DISCLAIMER: Look here, see. I don't own any of the characters, cabbits, and/or damn caves in this story. They are property of two companies called AIC and Pioneer. Please don't sue me, that would be mean. Of course, they don't own any of the characters and suchlike that I made up myself, like the Ojorans and the black cloaked figure. The story itself is also my property, so don't copy it without my permission, okay? If you do, I won't be your friend anymore! ^_- Believe it or not, this chapter of 'No Need For Souls!' takes place after chapter three! Horror! I know, you're shocked and amazed. ^_^ I'd like to thank the Academy, my parents who gave such love and support, and my loyal bulldog, Mademoiselle Fifi. ^_- Special Thanks to Kelly Loyd and Leon-san for proofreading! Now, let the fanfiction begin! No Need For Souls! A TM! Fanfiction By RP-Otaku Chapter Four: The True Nightmare Begins In space, on a huge battleship, in a comfortable bedroom, on the floor, lay a figure. A cloak was draped over the figure, and blood was dripping from it's mouth onto a thick rug. The figure lay there, not moving, conserving energy, thinking. What went wrong? Who opposed me at the lake? That woman was immune to my blast, she could not have been human. Perhaps... The only one I know of who might have such power is Tsunami, the legendary tree of Jurai. So, that is why Kagato journeyed here. He sought the ten wings of the Light Hawk. The figure climbed unsteadily to it's feet. I cannot visit the pirate tonight. I am too weak. But tomorrow night... Tomorrow night, I will destroy the Masaki family, and I will take Tsunami. It is perfect! They have provided me with the ultimate weapon against their own homeworld! The figure started to chuckle evilly, but coughed up blood. Retiring to bed, the cloaked one began to focus it's power on healing itself. --- "Aeka-dono!" "Yes, Washu-sama?" Washu glared irritably at Aeka for a moment, then decided to leave it be. "Aeka-dono, I believe it would be good idea to begin advanced combat training." "What?" "Someone is sending Ryoko dreams telling her that she is going to kill everyone in this house. I think it would be wise of you to make absolutely certain that you are prepared to face this threat when it arrives." "Washu-sama! I must protest! I am a princess of Jurai's Royal Family! I have been trained by the best Jurai has to offer in the use of my powers. I do not see how any training you could give me would aid me in battle." Washu grinned. "Just try this out... It'll be fun..." She grabbed the princess by the elbow and dragged her into the lab. --- Aeka stood in a field of flowers on Jurai. She was clad in her Jurai battle suit, and 20 armored soldiers were rushing towards her. With a gesture, she flung a energy bolt into their midst, sending many of them flying. They began firing laser rifles at her. She leapt away, summoning a force field around a group of them. Paralyzed, they watched, horrified, as Aeka flew through them, her force field crushing their bodies. As one drew an energy saber and ignited it, Aeka sent a powered fist through his chest. A few laser blasts whizzed past her ear, and Aeka flew upwards. Only ten troopers remained. Aeka summoned her miniature logs around her. A barrage of laser fire bounced off of her barrier, and Aeka conjured logs around her opponents. They began to scatter, but three were caught when tentacles snaked out of the logs and crushed them. Aeka grunted with pain as a pair of missiles collided with her force field, destroying her defense and sending her reeling. As she landed lightly on her feet, she saw her attacker. One of the soldiers had opened a pair of shoulder-mounted missile launchers and was realigning his aim for a second shot. Growling, Aeka dashed toward him. As the missiles began to launch, Aeka barreled through him, sending his battle armor up in flames. Summoning a force field around herself, she charged a trio of soldiers that were firing madly at her. They couldn't dive away in time, and blood spattered on the ground around them. Aeka stopped, panting. The final three were standing together, all were readying rocket launchers. "Azaka, Kamidake!" Aeka commanded, and the two guardians appeared at either side of the group. Aeka's eyes narrowed. "Kill them." "Yes, Ma'am!" The huge logs replied. Immediately, electricity danced between the guardians, sparking through the soldiers. Convulsing in pain, the men screamed in agony as they were fried. --- Aeka removed the headset, and wiped sweat from her brow. "Washu-sama, that was... it seemed real." Washu snorted. "That's what 'Virtual Reality' is all about, Aeka-dono. This is the best ever created. Completely, totally real to your brain. All you need is this light weight headset, and you've got yourself a whole other world! You can program it for anything; combat, travel, dating, driving, se-" "Ohayo! Oh, how did I end up here? What are you doing?" Mihoshi asked from behind the young scientist. "EH?? Mihoshi! How