Gouoku Muyo (No need for bravery and cowardice) Chapter 1: No need for returns Okay, this is my first ever Tenchi fanfic, so I don't own Tenchi Muyo or any of the characters (except Kodora, but he isn't even in this chapter.) This is based on the OVAs but has a few details from Universe in it. Well, here goes: ----------------------------------------------- "Princess Ayeka! Princess Ayeka!" shouted a Juraian guard. "Yes, what is it?" answered Ayeka. "There is a dark energy near the south pole. I think you'd better have a look at it," explained the guard. The data he had just received had disturbed him greatly, and he was sure it was of great importance. "Yes... I suppose I should," said Ayeka wearily. One year ago, her father, the King of Jurai, had mysteriously disappeared. Ayeka had taken his place at the throne of Jurai, but assured her people that it was only temporary, and her father would rule once he was found. But he never was. Thousands of Galaxy Police officers were sent on the search, as well as countless Jurai Guards. The guard lead Ayeka to a screen that showed the south pole. It was winter in the north, so the pole should have been bathed in sunlight, but was instead black and haunting. The darkness seemed to be swirling from one point, but Ayeka could not see what was there. "Are you sure it's the south pole?" asked Ayeka, hoping there was some mistake. Darkness and evil such as this had never attacked Jurai since her father's disappearance. "Positive. The North pole is dark, but you can see the stars." Ayeka looked at the sky in the transmission. Not a single star could be seen. "Do you know what has caused this darkness?" "No, but we believe it has been caused by evil energy. And not just any type of evil energy, the kind that invaded this very city at Startika last year." Ayeka gasped. Her father had disappeared almost as soon as the darkness had settled in. She remembered trying desperately to find him in the days afterward, but to no avail. "Is this energy responsible for my father's disappearance?" "We're not sure, but we'll-" The guard stopped short and gaped at the screen, not believing his eyes. "I-it can't be..." Ayeka drifted off. On the screen in front of her was Kagato. She blinked her eyes. It must be some mistake! "But Tenchi killed Kagato! He can't be back!" cried Ayeka, remembering the battle on the Souja just five short years ago. Kagato gathered some energy into a ball and blasted it northward, to spread the darkness. Ayeka was overwhelmed with anger. "No! I won't let them! Kagato has been defeated once; he can be defeated again!" she cried, "Sasami!" "Yes?" asked Sasami as she raced into the room. She was beginning to look just like Tsunami. "Kagato is back! We need to bring Tenchi and the others here as soon as possible!" "Kagato!" Sasami had not been in the battle five years ago, but she was almost taken along with Tsunami. "We must leave to find Tenchi right away. Meanwhile see if our troops can hold them off and keep the darkness at bay," ordered Ayeka. "Shall we call the galaxy police as well?" suggested the guard. "I don't really trust in their abilities, but I suppose you can," said Ayeka remembering Mihoshi's clumsiness. The guard left to follow his orders and Azaka and Kimidake arrived. "We're leaving for earth at once," explained Ayeka, "Kagato has returned, and appears to have duplicated himself. We must find Tenchi immediately. He is the only one to have ever defeated Kagato, he must surely be able to defeat him again. We will also seek the help of Yosho. He may be aged, but I believe he may be of great help to us. Come Sasami, Azaka, and Kimidake. It's on to Earth!" ~ ^Several days later^ Tenchi Masaki looked up at the sky. A Juraian ship was approaching fast, and this could only mean one thing- "Sasami! Ayeka!" The brilliant ship landed in a field gracefully, not the usual crash into the lake. The portal opened, and Ayeka, Sasami, Azaka, and Kimidake hurried out. "Lord Tenchi!" cried Ayeka as she threw her arms around Tenchi, as if it had been hundreds of years since they had last seen each other. Then, realizing herself, she pulled back. She couldn't believe she had forgotten already... ^Flashback^ The moon was full and shone brightly in the sky on that summer evening three years ago. It was a special dinner, for what reason Ayeka never really knew. But something about it made Tenchi's eyes light up like they never had before. Everyone was happy. Even Mihoshi wasn't as clumsy