Gitaro the writer, and Davner the writer find themselves in a white open space, (think like the Matrix) where battles ensues... Davner: We meet face-to-face, finally. Gitaro: You're uglier than I thought you would be. Davner: You'll take that back! Gitaro: Make me. (Both of them pull laptop computers out of nowhere, and begin typing really fast.) Davner: Check it out... I have 25 lighthawk wings! Take this! (Attacks Gitaro) Gitaro: Hmmph! Unfortunately for you, I have anti- lighthawk shielding! Davner: You can't do that! Gitaro: I can do anything I want, I'm writing this scene! Davner: (dramatic pause) I'd like to see you do your worst. (Suddenly Davner turns into Pamela Anderson Lee) Davner: I didn't mean like THAT! Gitaro: HA HA HA HA! Well, OK. (Davner turns into Davner again) Davner: That's better. Now show me you're true power! Gitaro: I don't think you're ready... Davner: Show me the worst thing you can... (Gitaro pulls something out of his jacket) Davner: Wait, no I meant.... ANYTHING BUT CHAPTER 6! Gitaro: What's the matter? Are you afraid? Davner: Afraid? No. But that *is* repulsive. Gitaro: Oh, yeah? Then why are you sweating? Davner: Hmmmph! You've won the battle Gitaro! But the WAR! The WAR is FAR FROM OVER! (disappears into nowhere) Allright, enough of that silliness, and onto the chapter! Tenchi and co. belong to Pioneer/AIC. I don't own them. I don't even have drawings that remotely resemble them. I suck at drawing. This disclaimer is going nowhere. You are still reading it. Even now you continue to read the disclaimer that is going nowhere when you could skip it and find out what happens! Don't you want to find out what happens? Huh? Stop reading this damn disclaimer, you loser! Oh, great! Now it's too late for you to stop, because it's over. Nice going...loser. -MUST-READ-MUST-READ-MUST-READ-MUST-READ-MUST-READ- OK, by no means am I asking you to vote for me, because that would be cheating, but I would just like to *remind* you guys that there is a voting booth for best fanfiction. It's always been a personal Vendetta of mine to make it to that list, you know. Just remember, I'm not asking you to vote. It's your decision, but I'm just reminding you about the voting booth. Heh... heh. Really. -MUST-READ-MUST-READ-MUST-READ-MUST-READ-MUST-READ- -TRANSMISSION-OVER- Tenchi Muyo!: Culture Shock! Chapter 6: Twilight Engagements Tenchi's Surly Dance of Seduction! Starring: Terry McMahon as Ter'ay Scott Craven as Scotah Also, Jade and Aspen from my local strip-joint will be playing as themselves (without consent, of course)! by Gitaro the Metalhead *** Parked on the horizon of black space, the Delorian made a sleek presence of itself. The stars reflected off of it's hood and body, and there was a streak of brilliant light across the side. Washu had made a rather stunning space-craft, indeed. It was so small, in comparison to average craft, that it didn't even register on any sort of scopes. However, it's power supply was more than even the largest of ships could dream of. Had this small craft been armed, it would have packed a lot of heat. The Delorian's passengers didn't give much of a crap about either case, though. They were busy looking at the building ahead of them. It was some sort of bar, from what they could tell. "You sure this is the place?" Tenchi wondered. Bryan nodded. "Mmm-Hmm. Washu said we could get some money at a club called 'The Spot'... and the sign says, 'The Spot'." Bryan glanced at the control panel in front of him. "Also, Ryo-ohki's wake pattern runs right through here!" Tenchi's eyelids lowered . "That means Ryoko...came through here..." He sighed. "Yeah, there's got to be somebody that has seen her." Bryan began. "I wonder what kind of jobs this place offers for temps..." Mihoshi had her own opinions to express. "I just hope they have good food." They looked at it for a while. It was a small, almost shabby building, in ill repair. It looked almost as if it was abandoned. This was nothing like they expected a space-bar to look like. "I wonder what 'Amateur Night Tonight' is supposed to mean..." Tenchi wondered. The sign did raise it's questions. "We should go check it out." Bryan moved the car around to a sort of dock. It was unclear whether it was completely air-tight or not. Now, the Delorian had no room for any sort of dock port, but fortunately Washu designed the car with that in mind. The whole thing easily fit inside the dock shaft. It closed behind them, and the group was free to exit. "I think... it would be best for you to stay behind for now, Mihoshi..." Bryan began. The idea of a run-down bar made Bryan unsure of it's general safety. "Yeah, I'm not exactly sure what kind of place this is," Tenchi said. He looked at the surroundings. "You'd probably be safest here." The blonde looked as if she was going to protest, but strangely didn't. "Okay!" She stayed in her seat. Both young men proceeded down the narrow corridor, and stepped inside the bar. Once inside, they were met by... ... absolute silence. It looked closed. Most of the lights were off, and there was nobody to be seen anywhere. Bryan moved forward a little bit. He could see two bars, on opposite sides of a large circular room. Each side had a stage as well. Near the middle there were all sorts of gambling tables, some recognizable, some very odd looking. Bryan and Tenchi moved around inside a little. The stages were obviously the main attraction. The one to the left seemed more masculine, and was colored blue. The one on the right was pink with a candy red heart pattern. "You don't think this is some sort of performance hall, do you?" Bryan asked. "I don't know..." Tenchi began. They were both interrupted by a somewhat gruff voice. "Hey, we don'ta open 'till lata'! Get out!" Bryan and Tenchi froze. The voice came from directly behind them. They turned, and saw a gruff, odd looking man. He was short, somewhat fat, and had a handkerchief around his head. It seemed as that the handkerchief was hiding a recent head wound. "What are you deaf? Get out!" Bryan barged in. "Wait... uh, we're here for the jobs!" He glanced at Tenchi. "Right?" Tenchi scratched the back of his head. "Um... sure?" The man looked both of them up and down. He seemed to be unsure of whether they were kidding him or not. "You're joking, right?" He said with a hint of sarcasm. Bryan paused momentarily. "Why wouldn't we be?" The man looked them up and down again. He smiled. His smile got bigger. Eventually the man laughed, loud and obnoxiously. "HA! That's the best one I've heard all day!" "What do you mean?" Bryan moved a little closer to him. "You think... that *YOU* guys could take the ropes *HERE*? ." The man started giggling. "He he he.. ho.. ho.." Eventually he started laughing hard, with tears. Tenchi and Bryan were forming sweatdrops on their head. The man wouldn't stop. "KKKKRRRPLLLLsxxx. HA HAAAA HA HAAAAAAAAAAGH HACK HACK!" The man began coughing through his laughter. "HE HE HE HO HO HO! "What's so