Disclaimer Tenchi Muyo! And all its characters belong to Pioneer and AIC, and these aren't my ideas so leave out the lawsuit. This story takes place in the OVA universe awhile after episode 13 but before the second series. Tsunami sends her heartless bodyguard ,Yatojo, to protect Tenchi and to give Yatojo emotion to let him see what it's like to be human. Keep in mind this is my first fic so don't expect miracles. And now on with the story of the "Heart of ice and stone" Tsunami could feel it coming. The war. The blood. The death. Not physically of course, but if one was keen to it, one could always sense when horror was near. Tokimi's dark tide would soon be upon her, hoping for her to drown. She would gladly sacrifice herself to stop this menace. Aboard the deck of her ship, she stared into the vastness of space, lost in revery. *Why is Tokimi doing this?* she wondered. Was her lust for control so great, that she would sacrifice millions, perhaps billions of lives, just to steal Tsunami's universe? *What did I do to her that was so horrible that she must reek havoc on me and my children?* She thought sadly. There would be no one to help her against her older sister. Her only ally, her other sister, Washu, had been thrown out of the goddess' circle and her memory of it wiped away. Tokimi had seen to that. Only a few weeks ago had she, herself, restored her sister's memory. *Why, Tokimi,?* the question echoed in her mind. She no longer felt like a powerful goddess, She felt like a lost little girl being bullied just because of her existence. Her only hope was a young earthling boy called Tenchi Masaki. Although he had no idea, Tsunami made him to be the most powerful of her creations. But right now he was very vulnerable. If Tokimi ever knew of him she would send an entire fleet to destroy him and his planet. Which was why Tsunami was sending protection. Not with Jurian tree ships or an army, that would be to obvious. She would send her own bodyguard, Yatojo. As if summoned by her thoughts, a monitor bleeped and showed that Yatojo's massive, crimson ship, Kuratagi, had pulled up along side her. Less then a second later he appeared behind her. He was clothed in a black mask that only showed his eyes(icy gray), a dark purple hood and robe with black boots and black gloves. He was 6ft. tall with broad shoulders and very intimidating to most. What she liked about him was he combined power and strength with technology. In his mask were visual enhancements, targeting and identification systems, and a 360 degree field of vision. Under his robe he wore a body suit that would keep his body temperature at a suitable level. Not that heat or cold could harm him, it was just more comfortable. Finally, a wrist mounted self cloaking device + mini computer that could control Kuratagi from a distance. His powers were psychokinetic and most importantly....lethal. What she did not like about him was she had created him with almost no emotion. Anger, indifference, and fear were all he could feel. Since assimilating with Sasami, she had grown to love everything she had made. And now it seemed to her that she had robbed him of what it was like to be human. *That's about to change* she thought, knowingly. He would need all emotions for the upcoming war and once he arrived on Earth that was what she planned to give him. She did not let him know this because he would never agree to it. It was also vital he did not no of Tenchi's importance to her. "I was wondering what kept you" she said quietly, while continuing to stare into the void. He did not reply. "I want you to go to the planet called Earth. There, you will find a young boy. I want you to protect him with your life and anything else you have at your disposal. No one must know of your presence." "As you wish, Creator. But how shall I find him?" he asked coldly. Tsunami thought for a moment, then said "Lock on to the strongest power source radiating from the planet. It should be the space tree, Funaho. He can be found near it. His description is now in the control center of Kuratagi." At hearing that he bowed slightly and without a word, returned to his ship. Tsunami had informed Washu that he would be coming, for she might need help to crack Yatojo's shell . She hated to deceive him like this, but it was the only way. *This is my only chance. And it had better work....* **************** Aboard Kuratagi, Yatojo set its engines to full power and blasted off, slightly annoyed that he was being given a babysitting job. . Earth was several hundred light years away. he noted. . The document itself contained a lot of useless information. "Name, birth date, age, height, weight, eye color, facial features." , he thought. He then read "Known affiliates: Galaxy Police First-class Detective Mihoshi Karamitsu, Princesses Ayeka and Sasami Jurai and Prince Yosho Jurai, (A list of other names) Ryoko and Washu Hakubi." For the first time in his very long life, Yatojo was surprised. "Washu, her daughter, Jurai royalty and the GP are on this backwater planet at the same time?!?!" he exclaimed. "I'm surprised Tokimi hasn't destroyed the planet already." This would complicate matters. If Tokimi wasn't suspicious yet, she soon would be. And if he knew her, she would have some kind of early warning system to detect