The Eden Chronicles Chapter III: Trouble from the Skies "Now, give me your arm." Roric held his arm out on the table. He flexed his fingers against the tourniquet until a vein stood out on his upper arm, a dull blue color. Washuu padded his arm down with isopropyl, and drew a vial of blood from him. He winced only a little as the needle came out. "That's it," Washuu clapped her hands together as the vial disappeared into subspace. She began ticking the items off on her fingers. "Hair sample, skin sample, blood sample, sperm...wait..." She suddenly looked a little downtrodden. Roric grinned, though inside he was thanking any gods listening that Katsuhito had asked her to leave that out. "Going easy on the new guy, huh?" He said half-gratefully. "You've been here two weeks, Roric," The diminutive scientist chided. "You're not the new guy anymore. If it were up to me, I'd strap 'ya down, take off your clothes, and grab that..." "Okay, okay. That's enough," Roric held up both hands for silence. "You don't have to go into detail." "I almost had Tenchi once," Her eyes got wide and glittery as she lead him through the gleaming, shimmering lights of her lab. Ryo-Ohki was toddling after them in her human child form, meowing her ABC's. It was rather cute in a way. Roric privately suspected that if the child hadn't been there, Washuu would have gone ahead with the sperm sample. He shuddered. This wasn't to say that he had backed-up hormones or anything, but upon reflection he seemed to be a lot like Tenchi. Hard-working, honest, and extremely modest. Washuu continued. "But Mihoshi came in at just the wrong time..." "Trust her to do that," Roric grinned. "But she does have luck on her side." Washuu opened the front door of her lab, which appeared out of nowhere in the air in front of them, and grinned evilly. "If you ever want to take me up on that sample," She said with devilish glee. "Like I told Tenchi, I've got magic fingers!" Roric narrowed his eyes at her with a faint blush. "Chew off." * * * * * * As he came out the door with Ryo-Ohki on his heels, Sasami sped past him with a tray of potatoes in her hands. He turned a full circle on his heel as if she had created a tornado, and followed curiously with his hands in his pockets. "Hey, Sasami," He poked his head into the kitchen. "What's the rush?" "Mother Masaki is coming over today!" She said breathlessly. "Azaka and Kamadake picked her ship up on their radars. I want to have a nice dinner ready for them!" "Mother...Masaki?" "Our mother," Ayeka walked behind him with a basket of laundry. "It's always so degrading when she comes here...but we make do. Shouldn't you be on your way to the shrine?" "Oh, that's right." He started for the door, when he heard uncontrollable giggles from the two sisters. He looked over his shoulder. "What? Is there a hole in my pants or something?" "N-no..." Ayeka smiled. "Just something...we planned...for tonight." Sasami turned red with suppressed laughter. * * * * * * For some reason, Ryo-Ohki had decided to follow Roric around for the entire day. No matter how many times he cajoled her to go home with the offer of more carrots than she could eat, the little cabbit girl wouldn't budge from his side. So, heralded by the pleasant clacking of his wooden sandals on the stone stairs, Roric bounded up towards the shrine with Ryo-Ohki on his shoulders. He was singing a Japanese song he had heard on the radio a few months ago called "Sukiyaki" rather loudly, and his young charge was meowing the tune along with him. They were both laughing uncontrollably by the time they reached the top. The little girl crawled from his shoulders and pattered towards Mihoshi, who sat serenely on the shrine's steps. Katsuhito and Tenchi battled fiercely with their bokken. They stopped as Roric passed with a wave to Mihoshi. Katsuhito picked a long wooden pole from the ground and threw it towards him. It struck him in the forehead, and he hit the ground. "Jii-chan!" He fumed as he sat up. "You didn't have to do that, y'know!" "If you weren't so busy drooling over girls, maybe you would have caught it," The old man observed sagely. Roric and Mihoshi both blushed furiously. Tenchi burst into gales of helpless