayeka this morning?" Sasami asked. Tenchi shook his head. "It feels so weird not to have Ryoko greeting me in the morning and Mihoshi not snoring on the couch." Tenchi admitted. Sasami nodded. Washu walked in next and asked if either of the girls had come back. Both Tenchi and Sasami shook their heads in a negative. Washu's shoulders slumped. "There was an anomaly in the space/time rift twice yesterday as my instruments registered. I just can't tell what." "Why not?" Tenchi asked. Sasami started to set the table for four. Washu smiled. "Because there are some things my machines don't register. If Ryoko hadn't been the first to go missing, I'd have been able to use my gems. But as it is," Washu spread her hands, "all knowledge, no power to apply to it." "Washu," Sasami said her voice trembling. "Yes, Sasami." Washu turned to her. "Was there another ano-ma-ly last night after Mihoshi?" Sasami asked. Washu frowned and summoned her laptop. Punching a few buttons, she nodded. "That's funny. How did you know?" Sasami was already taking Ayeka's place setting away. *** After breakfast, Washu, Sasami, and Tenchi sat in the living room. "What are we going to do?" Tenchi asked. Washu shrugged. "I have no idea. I can't tell what's causing the anomalies. I don't know who or what's doing this." Sasami got up and asked, "Tenchi, would you come with me to get some vegetables for lunch? I don't want to be alone." "All right. Little Washu, do you think you'll be okay?" Tenchi asked. Washu nodded and made shooing noises. *** Out in the shed, Sasami chose carrots, peppers, and other things to eat for lunch and piled them in a basket. "Tenchi, do you think you could get me some of those onions?" Sasami asked, pointing to a string of onions high on a rafter. No answer. Sasami turned around to find Tenchi gone. She ran back to Washu. *** "So, Tenchi's gone also?" Washu heard through Sasami's crying. "uh, uh-huh," Sasami wiped her eyes. "This doesn't make any sense." Washu said. "I can see why Ayeka and Tenchi might be taken for ransom if you wanted to get money from the Juraians. Ryoko's bounty is up. Mihoshi isn't doing anything wrong. If they wanted money from the Juraians why not take you, Sasami? You'd be a lot easier to handle than those two." "Sister." Washu turned to find Tsunami standing over the water in the plant jug that they used to water the plants. "Would you mind going to the lake so we can talk?" she asked. Washu nodded. Sasami sat down on the couch and waited. *** At the lake, Tsunami came into her adult form instead of in miniature. "Washu, you have problems." She started. Washu looked at her sister with incredible eyes. "I do?" she asked. "This is no time to be flippant." Tsunami closed her eyes. "Your family has been taken as a challenge to you." "Who's challenging me?" Washu asked. "A minor god named Balar. He's sprung up in the last 20,000 years so you wouldn't know about him. You should have expected at least one challenge, Washu." "Why should I have expected this? I'm an elder goddess, one of the original three. Who in their right mind would challenge me?" Washu demanded. "One who knew you had wiped your memories before the previous 20,000 years, one who knew you had only come into those memories again recently and was probably disoriented by the knowledge, one who knew you didn't have ready access to your gems, need I go on?" Tsunami smiled. Washu grumbled. Tsunami continued to speak. "Balar took Ryoko so you wouldn't have your gems. Mihoshi, Ayeka, and Tenchi were taken to anger you." Tsunami paused for effect. "He's also an assassin." Washu snorted. "I've dealt with assassins before." "Washu, Balar is a god. Even a minor one can kill mortals, animals, anything he wishes." "But not immortals and not gods." Washu reminded her. Tsunami looked at the ground, obviously not wanting to tell Washu. Washu sighed. "Whatever it is, tell me." Tsunami looked up. "You could kill him, if you had the gems. He, as a minor god, can't kill immortals or gods, but..." "For goodness sake, spit it out, Tsunami!" Washu told her sister. "Minor gods can't kill immortals or gods, but you can imprison them for a long time." Tsunami grimaced. "Or the end of time." Washu sat down, dumbfounded. "Let me get this straight. I could kill him, but I'd have to have my gems to do it. He knew that, so he kidnapped Ryoko." "And because he's a minor god and Ryoko's the daughter of an elder goddess, he beats her in