funny?" Tenchi asked. At that the man stopped, almost immediately. He looked them both in the eye, and started laughing again! He grabbed a chair to hold himself from falling on the ground. Eventually he regained his composure, but it *did* leave Tenchi and Bryan really confused. "Seriously, guys. Did someone put-a you up to 'dis?" The boys looked at each other. "Well someone we know told us we could make some money here..." "And who might that *someone* be?" "Do you know someone ...named ...Washu?" Bryan asked, shrewdly. The man laughed again. "Stop! Stop! You're killin' me!" The fat man rubbed a tear from his eye. "You're sayin' 'dat the *great Washu* told-a *you* to come to 'Da Spot to make money?" The boys nodded. They were met by a momentary silence, and then more laugher. The man seemed he hadn't had a laugh in a while. A looong while. The man stopped. "Get out. It's nice, but... get out." The boys looked at him with confusion. Bryan opened his mouth. "What do you mean..." "Look, you ged-out now, before I have 'ta resort to drastic measures, 'aight? I ain't stupid, I know what's good for business!" The boys stared at him, with puppy dog eyes. Slowly, they turned, heads hanging, toward the gate where they had entered. They were met by Mihoshi. Apparently, she hadn't waited in the car. "Waid' a minute." The fat man stopped. "Is she wid'a you?" The boys stopped, and nodded. Hesitantly, Tenchi answered. "Um... yeah..." The fat man's face cheered. "You're hired! Just find some- thing to wear that will make you boys look a little bigger, all right?" The man began to walk off towards his office. "Wait, what are we supposed to be doing?" Tenchi asked. The man turned, and spoke to them from behind his back. "Jus' follow 'de rest of 'em. Is cake after a few tries.." He closed the office door behind him, and locked it. The word 'manager' was written across it. This had left both boys somewhat puzzled. Bryan looked around the room a little more. On some of the walls, he noticed various pictures of women dancing on stages. Some of the women were wearing very sexy costumes, and some were even half-naked. The stages in the pictures looked remarkably like the one to their left. It suddenly struck Bryan that him and his friends had just signed up for 'amateur night'... ...at a strip club. *** Tenchi woke up, for the third time this morning. He was having one of those days. The kind where you just don't want to wake up. Everything was fucked, everybody sucked. But enough of Limp Bizkit songs. I hate Limp Bizkit. Slowly he opened his eyes, and glanced at his clock. It was almost noon. < Aaaw, jeez. > Tenchi thought. He climbed up, and slowly put a housecoat on. He left his room, for the bathroom. Although he felt like crap, he hadn't really wanted to sleep in this late. It made him feel really awkward. Days like these were wasted before they even began. At least he didn't have to tend to the fields for a week or two, yet. After he showered, he went downstairs. Maybe there would be some cereal in the cupboard. Tenchi didn't feel much like a home cooked meal right now. Back in the kitchen, Ayeka was waiting for him. Her new 'all-natural' hair style hung well beneath the back of her chair. She rocked back and forth in her seat, until one of the legs broke. "Oomph!" She yelled, as she fell back. She lay motionless for a while, a bead of sweat collecting on her forehead. She got up, and tried to make the seat work again. She got it to stay up, but didn't dare sit on it. Fortunately there were three other seats to chose from. She sat down as Tenchi entered the room. "Hello, Ayeka." He said. His voice was weak. She raised her expression. "Hello..." It almost sounded like a question. Tenchi looked in the cupboard. It had one box of Coco-Pops (or it's Japanese equivalent) left in it. Tenchi picked it up, and set it back down. < Why do people always leave the empty box behind? > Ironically, Tenchi left the box right where it was. "I've a favor to ask you, Tenchi..." Ayeka was staring at him, no.. through him. He sat down. "What kind of favor?" "Well, I'm sure you know where Ryoko is by now... right?" Tenchi stared at the ground. "Actually... I don't." He glanced at Ayeka. "All I know is that she's in space, and that she doesn't want to come back." Ayeka felt odd feelings for the pirate. She could feel sorry for her now. It was as if the game that they had made out of Tenchi's decision had turned dead serious. She didn't think Ryoko loved him enough to feel *this* hurt by him. "I'm sorry, Tenchi." Ayeka said. It was sincere. "It's OK. It's all my fault, anyway. Washu's getting her back, somehow. She's got Bryan flying after her." Ayeka was a little taken aback. "Bryan, really?" Tenchi nodded. "He knows how to fly, I suppose. Washu also said that he had some sort of help. I don't really know what to think about it all..." "You don't think he's trying to make things right again, do you? I mean... BRYAN?" Tenchi's face went even flatter. "I don't even know...." They both sat in silence for several moments. Tenchi looked at Ayeka's face, in her eyes, but quickly glanced away as they made eye- contact. They sat there, feeling rather awkward. "You know, you never asked me that favor..." Tenchi began. "Oh, right! Well..." It was hard to get to the point. "You know, Sasami saw something interesting on your computer the other day... about a week or so ago." "Yeah? Really?" Tenchi folded his arms. "What kind of stuff?" "Well news that has let us believe that there are more Jurai tree-ships on earth." Her eyes widened some. "..In America, possibly all around!" "So you're saying..." Tenchi began. "I'm saying we should see what it's all about... It could shed some much needed light on Jurai's History!" < Oh, I really have no need for America right now... > thought Tenchi. As he did so, the leg on his chair collapsed. Tenchi fell back, and stayed there for a moment. A bead of sweat appeared on Ayeka's brow. < Oops. I didn't realize he'd sit in *that* seat... > *** "I'm not gonna strip!" Tenchi(1) and Bryan were in the men's changing room. "No way!" Both of them looked rather silly. Bryan was in a fireman's costume, and Tenchi was dressed as a police officer. Both outfits were a little too large for them, but they were the smallest they could find. Bryan tried to talk him into it. "Look, we need the money, right? Come on! You'll never see the people here again! They won't tell anybody!" "Are you crazy? STRIP? In front of countless women?" "Hmm.. since you put it that way..." Bryan looked in the mirror. "HOLY CRAP! MY HAIR!" Indeed, Bryan's hair *was* a mess. "Bryan, get serious... so what if we *do* strip? Then what?" Bryan paused. "...Then we just get back on track with finding Ryoko!" It seemed simple enough. "C'mon, Tenchi! The more people we have out there, the more money we can get! We have no idea how long we'll be in space!" Tenchi seemed to be thinking about something. < You know, he could be right. We could be up here