did you get here?!" Washu asked, alarmed. "Sasami-chan asked me to tell everyone that breakfast is ready, and I was looking for you, Aeka-sama, and I just found myself here..." Washu pushed Mihoshi towards the entrance to the lab. "Well, you've told us, you can go now!" Unfortunately for Washu, Mihoshi had already noticed the headset in Aeka's hands. "Wow! What's that? Is it a video game? I love video games!" Mihoshi pulled the headset from Aeka's limp grasp. "NOOOOOO!!!!!!!" Washu screamed. Mihoshi put the headset on. "Oh, Kami, no! Aeka-dono! Do you realize what's happened?" "Washu-sama, can't you just take it off?" "Nononono! If you take it off before the program has been completed, you could permanently damage the user's brain! It would turn Mihoshi into a gibbering vegetable!" "That's terrible. Wait a second! You mean to say you put ME into a machine that could have made me into a drooling idiot!?!" "That's not the point! The other safety feature that I haven't had a chance to implement yet is the User Death feature." "The what?" "If she dies in the machine, she'll die for real, too!" "WHAAAAAT!!!!!? WASHU! You put me in this machine, knowing that I could die!!!????!" "Well, yeah. But it's on your difficulty setting! Mihoshi will have no chance against them!" "So what do we do?" At this point, Mihoshi's body began to move. "What?" Washu asked rhetorically. "The user's body isn't supposed to be active during the simulation! How is she...?" The blonde began to walk into the laboratory. Mihoshi wandered deeper into the lab, Aeka and Washu following. Amazingly, she avoided bumping into anything, but she seemed to be walking in circles. Washu summoned her spectral computer and was trying to analyze Mihoshi's brain and nerve patterns, but was having no luck. For about an hour, they followed the body around the lab. Aeka departed once to tell Sasami what was going on, then returned with her sister. The three of them followed the walking body around until Tenchi arrived. Then they continued. Three hours later Ryoko and Ryo-Ohki entered. Around the lab they followed it. Towards evening, Yosho entered. "Miya!" Said Ryo-Ohki. Finally, Washu punched a wall in frustration. "Damn! I can't figure it out! It's been nearly seven hours now, Mihoshi should either be dead or back! There's no way she could last this long without doing either one of those! All she's doing is walking! Not even bumping into anything!" Ryoko chuckled. "Well, I guess we've found the first glitch in your machine!" Washu glared at her daughter. "It's NOT a glitch! This has nothing to do with my programming! I tell you, my machine's been Mihoshi-ized!" Ryoko smirked. "Well, we'll leave you to this. Tenchi, let's..." Ryoko trailed off as she remembered her promise to herself. Damn! This sucks, big time! "Never mind. Sasami, why don't you start dinner or something. I'll be in the house, this lab is boring as hell." Aeka said, "Ryoko-san, you should stay with your mother. Do something decent for once, we know you're not good for anything else." Ryoko just glared at Aeka and vanished. Aeka and Tenchi stared at the spot Ryoko just vacated for a moment. Not only had Ryoko *not* made a lewd remark to Tenchi, she hadn't retaliated against Aeka. Washu walked over to them. "Alright, you two. Get your jaws off the floor and leave the lab, I want to try somethi... Oh no." "Nani?" Tenchi and Aeka asked. Sasami looked at Mihoshi curiously. "Washu-neechan. What's that switch?" Mihoshi was standing in front of a rather large console. The console was decorated only by a big red switch. Above the switch it said: "Laboratory Self-Destruct. Do not use this. Ever." Mihoshi reached out and flipped the switch. Washu whispered, "Run." She screamed, "RUN FOR YOUR LIVES!!" Everyone dashed for the entrance of the lab, except Washu. The red-headed scientist rushed forward and tackled the detective, sending both of them crashing to the ground. Several sirens wailed, and blared out, "This laboratory will self-destruct in ten...nine..." At that moment, Mihoshi pulled off the VR headset. Thanking any deity that might've been listening, Washu pressed a button on her spectral laptop, and Mihoshi was teleported out of the lab. The siren continued it's countdown. "...eight...six..." "SIX?!" Washu screamed at it. "What happened to seven?!" "Just kidding! Seven...six...five...four..." "I've got to stop it!" Washu typed furiously, punching in commands at nearly the speed of sound. Her tiny hands flew over the keyboard as if there was no tomorrow. "...three...two..." "C'mon, c'mon! I've got everything here! Everything! I can't lose the lab now! I knew I should've made a back-up!" Washu screamed in frustration. "No way! There's nothing I can do!" "Now is your last chance to push the emergency cancellation button." "Emergency cancellation button?" Washu slammed her fist on the self-destruct console. A small compartment door opened, with a button marked 'Emergency Cancellation'. "Yes!" Then Washu face-faulted. Attached