[Author's Note: This story is placed in the "No Need for Tenchi" manga universe, an extension of the OAV series. It includes individuals and references events from the first eight mangas.] No Need for Tenchi - Minagi's Adventure Chapter 3: Victory's Price Minagi and Washu appeared in a rush of air to find themselves on a large white platform floating in space. No sign of the ship's hull could be seen. The platform was circular, hundreds of feet across, and gleamed like polished stone. In the distance, the galaxy spread out before them in all its glory. However amazing these sights, their attention was drawn to the center of the platform. A pale blue crystal was embedded in it, rising at least thirty feet above the surface. Washu whistled in appreciation. "Roomier in here than I expected." Her eyes narrowed as she took a closer look at the crystal. "Minagi, can you feel the incredible power emanating from that thing?" Minagi wasn't interested in the crystal; she was wondering about Tenchi, Ryoko, and Ayeka. "Washu, where's everybody else?" "THEY HAVE BEEN DELAYED," a voice boomed, making Minagi flinch. "I AM UNINTERESTED IN THEM. THE ONE WITH YOU DOES INTEREST ME." The voice came from a lone figure standing before the crystal, arms crossed, his gaze lost in the crystal's depths. His body shone with an inner light that gave his skin the appearance of being carved from marble. Pale hair cascaded down the back of his outfit, also of the purest white and trimmed with silver borders. His face was perfection itself. "Could you turn your volume down a bit?" Washu folded her arms across her chest, a slightly irritated look crossing her face. "I hate the giant booming voice of God bit. Really." The figure turned and gave a shallow bow. "My apologies, Lady Washu. I am Rashava, the opener of ways." A faint smile played across his face, but his eyes were cold, flat, and lifeless. "Why are you here, Rashava? And what are you trying to do in this dimension?" Washu's voice snapped with authority and her eyes flashed dangerously. "Our universe has been collapsing for the past 40,000 years, Lady Washu. I am the last champion of an entire race and I am tasked with opening the way for our realm to enter this universe." Washu gave a sharp intake of breath. "Rashava, you cannot do that! It would mean the end of all life in this realm. You will undo all of creation!" He shook his head. "No, I will merely be providing the spark for a new creation." "There are wards and barriers to such an act. There are other powers who will resist such -" "The wards and barriers of long gone Gods have been swept aside. You and yours neglected your duties and so provided my realm with the opening we needed. I will not let my race perish. The end of this realm is a small price to pay for it." "No! I forbid it!" Washu clenched her fists tightly together, her heart pounding in her chest. Yet part of her shook at what Rashava was implying about her. The power swirling around her and Rashava's words were bringing back memories, memories she had never even known existed, and even those brief flashes of glory made her tremble. Minagi looked back and forth between Rashava and Washu, desperately trying to understand what was going on. Rashava ignored Washu's outburst and continued in a conversational tone. "Really, Lady Washu. You long ago abdicated your position to dictate such things. Now you cannot prevent my race's salvation, but you can at least assist in our ascension. "The information I gained from the library will still prove useful, but processing the information is taking longer than I expected. Time is running out for my race, and I need a source of power and knowledge from which I can quickly tear what I need. "Lady Washu, you are the last source of dimensional information and power I require to remake creation." His cultured voice turned grim. "Unfortunately, you won't survive the extraction process." His demeanor rapidly shifted from polite to menacing as he began to stride towards her. Minagi didn't understand what was going on. A gibbering part of her refused to think about the implications of what Washu and Rashava were talking about. She did know she had to stop him from getting to Washu. Ryoko's warning back at the Masaki household echoed through her mind: facing Rashava alone and unaided would be too dangerous. Her mind made up, she glided over, grabbed Washu, and teleported back to the Hinase. At least, that was what she tried to do, but she and Washu simply remained on the platform, Rashava still striding towards them. In her mind, an invisible barrier was keeping the Hinase just out of reach. Her will scrabbled helplessly against its smooth, unyielding surface. "Washu, I can't teleport us back to the ship!" "I know, honey. He's preventing any entrance or exit." Washu looked worried. Minagi bit the inside of her lip. Rashava was closing quickly, his movements speaking of confidence bordering on arrogance. She lit her sword and with a pounding heart moved to meet him. "I'm sorry, but I can't let you have Washu. She's family, you know." Despite her forced attempt to sound casual, she could feel her cheeks flush slightly at the admission. Rashava's voice dripped with scorn. "Child, I'm not interested in your lineage." Not breaking his stride, he made a curt gesture with his right hand, sending a powerful blast of energy roaring towards Minagi. "What the -" Caught off-guard, Minagi was sent cartwheeling through the air before slamming back down onto the platform twenty feet back. She groaned and shook her head; it felt like she had been swatted with a space shuttle. Worse, she could almost see Master Yakage shaking his head in disappointment at the ease with which she'd been hit. Rashava gestured again and a cold green beam lashed out