Night After The Carnival Part 7 " Come On Mihoshi!!" Kiyone shouted, jumping up and racing for the bridge. "Right." Mihoshi replied her tone focused. She ran after her partner. " well I am not waiting around for them to take another shot at use." Ryoko said phasing into her battle suit. " COME!! Ryo-oki." the cabbit obeyed her long time friend. She phased thru the outer hull of the ship. "MMMMMEEEEEEEOOOOOOOOWWWWWWW!" her call echoed out into the vastness of space as she transformed into her spaceship form. Ryoko teleported aboard the bridge of the ship. Just behind her Z to teleported aboard. She glared over at him. " What are you doing here?" " you are about to go into a battle I am sworn to protect you ." " I don't need you here." she warned him angrily. Z bowed his head. " I am sorry my lady but on this I can not leave." Ryoko fumed. " alright but stay out of my way." " as you wish." he responded. " Ryo-oki show me what is out there." she ordered. A large screen appeared in front of her. On it was several very large ships. She had seen ships like these back on earth. But they could only move over water. And these where much larger versions of those as well. Inside the Yagami the others where also looking at the ships over their monitor. " those look just like old Viking ships, I have seen them in our books at school." Tenchi commented looking at the screen. Washu grinned at him. "well close Tenchi." she flashed him her naughty smile, making him nervous instantly. "they are crafted after the Greek ships which looked very much like old Viking ships." the ships had long massive hulls. In the center was a single mass with its sails unfurled. On the sail was the symbol of a large hand holding a lighting bolt. Along both sides there was one long row of oars. They didn't move just hovered out into space. Protruding out of the front of the ship on either side was mounted a pair of twin cannons. " Mihoshi lets get this ship under control and get out of here." Kiyone ordered trying to get her controls online again. " I have got the computer back up." she breathed easier. " shutting off the fuel supply to the missing engine. Prepare to fire the remaining engines." " I wouldn't do that if I where you." Washu interrupted. " if you do that you will put us into a spin. Your maneuvering thrusters can not keep us straight at those speeds." Washu looked out the front window of the ship, watching Ryo-oki flying towards the ships. " I am going to get to the bottom of this!" Kiyone told her now becoming very annoyed. She punched up the communications console. " this is detective first class Kiyone of the galaxy police and you have just fired on us. I hear by place you under arrest. You are in serious trouble!" she shouted to the other ships. " they are turning." Ryoko said mostly to herself. Her eyes watched a moment, tracing a path to where they where turning. "they are going after the Yagami!" she felt her breath leave her as her mind began to fathom what they where about to do. "Tenchi." her mind drifted to his face. " RYO-OKI!! Get in front of them! They are not going to get away from me." "MEEOOWW." the ship answered speeding towards the Greek ships. As they got closer Ryoko didn't waste any time trying to get there attention. " FIRE!" she commanded. Her anger coming to a boiling point. Ryo-oki Fired on the ship just behind the lead one. The Greek craft shuddered from the impact. Several sections of the hull was torn away from the force of the blast. " HA whadda think about that." Ryoko grinned deviously. The damaged craft banked off from the rest of the group. " oh so you want to fight do you." she placed her hands on the controls. Her golden eyes alive with fire of combat. " Fire! Again Roy-oki!" the cabbit sent another barrage of shots at the ship. The first few went passed. Missing it completely, but not the second set. They found there mark, shearing great holes into the sail. As the cabbit had thought. The ship slowed down in its turn. But it wasn't slow enough to keep from finishing its turn and bringing their guns down on the cabbit. They fired in rapid secession, first the starboard side then the port. It rained down a flood of shoots on the cabbit. She did the best she could dodging most of them. But the more she got hit, the more she slowed down. Which in turn got her hit more often. More and more explosions rock the little ship "MOEW." she cried out and the pain got stronger and stronger. " come on! Ryo-oki don't stop now. We will show them why this galaxy fears the name Ryoko!" as much as the cabbit wanted to obey, the fire was just to great. There was a large explosion that rocked the little ship. inside Ryoko and Z where thrown against the back wall, landing in a heap on the floor. "Ryoko!" Tenchi shouted. " Kiyone we have to do something!" he looked down at her desperately. She gave him one quick look . " Mihoshi fire on that