Disclaimer : Tenchi Muyo is property of AIC and PIONEER. DH - Ch.1 rewrite ************************************************************ TENCHI MUYO : DARKEST HELL - Chapter one NIGHT OF THE DEMON Darkness. Darkness flooded every inch of Tenchi's mind, body, and soul. At first, Tenchi wondered why he was surrounded by a darkness such as this, but, his thoughts faded away as a brief glimmer of light in the distance roused his suspicions. He ran to the light as fast as he could, but the light continued to evade him. Suddenly, from far off, Tenchi heard a slight clanging noise emanating from behind him. He turned, and saw nothing. When Tenchi turned back around, his senses were bombarded with a most horrid sight. He saw a corridor, it's walls black and biomechanical. From the ceiling hung spiked chains, fairly reminiscent of the rose's stem. Tenchi stared in awe at the frightening sight, cautiously taking a few steps forward. "Ahhhhhhaahhhhhhhhh GOD HELP ME!!!" a voice shouted, it's intensity earsplitting. The chains shook with the reverberation of the screaming. Tenchi clenched his teeth and covered his ears, trying to hide from the horrendous noise. When the screaming stopped, a slight DRIP-DRIP began. Tenchi, carefully uncovered his ears and attempted to look toward the source of the sound. The dripping began resonating faster and faster the more Tenchi looked. He searched high and low, until the dripping became maddening. His courage slowly slipping away, Tenchi covered his face, trying to will the noise to go away. And it did. Tenchi's hands slowly descended from his face, until they once again rested at his side. Tenchi smiled slightly at the beautiful silence, at the absence of the blop-blop of some thick liquid. Tenchi then took a step forward. or at least tried to. Tenchi noticed that, as he rose his foot, he was met with some resistance. He looked down to see that he was ankle deep in a dark, viscous liquid. But, what scared Tenchi the most was when something, ever so lightly, brushed against his ankle. He waded over to the wall, his eyes wide with trepidation. He looked over his shoulder and saw several swirls in the liquid, and knew immediately that he was not alone in this evil place. So Tenchi did the only thing that made sense to him, the one thing that he did so well. He ran. But, as he ran, he heard the creatures splashing around in the water, trying to catch up to him. This realization only made Tenchi run faster. Briefly, Tenchi looked over his shoulder and didn't see the creatures chasing him anymore. Breathing a sigh of relief, Tenchi stopped running and took a breather. When he caught his breath and looked up, he saw something completely frightening. He saw himself. Tenchi saw himself hanging on a burning crucifix, long spikes protruding from his hands and feet. His blood poured freely from the open wounds as his double cried out in pain. The fire blazed against his back, arms, and legs, cooking his flesh with a slight sizzle. Tenchi had never seen a grizzlier sight in his whole life. Tenchi's attention was diverted when he saw a black cloud of mist form at the base of the burning cross. It spiraled up the cross, past Tenchi's bleeding feet, and surrounded his burned and bruised torso. Slowly, it took the crucified Tenchi's form and clung to him. All around Tenchi's body, it began to take shape, forming into a biomechanical suit of armor. The once pained and tortured Tenchi turned into a vile misinterpretation of a human being as his eyes glowed redder than anything the other Tenchi had ever seen before. "Death. is the only. way out." said the crucified monster as it formed a vile smirk on it's decaying face. Tenchi was just about to run, when suddenly, several pairs of hands came out of the dark liquid and grasped onto Tenchi's legs. Tenchi screamed as they pulled him down, regardless of the amount of struggling he did. Finally, Tenchi's scream became a gurgle as he was pulled into the dark, thick liquid, and into nothingness. ************************************************************ Tenchi started awake, his breathing ragged and uneven. He was drenched in sweat, as were his sheets. His room was still and quiet, a total reversal from the hell world he just arrived from. "It was just a dream." Tenchi repeated to himself over and over as he attempted to fully regain consciousness. He sat up and pulled his soaked sheets off of him. Tenchi was rubbing the sleep out of his eyes when he heard the crash. It sounded like a dish, or maybe even a vase, had been tossed at someone, missed, and hit the wall. Tenchi let out a defeated sigh. "Here they go again. Why can't they ever take a rest." Tenchi grumbled as he tried to stand up. He was on his feet when he heard the shout. "Ryoko! Where did you go!?" Shouted a voice from downstairs. 'Probably Ayeka.' thought Tenchi as he began to take his soaked shirt off. But, as he lifted the majority of it over his head, Tenchi felt another presence in his room. Someone was in there with him. "Ryoko. what have I told you about knocking?" Tenchi said as he pulled the wet shirt off of him. Before him, he saw Ryoko, smiling brightly and hovering a foot in the air. Her smile faded slightly as she sniffed the air and floated down to Tenchi. "Had a bad night?" Ryoko asked him, as concerned as she could be. "Yeah." Said Tenchi as he rubbed his tired eyes. He was slightly surprised by the feeling of dry cloth being tossed onto his shoulder. He stopped rubbing his eyes and saw that Ryoko had tossed him a dry shirt from his closet. She was smiling, but still concerned. "Thanks." Tenchi said as he smiled at her. Ryoko saw this and was suddenly light headed from the happiness. 'Tenchi smiled at me! At ME!' Ryoko thought over and over as her heart began to beat faster and faster. With love in her eyes, she watched Tenchi put the shirt on over his sweaty, glistening body. She noticed how the light from the rising sun accented his muscular form. "Uh, Ryoko. please stop." Tenchi said as Ryoko seductively hugged him, gently nudging his neck. Tenchi's face was a deep shade of red the whole time. Slowly. or was it reluctantly?, Tenchi attempted to pry her arms off him. After a few seconds of trying to match muscle power with Ryoko, Tenchi's door slid open, and in stepped a very irate Ayeka. She nearly fainted when she saw what Ryoko was doing to Tenchi, HER Tenchi. "Ryoko! What do you think YOU are doing!?" Ayeka shouted, hurting Tenchi's ears. "Geez, princess, I think it's pretty obvious, don't you?" She smirked as she ran her fingers enticingly through Tenchi's spiky, black, moist hair. Tenchi turned several shades of red deeper during this, and Ayeka saw it. "Can't you see your embarrassing him!?" Ayeka angrily debated. "Your not embarrassed, are you Tenchi?" Ryoko erotically cooed in Tenchi's ear. Several large sweat drops formed on Tenchi's head. With every passing second, Ayeka got angrier and angrier, until, faster than lightning, she grabbed Ryoko's sleeve. With the strength of ten men, Ayeka ripped Ryoko from Tenchi, almost taking him with her. Ayeka grasped Ryoko's collar and lifted her up, meeting face to face. "You leave Tenchi alone, you. you. MONSTER WOMAN!" Ayeka spat. Ryoko merely grinned. With a glint of evil in her eyes, Ryoko took hold of Ayeka's wrists. Then came the growl, a deep guttural snarl like that of some kind of wild animal. Ryoko's grin turned into an angered