Universe of Torment:
The Past:
A cool wind blew through the trees surrounding the path to
the Masaki shrine, giving this unholy night an even more menacing feel. Despite how dismal the situation seemed a
young man stood, a glowing sword in his hands and a smile on his face. His golden eyes seemed to glisten in the
moonlight, which filtered through the trees, as he quickly spun about, checking
every avenue for his quarry. This is
great! I'm changing the past! Now where is he, where's Leech? "Come
out you coward," Yosho yelled proudly, "I am not afraid of you! Come on, it's time to die!" With his last swift motion, to scan the
area, the youth with long black hair winced, his body reminding him of his
numerous injuries.
High above, clinging to the side of a tree, his nearly
translucent claws digging into its surface, was Leech. Hugging the bark closely, the gargoyle-like
creation of Blackshire would have appeared to be a natural inhabitant of the
woods, were it not for his red glowing eyes, portals leading to his
origin. Even though his master was
nowhere to be seen, the translucent beast could tell Blackshire was watching
him, waiting for him to screw up so he could punish him. Well, it seems the noble hero isn't
feeling well. That's too bad, perhaps I
should go say hello. It sure was nice of 'dad' to send me a snack before I kill
Masaki…. As a grin crossed his
wretched face, Leech sprang from the tree, his arms opened wide, as he quickly,
and silently dropped downward towards his unsuspecting prey….
Landing heavily upon his wounded foes back, the insidious
life-siphoning beast quickly latched his taloned arms and legs around his
adversary's body, holding him tight.
"Looking for me," Leech hissed, leaning his head over Yosho's shoulder
to peer into his captured foes eyes.
Groaning from the pain of having his battered body jarred, the young
warrior appeared doomed. Tensing his
powerful arms, the son of Tenchi Masaki used all his impressive strength to try
and free himself from his enemy's seemingly inescapable hold. "Try all you like, boy!" The evil creature chuckled, "no one has ever
escaped me once I get a hold of them.
In just a few moments, I'll start stealing your impressive energy, and
then I'll go get your dad…."
"NO!" the golden-eyed avenger of his family roared, throwing
off his jailer. The translucent
gargoyle slammed to the ground with a stunned look.
Damn it! How is
this possible? He wondered looking
up at the now free youth. Not realizing
that despite his great agility, his enemy possessed the strength of his mother,
making any hold the evil beast used easy to break out of.
Spinning about, the blade of his sword glowing powerfully in
the chilled night, Yosho swung at his foe.
However despite his own impressive agility, the young champion missed
his foe, who sprang away at that last possible second. Landing on a tree, his impressive claws
digging into the tree before him.
Time and again, the golden-eyed youth raced at his opponent,
trying in vain to strike his foe down, yet having no luck. "You're just to slow, my boy…" the demon
from the future laughed, lunging forward his long hand talons extended, Leech
swiped at Yosho's midsection, in an attempt to gut his powerful foe. Leaning away at the last moment, Ryoko's son
avoided such a fate, however the translucent beasts claws did gash across his
stomach, opening four large gashes.
Hopping back from his wounded adversary, Leech grinned
sadistically, licking the fresh blood from his claws. "First blood is mine, brother…
Looks like you're in trouble."
Touching his stomach, the black-haired youth glimpsed his hand, noticing
that he had been hurt.
Damn it I got to cocky, and he got me! I'm bleeding pretty badly. Still, my shirt should help clot the
wound. I can't stop now! I've waited for this day for so long…. Smiling the young man looked at his foe,
holding his sword before him, ready to fight.
Actually I'm glad he hit me, it makes this fight much more
interesting. I'm going to enjoy making
him pay for his crimes! Laughing to
himself, Yosho, watched his crouching foe carefully, the throbbing pain he felt
from his numerous wounds seeming to lessen in the heat of battle. Boy do I sound self-centered. I guess I AM my mother's son. Well for mom, dad, and everyone else I've
hurt through Blackshire and this monster, I will kill Leech! "I will never forgive you!" the young man
roared, preparing to make his final assault.
"That's so nice to know…" the evil life taker laughed,
beckoning to his enemy, "now come, let's end this once and for all...."
Universe of Delight: (in a sense)
The Throne Room of The Ebon Shard:
In the center of this dark vessel, two men battle for the
fate of everything. One a towering
demon, with an emerald sword forged from his vile power. The other a young man who is the sole
survivor of two races, in his hands is a weapon given to him from his
grandfather, a master key with an azure blade, called the Tenchi-ken. It is in the dark confines of this massive
throne room where the ultimate battle has begun. Blackshire, lord and master of this ship, has just engaged Tenchi
Masaki, the last hope of everything, in a sword dual. Time and again, the two warriors charge each other, using weapons
that do not reflect their full power.
For each figure is capable of drawing forth a weapon so powerful, even
gods would do well to respect it.
Currently, it seems the young man has the advantage over his massive
foe. With each swipe of his blade,
Tenchi has driven his foe back more and more, so that his back is nearly
touching his victims; who hang limply from great chains.
It's fun, the young man thought as he easily
deflected an attack from his ebon foe, but even though I know they're no
longer alive, I can still hear them.
Ayeka, Ryoko, Sasami, Mihoshi, Kiyone, and Washu, all of them are
cheering me on. It's like there still
alive, at that instant, Tenchi could see his family in his thoughts as well
as imagine what they would say to him in this, his darkest hour.
Again the two swordsman's blade clashed, as a voice filled
Tenchi's mind. You can do it, Lord
Tenchi, Ayeka proclaimed with the utmost confidence, I believe in
you.
Go Tenchi!
Sasami's voice cheered, followed by the little girl's perky laughter, as
the cabbit Ryo-Ohki meowed excitedly with her.
Come on, get that guy for us Tenchi, Kiyone demanded,
her voice sounding full of joy, showing a hint of jealousy that she was not
able to partake in the tyrants downfall.
Oh TENCHI, Mihoshi swooned. A smile crept onto the young man's face, as he could picture the
look on the ditzy blonde's face while she spoke. Please be careful, and make sure you get him, cause y'know he can
be a real pain sometimes….
Tenchi, get a move one! Washu added, her tone sounding like she was watching an exciting
movie. I haven't got all day! There are things to do in the lab, so could
you PLEASE finish this big jerk off, so that I can get back to work?
BOY! A
grizzled ancient voice shouted. Watch
your left flank! Have you forgotten
everything I've taught you? Hearing
his grandfather's voice, despite the fact it was only his own memories coming
back to him, the brown-haired Jurain checked his stance for any possible
weaknesses.