ship!" she ordered. " Right." Mihoshi let loose a barrage of homing missiles from the Yagami. They rained down on the damaged ship. There were several large explosions, tearing the ship apart. "KIYONE!" Mihoshi cried out pointing to the other Greek ships. Kiyone's eyes got bigger as she saw their weapons powering up. The remaining seven ships opened fire on the crippled Yagami. Tenchi stood in between Kiyone and Mihoshi. Time stopped as he placed his hands together, closing his eyes and bowing his head slightly. The jurai royal family symbol on his forehead began to glow. The admiral of the lead Greek ship was standing on his bridge. He couldn't hardly believe his luck. In one swift blow he would kill every successor to the throne of jurai. He could cripple that miserable planet's moral and take the fight right out of them. His head swam with the glory that would be bestowed upon him from Zeus himself. " there they are sir." one of the ship's ensigns spoke up. The Admiral looked out at the Yagami his eyes narrowed a little at the three Lighthawk wings in front of the ship. the blades had completely closed together forming a round shield in front of the Yagami. The fire from the Greek ships just absorbed harmlessly into the wings power. "engage the t matter cannons." he ordered. the ships stopped firing. Along the outsides the oars began to raise. Under the oars a long panel started lowering. Once the oars where vertical they moved into the ship. When the panel was completely lowered a large barrel started to slide out. " I don't like the looks of that." Ryoko said getting up from the floor. " Ryo-oki come on !" she grabbed the cabbit's controls. " Lady Ryoko wait I have a better idea." she turned on him daggers in her eyes. " I told you not to get in my way." Z was not going to let her win this time. " lady Ryoko, Ryo-oki is no match for there smaller guns. She would not survive a hit from one of those." she was just about to punch him, but what he said did make a lot of since and she would never forgive herself if she lost her best friend. " then what do we do?" she demanded. " we go out there and attack those ships ourselves. We are a much smaller target, there for much harder to hit." she straightened up. " a little hand to hand combat." that idea appealed to her. " great! Lets go." she suddenly grinned at him. Inside the Yagami everyone was in awe of the power that Tenchi was wielding. In front of him the Tenchi-kin appeared. The Lighthawk wings shimmered then folded back over the ship. Ayeka realized what he was about to do " Lord Tenchi! NO!!" she cried out starting to run to him. But she was held fast by Yosho. " Brother let me go!" she tried to get free of him. " He cant do this." her tears stung her eyes. " the last time.." she couldn't finish. the thought was to horrific for her to even say it. Tenchi shot his hands forward. Power crackled down his arms, shooting from his hands. It engulfed the handle of the sacred sword. The same power flowed over the wings, gaining strength until it was a large black ball of deadly energy. Tenchi screamed out sending the ball to it's target. The Admiral went pale "EVAS...." was the last thing to ever leave his lips. The concussion from the impact shook the surrounding ships. There was a moment of silence. Ryoko and Z even Stopped to watch. There was a planet shattering explosion as the lead ship was blown apart. Several bolts of energy shot past Ryoko " what the hell?" she looked around to see a volley of energy fire raining down on the Greek ships. over her right shoulder where three Jurian battle ships. Their first round of fire took out two of the Greek warships. The Greeks responded by turning to face this new threat. The jurian battle ships activated their Lighthawk wings and fired again on the Greeks. Tenchi fell to his knees his strength was gone. The Lighthawk wings disappeared from in front of the Yagami. Ayeka felt Yosho let her go. She rushed to Tenchi's side " Oh Lord Tenchi are you ok?" she asked wrapping her arms around him and resting his head on her chest. " look there are Jurai ships out there we are going to be saved." Mihoshi pointed out. " is everyone ok?" Kiyone asked looking around at the others. The remaining four Greek ships aimed in on the three Jurian battleships. "Oh no you don't." Ryoko brought her hands out in front of her. A large burst of yellow energy slammed into the side of one of the Greek ships. She looked to see that the ship was still moving " hey! don't just float there do something!" she hollered over at Z " Yes my lady." he to brought up his hands. The Ships was hit again this time by a light blue and yellow blast. They left behind two large gaping holes in the port side of the vessel. The T matter cannon on that side was completely destroyed. Flames erupted from inside. Black charges of power ran along the remains of the cannon. The cannon