Tenchi-Muyo (OAV): Tenchi's Cousin Chapter 3 Fade in, several days later. KENJI and RYOKO are out on the hillside, opposite the shrine. Both are grinning fiercely, and KENJI is in his fighting gear - a Wu Shu leotard that accentuates his lean build. RYOKO is also in her fighting gear, as she was to face Kagato. RYOKO So, you remember how we used to play on the hillside? You and me, playing tag, pretending to fight, the whole thing? KENJI Yup. You were always there, which was more than I could say for Tenchi or his folks, or even Grandpa. I think I was a bit spoiled by that, actually... RYOKO RAISES AN EYEBROW Well, I heard you studied martial arts and were darn good from what you said in the house the other day. You ready to play seriously? I'm not a ghost anymore! I can hit you! KENJI GRINNING And I can hit back! I fought seriously a lot with Chun-sensei, Ryoko! I'm not a child now any more than you're a ghost. I learned there's only one way to find out how good you really are - you fight all out, with all your heart, and see who goes down first! Then you patch up the bruises and do it all over again! It's great fun! RYOKO Well! All right! I like your style, Kenji-chan! KENJI MOCK OUTRAGE CHAN!?! All-right-let's-fight! KENJI and RYOKO take up fighting stances and stare for a moment before charging each other. RYOKO gets the first surprise as KENJI pulls up short and barrages her with the Lightning Kick, scoring several stinging hits in a few seconds. RYOKO recoils and comes back in with a *huge* uppercut that KENJI tries to block. It still sends him flying - luckily uphill, so it's a short drop. KENJI (V.O.) STILL IN FLIGHT What a *punch!* KENJI lands and skids backward, plowing a furrow in the ground. He puts his hands behind his head and skids on them for a second, then backflips. ...And keeps rolling as he gradually loses the momentum of RYOKO's punch, with an astounded look on his face. He comes to a stop and sees RYOKO flying in pursuit, and cocks both hands ninety degrees from the wrists. KENJI THROWS HAND FORWARD *KIKOKEN!* THROWS OTHER HAND *KIKOKEN!* Blue pulses of energy (Chun Li's fireball) fly from his hands, and RYOKO gets pasted by both, crash-landing and flipping to her feet, laughing. She manifests a globe of energy, and KENJI fires a Kikoken at it as she throws it, blowing both up in midair. KENJI and RYOKO are both laughing, not that anyone could hear them over the noise of the battle - they're having great fun. Meanwhile, AYEKA is wandering around the curve of the hill toward the noise with an aggravated expression on her face. AYEKA VERY ANNOYED Really, is it necessary for Washuu-san to run such loud experiments so early in the morning? Earth is usually quite serene at this hour, and I *so* wished to enjoy my morning stroll. It's usually my only peace in the day before I must defend Tenchi-sama from that lecherous monster woman. PAUSES, THOUGHTFUL And where *is* Ryoko anyway? She's usually harassed me at least once by now. An extremely loud blast echoes around the shrine hill. AYEKA heads for the sounds' origin. AYEKA Now that is truly loud! If I didn't know that I was here, I would think that the noise came from one of my... SLOW REALIZATION ...fights...with...Ryoko... AYEKA breaks into a run until she comes around the curve of the hill and sees KENJI and RYOKO in close combat, trading blows with reckless abandon. She powers up her forcefield and runs at the two combatants. AYEKA BLASTING RYOKO WITH LIGHTNING RYOKO! STOP THIS *AT* *ONCE!* RYOKO shrieks, KENJI snaps around to face AYEKA with an angry look. KENJI SHOWING BATTLE AURA HEY! Butt out! Haww...*KIKOSHO!!* AYEKA is blasted into a downhill skid away from the battle, her POV showing a harrowing view from inside her forcefield: a high-speed slide down past trees, rocks, and over at least one dropoff until the sliding Juraian forcefield reaches the bottom of the hill. AYEKA is badly dishevelled. AYEKA DISTRAUGHT Oh, no, Kenji-sama must consider it a matter of honour for him to defeat her himself! But he's never fought anything like *her* before- how can I stop this? SUDDEN INSPIRATION Of course! My brother Yousho! He can stop them! AYEKA runs around the hill and up the shrine steps, spurred on by the continuing sounds of battle from KENJI and RYOKO. Finally, she arrives at the shrine, which seems empty. AYEKA OUT OF BREATH Yo... Yousho. *Yousho.* *YOUSHO!