and wrapped itself around Washu, lifting her off the ground. Struggling and twisting futilely, Washu quirked an eyebrow at him. "Bondage? How... kinky." Reaching Washu, he tilted his head quizzically. His confident expression shifted through a series of rapid changes: first surprise, then recognition, and finally rage. "Don't play games with me, bitch!" Furious, he raised his hand and sliced a powerful beam across Washu's chest. "No!" Minagi screamed. The intensity of the beam burned a black afterimage across her retina, but it wasn't quite enough to hide the sight of Washu tumbling to the platform in two halves. Her vision blurred as a tear rolled down her cheek; her legs buckled beneath her, sending her to her knees. A small sob of anguish escaped her lips. "Humph, he didn't take that well at all," murmured a voice from behind. Minagi looked back, her eyes widening in surprise. "W-Washu?" She rubbed her eyes and shook her head to try to clear her vision, then looked again at the place where Washu had fallen to see... two halves of a doll. "Washu, you're okay!" A flood of relief washed through her. "I don't know how you got over here, but I'm sure glad that's not you over there." Helping Minagi up, Washu answered in a low voice, "Me too." She turned back to Rashava. "You know, that's no way to treat a dolly," she called out. "I'm not going to get you another one unless you promise me you'll play nice." Rashava turned to face them, quivering with rage at Washu's mockery. Slowly his expression smoothed back into calm arrogance. "Very clever, Lady Washu. Unfortunately, I'll have to decline your kind offer for another... dolly." His voice became menacing. "I only need to tear your powers and knowledge away from you." "Is that all?" Washu replied. She casually adjusted her clothes, radiating a total lack of concern. Rashava gritted his teeth and started towards them again. "Let us try once more, shall we?" His eyes narrowed in anger. Minagi stepped forward, her blade again at the ready. Though she still felt sore from his last attack, she wasn't going to give him another chance. "Stay back, Washu." "Be careful!" Minagi flew towards Rashava, her blade poised for a strike. Rashava casually flipped his hand at her. A shimmering net of energy burst into existence, her momentum carrying her deep into it. Rashava clenched his fist, causing a powerful surge of energy to tear through the net. Minagi writhed in agony before falling to the platform. Rashava smoothly dodged in and grabbed the stunned Minagi by the neck. Lifting her into the air, he cocked his head again and regarded her with a grim smile. "You're fast, child, but you need more than that to win against me." A powerful bolt of energy began forming within his other hand. Minagi stuck her tongue out at him and vanished. A flash of irritation crossed Rashava's face as he regarded his now empty hand. He sighed. Pointing his arm seemingly at nothing, he launched the massive bolt of energy into thin air. Minagi reappeared twenty feet up to find Rashava's bolt rocketing straight towards her. Without time to wonder how he had located her, she flinched back and dodged the worst of the attack. Even so, enough hit her to send her tumbling downwards. She slammed into the platform, bounced, then lay still and silent. Wisps of smoke trailed up from her body. "Minagi!" Washu turned and snarled at Rashava. "You bastard. Nobody hurts one of my girls!" Rashava ignored her rage. "Now, where were we?" He paused dramatically, relishing the chance to get a rise out of her. "Oh, yes, you're supposed to be my captive by now." He gestured and another pale green beam lashed out. Washu nimbly flipped over the beam and charged towards Rashava, a blade like Ryoko's snapping to life in her hand. She slashed and stabbed at him, yet he dodged all her attacks with amazing speed. When yet another cut missed its mark she could only grit her teeth and yell, "Hold still, damn it!" Rashava smirked and made another quick hand gesture. The binding beam exploded into being in front of Washu. This time she didn't have time to react and in moments she was completely immobilized, her blade quivering impotently mere inches from Rashava's head. She swore silently in frustration. Avoiding the blade, Rashava leaned in closer. A shiver ran up her back as he placed the palms of his hands upon her cheeks. "Hey! What the hell do you think you're doing?" Washu snarled. "I'm simply going to tear your knowledge and powers away." The cold indifference in Rashava's eyes made her mouth go dry. He shifted his hands slightly so his thumbs were over her eyes. Washu tried in vain to pull her head back. "Please, don't do this." "I'm sorry, Lady Washu, but I do this for my people. I hope you'll understand." Washu tensed. A dark aura emanated from Rashava's hands as he began to dig his thumbs into her eyes. Shudders of revulsion rippled through her as the first icy touch of his mind slithered into her own - and the worst thing was that he had only barely begun. Minagi struggled back to consciousness. Rising groggily from the cool surface of the platform, a burst of rage flooded her as she saw Washu's predicament. A low growl escaped her bared teeth. Nobody hurt someone she cared for. "Leave her alone!" she screamed as, injuries forgotten, she flew towards Rashava. Energy exploded from her as she slammed into him, sending him tumbling across the platform. As the binding beam disintegrated, Minagi spun around and grabbed Washu before she could fall to the platform. She teleported them both as far away from Rashava as possible before setting her down. "Thanks, Minagi." Washu's hands trembled as she rubbed her aching eyes. "That bastard isn't messing around." Rising back up, Rashava shook his head and dusted himself off. He