"Tenchi Muyo!" and all characters herein are the property of Pioneer and AIC, save those created by the author.  This is a fanfic, is not for profit, and does not express the views of Pioneer or AIC.

Dedication: this is dedicated to all of those serving at home and abroad to protect the freedoms we cherish.  Thank you and God bless. 

Tenchi Muyo! Odyssey 
Chapter One: Sacrifice


	In every age and every time a champion is chosen to combat the evil in this universe.  The ancient Council of the Elder chooses a person they deem worthy of this fellowship.  The fellowship is great honor, but it comes at a great sacrifice.  Once again the face of darkness has cast its shadow upon the universe.  Chaos and disorder reign supreme.  The time has come for a new champion to rise up from the sea of darkness.


	"Give it back Ryoko!" screamed an irate princess Ayeka.  The cyan trussed space pirate had cut her evening soap opera session short just as it was getting to the good part.  "I said give it back Ryoko!"  Instead of handing back the remote Ryoko defiantly stuck her tongue out at Ayeka and plopped down right in front of the fuming princess.

	"No way," retorted Ryoko.  "I'm tired of that sappy crap.  Its time for some butt whoopin'!" She proceeded to change the channel to the local sports station.  A muscled wrestler was performing a reckless stunt onto his hapless opponent.  "Oh yeah!  That's what I'm talking about!"

	"Wrestling?" shouted Ayeka.  "You interrupt my soap operas to watch wre-wre-wrestling?" Her voice raised an octave or two as her anger built.  "This is an insult to not only my intelligence, but every one else's in this house!"

	"Keep it down Princess!" admonished Ryoko, never missing a second of the match.  "This is the main event!"

	"No one else wants to watch this rubbish," snorted Ayeka.  "Only children and mindless..."  

	"Oh wow!" said Sasami running to sit by Ryoko.  "I almost missed it!"

	"Sasami?"
	
	"It's him!" squealed Mihoshi.  "I love The Champ!"

	"Am I the only one here that sees this as pointless dribble?" inquired Ayeka to no one in particular.  Mihoshi, Sasami, and Ryoko never heard her.  They were too engrossed in watching the champ pound the living daylights out of his poor opponent.

	"I think it's childish as well," commented Kiyone taking a seat next to Ayeka.  "This stuff is just an over-scripted live action cartoon."

	"I agree entirely Kiyone."

	"But the champ is kinda cute."  Ayeka just sighed.  She new that any further argument would be pointless.  Begrudgingly she sat back and watched the 'sports entertainment'.  

	'Kiyone may have a point,' she mused.  Before long she too was drawn into the mindless mayhem and carnage presented by the promotion.  Just as the show got interesting the one thing that could draw them away from the television happened.

	Tenchi.

	"I'm home," he called from the foyer.  Tenchi dropped his satchel and slipped off his shoes just in time for the usual evening barrage to land.  He began a mental count down:

	Three.
	Two.
	One.

	"Tenchi!" squealed Ryoko as she flew towards him.  She wrapped her arms around his neck and swung around him landing in his arms.

	"Good evening Lord Tenchi," said Ayeka gracefully.

	"Hello Ryoko," he said quietly.  "Ayeka."

	"Miss Ryoko," began Ayeka.  "Get your hands off of Lord Tenchi!  Behavior like that is entirely inappropriate!"  Ayeka's temper was rising and Tenchi could see it.  He softly sat Ryoko down and eased her arms from his neck.

	"Why do you have to spoil my fun?" pouted Ryoko.  "I just wanted to hug 
Tenchi."  She looked at Tenchi with puppy dog eyes trying to gain his sympathy, but he was cornered.

	"Listen demon," growled Ayeka.  The first miniature guardians had begun to appear around her.

	"Uh-oh," commented Tenchi and Ryoko simultaneously.

	"Keep it down in there!" came the voices of Sasami, Mihoshi, and Kiyone.  
"We're watching this!"  Ayeka nearly fell over as Tenchi and Ryoko raced pass her to get a seat in front of the television.  The tension of the moment before was lost as everyone was pulled back into the staged theatrics.

	"Why bother," sighed Ayeka taking her seat again on the couch.  'If I can't win at least I can chaperone.'  After another half hour or so the show ended and life returned to normal, or what passed as normal.

	"Come on Mihoshi," said Kiyone dragging her partner up from the couch.   "We've got to patrol tonight."

	"But I wanna watch Space Police Policeman," begged the blonde GP.  "Its my favorite.  The Purple Policeman is so awesome!"