Tsunami's presence. Rather on instinct than actual thought he told the computer "Initialize cloaking system" Tokimi may have massive amounts of armies, but she preferred quantity to quality, and he knew very well she did not have anything advanced enough that could detect him. "Tsk tsk, apparently, intelligence doesn't come with the goddess package." he said to himself. However intelligence did come to Washu which was why he would stop short of her sensors range and beam down to the earth from Kuratagi. He then scanned the rest of the document. Nothing caught his eye, He filed it away in Kuratagi's memory. He then thought "What a joke." he said disdainfully. "Just a trick to get humanoids to reproduce." If Yatojo could hate something it would be the so-called "emotion" of love. He had seen it turn people he had once respected into blithering idiots. On the day he was created he swore to Tsunami herself, he would take his own life if he ever fell in love with anything. Almost an eternity later he still hadn't committed suicide. He thought he was immune to this most undesirable feeling. He had never been more wrong. In her immense lab Washu, The Greatest Scientific Mind in The Known Universe, sat in front of her transparent computer glued to the screen watching a Red Giant class star progress into a White Dwarf, when she felt Tsunami's presence. Without turning around she said "Good morning, Sister." "Good morning to you as well, Sister, even if it is the afternoon" said a smiling Tsunami. Washu did a double-take at her watch, seeing that it was now 6 o'clock. "I completely lost track of the time of the time! Damn star. It's almost hypnotic. And there was so much I wanted to do today." she said regretfully. " Yes, well, our guest of honor is almost here" "That's strange. My sensors haven't picked up on anything as big as Kuratagi yet" said Washu, puzzled. "He's just outside your range and is now preparing to beam to earth" "Very clever of him. Once he starts beaming it would just seem like a rustling of ions. I'll say one thing for him. He is the best." said Washu thoughtfully "Have you thought about how your going to put feelings into him?" asked Washu. "That's actually what I came to talk to you about. I can't do it myself, because he would know that I did it. Is there any way that you could put them in from here?" "Anything's possible for the greatest scientific genius in the universe." said a smiling Washu. "Just give me his cloaking frequency and I can take it from there." Tsunami gave it, and Washu punched it in her console. "By the way I invented a mini-cam with a cloaking device so now we can see him wherever he goes and I can put the feelings in his brain" said Washu confidently. "However," her mood turned serious "this is a very delicate situation. I'll need you here because you're the only one who knows how Yatojo's mind works. You're the only one who knows what he can handle and when. So, what is your first choice?" inquired Washu. Tsunami had already given this a lot of thought. "We'll start with curiosity, but for now lets wait. And so they did as they watched Yatojo materialize in front of Funaho. **************** Now that he was on earth, Yatojo immediately began to search for his target. Having already turned on his cloak he floated to the shrine. He saw an old man sweeping the sidewalk. He had to use his ID system to determine it was Yosho. he thought. Yosho then seemed to look Yatojo right in the eye. He knew Yosho couldn't see him but that didn't stop him from keeping absolutely still. Yatojo started to feel a presence reaching out at him. His powers being what they are, he quickly blocked it and sent a backlash in the form a splitting headache. Yosho winced in pain. While holding his head went inside the shrine and laid down on his cot. thought Yatojo. It was now by earth's reckoning 7 o'clock He then phased into the Masaki residence. **************** "YOU TAKE THAT BACK, MONSTER WOMAN!!!!" Ayeka screeched at top of her lungs. "Now being a royal princess you should know you can't take back what's true. Me and Tenchi are in love aren't we Tenchi?" Ryoko swooned, while she held a struggling Tenchi. "Stop it!! Let me GO!!!" Tenchi yelled, futilely "How could anyone love a demon? Answer me that, you skank!!" Ayeka said, acidly At hearing those words, Ryoko threw Tenchi out of the way and walked very slowly to Ayeka with fury and rage in her gold colored eyes, "You...take...that...back." she said barely above a whisper. Against her better judgement, The First Princess of Jurai then replied, "Now being a royal princess, I can't take back what is true. Lord Tenchi will never love you and neither will anyone else", in her most haughty voice "Why do you to always have to fight?" said Sasami "Mind your own business, Sasami!" Yatojo had been watching all of this and his analysis was "This is going to be more work than I thought." As he felt Ryoko's energy begin to go up and Ayeka's force field begin to form, he quickly went beside Tenchi and teleported them both to the Shrine. Once Tenchi was gone Ryoko and Ayeka just stared at the spot where he had been and then began a desperate search for him. **************** Meanwhile Tenchi was bracing for the impact when he realized he was outside. Thinking the only possible