I'm so proud of you…. Noboyuki chanted loudly.
YEAH! Ryoko roared, as the young man picture how
excited the lithe woman would have been, watching him fight this demon, give
a left, and then one of these and a couple more of these….
Nodding to himself, the last man of Earth and Jurai realized
he was ready. It's time to end
this….
"Are you trying to impress me, Blackshire?" Tenchi asked, backing off from his opponent
as he looked for another opening in the ebon knight's defenses. "So far, you're powers don't seem that
great. I seem to be the one controlling
this battle. You might as well give up
now, because you're going to die. All
of this is actually rather amusing, because I know you won't beat me. You're only fighting me, because that's all
you have, but I'm not just fighting for me, or my desire for vengeance. I'm battling you for the fate of everything;
I'm fighting for those I loved, and all the rest of the universe. With a cause that great behind me, you stand
no chance."
"Nice speech, but remember we are in Torment, and…"
"I don't care where we are," Tenchi roared interrupting the
chitinous beast's proclamation. "You've
always bragged about how Torment is a place where only evil wins, but I know
that can't be true. I brought Ryoko
back to save Mayuka, Yosho found peace with himself after all this time, and
Ryoko Masaki had begun to pick up the pieces of her shattered life. So you'll have to excuse me if I don't buy
into your lies about that world, and I know that deep down, the only one who
believes that evil can win anywhere, is you.
You're alone Blackshire, no friends, no hope, and no chance for escape. This battle is ending here and now, and I'll
see to it you pay for killing everyone!"
"You just don't get it do you, Masaki?" the ebon knight said
shaking his head sadly. Thrusting a
hand forward, the large monster made a bizarre hand motion, and the young man's
body tensed, as if some giant's hand was crushing him. Smiling darkly, his emerald eyes glowing
their unholy light, Blackshire spoke.
"I've been watching your style, learning your weak
points. You have no CHANCE against
me. Now when I control everything that
happens on this ship. I control the
up…" at that instant, Tenchi could feel the ground disappear from under his
feet, as the force around him hurtled him into the ceiling. Only with extreme effort, was the young
warrior able to maneuver so his back struck the hard surface, and not his head. "…The down," the black beast continued,
bringing his hand down swiftly, and his captive dropped like a stone to the
cold floor below. As he struck, the
brown-haired youth moaned deeply, in too much pain to even cry out. However as he lay there, he felt the grasp
around him loosen, and with extreme effort, Tenchi rose to his feet.
"Look at you," Blackshire sneered, disgust obvious on his
face. "You are no opponent, you refuse
to even face me with your Lighthawk sword, and have such handed me an easy
victory. It's fortunate your
grandfather is dead, or he would die of shame, at the dishonor you show me
today…."
"What does a monster like you know about honor?" Tenchi
asked, blood running from the corner of his mouth. "You kill and butcher helpless and innocent people for your own
amusement, and you think you have the right to complain about lost honor?"
"You have me all wrong, Masaki." The creature in chitinous
armor pleaded, "I took no, well perhaps SOME, but really very little, amusement
in killing all the others. The only one
whose suffering amuses me is yours, and I have never considered you to be a
weakling." The Jurain prince said
nothing, focusing all his attention on the monster he faced, deep down he could
feel the power, the Lighthawk wings, all he had to do was call them, and he
could strike down this monster.
No… not yet, this is my fight. With the wings it would be too easy, he has to pay for what he's
done. For all the horrors he's brought
to my home, and so many other worlds.
Rushing forward, the young Jurain prince held back
his sword, ready to strike his foe's unprotected flank. Just as his blade was about to strike,
Tenchi blinked, and as his eyes opened again, he saw his azure blade miss his
opponent by over a foot. What? How could I have missed him? I wasn't that far away, was I?
"What's the matter,
Masaki? Having trouble," the larger
creature mocked, holding his arms open, his emerald-energy sword pointing
helplessly away from the battle. "Come
on, I'll let you have a free shot at my heart, see if you can hit the mark…"
Annoyed at Blackshire's
flippant attitude, Tenchi raced forward the sword tucked close, as her prepared
to pierce the ebon knight's heart. Once
again, just as he was going to hit his mark, he blinked, and when he looked
again, he had missed Blackshire by well over a foot.
"Awww…." The creature with
unholy eyes whined, "is it hard to hit me?
I imagine it would be, when I keep taking control of your mind just
before you hit me. A pity you don't use
the Lighthawk sword, that would offer you at least SOME protection."
Smiling his soulless grin, the chitinous demon held forth
his hand, allowing his emerald blade to vanish. "Since you won't show ME your full power, let me show you mine…."
At that instant an explosive noise filled the air, like a rolling thunder, and
black energy formed into a blade in the ebon knight's hand. The sword was like a reflection of its
owners soul, black and full of hate. It
even pulsated with emerald power, as if in homage to its wielder. "This is the sword of the Darkraven. It is with this blade that I killed Sasami
and Ryoko, but then again, they were always mine TO kill, since they are from
my Universe. Now if you think you're
Lighthawk sword is a match for me, then be my guest."
Running forward, with a final surge of power, the brown-eyed
youth screamed as he took his blade overhead, bringing it down with all his
might. This time the demon of Torment
did not take his mind; instead he merely blocked the Tenchi-ken, with his
massive black sword. The result sent
shivers down one warrior's spine. As
the azure energy of light struck the weapon born of darkness, it was cleaved in
two, something the young man would have thought impossible, had he not seen it
for himself. Staggering back, keeping
his eyes focused on the hilt, the worried champion continuously tried to summon
his sword again, but without success.
Finally, the last Masaki dropped the master key, and held
his hands forward as if he still clutched a sword in his hands. "I don't know how you did that, Blackshire,
but you keep demanding I use the Lighthawk sword, now you'll get what you asked
for." Almost instantly, a flash of
bright light filled the pitch room, as a beam of pure radiance formed in the
hero's hands. Slowly the supreme energy
cooled, forming into a great sword, whose presence had always been a beacon of
hope in all-previous encounters.
"Excellent, Darkraven verse Lighthawk, now we'll see whose
power is greater, yours… or mine…." Wasting no time the ebon titan rocket at
his foe, yet the Jurain swordsman was not waiting idly for the attack. With a blurring motion, Tenchi raced
forward, to meet his opponent head on.
Each combatant leapt high into the air, arcing their weapon towards their
opposite, intent on striking a killing blow.
Barely a second later each swordsman landed. Falling to his knees, the two warriors each held a look, which
proclaimed victory.
"I'm impressed," the vile demon cooed. "Your sword is as good as I thought." Turning around, Blackshire revealed that a
small cut, so shallow that it barely drew a drop of his green blood, had formed
on his face.