as she usually was. The food prepared by Sasami had to have been her best yet, and Ryoko seemed unusually cheerful. And yet, something had seemed strange. There always seemed to be some sort of heaviness in the air that was gone. But Ayeka wasn't comforted by this. After the dinner, Ayeka went outside for a breath of fresh air, for by the end of the dinner the air inside felt rather stuffy. She thought she heard Tenchi come outside, so she tried to look for him. "Lord Tenchi. Are you out here?" Ayeka called softly. She walked around a little and soon came to the lake. She looked across and- no, it couldn't be. She squinted. She couldn't tell if it was Tenchi or not, but there were definitely two people there. Ayeka crept around the lake to get closer, but once she was near enough there was no doubt who it was. It was Tenchi and Ryoko. They stood by the edge of the lake, Tenchi's arms around Ryoko in an embrace, their lips pressed together in a kiss. Ayeka gasped as salty tears flowed down her face. "No..... Tenchi....." ^End Flashback^ "What brings you four here?" asked Tenchi. Ayeka was shaken out of her memory by those words and spoke abruptly. "There has been an emergency on Jurai! Kagato has returned!" A look of horror spread across Tenchi's face. "Kagato's returned! But he's dead!" exclaimed Tenchi. "He must have come back or something... and he's made three copies of himself. You and Yosho must come to Jurai as soon as possible." "How much longer do we have?" asked Tenchi. "Sasami and I must leave at once. You can use one of our spare ships. You should probably come a few hours after us, so that we all won't be targeted at once. Please Lord Tenchi, you're the only one who can help us now." "Should Grandpa come too?" "I don't know... He was able to hold off Kagato's attacks five years ago, but I don't know if he can stop him." "I'll leave him here in case Kagato tries to attack the earth," Tenchi said after a long pause, "I've fought Kagato before, and I will have to fight him again." "Tenchi, promise me that you'll come back from the battle alive, if not for my sake then for the sake of all the others, even Ryoko." Ayeka felt tears forming as she said this. "Don't worry about me," reassured Tenchi, "Just make sure you and Sasami are safe. Things will work out." Ayeka nodded. "It's nice to see you again Tenchi," said Sasami, "But we have to go. You can take the Neotora, a small ship Azaka and Kimidake have unloaded. Take care of yourself Tenchi." "Alright then. I'll follow 12 hours behind you," replied Tenchi. Ayeka went back to the ship without saying anything, tears streaming down her face. "Bye Tenchi!" exclaimed Sasami as she followed her sister onto the ship. After they were all inside, the ship blasted away to Jurai. "Good luck, all of you." ~ Tenchi was ready within an hour. He blasted away from earth in the small spaceship. He didn't need to leave for another eleven hours, but there was someone he needed to see first... ~ A few days later the ship landed in what appeared to be a deserted field on a small planet. It was the dead of night and a crescent moon gave just a sliver of light to the blackness. Tenchi made his way over to a small cave. He turned a few corners and came to a door. Taking a deep breath, he knocked three times. After a short pause, the door was opened by a cyan-haired woman. "Tenchi!" she exclaimed as she threw her arms around him. Ryo-ohki appeared in the corner of the open doorway and jumped onto Tenchi's shoulder, mewing happily. "I haven't seen you in so long," said Ryoko. "Not since last summer," said Tenchi, "But it is hard, not owning a spaceship and all..." "How long can you stay? A month? A year? Forever?" "Not very long; just a few hours at most." Tenchi leaned over and kissed Ryoko lightly. Ryoko smirked. "You're here rather late." "Ryoko... I must tell you something," said Tenchi as he took a deep breath, "Kagato has returned. I am to battle him on Jurai soon. That's why I came here, to tell you in case-" "In case you don't come back," whispered Ryoko, finishing Tenchi's sentence. There was a long pause. Suddenly Ryoko grabbed Tenchi's hand and lead him inside the small house in the cave, shutting the door behind them. Ryo-ohki was left outside, but instead of mewing, she hopped out into the field. She looked around the land that had been her home these past three years. ^Flashback^ Ryo-ohki was nibbling on a stolen carrot watching Tenchi pace around, as if waiting for