thing he could he said, "Ryoko!!! Why did you bring us here?!?" He thought he already knew the answer. However, he didn't receive a response. He began looking in all directions but could find no one. , he thought. . "Ryoko, stop playing games!" he yelled. Again, no response. **************** On the roof of the shrine, Yatojo was as pleased as he could be with himself. He had successfully rescued his target and averted the obliteration of the target's home. He thought for a moment He knew he wasn't bragging because he couldn't. At that moment, Ryoko apparently hearing Tenchi yelling, phased next to him. "What happened to you? How'd you get here so quickly?", she inquired. "You of all people should know that" "Sorry to disappoint you, but I don't" "Will you stop playing games! I know you teleported me here!" he said, irritated. He was beginning to get angry. Would I lie to you, beloved?" she said smiling Before he could stop himself he uttered the most painful words that had ever touched her ears...or her heart. "Of course you would and don't call me that! I don't love you!" and they struck home. She looked the most hurt he had ever seen her. She quickly put on her tough exterior and said "Fine! Take Her Royal Highness and GO TO HELL!!!", then phased away. "Ryoko, I didn't mean it like that!! He yelled as loud as he could, but she was either out of earshot or wouldn't answer him. "You young people are so noisy" came a voice behind Tenchi. It was Yosho. "Uh, hi, Grandpa, uh, how long have you been listening?" Tenchi asked nervously. "Ever since you appeared in front of the shrine, and let me tell you that it was not her doing that you got here." Oh, come on, Grandpa it had to have been. Who else can do that? "Who else, indeed." "What do you mean?" "Nothing, it's getting late, you should go home and apologize" Yosho, then stood up and walked back into the shrine, leaving Tenchi alone with his thoughts. Or almost alone. As Tenchi walked home, Yatojo was floating above him thinking now that Ryoko and Tenchi's "friendship" was in the past, this assignment would be a lot simpler. Again, he was wrong. ***************** Once he got home Tenchi, saw that it was now 10 pm and the only people still up were Ayeka and Mihoshi. "Have either of you seen Ryoko?" he asked. Oh, Lord Tenchi where did you disappear to? Ayeka asked worriedly. "For some reason, the shrine. I'm not sure why. Have you seen Ryoko?" He asked again "No, the last time I saw her she went outside looking for you" replied Ayeka "Why are you looking for her?" said Mihoshi, innocently. "I said something I shouldn't have said and I'm going to apologize." "Why should you apologize?! No matter what you said to her, it wouldn't be enough to do her justice." He didn't answer. He just went to his room and tried to ignore his immense guilt go to sleep. He did not succeed. **************** Yatojo would allow Tenchi's privacy so he teleported to the roof. , he thought. He would have thought he was protecting a damn fool had he cared about others well-being. , he thought coldly. . **************** Down in Washu's Lab, two goddesses observed Yatojo, was completely unaware. "Can we do this now", said Washu impatiently. "Go ahead" ***************** Yatojo was staring out into space when he heard something. Something he had never heard before. Weeping. And at that moment he felt something, something new, something that wanted him to see who or what it was. he went anyway. . He passed through the ceiling. He had turn on the light amplification in his mask in order to see. He felt something else new as he saw Ryoko, crying her eyes out. His infamous heart of ice and stone had begun to melt, as he felt an overwhelming amount of pity. Pity for this lowly creature who's heart had been ripped in two by the one she loved. Then another knew feeling. Regret. Regret that if he hadn't taken Tenchi away from her none of this would have happened. Suddenly Ryoko materialized an energy blade and before he could react she ran it through her throat and died. **************** In the lab Washu screamed. With good reason. Her daughter had just committed suicide. "We've got to hurry. There's not much time!", Panic thick on her features. "There's nothing we can do....but there's something he can do" said Tsunami, pointing at Yatojo. "Just watch" **************** "No.", said Yatojo calmly. "I won't let you do this" He bent down by Royko's side healed her gaping wound, and channeled seven eighth's of his life energy into her body. Now very weak all his Technology failed and plunged the room into darkness. With his last ounce of strength of mind he nullified her powers and promptly blacked out. **************** "He saved her.", said Washu in shock. "That, he did." Said Tsunami "If you'll please excuse me I'm going to go give little Ryoko a talking to and give medical attention to Yatojo." With that she quickly made her way out of the lab leaving Tsunami by herself. Good form, my son. Good form. To be continued Author's notes Alright, I know that Sasami and Mihoshi only had one line each. You'll see more of them in the next one. And I won't have anyone else kill themselves. Any mail at all on how I did would be appreciated and I will honestly try to answer any questions you may have. I can be reached a CMc1116@aol.com