Rising up, preparing for the next volley, the last
descendent of two worlds faced his destiny, wiping a small trickle of blood
from his own cheek, the result of his adversaries assault. Throwing caution to the wind, the two men
charged each other with intense fervor, a passionate cry echoing from their
mouths.
In the history of battles, there had been many events that
scar the memory of the universe with their magnitude. This was an experience so awe inspiring that all other seemed
mediocre in comparison. The sound of
Lighthawk meeting Darkraven unleashed an explosive noise so great; the room
seemed to quake in his wake. The light,
which erupted forth, was also tremendous, as the power of the Goddesses waged
war with power born of a demon's soul.
It seemed each warrior could go on forever, and the battle
for dominance could never come to an end, as each realized the one who backed
down, and gave way now, would in the end lose it all. "GIVE UP, MASAKI!" the black demon roared, pushing downward with
all his unholy strength. "Even if you
kill me," he growled, his voice under tremendous strain as he tried to best his
smaller foe. "There is NO guarantee
that the portal is configured properly for YOU to go back in time. You might be thrown into deep space, or
anywhere in time. Just give up, and you
can join your family in the afterlife."
Give up… the words echoed in the young man's
mind. Moments ago the notion has seemed
foolish, and with no obvious advantage, yet as he stood face to face with this
demon, the idea began to root itself in his mind. Why should I fight, he asked himself, continuing to press
against the giant black sword before him. Everyone is dead, and what if my going back in time is what
starts all this? I want this nightmare
to end, not begin anew! There has to be
some way to end all this, if only I had a sign, something to tell me what to
do!
At that moment, fate responded. The large creature in chitinous armor suddenly threw his arms
open, as if struck from behind by something powerful, a stunned, and almost
fearful, look on his armored face.
Seeing his opportunity, the young Masaki male did not hesitate to
react. Instead he allowed his powerful
blade to descend in a downward arc.
Whether by fate, or pure luck, the Lighthawk sword missed the heavily
armored areas of Blackshire's body, striking the ebon knight in the elbow of
his sword arm. However it did not stop
there, the power of the gods continued down, amputating the demon's forearm
with nearly surgical precision. At that
moment, the ebon beast screamed a bone-chilling cry, his pain echoing in the
black starship.
"Sorry Blackshire, but you can't have my Tenchi's life. It belongs to me," a raspy voice
declared. Looking beyond his screaming
foe, the young prince smiled, hanging limply from the great chains, was
Ryoko. With a wicked smile coming over
her face, the lithe woman looked at her beloved. "Did you miss me, Tenchi dear?"
Shock overtook the young warrior's body, replacing the
hopelessness and rage he had felt moments ago. "Ryoko!" Tenchi shouted, wiping tears from his eyes. Smiling with joy, for the first time in
days, the young lovers exchanged a look, one that summed up the love they felt
for each other.
"AGH!" The ebon
monster continued to roar, gazing at his forearm lying on the ground, emerald
blood flowing from the massive wound.
"DAMN WOMAN," he howled, spinning to face the silver-haired woman, the
palm of his remaining hand pointing toward the chained attacker. "WHY CAN'T YOU JUST DIE?" As his question finished, a beam of power
surged forth, the power of The Darkraven incarnate, as it shot a hole straight
through the captive target.
Gasping, Ryoko faltered, the strength she had was fading
fast, and Tenchi made the most of his time, running with all his speed,
straight towards her.
"RYOKO!" the young man screamed, looking forward with pain
in his eyes. Sadly, as the young
warrior reached his, once again, dying beloved, he knew she was too weak for
him to save. Yet the seductive space
pirate was not down yet, using the last bit of strength in her powerful body,
she looked up at him, a broad smile on her face, casting away the gloom of the
moment.
"Tenchi…" she began, her breath coming in gasps. "Promise me… that you'll save Mayuka… I
never… found... her…. Please…"
Overtaken with grief, the brown-haired youth merely nodded, holding her chin in
his hands, so he could gaze into her golden eyes one last time in this
life. With a final wink, the
silver-haired woman coughed, her body spasming violently for a moment, before
she went completely limp.
The Jurain prince stepped back, reaching forward to check
her pulse, to confirm what he already knew in his heart. Yet he could not find the strength. Clapping his hands twice, he bowed his head
low, muttering a quick prayer for the souls of Ryoko, and all the other's who
had died because of this madman.
"Isn't that touching," Blackshire cackled, slumping forward,
as if more than just his forearm had been severed. With a quick snapping of his remaining arm, the bleeding stump
cauterized itself. I love that
feature…. He hissed to himself, nothing
like being able to fix one's self when need be, but things are going
differently, but no matter, I'm adaptable, and this just makes it all much more
fun. Time to make them right…. "It's
nice to know that even I can be surprised.
I don't recall Ryoko doing that last time, but no matter. She's dead now…" Rising his remaining arm
high, the ebon warrior prepared to end the battle, as a thunderous boom filled
the air, and the Darkraven sword reappeared in his possession.
It was at that moment, when a flash of light caught both
combatant's eyes, and a brilliant glow, banished the darkness from the
room. What in the world? Tenchi gasped, as he took that moment to
look away from his deceased love, seeing his foe equally stunned by this
bizarre occurrence. Focusing his eyes
in the intense light, the young man suddenly could the source of this strange
light, and a small smile cracked his face.
The ring atop the device Washu had given him was1 glowing powerfully,
creating a vortex of white energy in the endless darkness of the dark
vessel.
"Good evening, boys," Washu said as she stepped from the
portal, the Omegaggedon Blaster in her arms, her small size causing the large
weapon to appear even bigger. Upon her
face rested a set of work goggles, which in her haste to join the fray, she had
forgotten to remove. "Is this a private
party, or is everyone invited?" Hefting
the massive cannon upward, the little genius smiled. "I see you're here,
Blackshire. Well good, I brought you a
little something…" with that the small woman pulled the trigger on her powerful
weapon, channeling the power of her lab, and that of the Washu of Delights'
into a single beam, one that was aimed straight at the ebon titan.
Oh no… the sinister monster complained, holding out
his severed arm, in a vain attempt to halt the coming blast. This can't be good…. Nearly an instant later the powerful beam
struck, driving the ebon knight off his feet, and plowing him into the
stairs. However even the large black
stair's density was not enough to stop the chitinous warrior's flight. Instead, the vile demon flew through them,
sending shards of dark material falling, as he continued to rocket through the
oppressive starship.