power." Tsunami brought up. "But aren't they equal?" Washu asked. "No. She has the power, but not the accuracy. She's using a weapon, your gems, that are too powerful for her to handle entirely. To use a sword as an example, the weight's too heavy, the balance is off, the grip's too long for her hands to handle-" Tsunami would have gone on but Washu cut her off. "That's enough, Tsunami. So he kidnapped everyone else to get me angry. I can't do anything about this because I don't have my gems." "And I can't help you." Tsunami said. Washu stared at her. Tsunami sighed. "A long time ago, we decreed that gods battling gods was not to happen. It has to be one on one. If one god calls in another god to help him fight, then you have a god war. That's not good on the universe." Washu sighed. "So, Balar has taken my friends and my gems and there's nothing I can do but submit to being imprisoned." Tsunami nodded. "You know, Tsunami, for being a goddess of goodness you sure are depressing." "Do you want the good news?" Tsunami asked. "Sure." Washu said. "Okay, if you become imprisoned Tokimi will probably blast Balar in return for you competing in her race." Tsunami offered. Washu stared at her. "Tsunami, I have one thing to ask you. Will Sasami be safe?" Tsunami considered it. "Balar wouldn't dare take on an elder goddess who has her powers, so Sasami's safe." "Why would he want to imprison me?" Washu got around to asking. "He wants to retire for a few millennia." Tsunami told her. "What?!" "Balar is tired of chasing bounties and assassinating people, so he found this little backwater planet with an elder goddess in charge of it and it's too good to pass up." "Well, then why doesn't he buy a farm, prop his feet up, and rest for a few millennia then go away?" Washu asked. "You don't understand. When that few millennia is up, there won't be an Earth to guard." "Over my dead body." Washu said. "I thought I explained all this. You won't die, he'll imprison you." Tsunami started again. "I got it, I got it." Washu waved. "Just one more thing before I go." Tsunami said. Washu looked at her. "If he does imprison you, I'll make sure he doesn't marry Ryoko." "WHAT!?!?!" Washu shouted. "He wants to settle down and marry and she's the only god substitute in the area." Tsunami told her. "I'll look after her. Good luck, Washu." Tsunami faded away. *** Washu marched into her lab. Good thing I made this lab god/goddess proof, she thought. The only thing I had time enough to do with the gems but it was worth it. Tsunami wasn't blocked out of here, but she was the only one. Washu grinned. Her sister wouldn't destroy her and if she wanted to borrow something, she'd ask first. Washu checked the timer. They'd be done in a little under half an hour. Then she could go rescue her family. *** Ten minutes before they were done, Balar showed up. "Washu! Guardian and Goddess of Earth, come forth and do battle!" Balar shouted. *** Inside the lab, Washu heard his voice echo inside her head. Uhhh... What do I do now? An idea popped into her head and she switched clothes. *** "Hey, you!" someone shouted behind him. Balar turned to find... Washu in a towel. "Uhhh...." "Can't a goddess take a bath around here? Can't you wait a few minutes?" Washu shouted. Her voice turned to a sexy murmur. "Or would you prefer I fight...nude?" The idea for sirens must have come from Washu's brain based on her body. Sailors dashed ships on the rocks for these women and they were just copies. "Uh, that's fine. Go and finish your bath." Balar stammered. Washu winked and disappeared. *** Standing by the case in the lab, she waited impatiently. "Come on, come on..." The timer went off and Washu grabbed her experiment. These are going to be as tough to use as tires in a blender, but they're my best hope, she thought as she walked through the lab. *** Appearing outside, Washu stood in child form in front of Balar. "Where is my family?" she snarled at him. Balar smirked. "Right here," he gestured with a wave of his hand. Tenchi, Ryoko, Ayeka, and Mihoshi appeared with glowing gold energy bands on their feet and hands. All four were asleep. "They all dream, Washu. Tenchi dreams of all of you dead at his feet and he can do nothing. Ayeka dreams of falling in love time after time and seeing all of her loves find someone else. Mihoshi dreams of tiny pickles being thrown at her for some reason." He paused in confusion on that one. "Ryoko. Your daughter I