Universe of Torment:
Funaho:
A few moments ago the small clearing near the Masaki Shrine and house in Okinawa was a quiet place. It was a place where people could go to reflect on life, and make wishes upon the sacred tree, Funaho, which had stood for over 700 years. But now it had become the location where a battle of the most deadly caliber was taking place.
Resting behind the great space tree was a massive portal; it's awesome power truly evident by the circles of energy that flowed into the center of this strange vortex. Yet even this anomaly and the ancient space specimen paled in comparison next to the two figures who waged an epic battle before them.
Roaring at the top of her lungs, the silver haired woman wearing the strange
black space suit with the white cloth hanging loosely in the front charged
furiously holding back the arm with her energy blade back ready to begin her
assault.
Still lost in the moment, the young man was barely able to leap aside and avoid his scarred opponents swing. "Look Miss Minagi, I have no idea who you are, but I am not gonna stand here and let you kill me." Growling, the silver haired woman whirled about, holding out one hand towards her prey. Seconds later powerful bolts of lightning shot out of free hand.
Beaming aside, the time lost son of Ryoko shook his head, as he landed gently
on one of the roots nearby. Damn, I
can't keep running from her like this.
I have to finish this fight quick.
Holding forth his hands, Yosho smiled. "Well I hate to have to get rough on you, but it looks like you leave me little choice."
What is going on here? Minagi frowned, as she furrowed her brow looking at her adversary with a concerned expression. Since when could Yosho Masaki teleport around like Ryoko? Putting a finger to her communicator located on her ear, the lithe woman cleared her throat loudly. "Hey Boss…" she began, speaking in a slightly concerned tone. "I think something is wrong, here…."
Nearby:
As Yosho Masaki and Minagi battled for the fate of two universes, Ayeka, Sasami, and Sakuya casually strolled up the long winding staircase that lead past the sacred tree and to the Masaki Shrine, where the two princess's half brother, Lord Katsuhito, the original Yosho, attended to his duties as a Shinto priest.
The young black-haired girlfriend of Ryoko's son seemed troubled as she walked in silence, crossing her arms timidly over her chest. "So, was there anything else you wanted to know about me?"
Stopping suddenly, the red-eyed woman looked over her shoulder at her supposed great-niece-in-law. "Perhaps there is. Sasami," she shouted proudly, "what exactly have we found out about our young friend?"
Flipping back a few pages in the large notebook in her hands, the pink-eyed woman cleared her throat tenderly as she spoke in a voice that still echoed the innocence she had in her lost past youth. The adult looking Sasami skimmed her hurried handwriting quickly trying to sum up everything for her beloved sister. "Well, we found out that Sakuya comes from a well off family, is the captain of the volley ball team, gets straight A's on all report cards, and that she has had a crush on Yosho since she first met him."
Hearing her private confession blurted aloud so casually, the green-eyed Earthling's face became a shade redder as her embarrassment became more and more evident. "Well," Ayeka smiled, suddenly stopping to glare squarely into the young woman's eyes. "I suppose we know as much about your past and present as we need to. However, there is only one thing left I must ask about, as a concerned… aunt." Smiling, the purple-haired Jurain tilted her face downward, giving her an almost sinister appearance. "The future," she admitted, watching Sakuya swallow hard at her tone. "What exactly are your intentions with my nephew? You do know he is in line to be heir to the throne of planet Jurai. Are you using him for his power, or do you truly love him for who he is?"
"No, of course not, I mean yes I do, but that is to say…" the black-haired girl responded, as Ayeka's eyes continued to devour her confidence, while Sasami cheerfully jotted down her response at her sister's request.
"Excuse me," a familiar voice shouted, as the man in question suddenly burst past the trio.
"Wasn't that Yosho, just now?" the blue-haired princess said, scratching the top of her head carefully with the eraser of her pencil. "What's he running that way for? I-"
However the youngest Jurain heir could not finish her remark, as two more
figures darted past her, Mihoshi and Kiyone, who each wore only the basics of
their Galaxy Police uniforms. "Excuse
us, Washu thinks there's trouble at Funaho…."
"Funaho…" the pink-kimono wearing woman gasped. "That's the direction where Yosho was going? What could possibly be going on now?" Before another word could be spoken, the sound of a mighty crash echoed in the air, coming from further into the wooded paths. Without so much as another word, the trio of women stopped their conversation, and rushed headlong towards the great space tree, prepared for the worst. Yet even that would not be enough to brace them for what they were about to encounter.
