Hmm. Well, this was originally supposed to be the second piece I released,
but it seems my Eva fic, "Pugnus Plenus Evarum", has run into a few creative
snags in the first chapter, so I'll be concentrating on this one for the time
being.
Disclaimers:
Tenchi Muyo! and all related characters, concepts, etc. are property of AIC
and Pioneer. I only *wish* they were mine.
This story is copyright Kenneth Patterson, Two Thousand and One AD.
Contains no squid.
Synthesis
Prolouge: STP
I
I exist to serve others.
My whole life, I have done what has been expected of me, because of my
duties.
Because of who I was born.
But now, I find my duty to be less important to me, because I have begun to
see myself, not my obligations.
Still, I am expected to be seperate from all others. It is, after all, the
proper way for one like myself to act. There can be none but the Empire.
So, I cannot allow others near.
And so, I live my life.
Alone.
II
I do not know why I exist.
My whole life, I have done what I was ordered to do, because of my nature.
Because of who I was created.
But now, I am freed of my chains, and see a much larger, more hopeful world.
Still, I find myself unable to deal with this world. Trying the methods that
have always worked before bring me nothing but pain and rejection.
So, I cannot allow others near.
And so, I live my life.
Alone.
III
I exist for reasons I do not yet know.
My whole life, I have thought myself to be insignifigant in the big scheme of
the universe, because I thought myself to be normal.
Because I thought myself human.
But now, I find that I am more than I could have dreamed, the wielder of a
power almost unheard of in this galaxy, perhaps in this universe.
Still, this power frightens me. It was given to me for purposes unknown, to
make me into something that I cannot comprehend. What if my purpose brings
pain to those close to me? What if they are injured through my negligence?
So, I cannot allow others near.
And so, I live my life.
Alone.
IV
I exist to forget the rest of my existance.
My whole life, my works have brought nothing but pain to others, even to
themselves, because I was careless.
Because I thought myself above such worries as the welfare of others.
But now, I find that my greatest creation is finding and causing things besides pain.
Still, she resents me. She has every right to. I am a meddler in things no
mortal should know. I have so much power, and no sense of responsibility. I
am a danger to myself and those near me.
So, I cannot allow others near.
And so, I live my life.
Alone.
V
"Don't you dare ignore me!"
"Don't even THINK about leaving me!"
"Please, don't smother me!"
"..."
"Is this freedom?"
"Is this happiness?"
"Is this love?"
"Is this release?"
Four hearts/minds/souls.
One problem.
One decision.
Which may destroy the balance that binds the universe togather.
Synthesis
Chapter I: Reactants
Tsunami gazed across the celestial board, sizing up her opponent.
Across from her, her sister, Tokimi, did likewise.
One could not really call it a board, as it was not truly flat.
"Arena" was likewise an insufficient adjective, as it was not for public
viewing. No, this was Armageddon, the plain that was/is/will be the location
of the final battle to determine the fate of existance. Or, rather, the
plane; there was no dirt or vegetation in evidence. The plane was in a
constant state of flux, expanding and contracting, bending and straightening,
stretching and bunching, caught up in a dance of nigh-infinite complexity.
Almost as complex as the beings that were using it to bring to a close their
long-standing opposition.
Tokimi was surrounded by a veritable sea of good sized pieces. Many of
them varied slightly in shape and size, but they were all of immense power.
She had gone to great lengths to create, recruit, or subvert all of them; she
felt her time had been well spent.
Tsunami smiled as she observed the thin, oblong pieces on her end of
the board. After millenia of cultivation, she had arrived at the combination
that suited her best. Central to her forces were a handful of large pieces,
each with their own marking. She knew them well; the Teardrop, the Cube, the
Sword, the Three, the Camcorder, the Carrot... all of them had become dear to
her as she had sculpted them, and yet...
There were three pieces that were even more important to her. The first
of these had no marking; this one was pure potential, the end result of one
of her greatest labors.
