Ok, this is a standard disclaimer.  The characters in this story are owned 
by AIC, Viz, and Pioneer.  I just came up with the story, not the people.  
Don’t sue me.  Especially pioneer since I’ve already bought over a thousand 
dollars worth of electrical equipment and Anime from you this year.  What 
more do you want from me?
	Now a little side note this story uses the Christian religion as a 
background.  Any and all changes made that differ with Christian dogma were 
intentionally.  Any changes or mistakes about the Shinto/Buddhism religion 
were done accidentally.


Heart and Soul

Act 1: The Trials of a Soul

	Pulled from the darkest bowels of hell, the demon kneeled before her 
master.  Clothed in a metallic dress that revealed her best features in 
whatever position she chose to assume.  The succubus arched her back ever so 
slightly to give her lord a better view.  He smiled at her, of all of his 
demons, she had tempted the most holy men to sin.  She had started the most 
war with her whisperings of grandeur into men’s ears.  Her power had grown 
with every soul collected.  But her original gift still named her the Demon 
Summoner Ryoko.
	She had only failed him once a hundred years ago today, when a monk in a 
small Japanese shrine had banished her.  Forced her down to hells lowest 
depths for the requisite time.
	“The monk who sealed you had a grandson.”  He smiled at her seeing her tail 
start to twitch and her perfect sexual pose just a little off now.  “His 
soul also does not belong to us or the other side.  Find out who it belongs 
to and harvest it for us.”  He paused.  “Should you encounter anyone from 
the other side, remove them.”
	“Yes, my lord.”  She stood with a grace impossible to match and 
disappeared.

***

	Aeka waited before the pure white gates for an audience with her lord, 
ruffling her feathers impatiently.  The two arch-angels standing watch, 
giving her a stare that would have frozen any soul in its place.  Calming 
herself she smoothed her feathers and tucked her wings to her side.  
Reassuringly tightening her hands on the buckler and spear.  It would taste 
Ryoko’s blood again, she would make sure of that.
	The doors parted letting out her lords peace and calm.  Proudly marching 
forward Aeka approached to the proper distance and stood at attention.
	“Aeka, you have not taken up shield and spear since the great rebellion.  
Why do you come dressed for war today?”  The voice caressed her heart as she 
stared straight ahead, calm for the first time in a week.
	“Milord the Demon Summoner Ryoko has returned from her banishment and is 
once again on Earth.”  For the first time in a very long time the name 
didn’t cause her voice to reach an irritating peak and her face to scrunch 
up into a frown.
	“I know.”  The light before her dimmed a second as some great miracle was 
rote on the world and then brightened to full intensity once again.  “You 
have fought Ryoko four times since your defeated her in the great rebellion 
and have lost each time.  With every soul that she has stolen her powers 
have increased.  Do you wish to spend another hundred years in exile, Aeka.”
	“Milord, bless my spear and I shall not fail you.”  She kneeled, spear in 
front of her, waiting for his decision.  A breeze blew through the audience 
chamber or a gentle sigh.  He would not interfere with anyone’s self will if 
He could help it.  The room dimmed again as her spear began to glow and then 
radiate pure light.  Gathering it and her shield Aeka bowed and turned to 
leave.
	“Wait!  The soul the succubus is after does not belong to me either.  
Retrieve that soul for me.  That is your primary mission.”
	“As Milord commands.”

***

	“Dry your tears, Princess.”  Kamidake ordered her.  “We have arrived at 
Earth.”  The princess blood shot eyes found the screen displaying a water 
filled planet.  Jurai had looked the same way when she had left for the 
Farreach system.  Jurai’s first and only colony.  The colony had been 
holding its 100th year founding ceremony, that had unfortunately landed near 
the kings birthday.  A Royal had to make an appearance to such a memorable 
event.    Her father had called upon his children asking for one to go.  And 
the Princess, youngest of 14, had leapt at the chance to get away from the 
priestesses and her training.
	She forcibly choked back tears at the sight of a planet that she saw as her 
home.  Her body straightened, her face hardening “Bring the fleet into orbit 
and locate Yosho’s grandson.”  The princesses voice commanded.  “The line of 
Jurai must continue.”

