Disclaimer: I do not own any of these characters. They belong to the very creative people at AIC/ Pioneer. I don't make any money off of this so don't sue me. ^_^ Notes: Hi! This is the third chapter of Ryoko's Gems. ^_^ Send your comments to jennyb4@hotmail.com Well on with the story... ******************************************************************************** RYOKO'S GEMS: CHAPTER THREE D3 stared at the 3-dimensional image of Tenchi, forming the light hawk wings. >Why does Tokimi want to avoid this boy? He has power unlike any mortal man but still he is only a mortal.< D3 brought the images of Tsunami and Washu. >Is that boy the reason they are there?< He frowned at the thought. >It would be such a waste of time. There is nothing to be gained by staying there.< D3 contemplated Washu's and Tsunami's presence on Earth. Tokimi appeared behind him. A small smile played on her lips, as she watched her guardian puzzle over the significance of the boy and her sister's. She was surprised that it was taking him this long to figure it out. She almost instantly realized it when she saw her sisters around the boy. Her suspicions were confirmed when he formed the light hawk wings to protect Aeka and Mihoshi from the black hole. "D3 what are you doing?" D3 sighed. He knew Tokimi was standing behind him even before she spoke. When he first met her, he had been able to see and feel her thoughts without hindrance. Now she guarded her thoughts and secrets from him. Her presence in his mind was no more than shadowy blear. "I don't understand," he said honestly, "That boy should not have this kind of power." He had a feeling that she knew more than she told him. " Mortals die, having such intense power run through their veins." D3 continued. Tokimi only smiled at him. She knew how much that irritated him. "Who said he was a mortal?" D3 turned to face his mistress. Realization formed on his face, and the consequences of the information made him frown. "How long have you known?" he asked her. "I suspected it the minute I saw him with my sisters," she replied, "It was confirmed when he produced the light hawk wings." "He is going to be dangerous." D3 said frowning even more. "I realize that." "You can’t go through with your plans. He will kill anyone who threatens her." "He will," she replied as if it bared no importance. Tokimi saw the shock on her guardian’s face and pretended not to notice. "The boy has not realized his destiny. He won’t realize or accept it for many years," she continued, "He will not be a threat. "What about Tsunami? She helped him tap his power. She will help him again." D3 was not convinced, Tokimi had thought through this course of action. >Tenchi will protect his mistress even if he does not know the details of his destiny.< D3 thought. From his own experience he understood better than Tokimi the obligations of a guardian. "It is time that both Tsunami and Washu come back to their duties. Tsunami might help the boy, but she is using her powers to assimilate into a new body. She knows I am here and she is trying to speed up the process. She will not have the strength to help the boy, without risking the life of the girl." "I am still no fully convinced that the boy will not come after Washu. It is his destiny to protect her" "He and Tsunami will not have a chance to come to Washu’s aid. I summoned Vree and his clan to invade Jurai. The emperor of Jurai will order the imperial prince, Tenchi, and princesses, Aeka and Sasami, home for their protection. Gyhard will have no problem taking Washu." "You already have set the plan into motion." He stated unhappily. "It has begun. I will find out what my sisters are up to." "It does not make sense for them to stay on that planet." Tokimi had asked herself that same question countless of times. She finally came up with a simple reason. "It makes perfect sense D3, if my sisters are hiding something from me. They are using the boy as a shield and distraction for their actions." "They could be there because of the boy?" "No." Tokimi sounded absolute. "Have you seen the implications of this?" D3 asked her. >She must be have seen the future or she would not planned such a destructive move.< Tokimi stayed silent. Tokimi just looked at D3, her guardian, for a few moments. She faded out of that dimension leaving him behind with his own conclusion. Tokimi hovered between two dimensions. D3 was the one sustaining her in this one, as she looked for her sisters. She sensed that her sisters stayed there not because of the boy, Tenchi. Washu must have been drawn to Earth because of her guardian, but he could not be the reason that kept her there. >Why are you staying confined to that planet sisters? Are you looking for the third guardian? Or are you there for something else?