rubbed his side as he glared malevolently at her. "You're much stronger than I expected," he called out, giving her a mocking bow. "You won't have the chance to repeat such a futile attack." He strode to the crystal and placed both hands on its smooth surface. A faint hum began building; his silvery hair floated up around his head while arcs of energy spat and coursed along his body. His aura grew steadily as the energy built up within him. Minagi watched in awe. She whispered urgently to Washu, "Can you get everyone here?" Washu brought up her workstation. "I'm sure I can get Tenchi and the others here, but I need some time." She was already rapidly entering commands. Never looking up from the screen, her voice was deadly serious. "Minagi, please be careful. I don't want to lose a daughter." Minagi blinked at Washu's admission. A small smile lit her face. "I'll be fine; just get everyone else here." There was no reason to let Rashava draw any more power. Minagi rose and flew towards him, gathering a blast of energy in her hands. As she drew closer, her face began to tingle as if she was getting too close to a fire. Rashava seemed lost in the power he was drawing from the crystal. "Now's my chance," Minagi thought. Again, she slammed full force into him. This time the explosion rocked the entire platform. Lightning lashed out in all directions. Minagi found herself sailing backwards through the air, her hands numb and her arms tingling painfully. As she hit the platform, she tucked into a roll, turning her crash-landing into a tumble before springing back to her feet. She shook her head to clear the effects of the blast, then flexed her hands and wiggled her toes to make sure everything was still attached. Rashava stepped away from the crystal, power surging around him. He strode purposefully towards Minagi, his face hard. "Not good," Minagi muttered, massaging feeling back into her hands. "Not good at all." Ryoko gritted her teeth. "Alright, if he won't let us teleport onto that ship, we'll just have to ram it!" Her eyes glittered. Tenchi flinched, then considered the idea. "Er, whatever you say, Ryoko." He tried to keep his eye from twitching. Ayeka sighed. "Lord Tenchi, you shouldn't encourage her like that." Tenchi gestured towards the sleek ship that had swallowed up Washu and Minagi. "I'm sorry, Ayeka. I don't like us split up like this." "I know, I know. It's just that you've made this unmitigated savage so very happy." She shot a sideways glance at Ryoko and grinned at her furious expression. "What are you calling me?" Ryoko snapped back. Then her anger turned to a grin as she felt Ryo-Ohki's eagerness resonating with her own. "You just hold on tight, little princess. Let's go, Ryo-Ohki!" Washu slammed her fists into the workstation. Penetrating Rashava's shield was proving to be more difficult than she had expected, and time was running out. Minagi thought rapidly as she brought her sword to life. She had to distract Rashava and get into a position to attack him. The direct approach wasn’t working, but maybe... With a flash, she teleported behind him and slashed powerfully across his back. Her blade tore through clothing and armor like tissue, lancing into the soft flesh underneath. Even Rashava could not resist such a blow unprepared. He stumbled to his knees, but Minagi's follow-through missed as he quickly tucked into a roll. Raising his hand, another binding beam lashed out, immobilizing her. Minagi strained but couldn't break free. Rashava rose with a wince and bowed slightly towards her. "Well played, child. But I have no interest in continuing this game." An energy sword crackled to life in his hand, then warbled and solidified into a silvery blade. In a cold voice, he said, "I am ending this now." Before he could even raise the blade, the platform rocked as though it had been struck a tremendous blow. A crackling roar filled the air while the empty void above blazed with raging energy. Then one of Ryo-Ohki's spikes erupted into view above them. Ryo-Ohki straddled the two spaces, part of her hull dangling in the pocket dimension, the rest still orbiting Jupiter. Shattered pieces of Rashava's ship flew across the platform, other pieces spinning off into the void. Then Ryoko, Ayeka, and Tenchi materialized on the platform. Washu closed her eyes and shook her head ruefully; only Ryoko would have picked such a direct way of getting aboard. Even so, she couldn't help a small grin at the effectiveness of her daughter’s approach. Rashava glanced quickly at the three newcomers and evaluated the situation. Without a word, he raised his blade and charged towards the defenseless Minagi. The blow didn't land. Ryoko appeared before the onrushing Rashava and cast a massive bolt of energy directly into him. Arcs of excess energy sprayed out, carving deep gashes into the platform as he was forced backwards. Ryoko's eyes narrowed as he staggered to a halt and shook off the effects of her blast. /Ryoko, be careful. Rashava just powered up from that crystal./ Minagi shuddered to think how much more powerful he was now. /Gotcha. Hang tight, we'll get you out of here./ Ryoko stayed between the immobile Minagi and Rashava. "So you're Rashava, huh?" Lighting her blade, Ryoko gave him a hungry smile. "Don't think you're going to be getting past me anytime soon." Rashava snorted in scorn and charged, blade shrieking down towards hers. Ryoko brought her blade up to parry, but his blade tore straight through hers. She barely had time to jerk back, the silvery blade hissing past her face. Backpedaling quickly, Ryoko re- ignited her sword and slashed out at Rashava. Again his blade tore through hers, forcing her further back towards Minagi. Minagi could see that Ryoko was running out of room. /Get out of here, Ryoko! Don't worry about me!