to the button was a tag marked 'Out of Order'. "...one..." Washu cursed. She sighed with regret as she prepared to push the button that would teleport her away. "Have a nice day!" "Thank you." Washu replied as she pushed the button. As she disappeared, her lab vanished in a huge flash of light and sound. --- Mihoshi was standing in some sort of field. She was dressed in her GP battle suit, but strangely enough, she had a picnic basket in her hand. Twenty armored soldiers were trotting towards her. "Konnichiwa!" She called out and waved to them. The soldiers skidded to a halt. They conversed for a moment then approached Mihoshi warily. "What do you have in the picnic basket?" The leader asked. Mihoshi beamed at them cheerily. "Want some? It's no fun having a picnic alone!" "Sure!" The soldiers took off their armor, to reveal dashingly handsome young men. They were all clad in summer wear. Mihoshi took off her battle armor to find that underneath she was also dressed in summer clothes. They spread out a huge blanket and started to unpack the food. On the side of the basket, a label said "Picnic Basket of Holding". Enough food for 20 people was inside, and they all sat down to a wonderful, filling lunch. --- "Incredible. Only Mihoshi could do this to my experiments." Washu was reviewing the tape of Mihoshi's VR experience on Tenchi's VCR. Aeka was sitting next to her. "That's what happened to her? Why didn't you *tell* me?! That's a *much* better use for it than combat sims!" Washu gave her a sideways glance. "It's not *supposed* to do this. And besides, I thought you were devoted to Tenchi-dono?" Aeka blushed. "Well, of course, but..." "Mom, give the girl a little credit! Tenchi's the perfect guy and all, but your VR thing has some *major* advantages! In fact, I'm looking at 20 of them right now!" Ryoko interjected. "When did *you* arrive?" Aeka asked scornfully. "Just a second ago." Ryoko answered, ignoring Aeka's tone. She was standing behind the couch, watching the TV intently. Unseen to the princess, however, her palms were twitching, begging to incinerate the Juraian noble on the spot. "So, Washu-sama, where are you going to sleep tonight?" "Oh... I don't know. I think I'll bunk with Tenchi." The next thing Washu knew, she was slammed up against the wall, Ryoko at the other end of the arm that was holding her up. "Forget it, Washu. If anyone's going to bunk with Tenchi, it's gonna be..." Ryoko growled, remembering. "It's gonna be Sasami!" Ryoko dropped the scientist and teleported away. "What's gotten into her lately?" Aeka asked idly. Washu straightened her Science Academy uniform. "Who knows?" She called up her laptop again. "Hmm. According to this, Mihoshi is about as intelligent as the average chicken." "What?" "That's not really accurate though. What the VR headset does is send a signal to your body to stay still, then it basically cuts off your brain. Some signals, like the ones important to your survival remain, but for the most part it's just like cutting off your head. And just like a chicken, Mihoshi was running around with her head cut off." "How dare you put me into such a dangerous machine without warning?!" Aeka protested. "It's perfectly safe! What I can't figure out, though, is why Mihoshi flipped the switch to detonate my lab! There's absolutely no explanation for it! She's not like Ryoko, her mind can't be tapped, so there is no reason for it!" "Excuse me? Ryoko? Mind tap? What's this all about?" Tenchi asked, as he slipped off his shoes and put on some slippers. He closed the door behind him. "Tenchi-sama?" Aeka asked, "Where did you go?" "I just walked Jiichan back to the shrine, that's all. Washu-chan, what's this about Ryoko and a mind tap?" Washu shrugged. "Think of Ryoko as a computer. Think of her gems as a modem. When she has one gem she's connected to the internet but she can't dial up. Let's just say the dialup function is broken. However, other computers, or people with the right kind of technology, can dial in to her and implant viruses, or suggestions, into her hard drive, or mind. When she gets another gem or two she can dial out and chat, or E-Mail. Unfortunately, her ISP doesn't provide any web space so she can't set up a homepage or, perhaps, a fanfiction site, but... Why are you all looking at me like that?" Tenchi scratched his head. "Well, I sort of get it. It's kind of weird trying to think of Ryoko as a computer. So this is what happened to Mihoshi?" "Absolutely not! Mihoshi is more like board game. Very simple. And you rely on luck a lot. She just rolls the dice. Probably what happened in the lab. She rolled all 1's. Therefore, she almost killed all of us! I only wish I could come up with *some* sort of scientific explanation..." --- Ryoko sat on the roof, contemplating the awful turn her life had taken. All because of one stupid promise! Life just wasn't fun anymore! She couldn't do anything to Aeka, because Tenchi didn't want it. She couldn't make *any* remarks about her