grimace as she twisted Ayeka's wrists, forcing Ayeka, who was wincing in pain, to let go of her. Ryoko rudely tossed Ayeka's arms right back to her as Ayeka stumbled to regain her balance. The two enemies glared at each other for the longest time, their hatred building. Tenchi saw energy arcing between Ryoko's arched fingers. "Uh, oh." Tenchi said, deciding to leave when he saw the logs hovering in the air. Tenchi was almost at the door, when, suddenly, a chill flew down his spine. But, the chill wasn't all. Tenchi felt this impression of dread and sheer horror. With shaking joints and erratic breathing, Tenchi wandered, almost as if in a trance, to his window. With a trembling hand, Tenchi pushed away the curtains and opened the window. The wind pushed its way into the room, causing papers to flutter and a cold breeze to rush in. Tenchi gazed outside to see the sky, full of black, menacing clouds, but not a single drop of rain. Tenchi began to shiver, and nearly screamed when he felt a warm hand on his shoulder. At his left, he saw Ryoko, and at his right, Ayeka, both seemingly pulled to the clouds, just like Tenchi. Together, they just stared at the evil sky, as lightning began to dance across the clouds. In the kitchen, Sasami was cooking breakfast, humming some sort of unrecognizable tune, when she felt a slight tingle in the back of her mind. She casually gazed out the window and saw the sky. Then, just like the others, dread and dismay washed over her, nearly overwhelming her. The little princess felt like screaming, but she tried her hardest not to. In her mind's eye, she saw a great evil, and began to lose herself in the vast darkness of this monsters soul. She awoke with a start as the dish she was holding fell to the floor, shattering into a million pieces. With all her courage and fearlessness sapped away, she did the only thing she could do, she cried her eyes out. Behind the house, and further up the mountain, wise old Lord Katsuhito stepped out of his beloved shrine and immediately stared into the haunting clouds. He watched, his face blank, as the lightning danced around the mass of darkness floating in the sky. His face became a dark grimace as he pulled his bokken out of nowhere and grasped its firm, wooden handle. Constantly peeking over his back, Katsuhito eventually vanished back into the safety of his shrine. Washu was working in her lab, typing feverishly on her holographic laptop, when a lifetime's worth of fear and fright forced its way into her body, causing her to catch her breath and nearly faint. Trembling and hyperventilating, Washu slowly walked out of her lab and into the Masaki household. She wondered her way outside and looked up at the sky, her small, child-like body trembling. Tears began to flow from Washu's eyes as she ran back into the house, and back into the safety of her lab. She slammed the door to her lab so hard that it didn't close all the way, leaving the smallest crack open. ************************************************************ Hours later, the clouds remain, but the residents of the Masaki household have calmed down a bit. The only one not affected by the strangeness was Nobuyuki, who just came home from a hard days work. ".so, like I was saying, this client is SOO particular about EVERYTHING! I mean, I know it's good to be choosy, but COME ON! This person was beyond annoying. And, after I was done messing with that jerk all day, I look out the window and see these freaky storm clouds. Well, at least it hasn't rained yet. for some odd reason." Nobuyuki quipped. No one was really listening, and Nobuyuki knew it. He knew no one cared about what he did all day, but he was happy they were WILLING to listen. He was just about to dig in when he noticed someone was missing. "Hey. where's Washu?" Nobuyuki asked. Everyone merely shrugged. "She's probably still in her lab." Tenchi said, his mouth full of noodles. "Well, why don't you go get her?" Katsuhito said. It was more of a command than a suggestion. Tenchi swallowed the contents in his mouth with a loud gulp. That old familiar fear flowed over him, the fear of even hearing the words "Lab" and "Washu" together. Tenchi gave his Grandfather a "do I have to" look, and Katsuhito gave him his "do it now, or regret it later." look. Gulping again, Tenchi reluctantly got up and wandered over to the door leading into Washu's sub-space lab. Lightly, he knocked, hoping he wouldn't have to go in. No answer. "Awe, man." Tenchi mumbled as he opened the door and entered Washu's lab. Tenchi stumbled as he entered and cautiously gazed around for any restraining devices, or little red heads dressed like nurses. None of the above were present. Tenchi breathed a sigh of relief as he quietly shut the door. Tenchi began to look around the massive lab for Washu, gazing at all the gargantuan machines and tanks filled with various creatures. He stopped and stared at one tank, full of little brown creatures. He smiled at one, and one formed a small face resembling Tenchi, and smiled back. At first, Tenchi was shocked, which caused the creature to swim away, but then he relaxed. He looked at the little sign next to the tank which read "The Mass", and then, after shrugging slightly, he resumed his search for Washu. He was walking down one lonely corridor, when, suddenly, he felt cold. He shivered slightly, but then pressed on. The further he walked, the darker it became. 'Geez, I hope she's not all the way back there.' Tenchi thought to himself. He was thinking of turning back when he heard a muffled scream. "Washu!" Tenchi clamored as he fidgeted with something on his finger. In a brilliant flash of light, Tenchi was suddenly clothed in his Juraian battle gear. Forcing himself to concentrate, he willed the Light Hawk Sword into his hand. The light from the sword illuminated a large portion of the huge corridor. Off in the distance, Tenchi saw a familiar form, Washu, lying unconscious on the cold, hard floor. Worried, Tenchi ran to her, his sword at the ready. With his free hand, Tenchi cradled Washu's crumpled form in his arms, shaking her gently. "Washu. wake up! Please. Washu. say something!" Tenchi implored, but she did not respond. Tenchi eyed her all over, and saw that the only strange thing about her was her lips. They had turned sky blue. Tenchi hoisted the small scientist over his shoulder and began to walk back. But, as Tenchi looked down, he saw a black mist forming around his ankles. At that moment, the familiarity struck him and he realized where he saw the mist before. Frightened, Tenchi ran, forgetting he still had the Light Hawk Sword in his hands. While running, Tenchi gazed behind him, to see if he was being followed. When he saw no one, he returned his eyes to the front. and then stopped dead in his tracks. A few feet before him, the mist began to swirl and take shape. Before it took on any tangible form, it began to walk toward Tenchi, with every step becoming more and more solid. Not taking his eyes off of the swirling mass, Tenchi set Washu down against the side of a large machine. Being ever the brave one, Tenchi grit his teeth and took a battle stance. The creature wasn't even three meters away when it stopped. It's form was more human, but it still lacked substance. The mist began to violently spin around, like a humanoid shaped tornado. Inch by inch, the mist disappeared, gradually being replaced by a black, biomechanical