	"You ARE a space policeman so come off it!" Kiyone barked.  "We have work to do."  Reluctantly Mihoshi pulled herself away from the television are fumbled with her control cube.  Her and Kiyone's civilian clothes were replaced by their GP uniforms.  

	"We're off!" said Kiyone as they blinked out of sight.  A second later the roar of Yukonojo's engines reverberated thru the house.  

	"I feel safer already," joked Ryoko.

	"At least THEY are contributing to society, instead of detracting from it miss Ryoko," shot back Ayeka.  In the blink of an eye a playful situation became a tense one.  Ryoko was about to come back at Ayeka when Tenchi gave her a stern look.  Instead she just sighed and phased out of sight.  

	"What?" asked Ayeka.  "I was just making an observation Lord Tenchi."

	"It was uncalled for Ayeka," returned Tenchi.  "I wish you two would be kinder to each other."

	"So you're taking her side now I see," said Ayeka curtly.   

	"I'm not taking sides, I'm just taking the middle."  This carried on for a few minutes longer, each one trying to gain the upper hand, but it was to no avail.  When Ayeka was angry there was no reasoning with her.  Tenchi left Ayeka on the couch and retired to his room.  He had studying to do and bickering was not on his agenda for the night.  As he studied he kept coming back to what Ayeka had said to him.

	"Honestly you are the most indecisive person I have ever known."

	True he was indecisive to a degree, but he was trying to protect her feelings as well.  But still her words stung.  He wanted to say, but he was scared of the outcome.  One of the girls would be hurt, and the thought of that was not what he wanted.  In fact his mind had been made ever since he returned from Haruna's dimension. But he just didn't want to hurt anyone.  The only thing that was clear is that tonight's study session would be cut short.  Dejected he laid back on his bed, pondering his existence...

       
	"This is most interesting," mused the Elder.  From their celestial perch they had been watching the events on earth for quite some time now.  They had taken interest in Tenchi Masaki a while back, and now they decided to see if he was the one.  "This lad has potential, but what will it take to bring it out."  


	The first snow of winter began to fall upon the tiny shrine outside Yokohama.  Princess Sasami was playing outside with Ryo-Ohki in the crisp air when Tenchi came home.  Today was the last day of finals and now he had two weeks of vacation time between semesters.  Two weeks to relax and avoid being caught between Ayeka and Ryoko...

	"Lord Tenchi, it is nice to have you home," welcomed Ayeka.  Tenchi returned her pleasant smile as he shivered.  The wind had just picked up and it seemed colder than before.


	"This is not good," pondered Katsuhito at the Masaki Shrine.  "This is a wind of change, but will it be a change for the better or worse."


	"What is the matter Lord Tenchi?" asked Ayeka.  She had asked him this twice before, but he seemed to be off in another part of the space-time continuum.  

	"I don't know Ayeka," said Tenchi returning to this reality.  "I just felt something strange, as if a something." He was cut short as a dark figure appeared in the window behind Ayeka.  The shattering of glass and Ayeka's shriek pierced the quiet afternoon.  With a sickening thud Ryoko landed at Tenchi's feet.  

	"What the hell," he began as the shadow passed thru the wall.  By now Ayeka had summoned her guardians, and the multitude of diminutive logs were floating around her and Tenchi.  

	"Who are you?" demanded Tenchi as he knelt by Ryoko.  "What do you want here?"

	"I am here to see if you are the one," replied the dark stranger.  He looked down on Tenchi, Ayeka, and Ryoko thru his obsidian helm.  The boy looked too diminutive to be worthy of the fellowship.  'This runt defeated Kagato and Kain?' he thought to himself.   

	"What do you mean 'the one'?" inquired Tenchi as he helped Ryoko to her feet.  She seemed to be fine, just a little shook up.  But who was this person and why did he want with him?  Why was he here?  And what did he do to Ryoko?

	"I am here to see if you are worthy of what you have been chosen to inherit.  But before you do a sacrifice must be made."   The stranger raised his hands to his obsidian helm and took it off.  His flowing silver hair and ivory skin stood in stark contrast to his dark armor.  "A sacrifice few can handle."

	"Listen," growled Ryoko.  "The only sacrifice that's going to be made around here is you throwing your life away."

	"It will not be my life that is sacrificed here today," replied the stranger.  "It would be wise to have your friends to not interfere, boy," he said clutching the hilt of his broad sword.  Tenchi nodded and Kiyone and Mihoshi lowered their blasters.  They had arrived just a moment before and taken aim at the intruder.  Reluctantly they obeyed Tenchi's unspoken order.