exploded tearing the ship in half sending two parts burning into space. The three Greek ships fired. the massive cannons erupted with huge black burst of energy. If it wasn't for the deep purple haze the surrounded the burst. They would have been totally invisible in the blackness of space. The burst hit the Lighthawk wings of the two smaller battleships. Instead of being absorbed by the wings the burst shattered them. Going deep into the heart of the ships. Both of them shook before exploding into flaming wreckage. The main Jurian battleship turned just in time to miss the first shot but wasn't fast enough to avoid the second one. The burst collided with one of the ships Lighthawk wings, tearing it from the ship. The explosion from the impact knocked off a large section of the ship, sending it reeling to its right. The crew of the Yagami just stared at the scene before them. "W.W.Washu." Sasami wavered. " I have never seen power like that." Washu stepped closer to the to get a clearer view. " we need to get to Jurai as quickly as possible." she said her gaze intense on Greek ships. Ryoko didn't see the large piece of wreckage the was hurling at her. The was a sickening thud as it hit her from behind. " LADY RYOKO!" Z shouted in horror, racing to her. He reached out and caught her. He saw the jagged cut across her back " Lady Ryoko are you alright?" he pleaded. She groaned trying to reach around to her back. " you are cut." he stopped her hand. He ripped a piece of his shirt to tie around the wound. As he was starting to put the makeshift bandage on. He could see that the wound was already closing up. " I'll be alright." she managed to say her voice still shaky. The last jurian ship opened fire on one of the Greek ships. It was hit several times. Small fires could be seen all over the hull. It began to drift away from the other two. Leaving a trail of smoke behind it. Z caught the hint of movement. He turned around to find himself facing one of the Greek ships pointing two very large cannons at them. " one of them must have decided that they didn't need to help the other finish off the last Jurian battle ship." Z thought. Ryoko had not fully recovered yet. He knew she wasn't ready to defend herself. He spun on the ship, placing himself between it and Ryoko. " YOU shall not have her!" he shouted to the warship. He saw the cannons energy forming deep inside the barrel. He put up one hand and began building his power for one last shot. "MMMMEEEERRRRRRROOOOOOOLLLLLL!!" Ryo-oki slammed into the side of the warship. Her pointed ends piercing into the hull and exiting out the other side. Z was completely caught off guard. His surprise soon left him as he saw the black energy of the pierced cannon crackling over both ships. "Ryo-oki get away from there!!" Z called to the cabbit. The black energy released. Z turned, covering Ryoko from the force of the blast. " Mihoshi finish them off." Kiyone ordered. Mihoshi fired another round of Missiles at the last ship "RYO-OKI NOOOOO!!" Sasami ran up to the window. Her heart racing, her body began to tremble. " oh Ryo-oki." she cried. The missiles found their mark, finishing off the last ship. Z reached out with his mind. Searching for Ryo-oki. "Ryo-oki? Are you out there? Speak to me please." he sent out along his link. He looked around at what was left of the two ships. There where several pieces of the Greek ship, but nothing of Ryo-oki. " You saved me." Ryoko said appearing beside him. He looked over at her. She was staring at him. He wasn't sure what she was thinking but at least she was feeling a lot better. " my lady I did not save you." she blink once at him " what?" she asked a little puzzled. " Ryo-oki saved us both." he pointed to the remains of the ship. Where is she?" Ryoko looked over the area. " I do not know my lady. I had to turn away from the explosion." she closed her eyes " Ryo-oki come." she sent over their link. There was no response. " Ryo-oki?" she phased into the wreckage and began searching. She had a strong feeling of doing this once before. Yes now she remembered. Not so long ago she had searched for Tenchi in just the same way. Her body trembled at the memory. "Lady Ryoko." she heard in her mind. " forgive me my lady, but I have found Ryo-oki." "Z?" Ryoko sent out over this new link. She followed it in her minds eye, teleporting next to him. She felt her throat tighten. In Z's hand laid the little cabbit. Patches of it's fur was burned away. She had a jagged cut across her lower belly. A small trickle of blood flowed from her nose, dripping onto his hand. " oh my lady." Z said his voice a trembled whisper. " we got to get her to Washu." she told him thru the link, having her voice completely fail her. " mom." she called to Washu with her link. " Ryo-oki has been hurt." In side the ship Washu picked up her daughters feelings. She had already tried to contact Ryo-oki earlier