Tenchi and all associated characters are the property of AIC and Pioneer LDC.  Slayers is copyrighted to a lot of different companies and I won't list them all.  I don't own any rights to either of them.  Any other characters are property of their respective copyright holders, not me.

*****

The Game

Chapter 5

Full House: Goddesses and Space Pirates

*****

Washu closed the door to her lab behind her leaving the others wondering what she was up to.  She was a bit annoyed at herself that she hadn't seen the resemblance between Naga and Amelia earlier; it was rather obvious when they were seen together.  She walked through her menagerie to a room she kept locked from the others.  The door opened itself when it sensed her standing in front of it and bright light poured out.  Inside was technology she didn't want the others to know about, although they were currently using simpler forms of it.  She stepped over to a panel that had been dormant for months and keyed a combination into a pad.  Only one other person had that combination and that person was a long way away.

Washu summoned a floating cushion and sat down.  She didn't know how long it would take that other person to answer, but she was prepared for a long wait if needed, however the response was almost immediate.

"Hey Washu, what's up?" came a very familiar voice from a hidden speaker.  "I was wondering if you were ever going to call me.  How're things going with your group?"

Washu contemplated the ceiling as she answered.  "Things are fine here, Minagi, but a little confused at the moment.  Got any free time?  I have something in the works that you might be interested in."

She could hear the excitement in the pirate's voice as she answered, "Does it concern 'you know who'?"

"Yep."

"YEAH!" Minagi's voice exclaimed.  "I'll make the time.  When do you want me?"

Washu smiled at the other's enthusiasm.  "How 'bout now?  But we can't take Hinase this time."

"Hey!  I heard that Washu!  Why not?" came the computer's voice faintly from the background.

"Because I don't have the time to set it up," the scientist explained to the ship.  "It's easier to transport a single person than it is a whole ship.  Anyway, Ryo-ohki and Ay-ohki will be there in case we need the fire support.  If you could turn yourself into something besides a cruiser it'd be different."

"That's not my fault," the computer responded.  "But I suppose I understand.  All right then, I'll head for Earth and meet Minagi there when she's done."

Minagi spoke up again, "I'm ready whenever Washu, what do you want me to do?"

"Just… stand… right… there." Washu made a minor adjustment and flipped a switch.  The lights dimmed for a second and the pirate appeared near the ceiling.  Unprepared for materializing several feet in the air, the cyan haired girl fell to the floor with a thud, landing on her shapely bottom.  Once again Washu was astonished at the how closely the girl resembled her own daughter.  Except for the cheek scars and attitude that is.

"Ouch!" said Minagi as she stood up and rubbed her sore spot.  Hinase could be heard in the background calling for Washu or his master.  "It's ok Hinase, I'm fine.  I'm here with Washu now.  You could have given me some warning Washu," the pirate admonished.

The small scientist chuckled, "Well, you did say whenever, and no time like the present as the saying goes.  Come on, I'll introduce you to everyone else."

*****

Lina Inverse was leading the now slightly larger than normal group along the road toward the next village.  It would have been easier to fly, after all, she, Xellos and Zelgadis could at need, and obviously the goddess and female demon could as well since they were currently floating along next to the Mazoku.  But Gourry and the two young ones couldn't so it was easier if everyone walked.  Except that Sasami and Misao weren't really walking either.  The blue haired girl was perched on the swordsman's shoulders while Misao rode on Zel's.  The usually somber chimera seemed to be enjoying the young girl's company.  Perhaps she reminded him of Amelia a little bit.

Amelia.  The red headed sorceress once again wondered how the princess was doing.  Xellos assured them that everything was all right with her and she'd be rejoining them soon, but she wasn't sure.  Lina paused at the top of a hill looking down on the town a little ways ahead.  Something just didn't feel right about it…

"Ah, Lina.  So you feel it too," said Xellos coming up to stand next to her.  "There's something wrong down there, something evil."

Lina snorted.  "Evil.  Heh, if anyone would know about that it'd be you, wouldn't it?"

Xellos smiled benignly at her. "Oh, you cut me.  I'm injured by your words."  The smile slipped from his face.  "But seriously my dear, whatever is in that town is much worse than I am.  I feel it and I'm afraid I won't be of much help to you, just like when you fought Hellmaster Phibrizo."