The second was colored a light blue, and had markings on it that one
might say resembled freckles. This piece was one of the greatest strengths
and weaknesses in her plan; if it were taken, then she would have lost.
However, it was essential to her plan, and was not something she could
change.
She knitted her brow as she came to the last of the great pieces. This
was the only one she had not made herself. It had, in fact, been a gift to
her. It was colored red, and had a symbol on it that looked a great deal like
a crab. She still did not understand why Washu had given up her position as a
competitor to become a piece. Nevertheless, she was glad Washu had decided to
be a part of her forces. Needless to say, Tokimi had been less than thrilled
by this.
The rest of Tsunami's forces were a large number of smaller pieces,
most bearing the symbol of the royal house of Jurai or the Galaxy Police,
although there were a few others. Individually, they would never be able to
stand up to the smallest of Tokimi's pieces. They would have to swarm the
enemy, or attack in conjunction with the larger pieces. Tsunami felt they
gave her a good amount of flexibility, although she would likely lose many of
them before this game reached its end.
Thinking of losses, she glanced at her sister's pieces, unable to keep
a small smile from appearing on her face. There were several large gaps in
her lines; Tsunami had been busy shortly before the game had started, and had
managed to eliminate several of Tokimi's most important pieces, and, in doing
so, had gathered several more pieces to her side, as well as freeing Washu
for her use once more.
Tokimi's voice rang out harshly from the other side. "Enough of this!
It is time for the end to begin. Are you ready, *dear* sister?"
"It is not too late for you to stop," replied Tsunami, regret lacing
her words.
"This began long before now; I intend to bring it to a conclusion. Make
your move."
"Very well..."
Tsunami braced herself for the pain she knew she would cause those who
she had sculpted, and started the game.
She opened by pushing togather the blank piece and the red...
* * *
It had been a calm, quiet day in the Masaki house. The sky was bright,
with a few clouds catching the sun's light. A cool breeze drifted through the
open windows. Birdsong caught the ear, bringing a smile and laughter. The
sort of day that made one want to sit down in a comfortable chair, listen to
a soothing piece of classical music, and think deep, philosophical thoughts.
Naturally, Tenchi Masaki was nearly beside himself with apprehension.
Quiet days had made him nervous, ever since that day when he had heard
the jingle of bells on the school roof, followed by the sound of gentle
laughter. Quiet days were no longer natural. They meant that something was in
the works, and was too busy to cause trouble at the moment.
Ryoko and Ayeka, resident pirate and princess, demolition force, and
would-be fiancees, had been unantagonistic of late, even to the point of
being cordial to each other. There were no spaceships falling from the sky.
None of Washu's inventions had exploded in a manner spectacular enough to be
heard outside her lab. Sasami was as quiet as she ever was. With these
sources of trouble seemingly dormant, Tenchi believed that something had to
enter his life to make sure he couldn't get complacent, and he had the
historical evidence to back him up.
Every once in a while, someone has a premonition. In a few of those
cases, the premonition is right. This was one of those times. After all, that
much foreshadowing shouldn't go to waste.
* * *
The hyper-extended Masaki family had gathered around the dinner table,
and so far nothing had happened to disturb the tranquility of the day. Sasami
had left the roast in a little long, but the sauce she had decided to try
more than made up for it. Ryoko and Ayeka were debating the qualities of the
sound systems in various local kareoke bars, deciding which to stop by
tommorow. Mihoshi was happily babbling on about a speeder she had caught
today to an absolutly enthralled Noboyuki. Katsuhito simply sat and listened.
Hoping to relax, Tenchi drifted along with the flow of conversation.
"I can't believe that you like that setup they have at The Drunken
Giesha! That thing has no support for bass! It makes me sound like a tinny
old record!"
"How's that salad?"
"Well, maybe if someone worked to fill out their voice, instead of
talking deeper than some men I know..."
"So then, I managed to force him over towards the asteriod belt of this
system, you know it's really great to use as, what do you call them, oh, yes,
a speed bump..."