suit of armor. Finally, the creature was whole. He stood at exactly Tenchi's height, his body covered in a vicious looking spiked, biomechanical suit. His face was a skull helmet, its eyes glowed bright red. "Who. who are you."Tenchi stuttered. The creature then began to respond in a series of words and phrases in a language that Tenchi didn't understand. His voice was deep, dark, gruff, and unnatural. After several seconds of hearing this being "talk", Tenchi began to get angry. "What do you want." Tenchi growled. The creature then lifted his index finger at Tenchi, and answered. "Yyyyooooouuuuu." replied the creature in a low, androgynous, metallic voice. Immediately afterward, Tenchi fell to the floor, convulsing in pain. He dematerialized his Light Hawk Sword and grasped his ears, for all he heard was a loud, unbearable ringing. Tenchi's ears bled from the severity of the loud ringing. Tenchi tried to scream louder than the ringing, but he couldn't even hear his own voice. Finally, after what seemed to be hours, the ringing stopped. Slowly, Tenchi looked up, happy the pain was gone. Tenchi managed to get up on his knees when he realized something. the lab was gone. All around him was darkness, a deep, penetrating darkness. Tenchi looked at the blackness surrounding him and saw that it flowed like blood. Behind Tenchi, a single, solitary, pale hand flowed out of the darkness. It was soon followed by a very familiar body. Tenchi's breathing stopped when the hand grasped his shoulder. Tenchi jumped around to see who was behind him, and nearly went into shock from the discovery. "No. it can't be." Tenchi whimpered. ************************************************************ Back in the Masaki household, everyone was still eating dinner, except for Ryoko and Ayeka, who constantly were checking the clock. Katsuhito was watching their peculiar behavior while he was eating, and then, after wiping his mouth, he stared at the two girls, who looked at him back. "If you are worried about Tenchi, why don't you go into Washu's lab and see what's taking so long?" He suggested. Ryoko and Ayeka looked at each other slightly, and then stood up. "Excuse us." They said in unison was they ran off. Katsuhito smiled slightly and resumed eating, but something told him that everything was not all right. Something was wrong, and Katsuhito knew it. "She better not be experimenting on him or something." Ryoko said as they neared the door. "Perish the thought." Ayeka added. The two girls stood next to the door. Ryoko nodded to Ayeka, who nodded back, and Ryoko tossed the door open, nearly knocking it off it's hinges. Angrily, the two girls wandered into the lab, preparing for the worst. "Alright Washu. where is he?" Ryoko shouted out, but there was no answer. "Hello!? Washu? Tenchi?" Ayeka yelled. silence. "Where in the hell are they?" Ryoko asked herself, a contemplative look forming on her face. Ryoko then sniffed the air and began to walk a certain direction. A bit confused, Ayeka sniffed at the air, but she smelled nothing. "Ryoko. Ryoko wait! Where are you going?!" Ayeka asked as she ran after Ryoko. The two girls spent the next few minutes walking all around Washu's lab, gazing at all the machinery. Ryoko and Ayeka then found themselves in Washu's specimen area. Ryoko had stepped up the pace as she sped past Ayeka, who was mesmerized by the massive tanks and wondrous creatures. Ryoko followed Tenchi's scent to a certain point, where it suddenly stopped. Ryoko anxiously looked around and her eyes stopped in front of a tank full of familiar creatures. Ryoko peered into the tank labeled "The Mass" and watched all the little brown creatures swim around, bumping into each other and temporarily merging. Ryoko shut her eyes and giggled slightly at the shenanigans of these funny little creatures. When she opened them, she was surprised by one of them staring right back at her. Her shock caused it to swim back a little, but it saw Ryoko's friendly smile returning. Ryoko smiled at the cute little creature. So, the creature smiled back. But, in order to do it, it took on a face. Tenchi's face. and smiled back. Ryoko's smile widened. "Thanks." Ryoko muttered as the creature swam off, then she turned her head toward Ayeka, who was still staring at all the machinery. "Hey Ayeka, he went this way." Ryoko said, pointing toward the corridor. Ayeka looked up at Ryoko questioningly. "Are you SURE?" Ayeka asked, seeing how dark the corridor got the further it went. Ryoko nodded her head, flew over and grasped Ayeka's wrist. "What, princess. scared? Is the little princess scared of the dark?" Ryoko mocked. "I certainly am NOT!" Ayeka retorted. Pretentiously, she trudged on down the corridor, dragging the floating Ryoko with her. Finally, Ryoko landed and walked side by side with Ayeka down the darkening corridor. Ryoko could hear Ayeka's heart beating faster and faster. She could smell the fear dripping off of her. It caused Ryoko to smile. Finally, they reached an area of the corridor that was too dark, even for Ryoko to see. Slowly, they stumbled around in the dark, feeling out into the air for anyone. or anything. Ryoko stopped her searching when she heard Ayeka shriek a little. "What is it, Ayeka?" Ryoko asked. "I accidentally kicked something!" Ayeka whimpered. Cautiously, Ryoko hovered in the air until she found the princess, who was trembling. With even barely a thought, Ryoko summoned an energy ball, which bathed the area in a gentle orange glow. She saw Ayeka stare at the light for a few seconds, and then saw something out of the corner of her eye. She craned her head and saw Washu, unconscious, and a few feet from her, Tenchi. "Oh god." Ryoko muttered as she flew away, leaving the energy ball where she summoned it. She immediately teleported over to Tenchi's side. She felt his pulse, checked his breathing. all normal, albeit a little slow. Ayeka ran over to her and screamed. "Oh no! Lord Tenchi! What has happened!?" Ayeka shouted in dismay. She felt faint, the man she loves so dear was lying unconscious right before her eyes. "Ayeka, go get Washu, we need to get them back to the house!" Ryoko commanded, her voice thick with worry. "I don't see why YOU get to carry Tenchi!" Ayeka complained. Ryoko looked at her, fully annoyed. "Because he's too heavy for you to lift! You might be able to handle Washu, so go, and don't argue with me!" Ryoko said as she picked Tenchi up. "How dare you talk to me in such a manner!" Ayeka fumed. Ryoko turned around and glared at Ayeka, all the playfulness gone from her features. "Fine, I'll carry them both. Just remember that when Tenchi wakes up, I'll be sure to tell him about how you argued with me. Tenchi will NOT be happy." Ryoko said, trying to push the right buttons. It worked, and Ayeka reluctantly hoisted the limp body of Washu over her shoulders. Silently, the two of them made their way back to the house. ************************************************************ "Tenchi. please wake up." Ryoko asked, tears streaming down her face. The wind beat against Tenchi's window and the lightning caused strange shadows to appear on the wall. Ryoko sat in a chair, right next to Tenchi's bed. She lightly stroked his hair and watched his eyes as the fluttered about under his eyelids. "What are you dreaming about Tenchi?" Ryoko mumbled. When no answer came, Ryoko closed her eyes and let loose a loud sigh. When she opened them, she found that the room was no longer there, but was replaced by a deep darkness. 