Funaho:
With a strained effort, the youngest Masaki grunted as he tried to hoist himself back onto his feet, only reaching his knees however. Not good, he mentally scolded himself. I let my guard down, and she got a lucky punch. It's a good thing Funaho is here to stop my soaring into a mountain or something. Yeah… real lucky… I think I broke something with that hit. Man, he groaned staggering to his feet that really hurt… This wouldn't be so hard if she didn't look so much like mom. Maybe it's time I showed her my trump card….
Shaking her head, the mighty warrior woman once again spoke into her communicator. "Boss, I really don't think this is the guy you wanted me to kill. He's way too tough…."
"You are merely holding yourself back, my dear." The ebon knights voice announced calmly. "Don't hesitate, it's not in your nature. Let go of the compassion in your heart and strike him down quickly."
Exhaling sharply, Minagi faced her wounded opponent with reluctance holding her energy blade before her menacingly. Just as she prepared to lurch forward, and once again assault the young man, energy surged forth in front of him, forming a white energy blade. Seeing this, the young looking warrior woman gasped. The Lighthawk sword…? But only Tenchi is supposed to be able to summon that up. What is going on here? When did this kid learn to do that?
"What in the world is going on here?" A feminine voice shouted behind the two champions. Before turning the silver-haired woman saw her adversaries face become completely white, as if his blood had left his body. Peering over her shoulder, meaning only to steal a quick glance, the scarred attacker's jaw dropped. Standing behind her was not only another Yosho, but also Kiyone and Mihoshi, who stood with their weapons drawn pointing at the two combatants. "All right, both of you lay down your weapons and put your hands up!" The teal-haired officer snapped. "Now!"
"Uh... sir," the golden-eyed replica of Ryoko said timidly into the receiver she wore on her ear, still holding her blade at the man she had been facing for the past few minute. "Exactly which Yosho Masaki was I supposed to kill?"
"What do you mean, which Yosho?" A cold voice replied through her earpiece. "The boy who is Tenchi and Ryoko's son, you know what he looks like, golden eyes, black hair, slightly powerful build-"
"Yeah, but there are two of them," she began sounding a bit unnerved. "And one is using a Lighthawk sword, like the guy who killed your brother!"
For a few seconds no answer came, but when the sinister ebon knight spoke again his cold voice was laced with an unfamiliar urgency. "Get out of there, Minagi. I don't know what this means, but you must escape. I've sent the portals coordinates for the next target. Take care of your target in Delight, and we should still be on schedule."
"Understood," she whispered still uncertain as to what was going on. Smiling she suddenly burst forward, straight at the man with the Lighthawk sword.
Yosho grinned, hefting the sword high overhead. Her headlong charge made her an easy target. After all the years of training he had endured, striking her when she ran right at him would be no problem at all.
However, the golden-eyed youth neglected one simple fact. Although he possessed more powers, and was perhaps stronger than the lithe woman, the muscular time traveler did not possess agility to match her own, nor did he have her thousands of years experience in combat. Just as his sword came down, Minagi dashed to the side, causing the young man to over extend himself and slash the ground with his powerful blade. A few moments later, when the swordsman was able to whirl about, he saw no signs of the portal she had come from. His attacker had escaped, gone without a trace.
Well that's over, Yosho nodded, wiping sweat from his brow as he looked over the calm crystalline lake, allowing his Lighthawk sword to dissipate back to where it came. The crisis seems to have passed.
"What in the world is going on here?" a prim and proper voice roared. "What is the meaning of this oddity?"
"Yeah," a chillingly familiar voice echoed in his keen ears. "Why are there two of you Yosho?"
Turning, with a dead look in his eyes, the time and space lost Yosho saw a sight that filled him with both dread and joy at the same time. Standing together was his aunts, Kiyone, Mihoshi, Ayeka, and Sasami, with the addition of his other self, who was trying to lie his way out of this situation, as a black haired girl watched him with confused green eyes.
Walking carefully over, the young man who had worked so hard to conceal himself shook his head, as he placed a hand tenderly on his other self's shoulder. "It's no use trying to lie anymore," the golden-eyed fighter proclaimed. "What's done is done. Besides we have bigger problems now I fear."
"You're right, I think it's time we told everyone what's going on here," the one from this dimension and time revealed.