***

	The head monk grinned scanning the letter again.  Who could have believed 
that Yosho’s grandson could be so gullible.  The boy had asked for one 
priestess to help him learn how to properly maintain the Tsunami shrine and 
to assist him with the rituals.
	Outside his office something banged into metal, followed by an “I’m Sorry.  
Here let me help you.  Oh that didn’t seem to work.”  Another clatter as 
something hit the ground.  “Oh, goodness, I’m so sorry.”  The head monk 
grinned again removing anything breakable from his desk and sliding the 
items into drawers.  Soon he would be rid of her.

***

	“Washu, I know your in there, open up.”  Tenchi pounded on the door to one 
of the upstairs bedrooms.  Dressed in a Shinto monks robes the eighteen year 
old looked out of place in the huge Masaki house.  “If you do this one 
little favor for me I’ll delay the do date on your rent for a week.”
	The door jerked open and then closed before Tenchi even had a chance to 
glance inside.  Before him stood the forty year old scientist still not 
looking a day over twelve.  Since as long as Tenchi could remembered she had 
lived in that room, every so often causing the house to shudder from another 
explosion or two and fighting with his dad or grandfather over the rent.
	“Well, what is it Tenchi, my time is valuable.”
	“I just got a phone call from the head monk in Tokyo.  He’s sending us a 
priestess on the next bullet train.”  Tenchi paused wondering why the monk 
had sent the woman packing in such a hurry.  It wasn’t like it was an 
emergency, all he needed was some help and a little coaching on the more 
important ceremonies.  Yosho had taught him just about everything else 
before his death and the rest Tenchi had pieced together from seeing his 
grandfather perform the same rituals over and over again since he was a kid.
	“Could you please pick her up.  I’ve got a meeting with Kiyone, if I’m even 
a minute late...”  Tenchi grinned at Washu as she huffed at him.  She had 
been the only mother figure in Tenchi’s life even if it had been against her 
better judgment.
	“A one week delay in my rent payment and you’ve got a deal.”  She smiled up 
at him just a little to warmly as she held out her hand.  He gripped her 
hand in a strong clasp sealing their deal.
	“She arrives at 2:30 and thanks.  I’ve got to go change.”  He bounded 
across the hall towards his room leaving Washu behind.  Hungrily she headed 
down to the kitchen no longer having to hide from one of her bill collectors 
and began to create a major scientific marvel in its own right.  The perfect 
sandwich.  “Yes, I am a genius.”  Washu cackled to herself at the first 
bite.

***

	Ryoko merged with a shadow watching Tenchi as he wandered down a street 
checking his watch every so often.  She always observed her prey waiting for 
the right moment when its soul wavered.  Observing the correct way to tempt 
her next victim.  Unlike other demons who made grandiose promises that 
slipped through their victims fingers do to some fine print.  Ryoko rarely 
ever used trickery, she studies, and then gave them what they wanted in no 
uncertain terms.  It was why she always got her soul.  At least always had.  
She unconsciously growled at the memory.  To have been exiled by a lone monk 
in a shabby shrine was an embarrassment.  Perhaps, she had been a little to 
overconfident after having defeated Aeka in a short but very sweet battle.  
Her growl turned to a purr in memory of Aeka’s scream of pain and rage as 
Ryoko banished her from this dimension.  *Hmm... her exile should be over 
now too perhaps when I have lured this soul to my master I will find her and 
enjoy that scream again.*
	She transferred herself from one shadow to another one closer to him.  It 
was amazing to her how close he resembled and acted like Yosho.  Carefully, 
she had studied Yosho a month attempting to locate some obvious weakness, 
unlike a normal person she had not been able to observe the strings and 
knots that connected his soul to other people.  She had been forced to 
observe and guess.  The battle with Aeka though had left her feeling cocky 
and unprepared for one as complex as Yosho.  Somehow he had felt the 
difference in her no human should have been able to feel, and using a spell 
she had never seen, so one she assumed was false, had banished her.
	Tenchi was the same as Yosho, his souls tangling hidden from her sight but 
he was just a boy.  A young inexperienced man child, and they didn’t call 
her a succubus for nothing.  She swished her tale grinning and moved on to 
another shadow.  She would wait though.  He was still to much like Yosho not 
to be cautious and she enjoyed playing with her prey.

