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


Tenchi Muyo! Odyssey
Chapter Twenty: Fire Storm by William Nichols


	"Go on," ushered Marnot as Ayeka paused over the threshold to the 
sanctuary.  Tenchi had already disappeared into the darkness of the temple while 
she cast one last gaze back towards Marnot.   Ayeka raised her hand up to give a 
slight wave, but quickly returned it to her side.  Marnot nodded in 
acknowledgement of her gesture as the massive doors closed behind Ayeka with the 
sound of stone scraping stone. 

	Marnot closed his eyes and sighed softly.  He knew the future as well any 
eternal could.  He had scried the lines of fate countless times.  And each time 
they led to the same conclusion.  And that was a conclusion he doubted that he 
could live with.

	But now there was one out here in the canyon that needed dealing with, and 
for that Marnot had to be patient.  It would come to him, so for know he kneeled 
before the sanctuary and entered into a deep meditation.
  
***

	The interior of the sanctuary of fire was unlike any other that Tenchi had 
experienced since this Odyssey had begun.  The first sanctuary had dealt with 
all aspects of water.  The second was cold and dark as the stone it represented.  
The third had been centered on the concept of change, just as the wind.  Now 
Tenchi and Ayeka had entered into the realm of fire.  

	At first the antechamber of the temple was just as all of those before it.  
Its rough-hewn rock walls were scorched and singed.  Dark burns reached up to 
the ceiling concealing what had once been beautiful frescos and friezes.  At the 
far end of the chamber another set of doors guarded the entrance into the 
sanctuary proper.  These were just as massive as those guarding the entrance but 
they differed in a key regard:  They were metal.  

	Tenchi had noticed that the rock walls of the entry chamber had 
transitioned form rough rock to smooth metal as they neared the doors.  The 
transition finalized as they stopped before the doors.  They were etched with 
many images of what looked like Washu, only more divine somehow.  

	Chief among the images was one depicting Washu as the goddess of the 
forge.  She was holding a large smith's hammer above her head preparing to 
strike an object being held against an anvil.  All around this Washu smith were 
what looked like inventions of all sorts.  Obviously in the old Juraian trinity 
Washu was worshipped as the patron of inventiveness and creativity.  Some things 
never change Tenchi thought.  Once again in the center of the doors was the 
large emblem of the Light hawk tri-foil.  Tenchi reached up and placed his hand 
on the emblem.  When he did the wings of the light hawk began to glow brightly 
and the doors slid open.  What lay behind them was enough to take ones breath 
away.

	"Oh my," commented Ayeka as the light of the sanctuary bathed across them.

	"That's an understatement," said Tenchi almost in a whisper.  What lay 
before them was utterly breath taking.   Before them lay a long white marble 
pathway leading across a cavernous chamber.  On either sides of the lane were 
rivers of molten rock, or that is what they appeared to be at first.  Once 
Tenchi and Ayeka had venture onto the path it became apparent that the molten 
flows were really flows of metal.  They poured endlessly from the mouths of four 
gargoyle-like heads on the opposite wall.

	The flow of molten ore streamed and churned alongside the glistening path 
to the far end of the great chamber.  There they formed waterfalls of 
superheated metal, pouring down onto some abyss below them.  Amazingly, as the 
path they were on, stanchions stood amongst the flowing metal in the middle of 
the streams.  On these stanchions were statues of Washu.  

	The first portrayed her as the goddess of the forge again.  She held her 
glistening hammer high above her head in preparation to strike the mighty anvil 
at her feet.  Tenchi recognized the expression on the statues face, as did 
Ayeka.  They had seen it countless times before, usually right before something 
in her lab blew up.

	"It is definitely Washu," Ayeka commented as the awe of the chamber 
continued to gather upon her.

	"Yep," added Tenchi as his gaze shifted to the next statue.  It was Washu 
holding a torch high above her head.  From that torch a mighty flame rose forth, 
not unlike a welding torch.  This had to symbolize the more elemental aspect of 
Washu's divinity, the bringer of fire.

	"Oh my," said Ayeka again as she saw the third statue.  It was unlike the 
previous two.  This time Washu was dressed in full armor with a high crested 
helmet.  In her right hand was a mighty battleaxe, and in her left was a tall 
shield.  Emblazoned on the shield was the light hawk tri-foil again: the symbol 
of the Juraian trinity.  From the statues fiery red eyes rose wisps of flames.  
The fires of war must have also fallen under Washu's guidance. 

	"Remind me never to make her really mad," commented Tenchi.

