Author's Note: Most of the characters in the following story are not mine and in 
no way do I claim them to be.  Nor do I claim that I created the universe that 
the
characters are placed in.  The characters and the universe remain the property 
of Hitoshi Okuda, Pioneer LDC, INC and Kadokawa Shoten Publishing CO. 
Please do not sue.  This is a fanfic and is nothing more than a show of my 
appreciation to the creators of Tenchi Muyo.

 

No Need for Dark Warriors

Chapter 14

The elevator stopped with a sudden shaking and a whirring and grinding sound and 
then there was nothing, no movement and the only sounds were that of
breathing.  Then the doors opened with a whoosh and Tenchi stepped out first and 
Aeka, Ryoko, and Washuu followed cautiously.  The four had entered a
massive metal chamber with walls that extended upward until they were lost to 
the eye and a breadth that left the far walls as hazy visions.  There was a 
massive
machine of some kind placed in the center of the room, a tree-like pillar of 
wires and tubes that looked strangely alive and hummed with an unearthly energy 
that
filtered out into the air like annoying insects.  This machine extended upward 
and it too disappeared out of sight and it was so big that it made dots out of 
Tenchi,
Washuu, Ryoko, and Aeka.  There was nothing else in the room and this made it 
eerie, eerie that such a large room had so little in it.

            Washuu was studying the huge machine and nodded in approval.  "Well, 
it seems we've found the core."

            "Good."  Said Tenchi.  "Now we have to destroy it."

            Washuu shook her head.  "Not so fast.  We just attack it and the 
resulting explosion generated by a ship this powerful would take out the galaxy 
not to
mention us."

            "Well then how do we blow it?"  Said Aeka hurriedly.  "How are we 
supposed to stop it?"

            "We have to set off a chain reaction that takes the core out last."  
Said Washuu.  "That way the explosion is directed inward and then generates 
enough
force to phase out of this dimension and that would cause considerably less 
damage and the explosion would be limited to the belt of Sojin where there are 
no
inhabited worlds."

            "Washuu," Began Tenchi in a confused manner.  "How can an explosion 
cause the ship to phase out of this dimension?"

            "It's a very powerful ship Tenchi, far more then I could even 
calculate.  The laws of physics don't factor in an explosion that big."

            Tenchi nodded.  "I see.  Well then, how do you blow it?"

            Washuu smiled.  "Simple, I override the system and blow the ship 
section by section until at last the core goes."

            "Not to burst your bubble Washuu," Said Ryoko.  "But where are we 
going to be when everything is blowing up?"

            "Far away.  I'll set a timer to give us some time to get out."

            Washuu began walking toward the machine that loomed in the center of 
the room and Tenchi looked around and spoke.

            "Its very strange, we still haven't seen the crew.  What do you make 
of it Washuu?"

            The scientist answered as she reached the machine.  "I don't know.  
My guess is that the crew's dead, the ship is very old, maybe the crew died and 
its
been running on auto the whole time."

            "But what about the voice that spoke to us from earth miss Washuu?"  
Said Aeka.

            "The computer's voice."  Washuu answered.

            "Oh you couldn't be more right Washuu."

            A cry escaped Washuu's lips at the sound of the voice that said her 
name, the same voice that had spoke over earth and the same voice of the hidden
tormentor in her dream.  Washuu's eyes and the eyes of the others were riveted 
onto the strange machine from which the voice had come.  The machine rumbled
from within and then the sides split open and tentacles of wires danced around 
menacingly and then something moved from within and then was pushed outward.

            "What the hell?"  Was all Tenchi could say under his breath when he 
saw it.

            It was a man, or it least it had once been a man, the wires of the 
machine were interlocked with his skin and his appendages were connected to the
machine into which he was meshed.  The man gazed down at the four with 
dispassion and smiled as he spoke.

            "Well, you've come a long way, are you pleased at what you see?  
Allow me to introduce myself, I am Koi and what you see before you is my visage, 
the
ship is my body and so it bears my name.  You look confused, oh well, that's 
natural after what you've been through."

            "How did you know my name Koi?"  Said Washuu with reserve.

            Koi nodded.  "I know much about you little Washuu, I know much about 
all of you.  I know your fears, your pleasures, your greatest and worst assets
and I know how to play off those assets to either raise or destroy you.  I'm 
sure your asking many questions right now, such as why you're alive.  I'm sure 
you
know I could have destroyed you whilst you were still aboard Ryo-Ohki, well its 
all part of my test you see.  I'm actually quite impressed that you were able to
transport yourself back in time, even if your plan to rectify the future is 
pathetically futile."

            Tenchi was as shocked as the others but he managed to speak.  "How 
did you know we came back in time?"

            "Oh come now, its simple to do, all one has to do is know some 
common science."