***

	Ryoko was near by, Aeka could feel her.  Dressed in a humans clothes a 
short blue dress with matching blouse and tie.  Concealing her spirit and 
cloaking it so as to  appear as if she had a human soul, Aeka wandered down 
the street tailing the human Tenchi.
	From what she could observe he was the type of soul that she usually 
helped.  It was hard for her to tell though, usually with just one glance 
and she would see what type of soul a human had.  But he was a blank there.  
At first she had thought that he was some sort of human creation, a false 
being.  But now from only a few steps away as he paused in front of a flower 
stand, inquiring about the price, she felt his soul it was their but 
unreadable, masked by something powerful.  No not masked, owned by something 
else.  If that was the case then his soul could be swayed to her side, loved 
and cherished.  It would be nice to take on a new human and give him 
inspiration while protecting him, even if it was a little out of her job 
description.  But...
	But, first things first, she was going to banish Ryoko and for that she had 
to find her.  Turing a corner and scanning one second to make sure that no 
eyes were on her.  Aeka morphed down into a little blue eyed girl carrying a 
bright red ball.  Gainfully employed with her ball no one ever thought that 
in fact the little girl was watching a nondescript boy approaching a boring 
little suburban house.

***

	Washu taped her foot impatiently and glanced at her watch again.  How could 
the damn train be already fifteen minutes late.  The damn thing was suppose 
to be one of the most punctual trains in the world.  To add to that she felt 
like an idiot holding the little placard and the conductor kept asking her 
where her mother was.
	She had finally given up and told him that her mom was on the train.  The 
fool had believed her.  Even though she was carrying a placard saying “Ms. 
Mihoshi.”  Maybe the fool would buy her a snack out of the machine.
	“The train from Tokyo is now arriving.  Please stay behind the yellow 
line.”  Washu looked up expectantly as the train pulled up to the station 
with a jerky stop and a wizz of air brakes.
	Escorted by two conductors, a blond woman dressed in robes was forcefully 
being expelled from the train.  “I’m sorry.  I thought the little red button 
flushed the toilet.”  Washu watched her bounce as she thrown from the train, 
tears welling up in sides of her eyes.  Feeling a headache coming on, Washu 
rubbed her temple hoping with all her might that one of the other passengers 
on the train was the priestess.  Holding her sign up she prayed silently 
trying to think of the name of that goddess, Yosho had rebuilt the shrine 
for. As the blond woman cried at the base of the train, praying to whoever 
the hell it was, she was not the one known as Mihoshi.  The crowds parted 
hurriedly, leaving Washu alone in their wake with the disheveled woman.  
Knowing beyond a shadow of a doubt that she would regret the question, Washu 
almost kindly tapped the woman’s shoulder gently.  “Uh... miss are you Ms. 
Mihoshi?”  The water works shut off as quickly as they had appeared as the 
woman stared blankly up at Washu.  *Great she’s forgotten her own name.*  
Washu sighed and repeated the question.
	“Uh... yes I am.  How do you know that are you...”
	“Yes...”  Washu nodded her head encouragingly.
	“Are you...” She paused once again.  “Are you.... a child psychic.”  Washu 
rubbed her temples and begged all the gods, that anyone had ever believed 
in, to give her strength.