/ /Shut up, Minagi. I'm not leaving you trapped here./ Tenchi charged across the platform, Ayeka right next to him. A cold fist clenched his heart; he wasn't going to get there in time. Ryoko leaped backwards and came to a stop, fuming, in front of Minagi. She wanted to fly around to attack Rashava, but if she did, Minagi would die. She had to buy time until Ayeka and Tenchi arrived, but time had run out. Igniting her blade again, she set herself and waited for Rashava's attack. Her mind ticked like a clock: he's stronger, his sword is more powerful, but he uses big slashing attacks - he's not taking me seriously. A tight scowl crossed her face. As Rashava slashed, Ryoko lunged forward, driving her own blade straight towards his chest. A look of surprise crossed Rashava's face. Their blades screamed and flashed; blood sprayed. Minagi fell to the ground, suddenly able to move. "It all happened so fast," she thought. "What hap - oh, no..." Ryoko and Rashava half-knelt on the floor, half-leaned into each other. Ryoko's blade had torn right through Rashava's heart, but she was only able to block the blow against Minagi with her body. Rashava's sword gleamed silvery red as it jutted from Ryoko's back. Ryoko raised her head and grinned at Rashava. With a strangled cry she simultaneously head-butted and punched a powerful blast into him. Rashava's sword disappeared as he went flying across the platform, screaming and writhing in pain, but the massive wound in his chest was already healing. The mad violence shocked everyone. Tenchi and Ayeka stood frozen with dismay; even Washu was stunned. Ryoko's sword disappeared and she began to slump to the ground. Minagi grabbed her and applied pressure to her terrible wound, tears pouring down her face as she saw how very pale Ryoko looked. Tenchi and Ayeka ran towards them, horrified expressions on their faces. "Ryoko? Ryoko!" Minagi shouted at Ryoko's still face. "Please be alive, Ryoko," she thought, shuddering as she felt the extent of the damage through their link. Ryoko's chi was almost gone; she had expended too much in that attack against Rashava. Still holding onto Ryoko, Minagi felt a buildup of energy that she knew had to be Rashava preparing to attack her from behind. She could feel the blast screaming towards her. She tensed, ready to shield Ryoko with her body. The blast wrapped around them and dissipated, roaring but harmless, into the distance. Minagi raised her head to find herself staring at Ayeka, one hand held up, protecting them with her shield. Tenchi spared a tortured glance towards Ryoko. She would be fine; she had to be fine. For now, he had to draw Rashava's attention away from the girls. Clenching the Tenchi-ken, he fed his fury at seeing someone dear to him wounded into the blade. He moved towards Rashava, a terrible expression on his face. Rashava's silvery blade slowly swept back and forth. "Let's get this over with, child. I have uncompleted business with Lady Washu." He looked unconcerned but his voice was tinged with irritation. A silvery flash clashed against a blue-white streak. Tenchi and Rashava locked eyes over their crossed blades, Tenchi's sword holding Rashava’s in check. Then Rashava quickly dodged back and the duel began in earnest as they struck, dodged, and counterattacked. "How is she?" Ayeka asked, her eyes focused on the duel. "I - I don't know, Ayeka." Minagi desperately wanted Ryoko to open her eyes, wink, say something sarcastic, anything. Instead, she merely lay silent and still. A rapid pattering of feet announced Washu's arrival. She hurriedly knelt down next to Ryoko, placed her hands over the wound, and began pouring energy into it. "Damn! Too much trauma and too little energy left. Minagi, I can keep her alive for now, but we need to get her to the Hinase's medical bay as soon as possible. Go on, Tenchi may need your help." Her voice was clipped and emotionless. Minagi rose, her blade coming to life. She looked at Ayeka. "Stay here and protect Ryoko and Washu." Ayeka's expression softened as she looked down at Washu cradling Ryoko in her arms. She nodded and replied in a soft voice, "Don't worry, I'll keep them safe." Minagi turned and went to join Tenchi in the fight, but froze in amazement. It looked like Tenchi would literally tear Rashava apart himself. The two were blurring back and forth from lunge and parry, cut and block. Then, before she could even take a step towards the combat, the battle took a terrible turn. Rashava leaped back from combat, and as Tenchi charged forward, threw a terrible bolt of energy straight into him. Stunned, Tenchi was thrown backward across the platform and tumbled to the edge. Rashava charged after him, his blade poised to finish him off. "No!" Minagi screamed, knowing she wouldn't be able to reach him in time. Rashava was halfway to Tenchi when he was bracketed by a series of explosions that staggered him to a halt. Minagi breathed a small sigh of relief. Looking back, she saw Ayeka waving at her. Then she heard a voice that made the hairs on the back of her neck stand right up. "Duck, Minagi!" Minagi threw herself to the platform as Mihoshi fired a barrage from a heavy cannon on her shoulder. The volley rippled overhead and struck Rashava square in the chest, sending him flying backwards even as Ayeka sent another blast of her power into him. Minagi was about to compliment Mihoshi on her timely entrance, but found her mouth hanging open in shock: standing next to Mihoshi was Avashar. "Hey, Minagi, I brought along some help. This guy was nice enough to get me inside here!" Her bright smile faded a bit at Minagi's shocked expression. "What's the matter?" Avashar looked a little puzzled. "Uh, Mihoshi, isn't she the dread space pirate Ryoko?" "Oh, no, silly. This