Washu smiled, "at his current speed, I think he'll be torn
to pieces hitting things in his own ship, before he comes to a halt." Dropping the massive weapon, the red-haired
woman frowned, as she saw her daughter, and daughter in law lying dead, wrapped
in chains, merely a few feet away.
Turning her attention to the battle weary youth beside her, the little
genius felt compelled to ask, "what happened here?"
Shaking his head, the distraught father motioned towards the
eternally looping screens, "Blackshire killed them all…."
In her long life, Washu had seen many horrible things,
indeed she had known the pain of losing a child once before, but this… this was
worse than anything she had experienced prior.
Amazingly, the woman with the mane of red hair held back her emotions. It was not easy, even for someone who was
well over 20,000 years old. "But where
is Mayuka, and Yosho? Are they dead
too?"
"I don't know where my daughter is, but Yosho's gone back in
time, to try to stop Leech," Tenchi said dryly, no emotion in his voice as he
looked at the little genius, then allowed his eyes to turn back, merely for a
moment, to his fallen love. He had
thought no pain could hurt worse than when he had seen her dead before him,
killed because Blackshire had willed him to do so, but now he stood
corrected. For a glimmering moment she
had been alive again, he could have held her in his arms once again, to feel
the warmth of her slender frame against his own. Never again would he be able to listen to her seductive come-ons,
for now it was all over. All his
chances for a new beginning crushed by his dark foe, all hope had vanished.
"What? No, that's terrible!" Washu bellowed, darting over to
the control panel next to the time portal.
With blurring hands, the small woman frantically typed at the
keyboard. "Damn! That must mean He's
the one who changed the constants of time and space, and not who I originally
thought!"
"I don't understand, Washu," the young man asked coming up
behind her. "What's wrong with Yosho
going back?"
"Because that's the way it happened before!" the young
scientist screamed, turning to face the distraught warrior. Shaking her head, in a vain attempt to calm
herself, the emerald-eyed woman sighed deeply.
"Long ago, during a time of my life I call The Waking Nightmare, Leech
arrived and killed Tenchi, and it was that horrible stress and pain, which
brings us to where we are today. I
assume you know that much, right?"
Saying nothing, the heir to Jurai nodded, beckoning her to continue out
of morbid curiosity. "Well… I've never
told anyone, besides Yosho this, but…
Leech didn't come back alone originally. Yosho only vaguely knows there were two time travelers, what he
doesn't know is the second person to come back, was him!"
Tenchi said nothing, confused by this turn of events. Once again the young prince did not know
what to say, he desperately wanted to hear more, so that he could avert this
horror, yet at the same time praying she would fall silent, so he could finally
try to deal with all that had happened this far.
"Don't you get it?
Yosho is going to die! Leech
will siphon his life force and use that power to kill you! Or rather our
you! Then this whole thing will begin
anew!"
Spinning on her heals, Washu typed frantically at the
controls. "I think I can reopen the gateway once again." Seconds felt like
hours, as the diminutive scientist quickly inputted data. "There, it's as close as I can get to the
actual time. It seems Blackshire put
some kind of link between that day and now, maybe he wanted to watch it as it
happened, I don't know…. Get ready, all
I have to is press this last… large… red… button…." The emerald eyed genius
paused for barely a second, feeling her heart pound like a drum. This is it, Little Washu, she told
herself, excitement bristling through her small frame. You're going to do it; you're going to
save Tenchi! After all this time, it's
just a button push away….
With that her hand descended, yet her lithe finger paused
halfway down as a beam of dark power, no thicker than a playing card, shot from
the gapping hole Blackshire's flight had just created. A look of pure terror filled the
emerald-eyed woman's face, as her face seemed to drain of its color, and her
stature became shaky.
"Washu!" Tenchi screamed his voice filled with angst as he
watched the short scientist fall backwards, her head falling faster than the
rest of her body.
"Too bad," a horrible hissed proclaimed, "a mind is a
terrible thing to waste…. Still, mother
and daughter dying the same way is quiet fitting, don't you agree?" With fury unheard of before, the young man
looked up, his eyes burning with anger, before him stood the source of this
terrible attack. Blackshire was not
dead, however cracks ran through the entirety of his chitinous frame, green
ooze leaking out of the deeper fissures, and his right arm, which had been
severed at the elbow by Tenchi's Lighthawk sword, was now completely missing as
was the shoulder it fit into. Despite
his extremely damaged state, the massive beast trudged forward, a horrible
smile on its dark visage. Appearing
almost ready to collapse, the ebon knight grinned, as he cackled foully. "It's over… I've won!"
"No…." Tenchi said, no hate, nor any other emotion in his
voice. Holding his hands forward, the
young man once again called forth the Lighthawk sword. "But you're right, it's over." With a powerful leap, Tenchi propelled
himself high into the air, and with a powerful down thrust, brought the energy
weapon slicing through the lord of The Ebon Shard's neck, ceasing his dark
laughter, and casting a ray of hope into this endless night.
The large cranium of the fallen tyrant clacked loudly as it
struck the ground, the sound echoing in the completely silent throne room. Blackshire's large body toppled back and
forth, as if unsure what to do, and soon it too fell, the impact deepening the
cracks, and causing green blood to splatter everywhere. There is no honor in killing a man who
can't defend himself, Tenchi thought darkly as he looked at the demon's
corpse. Fortunately for me, you are neither man, nor are you worthy of being
treated with any honor, Blackshire.
Turning away, the young man began his brief quest towards
the time portal, determined to change these horrible events. Just as his foot landed on the first step
leading to the time machine, the Jurain youth's ears heard a rustling behind
him. It was a revolting noise, a
suctioning noise, like when something is being peeled away from a slime-covered
surface. Peering over his shoulder,
dread filled Tenchi as he saw where the noise originated, Blackshire's
body.
Can't anything kill him?
The young man asked himself, as he quickly paced over to the fallen
demon's corpse, which rocked back and forth, as if something was trying
desperately to get out. As the soul
weary father looked down upon this strange occurrence, a plate of chitinous
armor broke free, falling to one side, now looking more like a piece of a black
egg shell than armor. What happened
next, shocked the young man to the core, as a long, slender woman's arm
exploded out of the emerald innards, an arm which appeared unsettlingly
familiar to the apprehensive youth.
No… it can't be! Tenchi panicked, grabbing a piece of the ebon knights armor,
pulling with all his might, as the lithe arm continued to quest for something
solid to grab onto. Within moments,
the young prince had torn several pieces of Blackshire's armor free, and he now
stepped back in utter revulsion as he saw what the woman's arm was attached to. There surrounded by an emerald slime, which
passed for Blackshire's blood, was a young woman with dark blue hair, she
appeared nearly his age, yet the brown-eyed youth knew such a thing to be
impossible. After all this was his
daughter. "It can't be…Mayuka!" he
muttered, reaching into the vile substance to pull his daughter, who appeared
to be once again fully grown, from her prison.