	"Uh-huh," was Ayeka's reply.  She made a mental note to thank Washu for 
all she had done for her, whether it was successful or not.  'Better safe than 
sorry,' she concluded.

As they proceeded down the marbled lane the fourth statue stood in complete 
opposite of the third.  It was not larger than life as the previous ones had 
been.  No, this statue was about the size of Washu when she decided to take her 
adult form.  The look on its face was also completely different.  Gone was then 
enthusiastic grin of the inventor, the staunch gaze of the fire bringer and the 
fiery scowl of the warrior.  In there place was the look of a mothers love, as 
indicated by the small child in the statues arms.

"I have seen that look before too," said Tenchi in a quiet voice that seemed to 
be full of longing.

"When?" asked Ayeka.  Of all the expressions she had seen since living with 
Washu she could not place this one for the life of her.

"One night when we were keeping my cousin Tarot," Tenchi said with a somewhat 
far off look in his eyes.  "I couldn't sleep and when I came down stairs I found 
Washu holding Tarot on the couch. She seemed, so natural.  I had never really 
seen a mother and a young child before," he said as his voice faltered slightly.  
"And when I asked her if that is how my mother would have been, she had that 
exact same look on her face."  Tenchi shook his head in trying to push the 
painful memories of Achika back into his subconscious.  The truth of the matter 
is that he remembered more of his mother from when they traveled back in time to 
fight Kain than he did at as a child, and that bothered him tremendously.

"I never knew Lord Tenchi," said Ayeka softly.  

"It's alright," he reassured her.  That last statement cleared everything up for 
Ayeka.  She knew that Tenchi did not have much time with his mother, and she 
pitied at times for that, especially when they would be walking in the woods 
near the Masaki Shrine.  Every time they would pass the family cemetery Tenchi 
would slow down and sometimes even pause for a while.  Ayeka knew the matter was 
still a tender subject, and she had never pressed the question.

"Lord Tenchi," she continued as they walked down the lane.  

"Yes Ayeka?"  But before the princess could say anything else they came too 
another set of metal doors.  These were about the same size as the ones before, 
but these were covered in ornate, golden decorations.  Everything was golden: 
the hinges, friezes, the lock, everything was covered in glistening gold with 
only a hint of the underlying gray steel showing through.  Engraved into its 
transom were the now familiar sigils of ancient Juraian script. 

"This could take a moment," said Tenchi as he held the orb up to scan the meter 
tall script.

"We have nothing else to do," commented Ayeka.  In truth her thoughts began to 
drift elsewhere as Tenchi deciphered the archaic language...


***
 

	Marnot had not moved a millimeter from the spot where he had fallen to his 
knees.  Eyes closed and breathe heavy; he meditated upon the feelings he 
harbored within himself.  He was still at odds with the origins or his emotions.  
Surely this could not have sprung from a chance glimpse of a long forgotten 
sacrifice...

	Or could it have? 

	The first time he had saw the princess Ayeka was when she lay sleeping in 
that bed.  Her small frame was nearly engulfed by the enormity of the bed and 
the blankets that covered her stricken body.  Her distraught mother was by her 
side as was the prospective champion's mother.  She seemed to be able to see 
Marnot as he led her son away on his bid to become the Elder's champion.  
Through out that Odyssey the prospective champion had spoken little, unlike his 
grandson.  What little Marnot was able to get from the young Yosho usually 
regarded the sacrifice.  

	Never once did the champion question his ethics for volunteering her to be 
sacrificed.  And this is what first struck Marnot as odd.  The sacrifice was 
made, but never this willingly.  The whole purpose of the sacrifice is to bring 
out the true nature of the prospective champion.  If his love is true, he will 
push his limits to get it back, and then some.  The young prince had fought 
valiantly to accomplish his Odyssey, but he never gained the understanding that 
the Odyssey is designed to bring out in a champion.

	And when the Elder denied him his title, Marnot felt as if the universe 
had crashed around him.  The sacrifice would be lost.  But wait...  The Elder 
restored the sacrifice to teach the young prince in defeat what he could not 
learn in victory.  

	And on that day Marnot had first seen her future.  The lines of fate were 
recast and the shape of what will come was cut.  And it broke his heart.  For 
eight hundred years the indomitable Guardian of the Spirit buried his emotions 
and guided champion after champion.  And now by a cruel twist of fate he was 
cast into an Odyssey with that very restored sacrifice.

	What he thought was just pity over a young sacrifice had been reborn in 
this Odyssey.  It was not pity.  It was something much, much, more...

