"Tenchi Muyo!" and all characters herein are the property of Pioneer and AIC, save those created by the author. This is a fanfic and is not for profit.

Advisory: Contains graphic content.

Chapter Five: End Game

Shigeru stepped back as Tenchi grabbed the hilt of the Light Hawk Sword. Its blue blade formed then turned solid white. Tenchi pointed the blade at the trembling Shigeru.

"Your reign of terror ends now demon," said the young Juraian. Shigeru could barely look at Tenchi. Some one as evil as him cannot stand the light of justice.

"So," started Shigeru, "I've finally pissed you off enough to present a challenge. Light shows do not impress me." He was lying. In truth he was terrified. This was a new emotion for him, and frankly he hated it.

"Once you had a chance to live, but that is no longer a possibility," said Tenchi as he leveled the Light Hawk Sword at Shigeru. "There is only one recourse for demons like you: death." Tenchi had fought many battles in his short life. He had destroyed many evil beings, and at times he regretted it. His nature was to find a peaceful solution without the loss of life. This time was different. He knew in his soul that death was the only justice for Shigeru.

"You will never darken this universe again."

Shigeru smiled. "Big talk. I've heard it before, but no one can stand up to my might. All those who have tried to destroy me have ended up in hell."

"Then I will see you there!" screamed Tenchi as he ran towards Shigeru. The power of the Light Hawk was incredible. Each blow sent Shigeru reeling. Their blades met over and over again. Shigeru could not believe the newfound power in the boy. Then he noticed the gems.

'That whore,' he thought.

As Tenchi swung his blade Shigeru leaped back. He obviously needed a new strategy. He let an energy bolt fly that caused Tenchi to use one of the Light Hawks three blades to block it. Instantaneously Shigeru appeared behind him and grabbed his neck.

"I will crush you with my bare hands!" said the demon as he applied more pressure. Tenchi did his best to pry the demon loose, but it was useless. He was beginning to fade to black.



"Tenchi," came the soft voice. Tenchi looked up and saw his mother standing there, wearing her favorite lavender dress.

"I am so proud of you son. Ever since you saved my life from Kain I knew you would achieve greatness. I knew this before you were ever conceived. Your task is not finished yet. You are still needed." Tenchi reached for the ethereal figure only to have it vanish before him. In its place was Ryoko. She was in his arms, dying.

"You have made me so happy," she said as she too slipped into the void. Tenchi cried over his lost love, only to be brought back by a sinister laugh. Then he realized that this was not a dream. The laugh was real. He hated that laugh.



"Looks like it will be you who die today," said Shigeru as he squeezed harder. Tenchi felt Ryoko's gems begin to glow. They were pushing him to new levels of physical strength.

"This can not be!" muttered Shigeru as Tenchi began to pry the demon away.

With a yell he forced Shigeru to break the hold. As quickly as he did, he capitalized on it. Tenchi delivered a solid elbow to Shigeru's midsection. The demon doubled over only to have another elbow shot delivered to the back of his head. He crashed to the floor with a loud thud. Tenchi stood over him and reformed the Light Hawk Sword. Shigeru wiped the blood from his lip as he looked up.

"Very good," he complimented. With a yell Tenchi brought the blade down on Shigeru, who clasped it with his hands.

"I told you that I can not be defeated," said Shigeru as he rose to one knee. Tenchi tried to force the blade home, but he could not. Shigeru was too powerful.

With blinding speed Shigeru swept a leg around, toppling Tenchi. Now Shigeru had the high ground. He brought his scimitar down just as Tenchi rolled away. The young lord rolled across the floor and regained his footing. He looked up just in time to avoid a black bolt from Shigeru. Another one landed a little closer, burning his arm.

Two could play that game. With a running leap Tenchi fired off a series of blue energy bolts. Shigeru managed to dodge them all save one, which sent him staggering. He regained his posture just in time to block a blow from Tenchi's sword. Shigeru swung for Tenchi's head just as he ducked.

In an instant Tenchi struck his sword against Shigeru's Scimitar, shattering the dark blade. Shigeru threw his shattered sword aside and drew his dagger. He made several slashes toward Tenchi, but all of them failed to find their mark. After dodging the last thrust Tenchi made his move. Shigeru jumped back as Tenchi slashed across his chest.