	"That goes for the witch as well." Tenchi motioned for Washu not to interfere either.  She just frowned and backed off, but Tenchi could tell that she communicating with Ryoko across their link.  

	"What are you talking about?" demanded Tenchi.  "What am I going to inherit and what do you mean make a sacrifice?"  

	"Here today you will begin an odyssey to prove your worthiness of the fellowship.  But before you begin you must make a of sacrifice your true love."  The stranger narrowed his ice blue eyes onto Tenchi, Ayeka, and Ryoko.  "Which one will it be: the demoness or the princess.  Choose wisely young prince."

	"Now wait a minute," began Tenchi.   For Ayeka and Ryoko the stranger's words had come like daggers to their hearts.  For two years they had wondered just which one 
Tenchi had fallen in love with.  He had carefully hid his feelings while trying not to hurt theirs.  Now this stranger was threatening to kill the one he loved?

	"How can you force him to decide?!" demanded Ryoko.  "Tenchi will tell us who he loves when he good and damn ready!"

	"I concur," seconded Ayeka.  "No one shall force Lord Tenchi's decision.  Not I, Ryoko, nor you."

	"I will not force his decision," laughed the stranger, "just reveal it: for he has already chosen."

	"What?" came up from everyone present.  Ryoko and Ayeka stared at Tenchi in disbelief.  Tenchi's jaw nearly hit the ground when the stranger made this proclamation.

	"Lord Tenchi?" asked Ayeka.

	"Tenchi?" seconded Ryoko.  For his part all Tenchi could do was to try to form words.

	"It is true, and now she dies!"  With that he reached towards Ayeka and fired a dark energy bolt.


Time stood still.  A scream of protest rose up.  A princess screamed.  A love was taken.

The winter snow fell silently upon the Masaki home.   No one dared to speak.  They had just witnessed something no one should ever have to see.  Their silence stood in mute testimony to what had just transpired.  The winter snow fell silently upon them.   


	Ayeka opened her eyes to see Ryoko standing in front of her trembling.  Everyone else just stood in total shock.  As the dark bolt hurled towards Ayeka, Ryoko had teleported in front of her, taking the full force of the bolt.

	"Oh God no," whispered Ayeka, cradling Ryoko as she fell back.

	"Ryoko." said Tenchi quietly as she fell back into Ayeka's arms. 

	"Just as I suspected," said the stranger.  "His true love was revealed by an act of selfless sacrifice.  Boy you have a fortnight to complete the odyssey in order to save her.  If you fail, she dies."

	"What have you done!" demanded Tenchi as he cradled Ryoko.  She managed a faint smile towards him before she slipped off into unconsciousness.

	"I have placed her into a state of death similar suspended animation," explained the stranger.  "Your task will be outlined by this talisman.  The witch can tell you more.   I bid thee good luck."  The necklace dropped to the snow covered ground as the stranger faded from sight, leaving Tenchi and the others surrounding Ryoko.

	"Ryoko," cried Tenchi.  She was breathing, but barely.

	"I've got to get her to the lab," said a distraught Washu.  "Someone help me dammit!"  Tenchi gently picked up Ryoko and carried her into the lab.  Once inside Ayeka finally gathered the courage to speak to Tenchi.
 
	"Tenchi," cried Ayeka.  "Is this true?  Do you love Ryoko?"  She had wanted to know for the longest which one of them Tenchi loved, but to find out this way... It was almost more than she could handle.  

	"It is." 
	
	"Did she know?"           

	 "No."

	"Oh God." 

	Tenchi sighed as he watched Ryoko lying in Washu's stasis field.  It is true: he loved her.  He had for quite some time now.  He had just never found the courage to say so.  Now his chance may have been lost forever.

	"Lord Tenchi," said Washu, never missing a keystroke.  "Part of me wants to teleport you to another dimension for this."  Tenchi gulped as he imagined the type of hellish place a peeved Washu would choose.  "But that will not save my daughter."

	"She's alive?" he asked quietly, feeling somewhat relieved that he would remain in this dimension for the time being.

	"Yes.  As Baltus said she is just in suspended animation.  But her condition is deteriorating.  He was not joking when he said you have two weeks to save her."

	"You know this person miss Washu?" asked a startled Kiyone.  

	"I 'knew' Baltus long before any of you were ever conceived.  He is the emissary of the Elder."

	"I thought the Elder were just a myth," said Ayeka.  "A story told to frighten little children."