and had gotten no answer either. " take her to my lab Ryoko I'll meet you there." " Ryo-oki has been hurt pretty bad." she told the others. " Ryoko is bringing her to my lab." "is she going to be alright?" Sasami asked new tears falling from her eyes. " I don't know Sasami." Washu looked thoughtful for a moment. She looked over at the little girl. " why don't you come with me I could use your help." Sasami ran to her wrapping her arms around the fiery haired genius. " come on we have to hurry ." Washu told her pulling away for Sasami. The two left the bridge heading for the house. Tenchi sat up his strength was quickly returning to him. Ayeka helped him to his feet. " Lord Tenchi are you alright?" she asked still holding onto him. " yes I am ok now." he replied. " something was different this time." he rubbed his head. " it was like something came at me thru my power. Sort of like a backlash." " It seems our enemy has indeed found a new and destructive power." Yosho commented. "that jurai ship is hailing us." Kiyone said opening up a channel. A screen opened up in front of the ships front windshield. "Yagami this is the battleship Anoiyo are you there?" said the imposing figure on the screen. He was very broad shouldered with graying brown hair and mustache. " Yagami it is good to see you are still alive." the man said seeing his screen open to view the crew inside the G.P. ship. " I am First Crown Princess of Jurai who am I speaking with." Ayeka stepped in front of the screen. The figure bowed. " Princess Ayeka it is good to see you safe." he raised to look at her. " I am captain Yama I have been ordered by the Queens of Jurai to bring you, Princess Sasami, Lord Yosho, Lord Tenchi, and their friends and family back to Jurai." the captain looked over and saw Yosho. His eyes widened. "my Lord." he bowed deeply. " Our ship has been severely damaged. It will take us weeks to repair the damage to even be able to fly." his bow became even lower " I am sorry I have failed in my mission." "Quite the contrary." Yosho said. "we are still here. I would say your mission is not yet over." Captain Yama raised from his bow. " we will get to Jurai." Yosho finished before leaving the bridge. Inside Washu's lab the others where gathered. On a silver table with a light beamed down on it. Lay the still form of Ryo-oki. There where several wires and tubes running from the cabbit to various machines. Over the table was Washu. She was studying the wound on her belly closely. She noticed along the outer edges of the cut where dark beads of some sticky type substance. What ever it was. Wasn't allowing the cabbit's cells to heal. The others looked on from a glass window. Washu had insisted that they stay out of her way. She brought up her holo-computer. She scanned the information she was getting from the screen. " this is not good." she looked down at the little cabbit. " there is nothing that I can do for you. All the knowledge of the universe and there is nothing to give me the answers I need." she lowered her head. Outside the room looking thru the glass was Ryoko, Z and Sasami. "if Washu needed my help. Then I wonder why she wanted me to stay out here?" Sasami asked more to herself then to anyone. Then she saw Washu lower her head. "No! Washu you can't let her die, you just can't" Sasami ran out of the lab crying. "Sasami." a soft voice called to her. She stopped running to look for the source of the voice. A warm comforting feeling flowed over her. " Tsunami." the Princess's ruby eyes became vacant. She held out her arms and closed her eyes. "by my royal seal and my true name, please open the path to our ancestors the space trees. Heaven to ocean, ocean to earth, earth back to heaven show me the path created by the light." Sasami rose off the ground, a luminous white light surrounding her little body. " Kiyone would you be so kind to take the Yagami over to the Anoiyo to pick up the crew." Kiyone snapped out of her work from the controls. " right." she answered turning to her controls. Back inside Washu's lab Ryoko and Z had came in to stand beside the table where Ryo-oki was laying. Suddenly the room was filled with a soft blue light. Ryoko shot a look at the light's source. " Tsunami." Ryoko stepped back a little . Z's eyes went wide. He dropped to one knee his head bowed low. He placed his master key on the ground in front of him. " goddess Tsunami I am humbled before you." Ryoko glanced down at her guardian then back to the goddess. Tsunami smiled down at him. " raise noble Knight." Z slowly looked up at her. He was having trouble getting air into his lungs. As a child growing up, the stories that where told about Tsunami where well known. But never in all his dreams had ever though he would see her. The goddess moved up next to the table. She looked down at Ryo-oki. Z finally got his body to work again. He picked up his sword and stood up. Moving