"Who are you? You look like someone I've meet before. Have you ever been to Galaxy Police Headquarters?" Mihoshi said to the newcomer following this situation with her usual keen grasp of the obvious.
As everyone else fought to keep their minds from exploding due to the ditzy blonde's comments, the displaced youth cupped his face sorely for a moment. "It's a long story… perhaps we should go back to the house. Then I can tell you everything, and maybe shed some light on the recent problems you've all had."
Universe of Delight:
Washu's Lab:
In the deep recesses of Washu Hakubi's mighty lab, a figure begins to stir in her medical tube, her face a contorted expression as she thrashes about inside the warm green liquid, as if she were facing some invisible adversary.
Were she not restrained; the young woman with long pink hair would have probably done considerable damage to herself. Suddenly the thrashing the tube stopped and the nude woman floated lifelessly in the warm regenerating liquid. For long moments she drifted, like a frail leaf caught in a raging river, her arms and legs bobbing up and down in the current she had created in her unconscious panicked state. Her breathing came in short shallow breaths, echoing in the large laboratory at a slow rhythmic pace.
However all that was soon to change, as Halley Minkay's eyes soon fluttered open, and she found herself drifting in a strange sea of green. What in the world? she gasped, momentarily unable to breath, before realizing she wore an oxygen mask up on her face. What's going on? I'm not supposed to be in here. I have a job to do. The orange-eyed rich girl asked herself, placing both arms on the glass tube, trying to pry it open. Someone get me out of here! I want out of here. She mentally pleaded, fear clutching her young heart. I want my…
Before the young woman could mentally utter another terrified word, the liquid in the tube drained away, being sucked out by some internal monitor that had sensed her consciousness. Yet the green regenerating fluid was not the only thing being taken from the glass med tube. Soon a strange energy portal opened underneath the nude woman, causing her to fall through the bottom of the tube, and teleported to a place she had never been before.
Moments Later:
"Hmmm?" Washu muttered as she walked by the now empty tube. "What's going on? I wonder when Halley left? Oh well," the little genius shrugged. "She's probably enjoying a hot bath right now. I don't think she'll have any problems. After all if she's a bit shaken by all this, Ryoko said she was going to the Onsen, so at least she'll have some company. Even if it is Ryoko…."
The Onsen:
"Ah…" a young man sighed as he sank into the warm water of the Onsen. What a day this has been. Sinking up to his chin, the brown-haired fiancée of Ryoko allowed his head to bob gently in the water. Even though it happened a few days ago, I still can't believe it! Ryoko accepted my proposal.
"One things for sure, nothing can spoil my mood today." Tenchi sat up, smiling broadly as he casually looked at ceiling, and something came from above, crashing down on him.
The object striking the young man was soft, heavy, and wet, pushing him under the water in a blur. In a panic, the young man fought his hardest, and managed to rise, rising above the surface the brown-haired youth spat the warm mineral water everywhere, as his eyes flickered open. Almost as soon as he could see, Jurai's heir to the throne's face turned bright red.
Exhaling sharply, the object in his hands smiled at him, her orange eyes warmly gazing into his. "My hero, you saved me."
"Halley…" Tenchi gasped, unsure how the naked woman had come crashing down on him. "What are you-" However his words never were spoken, as his lips suddenly met hers. Closing his eyes painfully, the young man seemed to be enjoying the sensation, and for long seconds the two figures rested together, sharing a tender moment.
Outside:
With an impish grin on her face, Ryoko glided through the evening air, thoughts of an erotic nature forming in her cunning mind. This is going to be great! She thought seductively. I'll be alone with Tenchi in the bath, and this time I won't let him get off by passing out. I'm going to enjoy today. Of course, Tenchi will too. It's just a matter of getting past his shy nature. It's hard to do, but I know I'll be the first one to do it. No problem. At that instant, the golden-eyed woman grabbed the handle to the sliding door, and quickly slid it open. Nothing could prepare her for the shock that she was about to experience.
Back Inside:
With all the excitement and wonder of a woman in love, Ryoko threw open the Onsen door, "Tenchi! I'm here!" she chimed happily. Taking a few quick steps, the woman in the white dress with red leggings expected to see her cherished one trying his best to hide form her, or at least hear a cry of protest at her unexpected arrival. Hmm… I wonder if that means Tenchi is ready to 'play' with me? Well I won't be one to disappoint him, she admitted sliding the shoulder of her dress off on side at a time. It seemed this time, however, it was the golden-eyed woman's turn to be shocked, as she rounded a corner to see that Tenchi already had company, Halley Minkay. The pink haired woman lay naked upon her fiancée, his hands resting firmly upon her chest, as he had been trying to pry her off of him. Yet the lustful look she saw in both their eyes before they turned in unison to gaze at Ryoko with eyes that showed they barely registered her intrusion.