believe. She dreams of many things. She dreams of Kagato. She dreams of the dark. She dreams of Tenchi dead..." "Stop it!" Washu screamed her form exploding into adult. "Oh, so the adult has come to play instead of the child." Balar taunted. "I will take this planet and rule it with Ryoko at my side as my bride." He paused. "I wonder if Tsunami will marry us." Flooding her knowledge through her experiment, the bonds holding Mihoshi, Tenchi, and Ayeka snapped in two. Their eyes opened wide and centered on Balar. Balar turned around in shock, his attention no longer on Washu. His mind screamed to him, "She shouldn't have been able to do that!" His attention flew to Washu as he fired an energy ball at her. She fell. He smiled. Just a scientist's trick. *** "You." Tenchi's face grew dark with rage. Mihoshi started to twist her cube around. Ayeka's battle armor came into view and both Azaka and Kamidake appeared. Tenchi's Juraian battle armor appeared and Tenchi-ken flew to his hand. Ayeka and Tenchi charged this god who had tortured them with their fears. *** Washu crept around the edge of the fighting, keeping herself obscured by the dust raised from the fighting. Balar was having a tough time with these two mortals who were blessed by the gods, but eventually he would overcome them. She walked quickly toward Ryoko who was still lost in her nightmares. "Ryoko, wake up!" her mother demanded. Washu tried to route enough energy through her experiment to awaken her daughter, but Balar had done something specific with Ryoko's bonds. All Washu got for her effort was a tremendous backlash headache. *** Ryoko saw Tenchi turn from her to Ayeka's arms. She saw Kagato come back to life and control her even though Washu said she fixed the problem. She saw Washu torn to pieces by the blond man. Ryoko, wake up! The voice wouldn't leave her alone. She twisted and turned away from the nightmares toward the voice. Who was the voice? It must be better than the nightmares! Ryoko, as my daughter, I demand that you wake up! Who are you? Ryoko dreamily asked. I am your mother, Washu. Tenchi and Ayeka need you. You must awaken! Ryoko's eyes snapped awake. "Tenchi?" she whispered. *** Balar felt the bonds snap and Ryoko awaken. He snarled and blasted the two Juraians into unconsciousness. He'd take care of them later. Now was for Washu and her blasted daughter. He started toward the pair. Washu didn't notice him, but Ryoko did. Ryoko nudged her mother and Washu tightened her grip on her experiment. Bang! Balar felt the back of his head and felt a bump. He turned. Mihoshi stood there in her Galaxy Police uniform with her gun pointed toward him. "Stop in the name of the Galaxy Police!" she yelled. He laughed and sent a blast of energy in her direction. *** "Quick, give me your gems!" Washu whispered to her daughter. Ryoko looked at Washu and handed them over sadly. Washu pressed something into her hand. "Keep these for me while I deal with Balar." She whispered. Washu stood and left her daughter where she lay. *** Balar turned away from Mihoshi's body. Washu stood in front of Ayeka and Tenchi's unconscious bodies. In the background was Ryoko lying on the ground drained of energy. "So, you're finally ready to concede." Balar licked his lips. He fired one bolt at Washu intending on roughing her up a bit before putting her in a capsule for all eternity. It hit Washu and she fell. Laughing, Balar summoned the energy to fire another. Washu stood up. Her eyes sparkled as she saw the look on Balar's face. "Oh, come now! Did you expect an elder goddess to just fall over?" Washu's eyes glowed dark blue and she fired her own energy bolt at him. Balar fell. Washu stood over him. "How many gods and goddesses do you have imprisoned, hmm? Do you think they'd like to teach you a lesson?" Balar whimpered. "The problem is what to do with you. I don't want to kill you. I'm not evil enough to turn you over to the gods/goddesses you've imprisoned. I don't want to sentence you to imprisonment, either." Washu contemplated her choices. "I'd like to have him, if you don't mind, Washu." Tsunami appeared. "Why?" Washu asked bluntly. "He's an assassin, mostly evil-" Tsunami whispered something for only her sister to hear. Her sister looked at Tsunami. "You're kidding!" Washu said deadpan. Tsunami shook her head. "That is too ironic, even for the universe." Washu shook her head in wonder. "Well, he's all yours then." Tsunami and Balar