just behind Ryoko. Washu came in. a stack of books in her hand " Tsunami you are here." she said seeing the goddess. Tsunami placed her hand over the wound. A warm glow flowed from her hand. Washu came up next to her quietly watching. As the glow fell over the dark substance it began to react. A thick black claw shot out of the wound. It tried to grasp at the goddess but the glow held it off. Tsunami cried out in pain but still held her hand out. Z's sword activated. He raised it to strike when Tsunami held out her other hand to him. " No Z stop." she told him. . Her stare stopped him in his tracks. Ryoko had also ignited her energy sword. She to obeyed the goddess and didn't come any closer. The claw had tried anew to take a hold of Tsunami's hand. She focused more of her power to holding it off. The strain shown in her face. The symbol on her forehead began to glow brighter. " Washu." she turned to the fiery haired genius. " sister...... Help me." there was a loud clang on the floor. Z was standing there jaw hanging. " sister?" his mind echoed. Shocking him so thoroughly that he had dropped his sword. Ryoko's defensive stance had turned into just a straight stand. "this has got to be some kind of mistake?" she thought. Washu looked up at Tsunami blinking once. Then not really sure why she placed her hand over her sisters. Washu let her power flow into Tsunami's. the warm blue glow was now intermixed with bright red swirls. The claw began to change, no longer where there long jagged nails or disfigured features over the skin. Instead there was a slender female hand. A black aura of power was forming around it. The hand reached again for tsunami. The black power formed over the blue and red power that was coming from Washu and tsunami. The hand folded over both of theirs. At first it looked like a feeling of calm came over both ladies. The hand suddenly changed back into the black claw it had been before> It dug it's claws deep into both of their hands. They screamed out. Ryoko and Z both dropped to their knees Holding their heads in pain. On the bridge of the Yagami the Captain of the Anoiyo was filling Yosho and Ayeka on the events so far on Juri. Ayeka suddenly grabbed her head and fell to the floor. "Ayeka!" Yosho called out before he to was overcome by a sharp pain in his head. Kiyone and Mihoshi both cried out in pain as what ever happened to the prince and princess hit them to. The captain was screaming over the monitor. " PRINCESS AYEKA, PRINCE YOSHO!" he stare franticly at the screen. "Get this ship over there NOW!!" he screamed orders to his crew. Nobiyuki was walking back to the house " I hope Sasami's little pet is ok." he said out loud even though no was there to hear him. His eyes got wide as he saw a band of black power swipe past him. For a split second his mind was flooded with images. Things he couldn't sparsely believe. Then it was gone replaced by a enormous blast of pain. That blacked him out. Inside the lab Washu and Tsunami rallied their powers. The red and blue was snaking its way over the clawed hand. The tendrils of power where working their way under the skin of the claw. Tsunami's power symbol was ablaze. Ryoko saw a red glow just under Washu's neck line of her shirt. She looked and saw those same glows on each of her wrist as well. The pain had left almost as fast as it had come. The claw started to crack small beams of light began to burst thru the blackness of it's skin. Shortly it burst apart and fizzled into nothingness. Washu was the first to recover. " I have felt that before. It is very familiar." she rubbed her chin looking down at the cabbit. What ever that was had completely left. The wound was already visibly better And she seemed to be resting "Washu the time has come." Tsunami spoke once she to had recovered. Tenchi was on his way down to the house to see how Ryo-oki was doing. He was really worried about the little cabbit. His face went blank as he stared at the black band of energy bearing down at him. All he had time to do was throw up his arms before the energy burst over him. Tenchi was flung backwards into the air. He screamed out. A shearing pain was piercing deep into his chest. Then it was there, that feeling of power coming from deep in his soul. The emblem on his forehead came to life. The black power was beginning to be pushed back. The pain started to lessen and was soon gone. In front of him the three wings of the Lighthawk. The wings shimmered with power, dissipating the blackness around it. Soon it was completely gone. Tenchi stood there a moment longer before the Lighthawk wings disappeared. He blinked looking around him, again his great power gone. Just up the corridor in front of him lay his father. " DAD!" he cried out running to the body laying there. He dropped down Lifting Nobiyuki up. "Dad wake up." he was patting him on the cheek hoping to stir him awake. Nobiyuki