            Tenchi looked at Washuu and the little scientist was becoming 
visibly angry.

            "It is not simple science!"  She roared.

            "Ah!  Hit a pressure point did I?"  Said Koi as the wires that 
wrapped around his body sparked.  "I'm sorry little Washuu but I'm afraid your 
not half as
smart as you make yourself out to be, in fact, your rather stupid, just like 
your friends."

            "What!"  Washuu was turning as red as her hair.

            Koi smiled proudly.  "Oh no, calm yourself Washuu, you don't want to 
get angry at me.  Yes, you are a dumb one, sorry to say.  First of all, the
Lighthawk Wings, I'm sure that in the future you must have seen me decimate the 
Juraian fleet.  Well, Lighthawk Wings are very simple to bypass if you know a
thing or two.  I absorbed a Juraian ship some time ago and when that ship was 
meshed with my body I learned all I needed to know."

            "But why?"  Said Aeka.  "Why do all this?  Why are you seeking to 
destroy the galaxy?"

            "Not the galaxy Aeka, the universe."  Koi corrected and was pleased 
to see how Aeka recoiled at his mention of her name.  "I am a seeker of 
knowledge,
I am a wolf.  I consume to learn, I destroy to educate myself.  Your galaxy, 
your empires, your worlds, they mean nothing to me, what I learn from their
destruction does matter.  When I absorb I learn everything from the experience, 
it is rather stimulating.  I have eaten galaxies whole."

            Tenchi was having trouble keeping calm.  "You can't just go around 
destroying things!"

            "And why not?"  Said Koi.  "It betters me.  Come now, all life is 
truly meaningless, only knowledge is worthy of survival.  I strive to be the 
archive of the
universe and once the universe is devoid of life, of all substance, when it is 
so perfectly empty, them I shall breath life back into the void."

            "You can't do that!"  Tenchi shouted as he pulled forth his sword 
and activated its blade.  "You can't destroy the universe and then bring it 
back!  You're
not god!"

            "Yes I am."  Said Koi as the ship rumbled.  "I am more of a god than 
any other being you know.  I existed long before this ship that is now my body, 
this
limb to do my will, I was one of the eyes that witnessed the birth of the 
universe and even before that I saw the emptiness that was before existence.  It 
is my right
to do whatever I wish."  Koi looked at Tenchi dryly and the wires around his 
body tightened and then unraveled and then tightened back up.  "I see you've 
drawn
your weapon, do put it away before I have to kill you, I don't want to do that 
just yet."

            "I will stop you!"  Tenchi roared.  "I can't let you destroy 
everything!"

            Koi smiled and nodded.  "I know you can't allow that, that is what 
will cause me to have to end your life.  Interesting, yes." Koi trailed off and 
seemed
to be thinking to himself.

            "Hey jerk!"  Ryoko shouted after a long moment of silence.  "You 
gonna talk or do I have to make you!"

            Koi turned toward Ryoko.  "Hmm?  Oh, I apologize, I was just 
thinking to myself."

            "Oh I'll give you something to think about buster!"  Ryoko growled 
taking a step forward.

            Koi's face fell as he saw Ryoko move forward.  "You threaten me, I 
don't like that very much.  Let me teach you some manners."

            Koi reached out with his hand and a door on the far side of the room 
opened and out stepped two figures.  One was a bony man with a gaunt face and 
the
other was a very beautiful woman with golden hair.

            "Hey!  It's the bitch from my dream!"  Ryoko said in her usual well-
expressed manner.  Ryoko turned and saw that Aeka recognized the woman as well.

            Tenchi eyed the man with the gaunt face and knew him as well.  
"You're the man from my dream!  So you are real."

            "Yes," Said Koi, his voice booming above everything else.  "They are 
real.  These are my children Shinrin and Irai, wonderful aren't they?  The 
perfect
concoction of metal and flesh."

"You mean their-" Washuu started but was interrupted by Koi.

"Cyborgs my simple friend.  Very advanced ones I might add.  It took me millions 
of years to make the two of them; each year I perfected them more and more. 
They are now flawless, well, almost, both of them retain a small scrap of the 
personalities they had when they were human.  Shrinin's quite mad, that's a 
shame,
he's still effective though.  And Irai, well, she has a strange way of showing 
emotion; she has the habit of falling in love with her victims before she kills 
them.  But
they are the perfect example of science; they are more than my children.  They 
are my Adam and my Eve."

Washuu looked at Koi.  "But where do we fit in?  You could have destroyed us 
long before we ever docked, why spare us?"

Koi laughed, it was the most unnerving sound ever conceived.  "I spared you 
because from you I can learn the most important thing of all, with you I can 
learn if I
have truly perfected Shinrin and Irai, if they can kill you, especially your 
strong Tenchi, then I shall know that they are faultless.  You see I most know 
if Shinrin and
Irai are truly worthy to be my Dark Warriors."

