~~~~~
MAGARU: Okay, disclaimer...Disclaimer, disclaimer, that's the highlight of
the story, isn't it?
RAYANI: So, we don't own these characters, except for the ones with English
nicknames and me...Rayani. Tenchi and Co. belongs to Pioneer/AIC. Got it?
MAGARU: Here's the fifth chapter...number five, number five. Yup.
RAYANI: Before we start, I want to know, do you happen to know who ate the
last of my cake? I was planning to lure Washu out of her lab with it.
MAGARU: Uh, no, I don't--I don't know about any--any cake...
RAYANI: Hmm...strange. I guess I'll just ask Ayeka. I found a Juraian
bracelet in the fridge...maybe it's her...
~~~~~
Chapter Five: Kagato's Intent
I must get the Soja back, Kagato thought feverishly. Then I can finally take my revenge on Prince Tenchi. His cursed Light Hawk Wings!
"Father, are you all right?" Jakato asked suddenly, watching his father tremble in suppressed anger. Kagato jumped and answered, his voice oddly strained and high.
"Of course! Yes, of course, son!" Kagato squeaked, not turning form his computer unit. Magaru shivered in apprehension as Kagato laughed maliciously, his mirthless laughs echoing about the lab eerily. Jakato gave her hand a squeeze, but to no avail, as Magaru remained tense and nervous. Suddenly, Kagato wheeled around, grinning in a twisted way. Jakato looked at him curiously; his father rarely showed any signs of extreme emotion.
"You, Magaru, can I run an experiment on you?" Kagato asked quickly, his face still twisted in a grin. Jakato's jaw dropped in disbelief. He stepped in front of Magaru defensively.
"Father! You can't do that!" he said sharply. Kagato gave an eerie laugh.
"You'll love the feeling and POWER you will have!" Kagato rumbled vehemently. Magaru nudged Jakato out of the way and nodded slowly.
"It's okay. I'll be fine," Magaru added, as to slightly comfort Jakato. She squared her shoulders and sighed readily. "Okay, Ka--Kagato, what are you going to do?" Kagato laughed again and pulled out what looked like a pistol. Jakato gasped and put protective arm around Magaru's shoulders.
"No! You can't shoot Maggie!" Jakato yelled, hugging Magaru tightly and pulling her away. Kagato shook his head in despair.
"Dear boy, I'm not going to blast her." He held up the gun and smiled. "I'm going to inject a micromachine into your wrist. You should have power like Ryoko; teleportation, flight, and sword," Kagato explained, walking forward and taking her right wrist and setting the end of the gun near the wrist joint. Magaru suddenly felt a jolting feeling surge through her body, causing her to stagger sideways as Kagato released her hand.
"I feel strange," Magaru murmured as she balanced herself. Kagato laughed maliciously.
"Oh, I think she likes it," he laughed, watching Magaru clench and unclench her fists before her own eyes. Magaru looked up and smiled.
"Okay, everything seems to be working," Magaru concluded, lowering her arms and giving Jakato a loving glance.
"Very well, good," Kagato said absentmindedly, his eyes still on her wrist. "Now, show me your new powers!" Magaru backed away from Kagato's maniacal enthusiasm and glanced at Jake, who gave her a small nod. She smiled and held her hand out with her palm facing upward. She willed something to happen, anything, and suddenly, a black ball of energy grew and began to glow above her palm. "Yes! Yes!" Kagato roared in malevolent joy. Magaru clenched her fist in the way she often saw Ryoko doing. The ball of energy obediently elongated into an energy sword.
Jakato pulled a bemused face as Kagato nearly lost control of himself and began to hop up and down impatiently. Kagato plunged his hand into his robe and pulled a sword hilt out, tossing to his son.
"Here, son. We will begin both of your training, so when Ryoko and her fool prince come, we three will be ready!" Kagato said, grinning evilly and leading the two young ones away as they exchanged ominous looks behind his back.
~~~~~
"I--I sense bad energy," Ryoko said grimly, putting her playing cards down and gazing about the cargo bay of Yagami. They had come down to the cargo bay because it was too crowded in Kiyone's quarters and one of Mihoshi's recent accidents had called for the need to clear away for a while.
WHAP.
Ryoko rubbed her head gingerly as Washu removed a fan from her daughter's head. "No false senses to get out of the game!" Washu laughed, putting her fan away. Ayeka laughed airily.
