Author Note: Read and Enjoy (hopefully) Cheers.
On the Run
Darkness…I'm surrounded by darkness. No matter which way I look I am only met with more darkness. I've no recollection of how I got here and where here was. "Where the hell I am?" I move my hands about to try and feel my way about the unknown darkness but feel nothing. Deciding to stay calm I fish out my lighter from my coat pocket. Flicking the lighter on I make a disturbing discovery. My hands are covered in blood. Whose blood is this? Mine? Someone else's? Just where the hell I am? Every second that passed by my calm and cool demeanor was quickly shriveling away. "Hello? Anyone there?" I yell out loud, hoping someone would hear me. A cold and unnerving silence was all I received in return. I'm starting to hyperventilate as I realize that I'm in alone in this darkness. Flailing about rapidly I turn and look in all directions. The lighter's flame was whipping in the wind going this way and that. All the sudden movements however eventually caused the flame to be blown out. "Shit" I immediately start thumbing back the lighter several times but I get nothing but sparks. "Come on damn it! I hate the dark! Come on you stupid piece of crap!" Fear and frustration were starting to take their toll on me. My breathing was becoming more labored as I swore I felt the darkness put its cold sickly hands around my throat and start to strangle me. While taking shallow breaths I continue to fumble with the lighter. Tears are welling up in my eyes as the lighter continues to refuse to work. "O please God…come on please work!" while asking for divine intervention, I hear something.
*Thump*
My whole body freezes. What the hell was that? "Hello…?" I shakily rasp out while holding onto the lighter. Once again I was met only with a cold and unnerving silence. For a moment I thought it was just my imagination but I hear it again. *Thump* *Thump*. Ok. I definitely heard something this time. "Hello?" I yell out loudly. Once again, no answer. Every few moments the thumping would return, a little louder each time. This thumping was starting to seriously freak me the hell out so I doubled my efforts to get my lighter working again. Flick after flick I was met with only sparks and the steadily growing sound of thumping. I feel a rush of air pass by me. Whatever was causing the thumping was right next to me. Squeezing my eye shut and thumbing back the lighter as I hard as I can I scream "Jesus Christ work already!"
For a few moments my whole body had gone completely numb, sure that whatever was causing the thumping had found its way to me. I'm brought back to reality as I feel a slight warm sensation on my hands. Opening my eye slowly I see the flame of lighter burning brightly. Holding the lighter close I do a 360. Once again I can see nothing beyond my own hands. "What the hell…" gulping down some bile that had built up in my throat I decide to try and find a way out of the darkness…anything was better than just standing here alone in the dark.
I only make it a couple of steps before I almost trip on something. I stumble a little bit and look down, I can't make whatever it is out so I kneel down with the lighter to get a better look. Bringing the lighter down revealed a person face down. I'm filled with a sudden rush of hope. "Hey! Hey! Are you alright? Hey!" I shake the person by his/her shoulder hoping he/she would wake up and tell me where we were. The person doesn't respond to my voice or shaking so I turn them over to see if their alright. Grabbing the person's shoulder I gently pull him/her over and make yet another horrific discovery. Looking at the person's face I immediately identify who it was. "Jean…" there was no mistaking it…I'd recognize that spiky blond hair and chin scruff anywhere, this was Jean, still dead as doorknob. I shakily stand back up. This isn't possible. I saw Jean die in the war…he died in that hellish orbital space drop on Terra-7. But here he was…face down in the middle of unending darkness. Slowly I back away, unsure of just what the hell is going on. "No…Jeans dead…he's dead…" Once again I almost trip as I bump into something as I was backing away. Slowly I turn around and look down. I wasn't sure if I wanted to see what was down there…afraid that I would find another dead comrade on the ground. Steeling myself I kneel down and take a closer look. Just like before I found a person face down on the ground except this time it wasn't an adult, it was a child. I observe the back the child's clothing and note he is wearing a dark brown cloak