Ryoko formed an energy ball with her fist.  "You won't kill Tenchi as long as 
I'm around!"

Koi nodded.  "I see, then I shall have to kill you first.  Hmm, how shall the 
great space pirate Ryoko fair against my creations?  How long shall you live 
Ryoko?  It
shall be most interesting to see how my experiments do against you, after all 
are you not like my children?"

"What are you talking about?"  Said Ryoko.

Koi smiled.  "Oh come now, you must know what I mean.  Shinrin and Irai are my 
experiments but I, like Washuu, used my own genetic material.  That in my
mind makes my children the same as you, Ryoko, nothing more than an experiment, 
an unnatural and unholy conception."

"Shut up!"  Ryoko shouted angrily, but the cracking of her voice gave away her 
feelings.

"A bit tender on that subject aren't we?"  Said Koi.  "I'm sorry to have upset 
you.  Oh well, no use crying over things already said."  He turned to where Irai 
and
Shinrin still stood, waiting for a command.  "You may kill them now, see to it 
that it takes a while, I want plenty of time to take data."

Ryoko had formed her energy sword and her yellow eyes were flaming.  "Oh bring 
'em on!  I'm gonna rip your kids apart!"

Irai was looking at Ryoko keenly and slid a hand through her golden hair.  "So 
you want to take us on hmm?  I'd be glad to fight such a lovely creature as 
yourself,
someone with such glorious curves."

Aeka leaned over to Tenchi.  "Her taste in women is a bit off."

"I heard that Aeka!"  Ryoko snapped and then turned and addressed Irai.  
"Alright lets fight, you and me!  Lets see how well Koi made you!"

Irai was grinning as she drew her sword from its place across her back.  "Very 
well then, I shall take great joy in carving that wonderful body of yours apart 
piece
by piece!"

            Ryoko was about to rush foreword when Washuu stopped her with her 
voice.  "No Ryoko!  Don't fight!"

            Ryoko turned to Washuu.  "Huh?"

            "She'll kill you!"  Washuu said desperately.  "Don't fight this 
battle, you- you can't win!"  Tears were now starting to form in Washuu's eyes.

            "What's wrong Washuu?"  Said Tenchi as he rushed to her aid.

            Washuu pushed Tenchi away and dried her eyes and composed herself.  
"I just remembered a legend I read in my academy days, simple folklore from
ancient Jurai, I never gave it much thought.  The legend talks about a creature 
created to be the opposite of all goodness in the universe, a creature with an 
age
immeasurable with time.  It would be a creature that would seek to wipe out the 
universe, to bring about galactic Armageddon and destroy everything in
existence."

            "What are you getting at Washuu?"  Said Tenchi as he felt the bile 
well up into his throat.

            "Koi."  Said Washuu.  "The entity that the legend said would destroy 
the universe, its name is Koi."

            "Very good Washuu."  Said Koi as if he were speaking to an ignorant 
child.  "I was wondering when you would make that connection."

Ryoko could hold back no longer.  "Oh that's it, you're dead!"

"Dead?"  Said Koi with a smile.  "Perhaps, but you shall fall first.  Irai!  
Destroy this impudent feather."

Irai rushed toward Ryoko and as she ran he speed was so great that she became a 
blur.  Ryoko slashed her weapon downward at the blur but missed and then
began desperately stabbing all around her while rambling a motley of phrases.

"Stand still!  What!  How can you be that fast!  I said stand still!  Where the 
hell are you!"

"Right here my pretty."

Ryoko's eyes widened, Irai had stopped behind her.  Before Ryoko could turn Irai 
viciously knocked her upon the head and Ryoko fell to the ground
unconscious.  Irai then raised her sword and made ready for the final blow.

Washuu's hands clenched into fists and she threw her head back in rage.  "Noooo!  
You're not going to kill her!"

            Washuu raised her hands and fired an energy blast and Irai was 
consumed with fire and thrown backward.  But the robot flipped and landed on her 
feet
and wagged a finger erotically at Washuu.

            "Oh no my dear goddess," Said Irai.  "That's not the way you kill 
me."

Irai raised her hand and looked at Koi.  "Shall I kill her now?"

Koi nodded.  "Of course."

"No!  You're not going to hurt anyone else!"  Tenchi roared as Juraian armor 
formed around his body.  "If you want to fight you fight me, not my friends!"

Koi looked at Tenchi as the wires wrapped round his body.  "Very well Tenchi, 
you shall fight Irai and Shinrin alone and when they are done with you they 
shall
strike down your friends."

