Tenchi-Muyo! (No Need For Tenchi!; This End Up) is (c) AIC * Pioneer LDC, Inc.
Aa! Megami-sama! (Oh My Goddess!) is (c) by Kousuke Fujishima, Kodansha, TBS and
KSS Films.
Aa! Megami-sama Muyo! (Ah! No Need For My Goddess!)
A Tenchi-Muyo! and Aa! Megami-sama! crossover fan fiction
By Luna Hinomura
http://fly.to/Luna's
Chapter 4: Princess of Jurai
Eh... Goddesses. Demons. Demons fighting Goddesses. Goddesses fighting
Demons. Me caught in the middle. I couldn't take it anymore.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!! RYOKO, WHAT ARE YOU
DOING HERE?!!"
"That's no way to greet me, Tenchi," she said, jumping off the bed. She
walked over to me and extended her hand. "Now, I want your balls, please."
"No way! They're mine! I'm hanging onto them!" I said, hovering a
protective hand over my...er...crotch.
Ryoko rolled her eyes in annoyance. "Not *that*, you moron! The gems!
You know, on your sword?"
"Er... What sword?" I replied.
"Oh, jeez..." She slapped her forehead in disgust. "Haven't you heard
the legend? That stupid Yosho defeated a Demon, *me*, using a powerful sword!
I need the gems on the sword so I can wake up Ryo-ohki."
"Well... Ok, but who's Ryo-ohki?"
She sighed. "She's my sister, the other Demon in the legend!"
"Look, Ryoko, I've never heard of the other Demon, and there's no *way*
I'm letting you awaken her!"
"Fine, then," she said with a shrug. "The sword's probably still in that
cave, anyway. I'll just have to go and get it myself," she replied angrily,
then exited through the window.
Uh-oh...
I ran downstairs to the front door, trying to make it to the cave in time.
I couldn't let her awaken another monster... Not this close to the house. On
my way through the living room, I tripped over a few boxes that Dad and Grandpa
must have left there and crashed into the floor, but I picked myself up quickly
and got to the stairs to the shrine.
"Great," I muttered, seeing Ryoko flying up there ahead of me. I dashed
up the stairs as quickly as I could, heedless of the pain in my lungs and legs
as they screamed for me to stop.
When I got there, the lock and gate looked as if they'd been slashed open
by a very hot fire, and Ryoko was already deep inside the cave, looking at the
sword. Cautiously, I tiptoed up behind her.
"This should be easy," she said, grasping the sword handle and yanking it
upwards. I couldn't see where it was from where I was standing, but it was
probably enclosed in a box of some sort, a 'shrine' for the sword.
Suddenly, electricity flashed through the cave, and Ryoko screamed in
pain. She was launched back from the sword, and flung hard into the wall of the
cave.
"Ouch! Dammit!" she cursed, picking herself up.
"Oh, I get it... You can't touch it, can you? You're a Demon," I said,
reaching in and pulling out the sword. "So this is the sword of the legend, the
sword that could cut through a rock?"
"Tenchi, please! Let me have it!"
I tried pulling the sheath off the sword, but it was stuck tight. I
didn't want Ryoko to help, but she put her hands on the sheath and I pulled from
the handle of the sword. Gradually, the sheath came off.
"Why, it's nothing but a rusty old piece of junk!" I said, looking at the
blade. Disappointed, I brought it down, hard, on a large stone for emphasis.
The blade shattered.
"Oops," Ryoko and I said at the same time.
The stone, about three feet tall on end, fell into two halves.
We stared at it.
"So. It cuts through a rock after all," I said rhetorically after we'd
both regained our composure.
"C'mon, Tenchi, just gimme the sword!"
"How many times to I have to tell you? NO!! Oh, and while we're at it,
why did you attack me at school, why are here, how did you get out of the cave,
how do you know my name, and who are you?!"
Ryoko smiled. "I'll tell you after you give me the gems."
"Dammit, Ryoko--"
"Quit yelling at her, Tenchi," someone said from the mouth of the cave.
"So, Ryoko, you've finally come to your senses. I didn't care much for the way
you attacked me earlier."
"Little Washu?" I asked.
"Yup, that's me! I'm just so young and cute!" she replied, walking
towards us.
"Hey, who are you, and how do you know my name?" Ryoko said, narrowing her
eyes at Washu.
[Now *that* sounds familiar. So she can ask questions but she won't
answer them? Sheesh!] I thought.
"Well, for starters, that's no way to talk to you *mother*, Ryoko."
Huh? I glanced at Ryoko, then at Little Washu. They really *did* look a
lot alike, but how could Ryoko be the daughter of a Goddess? I kept looking at
them, trying to assure myself that the entire thing was just a dream...
Ryoko stomped up to Washu. "Look here, I'll have you know I've been alone
ever since I was born!"
Smiling knowingly, Washu looked up at Ryoko. "Think about what you just
said."
"Ever since I was...born? I...can't remember being born... I can't even
remember growing up!"
"Bingo!" Washu said. "That's because I created you, and I know your
thoughts. I am psionically linked to you, Ryoko, as you are to Ryo-ohki. That
means, of course, that I am also linked to Ryo-ohki."
Huh? "Ryo-ohki? Ryoko's sister? Did you create her, too, Washu?"
"Yes, I created both of them," Washu said. "But I didn't expect for Ryoko
to choose the path of a Demon. Is the blood of the Goddess within you truly so
weak?"