with baggy cargo pants. Raising the lighter to the back of the kid's head reveals black hair and tanned skin. Thinking for a moment I make a mental connection. This kid looked like a native of Terra-7. Was I on Terra-7? I wasn't sure but I needed to wake this kid up. "Hey!" I gently shake the boy "you ok? Hey." Just like before I got no response. I gently place a hand on the child's shoulder and pull him over. Looking at the child's face reveals a boy…no older than 10. Just like Jean he wasn't breathing but had a serene look on his face. Staring at the boy's face brought up a funny feeling in me. I had seen this kid before but for the life of me I couldn't remember where. I gently place a hand on the boy's face and stare, desperately trying to remember where I had seen this kid before. I draw a blank for a long time. I search through all of my memories while I was on active duty on Terra-7 but damn it I just can't place the kid in any of them. I close my eyes and think hard. I know I've seen him but…then it hit me. A rainy day, a bloody teddy bear, an explosion…it all came back to me at once. Eye wide with fear I look down at the boy…there was no mistaking it. This was the kid from that day. I start to hyperventilate again. "What the hell man!" I stand up quickly and just as I was going to start running away I feel a pair of hands slap on my shoulders and jerk me around. I take in a sharp gasp of air as I'm face to face with an alive Jean.
"Sa matter Tenchi? Not happy to see me?"
I'm trembling with unadulterated fear. At some point Jean had decided to stop being dead, stand up, and start talking to me. "Your dead…you can't be here…" Jean snorts out a chuckle.
"Do you even know where here is?" tightening his grip on my shoulders he leans in close to my face. "I assure you Tenchi…I'm alive and well. It's about time you start taking inventory my friend."
"Wha-Inventory..? What do you mean?" a sinking feeling of dread was spreading throughout my body.
"I think you know what I mean." Chuckling he brings his face away "If you really don't know tho…you will soon." Looking me up and down he cracks a grin "Anyways…will talk again soon, have a nice trip!"
"Wha-?" before I could question Jean further he pushed me and I felt myself falling. I was plummeting deeper into this unending darkness for all intensive purposes was hell to me. I scream loudly as I feel the wind wildly blow all over my body as I continue to fall. I didn't know how deep this darkness went but I didn't want to find out. I continue to scream as all I was met with was darkness and more darkness. Just darkness…darkness…darkness.
Taking in a sharp gasp of air I awake "Huh?" I'm in cold sweat and my eyes dart around. I'm sitting at a checkered black and white table and upon looking around I see other tables similar to mine with other people sitting down. Eyes darting to the side of me I see a long back counter top with salt shakers, menus, and coffee pots. I start to calm down as my memory starts coming back to me. That's right. I'm in some random space diner. I decided to stop here since I've been flying almost non-stop for three days without anything decent to eat or drink…must have dozed off. Taking a deep breath I get up from the table and look around for the bathroom. Finding it I walk towards it and go inside. Locking the door behind me I go to the sink and wash my face with some cold water. Taking a moment I close my eyes and take a few more deep breaths. "Just a dream…just a dream…that's all." I repeat over and over again. Opening my eyes I look at my reflection in the mirror. Looking at the mirror revealed a much more mature and different Tenchi. Since leaving earth for the war I had decided to wear my hair down, thinking it made me look more manly or some crap like that. My face had also filled out rather well since leaving earth to fight in the war and I had more defined features. Due to the war however I was down to one good eye. Placing a hand over on my left eye I feel the black patch that now covers it. Tracing the outline of the eye patch I slowly start to remember how I received the injury
*Slam! Slam! Slam!*
"Hey asshole hurry up! Other people need to use the bathroom too!"
My walk down memory lane was cut short thankfully as I realized I had been in the bathroom for awhile. I grab some paper towels and dry my face off and open the door. I say a quick apology and make my way back to my table. Running my hands through my hair I sit down and try to distress a bit. Looking over I see one of the menus and start looking it over.