***

	Kiyone carefully examined herself in the mirror checking for anything out 
of place, mentally running down a check list.  Making sure that every thing 
she needed or might need for the upcoming meeting with Tenchi was perfect.  
She still wouldn’t let him call it a date.  After all she had plans to go 
off to college and become a police officer or maybe a lawyer.  Something to 
do with justice.
	An errant lock of hair escaped her orange headband and she shoved it back 
into place.  Snickering at Mayuka’s comment that she would be married in the 
thing.  On the other hand Tenchi was so nice, and though he never let on 
Kiyone knew that his family was well off.  Even more so since his father’s 
and grandfather’s death.  But staying in this little town being a caretaker 
of a shabby little shrine just wasn’t how she wanted to see herself in ten 
years.  She checked her reflection one more time in the mirror and glanced 
at her watch.  Tenchi should arrive in exactly two minutes, heading down the 
stairs she waited for him.

***

	“Princess we have located Yosho’s grandson.”  Kamidake told her, trying to 
focus the little girls attention on the matters at hand.
	The princesses face hardened.  “Take us.”  She paused her face softened 
then flashed back to steel.  The hardness settled as her breathing became 
labored.  “Take us down and find him.”  The princess’ face softened again as 
the Juraian flag ship “Tsunami” broke off from her escorts and entered 
earth’s atmosphere.  The ship shuddered slightly as the outer wall began to 
warm from the atmospheric pressure.
	“Two native fighter crafts on an interception course.  They are ordering us 
to halt our descent.”  Twenty screens focused on the two small ships showing 
them in a multitude of different angles and ranges.
	The princess’ body straightened in full control for once.  “Warn them off, 
if they interfere in any way, shoot them down I will tolerate no 
interference.”  Her face remained steel as her breathing became once again 
irregular.  A tear gathering in one eye unnoticed.  The two native low 
altitude air craft unable to maintain the speed necessary to keep up with 
the “Tsunami” broke off their pursuit.  The princess’ steal face softened 
her breaths in gasps.  The little girl fell forward catching herself with 
her hands.  Failing to rise from the ships deck she curled into a ball.  
Knowing that in a few minutes she would be required to put on the mask 
necessary for a Juraian Princess and meet her husband to be.

***

	It had taken Washu five minutes of trying to convince Mihoshi that she was 
not a child psychic before giving up and admitted to being able to see 
Mihoshi’s future.  Her headache had increased to the throbbing level, that 
could only be brought on by stress had her ready to foretell, and then 
fulfill, the prophecy of Mihoshi’s death.
	“Lets go find Tenchi.”  She said grabbing the woman and looking at the 
station clock blink 2:50.  If they hurriedly they could just make it to 
Kiyone’s house by 3:00 and maybe forestall the disaster of leading this 
woman to their house.  The shrine was better off in her opinion with Tenchi 
alone, then Tenchi and this woman, and Washu had this odd feeling, almost 
psychic in nature, that if this woman ever got to the Masaki house there 
would be no getting rid of her.

***

	Tenchi looked pensively at his watch waiting for it to change to 3:00.  
Finally it reached that appointed time.  As he lifting his hand to knock on 
the door just as it opened.  Bowing slightly, Tenchi presented one red rose 
to Kiyone, trying to hide his shock at seeing her on a non-school day, in a 
skirt.  She stared at his rose for a second then snatched it.  Trying to 
glare at him fiercely and failing.
	“I told you, we are just going to a movie and dinner, not a date.”  She 
tried to tell him gruffly but failed miserably.
	“No, a meeting.”
	“A meeting.”

***

	In a shadow cast by the door, Ryoko smiled.  She had finally begun to see a 
weakness in her prey.  But one that could make her job harder.  *Young love, 
how sweet.  Its going to be fun to tear them apart.*  Carefully she examined 
the young lady’s soul.  It was neutral neither light or black but a solid 
gray.  And connected by a strong thread of fate to Tenchi before 
disappearing into the blackness that obscured his soul.
	*Two souls for the price of one.*  She flicked her tail to one side in her 
shadow void.  It was good to be back on Earth.