disappeared. *** Washu turned back to the scene before her. Ryoko still was on the ground, Tenchi and Ayeka hadn't woken up, and Mihoshi was also on the ground. Washu walked over to her daughter seeming as how she was the only one still awake. Washu sat down on the ground, sinking into her childform, beside her daughter. "Well, Ryoko, it's been a couple of confusing days." She began. "Who was he?" she asked. "I'd like to explain it to everyone at the same time, but just this once." Washu warned. "That was a god who wanted one last great kill, then to settle down and rule Earth with you as his bride." "What?" Ryoko shrieked. "That's what I said." Washu told her. "I couldn't do anything about it because I didn't have the gems." Ryoko thought for a moment, then sighed. "I guess you'd better have the gems, then." Washu said gently, "Did I tell you I was sorting that problem out, my dear one?" Ryoko looked up at her. Washu grinned. "You haven't looked in your hand yet, have you?" Ryoko opened her hand to find three teal gems. She looked up at Washu with questions in her eyes. Washu began to explain. "See, my gems are red and match my hair so I thought I'd continue the pattern..." Washu caught the dangerous gleam in her daughter's eye. "Hey, easy! Okay, you were trying to use my gems all your life and they're a bad fit for you. Sure, great power source, but too much energy for you to handle." "Hey!" Ryoko growled. Washu hesitated. "Let me put that another way. With my gems it's like trying to get rid of ants with a thermonuclear device. Those," Washu pointed at the teal gems, "are suited to you. You'll have a lot finer control now. No more craters in the ground because you'll be able to hit what you aim at with a finer energy bolt. That plain round energy sword? Not unless you want it to be. These give you the control to put any sort of decoration you want on it." Ryoko considered the gems. "How do I put them on?" she finally asked. Washu grinned. "Only you and I can take them off, no one else. Added bonus. You can put them anywhere. If you feel like having them all on one wrist that's fine. You can have them all on your head if you'd like." Ryoko absorbed the gems into her left wrist, all three lining up in a row. She would have tried a few things, but Tenchi and Ayeka started to stir. Washu went to Ayeka and Ryoko to Tenchi. A few moments of disorientation and then they were sitting up and holding their heads from the headaches they had. Washu left them and went to Mihoshi who had yet to stir. Squatting beside the blond, she smoothed her hair. Her head wobbled to the side. Washu's eyes narrowed. Holding the blonde's wrist and trying to find a pulse, Washu let the blonde's hand drop. Looking at her with sadness, Washu stood up and went back to the others. Ayeka and Tenchi were getting to their feet and wanting an explanation. Ryoko was in the middle of giving it to them. After she had finished, Washu addressed her daughter. "Ryoko, I need some help." Ryoko looked at her mother. "It's Mihoshi." Washu told her. Ryoko walked over expecting nothing more than to help calm the silly blonde or wake her up. "She's dead." Washu whispered as Ryoko reached for her. Ryoko's hand dropped to her side. "Oh, no." she said in a low voice. "I need help." Washu said. Ryoko looked back to where Tenchi and Ayeka sat gathering their strength to walk inside. "I'll tell them." Ryoko said. "No. I can't resurrect the dead by myself." Ryoko looked at Washu. Washu went on. "That's Tsunami's power. I need another person to help me." Ryoko nodded. Washu held her daughter's hand. "Now take one of Mihoshi's hands and think of her alive." Washu paused. "Maybe not think of her in my lab again." Ryoko snorted. Washu closed her eyes and her gems started to glow in front of her. Ryoko thought about Mihoshi crashing her ship into the lake when Tenchi was fighting Ayeka's suitor. Mihoshi trying to diaper Taro. The blonde always saying the wrong thing at the wrong time. Ryoko's teal gems started to glow. Washu swam through her memories and grabbed the one which related to her summoning someone back with Tsunami's help. Tsunami had thought it would be something Washu wanted to know. She was glad for it now. Between the two of them, Mihoshi started to breathe again. Ryoko opened her eyes to find Mihoshi looking at her. "Gee, Ryoko, what're you doing?" she asked. "Weren't we fighting someone?" Washu sighed. That is our Mihoshi.