The characters of "Tenchi Muyo!" are property of Pioneer Entertainment. All others are mine. The Sawrm is another creation of mine. A new feature you'll be seeing is an opening and closing theme to each chapter to heighten the emotion. And now, begins.... "Old Foe, New Foe", Chapter 1:No Need for Memories OPENING TRACK:Ozzy Osbourne, Mama I'm Comming Home As the plane sat witing to take off, Kiyone's mind drifted back and forth. Pausing on a few thoughts, mostly of her friends she was leaving behind. The plane got closer to take off but hadn't left the runway yet. As the teal haired girl felt her eyes starting to tear up a bit at the thought of not seeing them for so long, the stewardess came up along her first class seat and asked her if she could get her anything. Kiyone looked at the woman for a second, half thinking, half trying to speak. Finaly, she managed to ask for a can of Coke. The woman smiled and reached under the cart fetching out a cold red can, she handed it to Kiyone who grabbed it halfheartedly then went back to staring out the window. As Kiyone sat in her silence she heard someone sit down next to her, but she paid them no mind. Finaly she heard a voice, somewhat carring, somewhat cynical "You're thinking about Mihoshi aren't you?".Kiyone turned to the person, and found Washu sitting next to her. The redhead, had a Sprite in one hand, and a half eaten sandwitch in the other. Her eyes held a look of concern, but with her usual slightly mocking quality. Kiyone tried to speak, but found no words would come. She was, as Washu had guessed, thinking about her longtime partner and friend. What had lead Mihoshi to decide to stay with Raven? Sure they were engaged, but she still could have come back to Japan for a while, right? Kiyone thought this over, lips moving but no sound comming out, and as she did this she felt tears running down her cheek. She hadn't ever really wanted to lose Mihoshi, just wanted some time away from her, and now that Mihoshi was gone.... Washu seemed to sense the turmoil going on within Kiyone, and looked her dead in the eyes. She spoke in a soothing tone, "It's ok. We all thought you were just over-reacting to stress when you said you wanted Mihoshi gone. But I thought you might have been glad to be rid of her, but now I see just how much of a friend she is to you.". Kiyone calmed down, atleast now she knew someone understood. But it wasn't just her partner she was thinking about, there was also her brother and 8:08 on her mind as well. Kiyone finaly began talking. About how Raven had tricked them so he could leave the GP, about how she was shocked when he and Mihoshi had come together as they had, about how....well about everything. Washu listened the whole time nodding and playing with her ribbon's loose ends which hung down behind her. And ater Raven had been covered, Kiyone got to talking on 8:08 and how, eventhough they had only just met when he consoled her, it felt like he was a friend she'd known for years. Washu took this all in, putting it all away at the back of her mind. Sure she was listening, but her thoughts were elsewhere. Her mind was on Wolf. She'd liked him from moment one. She had intended to get to know the guy better the next day, but Ryoko had screwed it up. She'd knocked him down with a volley of energy balls, and once they got a glimpse of eachother, it seemed inevitable that they would become a couple. Washu had tried everything in an effort to get Wolf to notice her, hell, she'd done everything but run up to him naked and jump on him. But it was to no avail, he was in love with another, and she wasn't sure how to change that. And as the jet screamed to life, Washu sank into her seat and drifted deeper into her mind. 888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888 88888888888 As the girls sat on their plane, an object flew though the void. It was nearly as big as a car, and twice as heavy. It was oval-like in shape, and its mirriored surface catching the light from every star and giving the silver object a gleam like a new quarter. It ripped along, altering its trajectory here, speeding up there, as if it had a mind of its own. Which, in a sense, it did. It had a destination too. That, was a small blue, green and white orb known as Earth. And the apoxomite landin area was in the midwestern area of North America. The pod was sentinent, it knew exactly where to land. It didn't know why it was to land there, but it knew its mission. Spread, and kill. At it entered the atmosphere it spotted an Earthling transport flying above the target, it figured it might as well smash into it and start the killing early. As it ripped through the steel body of the craft it shrieked with joy, though that could have been interperated as noise made as it passed through the air. It watched the passangers scream and wail, all in the blink of an eye. then, it