This fan fiction occurs after the events of Tenchi the Movie 2: The Daughter of Darkness (aka "Manatsu no Eve" [Midsummer's Eve]). It is also based on the OAVs and other tidbits of the Tenchi Muyo! Universes. The Tenchi Muyo! Universes and characters are the creation and possession of AIC and Pioneer. I do not claim them. But I wrote the storyline to "The Dark Jurai". Characters that are made up such as Jurai Ankoku-ou and Aolong are my idea. Note: The fight scenes from here on in will be fairly Dragon Ball Z-ish, but hey, Tenchi Muyo has energy attacks , too (beam swords, blasts out of the hands, etc.)! And Dragon Ball Z is copyright Toei Animation! Fans rejoice! As of March 2002 I'm bringing back my fic despite what I wrote on my webpage! It will take a month or two to get back on track from the sheer distractions of real life but I'm bringing the Dark Jurai back! Keep an eye on my webpage for more details! The Dark Jurai - Chapter 15 - "For the Best of Both Realms" by Timothy Turner email: juraijin@aol.com http://www.angelfire.com/tx3/animekoku/index.html The Dark Jurai page is at: http://www.angelfire.com/tx3/animekoku/tmuyo/tmtdj.html Aolong took the Masaki residents on a tour of the main palace. The main courtyard was huge, but that was only a fair part of the palace. Tenchi and his friends were shown the main palace by their new friend. Servants were virtually at every corner to serve their every need. Aolong often got things for himself and shooed off the servants, telling them to go somewhere else. "These are your quarters," Aolong lead them to a mid-size building and showed them elaborately made living quarters and beautifully crafted rooms. "Please enjoy them. If you need anything I'll show you but you'll have to help yourselves," Aolong sighed. "Thank you," Tenchi bowed. "No problem," Aolong returned the bow, "I'll be training at the training area. It's at the west side of the palace." Aolong pointed to Shulei's west. "We'll train with you," Tenchi stretched, "After we eat and rest." Aolong nodded, "As you wish." The young prince left. Meanwhile, Kaitu and the search party set out to find Mitsuki. "Concentrate really hard! We need to have that dark soldier alive!," Kaitu walked at a fast pace. "Yes, sir!," the rest of the party shouted. "And be quiet and spread out while you're at it!," the elder master commanded. The soldiers complied and spread out. Mitsuki wasn't having such a good time. Aolong had drained most of her ki. She had never encountered a power so great before...except Jurai Ankoku-ou's. Could this one defeat Jurai Ankoku-ou and crush the Dark Jurai army without breaking a sweat? This was serious. But wait! She sensed several approaching ki sources. One of them was somewhat more powerful than Aolong's (Kaitu) and the others were fairly 3/4 her power. Mitsuki's odds of survival dropped to almost nil. She would have to make a run for it without giving off too much ki. It was the only way to get back and inform the armies. And Jurai Ankoku-ou... Mitsuki mustered all her strength and ran as fast as she could. The flight was excruciatingly painful. Aolong had really done her over. Aolong had also dislocated her jaw and broke a couple of ribs when he did the diving kick. Her spinal cord was aching up and down. The running made her legs throb and her weakened bones bend due to the pressure exerted on them; her black magic had sapped the very marrow from her bones. If she didn't get to her ship and get aid fast, she would die. Twigs cracked and foliage rustled as she fled through the forest to her ship. "I hear something!," a voice erupted. "Don't let the source get away!," Kaitu's voice exclaimed. Mitsuki gnashed her teeth. "Why does this have to happen to me?," Mitsuki whimpered in an attempt to keep her mouth shut. Mitsuki's ship was almost a stone's throw away from the injured Dark Jurai officer. She fell on her face. But to her dismay, Kaitu and his party found Mitsuki's ship. Kaitu slanted his eyebrows, "This is a dark ship! Hatred and wanton thrive in its owner's heart!," the master raised his hand, "Destroy that ship! It is evil!" Kaitu and his soldiers raised their hands toward the ship and blasted it into splinters. Mitsuki reached for her ship, "Nooooo...," she fainted in the bushes out of Kaitu's sight. After some training with Aolong, Tenchi was bathing in the nearby palace onsen. It was quiet except for the sound of flowing water, just like it was at home. The water was hot and soothing. Tenchi thought, . The outline of a woman with long hair (guess who ^_~) appeared behind Tenchi. "Hello, Tenchi...," the voice was familiar; too familiar. Tenchi jumped back into reality, "Ry-ryoko!" "Ayeka's not here so this is the perfect opportunity to express our feelings for each other!," Ryoko laughed. "BUT!