for months. > [ Don't listen to him, Tenchi! You know you're not going to like it! ] < But it's my fault we're here, isn't it? > [ No, it's all him... look at him! Smug, self-centered, do you want to be like him? ] Tenchi's face firmed. < Ergh! This isn't for *him*, this is for Ryoko! I have to get her back! > His counter self gave in for the moment. [ Whatever. ] "You know what? FINE! I'll do it!" Tenchi's eyes narrowed as he walked off, onto the stage. His costume hung from his body as he walked. No wonder the manager had been laughing at them earlier. Bryan's eyes twitched a little. < What was *that* all about? > -IN THE WOMEN'S DRESSING ROOM- Two nameless vixens chatted away, as Mihoshi was getting into a mock-GP uniform. It was, of course, a little more showy than was your average uniform, but it suited Mihoshi nicely. The two regular dancers were talking about the newest additions to their little club, namely Bryan and Tenchi. "Boy, those temp-boys are kind of cute, hmmm?" The first one, who's name was Jade, replied. She was sort of short, but her body was just right for the job she managed. "Hmm.. Yes, they are." The other, Aspen, said. "Especially the one with the short hair, and pony-tail..." Aspen was even shorter than Jade, and skinnier. "Really? I like the one with the little mustache-thingy... And I would call it a duck-tail, not a pony-tail..." Mihoshi walked between them. "Are you talking about Bryan and Tenchi?" She asked. Her face was cheery, as normal. "...Cuz personally, I like to think that Tenchi's my destiny..." Aspen looked at her, unamused. "Why... do you know them?" Mihoshi nodded. "Oh, yes. They're both reaally nice, and you two should meet them... Ooh, this is so exciting!" Aspen and Jade gave each other a questionable look. "So, are they friends of yours?" Aspen asked. She had kind of a cold demeanor about her as she asked. "Oh, yeah! You see, I was on my way to arrest this guy... oh wait, I shouldn't be telling you that... I mean, so Kagato, err I mean the guy.. Oh wait, *that's* top secret, too..." Mihoshi was broken off when suddenly, there was some loud shouting from the stage. The manager rushed in. "Hey! Who the hell is supposed to be out there right now? The crowd is killing me!" Jade and Aspen pointed at Mihoshi, who seemed to be oblivious to what was going on. "GET OUT THERE NOW!" -TENCHI ON STAGE- It was by now quite clear that Tenchi was indeed, an amateur. The women seemed to give him a descent amount of leeway, though. Nervously, Tenchi tried hard as he could to strut his Jurai stuff, without looking stupid. < This is just something I'm doing... > he thought. < ...to get Ryoko back.. that's all. > [ Ha! Look at yourself ] He thought again. < Oooh.. just relax... relax.. > The woman actually seemed to like him, a lot. Seems Tenchi had a way with women from Space. Money piled around him. If things kept up this way, he would only need to do this once. Mihoshi got similar reactions from the men. Oddly, she seemed natural at this whole stripping thing. She used the bar, made eye contact, flirted a little, and placed the occasional giggle that make men tend to tip more. It wasn't obvious at all that she was an amateur. She was joined by the other strippers, Jade and Aspen, who were attempting to destroy her. And normally, the two would bring in money like no tomorrow. However this time, Mihoshi was giving them a run for their money. By the time the second song came, it was time for tops to come off. Tenchi raised his shirt over his head, and much to his dismay, it got stuck. "MMMMF!" he yelled. You couldn't really hear it over the music, though. He struggled to get it over his head, but it just stayed right at his neck. He tugged and fell on his back. < What the heck? These shirts are meant for much bigger guys than me! > Tenchi finally ripped it over his head. He could see the manager's eyes pierce into his with anger from across the room. Tenchi gulped. The women all loved him. It had been a while since they'd seen someone so... so... so Tenchi. There was something about him, it seemed. Mihoshi's lucky streak was also in full effect. Every guy in the bar was hollering for her attention, and she wasn't even strip- ping yet! The anticipation was half the excitement for the men. Back in the dressing room, Bryan was chilling back, playing it cool. Mostly he just wanted the arrogant guys in the locker room to leave him alone. They were really getting on his nerves. "So... what makes you think you could cut the ropes here, huh?" Said a jerk named Thomas. He was one of those large, strong ego- testicle types. His buddy Cal, joined in. "Yeah, what's a wimp like you doing here, huh?" "I'll bet he did a *favor* or two for the manager. Gufaw Haw Haw!" Thomas' laugh sounded sort of like those rich snobby laughs. Bryan simply stood between the two of them, trying to ignore them. He knew they would wipe the floor with him, if he tried anything. They continued taunting him for several minutes. Suddenly a third voice chimed in. It was smoother, and a lot darker. It was almost sinister. He wasn't a stripper, that was for sure. "That's all for now, boys. You can go..." The boys didn't budge. "...or you can let me force you to leave..." The two boys glanced the odd looking man up and down. He didn't look very big. He was obviously wearing cloaks and a veil to hide how truly weak he must have been. "And just who do you think you are, huh?" Thomas blurted. "Yeah, what makes you think you could take...." Cal never got to finish his sentence. There was a movement of shadows and he was sent reeling on the floor. A few moments passed, and he spat blood. It was hard to tell exactly what had just happened. "Wha...." "You could call me Ter'ay, if you could speak..." said the cloaked man. "What's the matter?" There was another shift and Thomas was knocked across the room. It seemed as though the man had moved, but it must have been too quick to see. It could have been due to the fact that his body was hidden in shadow, however. Bryan stood motionless. His eyes began to quiver. "So..." Began the man. "You're the one who caused all of my sorrow..." Bryan was almost to the point of wetting his pants. "I.... *really* think you're mistaken.... sir...." < Oh, shit! Oh, shit! > "Hmmm..." The man looked Bryan up and down, and sighed. "No... indeed I am not." < Oh, great! I'm going to die in a strip-club! > Bryan nervously glanced at the unconscious Cal to his left. "You know..." The man moved so close to Bryan that he could actually smell his breath. "I'm in your debt, *Can-ceri*." < WHAT! MAN, NOT AGAIN! > Bryan's eyes bugged at the man. < I SWEAR that's the man Washu was talking about before! > "Here you are." Slowly, the sinister man reached into his shrouded pocket. He fumbled for a bit, very slowly, and pulled out a gold colored device. It was pyramid shaped at one end, then square, then rounded at the bottom. It glistened in what dim light existed in the hallway. "What's... this?" Bryan