Copyright 2002 by Steve Robinson, All existing Tenchi characters are copyright Pioneer AIC. The character Ryeka is copyright 2002 by Steve Robinson (me) Disclaimer - Look, it's a fan fic, so don't get bent out of shape. I thought up this idea a while ago, so I'm unabashedly pirating the Tenchi universe and bending it to my own nefarious purposes. I haven't read the millions of lines of existing a fan fic, so I can't say for sure that no one else has written this story line, but if so, well great minds and all that. I am sure that if Pioneer and company refrains from suing me, so should you. Besides, I wouldn't be listening anyways, la la la.... This fic is posted in its entirety at http://www.viciousbunny.net/ ------------------------------------------------------------- Thicker than Blood Chapter 14 Ryo-ohki twisted and turned, but she could not break Tokimi's grasp. Likewise, Yugi fired her ship's thrusters, but was similarly stuck. Each ship tried firing their weapons, but the energy discharges simply faded away before reaching the giant goddess. Tokimi was laughing maniacally all the while. "Fools! Why do you not accept your fate? I am reborn!" Tokimi bared her teeth. "And now, I will begin the job of remaking the Universe!" On board Ryo-ohki, Washu walked up to the giant view screen and stood behind the command console. She crossed her arms and glared out at the image of the giant Tokimi rising up from behind the Earth. "Tokimi, you haven't changed at all, have you?" Washu asked coldly. She displayed no concern at all for her position. "Ah, Washu, my dear sister," Tokimi spat out the word. "You look so small and weak in there! Just like one of these miserable life forms I am going to eradicate. Did defeating me take so much out of you and leave you like this?" "I don't know," Washu answered casually. "I can't remember. I hate to burst your bubble, but I don't think defeating you made much of an impression on me." Tokimi growled in rage. She clenched here monstrous hands tighter around the two spaceships she held captive. Inside Ryo-ohki, the hull groaned with the stress. Similar problems were visible on the side monitor showing Yugi and the Juraian knights being tossed about on their ship. "Why haven't you learned, Tokimi?" Washu asked sorrowfully. "For over twenty thousand years, according to Tsunami, you could have been reflecting on reason for your banishment. Don't you understand that life is precious? More so to these life forms for whom it is so fleeting?" "And can't you understand that they are nothing more than a byproduct of our existence? Do you keep the feces that your pathetic new body produces? All I want to do is flush the celestial commode!" Tokimi leered down at Ryo-ohki evilly. "Tokimi, I am trying to give you a chance," Washu continued. "I understand that you must feel betrayed by what we did to you. But you were wrong, and you had to be stopped." "You are in no position to give or take anything from me, and you certainly won't be able to stop me. You are too weak. You and the absent Tsunami have weakened yourselves by sharing your power away on these miscreant life forms." "That is not true," a new voice answered, echoing impossibly through space and reverberating through the captive ships. Opposite from Tokimi, space shimmered and an equally gargantuan figured appeared. Long cyan hair fluttered in the solar wind. Her face shown in the light from the distant sun. Her robes were of a brilliant white of such purity, that they seemed to emit light of their own. "Tsunami," Tokimi hissed, her eyes closing to slits of hatred. "My old nemesis." "Your old friend and sister," Tsunami corrected. "Please, Tokimi, give up this fight, learn from your mistakes and come back to us in peace and love." "The only mistake I made was trusting you with my plans. I never dreamed that innocent little Tsunami had the guts to oppose me directly. I have learned from my mistakes and I have planned for your arrival." Releasing the ships, Tokimi suddenly reached out and grasped Tsunami's neck. "You have weakened yourself as well, joining with this lower life form Sasami, and leaving part of your soul on that distant planet Jurai. I will dispose of you and Washu, I will cleanse the Universe of your pollution and I will rule over my own perfection for eternity." Tokimi tightened her grip around Tsunami's neck. Tsunami didn't resist, she just stared sadly back at Tokimi. On board Ryo-ohki, Ayeka beckoned Ryoko and Tenchi to join her at the command console. They placed their palms on it together, and the ship began to glow. On board Avenger, Asaka and Kamadake were taking similar positions beside Yugi and placing their hands on her command console. Avenger's black exterior faded to white and also began to glow. The two ships moved backwards away from Tokimi and Tsunami until they had a clear view of each other behind Tokimi's back. "Tokimi, I said you were wrong before, and I'll now tell you why." Tsunami reached her arms out to either side of Tokimi to lightly touch both of the small glowing space ships. "By creating new life, our power doesn't dilute, it grows, immeasurably. Here are my children, the children of Jurai." Tsunami held the two ships in the palm of her hands. "And here are my children," Washu said, stepping up to the view screen, indicating Ryoko and Ryo-ohki. "The children of Washu. As my own daughter just taught me a moment ago, our children are greater than the sum of their parents." A bright triangle of light spread from Avenger to Ryo-ohki and up both of Tsunami's arms. It was the Jurai power flowing from Yugi, Asaka, Kamadake, Ryoko, Ayeka, Tenchi and from Tsunami. "What are you doing?" Tokimi released her grip on Tsunami and twisted, trying to catch sight of what was going on behind her. "It makes me very sad," Tsunami said in a small voice. "I have missed you. I hoped and wished that when you returned you would have learned." "Stop it! Tsunami don't" Tokimi panicked. Space seemed to twist and tear across Tokimi's chest. The tear opened wider and bits of debris and Tokimi's floating temple began to swirl towards it, as if being pulled in. "No! Don't send me away! Washu!" Tokimi pleaded, fear showing plainly in her eyes. "Stop this, we can make a deal! Please!" Washu shook her head sadly. "No, Tokimi. There can be no deal. Either you understand or you don't. And we have no use for a god or goddess with no respect for life." The tear in space grew wider, and Tokimi's body began to collapse into it. The forces tore and twisted the matter she had pulled together to form herself. She began to swirl down into the void. Clawing frantically, she grasped at Tsunami's arms, trying to hold herself back. Her body shrank further, her shoulders, her arms; all sank into the void. "Noooooooooooooo!" she screamed as her face melted away. Finally all that was left were her eyes, and then they too disintegrated and fell away. The rip in space sealed itself and the triangle of light faded. The giant projection of Tsunami rippled and reformed itself as the shining white spaceship that Avenger had impersonated. Slowly, Ryo-ohki and Avenger moved over to rendezvous. Another view screen appeared on Ryo-ohki. It showed Sasami-Tsunami on the bridge of her starship. Behind her, Asaka, Kamadake and Yugi materialized. Yugi made a gesture with her hand and outside in space, the massive ship Avenger faded and disappeared. "Ryo-ohki, my dear friend," Sasami said, "You look tired, why don't all of you join me on Tsunami, and rest." Ryo-ohki phased into Tsunami and began to transform. Her crew was deposited on the bridge of Tsunami, and Ryo-ohki appeared a moment later looking weary indeed. Nobody moved at first, a little dazed by the sudden transition from battle to piece. Then, the started talking at once and asking questions, except for Ryoko was holding the still-sleeping Ryeka in her arms. Tsunami began a descent into Earth's atmosphere and headed towards the Masaki estate. Along the way, the picked up the brave Kiyone and Kaji, late of the Galaxy Police cruiser Yagami.