-," Tenchi was cut off by a deep kiss. "Don't worry. I don't think any guards will waltz in here!," Ryoko had Tenchi in a death grip. "Ryoko! It's too early to be making any kind of judgment! I really needed someone when the war started and all, but I didn't mean anything when I hugged you when grandpa left!" "Ayeka's out of the picture! Forget about her!," Ryoko's face went sour. "I can't forget about her! Even if I said I didn't want to marry her doesn't mean I don't care about her welfare!," Tenchi attempted to push Ryoko away but to no avail. "Tenchi! The Dark Jurai have messed up her mind! There's no curing her!," Ryoko was getting impatient. "Ryo-!," Both of them were shocked when a young man dressed in imperial clothing was standing at the door. The man had an angry / dumbfounded look on his face, "Who the hell are you?!" "We're guests!," Ryoko's face turned beet red. "Who said you could bathe in this onsen!?! There's a special onsen for guests on the other side of the palace!," the man inquired deeper. "Ao-aolong said we could bathe here!," Tenchi's face had a look of sheer horror on it. "Aolong?," the man scratched his chin, "Damn it! I'll kill him!" "Who are you?," Ryoko asked. "I am Aolong's older brother, Xu Tao. I am exactly 500 years old today. I am a scholar and study the many arts of Shulei. I am also fairly good at the martial arts so I have a good chance of tanning his hide. If you'll excuse me." Xu Tao left the room. Tenchi and Ryoko decided to follow. After getting their clothes on rather hastily they followed Xu Tao to the training grounds. Aolong was training rigorously. Several of Kaitu's best pupils were taking turns in training the young prince. Tenchi, Ryoko, and Xu Tao beheld a very fantastic sight. Aolong was taking on two of Kaitu's best, WITHOUT Light Hawk Wings, and in midair. But as soon as Aolong sensed Tenchi's ki, he ordered the others to stop. "Tenchi! Did you enjoy your...? Oh, crap," Aolong's face drooped, "So, back again so soon, are we, Xu Tao?" "Younger brother, you know that guests are supposed to use the guest onsen! These guests aren't as good as we are!," Xu Tao pointed at Tenchi and Ryoko. Aolong's face wrinkled, "Yes...they...," the young prince balled his fists so tight the nails cut into his palms, "ARE!" "Our parents think otherwise. Should I tell them about your adventures in the realm of the commoners? You know, you should try to follow the rules every so often. If you did, you would have as much privileges as your other siblings do," Xu Tao shook his head in disgust. Aolong had had enough, "SHUT UP!," he roared, "Who are you to judge others!?!?! You know, it's because of that same attitude that the wars between us and other civilizations started! It's the reason...!" "ENOUGH!," emperor Aoli's voice erupted, "It's time for our feast. We shall discuss a temporary alliance between our two realms. Follow me." The group followed Aoli to a huge banquet room. There was a table of food large enough to feed an army. Servants were there ready to fulfill the needs of the guests and the royal family. The servants knew to stay away from Aolong. The rest of the imperial children arrived in the room. They had no need to leave the palace and had stayed there almost all of their lives. Interestingly enough, the oldest child was 2,600 years old and had not left the palace except for several diplomatic trips. The imperial family was fascinated yet disturbed by Tenchi and company's arrival. They avoided Tenchi's friendly conversations and questions. "So," Aoli stared a hole through Tenchi, "Why did you come to us? Of all the allies that you probably had, why did you come to us?" "Well," Tenchi gulped, "Our enemy uses shields with black magic and our current allies don't have adequate enough shield technology to fend off our dark brethren." "I see," Aoli frowned with a faint hint of disgust, "But nevertheless I shall lend you assistance. I will not be indirectly responsible for the deaths of innocent people." "Father," Xu Tao came in, "Why did you agree to help them? Wasn't it they