is Minagi, Ryoko's sister, and she's a good space pirate. By the way, Minagi, where's Ryoko?" Avashar shook his head and looked blankly at Minagi. Minagi would have found the situation ironic if the question hadn't caused a burst of pain in her. Getting up from the platform, she gestured sadly towards where Ryoko lay. "Ryoko's hurt bad. She tried to protect me from Rashava." Mihoshi gasped. Tenchi struggled to his feet. He raised his blade slightly in challenge to Avashar. "Why has a cold-blooded murderer like you come here?" Avashar's face betrayed no emotion. "Murderer, huh? No matter - I've come to kill Rashava. You can get out of my way or not, it makes no difference to me." A sudden roar of explosions brought everyone back to the situation at hand. Rashava had sent a volley of fire at Ayeka while she shielded Ryoko and Washu. She still stood, but alone against Rashava's wrath. Trembling from the aftershocks of Rashava's strike, she looked down at Washu and hurriedly asked, "Washu, can you get Ryoko out of here?" "I can't, Ayeka, not without Minagi to help me. I'm pouring everything I have into just keeping Ryoko alive." Ayeka evaluated the situation: everyone else was a good distance away, and Rashava was closing quickly. Setting herself, she began drawing deeply from the Jurai power within her. "You're not getting past me!" she screamed. Energy surging around her, she fired a massive blast straight into Rashava. A bright flash momentarily blinded her, making her blink a couple of times. Bright spots swam in her view and her ears rang. She had used up everything in that attack. Her body trembled with shock; it was difficult to stay standing. "Now - that - was an attack," she thought proudly. Rashava was hunched over slightly, a surprised look on his face. His clothing smoldered from the force of her blast and his alabaster skin was scorched in places. As he looked at the burns across his body, his beautiful face twisted into something ugly. Roaring with rage, Rashava jerked upright and raised his hands, a terrible glow building within them in preparation for a return strike. Ayeka spread her arms wide and prayed that she could absorb enough of the blast to protect Ryoko and Washu. It was all she could do. Tears poured down her face as Rashava threw the blast at her. She squeezed her eyes tightly shut as she heard the approaching roar. Then nothing; no pain, no sudden agony followed by darkness. Peeking an eye open, she found herself looking into Minagi's smiling face. Ayeka looked around and saw everyone gathered; even Washu and Ryoko were there. Confused, she asked, "How did we get over here?" Minagi's smile only widened. "Simple, I teleported over, grabbed hold of everyone, and teleported all of us back here." Her smile faded as she continued in a more serious tone. "You know, that was a pretty brave thing you did. I'm sure Ryoko will be touched to hear how you were ready to sacrifice yourself for her." Ayeka flinched and replied faintly, "Oh, it was nothing, really." She felt her legs give out from underneath her, but before she slid to the floor she felt strong arms wrap around her. Her heart began to beat faster as she realized she was in Tenchi's arms. He smiled softly at her, bringing a funny lump to her throat. "Lord Tenchi, I - I'm sorry, but I've got nothing left to fight with." "It's okay, Ayeka. You saved Washu and Ryoko. You've done more than your share." Tenchi kneeled and laid her down gently. Rising back up, he turned to face a motionless Rashava. Tenchi blinked. "What's with him?" Rashava was simply standing still; he had finally noticed Avashar. The two glared at each other across the distance. Rashava spoke slowly, as if choked with emotion. "I almost didn't recognize you, brother. You are certainly... weaker, in your new host. I left you for dead after our last meeting. I cannot imagine why you would want to face me again. " Avashar shrugged. "Well, you know what they say: if a job is worth doing, it's worth dying for." "Destroyer of Hope! You have walked so far from the path that you would destroy an entire realm!" Rashava's tone rang of righteous anger and hatred deeper than mortal comprehension. "For over 40,000 years, you and your ilk have kept your war of genocide going against those who gave you life!" Washu's head snapped up; she stared at Avashar with a strange expression on her face. Avashar smiled grimly. "No, brother, it is all of you who have forgotten the oaths you made us swear." "Lies! Your taint befouls this holy site, the site of a new creation. I will enjoy removing your dark presence from this place." Rashava charged forward with an angry cry. Avashar brought he own sword into being. Unlike Rashava's silvery blade, Avashar's appeared as plain steel with a cold blue glow glimmering along its edge. The two charged towards each other and began exchanging furious blows. At first, Avashar seemed to have the advantage. Moving smoothly across the floor, he parried every blow and continued to press Rashava back towards the crystal in the center of the platform. Rashava seemed surprised at Avashar's ability. Then a wicked smile crossed his face. They were almost at the crystal when Rashava made his move. Rashava leaped backward, gaining some space to gather his strength. Avashar charged but was stopped by a terrible gust of wind that forced him back. The howling wind changed to a screaming snowstorm, a driving whiteout that blotted him from sight. Stranger yet, the blizzard only appeared within a domed area around Avashar. To everyone outside, the effect looked like a bizarre Christmas decoration. Rashava made an abrupt cutting gesture and the snowstorm disappeared from view. Avashar had vanished. The part of the platform where the blizzard had occurred was coated in a