At the mention of her name the once little girl's eyes
fluttered open, and she smiled at her father with happy large orange eyes. "Hello, dad-dy…." The fully-grown child
said, her voice still sounding young and full of innocence, despite her being
used as Blackshire's host body.
Suddenly shaking herself from her father's arms, the young
naked daughter rose to her feet excitedly.
"Look, I'm all grown up again!" she proclaimed in a voice full of
innocence and jubilance, as she spun around, her expression turning from happy
to horror as she saw the mangled forms of her loved ones. Placing her hands over her mouth, the young
girl nearly cried aloud. "Oh no… I
tried to warn mommy not to come here, but Mr. Shire said it would be a bad
idea…. Now she had to go to bed for a long time too! If only I'd have been done being chron-na-logically aged faster,
then I could have saved her."
Chronologically aged?
That monster! First he takes my
family, now he's taken Mayuka's youth from her, and replaced it with his own
terrible lies. Reaching forward, the young man could barely speak, as the pain of all
he had lost, came back on him. "Mayuka…" he managed to whimper.
"No, don't worry dad-dy," Mayuka said in her innocent voice,
turning back towards him, a determined look on her face. "Mr. Shire told me
everything is going to be alright. So
we can relax. I'm gonna stop the bad
person, so we can all go home together!
HE told me all about Yuzuha, and how she's been causing all this
trouble. All of this is my fault,
dad-dy. If I wasn't born bad, then no
one would have been hurt, but don't worry I'll fix everything, then you, me,
mommy, and all our friends can go home together and play, like we used
to." Looking at her father with warm
orange eyes, the confused child smiled, trying to cheer her father from his
stunned state.
"Mayuka…" the young man cried softly, stumbling forward to
place his trembling hands upon her damp shoulders. Tenchi Masaki was hurt, hurt to the very depths of his soul. To hear his own daughter, whom he loved more
than his own life, speak about the demon that had caused so much pain and
suffering in loving terms, was almost more than he could bear.
As time passed, the chill of the cold starship became
apparent, and the naked woman drew her shoulders in, crossing her arms over her
now endowed chest. Slowly the
brown-haired youth pulled her close to him, allowing her to take comfort and
warmth from his body, while he vainly sought a way to tell his child the awful
truth. It should have been simple
enough. All he had to do was tell this
innocent, naïve, and trusting young woman that the man she put all her faith
in, Blackshire, was the source of all this misery, and there was no way to fix
this problem, without going back in time.
Should I even tell her? She's
so vulnerable right now. She reminds me
of the young woman I met on the steps to the Masaki shrine well over a year
ago. Telling her the truth could kill
her….
"You're sad, aren't you dad-dy?" the dark blue-haired youth
said, her tone matching her father's mood.
Suddenly excitement filled her voice, "well I learned a rhyme, would you
like to hear it?"
Tenchi smiled, his face still buried in her fluffy blue hair,
"sure Noodles, go ahead."
"Kay! Here goes,"
clearing her throat, the adopted daughter of Ryoko began. "Where there's day there shall come night,
where there's smoke you will find fire…."
As the young girl spoke, the young man's brown eyes shot open,
as he leaned back, still holding his daughter tightly, a look of shock in his
eyes at her horrible poem.
"Where once there was just Mayuka, now there is…." At the
utterance of those words, the small woman's eyes began to glow an unholy green,
and the last prince of Jurai felt a sharp pain in his chest.
In unison, the father and daughter said the last word
together, one that shattered the young man's world in one felled swoop. "Blackshire…"
Suddenly Tenchi gazed down, seeing the source of his intense
pain, as an emerald dagger, made of pure energy, was stabbed into his chest,
the handle held tightly in his innocent daughter's hand. "I warned you, didn't I? 'Soon all
Universes' will tremble at this 'demon's' passing. I'll take everything from you, and in the end you will die
embracing me.' It was a dream you had,
when I was still in Ryoko Masaki's necklace.*" As his life force started to
flicker away, the young warrior's hold around his daughter went limp, and
slowly, he fell back to the floor.
"I'm sorry dad-dy," Mayuka proclaimed, her personality
breaking through Blackshire's control, as she propped him up into her arms.
"Mr. Shire told me that this would happen.
That Yuzuha and Tokimi would use me to hurt you, I'm sorry. I don't want to be a bad girl, but I can't
help it. They're too powerful…."
"It's not you Mayuka, but please, get rid of Blackshire,
before he kills you too…" before the young man could finish, his daughter
released him, and he fell to the ground with a heavy thud. Tenchi could only watch as she
"She can't," a dark voice proclaimed, coming from the
frightened girl's mouth. "Having spent
fifteen years being grown, with my mind in her own, your little girl now
thinks, with all her heart and soul, that I am the only choice. Nothing can tell her otherwise…."
"But why…"
"I have bigger plans than you," Blackshire laughed. "I am going to become a god! You see, the war is finally over, and you
lost, Masaki. Now go… join your family
in the land of the dead."
The last thing Tenchi Masaki saw, before death claimed him,
was his special little girl, Mayuka, an unholy green glow coming from her
beautiful orange eyes, standing naked in the center of the room, green ooze
lightly coating her body, as she cackled madly under a demon's control. With a final sigh, knowing all hope was
lost, the young prince, hero of many, and beloved by all, passed away, and with
him all hope of victory.
Looking over his shoulder, Blackshire smiled, a terrifying
sight since it was Mayuka's mouth, which did the work. At that time, a tiny voice echoed in his
mind. Mr. Shire? Is my dad-dy going to be okay?
Yes, of course my dear.
He'll be fine. I just had to put
him into a deep sleep, so that Tokimi and Yuzuha will think he's dead. It's all for pretend, remember?
Uh-huh. The naïve woman replied sounding scared.
Well my dear, girl, Blackshire
thought as he walked over to the behead Ryoko's body, turning one wrist up, to
examine her gem, remember what comes next.
Closing her eyes, Mayuka
nodded, and with a deep breath, retook control over her body. Her face became intense, as she stroked the
cold flesh of the dead space pirate.
I must wish the gems to me… to bond with Mr. Shire's soul, so he can
help everyone…. I must wish the gems to
me… to bond with Mr. Shire's soul, so he can help everyone…. I must wish the gems to me… to bond with
Mr. Shire's soul, so he can help everyone….