continued on its mery way. It spotted its target and slammed into it with all its bulk. It peered around the room it was in. It was a mess, foodsutffs and machine parts all over. It looked like the occupants were out for a while, no matter. I came to spread and kill, might as well start spreading. With a cold hiss it broke open, its bio-mechanics spilling out. Tendrals spreading like mold, or a fungus. Creeping up onto the walls and cealing, along the floor, under the door, into the hall and throughout the building. It reached into all corners of the place. Its fibers giving the place the feel of being inside and organism. It then began to reproduce, the thin shelled, transparent pods contained its childern. Its children, and mothers children. And when the inhabitance returned home, the children would be able to play. Be able to play, and eat and grow. It didn't matter when they came home though, they were already dead as far as it was concerned. As the first offspring became visible inside the veiny surface of its pod, it laughed to itself. This, was going to be fun. Not that it knew what fun was, but it was going to be fun. 888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888 8888888888 Raven sat in the emergency ward waiting room at county hospital. His sisters plane had crashed, been hit by something from what witnesses said. She'd been picked up by EMS half an hour later. Then they phoned him. It was hard to reach him since he was at a gig, but he stopped the performance to come here, the rest of the group had followed. Mihoshi sat next to him shaking and crying uncontrolably as the docter told them how their friends were doing. Kiyone was unconcius, and had a pretty bad scrape on her head. The others didn't get out in much better shape. Washu, was also out cold with a concusion, but otherwise unscathed. Ayeka was concious, but she had alot of lacerations running over her flesh and was bleeding badly. Sasami had sprained her foot, but could still hobble about, and she had a small bump on her head. Tenchi broke his shoulderblade, to the point of shattered, and his jaw was out of wack so he more of less mumbled instead of talked. Ryoko was realeased from medical care, somehow fine, accept for a small scrape over her eye. Wolf had a fit over this and chased a doctor with a bedpan till he was assured there'd be no scarring. Ryoko just stood there and laughed. The rest of the group was sitting around the room, waiting patiently. 8:08 was the only one who wasn't sitting. He was pacing around the room nervously, as he couldn't relax since he was so worried about Kiyone. As usual Goat and Drew were playing around, Goat knocked Drew into a garbage can, then Drew knocked Goat over a chair, then they ended up falling down a flight of stairs. Fourtunatly, this was a hospital. There were doctors and nurses all over the place within seconds of the fall. It was deemed, that other than a few head injuries that only a liscend psychiatrist could fix, they were ok. About that same time, Kiyone and the others were being wheeled out of the emergency room. They were doing well, and aside from Sasami, they could all walk, but would be escorted from the hospital in wheel chairs. They group was told to keep a close eye on Washu since the concusion might have messed her head up a bit/ more than it already was. The group went out to their cars, and began the trek home. Kiyone and the accident victims stretched out on backseats and such, still sore and tired but with a few days rest they'd be fine. As they arived at the house, Wolf began to bitch. "Look at that huge hole man, its right in my damn room!!!!", "Wolf sleep on the couch tonight, we'll fix it tommorow." Raven said, helping his sister out of the car. Kiyone limped a bit, but was soon able to walk alone once she got her footing. She looked up at the house, it seemed different, not just from the hole, but the feel of the place had changed. And the smell, something smelled stale and rotten. She guessed it was just the odor from Wolf's room wafting on the breeze. The group slowly approached the house, Raven used his keys to unlock the door, but when he pushed it it was stuck. He pushed again, but it still would not budge. It took Raven, and Wolf to move the door. When the oaken door finaly moved it made a squelching sound that was acompanied by a noise like flesh tearing. They could see long fiberous stands running from the wall to the door. They looked almost bio-mechainical in nature. Veins like wires ran through the tissue, dark blue fluid coursing forth where it was torn. "Uhh, Wolf. Is this one of your little projects?", Cass asked as she the saw the door. "Could be, I don't remember what I've been working on. Well, if its no problem I'm going up to my room to get some of my stuff. Comming Goat?", Goats reply was a noise of the creature he was named for. As the kids mulled