***

	Bouncing her ball the little girl watched Tenchi, still trying to locate 
Ryoko.  The demon was so close that it was almost a physical pain in her 
gut.  Aeka wanted nothing more then to reveal herself and challenge the evil 
creature.
	The little love scene being played out in front of her was a nice relief to 
that pain.  Love and happiness in humans was something she, well not quite 
fed on, more like absorbed for mental contentment.  Angels rarely ever ate, 
food being a useless and needlessly messy experience.  But to maintain their 
mental balance they needed love, happiness, joy, and peace, your basic good 
emotions.
	Demons unlike in popular myths and legends did not consume evil emotions.  
Their nature being that of fallen angels would not allow them to consume 
anything, instead they jealously tried to stop angels from consuming their 
needed food by tempting, or in the most part, just leaving the humans alone 
to walk down the path of darkness.  It was a much easier path to walk down 
then the other path.  Careful concentration was required to walk the streets 
of light or gold as it were.  Even that careful concentration in its own way 
could lead them to evil.
	Kiyone accepted Tenchi’s rose as Aeka’s supposedly played with her bright 
red ball.  Something loud like thunder exploded above Aeka’s head with out 
even thinking about it she looked up.
	The bright red ball dropped from her hands and rolled down the street 
forgotten.  For the first time in her existence, since before creation, she 
was truly unequivocally shocked.

***

	Washu picked up the ball that a little girl had dropped, and handed it to 
her telling the child to run home.  Stuck stiff from fright but still young, 
the young girl accepted the ball and ran around a corner disappearing.
	It was the same basic ship design.  She was sure of that though huge 
compared to the little scout craft, Yosho had landed in.  But Washu doubted 
that their was more then one race even in the infinite vastness of space 
that would use wooden ships to sail the sea of stars.  Or at least that’s 
what they appeared like, the composition was still beyond the complete 
understanding of her research.
	Kiyone, her rational, tightly ordered world unbalanced grabbed Tenchi and 
threw him into the house.  Closing the door behind her.  From this far away 
Washu couldn’t hear the locks being turned in place but she would have bet 
that they were.
	The ship leveled off at about thirty feet above the house slowly spinning 
ninety degrees length wise before it came to a complete stop and just 
hovered.
	“Uh, little psychic are we being invaded, because there was so much I 
wanted to do before the end of the world.  I wanted to get that kawaii bear 
in the front window of *Toy Sounds.* I wanted to...”
	“No you twit.”  Patience, even that of a scientist, could only last so 
long.  “It’s just an expected family gathering.”  Her outburst was ignored 
as the blond kept on rambling to herself.

***

	Tenchi peaked out the window again.  Only to confirm that the ship was 
still their hovering mundanely as if it belonged.  A ball of light shot out 
of the ship quickly slowing down until it settled onto the sidewalk leading 
to Kiyone’s house.  The ball or more likely bubble burst, revealing a steel 
faced girl and a pair of sawed off tree trunks, decorated with runes, 
hovering behind her.
	“Yes... Police... I need the Self Defense Force to send everything they 
have to... what...?  Thanks a lot.”  The phone slammed down behind him.  The 
entire exchange failing to break Tenchi’s concentration on the approaching 
forms.
	They neared the house the little girls dignity incalculable.  Her head 
high, her eyes clear and piercing, her manners so perfect for a royal court. 
  She gave the impression that the sidewalk she walked down was actually a 
receiving hall or even her own palace.  Neither looking right or left she 
pressed the door bell.  Sending an unexpected note through the house.

***

	The two toned bell sang its song in the house.  Forcing Kiyone to rethink 
her priorities.  Handing a baseball bat to Tenchi and hiding a butcher knife 
in the folds of her skirt.  She looked out the peep hole at the aliens.  A 
little girl and two logs.  Unsure how much damage she could do to the two 
hovering logs.  It seemed obvious to her to go for the girl and hold her 
hostage in an emergency.
	The door bell rang out again.  Tenchi, holding the bat in his right hand 
like a sword, waited as she undid the locks and the door opened.  Both of 
the humans retreating up the hall to where the lowered platform raised up to 
meet the rest of the house.  Kiyone shot Tenchi a glare as he pushed her 
behind him and positioned the bat in a typical batters ready.
	*Well he is trying to defend me.*  She thought, pissed at him for doing the 
manly thing.  But happy as well in a small way she would prefer not admit 
to.
	The girl and her companions entered the house and stopped her attitude that 
of complete peace and master of this place.