	But was it love?

Could a Guardian love?

	And what did the princess feel for him?

	Marnot sighed.  He had no real answers to these questions.  All he really 
knew was what lay ahead.  And he knew it all to well.  The question in soul now 
that his feelings had been confirmed was whether or not he could stand idly by 
and let fate run its course.  Either way the consequences would be severe...


***


	"Here we go," Tenchi said as the orb displayed the translation.  

	"The Fire of Creation,
	"The Fire of Guidance,
   	"The Fire of Vengeance,
	"The Fire of Passion,
	"All spring from the one.  All are the one."

	"Just once," laughed Ayeka, "I wish that these things would not be so 
cryptic."  Tenchi chuckled in agreement.  In each sanctuary there had been 
cryptic messages and riddles to solve.  But he figured that the hidden meanings 
were there to guide him along the varied meanings of this Odyssey.  And he was 
right.

	"Shall we proceed?" asked Tenchi as he once again laid his hand on the 
golden light hawk emblem on the set of doors before them.  They effortlessly 
slid apart to reveal the next chamber of the sanctuary of fire.

	Where as the previous chamber had been as sea of molten ore, this one was 
as nondescript as a chamber could be.  No towering statues, ancient writing, 
obelisks (Tenchi thanked the gods on that note), or any other distinguishing 
features other than the occasional vent of steam rising from the floor in odd 
locations.  

	"Why does this bother me?" asked Ayeka as they took their first steps into 
the long chamber.

	"I agree," added Tenchi as he kept his eyes pealed for any hidden dangers.  
Apart from the soft hiss of the rising steam the only other sound was that of 
their footfalls.

	"They must be slipping," laughed Ayeka in cheek to the tribulations they 
had been through up to this point.  She should have kept her mouth shut.

***

	"So you reveal yourself," said Marnot as a dark shadow fell across him.  
The alien sun was waning and the elongated shadow of the being that had been 
following them distorted its true shape.

	"That I do," it hissed.  "My master says this Odyssey is ended."

	"Is that so?" asked Marnot as he stood up to get a better view of this 
belligerent.  The being was about two meters tall with slightly reptilian 
features.  Its long forked tongue flicked out to scent the air every few seconds 
giving the green being the appearance of a giant monitor lizards.  "I may have 
something to say in regard to that."

	"Being?" hissed the lizard man.  

	"No chance in hell comes to mind," said Marnot as he stoked his chin.  "Or 
perhaps over my dead body would be more appropriate?"  The being snarled and 
rocked back on its haunches.  "I guess you agree with the last one," Marnot 
smiled as he held forth his right hand.  Once again his wolf-headed war hammer 
materialized.  The lizardman hissed and leapt towards the wildly grinning 
guardian spirit.

***

	It started off as the tinkle of falling sand, barely audible over the 
constant vents of rising steam.  Then it became more audible, like a stone 
falling into a pond.  This is when Tenchi noticed it.

	"What is it?" Ayeka asked as she turned to see what had caught Tenchi's 
attention.  Starting about fifteen meters behind them a few of the bricks that 
made up the floor had fallen through.  Wisps of steam had begun to rise from the 
newly opened vents as Tenchi studied the situation.

	"What?" asked Ayeka again.  Then another brick fell through.  And another.  
In a matter of seconds the floor began to give way beneath them.

	"Run!" Tenchi's words were lost on Ayeka as she watched the cascade of 
falling bricks move closer towards her.

	"Run!" Her brain agreed whole-heartedly with Tenchi but her legs refused 
to go along withy her mental faculties.  Seeing this Tenchi grabbed her arm and 
pulled Ayeka along behind him.

	"Tenchi!" she shrieked as he nearly pulled her arm out of its socket.  
Neither of them dared to look back as they desperately raced towards the far 
antechamber and safety.  Each frantic step took them closer to their hoped 
safety.  And yet every step brought the cascade of collapsing floor closer to 
them      

	Ayeka felt her heart pound in her chest and thump in the back of her ears 
as she pushed herself to run faster.  'I will make it' she kept telling herself 
over and over again.  For his part Tenchi had never let up his sprint.  The fear 
of what lay beneath the falling floor, let alone the fear of loosing Ryoko and 
Ayeka pushed his beyond his physical limits as well.  For the both of them, and 
for what ever reason the Elder chose him he would not fail.  Safety was only 
twenty meters, and that would be the longest twenty meters of their lives...