At first Shigeru thought that Tenchi had missed him, then he noticed Tenchi's grin.

"What are smiling about boy?" demanded the demon. Then he noticed the white light emanating from the cracked ruby. "It can't be," he proclaimed in disbelief. The crack began to grow as he backpedaled.

"IT CAN NOT BE!" screamed Shigeru as bolts of light shot from the stone. Tenchi watched with a smirk on his face.

"Gotcha," he said as Shigeru's face twisted in pain. The demon fell to his knees as the spirits of Tenchi's family flew from the their captivity in beams of iridescent light.



"The time is now!" said Tokimi as the goddess' watched the events unfold below them.

"Agreed," said Washu. Together the sisters reformed the bodies of those taken by Shigeru.



Tenchi's heart rose as he watched the bolts of light form into the bodies of his family. Kiyone, Mihoshi, and Nobeyugi were the first to be restored. Katsuhito, Sasami, and Ayeka followed them. Finally Ryoko was restored. Even on the far away earth a bolt landed on Funahoe, restoring the sacred tree. Tenchi sighed in relief as his family was returned to him.

Shigeru screamed in pain as the process ended. He looked up seeing his former victims lying around the hall.

"Damn you," muttered Shigeru through bloody lips. "Damn you boy!"

Tenchi walked toward him and held out the Light Hawk Sword. "It ends here Shigeru. You have no power left." Shigeru laughed at him.

"You are a fool if you think that pathetic bunch was my sole source of power." He rose to one knee and spat. "You have yet to see the full power of the Fallen." As he finished those words his body began to contort. Tenchi was taken aback by the gruesome transformation-taking place before him.

"Now you shall see my full power!" screamed Shigeru. Tenchi tried to attack the beast, but was knocked back by its awesome force. He watched in horror as Shigeru began his metamorphism.

His armor shattered as his muscles bulged and contorted. His already fanged teeth grew even longer, protruding out of his vile mouth. Shigeru's raven hair grew wild as his skull contorted into a new, demonic form. His back twisted and wrenched in inhuman ways before his vertebrae protruded from his blackened skin.

Bony points erupted from his shoulder blades as his arms elongated. His hands drew back leaving long slender fingers that formed blades at their nails. His feet balled and morphed into hooves. His neck twisted and wrenched from side to side. Tenchi could hear its bones pop as it elongated.

The beast's rib cage bulged then fused into a new armor of bone, with the shattered crystal at its center. Finally the demon doubled over as his back began to bulge once again. With a sickening tear skeletal wings jutted from his back. Between their strakes red tissue congealed to form a leathery surface.

The transformation ended and Tenchi gazed upon the beast in its final form. Shigeru rose to his full stature and towered over Tenchi. His wings stretched out and gave a few flaps.

"Now you see the true power of the Fallen," said Shigeru in a voice of many in one. Tenchi was terrified of what stood before him. Never in his worst nightmare had he conjured such a horrid beast.

"All the millennia that I spent in hell, I learned. I learned how to feed off the darkness in the human heart. This is my true power. As long as life exists so shall I!" Tenchi stepped back. Shigeru's new form was truly evil in its purest form.

From the far side of the hall Princess Ayeka had regained consciousness. As she found her bearings, she saw the demon looming over Tenchi. The young warrior was doing his best to hold his ground against the darkness.

"Lord Tenchi," she whispered as she noticed Ryoko beginning to stir. She crawled over to her and placed her over shirt on Ryoko's exposed back.

"He did it," said Ryoko as she watched Tenchi take his stance. Ayeka nodded. Together they watched the epic clash.



"He can not win," said Tsunami as she watched the events unfold beneath her.

"He can," added Tokimi, "but he would not survive." Washu looked at Tokimi with disbelief.

"You don't mean," she began as Tokimi nodded.

"It is the only way." Unfortunately Tokimi was right. Washu bit her lip as she tried to find another possibility. A tear rolled down her face as she nodded silently.



"It ends now!" howled Shigeru as he flew towards Tenchi. Tenchi ducked and rolled as Shigeru swiped at him. His talons sliced into Tenchi's back as his leathery wings carried him around for another pass.

Tenchi blocked out the pain and hurled the Light Hawk Sword towards the demon. Shigeru swung to one side as the blade pierced his left wing. His forward momentum sent him crashing into Tenchi. The two struggled on the floor for a moment before Shigeru wound up on top. He pinned Tenchi's shoulders with his knees as he wrapped his hands around his throat.