'Must have fallen asleep.' Ryoko thought to herself, '. but, if I fell asleep, why am I still conscious? I must be dreaming.'. "Ryoko." A voice, a familiar voice, called out. Ryoko turned her head to see Tenchi walk out of the darkness, and he wasn't wearing a single shred of clothes. "Oh, so it's one of THOSE dreams." Ryoko smiled to herself. She walked up to Tenchi, who slowly, and lovingly, wrapped his strong arms around her. Ryoko wrapped her arms around him and began to kiss him. The kiss seemed to last for an eternity when finally, they parted. They continued to embrace as they looked into each other's eyes. Ryoko squinted when she thought she detected a faint red glow in his pupils, but she dismissed it. She let herself be content with the warmth of his touch and the beating of his heart. But, as she remained in his presence, Ryoko kept feeling a tingle in the back of her mind, as if something wasn't right. Finally, this tingle began to be an annoying alarm as she looked up at Tenchi. She saw his cute smile, his perfectly normal nose, his glowing red eyes. Ryoko had to double check the last part, but indeed, they were glowing bright red. Ryoko saw Tenchi's cute smile became a vile smirk. Frightened, Ryoko struggled to get out of Tenchi's grasp, but she found it impossible. As a matter of fact, the more she struggled, the more Tenchi's arms constricted around her, stealing the air from her lungs. Ryoko was beginning to black out when she saw Tenchi begin to change. His skin became rough, he grew several feet in height, and a pair of horns ripped out of his skull with the sound of tearing leather. His teeth became long and jagged, like those of a Piranha and his eyes glowed brighter than bright. "Please. let me go." Ryoko gasped as everything began to fade. "Death is the only way out." The demon said as everything went black. Meanwhile, in the real world, Ryoko's body slumped down and her lips faded into a light blue color. ************************************************************ Ayeka finished drying her hands after helping her sister wash the dishes and casually walked out into the living room. She stayed with Sasami, and reassured her so she wouldn't worry about Tenchi, or Washu. Extremely tired, Ayeka decided to go to bed. Ryoko was watching Tenchi, so she had nothing to worry about. Even SHE knew that Ryoko wouldn't take advantage of Tenchi when he was in that condition. would she? "No. she wouldn't dare... I better go check anyway." Ayeka told herself as she ascended the staircase. She reached Tenchi's room and peeked in ever so slightly. She saw Ryoko, slumped over, sleeping in her chair, while Tenchi still lay in his strange coma. On the other side of the room lies Washu, in a spare futon. Her paranoid curiosity subdued, Ayeka yawned and walked into her room. She was about to close the door when, suddenly, she heard a loud noise. Ayeka couldn't tell what type of noise it was, all she knew was a noise came from behind her. She turned around quickly, only to see her empty room. Breathing a sigh of relief, Ayeka turned back around to shut her door, but then noticed the door was no longer there. Nothing was. it was all darkness. Ayeka turned around again and saw more darkness. She spun herself several times, only to get a good view of absolutely nothing. "Wha. what is going on!?" Ayeka said as she began to freak out. She tried feeling out for the door, or a wall, or something, but she found nothing. Tears began streaming out of Ayeka's eyes. She stopped crying when she thought she heard something out in the vastness of the darkness. It sounded like breathing, labored and erratic. Hoping against hope for a way out of the darkness, Ayeka ran toward the source of the breathing. After a long while of running, Ayeka began to see something in the distance. The tears in her eyes blurred her vision, so she couldn't see what it was. She ran up close, a mere ten feet away from the object, or make that two objects intertwined with each other. Ayeka wiped the blinding tears from her eyes only to see Ryoko, stark naked, lying on top of Tenchi, who also was naked. Together, they moaned and groaned as they derived pleasure from each other, each breath, each movement, displayed the passion that they shared. Ayeka was too shocked to move. Like a deer caught in headlights, Ayeka simply stared, distraught beyond all comprehension. "Tenchi." She muttered as the tears once again began to flow. Before she cried, however, Ayeka spied something unusual. She craned her neck to get a better view of this new oddity. Indeed, her suspicions were true, Ryoko and Tenchi's genitalia were all switched around. Ayeka felt like vomiting. She wretched several times, then she closed her eyes and took a deep breath. When her eyes reopened, Tenchi and Ryoko had vanished. Ayeka sighed, relieved that the horrid sight was gone. But, her moment of tranquillity was cut short when a loud, bestial roar came from all over. Screaming, Ayeka ran. Every fiber of her being quivered in fright. After running an unintelligible distance, Ayeka slammed into something, something hard. She looked up and saw the darkness, rippling like water. The darkness all around her began to flow, until it formed a massive river of blackness, and it flowed right for Ayeka. The river slammed into the ground a few feet away from Ayeka, and caused a massive ripple that nearly knocked her off her feet. Ayeka tried to run again, but she found that her feet had sunken into the darkness. Soon, everything up to her knees felt like it was on fire, as more and more of her sunk into the unknown depths. She screamed for dear life as the darkness passed her chest and flowed up to her shoulders. She still screamed as the darkness flowed up to her chin. Then, in the ever expanding darkness, the huge incomprehensible blackness of the void, the screaming stopped. ************************************************************ Nobuyuki yawned as the pointless American movie droned on, and soon, he felt himself falling asleep. He was just about to drift off when he heard a strange thump from upstairs. Curious, he forced himself to awaken and slowly crept up the stairs. As he reached the top of the steps, he saw the door to Ayeka's room, wide open. His gaze then caught the sight of a petite, feminine hand lying on the ground in the threshold of the door. "Oh no. Ayeka!" Nobuyuki muttered as his eyes widened. Fearing for her safety, Nobuyuki immediately ran to her side. Gently cradling her in his arms, Nobuyuki tried desperately to wake her up. "First Tenchi, now Aye.Mffff" Nobuyuki said as suddenly, Ayeka sprang forth and kissed him. Nobuyuki quickly pushed her away, slightly miffed. "Why'd you do THAT?! Tenchi'll be very, VERY upset!" Nobuyuki reasoned. Ayeka simply looked at him with a vacant stare as she tried to osculate him again. Quickly, Nobuyuki thwarted her attempt and struggled to stand up. Slowly, Ayeka stood up, wobbling slightly. She started to approach him again in a seductive way, slightly swaying her hips from side to side, gradually undoing her kimono with every step. Nobuyuki gulped and took a step back. His nerves snapped and he yelled a little at the hand resting on his shoulder. He turned around and saw Ryoko, wearing one of her "less modest" garments. Nobuyuki breathed a sigh of