Tenchi Universe: No Need for a Team-Up!
Rowan Seven
Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters except for the original ones. The characters you do recognize are copyright their respective companies. I'm not making any money off this fanfic. ^ ^ indicates thoughts. ~ ~ indicates telepathy.
Chapter 2: A First Meeting
The Universe in all of its beauty and glory lay spread out before a darkly cloaked, almost phantom-like figure. Galaxies as numerous as grains of sand swirled and spun as stars were born and others went supernova. Space unfolded into infinity. From the recesses of the cloaked figure's hood one could make out a smug smile. ^Very soon now I'll have my revenge.^ The figure was about to laugh diabolically but then thought better of it and returned to watching the small, crystalline white ship leaving the Nieurt System in a hurry.
"Behold," it said dramatically, extending its right arm to indicate the ship, "Nagi and Ryouga, the instruments of my vengeance!" This time it did laugh maniacally.
"MWHAHAHA-"
"Shut up Dad! I'm trying to sleep!" yelled a reproachful younger, definitely female voice from somewhere in the darkness.
The cloaked figure looked apologetic and sheepish. "I'm sorry honey, but Daddy's busy plotting. You know how I get carried away sometimes."
"Yeah, well, try and keep it down, okay? I was having the most _pleasant_ dream about Kariy-ja and me and...er, I think I said too much."
The cloaked figure arched an eyebrow. "You've got that right, _darling_. I've told you, that guy's bad news _and_ he's 1.5 centuries older than you."
"But Dad!-"
"No buts dear. Now, go back to sleep and we'll talk more about this in morning."
The cloaked figure returned to watching the universe in front of it as a very light snoring sounded in the background. It let out an irritated sigh. "Kids," it muttered, "can't live with them, can't ensure the survival of your species without them."
******
Ryouga painfully and wearily returned to consciousness. One of the first things he noticed was how tired, exhausted, and sore he was. The next thing he noticed was that he was lying on a slightly warm, metallic surface. Opening his eyes and wincing as the light streamed in, he got his first look at his new surroundings.
The green walls curved and rose to a point high in the air, forming an enclosed dome around what appeared to be a giant spherical gem. 2 foot red crystals floated all over the place, some moving oddly as if preoccupied with something. Ignoring the flash of pain all over his body Ryouga sprang bolt upright and rubbed his eyes and, when that failed to make his surroundings disappear, he pinched his arm. The crystals and the room remained.
"So the mystery man awakens, hmmm?" asked a cold and gruff feminine voice from behind him. Ryouga quickly turned to face whoever was there, his hand automatically going for his umbrella only to find nothing. Quickly covering up his worried frown he scrutinized the woman he was facing.
She was sitting casually in a floating white, crystalline chair a safe distance away with a large blank viewscreen behind her. A dark green cloak shrouded most of her figure, but the hood was down. Her face was a pale white with long, oddly elongated ears. Two black, arched triangular tattoos ran down her left cheek to her neck. Her eyes were a light red, and her long, thinly spiked silver tinted blue hair was held back by a blue band. At her side was a sword golden in color with a curved hilt and a red globe between the hilt and long, narrow cylindrical blade. Ryouga recognized her as the woman he had 'rescued' at that strange bar.
"Who are you and-"
"Hold it. This is _my_ ship so _I_ get to ask the questions first," Nagi interrupted. Fingering her sword to give her words an added weight she asked, "So, Hibiki Ryouga is it?"
Ryouga's mouth dropped open in shock. "How do you know my name?"
Nagi rolled her eyes. "You did practically shout it out back at the Docks, remember? Besides, _I'm_ the one that's supposed to be asking the questions. Now, what are you and where are you from?"
^What am I? What could she mean by that? Isn't it obvious I'm human? Unless...^ "I'm not a vampire!" Ryouga shouted, remembering an incident involving two teenage girls, a winged demon with horns, and talking lights that had happened somewhere in the States.
"Vam-pi-re?" Nagi repeated, giving him an odd look. Ryouga sweatdropped and could've sworn he heard one of the floating crystals behind her snicker.
"Ehehehe," Ryouga laughed nervously, scratching the back of his head in embarrassment. "Anyway, I'm human and have a house somewhere in Tokyo, Japan. At least, I _think_ it's in Tokyo. I know for certain it's in sight of Mt. Fuji."
Nagi blinked, the only outward sign of her surprise. "Human? Japan? Japan as in that tiny cluster of islands next to that massive continent on planet Earth?"
"Well yes, I don't know of any other Japans." Ryouga suddenly got a puzzled look on his face. "Say, just where in the world am I anyway? You don't look like any human I've ever seen. Who are you anyway?"