groaned out "oh my head hurts." he shuddered out grabbing his head. "dad are you ok?" Tenchi asked helping his father up a little more. "Tenchi what was that?" " I don't know dad." he looked back down the hall where the black force had vanished. " I don't know" " the time has come for what?" Washu addressed the jurian goddess. "you once told Dr Clay that you did not Remember anything past 20,000 years." Tsunami replied. "I'll not inquire as to how you came to know that." Washu smiled at her. " so what are you saying to me exactly?" Tsunami lowered her head a moment, her face washed over with sorrow. "Tokime is here." she raised up looking at Washu once again. " it is time for you to remember." Washu stepped back clutching her shirt collar tightly. For a moment she was completely caught off guard. But she quickly regained herself. Her knowing smile returned. " what is it you have to show me?" Out side of the Yagami not far off of its starboard side. Space began to bend " captain something is coming out of subspace." Captain Yama glanced up at the screen in front of him. His eyes grew wider a bright glow flowed over the screen bathing his face in a brilliant blue glow. The other officers on the bridge stared in awe at the screen. " Tsunami." the captain spoke in reverence. Outside the flagship of juri was moving majestically towards the two crippled ships. her ten glorious Lighthawk wings displayed in front of her. On the bridge of the Yagami, Ayeka, Mihoshi, and Kiyone, stared wide eyed at the ship before them. Only Yosho's look remain unchanged. His wise brown eyes following the flagship as she pulled up along side the Yagami. "captain I believe a way has presented itself for us to get to juri." he said turning to leave the bridge. The outer door slid open and he step thru. Stopping his walk. "come on ladies time is short I think." the door slid shut. The girls looked at each other then back out to the ship and then at the door that Yosho had just went thru. " brother Wait!" Ayeka called out running after him. Kiyone jumped up to go after Ayeka at the same second as Mihoshi. Both girls collided with each other. Ayeka was just about out the door when she heard a loud noise behind her. She turned to see the two G. P. officers in a tangle on the floor. " oh Mihoshi...Really." she rolled her eyes. Ayeka left them to fend for themselves. She couldn't help but to smile as she heard them from behind the door. " MIHOSHI!!" " Sorry." "come Washu the answer you seek are on the planet of jurai." Tsunami reached out her hand for Washu. Ryoko caught on to what was happening. " hey wait a minute you are not going to juri without me." she stepped towards Washu. "some one is trying to hurt my Tenchi." she raised her hand up in front of her, pressing it into a fist. " now they have to deal with me." a passionate fire burning in her golden eyes. Washu's sharp eyes caught Z lower his head just slightly. " do not worry Ryoko everyone on this ship is needed there." Tsunami spoke as she shimmered out of sight. Before the others could even react they to shimmered out of sight. The group was gathered at the main tree of the ship all except Tenchi and Nobiyuki. Ayeka was kneeling down on her knees resting close to the trunk of the tree. She became aware of something moving. Startled she looked up. Her heart leaped. " Lord Tenchi!" the others also looked up. Tenchi was walking up the path that led to the tree the girls where under. Ryoko took to the air. " Tenchi!!!!!!" she flew into him, embracing him in a air squeezing hug. " Oh I have missed you ." she said snuggling into his neck. "Ryoko...I..Can't....breath." he choked out. "Oh." she giggled "I am sorry Tenchi." she let up on her embrace but still holding him close. He looked up to find himself face to face with the Princess. He blinked once before she to embraced him tightly. " Oh I was so worried about you ." he could hear the anguish in her voice. "Meow ! Meow!" Ryo-oki came hoping from around the tree "Ryo-oki!?" Tenchi exclaimed. " You are alright now. That is great." he finished when the little cabbit jumped into his arms. "Meow Meow." she said happily. " I think I have something you might like." Ryo-oki hopped up on his head while he fished in his pocket. " ahh here it is." he pulled out a big orange carrot. He held it up to her. "MEOW!!" Ryo-oki took the carrot and hopped to the ground. She gave the vegetable a big hug before she began munching happily on it. " come on now girls let him breath will ya." Washu said getting up from the stump she was sitting on. Ayeka remembered herself she blushed furiously and immediately let him go. "Oh excuse me." but Ryoko wasn't about to let him go. She stuck her tongue out at her mother. But she stopped suddenly when she felt him gently pulling her arm from him. She allowed him to take her arm and let him go. But she still stayed a breaths length from