Grabbing the lithe woman by her arm, Ryoko tore the naked girl from her beloved, who shook his head groggily as he saw to his horror who it was that had taken the woman he had just kissed away from him. "Ryoko, wait you don't understand. I didn't-"
"Be quiet," she hissed angrily, her eyes glowing red with anger as she desperately fought back the tears welling in her golden eyes. "I'll deal with you later, but for right now…" the silver-haired woman paused, turning her head slowly to look at her captive, who struggled in vain under her captor's grasp. "For right now, your mistress and I are going to have a little… chat…." With that the two women vanished, as Ryoko prepared to have a 'conversation' with Halley Minkay.
When the two women were gone, the brown haired youth sat alone in the bath, for a few seconds, trying to figure out what it was that had just occurred. What is wrong with me? I love Ryoko, with all my heart, but why? Why do I always end up doing stuff like that with Halley? Every time I look in her eyes, I get this weak feeling. It's like love, but not like how I love Ryoko… what is going on? Suddenly Tenchi shook his head, realizing he no longer had time to worry about his emotional plight. Oh man, Ryoko was furious. I've got to find her, before she does something terrible to Halley!
Funaho:
With a hiss of matter being rearranged, Ryoko and her naked captive appeared before the great space tree of their dimension. Dropping her adversary, the golden-eyed woman seemed ready to rend this young woman's head from its resting place.
"What is your problem, Ryoko? Didn't you see that Tenchi and I are enjoying being together? Why do you always have to get in the way?" The naked girl remarked rising up to cover herself with her arms, taking extra care to make sure her barren arms were positioned so the scars on the underside were not readily visible. "I know you won't believe this, but while I was in that tank I had a lot of weird dreams, and in one I found out that Tenchi is my-"
"Listen, I don't care about any of that," the golden-eyed woman declared angrily. "Just stay away from my Tenchi, he isn't available."
Looking up hurt at the shouting woman, Halley glared at Ryoko with a hate that paralleled that of the silver-haired fiancée. "What are you, his girlfriend or a slave keeper?" As the two women's eyes met, time seemed to stop, as the young woman's next words echoed eternally in Ryoko's ears. "It should be obvious to anyone with even half a brain that Tenchi and I are fated to be together. I mean look at all the 'misunderstandings' that have been happening between us. It's fate that keeps putting us together, the sooner you see that the better off you'll be, Ryoko!"
As the pink-haired girl spoke, the golden-eyed woman's mind recalled all the times she had seen Tenchi with Halley; the incident on Plesruis, the scene at the lake, and now the Onsen. Clutching her fist, the hurt space pirate could see truth in her new rival's words, which made her wonder what hurt her more, that her beloved prince could love someone else and lie to her about it, or that her love for him could all be for nothing.
"What are you gonna do now? Hit me? Go ahead," the naked figure replied standing prone before her supposed assailant. "If it'll make you happy, do it. It'll just prove that I was right, and that I'm the one who's going to end up with Tenchi, because I'm his-."
"Shut up!" Ryoko growled, spinning away from the orange-eyed girl. "I don't want to hear about your stupid dreams, or what you think is your destiny. Tenchi and I are going to be married, and that's final. If you don't like it, then go home. Otherwise, back off, or next time I won't let you off with just a warning like I did this time."
Leaping into the air, the golden-eyed woman scowled at her adversary. "If I see you near him again, I'll… I'll…" trailing off the seductive space pirate allowed herself to slip into a dark fantasy, where she would be capable of hurting someone like Halley for messing with her emotions.
However, the lithe woman knew that such was no longer the case. Her years of imprisonment, time spent with Tenchi and the others, and the love he felt towards protecting them had dulled the killer instinct within her. Of course, she still could fight, she proved that nearly daily against Ayeka, but cold-blooded murder was no longer something she could easily do. Tenchi had warmed her once frozen heart, and made her into what she was today. His love had changed her perspective on life and given her hope for the future. All she wanted now was to protect him from all pain, and to see him happy in return.