around waiting on Wolf, they couldn't help but notice how heavy the air was. Washu ran an air sample and the results came back that the oxygen pertentage was up 150%. It was as if this "tissue" was creating more oxygen somehow. And, for the most part, they sensed they were being watched. "Maybe we shouldn't stay here tonight.", 8:08 said "I just don't feel safe.". Kiyone nooded in agreement as she leaned up against him, it felt good for her to be back with 8:08. She'd agree with almost anything he said at the moment too, since she was so dead tired. Kim was about to join in on their side when the sounds of screaming, gunfire, and a completely alien howl unlike anything they'd ever heard before inturupted her. Within seconds of the burst of sounds from upstairs, Mike leaped down the bottom flight in total terror. He was firing a almost completely alien gun up the stairs as he turned around for a second then began running again to join with the rest of the group. "It got Goat man.....", he wailed as he clutched onto Ryoko, "That bastard got Goat....", almost to the point of tears. At that very moment a shadow poured down over the stairs, and an inhuman growl invaded everyones ears. "We have to get out, NOW!!!!!!" Wolf screamed grabbing Raven by the arm and trying to pull him twords the door. Raven swatted Wolf aside and reached into his jacket. As Wolf went sprawling into Ryokos arms, Raven drew out a firearm almost as alien as Wolf's. It looked to be a combination of a rifle and a pistol. He cocked the gun and stood ready for whatever came down those stairs. Kiyone took a hint from this and pulled out her GP issue blaster. Drew, following the twins lead, jerked a revolver seemingly from nowhere. As they stood ready, the creature decended the stairs. Kiyone gasped and backed up a few steps as to what she saw. Drew lowered his gun in disbelief. Even Raven, usualy so calm, seemed ready to run. As the beast saw the armed trio, it growled and lurched forward. It's head was rather like a combination of lizard and human features. Long fangs, dripped with some vile fluid, and huge pure silver eyes invaded its head. Its skin was a molted brown green with blue veins standing out clearly. It was bipedal, but it had 2 extra apendages. The first, were long thin humanoid arms, held out like it ment to slap someone stupid. The second, boasted a pair of long bio-metalic scythes. On one of these, Goat was impaled. From the front of his midsection, all through to his back he was run through. A red cascade ran out in thin streams, staining his clothes and dripping onto the floor. Blood coursed from his mouth and nose turning his face into a ghastly portrait of anguish. His glasses sat on his face off kilter, and ready to fall to the floor. The worst part being, he was stil alive. The blank look in his eyes when he managed to turn his head enough to see them was all they needed to know he didn't have much time left. He coughed blood then whispered "G-g-g-get....-ow-ow-out......",as he spoke the creatures arm came up. Its spindly finges wraped around Goats head, and it squeezed. Goats head was crushed to a bloody mess with a sickening *CRUNCH*. The creature leered at them and flung the handful of head mess aside. The creature began to step twords them, pausing only to hurl the lifeless corpse of Goat away. It smacked the wall and slid down, trailed by crimson streaks. Once it connected with the ground, the fiberous tissue began to creep over it. By this time most of the group had fled, but Raven and Drew stayed behind. Drew stood filled with rage, and bloodlust had found its way into Raven's heart. As the rest ran from the house they could hear a series of muzzle reports that cut the still air like a knife. These were followed by an anguished animalistic howl, and a quiet *THUD* of a body falling to the floor. With the minute Raven and Drew ran out, "Get in your cars!!!!" Raven screamed. And seeing the 3 beasts trailing him, they did just that. As the cars screamed into the night, the group mourned the loss of their house and friend. Mihoshi, seated next to Raven asked "Now what?". His face, paler than usual, gave her an uncertain look but he spoke with confidance that betrayed that face, "We're getting off this planet....". 888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888 88888888888 The once pod, now hive mind snicked to itself. It might not have taken them all down. but one was enough for now. The rest would come it time. They couldn't run forever. Besides, soon mother would be sending more like itself to help with the spread. Then, the planet would be theirs. CLOSING TRACK:Orbital, The Box 888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888 8888888888888 And so ends the relative calmness we knew from "No Need for Japan", now begins the horror of "Old Foe, New Foe" Chapter 2, Escape to the Stars comming soon.