thin layer of ice, but no other sign of the event remained. Rashava smiled. "So goes the last of the Damned. A frozen hell for him to stumble through for all eternity, a fitting end for such..." Rashava's words trailed off as a portal appeared where Avashar had last stood. A howling gust of wind spat an ice-covered Avashar through the portal and across the platform. Even as he slid to a stop, the portal closed as suddenly as it had appeared. Flakes and pieces of ice fell off as he drew himself back to his feet. Teeth chattering, he shook himself to dislodge the rest of the ice coating his body. "N-nice try with that storm. I see you've picked up some new abilities from the library. But I am not without my own tricks." His blade reappeared, the plain steel snapping back to life. He moved towards Rashava again, grim determination in his eyes. "I see." There was grudging respect in Rashava's voice. "Yet it matters not." He smiled and stepped back to the crystal, placing his hands on its surface. The crystal began to hum. "No!" Avashar shouted, horror on his face. "He's drawing power again," Minagi cried out. "We've got to stop him before he gets too powerful!" Tenchi looked around at everyone and came to a decision. "Minagi, get Washu and Ryoko to the Hinase. Then get Ayeka to Ryo-Ohki. Mihoshi, teleport yourself back to the Yukinojo. I want all of you to get away from this ship as fast as you can." Ayeka sat bolt upright and began to protest, along with Minagi and Mihoshi. "No! Ten -" "Listen!” Tenchi’s sharp reply startled the women into silence. “Ayeka, you can't fight anymore. Minagi, Washu is going to need your help with Ryoko. Mihoshi, you wouldn't survive one of Rashava's attacks. If you're all safe I'll be better able to focus on the battle. Please, go now!" "He's right, you know." Washu didn't look up from Ryoko's face. "If I don't get her to Hinase's medical bay, she'll die. We're just hampering Tenchi right now. We've done all we can." "Thank you, Washu." Washu didn't reply, but teardrops started dripping on Ryoko's still face. Tenchi swallowed hard, turned, and began walking towards the battle. He could hear the sound of Minagi teleporting everyone away while Ayeka cried out his name. Mihoshi fiddled with her GP Cube and disappeared in a flash of light. Closing his eyes in relief, Tenchi felt a vast weight lift from his shoulders. His eyes snapped open again. Avashar and Rashava were already fighting; it was time to get serious. Avashar dripped sweat and blood but seemed far from beaten. He nodded curtly at Tenchi before throwing himself back into the fray. Together they moved against Rashava, blades keening as strike met counter-strike. Rashava had gained fearsome power from the crystal. His blade whirled and met both attackers smoothly. Then he began counterattacking. Tenchi staggered backwards, blows raining down on him from every direction. Parrying and thrusting as quickly as he could, he was amazed at the sheer power radiating from Rashava. Tenchi recalled what Washu had said during breakfast: "... can only maintain those higher levels of power for a limited period of time before it would burn out from all the energy it is channeling". “Yeah, Washu," he thought, "but just how long can he maintain this level of power?" Before he could mull on this further, he was knocked to the ground by a powerful blow. Gasping, he could feel a horrible numbness crawling up his side. It was hard to catch his breath, and he could only watch helplessly as Rashava moved to finish him off. Before Rashava could follow up his attack, Avashar knocked his blade aside. With a quick reverse, he slashed Rashava across the chest, making him scream in pain and stagger backward towards the crystal. Lunging forward with a terrible cry, Avashar stabbed Rashava clear through his chest. Avashar's cry of triumph suddenly cut off with a gurgle. Rashava's return strike had plunged his sword clear through him, lifting him into the air. With a choked snarl, Rashava sent a massive pulse of power surging through his blade, sending Avashar tumbling bonelessly across the platform. Rashava shuffled painfully forward. His wound was deep and his skin sizzled and popped around it. Still, a dark and terrible aura surrounded him and his blade was rock steady in his hand. "This doesn't look good," thought Tenchi as he clawed himself back up. His left side was slick with blood; he could feel it running down his thigh. Thoughts of everyone he cared for flashed before him. With a husky cry, he focused his mind and brought forth the Light Hawk Wings, then transformed them into armor and the Light Hawk Sword. Rashava's eyes widened in shock. "Your blade, it's impossible! No mortal in this dimension should be able to generate such a blade." Tenchi sensed his foe's hesitation and exploded into action. No longer worried about parrying, he struck blow after powerful blow against Rashava, heedless of the damage done to him. The pain and loss could come later. Rashava stumbled backwards, terrible wounds opening as Tenchi slashed at him mercilessly. Avashar slowly regained consciousness. A horrible rattling shook in his chest and he could feel his wounds throbbing in time with his heartbeat. His heart sank as he sensed a massive, raging aura off to his side. "Rashava must have reached unprecedented levels of power," he thought in despair. "I have failed in my mission." Turning around, he froze at the sight of Tenchi's mad duel with Rashava. "Impossible." Tenchi's aura raged like nothing Avashar had ever seen in this realm. Still Rashava was continuing to draw power from the crystal. At this rate, Rashava would surpass even Tenchi's ability. How were they going to defeat him? Rashava kept his eyes intently focused on Tenchi as he blocked yet another