Author's Note: This version of Chapter three hasn't been proof read yet, so it might be a little rocky.
Chapter 3: Choices
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"Any sign of her, Washu?" Ayeka asked over a vid-screen. In the background, Sasami was crying.
"It's me, Ayeka," Tenchi said, still sounding worried. "Washu is trying to use her link with Ryoko, but something's blocking it. She seems to be successful… so far… I think… " he faded away.
A second vid-window popped up. "Tenchi!" Mihoshi called, "I found a big ship near by that's unregistered… should we… um… do something?"
"Hold on, Mihoshi. I'll have to ask Washu later." He was about talk with Ayeka again, but Washu returned from somewhere in the recesses of space and time. A small black circle grew, revealing a few far off stars and a grown Washu.
"W-Washu… what happened?"
"Hm? Oh… Maternal thing, I think," she said nonchalantly. She stepped back in and then out again, and returned to her normal child-like state. "It took a while but Ryoko's mind was still open… I managed to get through to her. I'm afraid for the most part she's under some kind of mind control, though."
"Mind control?" Tenchi repeated. He noticed that Ayeka and Mihoshi were listening to them.
"Yes. And it's not unheard of, either. I've seen that type before. A woman named Saviya," Washu paused as Mihoshi began scrambling to find data on the name just mentioned. "She can pull herself off as kind and gentle, but it's only a mask. She infects people with a strange sort of mind control powers… 'suppose if she's come this far she must have quiet a force behind her. It took long enough, anyway."
"What do you mean, 'it took long enough'?"
"I knew her a long time ago. Only acquaintances, though. She had some strange ideas…"
There was a stifled sob from Mihoshi's vid-screen, and she burst into tears. "I can't find any data on Saviya!" she cried.
"Of course you can't, silly girl! Look for the name 'Jill.'"
Mihoshi pulled out a hanky and tried again. "That's it, huh? Jill?"
"Yup."
Mihoshi's face lit up in a smile when she saw the results. "I found it! 'The vicious criminal known simply as Jill has terrorized the Universe for more than three thousand years until she was finally brought to her supposed end at the hands of the Goddess Tokimi. No one found remains, but she is, in theory, dead. Only her younger sister, Saviya, thrives out of the once noble-blooded family.' Oh, Saviya! That's her, huh?"
"Yup. She's got Ryoko and Mikayu."
"But Miss Washu," Ayeka pleaded, "Why on earth would they want either of them?"
Washu was suddenly very quiet.
"You know, I still remember the night I made the biggest mistake of my life," she said sagely, "I was working on Ryoko… and I knew I couldn't trust Kagato. I had decided not to tell him about the last of the gems that Ryoko would wield," she paused and shook at the memory, "It was the fourth, and held the power to awaken the Fourth Goddess, the one turned to the elements, just as Tokimi was turned to darkness, and Tsunami to the light. The fourth Goddess was a protector of Earth."
"It's not possible, Miss Washu!" Ayeka protested, "There's just no way! Everyone knows there were only Three! Three Goddesses!"
"I tell you the truth, Ayeka, and the only one. I panicked, not wanting Kagato to find the gem and hid it inside Ryoko…"
"But someone could easily get it there!" Mihoshi joined in.
"If they did, it would mean that Tsunami, the Lighthawk Wings, Ryoko and I had all failed. There was no way that a being so protected by so many forces could come into harms way. So I stupidly placed it in her, not knowing tat later I would have feelings for her."
"Why… would it matter, Washu?" Tenchi asked, squinting while trying to contemplate all of this.
"Because to retrieve the gem you would have to kill Ryoko. I believe that Saviya is hiding Ryoko, so that nothing can save Earth from her taking it. She's given us the choice…"
There was a few moments of silence.
"H-how did you know this…" Ayeka asked, shaking.
"I searched Ryoko's mind, but I also knew where the gem was. I was the only one. And now, Saviya knows," Washu shook her head. "And now we must choose…"
"N-no…" Tenchi voice cracked with uncertainty, "We won't have to. I'll get Ryoko back. I can do it… Ayeka, will you help?"
"Of course."
"Mihoshi?"
"Yea!"
Washu smiled slightly. "Perhaps you're right… perhaps we won't have to."
*
"We're approaching the ship," Mihoshi announced over her vid-screen.
"Ayeka, you still with us?"
"Right behind you, Miss Washu."
"Mihoshi, I need you to keep navigating. I have an image of the ship, but I have to locate an entrance before I let you go."
"Yes ma'am!" Mihoshi said, dutifully.
"I'm in my battle costume… Tenchi, are you ready?"
"Yes, Ayeka."
"All right! I found an entrance guys, but it's packed with guards. Ayeka and Mihoshi, you two fend 'em off and let Tenchi go ahead."
"But Miss Washu…"
"Tenchi can do this on his own, Ayeka. He's a big boy. Wish I could say that for Ryoko. I'll pick you and Mihoshi up as soon as Tenchi safely in. Got it?"
"Got it." the chimed in unison.
"We're hovering.. Tenchi, are you ready?"
Tenchi took a deep breath. "Guess so."
*
"Oh, goodie, Ryoko. I have playmates for you. Look, here they come now…" Lady Saviya looked contentedly at her vid-screen. She watched the First Princess of Jurai destroy half her guards, accompanied by a bumbling GP officer who finished the rest.