"Well, I suppose you are judging me against all those Jurian courtiers.
Not a single ball between them."
"Hmmph!"
"And anyway, I hate their selection! All they have is that slow,
monotonous drivel..."
"Wow, that's really fascinating!"
"You just don't know how to appreciate truly beautiful music!"
"Indeed."
"Thank you!" said Aeka and Mihoshi at the same time.
"Does anyone want more tea?"
"Well, let's take a look at the other ones on the list."
"Please, Miss, continue!"
"Ooooh, look at what they've got at Daisuke's Dance Party! A Xenowave
R-72! That thing can make some *noise*!"
"Well, then he tried to weave through the asteriods, which is really
bad, since you aren't allowed to weave through interplanetary systems without
a Waiver of Emergency or GP authorization..."
"Funny, I could have sworn you were quite capable of doing that
yourself."
"Tenchi, could you take this serving in to Washu?"
"Heh. Damn straight. Next on the list: Kareoke Kazaam."
"So then he tried to reverse his ship to melt the swarm of
micrometeorites that were heading towards him with his engines, but that
meant he had to slow down, so I managed to catch up with him and..."
"Absolutly not! I refuse to enter so base an establishment."
"Wow! This story is really neat, Miss Mihoshi! Can we continue it
upstairs?"
"Tenchi?"
"Couldn't get a chance on stage last time, princess?"
"Well, that's a very nice idea because then we could get out of all
this noise but I'm still enjoying my dinner and I think it might make
everyone think we were rude so anyway then..."
"Indeed! I mean, really!"
"Tenchi!"
"... and then he started getting real flustered for some reason and
kept yelling and screaming but I still gave him a ticket anyway because no
one is exempt from the law!"
"TENCHI!"
"Hunh?" The sound of Sasami shouting in his ear drew Tenchi from his
reverie. Nearly falling out of his chair and choking on a noodle, he turned
to face her.
Sasami turned her cutest smile on him. "Washu's probably going to miss
dinner, so someone needs to take it to her. I forgot to set the VCR to record
Heart Heart High, so I need to go do that right now! Could you?"
Gulping audibly, Tenchi steeled himself. "I... I s-suppose so..."
"Thanks!" With a slight skip in her step, she raced off to record the
aforementioned shoujo.
Tenchi stared for a few moments at the plate in front of him. Maybe he
could try and convince Sasami that he had been so overawed by the perfection
of the food that he had forgotten to do anything besides look at it...
* * *
Slowly, softly, Tenchi's hand reached out to rap on the door to Washu's
lab. He flinched as the door opened of its own accord before he had a chance
to knock. "Come iiiiiinnnn..." answered a high pitched voice.
Gathering the tattered remains of his nerve, Tenchi entered a place
that defined the term 'lair' better than any other he had ever seen. Twisted
shapes of assorted mechanical monstrosities dotted the immense chamber,
casting disturbing shadows in the half-light that filtered down from however
high up the ceiling was. A twisted path led through the middle of them,
littered with tubing, scrap metal, and who knew what else. A series of
blinking red lights seemed to indicate a route, so Tenchi began following it,
observing the mecha he passed. A few on his right seemed to be in the middle
of a kind of transformation, with legs and arms sticking out of a plane-like
body. Others appeared more humanoid, some wearing armor lifted right out of
an old samurai film, others being made from completely functional, blocky
sheet metal. The most disturbing were the gangly, organic looking ones with
giant portrusions sticking up from behind their shoulders standing in the far
corner. Each one was a wildly different color, although they seemed to share
a similar build (except for the white one at the end of the row). The heads
were where the differences between the individuals showed the most, the
number of eyes ranging from one to four, plus one that seemed to be lacking
in eyes. For some reason, they filled Tenchi with a sense of foreboding,
confusion, and depression, so he turned his attention elsewhere.