As she continued to mentally command the gems of power over and
over, the three jewels began to glow, and one by one, each transferred itself
into her left arm.
Yes… Blackshire hissed,
hiding himself deep in Mayuka's subconscious, so she could not hear his
thoughts. She may be nearly
seventeen, but she has the brains of a newborn! This is almost too easy!
Just as I knew it would. My soul
is the darker half of Yosho's, and he is the son of Ryoko. Thus I have ties to her power, and since a
Jurain Prince originally took the gems, it only seems right, that the little
girl who would be a Jurain Princess should give them to me.
Rising to her feet, Mayuka slowly, her head downcast, moved
towards the silver-haired Ryoko. It was
a nearly impossible endeavor for the little girl. In her long nights with the ebon knight, she often dreamed of her
mother, Ryoko Hakubi, fondly recalling all the times she had seen the lithe
woman beg her father for the gems.
Taking them seemed wrong, but at the same time, she knew it was her
destiny. As she reached the dead woman,
who was suspended by chains, and appeared to have suffered numerous attacks,
the orange-eyed child found she could not look at her mother directly. Instead she merely placed the palms of her
hands just above the dead woman's ample chest, repeating her vile wish, willing
the other three gems into her unoccupied arm.
With a glow of intense light, the gems of Delight's Ryoko disappeared,
reappearing on her right arm.
"YES," Blackshire screamed, retaking control at that
instant, as power, the likes of which he had never seen, seared thought his
soul. Holding his arms open, an
explosion of pure energy crackled around the possessed woman. At that moment, the endless darkness of the
room seemed to rush towards her, flowing about quickly, as if alive. In mere seconds, the reason was made
known. Using his unbelievable powers,
the ebon knight fashioned the darkness into clothing. Mayuka now stood in a very revealing outfit, one that covered her
breasts barely, and ran down, almost like wet paint, to her groin, forming a
very skimpy panty. Her dark blue hair
now seemed irradiated with emerald power, casting away the darkness, replacing
the pitch blackness with something much more sinister and evil, the glow of
Blackshire's soul. Around her neck was
a massive collar, encircling her head, as well as leading into a large black
cloak with a tattered end, which gave the long robe appearance of wings. Her hands and legs were also coated in the
endless night, which had formed into a sort of leather gloves. To gaze upon her now, would make even Ryoko
blush, as the outfit seemed designed to be overly flashy, especially for it's
intended audience.
What's happening?
Why am I dressed like this?
The little girl asked, confused as she looked upon her dominatrix like
outfit.
We're going out, now.
It's time to make sure those who did this to your loved ones understand
they can't get away with it. I just
thought you'd like to do it with some clothes.
Plus, I think Ryoko would have liked you in this….
Really, Mr. Shire? The innocent woman replied excitedly. Then let's go! As she
thought, her words became even more determined, let's finish all this once and
for all!
I couldn't agree more…. The ebon monster said, a grin
on Mayuka's face, as a hiss of matter filled the air, and the possessed woman
disappeared, heading towards the final destination of this morbid tale.
The Database:
In a place that to the mortal mind appeared to be a
cathedral, a reunion of sorts is taking place.
However it is not a joyous one.
Captured from their home by a wicked demon, Washu and Sasami stood
before a force of pure power, one known only as Lady Tokimi. The two women, each appearing to be only
children, eyed the goddess before them, who encompassed everything before them. Sasami Jurai looked at the impressive woman
before her, fear racing through her tiny body, while the red-haired genius
studied the situation carefully, certain she had been here before, yet unsure
when. Although it had only been
minutes, the oppressive silences as the three women eyed each other made it
feel like hours.
I can't help this feeling of Déjà vu, but I'm positive I'd
remember a place like this….
"Washu… Tsunami…" the great woman began, "you appear to be
doing well."
"You'll have to excuse me if I don't seem excited to meet you." The diminutive genius proclaimed, crossing
her arms over her chest. "But then
again, you did send that horrible monster Blackshire, and that idiot, Clay,"
she muttered under her breath, more as an after thought than anything else.
"Yeah, who are you?" the nervous little Jurain asked, wiping
tears from her eyes.
The area around the universal woman flickered, and an
instant she stood before the crying youth, gently wiping the trickles of water
off the young Jurian's eyes. In her
current form, she barely appeared too much taller than Ryoko would; yet she
still radiated glorious power. "Let's
just say I'm a friend of Tsunami's, little one. Now then…" turning the mysterious goddess gazed at Washu, "there
is something we must discuss, Washu…."
Before either woman could say anything, a new voice, one
very familiar to the two residents of the Masaki house filled the air. "If I may interject," the new comer asked, a
mocking respect in its voice. "There's something I need to do, before you get
started with this family business…."
"Mayuka…" Sasami gasped, her tiny hands clutched before her
body as she looked at he woman dressed in the strange leather-like straps. "But
how did she get so old again?"
"No Sasami," Washu growled, "it's not her, it's
Blackshire…."
"Ahh," the young woman floating above them smiled, "it's
soooo nice to be recognized. Now then I
hope you are all prepared to die, because I really have no desire to wait much
longer to ascend to godhood…."
"How dare you?" Tokimi blared, holding one hand at the
blue-green-haired woman, who floated gently high above. With that simple motion, the awesome goddess
could normally destroy entire planets, yet she held in her wrath, focusing it
into a single beam, focusing her very essence into one small spot at the palm
of her hand. After a few moments, she
released the gathered energy, a foul glare in her eyes as she willed the
insulting demon's demise.
With speed that seemed to be untraceable, the massive surge
of power struck the young woman's body, causing her to writhe in agony, as the
goddess's essence sough to rend her to pieces.
On the platform below, the great goddess merely smiled, watching the
result of her attack. As the azure
electricity crackled around the possessed youth, causing her to shudder
violently, the glow emitted from Mayuka's body seemed to diminish, as if drawn
back inside her little form.
Suddenly, the crackling force, which sough to consume it's
prey, seemed to reach it's pinnacle, and the leather-clad woman threw her head
back, howling madly, as the energy change its target and flowed into her mouth,
with such speed it would almost appear to be getting sucked into a vortex.
Moments later the slender blue-green haired woman hung
limply in the air, smoking drifting from her body. It appeared that Blackshire had been killed in one blow, however
his current state did not please the one who had originated this attack. Squinting her dark eyes menacingly, Tokimi
glared at Mayuka's body.
"What…" the brown-haired goddess mouthed, at a loss for
words at the sight. She should have
been destroyed, but how is it possible?