love for Tenchi, because that would get her in a fight with Aeka, and Tenchi didn't want that. She couldn't try to seduce Tenchi, because Tenchi didn't want that! Now I can't do anything with Tenchi. I'm all alone again, just like in that damn cave! But I did do something with Tenchi... We went on that picnic... Is that the only way I can be with Tenchi? With other people around? I don't want that. What could we do together...? --- "Hey... Tenchi." "Yes, Ryoko?" Tenchi responded idly. He continued flipping through channels, looking for anything worth watching. "Tomorrow... You wanna go out and do something?" Ryoko asked him, nervously hoping for a positive answer. "Go out?" Tenchi asked in confusion. "What do you mean?" Ryoko hit herself on the side of the head. She sat down next to Tenchi on the couch. "I mean... You wanna, like, go to the movies, or something? Or, or if you don't wanna do that, we could go and do some-" Tenchi smiled at her. "Sure. I'd love to, Ryoko." "Really?" Ryoko beamed broadly, and was about to give Tenchi the biggest hug he'd ever had in his life, when he spoke to someone behind her. "Aeka-san! Ryoko and I are going to a movie tomorrow, would you like to come?" Ryoko's spirits immediately fell about 99 stories down to the pavement. With a sickening thud, Aeka said that she would. "Tenchi-sama, I'll ask Sasami and the others to come as well, if you wish." "That would be nice, Aeka-san." "Tenchi-sama? What movie are we going to see? I need to know if it's something that Sasami should be allowed to see..." Aeka asked him concernedly. Tenchi turned back to the stunned Ryoko. "Ryoko, is there anything that you had in mind?" "Well, not really, Tenchi. I...I thought we would just decide when we got there." Ryoko replied, disappointed. "Is there something wrong?" "No. It's nothing. I guess I ought to, um, go do something." "What are you going to do? Dinner's almost ready, or at least it smells that way." Ryoko shrugged. Sasami entered the room, Ryo-Ohki perched on her head as usual. "Dinner is ready!" She announced. "Well," Tenchi said eagerly, "Let's eat!" That night, Ryoko wearily trudged into the living room. Thinking ugly thoughts about decapitation, disembowelment, and purple-haired princesses, she flopped down on the couch. At which point there was immediately a scream, followed by, "RYOKO-CHAN! Get the hell OFF me!" As Ryoko was violently shoved to the ground, she stared up at the invader. "Washu! What are you doing in my bed?!" Washu calmed down and pulled her blanket around herself again. "What do you think I'm doing? I'm trying to sleep! My lab got blown to bits! I managed to salvage a few of the most important things, but amazingly, I didn't think of bringing my bed! Now, if you'll excuse me, I *was* attempting to get some rest!" "Where do you expect *me* to sleep? That's *my* bed!" Ryoko protested. Washu simply pointed upwards. As Ryoko looked up at the rafters, Washu said, "It's better for your back, anyway." Grumbling, Ryoko teleported up. Noting the lack of the most important part of a bed, Ryoko concentrated for a moment. Ignoring Washu's distressed cry, Ryoko fluffed her pillow and went to sleep. --- "Hakubi Ryoko!" "That's it! You're really starting to piss me off!" Ryoko conjured her energy sword and brandished it before her. "Show yourself! Come on! Come out and fight like a man!" In front of her, a vision appeared. Tenchi, crucified. His guts were spilling out on the floor and- "STOP!" Ryoko shut her eyes. "No more visions! I've had it! Fight, or die!" A sinister laugh cued her to open her eyes once again. In front of her the black-cloaked figure stood, a Light Hawk Sword in one hand. "Hakubi Ryoko, you asked for this battle. Now, here are the stakes. If I win, your soul is mine. If you win, I die. Are you ready?" "I'll kill you any day!" Ryoko lunged forward, slashing. The figure easily dodged, swinging it's Light Hawk Sword. Ryoko parried masterfully, then thrusted. The figure countered, Ryoko barely dodged it's attack. She tried an overhead slash, to the same effect. Laughing, the figure teleported right behind her. Ryoko spun and slashed, but when it came in contact with the figure, her sword dissipated. "WHAT??!!" "This is my world, Hakubi Ryoko. I make the rules." The figure ran her through. As the burning light sword pierced her heart, Ryoko screamed in despair. --- Washu heard a scream, then a thump. She looked over the back of the sofa, to see a prone Ryoko. "Ryoko-chan, are you alright?" "Just fine, 'Mom'." Ryoko leapt to her feet and swung a fist. It connected directly with Washu's jaw, and the small scientist went flying through the TV. Immediately, Ryoko teleported to Tenchi's room. "Tenchi!" Tenchi slowly awoke, searching for the sound of the voice that woke him. "Eh? Ryoko? What's going on?" "Tenchi, darling, can I have my gems back?" Ryoko pleaded with him, making puppy-dog eyes. "I suppose so, Ryoko. But can't this wait until morning?" "No, Tenchi, it can't." "Ryoko, I'm