Finally, he caught sight of the glow of welding equipment being used
farther down the path, and headed in its direction. A crackling sound became
discernable as he approached.
He stepped into the light, and groaned as he was greeted by a sight
that was not entirely unexpected. The 'welding equipment' that had created
the light and sound was simply a pair of sparklers that Washu was wearing in
her hair. The rest of what she was wearing could be described as Not Much. A
thin, light green bikini that covered about as much skin as the average piece
of paper and a rescue float indicated that Washu had decided to try
'lifeguard' mode again today.
Tenchi felt the familiar smoothness of the restraint arms encircle his
limbs. His eyes locked with Washu's, and the contest of wills began once
more.
* * *
*click*
"Hey, Ayeka?"
"What?"
"What'll you do when Tenchi finally chooses me?"
"What on earth are you talking..."
"Fine, fine, hypothetically. This is dull, try something else."
*click*
"Well, I suppose I'd simply go on with my life. I mean, a princess
really can't afford to be seen making a fool of herself pining after some
boy. I'd go back to Jurai and get reacclimated to political life. Put it
behind me."
"That's it?"
"What do you mean? Oh, this isn't any good, either."
*click*
"Well, I always had you pegged for the melodramatic type, you know?
Tearful good-byes, impassioned pleading, that kinda thing. You just don't
seem like someone who'd take anything lying down. Must come from expecting
everyone to bow and scrape at your feet."
"Unlike you, who would take anything that *can* lie down? Oh, put that
tounge back in your mouth. What are *you* going to do when the inevitable
happens?"
"To be honest..."
"That's a first."
"Oh, put a sock in it. Anyway, to be honest, I have no idea. You, at
least, have a life to go back to. Tenchi is the entirety of the life I've
been trying to build. I just don't know what I'd do..."
"Well, I suggest you think about it, because you know you can't win."
"I guess I could..."
"Hypothetically again?"
"Of course."
*click*
"Isn't there anything *interesting* tonight?"
* * *
In the cavernous confines of Washu's lab, the confrontation had reached
full intensity. Tenchi frantically attempted to think of baseball, math, his
shrine duties, Janet Reno, *anything* but Washu's current attempt at
seduction.
Extra arms were appplied.
Cries for help went unheeded.
Hints became full-out suggestions.
In the depths of panic, anger began to form.
The attempt continued, heedless.
The anger came to a head, and began to make itself manifest.
For the first time, uncertainty was shown.
Anger begat accusations, of a life lived too easily, with no thought of
others, of being little better than the ones she claimed to despise. As the
accusations began to register, they were followed by more, questioning just
what drove one to behave such, and providing several colorful suggestions.
Uncertainty was forgotten, becoming anger's mirror.
The first anger barely registered the equipment being retrieved.
The faint blue glow being emitted by one of the connecters went
unheeded.
The interfaces were placed, the wires were connected, the switch was
thrown.
When they were found the next morning, unresponsive and limp, a
detective's scream broke through the dimensional wall to wake an entire
house.
* * *
End Chapter 1
* * *
Author's Notes:
Wow. Been a LONG time since I started this one; over a year and a half. Since
I wrote those beginning notes, I moved on from what I moved onto, PPE was
abandoned, with some aspects being fused into future chapters of "Maternal
Instinct," my other Eva fic.
Now that I've got some free time on my hands, maybe I'll finally get my ass
in gear and start writing regularly.
Stranger things have happened, I suppose.
I'm experimenting a bit with writing style in this fic, trying for a more
abstract feel. Most Tenchi stories I've read are told in a fairly
straightforward narrative style, so I wanted to do something a little
different. The style will change from scene to scene, depending on how I
feel.
That last scene is kinda crappy, I guess... It was what I've been stuck on
for about a year; I just couldn't find a way to handle it very well. So I
copped out and left the details to the reader's imagination.