Looking down at the nude figure, Ryoko gritted her teeth, showing her tiny cat-like fangs. "Just stay out of my way!" She declared, before beaming away, too shaken by everything she had seen and heard to continue this conversation, lest her rage take her back to a place where she did not want to return.
As soon as the lithe woman had left, the orange-eyed Minkay shook her head slowly side to side, a gleeful look in her eyes. "It's sad to see that she's become so weak, but it's just like he said. Ryoko might be tough, but if you attack her through Tenchi, she can be beat pretty easily. Oh well, I guess it's time to finish some unfinished business." Holding out her hands, the pink-haired woman's arms glowed with crimson power, and in a flash of light, two figures appeared beside her. One a red-haired woman with a dark tan and a Galaxy Police officer's uniform, the other a black-haired girl whose skin bore nearly no tint, and whose two emerald eyes showed she was a woman of great intelligence. Upon her lab coat, the official insignia of the Science Academy was sewed.
"How did we get here?" the Science Academy resident asked, as she rose to her feet, taking in the strange scene with extreme puzzlement. "And where is here anyway?"
"Yeah," the red-haired GP officer intellectually answered. "Wait a minute… Halley? What are you doing here, and why are you naked?"
"Sorry Lued, Sakuya," the pink-haired girl smiled, her back still to her friends. "I just wanted to say good bye to you. We've always had a good time. Even though I see now you only remember it when I want you to."
"What are you talking about?" The red-eyed woman remarked. "Sure our time together may seem fuzzy sometimes, but every time we see each other, I always remember all the good times."
"He brought you here to play with me, to keep me entertained." The orange-eyed woman proclaimed. "But now the time for play is over. It's time for the real work to be done, and so I have to let you go."
Rotating about on her heals with great agility; the orange-eyed woman shook her head, as her hands once again glowed with crimson power. "Once again, I am sorry, but you have to go." Saying nothing more, the young woman unleashed the built up power, each arm pointing at one of her former friends and companions. Each figure tried to scream, however the energy about them stopped any protest they might make, and in a flash of light, the two women who had been Halley Minkay's friends for so long, ceased to be.
"Relics from a forgotten past," Halley muttered darkly, as she examined her hands as if for the first time. "It was nice to have friends like you girls, but…" shaking her head sadly, the pink-haired woman looked around her. "But now I have Tenchi to play with, and I have a job to do. I hope daddy isn't too mad at me, I know mom will be. She always gets mad when I play games like this; at least I think she does. I remember she tried to kill me a few times for being too playful."
Oh well… that was fun, the young woman thought with a smile as she sat on the gnarled roots of Funaho. I'm glad I came back to Earth after all this time. What should I do now? Call Mehk? Na… I'm sure he's busy right now. Besides I don't need him, not yet anyway. Not until I have to leave here again. Boy, things sure have been a lot more fun since my trip to the Komodas Temple. It's like waking up from a nightmare. Of course, he's not here to be with me like he used to, but I'm sure I can change that. If the plan works, then in the end, daddy will be okay, and so will everyone else…
Were the pink-haired visitor to the Masaki home not so obsessed with her own odd plans and games, she might have heard the sound behind her, as a great portal opened behind her, just as it had in torment, moments ago. As it were, the young woman heard nothing, until a silver-haired woman with scars under her golden eyes stood over her. "You there, I'm in a hurry, so tell me, where can I find Mayuka Masaki?"
Startled, the orange-eyed rich girl peered at the newcomer, and the large
portal she had come from. "What do you
want now, Ryoko?"
"Ryoko," Minagi laughed, slowly moving her head side to side. "That's not my name. Now tell me where is the child, she must die."
Standing up, the naked woman faced the strange acting space pirate, realizing her clothes had changed since last they had argued. "I see. You aren't Ryoko are you? He sent you." Holding her hands before her in a defensive manner, the young Minkay prepared for a fight. "Well I can't let you hurt Mayuka, she's too precious to me, and his plan. So if you want to get to her, you'll have to go through me."
Holding forth one hand, Minagi summoned her crimson blade, smiling down at her nude opponent, "fine with me. I just had a bad surprise today, so I need to vent some anger. Besides, it'll be your funeral, not mine." With that not a word more was spoken, as the battle was joined.
Next Time: Halley vs. Minagi! Who is this he? What strange revelations did Halley have, and how does it affect Tenchi and the others? Plus, the Masaki family in Torment tries to figure out what is going on, as the time lost Yosho explains everything he knows in: Chapter 11: Showdown in Delight