asked. "Your reward. You'll be needing it." The man's voice seemed to penetrate Bryan's chest. His voice reminded Bryan of Patrick Stewart's, for some reason, yet it had a darker tone. "H...how do I use it?" "Why, use it with your Delorian... keep in mind that this is for your own good." < HUH? > Bryan's eyes really popped open at this point. "That's right, I know about *you*, *Tenchi*, *Ryoko*. I know *all* of your plans.... I even know what's in your near future..." "What do I d.. d-do with it?" "Plug it into the cigarette lighter. It's that easy." The man smiled, but Bryan couldn't tell through his veil. The man turned and spoke for the last time. "Just don't let on to what's going on, allright?" "What?" "From here on out, should anyone ask.... you are a hired assassin." He began walking out the door. "Tell them Ssrotal sent you. That's Lord Ssrotal, with the Cleavi Clan." With that, the man left the locker room. Bryan slowly shook himself to his senses. This was weird. He glanced at Cal to his left, once more, and down the hall to Thomas. Bryan called out. "Wait!" He ran to the door, but saw nobody there. Tenchi was dancing at the males stage, and Mihoshi was holding her own at the women's stage. < I have to go to the bathroom. > *** The lone figure sat in her chair, deep in subspace. The events of the past had led her to believe that everything she had hoped for was worthless. Nothing could cheer her up. Not even the most brilliant of inventions or concepts could do the trick. Washu wasn't feeling very good. She couldn't even think of anything at the moment. All there was, was nothing. She felt like nothing, she acted like nothing, and she thought about... nothing. Lazily she watched as she followed the path of the Delorian on her map. It had been still for several hours. Sitting there, as a blinking red light on her screen. The red was almost the color her eye-whites had become, from staring at the screen too long. To the right, on the screen, she saw a bright neon-orange phenomenon. < Oh, there goes another deep sub-space rift... > She thought. She lazily tapped at a few keys, and stopped. < Wait a minute...Deep sub-space rift? > This was one thing that could get her interested. Only three or four people in the universe, that Washu could think of, had devices such as a sub-space rift tuner. If it was who she was hoping for, her spirits would be raised, indeed. She put a track on all sub-space levels for any recognizable ships. There were about four or five, though only one was somewhat close. It wasn't close in terms of space, but it was in frequency. It slowly sped up to meet hers. A black portal opened up in Washu's lab, more specifically in the precise area of a water tank, holding a Zorgonquin whale. A tall man stepped out of the black mass, and noticed he was completely immersed in water. Frantically, he phased through the wall. Water spilled all around the man, and his robes were drenched. Color and dirt seeped from the robe, leaving it somewhat cleaner, and duller than it had been before. "Oh, damn." The man replied. His sullen voice immediately made Washu's eyes widen. He had served under her a long time ago, but he was supposed to have been dead. Washu walked up to him, and held an energy blade up. "And since when have *you* been alive, hmmmm?" Her face was that of a child, but it still appeared pretty menacing. The man's eyes narrowed as he grabbed Washu's hand, and disabled the blade. "Come on, Washu... you know better than that!" "Yeah, and so do you." The *real* Washu was behind his back, and moved her blade over his neck. The man cringed. He was holding a Washu doll in his hand. "Allright, you've won. I come in peace." The man tossed the doll to the ground, removed his hood and veil, and dropped them beside him. "So, Ter'ay... what are you doing here, hmmm? I doubt you've come here to kill me... that would just be stupid." The man removed more of his robe, and was now standing in laced pants and a shirt. His face appeared dark and menacing. It had certainly changed since Washu had seen him last. "Hmph. I've come here to let you know something. ...I think you'll *like* what I have to tell you." "I thought you died, Ter'ay. What are you doing here?" Washu's face became bitter. "I had somebody else do my dirty work back then, Washu. I think you know very well who I'm talking about." "This isn't like you... You've changed." "... He was your lover, wasn't he?" Washu immediately changed to her adult form, and charged with her sword. Ter'ay doubled back, and laughed from a distance. She hurled several blasts at him, and charged again. Nervously, Ter'ay barely escaped her attacks, and deflected her blade with his yellow bladed Akusui-ken. "You... misunderstand... Washu..." Ter'ay was using every ounce of strength to hold back Washu, who was barely breaking a sweat. "Oh? Keep talking." Ter'ay was sweating profusely. "He's ...still...alive!" "You LIAR!" Washu charged again, with deadly accurate swipes of her sword. "NO!" Ter'ay moved back swiftly. "Lady Washu, he is not dead!" Washu hurled a beam at him, which he deflected back with his sword. "I saw him just a minute ago!" He hurled his sword at her neck. Washu stopped. Her beam faded, and her body disintegrated, as the sword penetrated her. It was another deception. From behind Ter'ay, Washu spoke again. "You... mean it?" She was poised behind him, perfectly positioned to make the final blow. "He'll... be seeing you shortly..." Ter'ay gasped. It was profusely difficult to tell when Washu was using her shadow or not. He turned around, and faced her. "But not here, or even now..." "What do you mean?" Her face hardened. "It took me a lifetime to find him for you, my Majesty, but I did it, and sent him on his way..." "Don't call me that! That clan is destroyed! It's over!" "Washu, he'll be seeing you in approximately two hours..." Washu's eyes gleamed. She had been waiting for this a long time. "...that is.. he'll be meeting you for the *first* time in two hours..." Washu's face turned sour. "What do you mean for the first time? He has amnesia?" "No, you see... he'll be meeting you for the first time, in two hours, as he makes his way into the past..." Washu's face twisted with incomprehension. She would be able to understand what Ter'ay was talking about if only he would say it right. "Washu, he's from this time period! He traveled back to meet you, because of what I have just finished with!" Suddenly realization struck her. "you saw him...at a club called 'The Spot'..." "Yes.. but...how.. did you?" Ter'ay looked at her. Her eyes glazed over, as if she was unsure of what to think. Her face subtly shifted from puzzled, to sad, to angry, and then... ...to sheer joy. "YESSS!" Her face went really really kawaii. "I *DID* KISS HIM! HA HA HA HA HA!" Ter'ay's demeanor became dark once more. His smirk let on to his thought process. Carefully crafted thought. "I have almost forgotten..." he said. Washu glanced at him