It began as a whisper, but slowly, like night's shadow
creeping across the land, it grew, until a soul crushing laughter filled the
area, and the dark blue-haired woman opened her eyes, which now emitted an
unholy light. "Was that all?" Mayuka howled, showing all her teeth as she
looked at her newest prey. "You are a
fool, Tokimi! Did you honestly think I
would create a creature like Leech, and NOT give myself a similar power? But enough talk," pointing her hands towards
the trio below, the woman clad in bizarre leather giggled, "time to die!" At
that instant, three bolts of black lightning shot forth from her tiny hands,
each one striking a goddess squarely in the chest, driving them to their
knees.
The sound of thunder booming in air resonated loudly, as
each woman dropped to one knee. The
last to fall was Tokimi, who had resisted her former servant with ever once of
her power. "How," she hissed with
anger, her eternal eyes glaring at the black clad woman who floated high above
them, ebon lightning shooting from her palms, forcing the trinity of deities
into submission.
"It's really a simple question," Blackshire laughed, his
tone showing his superior ego. "I am
all of you, and more! I possess power
given to me from you, Lady Tokimi. I
have the gems of two Washu's, not to mention my essence comes from a fusion of
genes from her daughter, and a part Jurain named Tenchi! There in lies the last of you, Tsunami… Through Tenchi's genes, and as a bonus,
Mayuka's body, which is so perfect having that flavor of demonic power that it
does, I am in contact with the Jurai power.
Then, being a demon like I am, I wield the Sword of the Darkraven, the
blade that can kill a god!"
"But this is the Universe of Delight… you shouldn't have
this kind of power, not here, not now…." Washu groaned, trying to rise back to
her feet, however the black lightning, which endlessly struck them, kept her
from successfully standing. "How are
you doing this?"
"It's simple really," the evil demon cackled, increasing the
pain he inflicted upon his prey. "I'm
channeling my power through Mayuka's soul.
It's her cause that I fight for.
She wills the evil goddess's be destroyed, and so I will kill you all. Just to make sure I get the right one!"
Universe of Torment:
In the dark woods of the Masaki properties, two figures
waged a battle for the fate of the future.
Each was an exceptional fighter, their skills forged in the fires of
battle, as well as from legendary sources.
Yosho, having trained with his father, Tenchi Masaki, his
entire life, held the Tenchi-ken tightly in his grasp, his breath coming in
short wet gasps due to his recently inflicted injuries, toppled on top of
Blackshire's earlier assault upon him.
The other fighter, Leech, a life siphoning gargoyle, stood crouched in
front of his adversary, the ultimate weapon of his master, programmed since
birth with all the fighting techniques known to the ebon knight.
It's time to end this, time to set things right! The strong youth thought as he prepared to
rush his bestial foe.
Yosho… a dark voice whispered into the young
fighter's mind, causing him to stop before he could take the first step. Unsure how to react to this strange turn of
events, the young man stood still, as he pondered this sinister intrusion into
his thoughts. Despite this odd event,
the golden-eyed warrior continued to glare at his foe, ready to strike no
matter what happened.
Ever thought the voice was unexpected, the son of Tenchi
knew to whom it belonged. Blackshire…
Yosho thought venomously, what do you want?
Well… the evil demon began. I thought it was time to tell you how you're actions have
doomed everyone. I've already killed
everyone, and now using Mayuka I'm going to kill Washu, Tsunami, and
Tokimi! You see my boy, as your
grandmother told you long ago there were TWO people who traveled back in time,
one was Leech, and the other became Leech's last meal before he met your
father. That second person was….
ME! The young
man realized with horror. Staggering
back, the young champion panicked. All
along I've been playing his game, doing everything just as he planned! If I hadn't came back…
None of this would have happened, the wretched demon
announced, taking sheer delight from Yosho's plight. But there's one last thing I forgot to
mention. You might think that all you'd
change by stopping this horror is ending my life, yet I have an ace up my
sleeve. You see, the chances of your
mother and father having a son was a billion to one, but when my chrono-plague
struck your father, making him ill… well you got lucky…. Thus, kill me and you will have never
been.
"I take it he told you," Leech snickered, bobbing back and
forth, ready to pounce at an instant's notice.
"Scary huh? You die, Blackshire
lives; Blackshire dies, you do too. I
know this all comes to you as a shock, but I really need to kill you," the evil
life stealer hissed, "so I can become a god."
"Become a god?" Yosho asked, keeping his sword pointing
between him and his foe.
"Didn't you hear?
I'm going to kill your dad, and then steal your mom's gems. Then I'll become god of Delight, and all
those in it will be my feast!"
Forgetting himself in the excitement, the evil gargoyle stood on his
haunches, raising his clawed arms to the sky in glory. With a quick headshake, the red-eyed minion
of Blackshire assumed his defensive stance once again.
"You idiot!
Blackshire is only going to give you death? If you somehow kill me and get my dad, but then your own heart
will kill you!" The young man screamed,
anger lacing his words, as he felt his chest tighten. If I win, I lose, but if I lose, then I lose even more… what
am I going to do?
"Do you think me a fool boy?" The sinister assassin preached, crouching, ready to strike. "I've seen Blackshire's thoughts and I know
the way things are. I will ascend to
power, and then return to delight, to take the place of the three goddesses,
while Blackshire takes this world, in the present!"
Meanwhile: *
Universe of Torment: The Masaki House
Slowly Tenchi rose to his feet, massaging his throbbing
head. Only moments ago, the eldest
Masaki had come down the stairs to go on his walk. The last thing he had planned on doing tonight was warding off an
attack from his son. "Ouch…" the brown-haired young man groaned, continuing to
caress his sore cranium. "Yosho! What
are you doing up at this hour?"
"Well you see dad," the nervous attacker replied, casting
his sight toward his feet as he nervously continued. "I couldn't sleep."
"Ryoko's snoring keeping you up as well?" The battered father asked laughing. "I knew
she snores loud, but I didn't think it was THAT loud. I keep telling her she does that, but you know your mom, she
never listens to a word I say. Remember
the time I-"
"No!" the golden-eyed youth interjected, not tired, but not
wanting to hear one of his father's long winded tales about the past. I really have no desire to hear about the
past, after all it's all settled, why worry about it? "That's not why I'm
up," the son of Ryoko Masaki answered, "I just have this feeling in the pit of
my stomach… that something… some terrible is going to happen tonight."
Waving his hand, dismissing his son's concerns, Tenchi
smiled. "It's probably just your mom's
cooking. Don't worry. Everything will be fine." Sighing, the brown-eyed youth stretched his
aching muscles. "I'm going to go to for
a quick walk, you might as well head on back to bed."