"Shut up! I'm not a Goddess, and I never will be! I don't want to be!
I'm a Demon, the Demon Caller!" Ryoko said, aiming her red sword at Washu's
throat.
"Well, so much for motherly love."
"Shut up!!" Ryoko said again. "I don't care what you say!"
"Ryoko, plesae don't--" I started, but another blast of energy flung Ryoko
back.
"There you are, Ryoko! Demon! I take it upon myself as my duty to
obliterate you!" another voice said.
[What is it this time?] I wondered.
"Ayeka?!" Washu exclaimed.
[Erm... Who's Ayeka?]
"Miss Washu? Oh, good, this will go a lot faster with two of us fighting
one Demon. We must not allow this monster-woman to live!" The dust cleared a
bit, and I could see a purple-haired girl standing just inside the mouth of the
cave this time, and her hairstyle highly resembled Tsunami's. Long, purple
ponytails, worn the same as Tsunami's. She had more fluffy bangs than Tsunami
did, and they barely hid a crown she wore around her forehead. Her garments
resembled Tsunami's as well.
Ayeka launched herself at Ryoko, Life-force Energy scintillating around
her like a shield. Those dang shields. Couldn't they do something original for
once? Ryoko held up her hand and blocked Ayeka's punch, sending her flying, and
me as well. The Energy wasn't directed *at* me, but so much was being displaced
that I was surprised the entire cave didn't crumble.
"Take this!" Ryoko yelled, her red sword blazing. Ayeka responded by
using her own sword, one matching Ryoko's except for the color. She parried
Ryoko's strike, her navy blue sword crackling with energy.
"Tenchi, I'll explain it to you in the morning. How's that?" Washu asked.
"They're too busy fighting now."
"Uh... I'd really appreciate it, Little Washu..." I replied, reaching a
hand up to scratch the back of my head in confusion.
"Take that, Demon!" "Oh yeah? Try blocking *this*, Princess!!"
*RUMBLE*
"Was that the cave?" I asked.
"Everyone, get out before it collapses!" Washu yelled.
* * * * *
Bright and early, after Tsunami had woken up and the rest of us had
recovered from the cave-in, Washu sat us all down at the coffee table for a long
and much-needed explanation.
"You are the Demon I fought yesterday, are you not?" Tsunami asked,
directing her question towards Ryoko. "Ryoko, I presume. Why have you come
here?"
"Here's how it goes..." Washu said. "Less than 20,000 years ago, I had a
husband."
"A... A husband?" I asked.
"That's what I said. It wasn't from your planet, Earth, but from another
one, one much more advanced than even your modern culture. His name was Isamu.
I fell in love with Isamu, and I altered my appearance and DNA to disguise
myself as a mortal named Funaho so I could approach him... And we got married.
I had a baby with Isamu, who turns out to be the very person you know as your
ancestor, Tenchi... My baby was Yosho."
"So you're my ancestor too?!"
"So it would seem. I wished to continue living as a mortal, and so I went
about trying to create a duplicate through a combination of Life-force Energy
and science. Isamu and I were both scientists, and it was easy with his help...
But something went wrong. Instead of a perfect clone to send back to System
Jurai, Ryoko was born. And she chose the path of the Demon.
"Ryoko left as soon as she was created, and I didn't see or hear of her
for thousands of years. But Lady Tokimi needed my presence in System Jurai, and
I was forced to leave Isamu... Taking Yosho with me. I knew the great pain he
felt at our separation, but I revealed my true form, and explained to him that I
was a Goddess, and I could never stay with him. He understood, and insisted
that I take Yosho to Jurai, raising him as a God. Isamu was mortal, and died a
mortal, whereas I lived on as a Goddess.
"If only Tokimi had known of what I felt, of what Isamu had felt, she
would never have insisted I returned. Sadly, she had no access to the
monitoring equipment, since *I* am the Sysop, and it is my duty.
"Yosho grew up on Jurai, and had many powers. However, he had no
playmates, since Jurai is only the location of our business. So, once again, I
used science and Life-force Energy to create one, the same way Isamu and I
created Ryoko."
"That is where Ayeka comes from," Tsunami said. I glanced at Ayeka, and
she nodded in agreement. "Washu used my DNA to create Ayeka, but I tend to
think of her more as a sister than a daughter."
"I loved Yosho very much," Ayeka said sadly. "Unfortunately, seven
hundred years ago, Ryoko attacked System Jurai. For some reason, no doubt due
to the Goddess blood within her, she was able to break through System Jurai's
blocks against Demons, and destroyed much of it.
"Yosho left us to fight Ryoko, and chased her down to earth using a
spaceship that he named Funaho after Washu, a spaceship from Jurai. He used
that sword you're holding, the sword called the Tenchi-ken. Perhaps that is
where your name comes from.
"In any case, if the plane of existence known as Jurai were to be brought
into your dimension, it would take the form of a very large planet. Yosho used
his spaceship to chase Ryoko's, whose spaceship is known as Ryo-ohki: the Demon
Carrier. Ryoko's sister."
"Oh, that's right, I almost forgot about her."
"Why won't you let me wake Ryo-ohki up, Tenchi? You're so mean!"
I sighed, looking at the others, then down at the sword I had pulled from
the cave. "Is that the whole story?" Washu nodded. "All right. I guess if
Washu's my ancestor... That makes *you* my relative, too. But I'll only let
you have *a* gem."