puzzledly, still smiling. "I have a schedule to keep." He pulled his robes over once more, and climbed into his portal of a ship-doorway. He motioned farewell to Washu, for now. "I'll be seeing you again shortly." He'd be seeing her again soon enough. *** Meanwhile, Tenchi was continuing his dance of entrancement. One of the biggest problems with 'The Spot' was the security of it's establishment. Nearly twice, Tenchi had to dodge some girl that had found her way on stage. It was nice, but... < Oh, not again.. > Tenchi looked to his left, out of the corner of his eye, and saw an old woman sneaking up on him. He tried to motion toward his right, but noticed a younger woman already standing there. Tenchi didn't know what to do. He was trapped between two, no three women. Each crept on him from a different angle. Tenchi had to make a jump for it. He crept forward, toward the end of the stage, and was about to jump when one of the women from below grabbed his leg. He fell into a pile of crazed women. If you've ever seen a swarm of pihranas attack a dying mouse, then you've seen what this scene looked like. "I've got a leg!" One woman cried. "I've got his arm! His Arm!" "I have his..." A third woman cried. "Oh, my! What a man!" Tenchi desperately ran for his life, into the dressing room. Unfortunately for him, it was the women's dressing room. As the women followed him, more and more joined in the chase. Some of the faster ones even got some of Tenchi's clothing. -MEANWHILE- Inside the Delorian, there was an amount of thieving going on. It had caught the attention of a young man, a young crook. He lay silently, carefully bypassing it's security systems. "Heh heh heh. One last wire..." The young ship-thief lay under the dashboard of the Delorian. "...and that should..." {ZAAAAP!} "OW! YOU SON-OF-A!" He kicked on the side of the Delorian. It shocked him again. {ZAAAAP!} "AAAARGH!" The young man stood, and bumped his head on the open doorway. He cringed, and held his head tightly. "STUPID... EERRGH!!" He kicked it again. {ZAAAAP!} This was by far the hardest time he had ever had trying to steal a ship. He had to have it, though. It was so small, and so... stylish. This ship reeked of style to the greatest small time thief in all history! "I'll find some way to get you... you stupid ship." The young man stood about 6'5, and had a shock of dark red hair. "You're not the first AI ship to fool me!" He saw a face appear on a screen in front of him. It was a computerized image of a crab. It made a monotoned laughing noise. This was really annoying. "I'll have to be more careful in the future." He sat down again, and resumed his work. -TENCHI'S PERSUERS- The mob of women grew with every step Tenchi took. He didn't dare look back. It meant certain death for sure. Tenchi dodged around from one corner to the next. Soon he found his way onto the women's stage. He saw Mihoshi in front of him. "AAAAUGH, LOOK OUT!!!" Tenchi yelled. He grabbed Mihoshi, and jumped over the male crowd. They began to boo, but were stopped short when the mob of women came crashing behind him. There was a tangle of limbs for a second, as the mob of women piled on the male crowd. But eventually the fittest of the women wrestled themselves free, and were soon in hot pursuit. They were gaining ground fast. At that moment, Bryan walked out of the men's room to see what all the commotion was about. His eyes bugged as he saw Tenchi, holding Mihoshi in his arms, running from... a mob of lusted women, followed by a mob of angry men? "Bryan! Get to the Delorian, quick!" Tenchi yelled. Bryan wasted no time questioning, and joined in Tenchi's race for the ship. The clock was ticking. -A VERY ANGRY SHIP THIEF- "AAAARRGH! YOU DAMNED PIECE OF SHIP!" He yelled. The crab holo-image continued to laugh at him, in all it's digital splendor. It just looped over and over again, monotonedly. The poor boy couldn't get this thing to work with him. {HA. HA. HO... HA. HA. HO... HA. HA. HO...} Then he heard a strange noise, coming from his right. It was a low rumble at first, but eventually the young man could detect that they were footsteps. A lot of footsteps. He put his ear to the ground. This was strange indeed. It was as if some humongous force was headed his way... a very ...humongous ...force. He stood back up, and anticipated any attackers with his blaster. His eyes bugged as he saw a mob of women coming after him, followed by a smaller men crowd. The whole thing was led by two young men. One was taller, and more broad-shouldered, and the other was shorter. They were dressed in... A fireman's and a policeman's clothing? That's when he noticed the woman Tenchi was holding. Time seemed to slow down as he gazed upon her puzzled expression. Her blonde hair, her slender figure, her eyes... everything was perfect. And to top it off, she was wearing the sexiest rendition of a GP uniform the young man had ever seen! Slowly he came to the realization that he would be dead if he didn't move from harm's way, soon. He jumped inside the car, in the back driver's side seat. "Hurry Bryan! Start the car!" Tenchi yelled. "Mihoshi, get in the back seat, fast!" < Mihoshi... so perfect a name... > He began. His eyes were glazed with that happy-love look, and he sported a grin silly as a homosexual hobgoblin. His bliss was short-lived, though. The two men jumped in the car, and were practically yelling their mouths off. "GO! GO! GO! GO! GO!" "I'M GOING! I'M GOING! I'M GOING! I'M GOING!" The engines whirred, and Bryan made his take-off. The Delorian sped across the horizon, leaving a trail of red in it's arc. It also led several depressed women behind. After all, if you spent as much effort going after something as those women did, you would be depressed, too. Momentary silence ensued as the Delorian's crew caught their breaths. Mihoshi broke the silence. "Hey, who are you?" Scotah sat next to Mihoshi, gaping at her in awe. He was speechless. < ...She...she... Talked to me! > He fainted. *** Back on earth, things were a little less interesting, for now. Tenchi sat on the sofa, cradling his head. He hit it hard when he fell earlier. Hitting your head really sucks. At any rate, things were starting to get confusing for Tenchi. Bryan was in space following Ryoko, who had run from him because he yelled at her. Meanwhile, Ayeka was asking him to take her all around the world, to investigate some Juraian affair. To top it off, Washu hadn't even resurfaced yet, to shed even a little light on the situation. What would happen if Ryoko returned, and Tenchi and Ayeka were *both* gone? What if Nobuyuki returned, and nobody was there? Things wouldn't be looking up for a while. "Tenchi... you don't have to go... if you don't like..." Ayeka said. "Yeah, I know..." Tenchi looked at the ground, in dismay. "I just don't want you to think I'm abandoning you... I'm not." "Well, you know... your Grandfather will be here to look after things.. you can still come!" Tenchi shook his head. "No, he