whose pride drove us out to seek a new homeworld?" "Did you hear what I just said!?!?," Aoli boiled over. Xu Tao shut up. Another one of Aolong's siblings cut in, "I say we let them get whatever is coming to them! Aolong put down his chopsticks and balled his fists. "There will be no fighting here, Aolong!," Aoli raised his hand and stood up. Aolong sat down. "As I was saying," Aoli resumed, "I will not be indirectly responsible for the deaths of innocent people. After the war is won we shall cut ties once more and never speak again." "But why?," Kiyone asked, confused, "Your two kingdoms are in need of each other. You should - !" "Shut up, commoner!, Xu Tao cut Kiyone off, "You are a guest in this palace and you will be respectful to the emperor!" "That's enough, brother!," Aolong snapped, "It's okay to ask questions!" "SILENCE!," Aoli yelled at the top of his lungs, "Kaitu taught you that, didn't he? I'm firing him when he returns! That old man has lost his edge and corrupted my youngest child!" Aolong's eye muscles twitched, "That's absurd!" "You will undergo extreme disciplinary lessons and learn some manners!," the emperor pointed at his son and pounded the table. Everyone was sweating bullets and bracing for the explosion. "LIKE HELL, I WILL!," Aolong stormed out of the room. Tenchi followed. The others decided to leave everything up to Tenchi and leave him and Aolong alone. After reaching the outside, Aolong screamed at the top of his lungs. "Aolong. Calm yourself!," Tenchi tried to quell his distant relative. "Leave me alone!," the green haired prince cried. Tenchi grabbed Aolong's shoulder, "Fighting your family won't do any good. Do they all treat you like that?" Aolong held back his tears, "Kaitu was able to reach four of the imperial children, one of them is me. The others go on diplomatic trips all the time. They are me, two brothers, and one sister. All the rest think about themselves and the well being of the imperial grip over the commoners. I'm the only one who stays here. And the only reason I stay here is to train. I'm a warrior and nothing else." "I see," Tenchi shook his head, "So, what are you going to do about it?" "I'll eventually run away, I suppose. I'm tired of this place," the young soldier sighed and paused momentarily, "Let's go and get some important things first." "WHAT!?," Tenchi jumped, "You're going to leave just like that?" "Why not?" "Don't you...!?!," Tenchi tried to keep his distant cousin in line. "Look. You heard my father. I'll get nothing but extreme scolding and etiquette lessons I won't even listen to. I lived through that after the last war and I don't want to go through it again." "What are we going to get?" "The Tiandijian. I've never used it and I'm itching to try it out! Kaitu taught me everything about swordsmanship!" Tenchi became nervous, "It won't work if - !" "Let's go!," Aolong skipped away, not listening to Tenchi. "It's not going to work if you're not the sword's true owner!," Tenchi flailed his arms and ran after Aolong. Aolong skipped along the cobblestone paths leading to the storage. After a few minutes running within the entire palace grounds they reached the imperial storehouse. It was an eloquently designed edifice, with all the bangs and whistles. Only a member of the Jurai Royal Family (or Shulei in this case) could open the sealed door. "THIS IS IT!," Aolong cheered. Tenchi looked on, amazed by what he saw. "What do you think, my relative?," Aolong smirked. "Magnificent...," Tenchi gazed in awe. "Go ahead and open it," the green haired prince took Tenchi's hand. "But I don't think we should... This isn't right!," Tenchi struggled to free his hand. "Nonsense! If we fight together with the Tiandijian and your Tenchiken we should win! And if that won't work we'll pummel our enemies senseless! Us fighting together; it's for the best of both realms!," Aolong shoved Tenchi onto the door, making it open with a creak. A guard approached, "Master Aolong! What are you doing!?! Do you have your father's permission!?!" "Who needs that?," the young, defiant prince sneered, "Now go away!," Aolong dragged Tenchi inside. The guard ran to warn Aoli, "Oh, dear!" Once inside, the two princes saw the Tiandijian, glowing in all its beauty. "Yes," Aolong exhaled, "I'll be punished. But it's in my blood to fight." The Tiandijian sparkled brilliantly, illuminating all the treasures of the Shuleian Royal Family. End of Chapter 15