"Heh... I only *need* one gem to call Ryo-ohki, anyway."
"We don't need more Demons in this household," Ayeka intervened.
"We don't need more Goddesses, either!" Ryoko replied.
They glared at each other, sparks starting to flying from their hands in
anger.
"Are you challenging me?" Ayeka said.
"Have it your way!" Ryoko said. "I'll leave you dead, just the same way
Yosho is."
That stopped Ayeka. "Yosho..." she said softy, salty tears beginning to
flow down her cheeks.
"That's right, 'Princess,' Yosho's dead. Because of his mortal blood, he
didn't live as long as you could."
Ayeka sobbed and pressed the back of her right hand to her face, wiping
her tears. She ran out the door, her long purple ponytails flying behind her.
"That was much too harsh, Ryoko," Washu said quietly after a moment. "You
may not know this, but because she's an empath, it's very difficult for Ayeka to
become accustomed to various emotions. It's the only aspect of life she has
trouble with." Washu and Tsunami both sighed.
"This may seem stupid, but why does Ayeka call herself 'Princess'?" I
asked, attempting to leaven the moment.
"It's because I used to call her that. When she was little, she reminded
me so much of a little Princess, so quiet, so cute, so easily amused," Tsunami
explained, "just like a girl in a storybook. I fear that I've raised her to
become... High-and-mighty, to put it tactfully. You see, Ayeka isn't actually
part of the Goddess Technical Helpline, but with her bloodline, she has a lot of
power. Her crown is what links her to Jurai, and that sword was Yosho's link.
Unfortunately, I think he thought of her more as a sister as well. I doubt he
had any intention of marrying Ayeka, but like she said, she loved him very
much."
"Oh." Poor Ayeka... She probably wanted to be left alone right now.
Turning back to Ryoko, I sighed, ready to return her gem.
* * * * *
Walking up the stairs to the shrine, I looked around for my grandpa.
School had been canceled for a long time due to Ryoko's rampages, and he wanted
to use every available second I had for more sword training.
"Let's begin, Tenchi," he said as soon as I got to the clearing we usually
practiced in.
I nodded, and bowed towards him in the way he had taught me, for showing
respect. He bowed at me simultaneously, and then we began practice.
I watched his sword, blocking, parrying, thrusting, looking for openings.
He wielded his bokken with skill, much more skill than I had, and soon, he
knocked the sword out of my hand. It flew like a boomerang, and landed point-
down in the dirt behind me.
"It seems you need more practice, Tenchi," he said.
Sighing, I pulled the sword from the dirt, then turned back around and
bowed again. Strange rustling sounds came from the bushes, but I disregarded
them, blaming it on the wind. Suddenly, a gasp and a shriek added themselves to
the rustling noise, and a loud *thunk* as well. It sounded like someone had
fallen partway down the hill.
I pushed a few of the bushes aside, and looked down. "Miss Ayeka?"
"Why?? Why must I suffer this embarrassment?!!" she exclaimed, her legs
and arms held at awkward angles from the way she had fallen. Noticing me, she
quickly uprighted herself into a kneeling position.
"Well, it seems we had a spectator," Grandpa said.
"Miss Ayeka, you're hurt!" I exclaimed, noticing blood running down her
ankle.
"Oh, it's, nothing, Lord Tenchi. I can cast a healing spell," she told
me, then turned to Grandpa. "Tell me, sir... What was that sword form you were
performing?"
Grandpa didn't answer, and only used a handkerchief to wipe the blood off
her ankle. "You'd better cast that heal spell. Tenchi?"
[Red blood... Just like a mortal...]
"Tenchi? Tenchi!"
"Uhhh, yeah, Grandpa?" I said, shaking myself out of my daze.
"Show this young lady around. I'm sure she'd like to see the scenery," he
replied, walking off.
"But sir...!" Ayeka protested. My grandpa didn't seem to have heard her,
and disappeared around the bend.
"I think you should heal yourself first," I said to her. She nodded, and
placed a hand on her ankle. Moments later, the slash on her ankle began to
close, and left no scar as her skin drew itself together.
"Wow..."
"Oh, it's nothing, Lord Tenchi. Don't be amazed." She stood up and
dusted off her clothes, elaborate garments fit for a Goddess. "You know...there
was something familiar in your grandfather's eyes that reminded me of Yosho. If
you are truly Yosho's descendent, then I am glad a part of him lives on."
"Thank you, Miss Ayeka. The scenery really *is* beautiful. I bet you'd
like to see it," I said, beginning to walk down the stone steps. Ayeka followed
beside me.
"Yes, I would, very much, Lord Tenchi. Oh, but what is that?"
Ayeka had stopped as soon as she'd said those last few words, so I stopped
as well. Following her line of sight, I realized she was looking at the large
tree that stood in the middle of a lake near my house.
"That tree?" I asked. "Do you want to go see the tree?"
"Mm-hmm," she replied, nodding.
* * * * *
Ayeka circumnavigated the tree once with me following behind, and she
examined every intricate detail of its bark. "There's no doubt about it. This
is Funaho," Ayeka said, placing her hands on the trunk of the tree.
"Funaho? Yosho's spaceship?"
"Yes. Juraian trees are the heart of the ship. Perhaps saying that this
tree is 'what is left of' Yosho's ship would be a more accurate description.