laughter. "That's your weapon, Roric. Pick it up and come here." He did as he was told, albeit with a flicker of annoyance on his face. A wafer-shaped red mark stood on his forehead where the staff had struck him. "Roric," Yosho said with narrow eyes, adjusting his glasses. "Your training in Tai Chi is considerable, but today you'll begin with a spear. I have no secrets to bestow on you. This will be mostly on your own. As you and Tenchi battle with me, you will develop ways to intermingle the art of the Naginata with that of Tai Chi." Roric nodded, and spun the staff gracefully, only to smack himself on the back of the head. "Ow..." "Looks like you've got a long way to go," Tenchi patted his friend's shoulder warmly. "Don't worry, I'll do all I can to help you out." "Thanks," He rubbed the back of his head. "Ugh..." "All right, now let's begin," Yosho held his bokken ready, spreading his feet wide apart. "No surprise attacks today." Both boys nodded and raised their weapons. The next hour was very long for Roric. While Tenchi handled his wooden sword with expert grace and agility, he himself was clumsy and slow with the long pole that had been bestowed upon him. Roric got the worst of the beating that was conferred unanimously. While Tenchi got by with scrapes, sores and bruises, one particularly hard strike sent Roric to the ground with blood running freely from the corner of his mouth. Mihoshi half-stood with a worried look on her face. Tenchi stopped his relentless attack, and even Ryo-Ohki voiced her protest at the rough treatment. "I think you've had enough for today," Yosho nodded. "You did very well for your first time." "Who said I'm done?" Roric rose to his feet, clutching the pole in both hands. A friendly smile touched his swollen lip. "Come on, jii-chan, my grandmother punches harder than you, and she doesn't have any arms!" Tenchi stifled a laugh. "Oh ho!" Yosho seemed pleased. "He's got energy left in him, doesn't he, Tenchi? The battle is resumed! Get ready!" "Eaaaah!" Roric charged towards the old man, staff held back. Tenchi came from the side, stabbing with his bokken. Yosho grabbed Tenchi's wrist, and threw him to one side while Roric leapt high into the air with a yell of effort. * * * * * * Yosho's eyes widened. Everything seemed to be happening in slow motion. The world around him seemed to have taken on a faint, grayish tint, everything but the plummeting form of Roric, whose staff was raised for a devastating strike. Green flames seemed to flicker on his arms, legs and torso. Barely perceptible, they danced over his body, licking at his extremities like forest- colored tongues. Yosho took a slow, deep breath. Intermingled with Roric's strained face was that of another boy, a face that was scarred, yet youthful. His green hair was spiked back, and a spiky ponytail that reached well past his ankles fluttered behind. This second boy was completely transparent. The old man raised his weapon to block the attack as the unknown boy faded, and all color returned. * * * * * * The deflected strike was recovered almost immediately. Roric leapt from the flat of Yosho's bokken, and landed not too far from Tenchi. He helped his black-haired friend to his feet, and turned just in time to see the wooden sword of his opponent whistle towards him. He felt the air whoosh from his lungs as he was struck in the stomach. His staff clattered uselessly to the ground. Another strike felled the recovering Tenchi. "Very good," Katsuhito slung his weapon over one shoulder. "You two go home. Roric, have Sasami take care of that lip." "All right, jii-chan," Roric helped Tenchi up as soon as he recovered his wind. Tenchi groaned. "My head..." He mumbled. The two started off down the stairs with Mihoshi and Ryo-Ohki in tow. "They're getting better," Katsuhito said to himself as he tapped his bokken against his shoulder. "But I'd better talk with Washuu about this one..." * * * * * * "Are you two okay?" Mihoshi was supporting Roric with her arm as they walked down the long flight of stone steps. "You really got hammered." "We're all right," Tenchi had a hand pressed to his head. "Aren't we, Roric?" "Speak for yourself," His friend grinned and winced. From down