Reluctantly, the nervous youth agreed, realizing his father
could take care of himself. Feeling his
jaded nerves calming with each passing moment, Yosho started walking back to
his room, however deep inside, he could still sense something bad was about to
happen…. While the golden-eyed youth made his way towards the upstairs, Tenchi
Masaki casually walked towards the door to his house, after all his wife
wouldn't be up for at least a few more hours, an he had his whole life in front
of him, there was no need to rush such a wonderful looking night.
The Database:
Inside Mayuka's mind:
Laughing darkly, the man with the black soul peered into two
portals, one showed the world through Mayuka's eyes, and the other through his
creation's, Leech, eyes. I still find it hard to believe you buy my lies so
easily Leech. This is all too
easy! Of course everything IS
happening, as I knew it would.
"You lied to me, Mr. Shire!" The young woman with the dark
blue hair, parted into two ponytails, as her favorite mother had liked,
screamed, having heard all of Blackshire's proclamation. While the evil knight had been making his
speech, the little girl had seen the horrors of the past, realizing what was
being unleashed on the universe. "You
said Tokimi and Yuzuha killed everyone, but Yosho just said that you killed
them all!"
She's not as dumb as I give her credit for being…. Sighing
heavily, the ebon knight stepped down from his pedestal. "Get used to it kid, lying is how I do
things. Killing your family was the
most fun I've had in my whole life, and using you to end your dad's life was
the icing on the cake. But don't worry,
once I'm finished with these goddesses, I'll kill you too."
Running at the large monster, her orange eyes pouring tears,
the small woman ran into his chest, banging her fists harmlessly upon the large
black metal plating of the demon's armor.
"You big meany! Give me my daddy
back! You make them better right now,
or I'll…" the young Masaki stopped, as the ebon beast snatched one of her
flailing arms with a swift motion.
Using his incredible strength, Blackshire hefted the struggling girl off
her feet.
"Be a good little girl, and be quiet! I'll finish you off soon enough," with that
the sinister killer hurled her away from him.
Landing hard, the daughter of Tenchi skid for a few feet, when she
finally stopped, her slender body was covered with minor cuts and bruises. Yet all this pain was nothing compared to
what she felt inside, as she realized it was her fault this was happening. Mayuka suddenly knew that she had given not
only her body, but also two entire universes to this vile demon. Huddling herself into a fetal position, the
orange eyed woman began to shake incredibly as tears freely poured from her
face. With the last of her strength,
she called out with her mind hoping someone, anyone, would hear her cries and
help her.
The Platform:
Under the intense strain of the possessed woman's attack
Sasami looked skyward, a worried look on her young face. Tears welled in her large pink eyes as she
watched Mayuka being used as the weapon, which would kill her. Mayuka… Tsunami, I know you can hear me,
is there any way we can help her? We
have to see how Tenchi and the others are doing.
I am doing my best little one, but I see no way I can
break his hold. The goddess who
created Jurai announced, her mental voice strained from the exertion of
Blackshire's attack. However there
may yet be a way to end this little nightmare….
High Above:
"Kids today," the
possessor of souls laughed, making a sweeping motion over his stolen body. "What are we going to do with them? I go through all the trouble to make this
outfit, and the brat has the gall to say she hates it, and me! " Holding her arms to her side, Mayuka's
slender body suddenly began to glow with a vile light, casting not
illumination, but seeming to actually remove it from the air. As the darkness rolled over Mayuka's
innocent and pure body, it seemed to once again solidify, this time becoming
massive plates of armor. After a short
time, the three fallen goddesses could see the fruits of the demon's
labor.
As she gazed upon him,
Tokimi scowled, ignoring the pain of having her life force slowly draining
away. Using the very power I
gave him that monster is turning MY universe into his armor. Her all
seeing eyes nearly allowed tears to form, but thanks to her awesome will power,
the mighty goddess held back her inner strife.
His eyes now glowing from
deep within the darkness of his armor, the demon of Torment threw back his
head, laughing deeply, as he subconsciously willed the goddess's pain
increase. At that moment the black
lighting, which held them on their knees doubled in intensity. Each woman growled under her breath, trying
her best to fight back, but in the end they all knew it was over, and that the
war between Torment and Delight had just drawn to its inevitable close.
Universe of Torment:
"Time to die, Leech," Yosho roared as he charged vainly at
his gargoyle-like foe, prepared to end this battle once and for all. Rearing back the young man prepared to kill
the vile beast standing in front of him.
However at that instant, his wounds made themselves known, sending an
intense wave of pain through the battle weary youth's body. Nearly blacking out from the strain, the
golden-eyed man used all his will power not to succumb to the convulsions
racking his muscular frame. As the
dizzy youth stammered forward, Leech charged forward.
Just like Blackshire said he would…his past wounds with
the nice gash I gave him, makes him easy prey.
The life stealer noted, while extending his clawed hands to grab the
young man's throat, causing Yosho's eyes to flicker back open, as he realized
what had just happened.
No! I can't let it end this way! I have to fight back…. Struggling vainly against his monstrous foes
vice-like grip, Yosho suddenly heard something.
A tiny and distant sound, which seemed to find its origins
in the very depths of his mind, as if somewhere someone was trying to convey a
message to him. It was a message of
pain and agony, of loss and shame; it was the crying of a little girl. Hearing it, the young man knew instantly who
it was, Mayuka…. After all she's been through, with her starvation, and
repeated kidnappings by that damn Blackshire, to die like this…. Pooling all his tremendous strength, the
golden-eyed Masaki tried in vain to pry Leech's vice grip from his throat.
NO, I can't do this. The battle hardened youth
realized, his arms still reaching for the translucent gargoyle before him,
trying to pry the beast away. I need
help, using his mind, the golden-eyed Masaki cried out, hoping someone,
anyone would hear him, and come to his aid.
The young man's plea was heard.
However the one who heard him, was nearly powerless to help. Yet she would do everything in her power for
him, no matter what the costs….
Next Time:
Blackshire has won. All tremble
before his power, and bow before him.
In this darkest hour, a lone fighter rises one last time to try and turn
the tide of this wave of destruction. But is there any hope at all? Can Yosho possibly win against Leech while
in Torment, where he is destined to die?
Or will this truly be, The Final Saga…?!
Chapter 25: The Waking Nightmare Revisited
* Chapter 6, is where Tenchi has this dream
* The Waking Nightmare Chapter 1 (just before Yosho heads
off, fearing for his father's safety.)
* The Waking Nightmare Chapter 1 [again] (slightly revised)
where Yosho and Tenchi have a discussion after Yosho attacks his dad.