him. " Washu." Tenchi became very serious. " dad and I where attacked by some kind of evil power." " we all where Tenchi. It was the power from the cannons that those ships had." she walked over to edge of the little island that the tree grew on. She looked thoughtfully in the water. " Tokime." she said. Z shuddered. His mind was suddenly filled with a powerful sense of dayjavu "Tokime." he thought. " I know that name. But from where." his mind could not break thru . There was nothing but blanks. " Tokime?" Tenchi asked " What is that?" Washu looked over at him and smiled. " not What Tenchi, Who." she walked away from the water " I don't know yet but I am going to find out." she snapped her fingers. To her left a portal opened up. She stepped halfway in. " Oh Tenchi." she called to him. " Um Yes Washu." he answered suddenly feeling very nervous. " come down to the lab tonight ok. I will wrap up early so we can be alone." she grinned seductively at him. Ryoko glared at her. "What are you talking about? If he spends the night with anybody it will be me." she growled . Washu laughed once before she disappeared into the portal. Tenchi just stood there the color in his face refusing to come back. On a shimmering screen another universe away was showing the image of Tsunami pulling away from the two crippled ships. The Yagami began using maneuvering thrusters to set a course back to earth. "the weapons infused with your power was indeed no match for the Lighthawk wings." his huge face floating just off from the image. "there will be no trouble from them to take the planet." Tokime gazed into the image. " What about the ship?" d3 asked her. "Slow them down but do not kill them." her gaze never changed. " they must not get there before my plans are ready." " my ships are no match for her." D3 responded. " Yes they need a better defense.......and a flagship to lead them." she closed her eyes. In front of D3 appeared a image of a colossal ship. The space galleon looked much the other ships of the fleet only on a much grander scale. The both starboard sides of the ship held two of the great cannons. The main sail held the image of the huge fist clutching a bolt of lightening. " my lady that is impressive, but how will it hold up against the power of Tsunami?" D3"s face shimmered as a light began to glow from the image in front of him. "as you will my lady." he spoke his face disappearing from the image of the ship. Tokime watched the ship for a little while longer. Then she changed the image. Sitting on a large tree root next to a small pond where Tenchi and Ryoko. There was a very deep low growl "promise me mother when you get what you want from them that I can have the eternal pleasure of killing those two." Kagato step out from the darkness. He was himself again in every detail except two. His eyes where now as gray as his skin. And inside he could feel a power stronger then he had ever dreamed to imagine. Everyday his mother taught him how to master more and more of it. " the girls is of no concern you may do with her as you wish. But the boy ." she paused for a moment. " I must know the secret of his powers ." she looked off into space. Her minds eyes searching to pages of time, trying to see its secrets. But she could not see this outcome. She could not penetrate the darkness that covered it. "Tenchi?" Ryoko sat down next to him on the tree root. "huh?" he looked over to see her sitting down. " Oh Ryoko you should be resting with the others." " I know but I couldn't sleep so I went to watch you ." she looked down knowing he didn't like when she watched him. " I know you don't like it but I just wanted to see you even for a little while." he heard her tone getting softer. Not really knowing why he reached out and put his hand over hers. She looked up at him surprised. This must be some kind of accident she thought. But when she looked into his warm smiling face. She knew it was for real. "Ryoko I'll admit when you first started doing that I was creeped out about it. But I don't mind it so much anymore." "really?" she asked sweetly. He squeezed her hand gently. " yes really." she leaned closer to him. He didn't know why but he did not want to pull away from her either. "Tenchi!!" Ayeka called out. " Lord Tenchi where are you?" she looked over and saw them sitting there together. Her eye brows lowered. " Ryoko What are you doing." she demanded. Tenchi startled by the outburst jumped up from Ryoko. " Miss Ayeka we weren't doing anything." he stammered scratching the back of his head. Ayeka marched up to them. ' Lord Tenchi she was trying to seduce you." " What!......no she wasn't." he began to back slowly away. " and what if I was." Ryoko said suggestively . " Lord Tenchi would never want to be seduced by some one as low as you ." this set it off. Ryoko stood up her eyes glaring at the princess. " take that back princess." she hissed, energy