something. "Tenchi?" Tenchi turned around and saw Ryoko standing there, her cyan hair blowing in the light breeze. "Ryoko," Tenchi began, his cheeks turning slightly pink. "Yes Tenchi?" "I've been meaning to tell you something, but I've been putting it off, because I didn't want to hurt anyone." Ryoko and Tenchi gazed into each other's eyes. "Ryoko, I love you." "I love you too Tenchi," said Ryoko as she threw her arms around Tenchi in a tender embrace. Ryo-ohki had rarely seen either of them so happy. The next few weeks were the best for the three of them. But not necessarily the others. Ayeka and Sasami left four days later. For what reason Ryo-ohki never knew, although she suspected it must have had something to do with Tenchi and Ryoko. Washu disappeared one day. No one knew where she was off to, although she visited Ryoko from time to time. Mihoshi was transferred to a different part of the universe. In her place was one of the Galaxy Police's most efficient officers, which caused Ryoko and Ryo-ohki to escape to this small planet. Tenchi and Ryoko would see each other when they could, but things were difficult. ^End Flashback^ Ryo-ohki mewed softly in the darkness. She could sense something was about to happen- something terrible. ^The next morning^ Tenchi opened his eyes. It was dark, but he was in a cave, so it could have been any time of day. He sat up and wiped the sweat off his brow. He saw a clock that told him it was roughly 6 AM. He looked over at Ryoko who was sleeping peacefully beside him. Tenchi leaned over and kissed her, causing her to stir. "Tenchi...." she mumbled before opening her eyes. "Ryoko," Tenchi whispered, "I can't stay much longer." "But Tenchi," said Ryoko, still groggy, "What if I never see you again?" "You will see me again," said Tenchi gently but firmly, "I promise." "How much longer until you have to go?" "Only a few minutes." Silence filled the small room. "I killed Kagato once; I can kill him again. And I've got something for you when I get back," said Tenchi, comforting Ryoko and breaking the silence. He then kissed her and got dressed, keeping an eye on the clock the whole time. It was time for Tenchi to leave, and Ryoko followed him out to the spaceship Ayeka had lent him. "Wait Tenchi; I'll come with you." Tenchi was about to step into the beam that would transport him into the ship, but he turned to face Ryoko. "But I don't want you to get hurt. Please Ryoko, don't come. Kagato almost killed you the last time, and I don't know what I would do if I lost you," begged Tenchi. "Nor would I." Tenchi stepped over to Ryoko and gave her one last kiss before beaming up to the spaceship. Ryoko watched almost helplessly as the engines started on the ship that could take her Tenchi to his doom. She waited until the ship was out of sight before speaking. "Ryo-ohki!" she shouted, her voice reaching the cabbit's ears. Ryo-ohki rushed toward her, jumping onto her shoulder. Ryoko looked over at the cabbit and then up toward the patch of sky where Tenchi's spaceship had disappeared. She bowed her head and a single tear fell, hitting the ground. Ryoko grabbed Ryo-ohki and threw her into the sky, shouting, "Ryo-ohki!" The cabbit transformed into a magnificent spaceship right before her eyes, and Ryoko phased into it. "I'm coming Tenchi!" ~ Ayeka rushed toward the royal palace of Jurai. Lightning flashed in the sky above, the sky that was pitch black at noon. Kagato's power had increased tremendously. Sasami followed closely behind her, with Azaka and Kimidake at their sides to protect them. "Just twelve hours..." Ayeka muttered to herself as another crack of thunder was heard. When they reached the palace, the same guard who had told Ayeka of Kagato's return rushed up to her. He had dark circles under his eyes and looked as if he hadn't slept in days. "Kagato's power has engulfed most of the planet, and out sources indicate that he is still near the south. Is that boy you went out to find coming?" Ayeka nodded. "Yes, he'll arrive here in twelve hours." "The people of Jurai are tense and worried. They are deeply afraid of the darkness. Panic has engulfed many cities, especially in the south, and there has been some rebellious activity. Please Princess Ayeka, send out a transmission to comfort them, or something." "Kagato frightens me too," said Ayeka softly, remembering the fierce battle five years ago. "Yes, but the people must be able to find some comfort..." she drifted off. "I'll send the transmission