relief. "Whew. thank goodness your here, Ryoko. Please. PLEASE talk some sense into Ayeka." Nobuyuki began to say, but was cut off when Ryoko pulled him close and kissed him even deeper. "MMmmmmmfffM!!! Ryoko! What's gotten INTO you girls!?" Nobuyuki screamed. By the time Ryoko started to undress, Ayeka was already naked and stalking after Nobuyuki. At first, Nobuyuki's thoughts were conflicted, he wondered WHY he was running from such blatant advances, but then he realized that this wasn't right, they would NEVER do this. Something was wrong. He was broken from his thoughts when a figure stepped out of Tenchi's room. Nobuyuki turned around and saw Washu, already naked, walking up to the retreating man. He turned back to Ryoko and Ayeka, only to see that the hallway had been replaced by darkness. All around him was a darkness blacker than outer space. Nobuyuki slipped against something on the dark ground and fell on his butt, and, before he could get up, the girls were all over him. They slowly and erotically undid the buttons on his shirt and sensually rubbed his chest. Nobuyuki tried to struggle against the three women undressing him, but he found his hands and feet didn't respond, and soon his arms and legs fell dead as he laid their and watched as the girls had their way with him. Over their ever growing moaning and panting, Nobuyuki heard a faint weeping. The harder he strained to hear it, the louder it grew, until finally the cry was louder than the girls' wailing. Suddenly, out of the darkness before him, a faint, pale, slightly decayed figure flowed out of the darkness like it was liquid. Nobuyuki immediately recognized the figure. "Oh god. Achika." Nobuyuki muttered as he eyed the decaying, crying dead woman standing right in front of him. Accusingly, she stuck her rotting, maggot infested finger at Nobuyuki and her face contorted with anger. "You've cheated on me! You bastard! I LOVED YOU!! Now I will NEVER rest in peace AGAIN!" Achika shouted as Nobuyuki broke down in fear and anguish. "God. oh God. it. it's just a dream. just a dream." Nobuyuki said to himself. "Oh no, it's MORE than that." A voice rang out, deafening the frightened Nobuyuki. Suddenly, all three girls crowded around him and began to change. They changed into a group of horrifying demons, growling and drooling, barely able to stop themselves from tearing the middle aged man apart. Their touch burned like fire, and their eyes glowed just as bright. Nobuyuki screamed as they closed in, causing everything to go black. While, in the real world, Nobuyuki, who had fallen asleep on the couch, slumped a little further. After a few seconds, his lips began to fade into a light blue. ************************************************************ Sasami wasn't humming anymore. She had no reason to be happy. Something was wrong with Tenchi and Washu, and she was very, very worried. Her sister had helped her wash the dishes, but left her to dry them, which was alright with Sasami. She was almost done when, suddenly, she caught her reflection in the final dish. The marks on her forehead were glowing brighter than bright. Before she could react, her mind was filled with visions of complete terror. of pain and suffering the likes of which she thought never existed. She saw her family tortured in so many different and horrible ways. "NO!" She shouted as she tossed the dish away. It shattered against the wall. It was the third dish broken that day, but Sasami wasn't around to notice. Already she was up the stairs and heading into Ayeka's room and there she was, unconscious, just like she had seen before she saw what was REALLY happening to her. With tears falling down her cheeks, she ran into Tenchi's room. There, she saw Ryoko, slumped over in the darkness as she watched over Tenchi. She ran over to her and shook her shoulder. A brief flash of lightning revealed her sky blue lips. With her mind screaming 'NO!' over and over, Sasami ran over and turned on the lights, and sure enough, she too was blue lipped and unconscious. Crying, Sasami turned around to leave, but something in the mirror caught her eye. Quietly, she walked over to the mirror and took a better look. In the corner of the room, a cloud of black mist seeped up to the ceiling, forming a small cloud. Two lights formed in the cloud, almost forming eyes. Sasami's attention was diverted back to her reflection as the eyes in her mirror double faded into a deep black. Cautiously, Sasami reached up and lightly touched the mirror, and jumped back when it began to ripple like water. But the ripples didn't stop. They just got bigger and bigger as something began to walk through the mirror. A creature stepped through, wearing a Juraian death shroud and a pair of hairless, black bat wings. His hands carried claws that looked razor sharp and his face was hidden under a long hood. Sasami stared at the creature, mesmerized with fear. Quickly, Sasami dodged its attempt to grab her and ran out the door, the creature close behind. Running as quickly as her feet could carry her, she headed down the stairs, out of the house, up the steps of the shrine, and through the door. Breathing heavily, she rested, hoping she lost the creature. Suddenly, the door began to shake violently, as if someone was trying to break in, but couldn't. Seconds later, the shaking stopped. The breath Sasami was holding was finally released as she walked quickly, deeper and deeper into the shrine, searching for Yosho, hoping against hope that they didn't get him too. There was no light in the shrine at all, and it's eerie silence added to the shrine's creepy atmosphere. After a few moments of stumbling around, Sasami finally reached Katsuhito's room. Carefully, she knelt before his mat and shook the sleeping old man. "Grandpa. please wake up." Sasami muttered. But Katsuhito gave no indication of responding. Ever so slowly, Sasami pulled the sheets from Katsuhito's bed. There, she found, instead of the sleeping old man, a bunch of carefully placed pillows. Sasami gasped slightly and stood up, glancing around. She turned around to look for Katsuhito, and bumped into something. From her vintage point on the floor, Sasami's eyes followed the outline of a figure hidden in the shadows. "Grandpa! Please, you gotta help them! Their lips. they're all blue like Tenchi and Washu's and they won't wake up!" Sasami pleaded to the ancient priest as he knelt before her and helped her up. After regaining his posture, Katsuhito put on a very grave, contemplative face. "Indeed. This is certainly a grave matter. Sasami, we must go." Katsuhito said, grasping Sasami's smaller hand. Together, Katsuhito and Sasami swiftly exited the creepy old shrine, and left it to creak and groan in the high winds. Katsuhito and Sasami ran toward the house as if their lives depended on it, not looking back even once. The more steps they took, the more the house seemed to decay, as evil seemed to seethe from every crack and crevice. When they reached the halfway point, the solid ground around them began to boil and became steaming hot mud. Sasami watched as nearly a hundred people began to plop out from under the surface, screaming in pain and agony. Men, women, children, all suffered, and all called to the pair to release them from their eternal torment. Sasami then saw a huge, snake-like creature briefly breach the surface as it swam in the mud, like it was so much water. It's