I've got some truly strange things planned for the later chapters; some of
them may make a few people somewhat angry. I'll try and do right by the
characters, but endings aren't always happy for everyone.
but it seems my Eva fic, "Pugnus Plenus Evarum", has run into a few creative
snags in the first chapter, so I'll be concentrating on this one for the time
being.
Disclaimers:
Tenchi Muyo! and all related characters, concepts, etc. are property of AIC
and Pioneer. I only *wish* they were mine.
This story is copyright Kenneth Patterson, Two Thousand and One AD.
Contains no squid.
Synthesis
Prolouge: STP
I
I exist to serve others.
My whole life, I have done what has been expected of me, because of my
duties.
Because of who I was born.
But now, I find my duty to be less important to me, because I have begun to
see myself, not my obligations.
Still, I am expected to be seperate from all others. It is, after all, the
proper way for one like myself to act. There can be none but the Empire.
So, I cannot allow others near.
And so, I live my life.
Alone.
II
I do not know why I exist.
My whole life, I have done what I was ordered to do, because of my nature.
Because of who I was created.
But now, I am freed of my chains, and see a much larger, more hopeful world.
Still, I find myself unable to deal with this world. Trying the methods that
have always worked before bring me nothing but pain and rejection.
So, I cannot allow others near.
And so, I live my life.
Alone.
III
I exist for reasons I do not yet know.
My whole life, I have thought myself to be insignifigant in the big scheme of
the universe, because I thought myself to be normal.
Because I thought myself human.
But now, I find that I am more than I could have dreamed, the wielder of a
power almost unheard of in this galaxy, perhaps in this universe.
Still, this power frightens me. It was given to me for purposes unknown, to
make me into something that I cannot comprehend. What if my purpose brings
pain to those close to me? What if they are injured through my negligence?
So, I cannot allow others near.
And so, I live my life.
Alone.
IV
I exist to forget the rest of my existance.
My whole life, my works have brought nothing but pain to others, even to
themselves, because I was careless.
Because I thought myself above such worries as the welfare of others.
But now, I find that my greatest creation is finding and causing things besides pain.
Still, she resents me. She has every right to. I am a meddler in things no
mortal should know. I have so much power, and no sense of responsibility. I
am a danger to myself and those near me.
So, I cannot allow others near.
And so, I live my life.
Alone.
V
"Don't you dare ignore me!"
"Don't even THINK about leaving me!"
"Please, don't smother me!"
"..."
"Is this freedom?"
"Is this happiness?"
"Is this love?"
"Is this release?"
Four hearts/minds/souls.
One problem.
One decision.
Which may destroy the balance that binds the universe togather.
Synthesis
Chapter I: Reactants
Tsunami gazed across the celestial board, sizing up her opponent.
Across from her, her sister, Tokimi, did likewise.
One could not really call it a board, as it was not truly flat.
"Arena" was likewise an insufficient adjective, as it was not for public
viewing. No, this was Armageddon, the plain that was/is/will be the location
of the final battle to determine the fate of existance. Or, rather, the
plane; there was no dirt or vegetation in evidence. The plane was in a
constant state of flux, expanding and contracting, bending and straightening,
stretching and bunching, caught up in a dance of nigh-infinite complexity.
Almost as complex as the beings that were using it to bring to a close their
long-standing opposition.
Tokimi was surrounded by a veritable sea of good sized pieces. Many of
them varied slightly in shape and size, but they were all of immense power.
She had gone to great lengths to create, recruit, or subvert all of them; she
felt her time had been well spent.
Tsunami smiled as she observed the thin, oblong pieces on her end of
the board. After millenia of cultivation, she had arrived at the combination
that suited her best. Central to her forces were a handful of large pieces,
each with their own marking. She knew them well; the Teardrop, the Cube, the
Sword, the Three, the Camcorder, the Carrot... all of them had become dear to
her as she had sculpted them, and yet...
There were three pieces that were even more important to her. The first
of these had no marking; this one was pure potential, the end result of one
of her greatest labors.