Come, Lord Tenchi." She grabbed me by the wrist, then walked into its trunk the
same way Ryoko walked through walls. Her crown began to glow again.
"Wait! Where are we--" I said before I was pulled through. "--Going?!"
"We are now inside Funaho," she explained.
I looked around. "Inside...Funaho?" I echoed. It *looked* like the
interior of any tree, but was much larger on the inside than it appeared on the
outside. I felt like I was in a huge hollowed log, which stretched upwards and
downwards to no end. One glance below my feet was enough for me -- I can't tell
you how unnerving it is to look down and see nothing beneath you.
"In a sense," Ayeka clarified, "we are inside Funaho. This isn't the
actual spaceship, but because my power comes from trees, I am able to access the
ship's memory from here."
"Ah... So your power comes from trees? Then what about Washu, Ryoko, and
Tsunami?"
"Tsunami's power comes from herself, but mirrors give her the ability to
travel between dimensions. The same goes for Washu, except she travels through
technology. Ryoko's powers come from the gems embedded on the Tenchi-ken.
Normally, she uses her replacement gems, but they don't have as much power as
the originals. You've seen her earring, right? That is what she uses. Both
Ryoko and I aren't direct descendants from the Goddesses, so our powers are a
little different. The sword is the Master Key to Jurai, but because Ryoko has
Washu's DNA, the sword is somewhat on the same level as she is. I believe that
is why the Tenchi-ken and the gems do not react with one another. However, for
some reason, she is unable to touch the Tenchi-ken, which only has wards against
Demons. Strange, is it not?"
The Tenchi-ken? I rummaged through my shirt and came out with the strange
sword. Before I'd returned one to Ryoko, it had held three maroon gems,
embedded at the very bottom of the handle in a triangular format. "But it has
no blade... This sword is no good anymore."
"I wouldn't be so certain about that," Ayeka replied, walking to the side
of the strange cylindrical room we were in. If I thought standing in midair was
bizarre and upsetting, hearing the sounds of Ayeka's shoes clacking against the
air was even worse. "May I have it, please?"
"Sure." I handed it to her, and my hand brushed against the soft skin of
hers. For a brief moment, I thought she was blushing, but she quickly turned
away, so I guess I'll never know.
"Thank you." She tapped the end of the Tenchi-ken against the wall.
Suddenly, everything went black inside the peculiar chamber, and I couldn't see
a thing.
"What's going on?!" I yelled.
"This is the ship's memory. Look!"
Seemingly in my mind's eye, I could see an odd spaceship flying through
space. Its center held a spherical orb that looked almost exactly like Ryoko's
gem. Around the orb were four triangular pyramid-like prongs that stuck out
like looked like slices of quartz or other precious stones.
"What's that?" I asked.
"That is Ryo-ohki -- Ryoko's sister."
"Then that must be...!"
"Yosho!"
A huge ship built of wood was pursuing Ryo-ohki, and they were fired bolts
of light or lasers at each other. One of the beams struck Ryo-ohki, and she
began falling to the Earth, meowing the entire way.
[Uh... *Meowing*?]
In any case, Funaho followed, and they both crash-landed. Now Ryoko
attacked Yosho, her eyes fierce and full of hatred. Her eyes weren't their
usual yellow, but instead they were completely filled with red light that burned
like a flame.
"It's Ryoko! She looks scary!"
"There's Yosho!"
The man whom Ayeka identified as Yosho had a sword like Ryoko's, except
that it radiated an azure light. But the handle...
"That's the Tenchi-ken!" I exclaimed.
Unlike Ryoko's sword, which had no handle, the hilt of the Tenchi-ken
replaced the gap in her sword. The Tenchi-ken was emitting the strange blue
light. Yosho used this sword to cut off Ryoko's hands, trapping her gems.
Then, he stabbed her in the neck, extracting the last one and embedding all
three in the handle.
As suddenly as it had begun, the smooth cylindrical chamber reappeared,
and Ayeka was wiping tears from her eyes.
"Oh, Miss Ayeka, are you all right?"
"I'm fine, Lord Tenchi," she said, crying yet smiling sadly at the same
time. "It's just that I know Yosho's gone, but since Funaho is still alive,
that means a part of him truly does exist, which means you *must* be his
descendant."
She handed the sword back to me. "I want you to keep it," she explained.
"You are Yosho's descendant, and that means it rightfully belongs to you: his
heir."
"Yes, Miss Ayeka."
"I'll get us out of here." She took my wrist in her hand again, and
walked back out through the wall.
"*There* you are, Tenchi!" Ryoko said. "I've been looking for you."
"What do you want with Tenchi, you monster woman?!" Ayeka yelled, glaring
at Ryoko. "Leave him alone!"
"Now, now, now, Princess. Tenchi and I are connected by blood. We're
family. You don't want to break up a happy family, now, do you?"
"Hmph," Ayeka snorted. "Washu and Tsunami are sisters, and therefore
Tenchi and *I* are family as well."
As if they hadn't argued enough last night, now *this*? Sheesh. I turned
around, noticing that Tsunami had followed Ryoko. "Are they always like this?"
I asked.
"I guess so," Tsunami replied, giggling.
"They're not sisters by blood! They're only sisters because they're
connected to System Jurai!"
"Then Tenchi and I are bound together by the power of Jurai!"
Shrugging, Tsunami and I began to walk away, the loud sounds of Ryoko and
Ayeka fighting following us all the way home.