"Hey there hon. My name is Talli and I'll be your server. What can I get'cha?"
Looking up from my menu I see a rather attractive woman in her early twenties or at least appeared to be in in her early twenties….can never really tell with Jurians I think amusingly. The waitress had purple hair and had it tied up in a cute pony tail. A smile creeped on my face. Yes…she was quite beautiful.
"Hon? You ok?"
A little embarrassed that I had been gawking at her I quickly sputter out "Huh? O yes I'm fine. Guess I spaced out a little bit." Looking back down at the menu I make my selection "I'll take a cheeseburger with fries and a large chocolate shake." I hand my menu back to the waitress .
"No problem Hon! Should be ready in just a few minutes!" with that the cute waitress walked off. Reluctantly I peel my eyes away from the waitress and turn my attention back to my table. I think about the dream I had and shudder as I think about Jean. The whole thing had felt so real. So damn real. It wasn't the first time that I had a dreamt about the war or about dead friends. This however was the first time one of my friends had come to life and had bared words of ill intent against me. Before I got lost deep in thought about the dream I hear a grunt and see a middle aged man get up and walk away from the table directly in front of mine. Spying over at his table I see that he left his paper behind. Looking over at the door, making sure the man had left , I get up and take the paper and sit back down at my own table. Unrolling the paper I begin to read all the going ons in the universe. Nothing too significant was happening at the moment. Some pop-star got caught with his hand in the cookie jar, some space pirates were raiding another part of space, declaring it their own, and just some other news worthy stories. Pretty standard stuff for the most part. One article did grab my attention though.
10 years later, Terra-7. 10 years ago today marks the end of the bloody war waged on Terra-7. Rumors of war had started when the Terra-7's government demanded that it be recognized as its own sovereign planet and separate from Jurian control. This of course breached the pact that Terra-7 signed when Jurai intervened and saved them from barbaric aggressors. The pact forever binded Terra-7 to Jurai as a permanent territory, making Jurai it's protectorate. So it came as a surprise when Terra-7s government started demanding its freedom from Jurai. Emperor Azuha tried to reason with Terra-7s government, offering more trade between the two planets and an increase to the planets spending budget. However it was all for not as Terra-7 would not back down from it's demands for freedom. At the time the rumors of war had been just that…rumors and nothing more. However when a Jurian family was murdered in the name of freedom from the oppressor war was on. From there-Snorting I stopped reading. That's the bullshit version…damn media doesn't know what really happened….they don't know what was going on there. Losing almost all interest in the article I start skimming the rest of it. It was just a bunch more of media bullshit that only told half-truths or none at all. Throwing down the paper in true disgust I seeth over the article and think back to Terra-7. They were right to call us the oppresors…what we were doing there…
"Here ya go Hon!"
"Hmmm?" the cute waitress had once again graced me with her presence and had laid out my food for me
"Enjoy! And let me know if you need anything else!" she finished her statement with a wink and hurried off. Turning my thoughts away from Terra-7 I decide to just try and enjoy my food. The hamburger and fries were good. Nice and greasy. Just the way I like it and the chocolate shake was heavenly. With a content grin on my face I hum a little tune when the waitress comes back to the table.
"Heres your check sweetie! Please come see me again!" she gives me a sly wink and blows me a kiss. Arching my eyebrow I pick up my bill and see a note she had written on it. You're a real cutie! That eye patch makes you look really cool and mysterious! Give me a call sometime! Below the note was girl's phone number. I smile and take out my wallet and leave enough money to cover the bill and a pretty big tip. Walking out the restaurant I can't help but wear a goofy grin. She's a real hottie but unfortunately for her my heart belongs to someone else and besides…after exiting the restaurant I spy two galaxy police officers having a friendly chat I'm on the run. With that I start walking back to the space port to continue my journey through space.
Author Note: Had this idea for a story in my head for a little bit so I heres the first chapter. What didja think of it it? R&R!