The second was colored a light blue, and had markings on it that one
might say resembled freckles. This piece was one of the greatest strengths
and weaknesses in her plan; if it were taken, then she would have lost.
However, it was essential to her plan, and was not something she could
change.
She knitted her brow as she came to the last of the great pieces. This
was the only one she had not made herself. It had, in fact, been a gift to
her. It was colored red, and had a symbol on it that looked a great deal like
a crab. She still did not understand why Washu had given up her position as a
competitor to become a piece. Nevertheless, she was glad Washu had decided to
be a part of her forces. Needless to say, Tokimi had been less than thrilled
by this.
The rest of Tsunami's forces were a large number of smaller pieces,
most bearing the symbol of the royal house of Jurai or the Galaxy Police,
although there were a few others. Individually, they would never be able to
stand up to the smallest of Tokimi's pieces. They would have to swarm the
enemy, or attack in conjunction with the larger pieces. Tsunami felt they
gave her a good amount of flexibility, although she would likely lose many of
them before this game reached its end.
Thinking of losses, she glanced at her sister's pieces, unable to keep
a small smile from appearing on her face. There were several large gaps in
her lines; Tsunami had been busy shortly before the game had started, and had
managed to eliminate several of Tokimi's most important pieces, and, in doing
so, had gathered several more pieces to her side, as well as freeing Washu
for her use once more.
Tokimi's voice rang out harshly from the other side. "Enough of this!
It is time for the end to begin. Are you ready, *dear* sister?"
"It is not too late for you to stop," replied Tsunami, regret lacing
her words.
"This began long before now; I intend to bring it to a conclusion. Make
your move."
"Very well..."
Tsunami braced herself for the pain she knew she would cause those who
she had sculpted, and started the game.
She opened by pushing togather the blank piece and the red...
* * *
It had been a calm, quiet day in the Masaki house. The sky was bright,
with a few clouds catching the sun's light. A cool breeze drifted through the
open windows. Birdsong caught the ear, bringing a smile and laughter. The
sort of day that made one want to sit down in a comfortable chair, listen to
a soothing piece of classical music, and think deep, philosophical thoughts.
Naturally, Tenchi Masaki was nearly beside himself with apprehension.
Quiet days had made him nervous, ever since that day when he had heard
the jingle of bells on the school roof, followed by the sound of gentle
laughter. Quiet days were no longer natural. They meant that something was in
the works, and was too busy to cause trouble at the moment.
Ryoko and Ayeka, resident pirate and princess, demolition force, and
would-be fiancees, had been unantagonistic of late, even to the point of
being cordial to each other. There were no spaceships falling from the sky.
None of Washu's inventions had exploded in a manner spectacular enough to be
heard outside her lab. Sasami was as quiet as she ever was. With these
sources of trouble seemingly dormant, Tenchi believed that something had to
enter his life to make sure he couldn't get complacent, and he had the
historical evidence to back him up.
Every once in a while, someone has a premonition. In a few of those
cases, the premonition is right. This was one of those times. After all, that
much foreshadowing shouldn't go to waste.
* * *
The hyper-extended Masaki family had gathered around the dinner table,
and so far nothing had happened to disturb the tranquility of the day. Sasami
had left the roast in a little long, but the sauce she had decided to try
more than made up for it. Ryoko and Ayeka were debating the qualities of the
sound systems in various local kareoke bars, deciding which to stop by
tommorow. Mihoshi was happily babbling on about a speeder she had caught
today to an absolutly enthralled Noboyuki. Katsuhito simply sat and listened.
Hoping to relax, Tenchi drifted along with the flow of conversation.
"I can't believe that you like that setup they have at The Drunken
Giesha! That thing has no support for bass! It makes me sound like a tinny
old record!"
"How's that salad?"
"Well, maybe if someone worked to fill out their voice, instead of
talking deeper than some men I know..."
"So then, I managed to force him over towards the asteriod belt of this
system, you know it's really great to use as, what do you call them, oh, yes,
a speed bump..."