really tired right now. I'll give your gems back in the morning, okay?" "Tenchi! Give me those gems back, *now*." "Ryoko..." Ryoko pulled him out of bed by his shirt front. "Tenchi! Give me those damn gems!" "Please, Ryoko, put me down!" "Let me rephrase that." Ryoko grabbed him by the throat and began to squeeze. "Give me my gems, or die." Tenchi clawed at Ryoko's hands, struggling to get free. Unable to speak, Tenchi slapped feebly at Ryoko's wrists as she applied more pressure. Ryoko bared her fangs as she loosened her grip a tiny bit. "Give me my gems, Tenchi." "HELP!!" Growling, Ryoko threw Tenchi out of his window. He screamed on the way down, and Ryoko spun towards his door. As Aeka burst in, two well-aimed energy blasts knocked her sprawling. Sasami cried out, "Oneesama! Ryoko-neechan, what's wrong?" Ryoko teleported behind Sasami, grabbing her and holding her energy sword to Sasami's throat. "Aeka. Give me the rest of my gems or your sister bites the dust." Aeka slowly climbed to her feet. "Ryoko-san. What's gotten into you? You never would have done this before." "I've finally seen the truth. I hate you! I hate Tenchi! I hate everyone! Finally, you will die! You will all die!" "If we'll die anyway, why give you the gems?" "Because, if you give me the gems, I'll kill you quickly. Otherwise, I think Sasami would look better with only half a head, don't you think?" Sasami was sobbing. "Ryoko-neechan... Ryoko-neechan..." "Shut up, kid. What'll it be, Aeka? I want those gems, you don't want to get flayed alive." Aeka lowered her eyes and took a deep breath. "Gomen, Sasami. Ryoko, I cannot do such a thing. It would be a betrayal of everything I hold dear." Ryoko smiled. "I'm almost glad you took that choice." Ryoko lowered her energy sword to Sasami's waist. "I think I'll leave her torso here. Maybe some day I'll mail you the legs." A tear leaked from Aeka's eye. Sasami screamed. --- Tenchi lay on his back. His entire body was racked with pain, and there was nothing he could do about it. His spine was broken, that was the only explanation for the fact that he couldn't move. Broken glass was embedded in several parts of his body and he was certain that at least one leg and some ribs were broken. "Tenchi!" Yosho knelt down next to his grandson. "Jiichan..." Tenchi croaked. "Be quiet. Stay still. I've got to find Washu to heal this. You're hurt pretty bad. Can you tell me what's going on?" "R..yo..ko..." Sasami's scream rang out from the second story of the house. Without another word, Yosho leaped from the ground straight into the window, conjuring a Light Hawk Sword mid-jump. Ryoko held her energy saber to Sasami's waist, Aeka was standing near Tenchi's doorway, a horrified look on her face. Yosho rushed out of Tenchi's room, cutting off Ryoko's right hand. She cried out in pain, but instantly grew a new hand. Yosho kicked Ryoko in the stomach, then sliced off her other hand, the hand with the jewel. Ryoko fell to the floor, one hand lopped off. She began to scream. Yosho calmly walked over to Tenchi's desk and opened a drawer. He withdrew Tenchi-ken and walked back over to Ryoko. He bent over and picked up Ryoko's severed hand. With a small sigh, he concentrated for only a moment. The jewel glowed, and reappeared in Tenchi-ken's pommel. "Aeka," he said, "Go get Washu. Tenchi is seriously injured and needs immediate medical attention. Hurry, or he may die!" Aeka immediately bolted off. Sasami knelt and hugged Yosho's leg, sobbing. "Yosho-oniichan... What happened to Ryoko-neechan? What happened? Why is she so mean now? Why... Why... Why did this happen?!" Yosho patted Sasami's head. "Don't worry about it, Sasami-chan. It's over for now." Ryoko was still screaming. Her body writhed on the ground as she emptied her lungs again and again. Washu slowly walked over to Yosho and Sasami. "Tenchi-dono should be alright. If he survives, he will probably regain most of his old functions." "Most?" Yosho asked, worried. "I don't know how well he'll be able to eat without an IV. Also, he may have some trouble using one or both of his legs. Luckily, his mind will remain relatively untouched. As for Ryoko-chan... A hostile takeover like this may or may not have some lasting effect. Kagato used a similar, yet different technique to do this. Kagato's method used Ryoko as sort of a remote-control body. This person... This person is altering Ryoko's perception. So she's controlling her body, but the other is giving her objectives. Ryoko must complete these objectives, or her brain will simply melt into a pile of goop. Without any gems, she can't be controlled. Since she has no powers, it doesn't really matter, though. She should be safe for now. Or, at least, she will be when she gets over what she's done." "She's screaming because of what she just did?" "That's right. Ryoko's psyche is very fragile right now. After the kind of mental battle she's been going through ever since she was taken over, any little stress would have a huge impact. And