horrid call caused shockwaves of fear to wash over Sasami as she felt herself being dragged forward by Katsuhito. Katsuhito noticed her reluctance to go further. "Keep moving Sasami! They're just trying to keep us reaching our destination." He yelled over the whining of the high winds and the shouting of the tortured souls. He saw Sasami nod slightly, and continued on his way. After finally reaching the house, Sasami noticed an absence of noise. She turned around to see the same old trees and the same old ground, sans all the screaming tortured people. This confused Sasami quite a bit, but she put all her thoughts aside when she looked up at Katsuhito, and saw him reaching for the door. The grip that she had on his hand tightened as he began to open the door. Katsuhito gradually slid the door open, and saw nothing but darkness. He slowly extended a finger into the darkness, only to immediately retrieve it back, screaming in pain. Sasami's scared face became terrified and worried. "It feels like fire!" Katsuhito mumbled through grit teeth as he gazed at his otherwise normal finger. He looked down at Sasami, his eyes unreadable, but Sasami knew what was coming next. "Sasami, I want you to run, find a place to hide. I'll come get you when this is all over."He said as he glared at the still rippling blackness. Before Sasami could answer, the blackness bulged out, and formed a completely black bust of Ryoko. "Awe, but we want you both!" The Pseudo-Ryoko said as she reached out and grasped the two, pulling them into the darkness. ************************************************************ Fire. That was all Sasami felt as she gradually regained consciousness. The intense burning was almost too much to bear, but she was still living. Slowly, she opened her eyes, which remained tightly clamped shut. Her vision was blurred and her head was light, but she found the strength to stand. As she stood, her legs, still weak, nearly gave out from under her, and she stumbled, trying to brace herself on the wall. She screamed when pain shot through her hand, and up her arm. The walls were insanely cold, and Sasami had to peel her frozen hand from the chilled, metallic, biomechanical wall. Sasami felt some of the flesh on her hand give way as her skin tore from being ripped forth from the cold wall. She screamed and sobbed in pain as she grasped her throbbing hand. She gazed at the bleeding wounds on her hand. Still grasping her hand, Sasami fell to her knees, crying uncontrollably and whimpering in pain. A reassuring hand fell on her trembling shoulder. She looked up to see the man she knew as Yosho, but his face. it was so young, so vibrant. His deep purple eyes comforted her tremendously as her wild sobbing was demoted to blubbering and sniffling. Yosho helped her up, and she immediately noticed a difference. Instead of having to strain her neck to look at him, Sasami was nearly looking him straight in the eye. Sasami looked at herself, patting various parts of her body with her good hand, and noticed that she was no longer the young Sasami, but her older self, Tsunami. When the shock gradually receded, Yosho lightly tugged on her sleeve. "Come on, we have to go." Yosho said to her in a quiet, controlled tone of voice. Tsunami nodded and walked up to the younger, older man. Then, together, they made their way down the strange and nightmarish hallway. Spiked, evil looking chains hung from everywhere, swinging into each other, causing a haunting CLANG-CLANG noise that echoed for what seemed to be forever. Their feet made no noise against the unnaturally flat, marble floor. Yosho and Tsunami were walking for some time, when off in the distance, Tsunami heard a repetitive DRIP-DRIP noise. She turned her head and looked all over for the source, but saw nothing, while, unbeknownst to them, a small trickle of blood flowed toward them, rapidly gaining speed and size. Yosho once again had that feeling that something wasn't right. Sure, he was walking through a hallway that looked like it belonged in someone's nightmares, but other than that. "Sasami, stop." Yosho said, holding his hand out. Tsunami stopped and remained perfectly still. Her frightened eyes slowly drifted downward, toward her feet. She saw a faint trickle of a thick, red liquid flow past her. Yosho followed her eyes with his and saw the small blood flow too. They both turned around to see a huge wall of blood, supernaturally staying in place, as if it was watching them. Then, from all the edges, the blood wall formed hands and began to crawl along the wall, moving forward quickly. Yosho and Tsunami stepped back just as quickly, trying to stay ahead of the blood wall, while keeping an eye on it constantly. Suddenly, the blood stopped. From its exact center, a huge bulge pushed its way out, gradually forming a monstrous head of some creature from your worst nightmares. Tsunami screamed as Yosho grabbed her arm and ran. The creature roared in discontent and resumed pulling itself toward them with it's multitude of arms. Tsunami and Yosho ran as fast as their legs could carry them, ducking past the spiked chains that ripped at their clothes and stung their skin. But the creature kept on gaining. Finally, their running led them to a pair of huge oaken doors. Using all the strength they could muster, they managed to pull the doors open wide enough to fit through. The two quickly squeezed through the doors and once again called upon all their strength to push them shut again. The creature roared one final time, but was drowned out by the loud sound of the heavy doors slamming shut, sealing the two in the room. Tsunami saw that they were now in a massive antechamber, and that the whole room was completely empty. Tsunami took a step forward, which was greeted by a low rumbling. During the small shaking, several spiked pillars, peaked by red spheres, pushed their way out of the ground, hurling bits of rock and dust into the air. The glowing red spheres seemed to emanate a strange and exotic power, immediately hypnotizing Tsunami and enticing her to approach them. She was reaching out to touch one by the time Yosho saw what was happening. Before Yosho could reach her, Tsunami absentmindedly grasped the nearest sphere. The glass like spheres rippled slightly under Tsunami's fingertips. Yosho stepped up the pace when he heard her scream, fire and electricity arcing out from the sphere and around her hands. The electricity being generated by the orbs then slammed into her forehead, causing the small ovals residing there to glow brightly. To Tsunami, the conscious world seemed to fade away as she found herself in another room. The small room was completely closed off, like a padded cell without the padding. Off on the wall that she was looking at, Tsunami saw a long chain, red with heat, flowing at a downward arch towards the pale hand it was burning. Tsunami followed the shackled hand up further up and saw a very familiar face. The face could have been Ryoko, had it not been covered in so much blood, her own blood. Out of Ryoko's mouth protruded a long, bullet shaped pike, covered in frost. Tsunami looked at Ryoko's throat, which bulged outwards, due to the long spike residing in it. Her eyes continued downward, gazing at all the deep lacerations on Ryoko's broken, battered, and bruised body. Tsunami then saw were the pike was cemented, and how it entered Ryoko through her groin and out her