Well here I am with another chapter to add to my story. And yet only four reviews. I am extremely bummed! It is the reviews that make writing worthwhile. And right now I don't feel very motivated to write. Review please!

To Akemi Akibi: I have in fact played pokemon for game boy color and I am familar with the show (for proof, I wrote a story based in the pokemon world called A Psychic Showdown which is complete and posted on FF. net). Having said that, any similarities between Koga and Koba are coincidental, honestly.

Well anyway, onto the story.

Chapter Four-- Too Late

Valader eyed the kenshin skeptically. "Your saying that all the destruction that has occurred on Calbon was a ruse. That the real reason behind this has something to do with you?"

Ryan nodded, swiping his left hand absently across his forehead, leaving a streak of grayish black from the mud that was all over his palm.

"I find that highly unlikely." Valader commented with a scoff.

"Before I landed in Caladras, I sensed something." Ryan began, looking down at his hands, frowning when he saw all the mud caked on them. "Something dark caressed my mind, but it was brief, fleeting. I couldn't get a sense of where it came from." He said with a pause, turning his attention upward into the bright blue sky. "This presence visited me once more, a few minutes ago. It tried to consume my mind and take over my body. It took everything I had to force it away. I don't know what purpose it has for me just yet. But I fear the answer may come too late. That I will be unable to stop it."

The captain studied Ryan. "What do you mean kenshin? Too late to stop what? The assailants?"

Ryan turned towards Valader. "The assailants are pawns in this game. They may not even be aware to the true motives of the mastermind behind this. And believe there is one. His or her relationship with the dark force is symbiotic somehow, whether they or the dark force is in control I know not. But they need each other, of that I am certain." He answered , picking off globs of mud that stuck to his once clean shirt before adding. "They will strike tonight. They will come in hard. We must meet them head on and crush them before they hurt anyone else."

The captain nodded. "But where will they strike? They could attack anywhere."

"If you were desperate to meet me and knew that this was my home world, where would you strike to gain my attention quickest?" Ryan asked, walking towards the smaller man.

Valader's eyes lit up in thought. "I would attack the place you held most dear." He answered.

At this Ryan nodded. "We must make way for Tirith." The young man replied, clasping Valader's right shoulder. "And pray I am right." He added under his breath, closing his eyes.

And with the power of teleportation, the two vanished into thin air.

**********

"So you want me to contact the kenshin, do ya?" Washu said, trying hard not to laugh as she paced back and forth before Ryoko who kept nodding eagerly. "You just want to check up on him?" She asked.

Again Ryoko nodded. "Please Miss Washu. I would be grateful for your assistance." She said in the sweetest voice possible.

"Are you sure you're not doing this in an attempt to seduce the kenshin with lurid promises if he comes back to you right away?"

Ryoko feigned offense. "Do I look like the kind of girl who would do something like that?" She said placing a hand upon her chest in mock incredulity, staring down at the short scientist.

Washu's face fell slack. "Do you really want me to answer that?" She murmured, stopping in front of the taller woman.

Ryoko's features fell. "Look Washu. I just want to know if he's all right. That's all." She answered, trying to keep her voice even.

Washu paced back and forth, her features thoughtful. All the while Ryoko was becoming agitated. Finally Washu answered. "All right, I'll do it. But on one condition." She answered, looking up at an anxious Ryoko.

"Yes of course. What is it?"

Washu beamed. "Call me little Washu."

Ryoko dropped her head. I should have known. "Please contact Ryan for me, little Washu." The young woman murmured under her breath.

Washu held up a hand to her ear. "What's that? Speak up please, I can barely hear you." She said with a smirk. She loved getting Ryoko's goat. But she was unprepared when Ryoko reared her head up suddenly and yelled. "PLEASE CONTACT RYAN FOR ME, LITTLE WASHU!"

The short scientist fell to the side, a look of pain and shock plastered on her face. "Okay, okay, I'll contact him." She replied quickly, jumping back up. "You don't have to yell you know." She added, rubbing her forehead. Kids today. She thought as she made her way to the communication panel, an irritated Ryoko close behind.

Flopping into the swing chair before the panel, Washu's fingers flew across the keyboard, her features fixed intently on the screen before her.

"How long will it take to contact him?" Ryoko asked, coming up behind Washu's seat, focusing her gaze on the large screen before her.

Washu slipped a small chip into a port to the left of her keyboard. "First I have to register Nozomi's id into the system, after that it is only a matter of opening a channel for us to contact the kenshin."

Ryoko looked from the screen to Washu. "And just how did you acquire an id of the Nozomi?"

Washu gave a secretive smile. "I felt it may come in handy to know the kenshin's whereabouts, should we need his help."

Ryoko narrowed her eyes.

Washu caught her reflection in the screen and laughed lightly. "Relax Ryoko. Ryan knew about it. In fact he was the one who gave me the id."

Ryoko's features relaxed.

A small beep drew the two ladies attention as a flood of information filled the screen.

"Okay." Washu said, her fingers moving deftly across the keyboard as she studied the screen before her. "The Nozomi has been located."

Ryoko perked up, holding onto Washu's chair with a vice like grip. "Where is it?" She asked, unable to keep the anxiety out of her voice.

"On Calbon. Near the city of Caladras."

Ryoko let out a sigh of relief, easing her hand off the chair.