won't. He told me earlier that he considered it 'quite interesting' to investigate Jurai's past on earth." "Oh." Ayeka sighed. "I suppose you *must* stay.." "I want to go, Ayeka. Really. It's just that this is really the worst possible time to..." "You know, Tenchi..." Came a voice from down the hall. Tenchi suddenly saw Washu walk into the kitchen casually, to get something to eat. "I'm going to be staying here, why don't you just go, and leave *me* to things?" He rubbed his eyes. "...Washu??" "Hey, where's that cake that was here a few days ago?" Washu yelled from the kitchen. Ayeka replied. "I believe it's behind the vegetables, to the left!" "Oh, thanks!" She walked out and sat down next to Tenchi. Next, She picked up the remote and turned the TV on. She continued sitting, watching TV, as if nothing was out of the ordinary. Tenchi just eyed her, nervously. He watched as she took a bite from her piece of cake. Chewing, she seemed to be oblivious to Tenchi's stare. Tenchi waited for her to say something. She never did. "Uh.... Washu?" Tenchi limply rose his finger, as if to make a point. "Wh.. what are you doing here, I thought..." "What, am I bothering you?" She asked with a full mouth. Tenchi groaned. "Washu! I thought you were... gone?" "Oh, yeah. Don't mind that, I'm feeling much better!" Tenchi couldn't take it anymore. "What the hell! You're not explaining anything! What's going on with Ryoko? How does Bryan know how to fly? And come to think of it, why were you in you're adult body, *kissing* him? What's going on?" Ayeka spit her tea out. "You *kissed* him?" "Oh, that... well if you insist." Washu set her cake down. "You see, it all makes sense now! And all this time I thought I was wrong to wait this long!" Tenchi rose an eyebrow. < Did I miss something? > Washu giggled. "It's really quite embarrassing! I think I'm in love!" Tenchi facefaulted. "In love? With Bryan?" Ayeka cackled. Washu giggled spontaniously. "It's not what you think! I'm in love with what he becomes! I knew him in my past, or... in his future!" she began laughing. She knew it sounded ridiculous. It was embarrassing. Tenchi and Ayeka gave each other questioned glances. "Uh.. are you okay, Washu?" Tenchi asked. "I have to admit, you've been acting weird since he showed up..." "Oh well, you know..." Washu's face changed. "Actually wait, you *don't* know...forget about it. You'll find out sooner or later!" There was a pause as Ayeka and Tenchi glanced at each other again. "Why have you been saying that lately?" Tenchi asked. "It doesn't even make sense!" At that, Washu stood back up. "Well, I'm going back down- stairs! You know how those experiments keep me busy!" She tried to escape. "Washu, hold it!" Tenchi stood up and grabbed her shoulder. "What's going on? You told me that device would help me make my decision! You lied! All I am is confused!" Washu stopped and turned. "You're right." Her feature's were bleak now. "But it wasn't *that much* of a lie, if you don't mind me saying." Tenchi looked into her eyes. There was an amount of uncertainty in them. Ayeka was still sitting, listening. "Tenchi, *you* are on the ship with Bryan." she whispered in his ear. "You're the 'help' I was talking about." "Huh?" "That device sort of, split you in half, but only sortof." She continued whispering. "You're here, and the other you is in space, following Ryoko. Don't worry, when you're one person again, you'll have all of his memories, and you'll know what happened." "You mean to say.. THERE'S TWO OF ME?!" Tenchi yelled. Ayeka spit her tea out again. "But why?" Tenchi whispered back. "It's just easier his way... you understand, don't you??" Tenchi rubbed the back of his head. "...not really..." "Wait a minute..." Ayeka teemed. "..So who is the *real* Tenchi, anyway?" Washu answered abruptly. "Well, neither of them, to tell you the truth!" "What!" Tenchi shouted. "Umm, well that is, neither of you, until you're back in one body again..." Stated Washu. "I dub thee... Tenchi 2!" She stamped his hand with a number two. "OOoh, man.... what have I gotten myself into..." Tenchi massaged the area of his nose between his eyes. *** Bryan frantically analyzed the dashboard of the Delorian. It was a complete disaster. Loose cables and wires lay everywhere, and worse yet, the cigarette lighter was non-existent. Bryan fingered the device that lay in his pocket. < Damnit! What if I really needed this thing? > He pulled it out, and tried attaching it to some of the loose wires that hung from the dash. It was frustrating. Nothing seemed to make it work. "Why the hell did you have to rip our dash apart?!" The young man didn't say a thing. He was in just as much anger as was Bryan. There was something about his attitude he didn't like. That, and that he had used foul language with a lady present. The young man was pretty angry. "Now that's no way to introduce ourselves!" Said Mihoshi. She was surprisingly cheerful, and oblivious as usual. "Now, this is Tenchi..." she pointed to Tenchi. "And this is Bryan.." She pointed at Bryan. "And I'm Mihoshi!" All three men looked at her with puzzled faces. Well, Bryan's face was mixed with a little bit of anger as well. "Who are you?" She asked. He paused for a moment. This woman was either really absent- minded, or really friendly. His face became brighter as he gazed into hers. He could forget about Bryan for now. "I'm Scotah. It's nice to meet you, Mihoshi." He made it painstakingly obvious that it had *not* been nice to meet Bryan. "There, now isn't that better?!" Bryan turned to face Scotah. "Just so you know, I'd drop you off in a heartbeat if I wasn't in such a hurry." Scotah seemed amused. "Oh, what are you doing?" "We're following... somebody." Bryan turned to face the front again. "Nobody in particular." "You know, you could go faster if you would just..." Bryan interrupted him. "I *know* how to fly this thing, I don't need your help!" Tenchi chose this moment to speak up. "Bryan, really, if it'll get us to Ryoko faster..." Scotah's eyes widened. "The infamous space-pirate!" He began laughing. "Do you have any idea how long she's been missing? 