"Die, boy, DIE!" screamed Shigeru as he squeezed harder. Tenchi began to black out as orange and blue energy bolts tore into Shigeru. This was sufficient enough for Tenchi to break free. With a right cross he sent Shigeru tumbling. He glanced back to see Ayeka and Ryoko standing together, hands out stretched.

"I told you before Tenchi!" yelled Ryoko. "I'm not letting you get away that easy!" Ayeka smiled nodded. Tenchi looked back at the infuriated Shigeru.

The demon spread his mangled wings and tried to take flight again. Tenchi formed the Light Hawk Sword once more. He knew what had to be done. With a running leap he drove the blade into Shigeru's chest.



"Now!" said Washu as the goddess' astral forms appeared behind Tenchi. They laid their hands on Tenchi's shoulders, channeling their power through him and the sword. With a howl Tenchi unleashed his full power as the energy erupted through Shigeru's back.

"Noooooooo!" screamed the demon as the energy shredded his body. "I can not," he screamed as the wave swept through him, "Be DESTROYED!"

Tenchi began to loose his footing from the force of the blast when he felt another set of hands wrap around his. To his sides were Ayeka and Ryoko, lending him their strength. A faint smile slid across his face.

'We are one,' he thought as the two most important women in his life supported him in his moment of need.

Shigeru's death was just as horrific as any that he had inflicted. The pure Jurai energy coursing threw him burned his flesh away, layer-by- layer. Every one in the hall covered their eyes as the light grew.

"I'm scared!" cried Mihoshi as she grabbed onto Kiyone. Katsuhito held Sasami as Nobeyugi kneeled behind him.

Shigeru's screams were ear splitting. He writhed on Tenchi's sword as his extremities and skin were flayed away. With a scream Tenchi sent another wave of energy through Shigeru.

The horrific screaming finally stopped when the back of his head burned away. The lifeless form hung on the sword until it too disintegrated. After the demon was vanquished from this existence the blade dissipated. Tenchi fell to his knees and dropped the hilt. As he fell back Ryoko cradled him as he hit the floor.

"Lord Tenchi!" cried Ayeka falling to his side. The others ran to his side as well.

"You did it," said Ryoko as she held him. She jumped slightly as she felt her gems returned to her.

"I love you...Ryoko..." whispered Tenchi as he slipped into the darkness.



Slowly a familiar voice brought Tenchi from the darkness. "Lord Tenchi," came the soft voice. Tenchi awoke to find himself in the eternal realm.

"Where am I?" he asked as Washu, Tsunami, and Tokimi approached him.

"Please forgive me," begged Tokimi as she knelt before him. To his surprise Washu and Tsunami kneeled as well.

"What's going on?" he asked even more confused than before.

"You have ascended," answered Tsunami.

"What does this mean," he asked. Tsunami fell silent. Tenchi looked to Washu hoping to find an answer.

"Lord Tenchi, when Ryoko gave you her gems and we imparted our power to you," started Washu as she rose to look him in the eyes. "You became something more." Tenchi looked down and noticed the flowing white and blue robes he was wearing.

"You are a god," said Washu simply. "You have inherited the power of the earth and Jurai. You have the power to choose you own destiny."

Tenchi lowered his head as he looked down to Hells Point below. Everyone was safe now. Shigeru had been defeated, and his family was restored. But as he looked down he saw Ryoko kneeling over his lifeless body. She was crying, trying her best to bring him back. Ayeka was in tears as well while Sasami cried into her shoulder. Katsuhito and Nobeyugi were trying to calm the hysterical Mihoshi while Kiyone was performing CPR on him. There was no joy in this victory. He had saved his family, but they had lost him.

"I wish to return," he said solemnly. Washu nodded as Tokimi and Tsunami stood beside her. They placed their hands on his shoulders and he began to phase out of the eternal realm.

"I do forgive you, Lady Tokimi," he said as he phased out of sight.

Tokimi smiled as Washu and Tsunami looked on. The fourth silhouette vanished as suddenly as it appeared.

"He will be just fine," commented Tsunami as she watched the reunion on Hells Point.



Kiyone plopped back as she ran a hand through her hair. "I've done all I can," she said defeated. Ryoko shook Tenchi violently trying to wake him.