lightning-fast thrust. This child was the most dangerous adversary he had faced in this realm; in raw power and speed, he rivaled even Avashar - an impressive feat for a native. A small smile crossed his face. Powerful or not, Tenchi's wound was significant and his strength was slowly starting to fade. It would not be long before he made a fatal mistake. Rashava ducked under Tenchi's slash, then countered with a quick punch to his wounded left side. The pain from the blow took Tenchi's breath away and made him stagger backwards. Rashava followed up with a series of quick slashes, forcing Tenchi back. Tenchi could taste the coppery tang of blood in his mouth. His arms were shaking from the effort of blocking Rashava's attacks. Tenchi was losing. Rashava's technique wasn't perfect, but he was making up for it with boundless energy, terrible speed, and steadily increasing strength. Even when Tenchi scored a hit, Rashava would heal the wound almost instantly. Worse yet, Tenchi could feel his own strength slipping away, the pain in his side slowly overwhelming his ability to ignore it. A black wave of despair crashed over him. How were they going to defeat Rashava? Mihoshi looked around in surprise. She didn't know where she was, but it certainly wasn't the Yukinojo. She scrunched her nose and sneezed; the air was filled with the scent of something old and dusty. Eyes watering, she regarded her GP cube ruefully. "One of these days, I'm going to read the manual about you." She turned the troublesome cube back into a puffball and stored it on her backside. Cautiously hefting the cannon back to her shoulder, she took in her new environs. The room she had appeared in would have been completely dark if not for the motes of light wandering about. In the center of the room floated a scaled down version of the crystal in Rashava's ship. It emitted a faint humming noise that filled the room, steadily getting louder as the motes drifted into the crystal's heart. Countless books lined the walls in bookshelves and many more were jumbled together on the floor. As she watched, more tiny globes of light rose out from books and drifted towards the crystal. Could they be the books stolen from the library? "If these are all the books, I wonder what that crystal is doing? Yes, it is my duty as a Galaxy Police officer to investigate this further." Striding forward confidently, Mihoshi gave a small shriek as she stubbed a toe on a particularly large and solid book right in front of her. Hopping on one foot, she wobbled for a second, then balanced precariously, breathing a deep sigh of relief. Then she sneezed again. Losing her balance, she crashed into a pile of books, scattering them everywhere. More books fell from the shelves, burying her in a growing pile of ancient lore. She screamed in terror as a huge blast of fire erupted right next to her, followed by ear-shattering blasts that echoed around the room. Priceless books exploded in a holocaust of firepower. As the last of the explosions faded away, Mihoshi unclenched her eyes and dragged herself out from under the pile that had fallen on her. She pursed her lips in a silent whistle. Massive holes had been blasted in the bookshelves; entire shelves of books had been vaporized. Ash and smoke floated everywhere. Very few of the motes of light remained. The crystal was still floating, but now it wobbled around, a large piece of it blasted away. Puzzled, she tried to figure out what had opened fire on her. Raising her cannon again, she noticed that the out of ammo icon was flashing. She wondered how she could have run out of ammo. She had only fired a few rounds earlier and... oh. She tittered nervously. "I guess I must have accidentally pulled the trigger when I fell." Tossing the cannon aside, she grabbed her GP cube and began desperately twisting it again. The smell of ozone was getting worse and the crystal was keening with painful intensity. Rashava spun, neatly blocking another of Tenchi's attacks and knocking Tenchi to the platform. Light Hawk Wings or not, Rashava was doing more than just holding his own. He had battered both Tenchi and Avashar back with his powerful attacks and he showed no signs of weakening. Suddenly the massive crystal began keening horribly. Sprawled on the ground, Tenchi could feel the hairs on the back of his neck rising. His teeth shook. Beside him, Avashar stared in amazement at the crystal. Rashava turned to the crystal, a look of horror crossing his face. "No!" he screamed, his voice filled with dread. "The knowledge transfer to facilitate recreation has not been completed. It is too soon to initiate the reaction!" Snarling, Rashava turned and looked at both Tenchi and Avashar sprawled on the platform. He was torn between finishing them off and rushing to repair the crystal. "I don't know what's happened, but don't think you've won. I'll be back." Smoke poured out of a portal that flashed into life before him. Stepping through, he stopped in shock as he found a soot-covered Mihoshi, coughing and hacking amidst the wreckage of his library. She waved her hands feebly to clear the smoke away from her watering eyes. "Thanks for opening the door. It was getting really smoky in here -" Her words ended in a shriek as she realized that she was standing directly in front of a very enraged Rashava. Rashava was still recovering from the shock of seeing the condition of his library. "Impossible! There is no way anyone can enter my inner sanctum!" Smiling nervously, Mihoshi sidled away from him. "Oh, is that what this is? I'm sorry. You know - you really should keep your books in better order. They're too easy to trip over." She was still nervously twisting her GP Cube. "Stay right there." The menace in his voice froze her in place. "I'm just going to take a moment