beginning to crackle over her hands. " Ummmmm..ladies." Tenchi tried to cut in. " I will not take it back." Ayeka replied staring fiercely back at Ryoko and completely ignoring Tenchi. " After all it is the truth you are going to have to face this fact one day." " I have had enough." Ryoko's energy sword came to life. " Princess it is time to finally show you just how weak you really are." she took to the air. Tenchi saw his chance and ran for cover. " and it time for you Miss Ryoko to see that you are really not wanted here. Lord Tenchi and I are destined to be together." " over my dead body." Ryoko shouted firing a blast of laser fire at Ayeka. " My thoughts Exactly." Ayeka retorted. Small logs appearing around Ryoko. " STOP IT!!! Both of you!" both girls froze. They looked over at Tenchi. He was standing next to the tree his face was cold as stone. " Stop this." his voice was much lower but still held that coldness about it. "all you two do is fight over who I like. You don't care who you hurt or what you destroy." he lowered his head a little looking down at the ground. " you have never even asked me who I liked." he looked back up at them the anger returning to his face. " if I had to choose right now Mihoshi would win." both girls went pale at this. " at least she doesn't act like a child." he turned and walked out leaving them to there thoughts. " he thinks of me as nothing more then a spoiled child fighting over a favorite toy." Ayeka's heart sank Ryoko lowered herself to the ground. Ayeka could see the tears running down the pirates cheeks. They both stood there for a bit. Neither one saying anything. " he is right you know." Ryoko finally spoke. " why would he chose either one of us when every time we are around him we are fighting." Ayeka thought about this for a moment. "Ryoko this is the second time that I agree with you ." Remembering the time they had tried to get rid of Washu and Mihoshi. " so what are we going to do about this?" Ayeka smiled at her. " I have a idea." Ryoko smiled back. Deep in the ship alone in a small room lay Nobiyuki. His skin covered in a thin film of sweat. His mind was racing with images, things he could not even put a name to. "what is wrong with me?" he thought. Was this the future he was seeing. He just didn't know so many Questions and not one single answer came to him. Suddenly his mind flashed a bright white light completely wiping out the images. With the light came instead of total forgetfulness, there was in it's place understanding. He sat up he knew now what he must do. He headed for the Maski house. He needed to get to his drawing table. He had a lot of work to do. At the royal palace of Jurai Queen Funaho was receiving a subspace massage from the fleet admiral. " My Queen we are almost upon the Greek fleet." the admiral reported to her. " that is very good engage them at once." her eyes narrowed at the screen. " show them no mercy." Queen Maski finished for her sister. The admiral swallowed hard at the deadly looks for his queens. " As you wish my Queens. We have gotten our scans back and they show that we out number their ships at least five to one." he bowed to them " I will avenge our king." he said his voice somber as the screen went blank. On the bridge of the Admiral's flag ship it was the second strongest ship next to the awesome power of Tsunami stood the admiral " set a course to intercept the Greek Fleet." his orders where Relayed thru out the fleet. The massive armada began to move forward. " Admiral!" one of the Ensigns shouted. "Behind the main Enemy fleet is a single ship sir and it is big." he turned to look up at the admiral. " very big." The Admiral looked at the large dot on his screen. " Run A Scan on that ship. I want to know what it is and what it is doing out there all alone." he ordered. His eyes widened when a image of the Greek flagship came up on his view screen. " engage main engines." he ordered " we must get to the main fleet before that ship gets there." Tokime watched the events carefully " our plan is working perfectly." Kagato's cryptic voice filled the room. " so it seems." she answered never looking away from the scene before her. " go my son it is time." Kagato smiled and vanished. Well, well, well, so we are getting closer and closer. What is to become of the goddesses? What has gotten in to Nobiyuki? Is Tenchi getting closer to choosing one true love? Can the Jurai fleet reach the main fleet of the Greeks before the flagship does? And who the heck is licking my toes????? Oops *Blush* sorry ... Anyway these Questions and others to be answered in the next chapters. Except the toes thing * cause I am to afraid to look under my computer desk to see what it is.* I hope you are enjoying this story and don't be afraid to let me know how you are liking it or not liking it *shudder* heck I will even respond. So till next chapter good reading.!!!