Lady Saviya's eye twitched.
Tenchi ran down the long tunnels of the ship. He was surprised, but not comforted by the fact that there were no guards in the tunnels. Whatever lied at the end could certainly protect itself.
In the dark lighting he nearly slammed into a large pair of double doors. He searched them slowly and carefully for a handle, and fin finding none, pushed.
"Welcome, Tenchi Masaki, Prince of Jurai! I'm so honored to have you here."
Tenchi's sword flickered and began to glow its familiar blue.
"I am sensing hostility. Ryoko doesn't like hostility, does she?"
Ryoko shook her head.
"That's what I thought. Go ahead, Ryoko. Play with Tenchi Masaki."
Ryoko lunged unexpectedly at Tenchi. He kept his sword raised, blocking her sword but not striking back.
His face came close enough to hers for her to whisper in his ear, "Give up, Masaki. You're nothing."
For a moment, Tenchi faltered. Her voice was so convincing…
"Ryoko, fight it! Please! Stop this now, Ryoko!"
She cackled and flipped nimbly over his head. Ryoko shot a kick at Tenchi's lower back, sending him skidding across the marble floor.
Tenchi now realized that he was very close to Lady Saviya. In one swift movement, he gathered his strength and his sword and ran towards her, raising the sword christened Tenchi above his head.
And all of a sudden, it wasn't Lady Saviya he was aiming at. Ryoko had materialized in front of them, and Tenchi swerved his word away. He couldn't avert it completely, though.
The demoness screamed in pain and rage, blood dripping down her shoulder. The blue light of Tenchi's sword flickered and died out as he watched Ryoko crawl away and collapse. He could see her chest heave as she took ragged breaths, noting that she was still alive.
*She'll heal herself in a matter of minutes. I'd better get this over with.*
Tenchi swung his sword again at Saviya, only to have it stopped a second time. This time, a pail face surrounded by black tresses gave him an evil grin. A very frail looking girl grinned wickedly.
"You want to dance with the tickles, do you?" she asked.
"Ah," said Saviya, "Jyl. You may have fun with him. Ryoko seemed less than useful, anyway. She will be punished." Across the floor, Ryoko grasped at her head and started writhing as sparks of invisible lightening encompassed her. She screamed until her throat went raw.
A fire in Tenchi's eyes flared.
Jyl shot towards Tenchi, and flew playfully in between his legs She popped out on the other side, sending him to the far wall with a burst of black energy.
When the smoke cleared, Tenchi held the Lighthawk Sword.
"Ooo! It changes clothes fast!" Jyl observed before flying up into the air and diving back down onto Tenchi. She was throne back by the force of the sword, knocked into a pillar and slumped over herself.
"So, this is the amazing Lighthawk wings? Doesn't seem like that big a deal to me," Saviya twitched again.
"Let Ryoko go."
"What a silly little request. Of course I'm not going to!"
"Good. The faster I kill you the faster I can end this."
Saviya's usual cool and calm nature broke. Her hair frazzled as she panicked for the first time in her life.
Tenchi walked closer to Saviya slowly. A black ball of energy sailed next to his ankle and he turned. Jyl was struggling to sit up. She held a shaking hand steady and tried to fire another blast.
Saviya took this opportunity to pick up a gun she had always kept by her, just for emergencies. She grinned like a maniac as she pulled th trigger.
Tenchi turned just in time to watch Ryoko appear in front of the shot. The shot bounced off the shield easily.
Fretting, Saviya made a vid screen appear. She tapped in a few keys, grinning like a maniac. "And now, Tenchi, darling, You're planet will be reduced to a black hole, due to a few material conversions. I'll give it two minutes," she laughed. The laughter stopped abruptly as Ryoko sent a energy blast at her head.
Saviya fell. Her lifeless body twitched with raw energy.
Ryoko turned back to Tenchi, who now held her closely. She winced as the wound in her right arms was hugged tightly but was willing to take the pain.
Ryoko, satisfied, pulled away.
"I think we can get in contact with Washu," she floated over to a very large transparent key board near the giant window and tapped feverishly.
"Ryoko, I'm sorry."
"Hm? For what?"
"For… your shoulder…"
"I've had worse," Ryoko shrugged, causing more blood to flow from her wound. She winced slightly.
Two vid-screens appeared, one holding the worried faces of Washu and Ayeka and the other with Sasami.
"Washu! What can we do?"
Washu shook her head. "I'm afraid she has relocated a black hole to the position of Earth. There's no time."
"What are you talking about, Washu!?" Tenchi yelled. "We saw her come over here to do it. There's got to be a way to reverse it!"
"There isn't." In the background, Ryoko could hear Ayeka's stifled sobs. She looked at Sasami's vid-screen and then turned back to Tenchi.
"There is something I could do…"
"No." Tenchi said sternly. "We're not doing that, Ryoko."
"There's no other way!"
"Tenchi, she's right…" Washu started to tear up.
"No, Washu! I won't!" Tenchi received a swift slap across the face.
"Tenchi, you selfish bastard! It's either me or an entire world! What the fuck is so hard about that!?"
"What isn't hard about it?!"
Everyone was silent. Washu's vid-screen went black, as did Sasami's, leaving the two alone.
TO BE CONTINUED…