The sorceress crossed her arms over her chest and turned away from him, looking down into the town again.  "So you're going to run away?  Figures."

"I didn't say that, I just said I wouldn't be much help.  Regardless of how it may have looked at times, I've never deserted you.  One doesn't do that to… friends."

Lina turned her head to look at the master demon.  "Friends, eh?  Well you sure have a strange way of showing it sometimes."

Xellos' smile reappeared, "Well, I am a demon after all."

*****

Tenchi, Ayeka and Sasami had met Minagi before when Xellos had caused her to be sent to them in another reality.  She'd been helpful there and Sasami had taken an instant liking to the pirate who claimed to be Ryoko's, although not their Ryoko, daughter.  Washu introduced Katsuhito, Naga and Amelia.  Minagi knew the Katsuhito from her own reality, but Naga and Amelia were new to her.  Washu explained what was happening to the girl.

"All right!  This is gonna be great," the pirate exclaimed, extending her arm into the air.  "When do we leave?"

"Well, we're not in a pressing hurry, so how's about right after lunch?"

After the meal everyone except the old priest gathered in Washu's lab near the Reality Hopper.  Washu knelt down next to Sasami.  "Sasami dear, I don't think it's a good idea for you to go with us, so I'm asking you nicely to stay here."

Sasami had tears in her eyes and was about to speak when Tsunami's image appeared next to her.  "Sister," said the goddess.  "She must go with you because I have to be there as well.  Something is about to happen that will require my presence."

"If it's gonna be that dangerous then I definitely don't want her there.  She stays."  Washu stated.

"No sister," came a sultry voice from behind her.  "It's as Tsunami says.  And I too must go with you on this journey."

Washu looked over her shoulder to see Tokimi standing there.  "Well, well.  Look who's condescended to make an appearance.  I haven't seen you in so long I thought you'd gone home."

Tokimi smiled at her sister.  "I've been exploring this universe of yours.  There are many fascinating things here; I had no idea.  But I was called here, to this moment, as Tsunami was.  We all must go."

Washu stood up and brushed off her knees.  A subspace hole appeared next to her.  "I suppose I'll be needing these then," she said reaching into the space and pulling out the three red gems.

"It is possible sister," Tokimi agreed.  "Best to have them ready."  She pulled her own gem out of thin air and showed it to Washu before tucking it into her robes.

Washu looked around at everyone and suddenly she was in her adult form.  She nodded to her sisters.  "I guess that since the three of us are here we won't have to use the machinery to transfer.  We can do it ourselves."

Tokimi shook her head, "No Washu.  We must use your technology.  It may be nothing, but I have this feeling…"

"What's going on?" Naga whispered to her little sister.

"Sasami explained it to me, Washu is really a goddess and these others must be her sisters.  Sasami will merge with Tsunami when she grows up, so she's sort of a proto-goddess."

"Goddesses huh?  Cool.  We're traveling in high circles now, aren't we?  Heh."  Naga grinned from ear-to-ear.

Washu reached across the control console for the switch.  "I'm sending us to the last location I have for Ryoko."

Back in the house, Katsuhito calmly sipped a cup of tea as the lights flickered for a moment.

*****

Lina and Gourry crept into the town, alert for any trouble.  The rest of the group was strung out behind them with Xellos bringing up the rear.  The town appeared deserted but movement could be heard within the closed buildings and seen as shadows behind closed blinds.  It gave everyone a creepy feeling to know they were being watched but not seeing anyone.

They gathered in the town square, the happy burbling of the fountain the only sound heard.  Lina looked at Xellos who was no longer smiling.  His malevolent eyes were wide open and fixed on a building across the open area as if he were expecting something to come from there.  It didn't.  It came from the other direction, the direction Zelgadis had been looking.

"Demons!" Zel called, pointing to a group streaming out of a building. 

Xellos looked over his shoulder.  "No, not demons, undead," he corrected the chimera.

"Joyrock!" said Lina, whirling to face the horde.

Xellos gave a mirthless chuckle, "No, not him.  You took care of that wimp long ago.  This is something else, something I'm not familiar with."