Tenchi did not see the nod that Koi gave Shinrin and Irai but he did see the 
results as the two androids rushed at him.  Time seemed to stand still at that 
point; the
only things that moved in the room were the three blurs that were Tenchi and the 
two robots.  Tenchi had not fought long when he realized that he was going to
lose.  Shinrin and Irai were beyond his ability; they were perfect in their 
fighting, flawless.  But then, just before he gave up all hope he caught sight 
of something. 
There was the little boy, the one Tenchi had seen before, standing beside the 
pillar that contained Koi.  Then Tenchi heard a voice in his head, it was that 
of the
boy's, clear as day.

"You can't beat them with that sword Tenchi.  Koi controls them with his mind 
and as long as that goes on they can't be stopped.  I can't stand it any longer.  
I
can't watch the death go on.  I need to stop Koi, I need to stop my father."

Tenchi managed to watch the boy out of the corner of one eye as he kept fighting 
Shinrin and Irai.  The boy turned to the mechanical pillar that contained Koi's
body and looked into one of the many pits that dotted its base, disappearing 
into darkness.  Then, without hesitation, the boy leapt into the pit and was 
gone.

A moment later there was a grinding noise and Koi let out a roar as sparks 
danced across his body.  Tenchi turned to Shinrin and Irai and saw that they had
paused for a moment, it was clear that for a brief moment Koi was distracted 
enough not to be controlling his two androids.  Tenchi made his move and slammed
his sword into Shinrin and then Irai and watched as the two robots fell to the 
floor, their eyes now very dull.

Koi's roar once more and this time he caused the whole of the room to shake.

"You!  How dare you destroy my creations!  The boy betrayed me; my own creation 
killed his siblings!  I knew I should have destroyed that failed experiment
long ago!"  Koi looked at Tenchi and smiled.  "You think this is over do you?  
Well you might have destroyed my perfect creations but my technology shall still
prevail!  Congratulations Tenchi, you've sealed the fate of this galaxy!"

The robotic pillar that held Koi came alive with sparks and tentacles of steel 
shot forward and wrapped themselves around Shinrin and Irai and pulled the two
androids into the pillar.  Then the medal arms spread out over the rest of the 
room as the ship began to rock and vibrate.

Koi laughed and nodded.  "Now that I have pulled my children into myself I have 
augmented my power.  Now this ship shall blow itself apart and with it the whole
of the universe shall fall!  I am the destroyer, I am the god of ungodliness!"

Washuu looked at Tenchi with wide eyes of horror.  "He's right!  Why an 
explosion of the size this ship would create would rip the very fabric of space!  
The
universe might not recover from the effects for millions of years!"

Aeka swooned and began to panic.  "What do we do!  How do we stop it?"

"We can't!"  Washuu said in equal panic.  "We have to get out of here now!"

            Tenchi nodded and rushed over to Ryoko who was still out cold.  
Picking her up into his arms he, Washuu and Aeka ran out of the room with all 
the
speed they could muster as Koi's voice called out after them.

            "Where do you think you can run?  When my ship goes nothing shall 
remain!  You have failed even though you have succeeded!"

            The run back through the Koi was a short one somehow and soon Tenchi 
found himself looking at Ryo-Ohki.  Soon the transport beam was enveloping
him and then he was on the bridge.  He set Ryoko down gently and then turned to 
Washuu who was already in the command chair.

            "What do we do?"  He asked urgently.

            Washuu looked at Tenchi with tears in her eyes.  "We try to outrun 
the blast."

            "And then?"  Continued Tenchi.

            "And then we find another galaxy to live in.  That's all we can hope 
for.  All we can hope to do is to survive, nothing else in this galaxy will."

            "But there must be something we can do!"

            "Nothing Tenchi."

            Tenchi watched with a sick feeling as Washuu commanded Ryo-Ohki to 
get moving.  Tenchi observed as the Koi became smaller and smaller yet it still
loomed large enough to be scary.  Tenchi waited for the explosion, waited for 
the end.  But then a voice came into his thoughts, the voice of the nameless 
boy.

            "I'm glad you all lived.  I'm so sick of the sadness, I'm sick of 
what I am.  But I'm not crying anymore, I can't cry anymore.  I'm inside the 
heart of Koi
now; I'm inside my father.  I'm going to take this ship far away, to a place 
where it can be destroyed without causing harm.  This is my present to you, my 
first and
last act in the name of good."

            Washuu's voice broke Tenchi's thoughts.

            "It's about to blow!  We're not going to make it!"

Tenchi's eyes watched the Koi, watched as the first explosions puffed around its 
massive surface and then it was gone.  No explosion, the Koi was just gone.

"Wha- what happened?"  Aeka stammered.

"I don't know.  It's just gone.  How is that possible?"

Tenchi looked at the spot where the Koi had been and then after a long moment a 
smile spread across his face.  The little boy had done his first and last act in 
the
name of good.

"Thank you."  Tenchi whispered.
 
To be continued...