	"They are real," answered Washu.  "In every age they select a champion, someone who must make a grave sacrifice and prove their worthiness in order to get it back."

	"But why me?" inquired a very confused Tenchi.

 	"You defeated Kagato and Kain.  You have shown great power and compassion.  
You have everything they desire in a champion.  You just have to prove your worth to the Elder.  Tenchi: let me see that medallion."  Tenchi pulled the gold disk from his pocket and handed it to Washu.  The talisman was covered in what looked like Japanese writing, but it was more archaic than modern calligraphy.

	"That looks like ancient Juraian," said Ayeka as she studied the glyphs.

	"It is," replied Washu.

	"I thought it was ancient Japanese," said Tenchi.

	"It is that as well.  Jurai colonized this region of the earth over twenty        millennia ago.  But soon afterwards all contact was lost and the two civilizations evolved on separate paths."

	"Why did they loose contact, miss Washu?" asked Tenchi.

	"That was partly my fault."

	"Yours Little Washu?" asked Ayeka.  "How?"

	"I can answer that," said the image of Tsunami rising from Sasami.  "Twenty thousand years ago there was a war in heaven.  The Elder dissolved the Juraian trinity and Jurai was cast into a state of darkness."

	"The Juraian trinity?" asked Ayeka.  "I have never heard of any god other than Tsunami."	

	"That is because we locked all of the memories of the war away, so that people could move on," answered Tsunami.

	"As you know Tsunami is the goddess of light.  I was the goddess of wisdom," began Washu.

	"And the third goddess was Tokimi, goddess of change.  She was exiled to the eternal realm," continued Tsunami.  "I stayed to watch over Jurai."

	"And I devolved my godhood and set out among the mortal world," interjected Washu.  "I never dreamed that the Elder would choose someone close to me to be their champion."

	"Neither did I Washu," continued Tsunami.  "Tenchi, in order to save Ryoko you must survive the odyssey that the Elder have laid out before you."

	"What is it Tsunami?"

	"You must collect the five Juraian Elements," began Tsunami.  "The Light Stone, the Air Stone, the Water Stone, the Earth Stone, and the Fire Stone.  They are scattered across the galaxy, hidden far from the path of man.  The obverse of the talisman has a place for each stone.  The reverse is inscribed with the directions to find each stone."

	"What happens when all of them are gathered?" asked Kiyone.

	"Tenchi will be judged," said Washu.  "And if he is deemed worthy, Ryoko will be restored to him."

	"And if they judge against me?" asked Tenchi.

	"Ryoko will be lost."

	"I understand what I must do."

	"Do you son?" came the voice of Katsuhito.  "The path you have chosen to follow is difficult.  The last champion chosen by the Elder did not live up to their expectations."

	"How do you know that grandpa?"

	"Because I was that champion," revealed Katsuhito.  "I completed my odyssey, but they judged my heart to be impure.  I wanted to be the champion, and for that they found me to be haughty.  Conceited.  It was true.  And for my mistake, Kagato was allowed to live for another thousand years."

	"You will be allowed to choose one companion for the odyssey," stated Tsunami.  "Choose wisely."

	"Ayeka, would you join me?" asked Tenchi.

	"I do not want you to go," said Ayeka.  "You do not have to submit yourself to this."

	"That's twice you've said that," answered Tenchi, looking at Ryoko.

	"What do you mean?"

	"You said the same thing when Kagato attacked and took Ryoko.  I did not forsake her then and I will not forsake her now.  Just as I would never forsake you, Ayeka."  Everyone stood silent as Tenchi held Ryoko's hand.  "I will save you Ryoko.  I promise."

	"Of course I will help you Lord Tenchi," said a shamed Ayeka.

	"The first challenge is to retrieve the stone of water," said Washu as the talisman began to project a holographic map of the earth.  "According to this it is located on an island southwest of here."

	"Then lets go," said Tenchi grabbing the medallion.  A ring of light began to circle him and Ayeka.

	"Tenchi take this," said Katsuhito as he tossed him the hilt of Tenchi-ken.

	"Thanks grandpa."

	"Good luck you two," began Washu.  "You're going to need it."

	The circle of light enveloped Tenchi and Ayeka, teleporting them from Washu's lab.  In their absence everyone waited silently.  It was quite some time before any one dared to speak.

	"Can he do it Washu?" asked a scared Sasami.

	"If anyone can do it, Tenchi can," answered Washu.  "I have faith in him."

And so begins Tenchi's odyssey.  To save Ryoko he must complete his quest before the sands of time expire.

To be continued.