< Tokimi asked herself. She had a strong feeling that it was the 'something else.' -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "Tenchi!" Ryoko woke with a start from her unconscious state. Blackness surrounded her. For a moment she panicked. She calmed herself as her eyes adjusted to the dark. She could vaguely make out the dim lights of the machines that monitored her body. She lay in a glass chamber. She pushed up the glass cover. It swung over and down on its hinges and hit the side with a thud. Her muscles and chest ached as she cumbersomely climbed out, trying not to cause herself any more pain. >I will kill Aeka for attacking me,< she thought, as a stabbing pain overwhelmed her. She inhaled sharply. She gripped her stomach and squeeze her eyes shut until the pain passed. The bandages were wrapped snuggly around her chest. They made it hard for her to breathe. She saw her clothes in the dim light hanging over one of the machines. She slipped on a long skit and gingerly put on the top that lay under the skirt. The top exposed most of her midsection to the cool air of the laboratory. She started to move around the lab trying to find her way out. "Baka!" She cursed herself as she hit the side of one of the massive machines. "So you are finally up." A familiar voice sounded. "No thanks to Aeka," Ryoko replied to Washu. "If you had not been so foolish to give up your gem, this would not have happened." "You are blaming me?!" Ryoko stormed over to Washu. She could see the red head in the dim glow of her computer. "If Aeka had kept her nose out of my business, this would not have happened!" Washu hit a button on her keyboard. Light illuminated the lab. "She thinks Tenchi IS her business, Ryoko," Washu said, turning her chair so she could see her daughter. Ryoko glared at her. Washu intensely looked over Ryoko from her chair. She could not tell how much pain Ryoko was in because their link was broken. "Tenchi is the next in line to the Juraian throne, and he will be Aeka’s husband if he takes it." "You think Tenchi will pick AEKA over ME?!" "I am saying that AEKA has a right to be involved in Tenchi’s life, too." Washu did not like having this conversation now, when Ryoko still had not recovered. But Ryoko needed to understand Aeka’s side, or it would probably result in another fight, with Ryoko being the looser. "Aeka is the princess of Jurai. One day she will be Queen." "Tell me something I don’t know or should even care about." Ryoko did not want to hear about Aeka. "You should care Ryoko, because she will ask Tenchi to come with her." "He will never do that." "Tenchi is the next in line to the throne. He is a noble and righteous man. He might take the throne out of obligation." "He would never..." Ryoko could not think about this now. It was a piece of information too much. "He can’t." "Why can’t he?" Washu thought her daughter would say he could not leave because she loved him, or something concerning how she would feel and her loss. Washu was wrong. "He will be miserable," Ryoko’s voice was no more than a whisper. >Why is it every time Washu is around me, the world seems to crumble at the seams? Why is this happening to me?< Ryoko thought. "Ryoko, Tenchi might have a life with Aeka. You have to get that through your thick skull. Fighting with Aeka will not help his decision." Washu tried to put this as best she could, but by the look on her daughter’s face she knew she failed. Ryoko’s eyes were glazed over with tears of frustration, loss, betrayal, pain and utter exhaustion. She wanted to scream, fight, run do anything to rid herself of these feelings. Ryoko’s body trembled as she tried to control her emotions. "Ryoko I know how you feel." "You know nothing. All you see is these machines," Ryoko shouted, "I am nothing to you but one of your many experiments. Now you want me to give up the one thing that makes me happy! If you cared about me, you would not ask me to give him up!!" Some of what Ryoko said was true. Washu did surround herself with experiments and stuff that required no emotions or hurt. Washu loved her daughter more than she cared to admit. She wanted Ryoko to be happy, but she also wanted her to be alive. "I am not going to see you get killed because you and Aeka lost your tempers over Tenchi!" Washu shouted back at her daughter. "I lost one child, and I am not going to loose you, too!! If I have to lock you in a room to keep you and Aeka from fighting, I will!" "I will not give up Tenchi," Ryoko said coldly. "I did not tell you to give up Tenchi," Washu said, "I want you to give up fighting with Aeka." Ryoko turned her head away from Washu. >She is asking my to accept defeat to Aeka. I would rather die, than give up my chance with Tenchi.