Now it was Nagi's turn to sweatdrop. Earth was a primitive world, not yet capable of interstellar travel. No Earthling should've been able to get all the way to Nieurt unless- "You wouldn't happen to know someone by the name of Tenchi Masaki, would you?" Nagi asked.
"No, I don't think so," Ryouga replied still puzzled and now a little worried. His mind was beginning to put two and two together, and what it was telling him was that he was more lost than he'd ever been before.
^Well, that rules that out,^ Nagi thought crossly. Ryouga wasn't making much sense to her. First off, he claimed to be human yet he possessed strength greater than a Bromags and could generate and manipulate energy. Her knowledge of humans stated that both should be impossible, but she supposed that there might be a few mutant strains in the genepool. Still, that didn't explain how he'd gotten all the way from Earth to Nieurt. Nagi let out a frustrated sigh.
~Answer his questions Nagi. His responses might shed some light on this whole confusing and amusing mess,~ Ken-ohki communicated with a mental chuckle.
Nagi rolled her eyes but followed her partner's advice. "Look Ryouga, I'm Nagi the Bounty Hunter, you're on my spaceship the Ken-ohki, and we're currently leaving the Nieurt System." Nagi sent a mental command to Ken-ohki and suddenly the viewscreen behind her filled with distant, glowing stars.
Ryouga's eyes widened almost imperceptibly. A stray thought flitted about his head. ^Ryouga, I don't think you're in Kansas any longer.^ The full import of what Nagi had just said dawned on him, temporarily overriding his pain, both physical and emotional. If he was in a spaceship then he was in outer space. That meant that his directional curse had intensified.
"Please....tell me you're joking," Ryouga pleaded weakly, knowing that Nagi wasn't. Already, the implications of this were sinking in. If his travels were now open to the entire universe then his chances of ever finding the same place twice had shrunken considerably. He could be lost forever now, always wandering without rest, trying to find his home to no avail. He'd never see his friends again. He'd never see Akane again...
Nagi watched the myriad of emotions that crossed Ryouga's face carefully. Unless he was a very good actor (which she doubted) he had been telling her the truth judging by his reaction. A pity really. Things would've been _so_ much easier if he had been lying.
Nagi snapped out of her musings when she noticed that Ryouga was now glowing like he had when he blasted that Orjikat warship. Ken-ohki was much tougher than an Orjikat warship, but...
"Hey, stop that! If you damage my ship I'll toss you out the airlock!" Nagi's right hand went for her whip as her left hand went for her sword as she simultaneously leaped out of her chair. In his current state Ryouga probably wouldn't be that hard to knock out but she didn't know that for certain. At the Docks he'd seem to have a very high constitution...
Nagi's irate voice penetrated through the depths of despair that Ryouga's mind had become. Realizing with horror that he was about to release a Perfect ShiShiHoukoudan in a spaceship he halted the technique, the aura around him dissipating instantly.
Nagi paused in mid-step, relaxing her combat stance slightly. "That's better," she said warily, cautiously watching Ryouga. His aura was gone, but she could feel depression radiating off him in waves. She quickly came to a decision. He had helped her (not that she'd needed it), but she didn't like feeling that she owed anyone anything and it didn't seem all that safe to keep him around for long. Besides, she'd be able to check out the Masaki residence again to see if Ryoko had returned this way.
"Look, I have no idea how you ended up in the Nieurt System Earthling nor frankly do I have the time to find out, but since I was planning on going to Earth anyway you might as well come along. Think of it as me repaying you for helping me out back there," Nagi told him.
Ryouga blinked and nodded sadly. "Sure, why not?" he answered with a bitter chuckle. "What difference does it make? I'll just get lost again anyway. Story of my-"
"I don't mean to interrupt, but you two might want to turn around," politely suggested a calm, deep, and sophisticated androgynous voice.
Nagi and Ryouga did so. Standing before them was a darkly cloaked figure. Despite the hood it wore one could tell that it was smiling.
"Who are you and how did you get onboard without Ken-ohki noticing?" Nagi spoke harshly, returning to her earlier battle stance. Ryouga assumed a battle stance of his own.
"No need for that," the figure said, grinning even more. "I came here not to fight but rather to bargain. Basically, I have an offer the two of you can't refuse. Intrigued? You should be." The figure made a hand gesture and a neatly polished rectangular wooden table materialized on the floor with the three wooden chairs, two on one side and the third on the opposite side.
"Let us work out the terms, shall we?" The figure beckoned Nagi and Ryouga over. Despite themselves, they found themselves sitting down in the two chairs.
"Now, here's what I want the two of you to do for me..."
End Chapter 2.