at the house there was a small crowd. The entire contents of the Masaki household were emptied onto the porch around a woman who looked frighteningly like an older, hyperactive version of Sasami. Azaka and Kamadake flanked the woman, who was dressed in regal blue robes. Her teal hair was done behind her in a long braid, and Ryo-Ohki clambered down the stairs to rush towards her. "Who's that?" Roric asked as they crossed the field. "Masaki," Tenchi said. "Just watch, and try to keep your emotions under control when the words start flying." Roric heeded the words spoken by his friend, but he also got a quizzical expression on his face. As they approached the woman standing in the grass, Sasami popped from the crowd with arms outstretched, a look of joy on her small, freckled face. "Mommy!" She shouted in a high voice, throwing her arms around Masaki's waist. "Oh, Sasami!" Masaki patted her head, smiling sweetly. "How's my little girl?" "Just fine, Mommy!" Sasami nodded, her long tails of hair bouncing. "Guess what? Tenchi has a pen pal, and he's staying here with us!" "Really? You'll have to introduce him to me, after I see my other daughter. Ayeka!" Ayeka, who was standing on the porch, folded her hands in front of her, nodding regally. "Good day, mother. Welcome back." Masaki's face suddenly took on a venomous look. She glared at her eldest daughter and growled menacingly. Ayeka let out a long, slow sigh, turned to give Ryoko a warning look, and straightened herself. Her voice became high and squeaky. "My mommy!" "Oh, there's my big girl!" Masaki once again looked sweet as candy, and embraced both her daughters. Ryoko didn't respond. She knew what would happen if she said anything. Roric, however, had no such experience. He suddenly burst into a fit of stifled giggles, holding the bruise on his stomach where Katsuhito's bokken had found him. "She just..." He breathed. "She just called her...mommy?" He continued to laugh merrily. Tenchi gave him a fearful look as Masaki stormed over with a flat gaze. "WHAT did you say about my DAUGHTER?" She seethed, sticking her thumbs in his mouth and pulling his cheeks apart. His eyes widened, and he winced a bit. "Nuffing!" He said as best he could. "Weawwy, I di'nt mean it!" She released his face, and clasped him in an amazingly strong bear hug. The air whooshed from Roric's lungs until he could see spots. "There's a good boy," Masaki said sweetly, stroking his golden hair. "Now, go run along and play with Tenchi, all right?" "Eh..." Roric rubbed his aching face with both hands, and walked away with his friend in tow. * * * * * * "Is that it?" Axis, grease-spotted from his work in the bowels of the ship, hung upside down from a conduit pipe with a rag in his hands. He looked at the screen that Gear was watching. Gear's tall, elegant body was draped in a graceful cape, and his white hair was spiked back from his forehead. "That's it, Axis," Gear folded his arms, narrowing his eyes. "Earth. We tracked the LightHawk Wing energy trails to this planet. The spy drones I sent out got the data on the situation. Apparently, the shrine is housing two GP officers, two Juraian princes, two Princesses, a Queen, a battleship in the form of an animal, the legendary scientist Washuu, and the Space Pirate Ryoko." "Now THAT's bounty!" Axis hopped down, his boots hitting the floor with a solid thump. He reached up to close the hatch he had come from. "If we got all of them we'd never have to worry about money again!" "All but the boy," Gear narrowed his eyes, a hateful expression on his face. "I have a personal score to settle with him. Make preparations to land tomorrow." "Yes, sir." * * * * * * "Ya! Hya! Ha!" Roric spun his weapon gracefully, and snapped it into position at his hip. He had come out to the shrine to catch up on his training. The bruise on his stomach still stung to the core, but he swallowed the pain, and diligently attacked the air. The night was quiet enough. The moon was full, and the wind whispered in the trees in a thoroughly pleasant manner. He stopped what he was doing for a moment to wipe his brow and gaze at the sky. He smiled faintly to himself. "Roric," He whirled, lowering his staff to his side. Washuu