"Damn it Tenchi," she sobbed, "don't leave me after all we've been through." She held him close and cried bitterly.

"Who's leaving?" came Tenchi's faint voice. "Certainly not me," he continued, opening one eye. He smiled as Ryoko came into focus. She looked at him in disbelief.

"Lord Tenchi?" asked Ayeka. The sense of elation swept through everyone. Ryoko kissed him then nearly squeezed the life out of him.

"I should kill you for this," she whispered in his ear. "But I'll let it slide this time." Every one knelt around Tenchi and Ryoko. Once again he had saved all their lives.

"I'm so proud of you son," beamed Nobeyugi. Katsuhito nodded in agreement. Sasami hugged him as Ayeka held his hand and cried. Kiyone wiped a tear away as she placed an arm around Mihoshi.

"I'm getting too old for this," she sighed. Finally Ryoko helped him to his feet. Tenchi was battered and bruised, but more or less intact. As he leaned his weight on Ryoko, he looked at his family. He had them back, and that is what mattered most to him.

"Now," started Tenchi as he limped along, "didn't we have a coronation to attend?"



Epilogue

"When we arrived on Jurai, we were heralded as heroes. Ayeka was crowned First Princess of Jurai, although she cannot become queen until she finds a husband. However she was seen flirting with a young noble at the banquet that followed the ceremony. Till then her father is more than happy to hold the throne.

"Princess Sasami is staying here on the earth with us for a while longer. She has enrolled in the same school that I attended and is having the time of her life. When people ask we say that she is my cousin from America.

"As for Kiyone and Mihoshi they are still here as well. Kiyone was hoping for a desk job after the Shigeru incident, but it seems that the earth has taken top priority for the Galaxy Police. Even though they received raises and promotions Kiyone still has to put up with Mihoshi.

"Dad was promoted to supervisor at the firm he works for, and is content with his life. I only wish that he would grow up some. Grandpa has returned to his shrine. He said he's not worried about Ryoko having her gems back. Funahoe was restored when Shigeru was destroyed and Washu has seen to its care.

"Speaking of Washu she has returned to being the universes greatest scientific genius. The revelation of her past came as a surprise to all of us, but it has not changed a thing about her. She's still Little Washu. I just wish she would find another "guinea pig" her experiments.

"As for me, I've always wondered about something that Shigeru said during the fight. Washu told me that it was possible at the moment, but a year has past since everyone's restoration and nothing has come of it. Life has just about returned to normal."

"What about me?"

"I was getting there. Ryoko and I will be married in the fall."

"And I'm never letting go of you again."

The End

Credit where it's due: A thank you goes out to Diane Long for reading over this and for giving sound advice. Check out her stories at her web page, http://w3.one.net/~shire/di, and at www.tmffa.com. Once again thank you for your help and consideration.

Authors notes: Thank you for reading the special edition of We Are One. This was my first fanfic and I have always loved this story. After thinking about it I decided to correct all of the typos and grammatical errors, and add a little bit to the story, mainly expanded scenes and the prelude. While some of the additions are superficial others enhance the story in my mind. I had originally planned the longer concert scene but dropped it from the first draft. I feel that it fits in fine with the character of the show. "I Still Love You" was chosen because of its dark mood and rhythmic flow. It is the perfect song to set to set up the forthcoming events in the story (If you want to hear it is off the 'Creatures of the Night' album). Other than that the additions made were thought up over the past five months or so. Please send any and all feedback to me at vette1701@earthlink.net. Once again I thank you and wish you a happy holidays.

William R. Nichols Jr. December 15, 2001.

And now the original endnotes: The title of this fanfic comes from a KISS song of the same name. 'We Are One' is off the 'Psycho Circus' album and talks about the bands relationship with their fans. I found it appropriate for the relationships in the Tenchi universe as well. When I heard the verse, I thought of the show.

"You are not alone

"But how long can you run

"Its much too late if you don't know

"What you've got 'till its gone

"Once upon a time

"You were a child

"But that was yesterday

"Believed that magic

"In your heart would

"Never fade away" There's more to the song, but you should get the idea from this excerpt. I hope you enjoyed my first effort at a fan fiction. Please send me any response, criticism, or suggestions. Thank you.

William Nichols

August 2001