End of Chapter 4
Aa! Megami-sama! (Oh My Goddess!) is (c) by Kousuke Fujishima, Kodansha, TBS and
KSS Films.
Aa! Megami-sama Muyo! (Ah! No Need For My Goddess!)
A Tenchi-Muyo! and Aa! Megami-sama! crossover fan fiction
By Luna Hinomura
http://fly.to/Luna's
Chapter 4: Princess of Jurai
Eh... Goddesses. Demons. Demons fighting Goddesses. Goddesses fighting
Demons. Me caught in the middle. I couldn't take it anymore.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!! RYOKO, WHAT ARE YOU
DOING HERE?!!"
"That's no way to greet me, Tenchi," she said, jumping off the bed. She
walked over to me and extended her hand. "Now, I want your balls, please."
"No way! They're mine! I'm hanging onto them!" I said, hovering a
protective hand over my...er...crotch.
Ryoko rolled her eyes in annoyance. "Not *that*, you moron! The gems!
You know, on your sword?"
"Er... What sword?" I replied.
"Oh, jeez..." She slapped her forehead in disgust. "Haven't you heard
the legend? That stupid Yosho defeated a Demon, *me*, using a powerful sword!
I need the gems on the sword so I can wake up Ryo-ohki."
"Well... Ok, but who's Ryo-ohki?"
She sighed. "She's my sister, the other Demon in the legend!"
"Look, Ryoko, I've never heard of the other Demon, and there's no *way*
I'm letting you awaken her!"
"Fine, then," she said with a shrug. "The sword's probably still in that
cave, anyway. I'll just have to go and get it myself," she replied angrily,
then exited through the window.
Uh-oh...
I ran downstairs to the front door, trying to make it to the cave in time.
I couldn't let her awaken another monster... Not this close to the house. On
my way through the living room, I tripped over a few boxes that Dad and Grandpa
must have left there and crashed into the floor, but I picked myself up quickly
and got to the stairs to the shrine.
"Great," I muttered, seeing Ryoko flying up there ahead of me. I dashed
up the stairs as quickly as I could, heedless of the pain in my lungs and legs
as they screamed for me to stop.
When I got there, the lock and gate looked as if they'd been slashed open
by a very hot fire, and Ryoko was already deep inside the cave, looking at the
sword. Cautiously, I tiptoed up behind her.
"This should be easy," she said, grasping the sword handle and yanking it
upwards. I couldn't see where it was from where I was standing, but it was
probably enclosed in a box of some sort, a 'shrine' for the sword.
Suddenly, electricity flashed through the cave, and Ryoko screamed in
pain. She was launched back from the sword, and flung hard into the wall of the
cave.
"Ouch! Dammit!" she cursed, picking herself up.
"Oh, I get it... You can't touch it, can you? You're a Demon," I said,
reaching in and pulling out the sword. "So this is the sword of the legend, the
sword that could cut through a rock?"
"Tenchi, please! Let me have it!"
I tried pulling the sheath off the sword, but it was stuck tight. I
didn't want Ryoko to help, but she put her hands on the sheath and I pulled from
the handle of the sword. Gradually, the sheath came off.
"Why, it's nothing but a rusty old piece of junk!" I said, looking at the
blade. Disappointed, I brought it down, hard, on a large stone for emphasis.
The blade shattered.
"Oops," Ryoko and I said at the same time.
The stone, about three feet tall on end, fell into two halves.
We stared at it.
"So. It cuts through a rock after all," I said rhetorically after we'd
both regained our composure.
"C'mon, Tenchi, just gimme the sword!"
"How many times to I have to tell you? NO!! Oh, and while we're at it,
why did you attack me at school, why are here, how did you get out of the cave,
how do you know my name, and who are you?!"
Ryoko smiled. "I'll tell you after you give me the gems."
"Dammit, Ryoko--"
"Quit yelling at her, Tenchi," someone said from the mouth of the cave.
"So, Ryoko, you've finally come to your senses. I didn't care much for the way
you attacked me earlier."
"Little Washu?" I asked.
"Yup, that's me! I'm just so young and cute!" she replied, walking
towards us.
"Hey, who are you, and how do you know my name?" Ryoko said, narrowing her
eyes at Washu.
[Now *that* sounds familiar. So she can ask questions but she won't
answer them? Sheesh!] I thought.
"Well, for starters, that's no way to talk to you *mother*, Ryoko."
Huh? I glanced at Ryoko, then at Little Washu. They really *did* look a
lot alike, but how could Ryoko be the daughter of a Goddess? I kept looking at
them, trying to assure myself that the entire thing was just a dream...
Ryoko stomped up to Washu. "Look here, I'll have you know I've been alone
ever since I was born!"
Smiling knowingly, Washu looked up at Ryoko. "Think about what you just
said."
"Ever since I was...born? I...can't remember being born... I can't even
remember growing up!"
"Bingo!" Washu said. "That's because I created you, and I know your
thoughts. I am psionically linked to you, Ryoko, as you are to Ryo-ohki. That
means, of course, that I am also linked to Ryo-ohki."
Huh? "Ryo-ohki? Ryoko's sister? Did you create her, too, Washu?"
"Yes, I created both of them," Washu said. "But I didn't expect for Ryoko
to choose the path of a Demon. Is the blood of the Goddess within you truly so
weak?"