stood at the top of the steps with her hands clasped behind her back. A huge, devilish grin was on her face. Roric backed off a step. "Um...what?" He responded, knowing full well that it couldn't be good. "What do you mean 'what'? The girls are waiting on you!" She took a menacing step forward. Roric began to frantically search for an escape route. "We're playing a game, and we need you around to do it!" "Eh...no thanks," Roric waved one hand in the air. "I'm fine. I've got to work on my technique for jii-cha-augh!" He felt cold, sinuous metal wrap around his body, and his staff clattered to the ground. The metal tentacles lifted him bodily from the ground, kicking and struggling. "Washuu!" He protested. "This isn't funny! Put me down!" Washuu tapped a finger to her own nose, and stuck her tongue out. "Time to play," She said. * * * * * * "They got you too?" Roric was deposited next to Tenchi in the living room, looking rather disconsolate. The tentacles unwrapped themselves from both their bodies. Roric rubbed his shoulder, trying to get blood flowing back into his arm. "Yeah," Roric responded, looking over at Washuu, who sat with crossed legs in a circle with all the girls in the household...aside from Kiyone and Mihoshi. They, the scientist had said to him, had hopped into Yukinojo and headed off for the GP HQ to deliver their bi-weekly report. "You didn't have to have those damn things grab me so hard, Washuu!" She shrugged. "It got the job done, right?" "Tch...whatever. What's going on?" Ayeka stifled a giggle, glanced at Tenchi, and blushed deeply. She covered her mouth with her hand. "We're playing a game we saw on an American TV channel. It's called 'truth or dare.'" Roric's face went absolutely white. "My thoughts exactly," Tenchi said blandly with a freakish look towards Ryoko, who grinned evilly. "This only offers trouble." "I think it sounds fun!" Sasami bounced a little on her knees, patting them quietly. "This'll be great! Who's going to start?" Ryo-Ohki in her child form had meanwhile crawled into Roric's lap and settled down. She immediately fell asleep. "I guess that means you," Ryoko declared. "Go ahead and start." "All right, all right," Roric scratched his cheek in thought, while the other hand stroked the purring cabbit-girl's head. "Hey, Tenchi. Truth or dare?" Tenchi gave him a 'thanks, you wouldn't give me anything too rough, would you?' look, and answered confidently. "Dare." Roric leered devilishly at his friend, and pointed at Ryoko. "After the game...I dare you to ask Ryoko out on a date!" Dead silence. Even from Ryoko. Tenchi had passed out. "Okay..." Ryoko said with some disappointment. "Not exactly the biggest turn-on, but I suppose he IS Tenchi, after all." Ayeka was a towering fury. Her eyes burned and seethed, and a vein was popping out on her head. "Roric...how...how could you...force Lord Tenchi...to date that DEVIL woman? That monstrous hussy?" "Too bad, princess-prissy-pants!" Washuu had circled the group, and smacked the Juraian princess on the back of the head. Masaki glared at her with narrow eyes. "I'll let that slide," She said dangerously. "Just because we're old friends." "Erk..." Sasami laughed quietly. "Good job, Roric," She whispered. "I rather liked it," He said proudly. Ryoko didn't have a haughty attitude or a biting remark to make to Ayeka. She simply blushed, and poked her index fingers together, her eyes downcast. "Your turn, mommy," Sasami said with another giggle. "Okay, Sasami," Masaki smiled. "Truth or Dare?" "Truth!" "How much do you love your mommy?" "This much!" Sasami spread her arms as wide as she could. They both laughed for nearly five minutes. Ryo-Ohki stirred, and batted at Roric's glasses with one paw. Feeling rather detached about the whole situation, he began humming 'Sukiyaki' to her under his breath. She purred, snuggled her head into his chest, and fell asleep again. "Roric!" He was snapped out of his daze. "What'd I do?" "Truth or Dare?" He was only half-paying attention as he played idly with Ryo-Ohki's hands. "Dare. Hit me." Sasami grinned, crawled over to him, and stuck her face right up to his. "I dare you to ask Mihoshi on a double date with Ryoko and Tenchi!" "What? You've got