700 years, maybe longer!" Both Bryan and Tenchi's eyes met. They were thinking the same thing. "What are you, amateur *bounty* hunters?! AAH HA HA HA!" Scotah began laughing harder. "That's quite enough, really." Bryan chimed. Scotah wouldn't stop. It intruded on Bryan's ears, growing louder, and louder, and louder, until Bryan couldn't take it anymore. He burst aloud. "WOULD YOU CAN IT?!" His breathing became harder. Scotah shut up. "Fine, I was going to go to sleep, anyway." He turned his head toward the side of the car and shut his eyes enough to make it seem as though he were sleeping. He just watched Mihoshi, as she fidgeted in her seat. < Stupid bastard. > He thought. Bryan growled under his breath. Quickly he reached for his CD case, and grabbed a CD from it. < Stupid bastard. > He thought. The CD he grabbed happened to be one of his favorite. It was Deftones' 'White Pony', once more. There was something about that album. It calmed him down when he was angry, usually. Music was like his pacifier. He switched to track 4, to a song called 'rx queen'. Tenchi listened in. It wasn't a heavy song, for a change. Maybe Bryan was mellowing out. Oddly, the lyrics were understandable. Washu must have implemented her 'Insta-Translato' technology. { I won't stop following you.. } It was funny. No matter how much Ryoko got on his nerves, he never held it against her. He sometimes would even make excuses for her when she wouldn't finish her chores, to keep his Grandfather off her back. { Now help me pray for The death of everything new.. } And now he was following her. It didn't make sense. { And we'll fly farther } Tenchi couldn't even think of a reason. Any reason at all. { 'Cause you're my girl, And that's allright. If you sting me, I won't mind. } This was weird to say the least. What would he tell Ayeka? She wouldn't like the idea of him searching after Ryoko one bit. Not if she was the Ayeka he knew. He could just picture the torment when he returned. { We'll stop to rest on the moon, And we'll make a fire, } < But you know, > Began Tenchi. < It really doesn't matter, does it? No, Ayeka's not *that* bad. I'm sure she'd understand. > { I'll steal a carcass for you.. And feed off the virus.. } Tenchi leaned back, and listened to the lyrics some more. They were kindof strange. < These lyrics don't make sense at all. > He began. < It's too bad songs can't solve your problems for you... > { 'Cause you're my girl, And that's allright... If you sting me, I won't mind.. } Tenchi slowly drifted to sleep. The song seemed muddled for a while, but the same lyrics kept playing over in his mind. His throat lumped up. < 'Cause you're my girl... > He thought, as he dozed off. < ... and... that's... all... right... > *** < Oh, my. Now I've gone and made a mess of myself. > It had been a few hours since Washu had sent Tenchi, Ayeka, Yosho and Sasami on their way. Needless to say, Washu had been alone for quite some time. Several things had passed her mind. Old acquaintances, new ones... In this case, it was actually both, and they were the same person. Things have such an odd way of turning out. For Washu, things had certainly taken an odd turn. She didn't think that *she* of all people would cave in for all the time in the universe. She was like a rock. She was unbeatable. She was queen of the castle. < I guess someone knew where the spare keys were... > Washu thought. Of all people, she had to pick him as an adversary. She thought she could earn some easy cash. At the very least, she could rub her victory in his face. How could she lose to *him*, after all? He was just another hormone ridden man. This was going to be hard to get use to. At least she had some time to formulate her plan of action. If she said it right, maybe he wouldn't hold her to it. But who was she kidding? This person, she had learned, kept people to their word. < Stupid bet. > Defeated, she sat in her chair. Lips pouted, she glanced at her air-top, with dissatisfaction. She figured she could go for more. It's not as if it wasn't enjoyable... Of course, the real enjoyment would come when he returned. That is to say, *if* he returned. Doubt crossed her mind momentarily. She shrugged it off. Of course he would return. Now that it would be embarrassing for him to do so, he would show up any minute. < Now where the hell am I supposed to find 10,000 yen? > She reclined in her seat, breathing deeply. There were some long nights in store for her future. *** Ryoko held on to her controls, tightly, as she received another blast from the ship that had began pursuing her. It seemed she had done something to catch it's pilot's attention. < Damnit! What the hell is this guy bothering me for? > A voice sparkled over the radio. "Miss Ryoko." The voice was deep, and rather soothing. Too bad it was chasing her, with the obvious intent of making off with something of hers. "This is a warning." She couldn't even make out his face. It was covered by some kind of veil. The voice crackled over her radio once more. "Ryoko, stop resisting me... Unless you slow down now, I will be forced to attack you." His voice was sinister. It reminded her almost of Kagato's, except that it was accompanied by an odd accent. Ryoko sped up. She wasn't going to listen to this guy. From inside the ship, Ter'ay smiled mischievously. < Good, that got her moving nicely... > He opened fire. It struck on Ryo-ohki's hull with force. < To hell with that! > Ryoko returned fire. The voice sparkled over the radio again. "Don't make me have to warn you again, Ryoko!" "Shut up!" Ryoko moved Ryo-ohki around, to the aft side of the ship. Ryo-ohki miaa'd, to signal another approaching vessel. < What is it? > Ryoko glanced at one of her screens. < Crap, not *another* ship! > She glanced at another screen. < Boy, that's one's small! > < Miyaa? > < I don't know, you think you can hit it? > Before Ryoko could take aim, she heard a voice over the radio, but it was a different voice. "Ryoko!" She froze. It was Tenchi. Ryoko raised Ryo-ohki's speed to the match the ship next to her. It opened fire again. It was such an odd looking ship. It was obviously the work of a scientist, and not a pirate or a crook. She didn't feel like talking to Tenchi at all. "What do you want?" Ryoko tried to maneuver around the ship's blast, while maintaining her conversation. "Ryoko, this is ridiculous! What are you trying to do?" A blast from the ship hit Ryo-ohki again, but it was well absorbed by her shield. "Stay out of this!" Ryoko yelled. "This is my new life now, my *own* life!" "What are you talking about, Ryoko? You're going to get yourself killed!" Ryoko didn't reply. "Look, I'm sorry I yelled at you before! Really!" The Delorian was still a distance away from the battle, but it was closing in fast. Bryan's arms were throbbing from the pain it was taking to keep the ship straight. Tenchi's face was about an inch from the monitor that had Ryoko's picture on it. "Ryoko, I didn't mean it!" He could see her laughing from the other side of his screen. It was almost an insult to Tenchi. Her face grimaced as she was hit by the ship again. "You honestly think that *that's* what this is all about? HA!" Tenchi's mood became frantic. He didn't want this. He had no need for any of this mess. "Ryoko, why are you doing this?" By now the Delorian had made it's way very near the other two ships. Ter'ay's veiled face came over Bryan's screen. "Hello, boy! How's that friend Scotah of yours?" Bryan grimaced. It was the same guy from the strip-club. The guy that gave him that weird device. He felt like stepping it to shreds now. "What is it?" "You want to save your friend? Use that device." Bryan's stare became hard, and intense. "If you want to see her alive again, Can-ceri, I suggest you use it.." "Stop calling me that!" Bryan punched at the screen, destroying