"Shut up! I'm not a Goddess, and I never will be! I don't want to be!
I'm a Demon, the Demon Caller!" Ryoko said, aiming her red sword at Washu's
throat.
"Well, so much for motherly love."
"Shut up!!" Ryoko said again. "I don't care what you say!"
"Ryoko, plesae don't--" I started, but another blast of energy flung Ryoko
back.
"There you are, Ryoko! Demon! I take it upon myself as my duty to
obliterate you!" another voice said.
[What is it this time?] I wondered.
"Ayeka?!" Washu exclaimed.
[Erm... Who's Ayeka?]
"Miss Washu? Oh, good, this will go a lot faster with two of us fighting
one Demon. We must not allow this monster-woman to live!" The dust cleared a
bit, and I could see a purple-haired girl standing just inside the mouth of the
cave this time, and her hairstyle highly resembled Tsunami's. Long, purple
ponytails, worn the same as Tsunami's. She had more fluffy bangs than Tsunami
did, and they barely hid a crown she wore around her forehead. Her garments
resembled Tsunami's as well.
Ayeka launched herself at Ryoko, Life-force Energy scintillating around
her like a shield. Those dang shields. Couldn't they do something original for
once? Ryoko held up her hand and blocked Ayeka's punch, sending her flying, and
me as well. The Energy wasn't directed *at* me, but so much was being displaced
that I was surprised the entire cave didn't crumble.
"Take this!" Ryoko yelled, her red sword blazing. Ayeka responded by
using her own sword, one matching Ryoko's except for the color. She parried
Ryoko's strike, her navy blue sword crackling with energy.
"Tenchi, I'll explain it to you in the morning. How's that?" Washu asked.
"They're too busy fighting now."
"Uh... I'd really appreciate it, Little Washu..." I replied, reaching a
hand up to scratch the back of my head in confusion.
"Take that, Demon!" "Oh yeah? Try blocking *this*, Princess!!"
*RUMBLE*
"Was that the cave?" I asked.
"Everyone, get out before it collapses!" Washu yelled.
* * * * *
Bright and early, after Tsunami had woken up and the rest of us had
recovered from the cave-in, Washu sat us all down at the coffee table for a long
and much-needed explanation.
"You are the Demon I fought yesterday, are you not?" Tsunami asked,
directing her question towards Ryoko. "Ryoko, I presume. Why have you come
here?"
"Here's how it goes..." Washu said. "Less than 20,000 years ago, I had a
husband."
"A... A husband?" I asked.
"That's what I said. It wasn't from your planet, Earth, but from another
one, one much more advanced than even your modern culture. His name was Isamu.
I fell in love with Isamu, and I altered my appearance and DNA to disguise
myself as a mortal named Funaho so I could approach him... And we got married.
I had a baby with Isamu, who turns out to be the very person you know as your
ancestor, Tenchi... My baby was Yosho."
"So you're my ancestor too?!"
"So it would seem. I wished to continue living as a mortal, and so I went
about trying to create a duplicate through a combination of Life-force Energy
and science. Isamu and I were both scientists, and it was easy with his help...
But something went wrong. Instead of a perfect clone to send back to System
Jurai, Ryoko was born. And she chose the path of the Demon.
"Ryoko left as soon as she was created, and I didn't see or hear of her
for thousands of years. But Lady Tokimi needed my presence in System Jurai, and
I was forced to leave Isamu... Taking Yosho with me. I knew the great pain he
felt at our separation, but I revealed my true form, and explained to him that I
was a Goddess, and I could never stay with him. He understood, and insisted
that I take Yosho to Jurai, raising him as a God. Isamu was mortal, and died a
mortal, whereas I lived on as a Goddess.
"If only Tokimi had known of what I felt, of what Isamu had felt, she
would never have insisted I returned. Sadly, she had no access to the
monitoring equipment, since *I* am the Sysop, and it is my duty.
"Yosho grew up on Jurai, and had many powers. However, he had no
playmates, since Jurai is only the location of our business. So, once again, I
used science and Life-force Energy to create one, the same way Isamu and I
created Ryoko."
"That is where Ayeka comes from," Tsunami said. I glanced at Ayeka, and
she nodded in agreement. "Washu used my DNA to create Ayeka, but I tend to
think of her more as a sister than a daughter."
"I loved Yosho very much," Ayeka said sadly. "Unfortunately, seven
hundred years ago, Ryoko attacked System Jurai. For some reason, no doubt due
to the Goddess blood within her, she was able to break through System Jurai's
blocks against Demons, and destroyed much of it.
"Yosho left us to fight Ryoko, and chased her down to earth using a
spaceship that he named Funaho after Washu, a spaceship from Jurai. He used
that sword you're holding, the sword called the Tenchi-ken. Perhaps that is
where your name comes from.
"In any case, if the plane of existence known as Jurai were to be brought
into your dimension, it would take the form of a very large planet. Yosho used
his spaceship to chase Ryoko's, whose spaceship is known as Ryo-ohki: the Demon
Carrier. Ryoko's sister."
"Oh, that's right, I almost forgot about her."
"Why won't you let me wake Ryo-ohki up, Tenchi? You're so mean!"
I sighed, looking at the others, then down at the sword I had pulled from
the cave. "Is that the whole story?" Washu nodded. "All right. I guess if
Washu's my ancestor... That makes *you* my relative, too. But I'll only let
you have *a* gem."