to be kidding!" She shook her head. "Nuh-uh! You get to go with Ryoko and Tenchi!" He blew out a sigh, and lowered his head. "Augh..." Washuu began laughing uncontrollably. * * * * * * "Mihoshi, huh?" "Yeah. Sasami just hit me with it. I don't understand." Tenchi sighed. "So we're both bound to the same fate," He said poetically. "Brothers forced into a sea of women with no life preservers." "Brothers?" Roric asked with a grin. "Well, we ARE sort of like it, aren't we?" "I guess." They came to a stop at the end of the living room. Roric patted Tenchi's shoulder, and pointed to Ryoko's silhouette on the other side. He mouthed the words 'ask her' to his friend, and stepped to the side. Tenchi took a deep breath, and slid the door open. "Ryoko," He said quietly. "Tenchi." "You know why I'm here, don't you?" She nodded quietly. "Yeah...you don't have to if you don't really want to." Tenchi felt a momentary sting of surprise. Ryoko? Not immediately tackling him at the prospect of a date? What in the holy hell was going on? He shook his head vigorously, and took a step forward. "Ryoko," He said, taking a deep breath. He lowered his eyes. "This weekend...do you want to go have a night out in Tokyo? Just you, me, Roric and Mihoshi?" Ryoko's cheeks turned a bright red. She lowered her head without saying a word. Her black cat tail, however, wriggled uncontrollably. She let out an uncharacteristically girlish giggle, and looked back up with a serene smile. From the other side of the shoji, Roric held his breath. "I'd love to." He grinned. As Tenchi came back through the living room, he had a strange look of bewilderment on his face. He rubbed the back of his head in detached wonder. "She agreed?" Roric urged. "Without tackling me," Tenchi nodded. "It was the single most amazing thing I've ever seen! She just smiled and said yes." Roric scratched his cheek with a wry smile, using his other hand to pat Tenchi on the back. "I just hope I have as much luck with Mihoshi..." "Don't worry," Tenchi leaned his elbow on Roric's shoulder. "She'll agree. I know she will." "Yeah..." * * * * * * "Roric...hey...wake up..." Tenchi was whispering to him quietly. He was dressed in a red t-shirt and jeans, and he held Tenchi-Ken in one hand. His brown eyes were narrow and serious as he looked towards the window. Roric suppressed the urge to immediately leap into action. "What is it...?" He asked quietly. "Get your staff. A ship just landed outside. They're armed." "Right." Roric slid from under the covers, and jerked a pair of jeans and a white turtleneck on. His staff was snapped into his hand, and he and Tenchi crept down the stairs silently. He nearly leapt out of his skin as the yellow beam of a gunshot flew in the door, smoldering into the wood of the banister. Ryoko, wearing her tight black-and-red suit, materialized next to the open door, holding what looked like a red bar in her hand. "How many?" Tenchi stood on the other side of the door, activating Tenchi- Ken. A blue, glimmering blade appeared from the tip. "Two bounty hunters," She whispered. "They've got around a dozen robots with 'em." "What are we going to do?" Roric knelt next to Tenchi, gripping his weapon in both hands. "Fight them? Three to fourteen?" "Looks that way..." "Right, then. Let's do this." Tenchi grinned, but a drop of sweat was coursing its way down his cheek. "You're not scared?" "Shitless," Roric's knuckles were white. "But...something is telling me that...we might as well fight if we have to, right? They probably aren't going to give up, so let's head off the preliminaries and take it to 'em!" Ryoko grinned. "I like the way you think, buddy," She whispered. "Where are the girls?" Tenchi asked. "Ayeka is protecting them with a stasis shield upstairs." "Good. Let's go." They rushed out of the house, dodging in and out of a barrage of yellow gunshots that streamed at them. Tenchi deflected several with his sword while Roric flipped and cart wheeled through them. He screeched to a halt, holding his weapon ready. The two men that had landed in front of the Masaki home were a very mismatched pair. One was a short, but dreadfully thin young man wearing a grease spotted jumpsuit. He carried a very large