mouth. Blood flowed like a fountain from in between Ryoko's legs. Tsunami, tears raining from her eyes, tried to reach out to her, to help her, but, she found her arms wouldn't respond. Ryoko's tortured eyes looked over in Tsunami's direction, and Ryoko's bound hands moved slightly. Tsunami heard Ryoko scream as her skin sizzled and burned. Tsunami knew then that she could see her. Her eyes said "Help me. please!", but Tsunami couldn't do a thing. A brief fit of wooziness fell over Tsunami as she suddenly found herself in another, yet similar room. Tsunami's attention was attracted to the loud sounds emanating from the center of the room. There, she saw her sister, beaten, bruised, and bloody, and then she saw the horrid creature readily pumping away at her, violating her in every possible way, all at once. Ayeka whimpered at the sight of Tsunami, as she reach out to her, her fingers extended. Tsunami was crying floods of tears, knowing that Ryoko and Ayeka saw her, but she couldn't do a single thing to help them. Ayeka began to scream for her sister to help her, when Tsunami felt the same old nauseous dizziness crawling through her. This time, she appeared face to face with Nobuyuki, who was sweating from all over, and bleeding from just about everywhere. In his hands, Tsunami saw a gleaming knife. Tsunami's eyes widened when she watched Nobuyuki plunge the long, serrated knife into his stomach. She wretched as the vast quantities of blood poured out onto the cold, hard floor. She watched through tear blurred eyes as Nobuyuki pulled the knife back out of him, and it was still gleaming and clean. Tsunami closed her eyes to the horrors, and, when she opened them again, found herself in another room. She saw Washu chained to a thick, metallic table, with various wires keeping her eyes, fingers, and toes wide open. Up on the ceiling, there was a needle. From this needle, a single, solitary drop of a greenish fluid fell onto Washu's right eye. She screamed louder than Tsunami has heard anyone scream before. The flesh on and around that eye bubbled and steamed as the liquid, a strong acid, ate away at it. A small trickle of blood flowed down Washu's temple, melding with her red hair. The smell was enough to cause Tsunami to faint, but she wouldn't, or couldn't. Suddenly, Tsunami found herself back into Ryoko's room, then Ayeka's, then Nobuyuki's and so on, until they all melded together. Their screams of pain piled themselves into Tsunami's mind. All the sights, smells, and experiences from all the rooms flooded her mind all at once, causing her brain to go into information overload. The nausea and wooziness was almost overwhelming as it mixed with all the other experiences Tsunami was going through. Tsunami felt more than just the conscious world slipping away as slowly she was being overwhelmed with too much pain and suffering. Before everything would have gone black, she felt a pair of strong arms pull her from where ever she was. She groggily regained some of her wits and watched as the orbs began to bubble and melt into a noxious pile of muck. "Sasami! Wake up!" Yosho screamed as he lightly slapped her cheeks. Tsunami's eyelids fluttered slightly, then flung wide open, full of fear. Tsunami began to scream at the top of her lungs as she convulsed violently. Yosho held her tightly, gently trying to calm her down. His effort was not wasted, for after a few minutes, she began to calm down. "God. oh GOD! I saw them! All of them! They were in such pain! Oh, God. Yosho. we have to save them!" Tsunami shrieked, her clothes soaked in sweat and tears. Her wet hair clung to her moist forehead, which Yosho tried to wipe away. "That was a very stupid thing to do. You could have been killed." Yosho scolded. Tsunami tried to explain, but then something flashed in the corner of her eye. Tsunami saw that there was an open door where there had only been a wall. Yosho noticed her confusion and took a look himself. "I see that they are expecting to see us. Let us not disappoint them." Yosho said, still staring at the door. With a determined face, Tsunami nodded her agreement. Yosho helped the weakened Tsunami to her feet and together they stepped through the door. ************************************************************ Darkness. Darkness was everywhere. The only light penetrated through the open door, but it didn't seem to get much farther than a few meters, as if it was blocked by the shadows. Suddenly, two silhouettes stole away a large majority of the already dwindling light. With boldness in their step, the two entered, prepared to face whatever evils that came their way. The minute the two stepped in, the doors slowly shut, as they expected them to. Then, once again, there was nothing but darkness. But, a soft light blared in the distance, drawing the two to it's faint glow. As they neared, Tsunami and Yosho could make out a familiar shape. In the distance, they saw Tenchi, hovering in midair, his arms outstretched. He was bloody, bruised, slashed, and horribly weak. "Tenchi!!" Tsunami shouted. Her response was answered with several small flames flaring up at certain points in the room. Then, the fire seemed to catch, burning very articulate runes into the area around Tenchi. The fires continued till they reached Tenchi's feet, then the fire defied the laws of gravity as it climbed upward, forming a fiery crucifix. Tenchi screamed in pain as several spikes, one on each hand and one protruding through his feet, tore through his flesh, dropping his red blood all over the black, marble floor. Tsunami and Yosho were appalled by the vile sight, and ran to help. But, before they could move, they saw a mysterious black mist form around the flame cross, slowly swirling around Tenchi's bleeding, limp form. Suddenly, Tenchi's eyes opened, glowing bright red and glaring viciously at the two intruders. Tenchi's hands formed fists as he yanked them off of the spikes that held them. After loosening his feet, Tenchi leapt down to the floor, not even five feet from Tsunami and Yosho. His fists still dripped blood, as did his feet as he walked up to the two, eyeing them evilly. Yosho prepared himself, and took a ready stance, summoning a luminous blade of cackling blue energy. "You're not thinking of using that, are you?" Tenchi growled out, a smirk on his horrid face. "Only on you." Yosho said, a smirk also forming on his lips. "So you'd kill your own grandson. shame." Tenchi shrugged. "I wouldn't if he were here. You're not Tenchi. You live as long as I have, seen some of the things I've seen, you get to know these sorts of things." Yosho returned. Tenchi's expression darkened, if it were possible. "Smart man. You're right, I'm not Tenchi. But, this is all the farther you get. The boy is ours." The Pseudo-Tenchi roared. Tsunami took several steps back, and whimpered when Pseudo-Tenchi turned his gaze on her. "Well, Yosho, I see you haven't come alone. Hello, welcome to your worst nightmare." Pseudo-Tenchi quipped as he mockingly bowed to Tsunami. "Who. Who are you." Tsunami asked quietly, her teeth chattering from the fright. "I am what always was and what always will be. I am the Darkness. I am Death." Pseudo-Tenchi rumbled, his tone supernaturally evil. "Where's Tenchi!?" Tsunami demanded to know. Pseudo-Tenchi faked being surprised at being asked the question. "So, someone has finally asked the two hundred million dollar question, where