< Washu realized Ryoko thought that by not continuing the fighting she was admitting defeat. >Baka,< Washu thought. "Ryoko, promise me you will not fight with Aeka." Ryoko remained silent and started to walk to the door. Her fists were clenched at her side. "How is Tenchi going to chose between you and Aeka, if you end up dead," Washu called to her daughter. Ryoko stopped. "Look at your injuries. Without your gems you are defenseless like any other human on this planet," Washu continued. She saw she gained her daughter’s attention. "I don’t completely understand why you decided to chose this way of life but..." "I did not choose this!!" Ryoko turned and yelled at Washu. Tears fell from her eyes. Her dreams forced this. Her actions from the past forced this. Her concern for Tenchi forced this. She did not choose this. She did not choose to be helpless and have the comfort of Ryo-Ohki's and Washu’s presence in her mind taken away. She did not! Washu was taken aback by Ryoko’s outburst. Ryoko calmed down. Silence hovered between them for many moments. "I will not fight with Aeka," Ryoko said quietly. Tears fell from her eyes as she left Washu’s lab. Washu sat back shocked as Ryoko disappeared out the door. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ryoko carefully maneuvered herself through the dark house to the kitchen. >Washu was right. I hate to admit it.< Ryoko thought, >Without my gems I cannot fight. I will not give Aeka the satisfaction of killing me.< She could hear the snoring of Mihoshi from upstairs. >I wonder how Aeka can sleep with that noise,< Ryoko wondered as she fumbled with the light for the kitchen. The smells of dinner lingered in the air. Ryoko’s stomach growled. She went to the cupboards. Her hands moving away boxes. "Ahh," she said as she found what she was looking for. "Can always count on Nobuyuki." Ryoko pulled a bottle of sake from the cupboard. She grabbed a of box crackers, too. She went out side. The sky was turning lighter with the expectation of the rising sun. Ryoko drew in the morning air. She did not notice the man who approached her from behind. His deep rumbling voice caught her attention, almost causing her to spill the sake. "So you’re the fearsome demon who almost destroyed Jurai." Ryoko stared up at the man who spoke to her. He cast a shadow over her. She glanced up at him. His blue eyes twinkled with the knowledge of her past. The scars on his arms and face told her that he had been in many battles. The scars seemed to enhance his appearance. His chin was set in a smug smile, as he looked her over. >Arrogant bastard,< Ryoko did not like him. If she had her sword, she would have killed him without giving it a second thought. It would be one battle that he would have lost. The smug smile on his face turned to a grin as he watched her. Ryoko scowled back at him obvious dislike. "What do you want?" Ryoko demanded. >This woman does not look like the feared demon who attacked Jurai,< Gyhard thought, >Someone with such great power should not be wounded.< "I want my ship fixed," he told her casually. He spoke as if they had been friends all their lives. "Then I suggest you look somewhere else for a mechanic." Ryoko wanted him to leave. His presence made her feel she should prepare herself to fight. She gripped the sake bottle a little bit harder. She really doubted that hitting him with it would do any good. She knew if he wanted to kill her, he would and there was nothing she could do. The thought unsettled her. >What happened to her powers? She is gripping that bottle like it was her only defense. If she squeezes it any harder it is going to shatter,< he thought, >She definitely has warriors fighting spirit but she will be no use to me if she still does not have her abilities.< He was almost giddy with delight, when he found out that he might have a chance to kill and take the power of a legend. Now his hopes seemed to be fading away as he watched Ryoko. "Mihoshi told me that the great genius Washu could fix my ship." "How do you know Mihoshi?" Ryoko asked. She was going to strangle that blond bubblehead for bring this man here. >I wonder if Mihoshi even looked up his background.