gun in both hands. The other was tall and very refined, with spiky white hair and a green cloakish looking garment. This one carried a blade made of green energy. Ignoring the fear in his gut, Roric instead obeyed the quiet voice in his head that told him to fight. Still blazing past the dangerous laser blasts, he rushed towards the tall man in green, and drove forward with his staff. Only to have it completely severed. "What did you expect?" The tall man asked with a smug smile. "Wood versus energy? You have a lot to learn about combat, boy." His fist drove into Roric's gut, sending him a full thirty feet into the side of the house. He sunk down the wall with a groan. His head drooped heavily with the lassitude of unconsciousness. Tenchi had engaged the sword-bearing man, fencing expertly, his eyes narrowed with exertion. The air rang with the sounds of blade on blade, while Ryoko methodically phase shifted through the mechanical hoards, cutting them down whenever she got a chance. "Who...are you?" Tenchi asked as he slashed at the green man. "The name's Gear," He said with a grin as he split Tenchi's cheek open with a light slash. The young man fell back, grasping at the blood that dribbled down his face. "You should recognize me, kid. Don't I look familiar?" "Shut up!" With one fist, Gear drove the Juraian prince into the ground. He slowly raised his green energy blade, and smiled an evil smile. "Die, boy." Ryoko wrapped her arms around the evil man's waist, pulling him to the side. Gear set one foot out, stopping the over-balancing that the space pirate was trying to cause, and elbowed her gut fiercely. The man in the jumpsuit took aim, and fired. Ryoko slid off his back, rendered unconscious. "Thanks, Axis," Gear said quietly, then turned back to Tenchi. "Where were we, my young prince?" Roric... "This is revenge...for killing my father!" Roric. Wake up. I...I can't... Yes, you can. Tenchi and Ryoko need your help. Get on your feet. I can't do anything...they're all so much stronger than I am... Roric's head rose slowly, and his eyes narrowed. A long-bladed Naginata spear dug into the ground right in front of him. It wasn't anything special, simply a rather ancient-looking blade on a red wooden shaft. Two lengths of half-torn red cloth fluttered from the blade end of the haft. Roric followed the path the spear had traveled. Standing on the porch was Sasami. But she was older. She was taller, more mature, and her pink-eyed gaze was cool and calculating. She nodded once, glimmered, and vanished. Whoever that was, Roric thought as he gripped the spear. She sure can motivate a guy! "Now die, Tenchi Masaki!" Gear swung down with the green energy blade, ready to slice his young enemy in two. With the noise of ringing metal, the blade was sent spinning out of Gear's hands. Roric spun his spear, and set it against his hip. "Get out of here," he said quietly. Axis raised his gun to fire, but the spear-bearing boy leapt before the shot could hit him. He landed on the tip of the grease-spotted man's weapon, and slashed it clean in half. "The hell?" Gear searched frantically for his sword, but it was nowhere to be found. He growled menacingly. "Axis! Back to the ship!" Both the interstellar bounty hunters vanished in small sparks of black flame. Roric held the spear in both hands, panting heavily. He felt something pulsing at the back of his mind, like a warm pressure. Good job, Roric. Sleep now. You've earned it. Who...are you...? That isn't important right now. Just sleep now...sleep... He had no choice. He had to obey. With a groan, Roric fell to his knees, then to his face in the grass. From above, a heavy rain began to fall on the Masaki Household. The end of Chapter III: Trouble from the Skies! Chapter IV of the Eden Chronicles will reveal more about the bounty hunters Axis, Gear, and their ship, the Battlecruiser Eden. Who was Gear's father? When will they strike next? Not only that, but Roric must ask Mihoshi out on a date! What was the significance of the spear that Roric used? What is the voice inside his head? Will Ryoko let Tenchi get off easily? Those answers and more in the next installment of The Eden Chronicles, Chapter IV: A Night on the Town!