it. The Delorian almost went off course as he did so, but Bryan eventually stabled it. Scotah was hyperventilating from the back seat. "You guys are insane! Crazy!" He was close to wetting himself. "And how does he know my name!?!" Ryoko maintained her laugh of mania. "You think this has anything to do with you yelling at me? You're dumber than I thought!" Ryoko was barely keeping sane. She really really wanted to go back, but she knew it would be better if she left. She just knew it. After all, she would only get in the way if Tenchi and Ayeka were really serious. "Ryoko, is that even really you? C'mon! Snap out of it!" "You just don't get it, do you?" Ryoko's face was beginning to show signs of weakness. "I left you so you could be happy with Ayeka! You idiot! How could you not understand that?" "With Ayeka?! What makes you think that..." Tenchi's conversation was stopped short when the strange ship shot at the Delorian. It left the ship paralyzed, as it sank away from the other two ships. "Tenchi?" Ryoko saw the shot that had made a direct hit to the ship's exterior. "TENCHI!" Ryoko slowed her ship to match the Delorian's trajectory. The third ship soonafter followed. Bryan didn't know what to do. His ship had just been shot, and Mihoshi and Scotah were unconscious. Instruments everywhere were steaming and hissing, and he felt like he had just been hit really hard in the head. He could feel blood running down his face. "Ryoko! Can you hear me?" Tenchi yelled. The monitor hissed and crackled. "... yes... I can... hear..." Bryan could feel the hot mass run down his cheek. It cooled as it approached his neck. He felt like he was going to be sick. That's when Bryan felt something in his pocket. It was the device that Ter'ay had given him. It seemed to be prompting Bryan to use it. < Allright you bastard. You win. > Bryan thought. He pulled the device from his pocket. < I'll use it. > Bryan fumbled at the wires under the dashboard. He didn't even know where to begin. There were at least fifty to choose from. He he began using the process of elimination, one by one, pair by pair. The ship rocked, and he dropped the device. < Damnit! > "Ryoko!" Tenchi continued. "I don't love Ayeka, if that's what you thought..." Ryoko's heart stopped. She paused, not knowing what to say. She was distracted when she noticed a GP ship closing in on them. Ter'ay's ship continued to close in on them as well. "Tenchi! Hold on!" she yelled. Bryan was losing blood fast. He had cuts on more parts of his body than just his head, apparently. He was feeling very dizzy. He barely caught eye of the device he dropped, stuck in a crevice in his seat. Slowly and clumsily, he picked it up, and moved it toward the ensemble of wires again. "Ryoko!" Tenchi yelled again. "I don't love Ayeka!" Ter'ay's ship came around, between Ryoko and Tenchi. It seemed to be charging some sort of weapon. It was going to fire again. < NO! OH, GOD NO! > Ryoko did everything she could to get around and between Tenchi and the shot that would eventually fire. Bryan continued to fumble at the wires. Nervously, he could feel himself losing consciousness. The world around him was becoming very hazy, and dark. "Ryoko, I... love.....y....." Ryoko's heart couldn't bring itself to beat for fear that it would drown out the sound of his voice. Eerie silence followed. She waited, but Tenchi's voice never reciprocated. She didn't make it in time. Ter'ay's shot fired, and right before her eyes, the Delorian disappeared, in a swift arc of red. Ter'ay's ship turned, slowly to meet her. She was frozen in shock. Ter'ay came over the screen and pulled his veil from his face. He was smiling. Ryoko let out a scream. Her heart was now beating in fury, and with pure adrenaline. She eyed the craft ahead of herself warily. This was a loss different from the one she had experienced earlier. Tenchi was about to say who he loved. She knew that it was her. And now this man... this smiling man took him away from her. Her face twisted to sorrow, disgust, and finally hatred. She would have her revenge. The man in that ship would be just one more to add to the list of people she had killed. Then she remembered her promise to herself. A promise to a new life. She hated herself for it, but she couldn't bring herself to fire. "Ryoko." Said a voice. She raised her right hand, to silence him, and hid her face in her left. Ter'ay continued. "Ryoko, you may not believe this, but I'm sor..." She cut the transmission. She looked back up, but his face was gone from her screen. She turned to face his ship, but it had disappeared, too. < A whole ship, disappearing? > She wondered. Her voice shook, and there were tears on her face. She had shed her last tears of sorrow for Tenchi only a few days ago, and now she was forced to shed tears of loss. A different voice intruded over the radio. It was the GP ship that had come to the rescue. "Hello, this is Sergeant Munz, with the GP special forces division! We received a distress call from you're area!" < I didn't release a distress call... > Ryoko wondered. In a daze, she stumbled back. What had just happened? She recounted her memories. Did she zone out? < Tenchi... > Ryoko fell to her knees, and the world around her began to fade away. With any luck, it would never return. *** Ending Song: Deftones 'White Pony', 'Rx Queen' I won't stop following you Now help me pray for The death of everything new And we'll fly farther Cause you're my girl And that's allright If you sting me I won't mind We'll stop to rest on the moon And we'll make a fire I'll steal a carcass for you Then feed off the virus Cause you're my girl And that's allright If you sting me I won't mind {Now, now look at em Look at em now, Look at em sting..} x4 I see a red light in June And I hear crying You turn newborn baby blue Now we're all the virus You're my girl, And that's allright If you sting me I won't mind... You're my girl... Well, there's chapter 6. What do you think? Is it worthy of your praise? Or does it suck? Go ahead and Email me, but don't get pissed if I don't write back. I will be in boot camp if you mail me after 11/27/00. 4alldaze@msn.com My 'kick-ass'list is bigger now. Check it out. Nick Scott Zyraen Jana Freeman Terry McMahon Kevin Sigmund Scott Craven James Padilla Kyp Duron Aldrich Bautista Raymond Ryckman Kenny Stiffler Matt Sweat Greg Pushkin Ilona Kotik Amanda Knauer Allyn Howey Matthew A. Bruce Macneal Cat Winky Alan Sara James Zale UnholyDragoon (Horse_w_no_name)/~> Kate Horrocks These people are either: 1. Cool dudes, for no reason other reason than being nice to me, 2. People who are going to be characters in the future, 3. People who have helped me write, and make this fic better, 4. People who's fics had cool ideas, 5. People who created and host the TMFFA. 6. People who unprovokedly voted for my fic in the top ten. Davner is still my arch-rival, but don't send him any hate mail. It's not his fault he's my enemy. Sincerely, Gitaro the Metalhead