"Fireball!" shouted Lina, launching the attack.  Several of the monsters were immediately crisped.  Heh, she thought.  Not so tough after all.   She felt Gourry tap her on the shoulder.  Looking back she saw more of the creatures coming from other buildings.  Uh oh…

Zelgadis had his hands full with a group of undead townsfolk.  He lopped off body parts with his sword and when time permitted used flare arrows to eliminate several at once.  Not for the first time he wished Amelia was there to back him up.  His thoughts turned to the two small girls, he hoped they were all right but he was too busy defending himself to look for them.

Sasami and Misao cowered down next to the fountain.  Ryo-ohki popped out of Sasami's backpack with the baton.  "Sasami, I think it's time," he said.  Rumiya was expressing a similar opinion to Misao.  Sasami nodded and took the baton.

"Pretty Mutation Magical Recall!" she shouted and the transformation began.  Next to her something similar was happening.

"Pixy Mutation Magical Recall!" yelled Misao.

"Hello everybody!  Pixy Misa is here to save the day," said the blonde girl in the leather outfit, prancing out into the street.  Pretty Sammy whacked her with her baton.  "When you need a magical solution, trust Sammy," she said, assuming her trademark pose.

Mara, who had been in the process of ripping one of the monsters apart with her bare hands, paused to watch the two.  What she saw caused her to fall down laughing.  "Where did you get that outfit?" she asked Sammy.  She gave Misa an appraising glance.  "I like yours though.  But don't you think it's a little… old for you?"

"Shut up Mara and get to work," called Urd, sending another lightning bolt into a group of undead.  Then she saw what had grabbed Mara's attention.  "Oh my!  You two are something.  Magical Girls indeed!  Hahahahaha!"  She joined Mara on the ground.

Sammy had had about enough.  "Misa?" she called.  The other girl nodded and began to look around.  Spotting a sword lying on the ground, she pointed to it.

"Calling Mystics!" she cried.  The sword floated into the air and started to take on a human and most definitely female form.  "Sword Girl, take care of these things while I help Sammy."  The newly transformed sword waded into the undead villagers.

"Sammy!" Misa called out, holding her cane over her head.

"Right!" said Sammy, taking Misa's hand and raising her own baton.

"Converge Magical Powers of Justice!" yelled Sammy.  Zel looked around at the words, expecting to see Amelia.

"Pretty," cried Sammy.

"Lovely," cried Misa.

"Coquettish Bomber!" called both girls.  Bolts of light shot out from both wands and merged together.  Where it hit, monsters simply crumbled to dust.  When the light faded a large number of the fiends were simply gone.

"Wow.  I'm impressed," said Urd, standing up and dusting herself off.  Mara nodded in dumbstruck agreement.

"Yeah," said Lina.  "But what about them?"  She pointed to another group streaming down the street.  "How many of them are there anyway?"

"More than we can fight like this my dear," Xellos told her.  His robes had been torn in several places but he appeared otherwise unscathed.

Lina sighed in resignation, "I suppose I don't have a choice then, do I?"

Xellos smiled at her.  "You have changed.  A year ago you wouldn't have thought twice about it, but no, there's no choice at all."

Lina looked down for a moment.  When she raised her head there was a joyous smile on her face.  She brought both hands close together in front of her.

"Darkness beyond twilight; Crimson beyond the blood that flows;"

A glow began to form between the sorceress' hands.  Zelgadis picked up a magical girl under each arm and yelled at Urd and Mara, "RUN!  As fast and as far as you can!"

"Buried in the flow of time; In Darkness' name I pledge myself to thee;"

"Just do as he says," called Gourry as he fled past the goddess and demoness.  They took off after him, not quite knowing why.  Lina's hair and cape began to move as if in a strong wind, but the day was absolutely calm. 

"Let the fools who would stand against us be destroyed; By the power you and I possess…"

"Oh God, here it comes…" Zel moaned, ducking for cover with the two girls.  The glow had spread to encompass the sorceress' whole body, her face held a look of rapture.

"DRAGON SLAVE!"

A beam of bright red light shot from Lina's hands toward the mass of undead closing in on her.  Where it hit things simply… disappeared.  A dome of light spread over the village, as it faded a mushroom shaped cloud that was visible for miles hung overhead.  The only thing left of what had once been a prosperous trading center was a crater.  And at the bottom of that crater something moved.

Lina shook herself and took a deep breath.  She surveyed the damage she'd caused.  "I love this job!" she shouted to the world, throwing her fist into the air.