this... this *is* slightly more stressful than breaking a nail." Ryoko's screams slowly quieted. "Good. Her throat is getting raw now. Eventually she'll pass out. You can give something to drink then. When she wakes up, we'll see what sort of damage has been done." Yosho looked at her curiously. "You don't seem all that concerned." "Of course not. If she dies, I'll just make a new one." Now Yosho glared. "Is that all she is, a project? After all this, you don't think of her as your daughter at all! What about how Tenchi feels? What about Sasami? Washu-san, does nothing matter to you?" The old man began to walk away from her. "Where is my grandson?" Coldly, Washu watched him depart. "Tenchi-dono is in the living room. Be careful, he's in critical condition. If my lab was still up and running, he'd be up and walking around by tomorrow. This way, you can expect him up in about a week." Yosho ignored her. He and Sasami walked downstairs, the little girl quietly crying. When they were gone, Washu slumped against a wall. Tears ran down her cheeks as she silently wept. Ryoko-chan. I'm so sorry, once again I couldn't protect you. Please forgive me... On the floor, Ryoko was silent. Her golden cat-eyes stared blindly at the ceiling. Her remaining hand clenched and unclenched repeatedly. Ryoko growled deep in her throat. In the blink of an eye, flesh snaked out of her severed wrist, instantly forming into another hand. Her eyes narrowed, just as she blacked out. --- I suppose my real name's Hakubi Ryoko. I prefer Masaki Ryoko. I have no connection to my mother, she left me in the hands of a psychotic criminal, and he twisted me to his own ends. I had no control over my life, none whatsoever. If Kagato said to bark like a dog, I would. If I didn't, I couldn't stop him from making me. I hated the feeling of helplessness. Hated it more than anything in the universe. I spent nearly five-thousand years on his ship, doing his bidding. His bidding tended to be destruction and death. At first, I didn't mind the killing, the murder. Not until I learned what life was like. When I was given some time on my own, I watched people. Their daily lives, their hopes, their dreams, their moments of triumph and defeat. None of that belonged to me. There was only one truth in my life: servitude. I envied them, and I grew to hate the killing, the forcible taking of these people's futures. So I let myself get caught. I'll admit, Yosho was pretty damn good, and it would've been one helluva fight had I really tried, but I wanted no more of it. He stole my gems and locked me in the cave. At first, I was glad. I was free of Kagato. Then... well... I got bored. I still wasn't sharing happiness with any one else, the only difference was that I wasn't a slave. An improvement I suppose, but I was still living in hell. Then Tenchi arrived. He shared his secrets with me, his pain, his joy. And as he grew, I grew to love him. I longed for the day that he would sneak into my cave and set me free. Then we could dance and laugh and play together forever, for I knew that with Jurai blood flowing through him, it would be possible to do just that. I'll admit right now, I had the totally wrong idea of how to go about telling Tenchi of my undying love once he freed me. I had no clue how I should try it, since I had no experience with this particular race. But I kept working at it, and I was beginning to think I was starting to win. I felt that Tenchi and I would be united soon! Then I killed him. I killed the only man I have ever loved. I murdered the first person to ever care for me. I'm almost surprised I didn't do it sooner. After all, I've killed all my life, why should he be any different? That's all my life is, a long line of people waiting for me to kill them. There's nothing I can do about it. My life is worthless. Worth nothing at all compared to the dozens of lives I've destroyed. I've already decided, I'm going to follow him. I don't know whether we'll meet afterwards, but it's all I can do. But there's one thing I have to do first. I have to kill the man that made me do this. I know for certain now, it's a man, an Ojoran. He somehow got more power than is natural, and he has ambitions. I could not view his mind clearly during our link, but I saw enough. This is an opponent more powerful than any I have ever faced. I'm ready. I will avenge Tenchi's death. Or I will die trying. --- "Mom, are you ready to go to war?" Ryoko was lying in Tenchi's bed, and these were the first words she had spoken since her gem had been taken. Washu sat in a chair next to the bed, lightly dozing. At Ryoko's words she started, then relaxed. "Ryoko-chan, you woke up. And, no, we're not going to war." "Very well, I'll go alone." "Without any gems?" "If I must." "It would be suicide." "Then I can join Tenchi sooner." "Tenchi-dono's still alive." "Really?" "Yes." "Can I see him?" "If you can get out of your restraints." "Wha... WASHU!!!" Ryoko was chained to Tenchi's bed, totally unable to escape. In