< Ryoko had seen many men like him under Kagato's control. They had all been arrogant, blood thirsty men in search of power. Ryoko doubted that this man was any different. "She hit my ship." Gyhard could have sworn that he heard a grown escape Ryoko. There was no doubt about it, Ryoko was going to strangle Mihoshi. ""Why don’t you go back on your ship and I will get Washu to fix it for you." The sooner she got rid of that man the better she would feel. Ryoko turned to go back into the house. Gyhard caught her arm. Without even thinking Ryoko’s other hand came up and slugged him in the face. He dropped her arm. Ryoko angrily stared at him. Her fist was throbbing with the rest of her injuries from the sudden move. She did not have the strength to cause any real harm. >Pity,< she thought. She would have loved to cause another scar on his face. He rubbed the part of his jaw that came in contact with Ryoko’s fist. Ryoko disappeared into the house with not even a backward glance to Gyhard. She hated the man. Gyhard stayed outside, rubbing his chin. >I will make her death a slow one!< he thought angrily. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Vree and his battle ships descended onto the Juraian border. The Jurai border patrol stared in horror at the thousands of ships coming into their view screens. "Captain," one of the Jurai patrol officers said, "Where did they come from?" "They are monsters," a few of the crewmen said. "Ready cannons!" The captain shouted to his men, "and hail their ships." The crew busily went to do their duties. The Jurai captain gawked at the sight of the fearsome ships descending upon them. "The ships are not answering," someone yelled. "Send a distress signal to the Galaxy Police Headquarters," the captain said. "Yes sir," the man replied. "We will not let down Jurai or our emperor," the captain unabashedly told his crew, "Fire cannons!" -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Vree looked on the patrol ship's pitiful attempt to attack him. The patrol ship exploded on his view screen. Vree would have spared the little ship, but they were foolish enough to fire at him. Vree leaned back in his chair. >I wanted that patrol ship to warn their great emperor. Oh well, I guess it is better that Jurai does not know that we are coming,< he thought with a little disappointment. He wanted Asuza, emperor of Jurai, to suffer at the thought of his arrival. Asuza could do nothing to stop Vree from taking over Jurai. Asuza would have to endure the pain of watching the eradication of his empire. Vree smiled at the pleasant thought. >I will end his torment with a sword through his heart.< Vree decided. >A most appropriate ending to his brilliant reign.< "Havalkeen," Vree called to the young man that stood behind him. "Yes." "Send twenty ships to these coordinates," Vree told him. He handed Havalkeen a sheet of paper. "Earth?" the young man looked shocked at the request. It was a backwater planet that had no importance. "Yes. Asuza has some very important possessions there, and I would like to acquire them." -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Asuza's rage bubbled over. The message he received a few hours ago had sent off his temper. He had immediately sent two of his fasted ships toward Earth. He now sat brooding in his chair. Most of his servants hid in the shadows trying to avoid him. >I will kill Vree for defying our treaty,< Asuza fumed. Asuza did not know where Vree had gained so many star ships. From the Galaxy Police report Vree had decided to wage war. The report also contained information that Vree had sent ships on their way to Earth. Asuza would not allow for any of the royal house to be captured. He ordered his men to bring Aeka, Sasami, Tenchi and Yosho to Jurai. "Bring my family back," he had told his troops, "or don't ever bother returning to Jurai for I will kill you." "What if they refuse to return?" one of the soldiers had asked. "They will not refuse me," Asuza said absolutely. >I will not have Vree use my family against me. I will humor Vree until they are in the safety of the Jurai palace. Then he will pay for his insolence,< Asuza thought. The sound of the throne room door opening drew him out of thought. He watched his generals and a few ambassadors from neighboring planets walk through the door. Their faces held no emotion as they walked to greet their emperor. A feeling of destruction and death filled the room. Each man bowed before Asuza. Asuza could see in each man eyes that anger and hatred were boiling under the surface of their skins. ******************************************************************************** That is it for now. ^_^