*****

Miles away another group felt the ground shake and saw the bright light.  Ayeka pointed to the cloud that was barely visible in the distance.

"Is that what I think it is?" she asked Washu.

The scientist, still in adult form, pulled out a measuring device and pointed it at the cloud.  "Um hmm.  Nope, not nuclear.  No radiation.  I don't know what it was."  Amelia tugged at her sleeve.

"Lady Washu," she said, drawing an annoyed look from the red head.  "Er, I mean Washu, I think that was them.  It looks like Lina cast a Dragon Slave."

Naga overheard her sister. "Oh ho ho ho ho!  So Lina's at it again is she?  Well, we'll just have to hurry along.  RAY W…"

"Wait, wait," said Washu, holding up her hand.  "We have a faster way.  Ayeka?"

"Yes, of course Washu."  The princess took Ay-ohki off her shoulder and cuddled him a moment.  "Ready dear heart?" she asked the cabbit.  The small animal's eyes sparkled with anticipation.  "Let's go!"  She tossed the cabbit up into the air.

Amelia and Naga stared open-mouthed as the small, cute, fuzzy animal became a giant crystalline starship.  Of course, being from a non-technological society they had no idea what a starship was.  Still, the transformation was impressive.

Ay-ohki transported the group onto his command deck where Ayeka took her place in the pilot's seat.  "All right Ay-ohki, head for the cloud.  Best speed."

A screen popped open in front of the group.

* Will Ryo-ohki be there? * the cabbit displayed for all to see.

"Yes, I would think so.  Ryoko can't resist a good fight you know," the princess replied.

"Rrrooowwrrrrrr!"  The cabbit zoomed of in search of his mate.

*****

Ryoko got to the scene somewhat after the fact.  She'd been following the group, but keeping her distance so as not to be found out.  Now she was sorry.  She located them standing at the rim of the crater, looking at something at the bottom.  Landing gently she walked up to peer over Urd and Mara's shoulders.

"Geez, what happened here?  And what's that thing at the bottom there?" she asked.

"Eeek!" screamed Mara, nearly falling into the hole.

"Oh.  Hi Ryoko.  I was wondering when you'd show up," said Urd, not even turning around.

The rest of the group turned at Mara's scream.  Sammy and Misa instantly recognized the cyan haired beauty.

"Ryoko!" they both called, running to her.  Ryoko looked at the two magical girls.

"Nice outfits," she commented dryly.

"She's pretty, I wonder if she needs a bodyguard," mumbled Gourry, drawing a smack from Lina that sent him to his knees.  Urd overheard him too.

"Sorry, big guy, she's married," the goddess said to the swordsman.

Zelgadis looked at the pirate for a moment then turned his attention back to whatever it was down in the hole.  Lina, after helping Gourry to his feet, looked around and saw someone was missing.

"Hey!  Where's Xellos?  He was here a minute ago…" she wondered.

*****

To be continued

*****

Author's Notes

The next chapter will be the last in this series, after that I'm not sure what I'll do.  But I'll think of something.

If you're wondering about Misa's transformation, Episode 23 of "Magical Project S" is the only time we ever hear her utter Pixy Misa's transformation spell.  All the other times she just appears because Misao is unaware of Misa's existence until just before that point and Rumiya had always forced the transformation.

I kinda thought the last chapter was pretty bad.  I may rewrite the Naga/Amelia scene at some point.  It seems to be lacking something.  I had fun with this chapter though.

Hey, I forgot something in the notes of the last chapter:

If anyone from the Ohayocon group reads this (not likely) I had a great time there a couple of weeks ago.  The cosplay was… unique.  I'm disappointed you cancelled the fanfic writing panel though; I was looking forward to it.

Review Responses

Priest – Here it is.

Faefrost – There's a bit more of Lina in this chapter.

The DragonBard – Whoa, that was quite a review (just kidding).  Glad you like it; at least I think you do.

Alighthawk – The AMG! stuff is already out on video, the OAVs have been out on VHS for a while and the movie and OAVs were just released on DVD late last year.  The movie has Peorth, the fourth goddess, in it as well as the other three goddesses.  And yes, it is a certain red headed scientist Yosho's thinking about.  I don't know if I'll take it anywhere beyond just that right now.  Did I mention AMG! The Movie has Peorth in it?