Washu turned towards her. Her features puzzled. "Did you expect something otherwise Ryoko?"

"No." Ryoko said a little too quickly, backing up slightly.

Washu raised her eyebrows but said nothing, giving Ryoko a sympathetic look before returning her attention back to the screen where the words, OPENING COMMUNICATION CHANNEL, flashed.

Ryoko walked forward, taking the seat beside Washu. Several minutes passed without a response.

"Now what?" Ryoko asked in frustration.

Washu leaned back in her seat and closed her eyes. "Now we wait. If Ryan does not answer the signal, we will leave a message on his communication log. It is the best I can do."

Ryoko sighed, leaning forward to rest her head where her arms lay crossed along the panel. Come on Ryan. Where are you?

*******

"You know what you must do Captain?" Ryan asked the smaller man as the two stood beside the Nozomi where they had appeared moments ago.

Valader nodded. "I will take my men to Tirith. We will evacuate the village and set up a defensive perimeter. From there we will wait for your arrival."

Ryan patted the captain's shoulder. "I'll join you as soon as I can." He said, gripping then releasing his shirt that was smeared from the mud that had littered the ground at Tanqual.

Valader gave a quick chest salute and without another word left to fulfill the kenshin's plan.

Ryan watched Valader disappear around the corner of the hanger, wondering if he had made the right decision by focusing solely on Tirith. The kenshin was not used to such uncertainty, but the dark force had veiled the truth in shadow, leaving Ryan to speculate what would happen next.

The kenshin tilted his head up, his intense eyes scanning the horizon as the setting sun painted the sky blood red. Ryan features were grim. His mind was troubled by sudden self doubt. What if I am wrong? How many people will die if I fail?

The kenshin tore his gaze away from the primitive sky and shook his head. He must not let the shadow consume him. Pushing his negative thoughts away, Ryan headed up Nozomi's ramp. Once inside, he began to make his way toward his room for a much needed shower only to stop suddenly when he sensed something. A whisper of need penetrated his consciousness. Someone was trying to contact him. Turning around, Ryan marched to the cockpit at the front of the ship. The kenshin headed towards the cockpit and found the communication button flashing insistently before him. Ryan raised an eyebrow. I wonder who that can be? Pressing down, the image of a bored Washu popped up on his communication monitor. The look of boredom vanished, replaced by a look of surprise as the scientist focused her green eyes upon his visage.

"It's about time!" She admonished, sitting up in her seat.

Ryan gave an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry." He replied sitting down in the pilot's seat. "How long have you been trying to contact me?"

"About a half an hour." She answered.

Ryan frowned. "Why didn't you just leave me a message? I would have gotten back to you as soon as possible."

Washu sighed in exasperation. "I would have but Ryoko here wanted to talk to you in person." She answered, lifting her left arm to swat at the space pirate who was off screen. "Hey Ryoko, wake up! Ryan has responded to our hail."

"What!" Ryoko cried, knocking a startled Washu out of her seat when she leaned aggressively to the side and into Ryan's view.

"Dammit Ryoko!" Washu cried indignantly as she jumped up.

Ryoko paid no mind to Washu's rant, her eyes focused solely on the man before her.

Ryan smiled warmly as he met her gaze. For a few seconds neither spoke.

"Hey." Ryoko said softly, breaking the silence first.

"Hey yourself." Ryan replied, giving her a knowing smile that made the space pirate blush. "So how are things going? Is everybody doing okay?" He asked in concern, trying to keep the communication between them as businesslike as possible.

Ryoko appeared disappointed but answered. "Well other than the fact Tenchi and Ayeka are acting all lovey dovey while I'm left alone with no one to hold me and tell them they love me everything's just great." She said in a biting tone.

Ryan laughed.

Ryoko frowned. "It's not funny." She said flatly, crossing her arms.

Ryan stopped. "I'm sorry Ryoko. It's just.. I've had a rough day."

Ryoko's features relaxed. "What kind of day?" She asked, eyeing him in concern.

Ryan related his tale to the space pirate whose features became more and more worried as he progressed with his story.

"I don't like the sound of this one bit. It sounds like a trap to me."

Ryan nodded. "It is."

"Then why are you falling into it? "

Ryan looked away. "Because I have to stop who ever is doing this. Right here, right now. If I don't stop them, no one will."

Ryoko's eyes teared up. "I fear something dreadful awaits you at Tirith my love. I fear I.." She began stopping to rest her hand upon the screen before her.

Ryan matched her movement.

"Be careful Ryan. Return to me safely." She spoke softly, dropping her hand.

"I will." He replied, masking his feelings with a confident grin. Even though it's a promise I cannot keep. He thought sadly as he stood up. "Good bye Ryoko. 'Til next we meet."

Ryoko blew him a kiss. "Good bye." She replied, casting her eyes downward.

Reluctantly, Ryan broke off communication first, staring at the blank screen before him. With a heavy heart, the kenshin headed to his room to prepare for what might be his last fight against the darkness that sought to claim him.

That's all for now. In the next chapter Ryan and Koba will meet face to face. What will happen to Ryan? Will he die at the hands of Koba and his mysterious stone or will he find some way to escape death? And will I continue this story or leave it in the abyss of unfinished work that litters the world of Fanfiction.Net? Time and reviews will tell.