"Well, I suppose you are judging me against all those Jurian courtiers.
Not a single ball between them."
"Hmmph!"
"And anyway, I hate their selection! All they have is that slow,
monotonous drivel..."
"Wow, that's really fascinating!"
"You just don't know how to appreciate truly beautiful music!"
"Indeed."
"Thank you!" said Aeka and Mihoshi at the same time.
"Does anyone want more tea?"
"Well, let's take a look at the other ones on the list."
"Please, Miss, continue!"
"Ooooh, look at what they've got at Daisuke's Dance Party! A Xenowave
R-72! That thing can make some *noise*!"
"Well, then he tried to weave through the asteriods, which is really
bad, since you aren't allowed to weave through interplanetary systems without
a Waiver of Emergency or GP authorization..."
"Funny, I could have sworn you were quite capable of doing that
yourself."
"Tenchi, could you take this serving in to Washu?"
"Heh. Damn straight. Next on the list: Kareoke Kazaam."
"So then he tried to reverse his ship to melt the swarm of
micrometeorites that were heading towards him with his engines, but that
meant he had to slow down, so I managed to catch up with him and..."
"Absolutly not! I refuse to enter so base an establishment."
"Wow! This story is really neat, Miss Mihoshi! Can we continue it
upstairs?"
"Tenchi?"
"Couldn't get a chance on stage last time, princess?"
"Well, that's a very nice idea because then we could get out of all
this noise but I'm still enjoying my dinner and I think it might make
everyone think we were rude so anyway then..."
"Indeed! I mean, really!"
"Tenchi!"
"... and then he started getting real flustered for some reason and
kept yelling and screaming but I still gave him a ticket anyway because no
one is exempt from the law!"
"TENCHI!"
"Hunh?" The sound of Sasami shouting in his ear drew Tenchi from his
reverie. Nearly falling out of his chair and choking on a noodle, he turned
to face her.
Sasami turned her cutest smile on him. "Washu's probably going to miss
dinner, so someone needs to take it to her. I forgot to set the VCR to record
Heart Heart High, so I need to go do that right now! Could you?"
Gulping audibly, Tenchi steeled himself. "I... I s-suppose so..."
"Thanks!" With a slight skip in her step, she raced off to record the
aforementioned shoujo.
Tenchi stared for a few moments at the plate in front of him. Maybe he
could try and convince Sasami that he had been so overawed by the perfection
of the food that he had forgotten to do anything besides look at it...
* * *
Slowly, softly, Tenchi's hand reached out to rap on the door to Washu's
lab. He flinched as the door opened of its own accord before he had a chance
to knock. "Come iiiiiinnnn..." answered a high pitched voice.
Gathering the tattered remains of his nerve, Tenchi entered a place
that defined the term 'lair' better than any other he had ever seen. Twisted
shapes of assorted mechanical monstrosities dotted the immense chamber,
casting disturbing shadows in the half-light that filtered down from however
high up the ceiling was. A twisted path led through the middle of them,
littered with tubing, scrap metal, and who knew what else. A series of
blinking red lights seemed to indicate a route, so Tenchi began following it,
observing the mecha he passed. A few on his right seemed to be in the middle
of a kind of transformation, with legs and arms sticking out of a plane-like
body. Others appeared more humanoid, some wearing armor lifted right out of
an old samurai film, others being made from completely functional, blocky
sheet metal. The most disturbing were the gangly, organic looking ones with
giant portrusions sticking up from behind their shoulders standing in the far
corner. Each one was a wildly different color, although they seemed to share
a similar build (except for the white one at the end of the row). The heads
were where the differences between the individuals showed the most, the
number of eyes ranging from one to four, plus one that seemed to be lacking
in eyes. For some reason, they filled Tenchi with a sense of foreboding,
confusion, and depression, so he turned his attention elsewhere.
Finally, he caught sight of the glow of welding equipment being used
farther down the path, and headed in its direction. A crackling sound became
discernable as he approached.