a different situation she might enjoy this, but... "Washu, get these manacles off me!" Washu reached over to the nightstand and picked up a cup of tea. After taking a sip, she set it back down. "No." "What's going on?!" "The moment you're out of your restraints, you might go foolishly rushing off trying to get yourself killed." "Without any gems?" Ryoko said, mimicking her mother. "Do you swear that you will wait until you get your gems back to chase after the one who did this?" "Yes! Just let me see Tenchi!" Washu picked a small key up off of Tenchi's desk and unlocked Ryoko's bonds. Ryoko began to dematerialize, but she immediately returned to her full substance. "Where's Tenchi?" "The living room." Ryoko disappeared. Washu sighed, and prayed for the best. --- Ryoko brushed her fingers across Tenchi's cheek. She leaned down and kissed his forehead. Aeka and Yosho were fast asleep on the floor, with Sasami's futon lying between theirs. Sasami was cuddling with Aeka a bit, her small face wet with tears. Ryoko whispered in Tenchi's ear. "Gomen, darling, I thought I'd lost you. But don't worry, I'll take revenge. Ryo-Ohki and I will find the Ojoran, and he will die. Then I'll return, and we can dance and play and love forever. I'd do anything for you. Just give me a chance, and I will lay down my life for you." She closed her eyes. "I *will* return. Don't worry. Nothing can stop me now." [Nothing Except Me. Ryoko-Chan, You Still Don't Have Any Gems, So You Are Powerless. I Will Not Give You Any Gems Until Our Enemy Arrives. Wait With Tenchi, He'll Appreciate That More.] "The Ojoran is on his way, he'll arrive here soon. By the way, if you reclaim your gems, he'll attempt to possess you again." Washu entered the room and took a seat on the couch. Tenchi was lying on a large bed in the middle of the room, monitors, needles, and bandages all over his body. Ryoko turned towards her mother and clenched her fists. "Let him come. This time I can take him, I'm certain of it! No problem, I'll bite off his head and spit down his throat!" "Tsk, tsk. Vain threats will get you nowhere, Ryoko-chan. Wait; soon you will get your opportunity for vengeance." "Mom, you still got that VR thing handy?" "Yes. Mihoshi still had it when I got her out of the lab. I've made some improvements, and it's basically perfect." "Good. What's the hardest difficulty?" "Tsunami." "That ought to be just right." --- Two days later, Tenchi woke up. Aeka was standing next to his bed, Sasami standing next to her. Upon his awakening she cried out with joy and started to hug him before he protested because of the pain. Immediately the entire family, excluding Ryoko, hovered over him, asking how he was. After saying he felt alright except for a lot of pain whenever he moved, he asked "Where is Ryoko?" Everyone turned to look at Washu. The scientist said only one word: "Training." "What?" "She's training herself. As soon as the man who did this arrives, she's vowed to kill him. And she's going through the most rigorous training I can provide. She hasn't been this fit in her life! I tell you, the girl is obsessed." Washu smirked. "So she's okay now?" "She's okay for now. When she gets her gems back, we'll just have to wait and see." Washu sighed. "Alright! Everyone back off! The man needs his rest! Leave him alone for a bit, or he'll never go back to sleep!" "Am I... going to be okay?" Tenchi asked Washu nervously. "I'm working on that. If I can deduce the last five-hundred-thousand variables in the next two days, I'll be able to make certain you come through in perfect health. Without my full lab, I've estimated that the probability of me deducing all of the variables in time is approximately 10.1132% If you don't get plenty of rest and you move around too much, my time is reduced. Now, I have to get back to work, and you have to go back to sleep." Washu turned and left the room, Tenchi closed his eyes and attempted to return to sleep. --- Ryoko faced the tree across the meadow. This was the fifteenth time she'd attempted this, and she'd died fourteen times thus far. The three gems embedded in her body constantly glowed with power, and her Emblem of Power was visible. As Tsunami began to form, Ryoko threw a dozen energy blasts at her. Tsunami raised a hand, and each one was reflected directly back at Ryoko. Ryoko teleported away, and summoned two spirits from the grassy plain. Two long, lithe beasts appeared before the demoness. They had four legs, were colored a dull green, and resembled leopards with three foot long teeth. They charged Tsunami, but with a thought, Tsunami cracked open the earth in front of them. The spirits tumbled down into the gorge without a sound. Ryoko cursed as Tsunami threw a fireball towards her. Ryoko teleported above the goddess. She dropped a gigantic energy ball onto Tsunami. As the dust cleared, Tsunami was untouched. Tsunami gestured, and a wall of fire surrounded her. Angrily, Ryoko called up a wind spirit. Forming into a tornado, the