soon, but I must contact Tenchi first." The guard sent a transmission to the small ship that Tenchi was in. "Tenchi!" she said as his picture came up on the screen, "Is everything alright?" "Yes, Miss Ayeka. I'll be there shortly," replied Tenchi. "In twelve hours?" "A little sooner than that. I'm making good time." Ayeka nodded. She knew that Tenchi had left shortly after her, but had made a detour to a small planet called Chattella. The planet Ryoko was currently residing on. She knew Tenchi had gone to see her- and she didn't want to know what had happened over there, but she tried not to let Tenchi know she knew. "Well," said Ayeka, "I'll be seeing you soon." The transmission ended. ~ Hours later, Tenchi arrived on Jurai. In his hands he carried Tenchi-ken. He hurried to the palace, seeing the sky and planet in the same condition Ayeka had when she arrived at noon. Although it was near midnight, there was no difference between the night and day. Ayeka and Sasami were patiently waiting for Tenchi on the front steps of the palace. Ayeka squinted to see the figure that was running toward the palace. "Sasami! It's Tenchi!" she cried after seeing who it was. Sasami rushed forward with Ayeka behind her and they both threw their arms around Tenchi as soon as they saw him. "You're here!" exclaimed Sasami. Tenchi tried to break free of their arms. "I can't fight Kagato if you hang on me like that," he told the two princesses. Ayeka stepped away and bowed her head. "Sorry... I didn't mean..." Ayeka felt tears welling up in her eyes. She still loved Tenchi, even though she knew they could never be together. "Where's Kagato?" "We believe he's at the south pole, but we'll go inside the palace to check the transmissions," said Ayeka, hiding her tears from Tenchi. They walked up the steps and inside the palace. When they entered the palace, a familiar blonde police officer rushed over to them. "Mihoshi!" all three of them exclaimed. "Hello!" There was a long pause. "Well, I must get the information on Kagato," started Ayeka, breaking the silence. "Oh, I have the information. He is currently in a small village not far south of here and is headed for the royal palace. You must leave immediately," Mihoshi's usual carefree tone had become almost serious as she read her report. "Then we must go," said Tenchi. He looked to the south. "I'll stay here in case he should come to the palace," said Mihoshi, trying to sound helpful but knowing she was no match for Kagato. "Mihoshi, one more thing." "What is it Tenchi?" "Ryoko will arrive in a little while. She will want to find me and help me fight Kagato. Please, don't let her. I don't want anything to happen to her." Mihoshi nodded and Tenchi left with Ayeka to the spot where Kagato was. Sasami remained with Mihoshi. On the spaceship, Ayeka looked over at Tenchi. "I know you went to see Ryoko," she told him, for what reason she did not know herself. "What happened over there? Did you tell her about Kagato?" Ayeka realized after asking that she didn't want to know anything that had happened between Tenchi and Ryoko, but it was too late to take it back now. "Erm.... just stuff." Thinking back to the night on Chattella, Tenchi was surprised that he and Ryoko had gone so far. Tenchi felt himself blush a little. Nothing else was said until the ship reached the area where Kagato was. Tenchi and Ayeka beamed out of the ship and tried to find Kagato. The darkness was so incredibly thick that Tenchi could not see his hand in front of his face. Ayeka held a small lantern, but it could hardly be seen. The darkness here was almost like a substance, and had become a sooty fog that settled on the land. Tenchi transformed into his Jurain form, and activated Tenchi-ken. He saw a greenish light before him, and after a few steps he stepped into a small area clear of fog and lit with an eerie green glow. Kagato stood with his back turned. Tenchi heard footsteps behind him. He turned and saw Ryoko, transformed with the gems. "I know you told me not to come, but I did, and I followed you here-" "Ryoko, I need to fight this battle alone." Tenchi turned to face Kagato, who was now looking at the three of them menacingly. "Well, Tenchi. It looks as if we've met again. But this time, I shall be victorious." Kagato charged toward Tenchi as Tenchi charged toward him. The battle had begun. ---------------------------------------------------------- Gouoku Muyo Chapter 2: No Need for Battle Cries The battle against Kagato begins!