"Heh... I only *need* one gem to call Ryo-ohki, anyway."
"We don't need more Demons in this household," Ayeka intervened.
"We don't need more Goddesses, either!" Ryoko replied.
They glared at each other, sparks starting to flying from their hands in
anger.
"Are you challenging me?" Ayeka said.
"Have it your way!" Ryoko said. "I'll leave you dead, just the same way
Yosho is."
That stopped Ayeka. "Yosho..." she said softy, salty tears beginning to
flow down her cheeks.
"That's right, 'Princess,' Yosho's dead. Because of his mortal blood, he
didn't live as long as you could."
Ayeka sobbed and pressed the back of her right hand to her face, wiping
her tears. She ran out the door, her long purple ponytails flying behind her.
"That was much too harsh, Ryoko," Washu said quietly after a moment. "You
may not know this, but because she's an empath, it's very difficult for Ayeka to
become accustomed to various emotions. It's the only aspect of life she has
trouble with." Washu and Tsunami both sighed.
"This may seem stupid, but why does Ayeka call herself 'Princess'?" I
asked, attempting to leaven the moment.
"It's because I used to call her that. When she was little, she reminded
me so much of a little Princess, so quiet, so cute, so easily amused," Tsunami
explained, "just like a girl in a storybook. I fear that I've raised her to
become... High-and-mighty, to put it tactfully. You see, Ayeka isn't actually
part of the Goddess Technical Helpline, but with her bloodline, she has a lot of
power. Her crown is what links her to Jurai, and that sword was Yosho's link.
Unfortunately, I think he thought of her more as a sister as well. I doubt he
had any intention of marrying Ayeka, but like she said, she loved him very
much."
"Oh." Poor Ayeka... She probably wanted to be left alone right now.
Turning back to Ryoko, I sighed, ready to return her gem.
* * * * *
Walking up the stairs to the shrine, I looked around for my grandpa.
School had been canceled for a long time due to Ryoko's rampages, and he wanted
to use every available second I had for more sword training.
"Let's begin, Tenchi," he said as soon as I got to the clearing we usually
practiced in.
I nodded, and bowed towards him in the way he had taught me, for showing
respect. He bowed at me simultaneously, and then we began practice.
I watched his sword, blocking, parrying, thrusting, looking for openings.
He wielded his bokken with skill, much more skill than I had, and soon, he
knocked the sword out of my hand. It flew like a boomerang, and landed point-
down in the dirt behind me.
"It seems you need more practice, Tenchi," he said.
Sighing, I pulled the sword from the dirt, then turned back around and
bowed again. Strange rustling sounds came from the bushes, but I disregarded
them, blaming it on the wind. Suddenly, a gasp and a shriek added themselves to
the rustling noise, and a loud *thunk* as well. It sounded like someone had
fallen partway down the hill.
I pushed a few of the bushes aside, and looked down. "Miss Ayeka?"
"Why?? Why must I suffer this embarrassment?!!" she exclaimed, her legs
and arms held at awkward angles from the way she had fallen. Noticing me, she
quickly uprighted herself into a kneeling position.
"Well, it seems we had a spectator," Grandpa said.
"Miss Ayeka, you're hurt!" I exclaimed, noticing blood running down her
ankle.
"Oh, it's, nothing, Lord Tenchi. I can cast a healing spell," she told
me, then turned to Grandpa. "Tell me, sir... What was that sword form you were
performing?"
Grandpa didn't answer, and only used a handkerchief to wipe the blood off
her ankle. "You'd better cast that heal spell. Tenchi?"
[Red blood... Just like a mortal...]
"Tenchi? Tenchi!"
"Uhhh, yeah, Grandpa?" I said, shaking myself out of my daze.
"Show this young lady around. I'm sure she'd like to see the scenery," he
replied, walking off.
"But sir...!" Ayeka protested. My grandpa didn't seem to have heard her,
and disappeared around the bend.
"I think you should heal yourself first," I said to her. She nodded, and
placed a hand on her ankle. Moments later, the slash on her ankle began to
close, and left no scar as her skin drew itself together.
"Wow..."
"Oh, it's nothing, Lord Tenchi. Don't be amazed." She stood up and
dusted off her clothes, elaborate garments fit for a Goddess. "You know...there
was something familiar in your grandfather's eyes that reminded me of Yosho. If
you are truly Yosho's descendent, then I am glad a part of him lives on."
"Thank you, Miss Ayeka. The scenery really *is* beautiful. I bet you'd
like to see it," I said, beginning to walk down the stone steps. Ayeka followed
beside me.
"Yes, I would, very much, Lord Tenchi. Oh, but what is that?"
Ayeka had stopped as soon as she'd said those last few words, so I stopped
as well. Following her line of sight, I realized she was looking at the large
tree that stood in the middle of a lake near my house.
"That tree?" I asked. "Do you want to go see the tree?"
"Mm-hmm," she replied, nodding.
* * * * *
Ayeka circumnavigated the tree once with me following behind, and she
examined every intricate detail of its bark. "There's no doubt about it. This
is Funaho," Ayeka said, placing her hands on the trunk of the tree.
"Funaho? Yosho's spaceship?"
"Yes. Juraian trees are the heart of the ship. Perhaps saying that this
tree is 'what is left of' Yosho's ship would be a more accurate description.
Come, Lord Tenchi." She grabbed me by the wrist, then walked into its trunk the
same way Ryoko walked through walls. Her crown began to glow again.