to slice you in half." Mihoshi shrieked again and jumped for the safety of the open portal. Rashava's blade sliced right through where she had been a moment earlier, missing her by a hair. He ground his teeth; dealing with her would have to wait. He spared her retreating backside one last glare before striding further into the library. The portal closed behind him. Still sprawled on the platform, Avashar watched in amazement as Mihoshi stumbled out of the portal and tumbled to the platform. Her GP Cube flashed, finally teleporting her away. Looking over at Tenchi, Avashar spoke in an awed tone. "You don't think she..." Tenchi raised his head and shot a pained grin at Avashar. "Yeah, I'm pretty sure she did." Avashar hacked and spat up some blood. Struggling to his feet, he swayed and studied the energies pouring from the crystal. A vast sense of relief flowed through him. "Rashava is a fool if he thinks he can stabilize that crystal!" His voice rang with triumph. He staggered over to Tenchi. Kneeling, he could see the terrible wound to his side. Tenchi shivered and looked up at Avashar with calm eyes. "So does this mean we win?" "Yes. Thanks to Mihoshi, this ship and its crystal will explode, but not in the way needed to initiate recreation." Tenchi focused, ignoring the pain of his wounds. "Explosion. How big?" "Only enough to destroy this system. No more." Avashar shrugged casually. A bolt of dread pierced Tenchi's heart. To his surprise, he found he had the strength to grab Avashar's arm. "You can't let my world die! Please help me stop this explosion." Avashar shook his head. "I will not stop this. If I do, Rashava may be able to complete recreation later. I'm sorry." His words were firm, but sadness tinged his voice. "You bastard..." Tenchi’s hand slipped away and he slumped to the platform. Tenchi could feel himself falling into a void. As he fell, he could see the faces of all he cared for. His Father and Grandfather. Sasami smiling and making the Masaki house a home again. Washu with her experiments and wisdom. Ryo-Ohki and her love of carrots. Mihoshi's bright smile and knack for trouble. Minagi's bravery and kindness. Ayeka's sweet and gentle spirit. Ryoko... I'm sorry, Ryoko. Then darkness. Rashava screamed in rage as he looked at the wreckage of his library. The controlling crystal was ruined and many books had been destroyed before the knowledge transfer had been completed. Flecks of spittle flew as he ranted in helpless fury. "How can this be? There is no way she could have entered this room!" He took several deep shuddering breaths to calm himself. Collecting his thoughts, he evaluated the situation. The main crystal was supposed to initiate recreation only after all the necessary dimensional information had been transferred. Only with that knowledge could the massive energies pent up within the crystal be focused correctly. As it stood, the crystal was heading towards a premature detonation, without the proper guards in place to control the explosion. He sat down among the burned and tattered books, his proud face lined with grief and resignation as he stared at the shattered control crystal. His mind reached out to Avashar. /An entire race has been doomed, Avashar. I hope you're happy knowing that the blood of countless billions of souls will be on your hands./ His mind's voice was like the whisper of dirt falling on a casket. Avashar raised his head. His thoughts rang back defiantly. /40,000 years, brother. Why can't you realize that we don't belong here? What gives us the right to destroy everything here to make way for our kind?/ Rashava ignored the retort. /All dead, brother. You have succeeded in killing us all. I was the last to come across before our realm collapses. Now there will be nothing./ A terrible expression crossed Avashar's face. He fully knew the fate he had consigned to all life within his realm. He could feel Rashava's crushing depression; he must have realized it was too late to stop the explosion. Once the crystal was destroyed, their race's last chance for escape would be closed. Soon after, the impending collapse would obliterate all life in their realm. "After this explosion there will be no further chances for crossover. I will finally be free of the oath I swore long ago." Avashar's mouth quirked into a sad little smile. The freedom from his oath was meaningless; he had no intention of escaping the blast. Massive arcs of energy burst from the crystal. The power was over- whelming - no mortal could withstand such energies without being blotted from existence. Avashar stood and reveled in the energies raging around him, waiting for the final, terrible burst of energy. His body shook with excitement as a deep eagerness for destruction trembled within him. The coming explosion would finally release him from this realm. Unchecked, it would be sufficient to blot out all life in the entire Solar System. The view around the platform warped to reflect the actual space Rashava's ship occupied in close orbit around Jupiter. The gaseous surface stretching off into the distance in all directions. A pang of guilt flashed through him; he looked down at Tenchi, a wide pool of blood around his body. A haunted look crossed Avashar's face as he remembered all those who had fought and died over the millennia. Although nobody would hear him, he still whispered in a distant voice, "For every battle honor, a thousand heroes die alone, unsung, and unremembered." He kneeled next to Tenchi and gently laid a hand on his head. For an instant, something ancient looked out through his eyes. He turned his face towards Jupiter's roiling surface. A faint smile crossed his face; the release from 40,000 years of sacrifice balanced against saving one life-filled planet. Quite a decision to make.