is the boy wonder, Mr. Avatar himself. Tenchi Masaki. Well, I'll answer that question for you, Tsunami," Tenchi said as he got really close to Tsunami, "Hell, let's bring the party animal out right now!" Suddenly, a spot light turned on, blazing the black wall with a harsh light. Out of the wall came Tenchi, still beaten and bruised. He remained imbedded in the rock, as if he and the wall became one. His head hung limply as the blood flowed freely from his face. "Oh, God. Tenchi!" Tsunami said as she tried running toward her bloody friend, but she was stopped by Pseudo-Tenchi's now Biomechanically clothed arm. With an unnatural swiftness, Pseudo-Tenchi grasped Tsunami's face, and tossed her back many feet, knocking her violently against the wall. "SASAMI!" Yosho yelled as he slashed at the evil creature. His blade passed right through him, as if he didn't really exist. "Ha! You cannot hurt what doesn't exist." The Demon Tenchi told Yosho before slamming a barrage of punches and kicks into him, beating him to the ground. "Wha. What do you mean "Doesn't Exist'? I felt those just fine!" Yosho mocked as he wiped the small amount of blood off his bloody lip. "As a Higher Dimensional Lifeform, I am not bound by the same rules in the real world as, say, you are. But, you are in MY territory now, so. prepare to die." The Demon sighed, almost irritated at the question. Slowly, the Demon crept up to Yosho, flexing its fingers and preparing to kill. Yosho flipped up onto his feet and scrambled back a few feet. "Sasami! Go help Tenchi! I'll hold him off for as long as I can!" Yosho said valiantly. "Hell, Tsunami, why don't you go JOIN HIM!" The demon said as he moved his fingers slightly and Tsunami's body was hurled into the air. She slammed against the wall, next to Tenchi, but instead of falling, she began to sink in. The pain was enormous as she struggled to free herself, but she seemed to have no power in this world. She looked over at Tenchi, and saw that his hands were somewhat free. On his finger, she saw the ring she gave him to convert into his Juraian battle armor. Before her entire arm became embedded into the wall, she quickly activated the ring. "What the.!" The demon shouted as a blinding flash of light filled the room, followed by a loud explosion. The whole side of the room that the explosion occurred in was full of smoke, until a figure passed through it. Yosho's eyes widened when he saw Tenchi, in full armor, Light Hawk Sword in hand. It seemed to surge with power. Behind him appeared a seriously pissed Tsunami. The Demon smiled as his face formed into a skull, its eyes glowing bright. In his hand formed a massive sword, identical to Tenchi's, but black and corrupt. With an inhuman growl, the demon attacked. The demon was faster than anything Tenchi had ever seen before, but he managed to keep him at bay. Tsunami watched the spectacular fight, and also noticed the walls of the room falling, being replaced by darkness. Soon, the only spot that remained was the small section of ground that Tenchi and The Demon were fighting on. Tenchi noticed this too, but the Demon didn't seem to care. "Look! You're world is falling apart around you! You're not going to win!" Tenchi yelled, parrying the demons superhuman blows. "Once I am of the flesh, I will destroy everything you hold dear! It is your body I crave, give up now, and I will release your tormented soul." The demon offered. "YOU give up now, and I may let you live." Tenchi returned. "FOOL! You know NOTHING! I cannot die!" The demon roared. "If your so powerful, then WHY didn't you kill all of us in the first place?" Tenchi asked, a small smirk forming at his lips. "Your body is the perfect vessel, Avatar. The Goddesses crafted you well. When we merge, I will walk the physical world, warping and shaping it as I see fit." "Another pointless megalomaniac, bent on universal domination. Do you know how many of you I've defeated? Give up, the universe's too big for just you." Tenchi chided as he barely missed a deadly swipe. "Oh, I'm more than just a 'megalomaniac'. You have no idea of the situation you've just entered, do you? There is NO WAY your feeble human mind can grasp the finer details of the metaphysical plane. Give up, before I kill all of your little friends." The demon threatened. Tenchi became angered beyond all comprehension after that. "You." Tenchi growled as he swiped the demon, almost cutting off his arm. "Will." He continued as he struck the demon again, slicing his arm. The demon was shocked to learn that Tenchi had actually cut him, and did not phase through him, like Yosho. "Not." Tenchi added as he sliced the demons hand off. The demon roared in confusion. He quickly resummoned his sword. "Touch them." Tenchi snapped as he was barely parried by the one handed demon, who didn't have the time to regenerate his missing appendage. "AGAIN!" Tenchi shouted as he lunged forward, piercing the demons defenses and armor. The glow in the demons eyes began to fade as it fell to one knee. "You. are more powerful. than I have ever. imagined. You have won. this time. I do. not have the. power. to maintain myself. on this plane. of existence much longer. Never rest. Masaki. for I do not take long to rejuvenate. I will be back. count on it." The demon said as he faded into the darkness, chuckling slightly to himself. Tenchi was confused, but he became unnerved when he too began to fade into the black. He let out a startled yelp before he eventually disappeared. ************************************************************ Tenchi woke up, just as a bolt of lightning struck, filling the room with light. Tenchi sensed several people in the room with him, and prepared himself to run. "Tenchi! It's only us!" Sasami said, her pink eyes red from crying. "Oh, man. what happened?" Tenchi asked. His grandfather then stepped up to him. "Oh, a demon just attempted to assimilate with you so he could take over the universe. You know, the same old, cheesy, clich‚ villain." "What?" Tenchi said, confused, "Hah. you're funny Grandpa. Man. I had the strangest dream, though." Tenchi looked around and saw that everyone in the whole house was crowded into his room. "Tenchi, I don't think that was just a dream." Sasami returned. Tenchi was beginning to think so too. "Well, whatever it was, I'm sure it's not over yet." Katsuhito added as Nobuyuki and Ayeka began to stir. Sasami's eyes, and smile, widened as she ran over to the two and gave them a huge hug. Tenchi looked over towards Ryoko, and noticed that she was about to wake up also. 'I think everything's going to be okay.' Tenchi reassured himself, not totally believing it. Up in the early morning sky, the dark, vicious storm clouds parted, and a series of large, black evil ships slowly descended through the Earth's atmosphere, heading right toward the Masaki house. ************************************************************ SUGGESTED ENDING MUSIC : ALIEN by BUSH Well, here is the new Chapter one. Email me at ruby@pa.net and tell me what you think. If you like the old chapter better, I'll repost it on GENSAO's site. PS - The final chapter is in the initial planning stages. After I am done fixing the series, I will write the Final Chapter. I could use help in the CHARACTER NAMES department. Just send me a list of male and female names, preferably Japanese, and if I use them, I will be sure to note what help you've given me. THANX.