He stepped into the light, and groaned as he was greeted by a sight
that was not entirely unexpected. The 'welding equipment' that had created
the light and sound was simply a pair of sparklers that Washu was wearing in
her hair. The rest of what she was wearing could be described as Not Much. A
thin, light green bikini that covered about as much skin as the average piece
of paper and a rescue float indicated that Washu had decided to try
'lifeguard' mode again today.
Tenchi felt the familiar smoothness of the restraint arms encircle his
limbs. His eyes locked with Washu's, and the contest of wills began once
more.
* * *
*click*
"Hey, Ayeka?"
"What?"
"What'll you do when Tenchi finally chooses me?"
"What on earth are you talking..."
"Fine, fine, hypothetically. This is dull, try something else."
*click*
"Well, I suppose I'd simply go on with my life. I mean, a princess
really can't afford to be seen making a fool of herself pining after some
boy. I'd go back to Jurai and get reacclimated to political life. Put it
behind me."
"That's it?"
"What do you mean? Oh, this isn't any good, either."
*click*
"Well, I always had you pegged for the melodramatic type, you know?
Tearful good-byes, impassioned pleading, that kinda thing. You just don't
seem like someone who'd take anything lying down. Must come from expecting
everyone to bow and scrape at your feet."
"Unlike you, who would take anything that *can* lie down? Oh, put that
tounge back in your mouth. What are *you* going to do when the inevitable
happens?"
"To be honest..."
"That's a first."
"Oh, put a sock in it. Anyway, to be honest, I have no idea. You, at
least, have a life to go back to. Tenchi is the entirety of the life I've
been trying to build. I just don't know what I'd do..."
"Well, I suggest you think about it, because you know you can't win."
"I guess I could..."
"Hypothetically again?"
"Of course."
*click*
"Isn't there anything *interesting* tonight?"
* * *
In the cavernous confines of Washu's lab, the confrontation had reached
full intensity. Tenchi frantically attempted to think of baseball, math, his
shrine duties, Janet Reno, *anything* but Washu's current attempt at
seduction.
Extra arms were appplied.
Cries for help went unheeded.
Hints became full-out suggestions.
In the depths of panic, anger began to form.
The attempt continued, heedless.
The anger came to a head, and began to make itself manifest.
For the first time, uncertainty was shown.
Anger begat accusations, of a life lived too easily, with no thought of
others, of being little better than the ones she claimed to despise. As the
accusations began to register, they were followed by more, questioning just
what drove one to behave such, and providing several colorful suggestions.
Uncertainty was forgotten, becoming anger's mirror.
The first anger barely registered the equipment being retrieved.
The faint blue glow being emitted by one of the connecters went
unheeded.
The interfaces were placed, the wires were connected, the switch was
thrown.
When they were found the next morning, unresponsive and limp, a
detective's scream broke through the dimensional wall to wake an entire
house.
* * *
End Chapter 1
* * *
Author's Notes:
Wow. Been a LONG time since I started this one; over a year and a half. Since
I wrote those beginning notes, I moved on from what I moved onto, PPE was
abandoned, with some aspects being fused into future chapters of "Maternal
Instinct," my other Eva fic.
Now that I've got some free time on my hands, maybe I'll finally get my ass
in gear and start writing regularly.
Stranger things have happened, I suppose.
I'm experimenting a bit with writing style in this fic, trying for a more
abstract feel. Most Tenchi stories I've read are told in a fairly
straightforward narrative style, so I wanted to do something a little
different. The style will change from scene to scene, depending on how I
feel.
That last scene is kinda crappy, I guess... It was what I've been stuck on
for about a year; I just couldn't find a way to handle it very well. So I
copped out and left the details to the reader's imagination.
I've got some truly strange things planned for the later chapters; some of
them may make a few people somewhat angry. I'll try and do right by the
characters, but endings aren't always happy for everyone.