wind advanced on the wall of flame. The flames fed on the wind and rose higher. Ryoko cursed again. Tsunami's wall suddenly vanished. It formed into a compact ball that hovered directly in front of her. Tsunami looked into Ryoko's eyes. The fireball shot off, straight for Ryoko. Ryoko flew out of the way, dodging easily. Unobserved, the fireball corrected it's course and continued towards the pirate. Ryoko raised her hands for another energy blast as Tsunami's tiny fireball crashed into her back, exploding. In a horrific blast of heat, Ryoko was obliterated. --- "Damn!" Ryoko tore off the headset in fury. "How could I lose like that?! That woman cheats!" Sighing, Ryoko looked at Funaho accusingly. "I know you're laughing at me. Damn trees. They're all in it together." The ex-pirate stared at the setting sun for a moment. "I've got enough time for one more round. Then I'd better get to sleep. I've got to be ready when he arrives." She stared wistfully at her wrists, bare of any gems. I miss the power, she thought. Even when I was Kagato's slave he didn't give me access to all of my power. He knew I could kill him easily. Is Tsunami really this powerful? I wonder what the next available difficulty is, before Tsunami? [It's Tenchi.] "Dammit, Mom, stop that!" Ryoko sighed. Tenchi. He was the second most powerful being in this? Ryoko set the program for Tenchi, then decided against it. No, I will not kill Tenchi, even virtually. I'll beat Tsunami, then I'll be ready. With a thought, Ryoko was hovering over Tenchi's comatose form. Making certain no one was watching, she bent down and gently kissed his forehead. "Sleep well, my love," She whispered, "Soon there will be nothing for us to be afraid of." --- "Captain, at present speed we are approximately six days away from Earth." "What is our present speed?" "Maximum, sir." "Speed up. We must arrive within four days." "If we reach that kind of speed, the ship will break apart, we will not be able to leave Earth's atmosphere!" "It doesn't matter. We'll have plenty of ships to choose from on Earth." "Why must we arrive within four days, sir?" "Very simple. It will be that much easier to kill Masaki Tenchi." "With all due respect, what is so special about Masaki Tenchi, sir?" "He is the boy who killed Kagato." Turning off the comm, the Ojoran sat on his bed. The boy who killed Kagato. It will be a very great pleasure to slay the one who killed my disciple. Especially after last night's failure. That old man had single-handedly defeated Hakubi Ryoko. Yosho... I had not believed that the legendary warrior could still oppose me in his present form. The injuries I sustained from my battle with Tsunami are finally healed. When I next meet the Juraian Crown Prince, *I* will be the victor! At my hand the Masakis shall perish! --- Tenchi struggled to take the next step. Ever since Washu had announced that he would indeed be perfectly fine, he had been pushing himself to prepare for the upcoming battle. Washu had told him that he wouldn't be battleready for a couple more days, but Tenchi was still training. Under Yosho's eye he had been exercising and testing his injured legs. With a grunt of effort, Tenchi took his third step. Sighing in relief, he collapsed. Yosho managed to catch him, and carried him back to his bed. Outside, Ryoko stood perfectly still as she battled Tsunami for the forty-eighth time. --- She flew over the energy blast, and returned fire. Tsunami brought up her Light Hawk Wings to shield herself. Ah ha, Ryoko thought, I'm getting to her. Ryoko called up her own Light Hawk Wings to block Tsunami's next fireball, and Ryoko split into two forms. One Ryoko summoned her energy saber and slashed, while the second launched a score of energy balls at Tsunami. Tsunami countered the first Ryoko's slash with a Light Hawk Sword, and teleported out of the way of the energy blasts. Ryoko merged into one self again and began a concentrated salvo of electricity. Tsunami raised her hands and a huge wave of water rose up behind her. The goddess teleported out of the way as the tidal wave smothered Ryoko. Drenched in water, Ryoko coughed. Tsunami fired bolts of lightning from her hands, electrocuting Ryoko to death. --- As Ryoko angrily yanked off the headset yet again, Aeka crowed, "Tsunami-48, Ryoko-0!! Too bad, Monster Woman, I guess Jurai will always defeat you!" "I've just got one question for you, *Princess*." "And what's that?" "How did our enemy get a Light Hawk Sword, the signature weapon of Jurai's royal family?" Flustered, Aeka struggled for a retort. Finally giving up on it, she turned her back on the space pirate with a "Hmph." That's the end of this chapter! If you have any Questions, Comments, or Criticism please mail Palador98@yahoo.com. On another note: Happy Birthday Ryoko-chan! At the time of this writing it is August 23rd, 1998, and Ryoko's 5,046th birthday! So as a special celebration, I've dedicated this chapter to her, and my fellow worshippers in the Ryoko Forever Fan Club!