***

	The mask that the priestesses, her family, and friends had tried for so 
long to teach her settled into place.  Ever since she had been presented to 
the people of Jurai, a shy little three year old.  It had been the most 
important thing, the only real thing that had been taught her.  She was 
taught, math and science, to read and write, but those were secondary to the 
mask of office. A Juraian princess must never show emotions to the public.  
Their minds ordered, with out emotions, calmly passing judgment.  Allowing 
others to see any weakness any fear could mean a loss in status or power.  
The most ordered mind, the Jurain princess who’s thoughts were the best 
hidden, would be the one that She took as her host the next time.  The 
greatest wish of any princess or so she had been informed a hundred times.
	The princess had failed to believe them, just like Yosho had tried to...  
The thought was blocked from the little girls memory by Her.  She reinforced 
the mask.  They both wanted it at this crucial time so worked together to 
strengthen it.
	The door opened revealing a young man holding some kind of club at the 
ready. Strong and proud, so like her father, guarding the female behind him. 
  She didn’t need Her to tell the princess that this was Yosho’s grandson.  
She could feel his Jurain power from here but stronger then it should have 
been with his diluted and mixed blood.  Almost overpoweringly strong, not 
even her father had been this powerful.  There were other powers nearby, 
different then Hers and yet a part of the mixture that gave power to Yosho’s 
grandson.  She tried to gain control over the body in sudden alarm, forcing 
the princesses’ mask to waiver.  The changes of expression on her face 
disquieted the natives who began to back away.  Her bid for control of the 
body failed again, frustrated beyond any reasonable point, She turned all 
her energy back into reinforcing the mask.  The princess feeling at calm 
again felt her face return to the mask.  Imperial regard reigned upon the 
two humans who stood on the brink of violence.  Calling upon her training 
the little girl spoke.
	“You are Yosho’s grandson.  All hail the next King of Jurai, and my husband 
to be.”  She told Tenchi in perfect Japanese.

***

	*So, Yosho was an alien.*  Ryoko unconsciously flicked the tip of her tail 
in thought.  *And to think I didn’t even believe in men from mars.*  She 
grinned widely the death and destruction she so craved could be easily 
accomplished with that ship.  All she had to do was tempt one inexperienced 
kid engaged to a child and whisper sweat nothing in his ears.  Something she 
had done a thousand times.  Men were easy that way.
	A quote sprang to her mind.  “The greatest trick the devil ever pulled was 
to make people believe he didn’t exist.”  Or something like that.  With 
death reigning down from the heavens how many would believe in god.  She 
smiled the majority would prey to their science their faith shattered.  
Billions of souls harvested that he couldn’t use for power.  She smiled 
wider it was too bad she had missed the human’s cold war or else humanity 
would have already been sent back to the stone age, but this way she could 
wipe out every single human.  *Lets just see how much he snubs us once all 
his precious sheep are dead.  And harvesting only a trifle of their souls.*  
Now was not quite the time to act though, these things were best done in a 
more intimate setting.
	Even if her plan failed.  Not even the great Ryoko could control a human’s 
free will, Yosho’s grandsons soul would be hers to play with on earth and 
then eventually in hell.

***

	Aeka faced with a problem wholly beyond her level of experience, headed for 
home.  Quite sure that at least for now, Ryoko wasn’t going to make an 
appearance and the other part of her mission solved.

***

	Grabbing Mihoshi and pushing her towards the back door of Kiyone’s house.  
Washu had failed to hear the princesses announcement.  But she did remember 
Yosho telling her that if his people ever came it wouldn’t be with good 
news.

***
	*I’m suppose to marry this kid and become some king or emperor or 
something.  This has got to be a dream.  Things like this only happen in 
Anime.  Wake up Tenchi!*

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