***

	Marnot swung his war hammer around as the lizardman lunged towards him.  
The creature howled as the uru metal impacted into its ribcage, driving the air 
from its lunges.  "As I said," growled Marnot, "You shall interfere in this 
Odyssey over my dead body!"  The lizardman landed a few meters away from him in 
a disheveled heap.  Marnot allowed a slight grin to peek onto face as the thing 
twitched for a moment.  But that grin soon dissipated as the creature pulled 
itself back to its feet.

	"Good," it hissed as it wiped a smear of yellow blood from its lips.  A 
sadistic smile marred its grotesque face as its reptilian tongue licked the 
yellow fluid from its hand.

	"That's just sick," comment Marnot with a somewhat disgusted look on his 
face.  A low snarl emitted from his opponent as it rocked back once more.  Once 
again the creature vaulted towards Marnot.  The immovable guardian braced 
himself to block the blow, but the lizardman used its superior speed to duck 
under the arch of his hammer.

	"What the A-A-A-A-A-A-A-H!" screamed Marnot as the creature's claws dug 
into the flesh of his back, shredding fabric and skin alike.  Marnot fell to his 
knees as the lizardman scurried up the steps to the sanctuary and wrapped itself 
around one of the massive columns supporting the portico.

	"Devil," grunted Marnot as the creature pushed off the column and sailed 
towards him.  This Marnot managed to stop the attack.  He jabbed his hammer into 
the lizard's chest and fell back, using the hammer to monkey-flip the hapless 
fool.

	'Not smart,' thought Marnot as he landed on his injured back.  The 
lizardman managed to flip midair and land on its feet, ready for the next 
attack.  'Not smart at all,' he added mentally as he rose to one knee.  The 
slices in his back were burning unmercifully, more so than they should have 
been.  Then it dawned on Marnot.  The abomination before him had probably 
poisoned him.

	"Burn-n-n-n-n-n-n-n-n-n," the lizardman hissed as he reveled in the agony 
on the guardians face.

	"Only with you in hell!" screamed Marnot as he hurled his hammer towards 
the lizard.  It deftly dodged the flying mallet only to be greeted by Marnot's 
fist.  The thing screamed as Marnot landed another blow to its gut followed by 
an upper cut to its jaw.  Marnot allowed himself some satisfaction in the 
knowledge that he had probably just shattered the things jaw.

	But that was the only satisfaction he got.  As the creature fell backwards 
it wrapped its tail around his leg and toppled him.  Before Marnot could get 
back to his feet the lizardman crawled on top of him and wrapped its taloned 
hands around the guardians neck.

	"Die!" it hissed.  Marnot struggled to get the thing off of him, but his 
shoulders were pinned under the beast's knees.  He managed to get his hands onto 
the lizardman's hands to try to pull them free, but he could not.  The venom was 
coursing through his veins and he felt his strength abandoning him.  As the 
world darkened around him he had only one thought in his mind.  

	Ayeka.


***


	"Jump!" Tenchi frantically.  Ayeka had seen the new development to their 
predicament as well.  The tiles in nearest the antechamber had begun to fall as 
well.  Soon they would be trapped on the area they were on, then...  The thought 
sent a shiver down her spine.

	Ayeka took her best leap about the same time as Tenchi did.  The distance 
she needed to cover was only about three meters, but that was a vast expanse 
after the exertions of trying to out run the flooring, which had decided to quit 
them.  

	A cloud of smoke, steam, and dust billowed upwards at the final segments 
of floor gave way and crashed into the abyss below.  Ayeka landed hard onto the 
safety of the antechamber and rolled few feet.  As the dust cleared around 
herself she found her lying on her back, and completely exhausted.  Her breaths 
came in short, jagged huff while she tried to clear the fog from her brain.

	"We made it," she said to Tenchi.

	No response.

	"Lord Tenchi?" she asked timidly into the receding cloud.

	Silence.

	"Tenchi!" she screamed frantically as she pulled her self to her feet.  
"Tenchi!  Tenchi!  Te-e-e-n-n-nchi-i-i-i-i!"  As the debris cloud finally 
dissipated her fears were confirmed.  

	"Lord Tenchi," she cried as she fell to her knees at the edge of the 
antechamber.  All of her pent up emotion over the past few days was unleashed at 
once.  The first tears were silent, but they were soon followed by violent sobs.  
As the truth finally sank in all Ayeka could do was defy it. 

	"No-o-o-o-o-o-o-o!"      
	
	  
The Odyssey shall continue...


William Nichols