"Wait! Where are we--" I said before I was pulled through. "--Going?!"
"We are now inside Funaho," she explained.
I looked around. "Inside...Funaho?" I echoed. It *looked* like the
interior of any tree, but was much larger on the inside than it appeared on the
outside. I felt like I was in a huge hollowed log, which stretched upwards and
downwards to no end. One glance below my feet was enough for me -- I can't tell
you how unnerving it is to look down and see nothing beneath you.
"In a sense," Ayeka clarified, "we are inside Funaho. This isn't the
actual spaceship, but because my power comes from trees, I am able to access the
ship's memory from here."
"Ah... So your power comes from trees? Then what about Washu, Ryoko, and
Tsunami?"
"Tsunami's power comes from herself, but mirrors give her the ability to
travel between dimensions. The same goes for Washu, except she travels through
technology. Ryoko's powers come from the gems embedded on the Tenchi-ken.
Normally, she uses her replacement gems, but they don't have as much power as
the originals. You've seen her earring, right? That is what she uses. Both
Ryoko and I aren't direct descendants from the Goddesses, so our powers are a
little different. The sword is the Master Key to Jurai, but because Ryoko has
Washu's DNA, the sword is somewhat on the same level as she is. I believe that
is why the Tenchi-ken and the gems do not react with one another. However, for
some reason, she is unable to touch the Tenchi-ken, which only has wards against
Demons. Strange, is it not?"
The Tenchi-ken? I rummaged through my shirt and came out with the strange
sword. Before I'd returned one to Ryoko, it had held three maroon gems,
embedded at the very bottom of the handle in a triangular format. "But it has
no blade... This sword is no good anymore."
"I wouldn't be so certain about that," Ayeka replied, walking to the side
of the strange cylindrical room we were in. If I thought standing in midair was
bizarre and upsetting, hearing the sounds of Ayeka's shoes clacking against the
air was even worse. "May I have it, please?"
"Sure." I handed it to her, and my hand brushed against the soft skin of
hers. For a brief moment, I thought she was blushing, but she quickly turned
away, so I guess I'll never know.
"Thank you." She tapped the end of the Tenchi-ken against the wall.
Suddenly, everything went black inside the peculiar chamber, and I couldn't see
a thing.
"What's going on?!" I yelled.
"This is the ship's memory. Look!"
Seemingly in my mind's eye, I could see an odd spaceship flying through
space. Its center held a spherical orb that looked almost exactly like Ryoko's
gem. Around the orb were four triangular pyramid-like prongs that stuck out
like looked like slices of quartz or other precious stones.
"What's that?" I asked.
"That is Ryo-ohki -- Ryoko's sister."
"Then that must be...!"
"Yosho!"
A huge ship built of wood was pursuing Ryo-ohki, and they were fired bolts
of light or lasers at each other. One of the beams struck Ryo-ohki, and she
began falling to the Earth, meowing the entire way.
[Uh... *Meowing*?]
In any case, Funaho followed, and they both crash-landed. Now Ryoko
attacked Yosho, her eyes fierce and full of hatred. Her eyes weren't their
usual yellow, but instead they were completely filled with red light that burned
like a flame.
"It's Ryoko! She looks scary!"
"There's Yosho!"
The man whom Ayeka identified as Yosho had a sword like Ryoko's, except
that it radiated an azure light. But the handle...
"That's the Tenchi-ken!" I exclaimed.
Unlike Ryoko's sword, which had no handle, the hilt of the Tenchi-ken
replaced the gap in her sword. The Tenchi-ken was emitting the strange blue
light. Yosho used this sword to cut off Ryoko's hands, trapping her gems.
Then, he stabbed her in the neck, extracting the last one and embedding all
three in the handle.
As suddenly as it had begun, the smooth cylindrical chamber reappeared,
and Ayeka was wiping tears from her eyes.
"Oh, Miss Ayeka, are you all right?"
"I'm fine, Lord Tenchi," she said, crying yet smiling sadly at the same
time. "It's just that I know Yosho's gone, but since Funaho is still alive,
that means a part of him truly does exist, which means you *must* be his
descendant."
She handed the sword back to me. "I want you to keep it," she explained.
"You are Yosho's descendant, and that means it rightfully belongs to you: his
heir."
"Yes, Miss Ayeka."
"I'll get us out of here." She took my wrist in her hand again, and
walked back out through the wall.
"*There* you are, Tenchi!" Ryoko said. "I've been looking for you."
"What do you want with Tenchi, you monster woman?!" Ayeka yelled, glaring
at Ryoko. "Leave him alone!"
"Now, now, now, Princess. Tenchi and I are connected by blood. We're
family. You don't want to break up a happy family, now, do you?"
"Hmph," Ayeka snorted. "Washu and Tsunami are sisters, and therefore
Tenchi and *I* are family as well."
As if they hadn't argued enough last night, now *this*? Sheesh. I turned
around, noticing that Tsunami had followed Ryoko. "Are they always like this?"
I asked.
"I guess so," Tsunami replied, giggling.
"They're not sisters by blood! They're only sisters because they're
connected to System Jurai!"
"Then Tenchi and I are bound together by the power of Jurai!"
Shrugging, Tsunami and I began to walk away, the loud sounds of Ryoko and
Ayeka fighting following us all the way home.
End of Chapter 4