* MIHOSHI COMING OUT OF THE SHRINE Oh, hello Ayeka. How are you? AYEKA FACEFAULTS, THEN RECOVERS Mihoshi! What are you... oh, never mind. I must speak to Yousho right away! I need his help! MIHOSHI Oh my, I don't know where Grandfather is right now. Maybe he's out for a walk, or maybe he's at the house- AYEKA THE HOUSE, of course! And even if he's not there, Tenchi will be! Come on! AYEKA grabs MIHOSHI and runs back down the shrine steps. The POV pans to the back of the shrine, where YOUSHO is staring downhill. As the POV moves over his shoulder, it is revealed that he's looking down through a gap in the trees at the KENJI / RYOKO fight, a thoughtful expression on his face. YOUSHO INTENT Hmm. I must confirm this before I speak to Kenji - Washuu will surely have noticed the disturbance. I shall talk to her. YOUSHO turns and walks slowly down the shrine steps, noting as he goes the progress of AYEKA, who has now collared TENCHI as well as MIHOSHI and is pulling them around the hill's base while talking a mile a minute. TENCHI and MIHOSHI finally seem to get the point, as they pull free from AYEKA and run beside her around the hill toward the fight scene. As they arrive, they are treated to a scene of gleeful mayhem. KENJI and RYOKO haven't held back much short of trying to kill each other, and both are battered - but the surrounding area has fared far worse, and now looks like a WW II battle has been fought there for a few days, as it is filled with craters, wrecked trees and shrubs, and little greenery is left. AYEKA, TENCHI, and MIHOSHI each draw their weapons (MIHOSHI's being a shock baton from her Cube) and rush in, trying to separate the combatants and only succeeding in confusing things. Soon RYOKO is fighting AYEKA (natch) while TENCHI, KENJI, and MIHOSHI are in a three-way free-for-all (Well, MIHOSHI is trying to help TENCHI, but her *luck* is in operation.) Finally, RYOKO and AYEKA unleash their usual area-affect blasts, and at about the same time KENJI manages to pull off Chun Li's X-men VS. Street Fighter Shin Kikosho, wiping out TENCHI, MIHOSHI, *and* his own energy reserves. Everyone collapses, exhausted. KENJI FAINT Whoah... I haven't been in a brawl like that one since the World Warrior tourney had that bench-clearing brouhaha... TENCHI FAINT, BUT ANGRY Ryoko, why did you attack Kenji?!? It's bad enough that you fight with Ayeka all the time, but this- RYOKO&KENJI IN CHORUS HEY! We were having fun! Who asked you to butt in?! They look at each other and blush. KENJI SMALL SMILE Soo.. how do I rate, Ryoko? RYOKO LOOKS AWAY COYLY Wellll... KENJI Ah, come on, out with it! RYOKO SMILES BACK Ok, Ok. You're pretty good! You're probably a match for me or Ayeka, but don't go trying to take on the galaxy's best, like Kagato or Yousho. They could handle either or both of us. TURNS AWAY, MUTTERS and I don't want to see you hurt. KENJI BLINKS RAPIDLY Ooookay. AYEKA (ANGRILY) You - you were fighting with that - that *monster* woman for *fun?!* The royalty of Jurai has more dignity than that, Kenji-sama! (AUTHOR'S NOTE: Now *that* is really ironic...) KENJI ANNOYED And who's Juraian royalty!?! I mean, yes, I'm related to you through Grandpa, but as I understand it, he ad- ab- TENCHI Abdicated? KENJI YES! Thanks, cuz. He abdicated his position to you, Ayeka! So my line - sorry, cuz, _our_ _lines_ are no longer in the line of succession. So I'm just an Earth kid, thanks very much, and you can keep your *royalty* because I don't want it! AYEKA is shocked, TENCHI seems thoughtful, RYOKO is elated and MIHOSHI, of course, has no idea what's going on. RYOKO All right! You tell her, Kenji-chan! KENJI TURNS AROUND, MOCK GROWLS Kenji..... CHAAANNN???? RYOKO Hey, you're centuries younger than me! I'll call you 'chan' if I want to! Besides, what're you gonna do about it? KENJI, with an evil grin, slowly advances on RYOKO, who looks a bit worried, but holds her ground - after all, she has a reputation as a fearless space pirate to maintain. KENJI walks up until he's practically nose-to-nose with his old 'ghosty' friend. KENJI Hitting you isn't the only thing I can do now that you're solid, Ghosty Lady.. RYOKO (WORRIED) uh... RECOVERS CONFIDENCE Oh yeah? Do your worst. Even Kagato couldn't break me with torture. KENJI TICKLES HER Oh yeah?! RYOKO shrieks with laughter and tries to fly off, but Kenji has a grip on her arm and is carried with her, pulling himself into a headlock position as he goes. RYOKO phases through objects to escape, but KENJI is in close contact and is also phased. He stops tickling out of astonishment for a moment, then redoubles his efforts. Finally, RYOKO teleports, and again, KENJI is taken with her. KENJI AS THEY VANISH *WHOA!* TENCHI SURPRISED Umm.. well, I guess we can just wait for them to come back. They won't really *hurt* each other, after all... The three would-be rescuers walk back toward the house. As the view pans upward, we can see that YOUSHO is just leaving the house with a look on his face that says his suspicions have been confirmed. The old man heads back up to the shrine, just missing TENCHI, MIHOSHI, and AYEKA as they return. END CHAPTER 3