"The loser washes tonight's dishes, and that will be you, Ryoko," Ayeka said, putting one card into the pile. Ryoko threw a look of indifference at Ayeka and rested her head on Tenchi's shoulder.
"I wouldn't speak so soon, princess." Ryoko tossed a card in the pile. "Three aces."
"That's a bluff," Washu said cheerfully. Sasami giggled as Ryoko furiously took the enormous pile of cards.
"Damn you, Washu, that's no fair! You're linked to my mind!" Ryoko growled. Rayani fell down, laughing uncontrollably, scaring Ryo-ohki away. Suddenly, she leapt up and pointed out the window at an all-too-familiar ship.
"Kagato! Kagato's coming!" Rayani yelled urgently. Before anything else could happen, a transport tube crashed into the wall of the cargo bay, eradicating their table and card game. Everybody was thrown back by the force of the impact and was showered upon by a barrage of debris. As the tube opened, it issued a loud hiss and released some putrid-smelling mist.
Kagato floated out, a white handkerchief covering his nose and mouth. "Wretched tube! So smelly!" he muttered, trying to escape the dizziness threatening to overcome him. Kagato turned to Kiyone. "Do you have an air filter?" Kiyone was already on it, and in a few minutes that seemed like days, the horrible smell vanished.
"Now, down to business," Kagato continued, smiling ever so slightly. "Ryoko, your boy is with my son and his friend. They await for your consent to battle."
"If you--" Tenchi started, but Kagato waved an arm impatiently.
"Your son is unharmed for the moment, although he did put up a brave fight." Kagato gave them a smug glance and stepped away from the transport tube. Tenchi pulled the Tenchiken out and Ryoko produced her sword as Magaru and Jakato entered the cargo bay through the transport tube, dragging a bound and gagged Kenny.
Ryoko was about to roar in rage, but Washu put a silencing hand on Ryoko's mouth and turned to Magaru, smiling sweetly. "Magaru, why do you do this?" Washu asked. Magaru didn't answer. Kagato, who stepped behind them, laughed in cruel mirth.
"Yes. We have you outnumbered." Washu laughed in mock indifference.
"Do you now? Well, sorry to tell you, but we've got YOU outnumbered, Kagato," Washu said, still smiling.
"My dear professor, please watch closely. This is an experiment of mine. Magaru," Kagato said quietly, "select one of them to destroy." Magaru's eyes glowed red; not at all like her normally brown eyes. Ryoko gave Tenchi a worried look.
"She's under mind control, Tenchi," Ryoko muttered. Tenchi looked slightly surprised, but nodded in understanding, watching Magaru's actions.
"Rayani," Magaru said, her voice dull and flat. Kagato smirked.
"If it pleases you, Magaru, then do it."
Magaru produced a black sword, her face expressionless. "Whoa!" Rayani exclaimed in amazement, twitching her tail. "She definitely couldn't do that before!"
"Poor, helpless Rayani," Kagato said, still smiling. Rayani produced her own green sword and took a step towards Magaru, her eyes glinting excitedly.
"Not as helpless as you think. You're not catching me off guard this time," Rayani replied, grinning.
Magaru leapt into the air, then threw her energy sword at Rayani. Rayani threw up her arms in a cross-arm block. There was a great explosion, scattering fragments of the floor everywhere. Ryoko took this opportunity and teleported over to Kenny. As the dust cleared, Kagato laughed cruelly. "That's one dow--" He stopped abruptly as the dust dispersed. Rayani was standing there, smiling and undaunted.
"You haven't trained her very well, Kagato. Her aim is off to the left a bit!" Kagato took this insult very well, or so it seemed.
"I see." He turned to Magaru with a twisted grin. "Magaru, use your full power. Eradicate her."
Magaru teleported behind Rayani and tried punching her back. Rayani disappeared, causing Magaru to overbalance and stagger forward. Magaru felt a gust of air as Rayani reappeared behind her. "Maggie, wake up! Wake up!" Rayani yelled as she blocked Magaru's sword with her own. Magaru answered in an icy, harsh voice she had never used before.
"I am serving under Lord Kagato! If he wishes for me to destroy you, it will be done!" Magaru spat. There was a sudden rumble as Rayani was thrown into the air, only stopping when she crashed into the far wall of Yagami's cargo bay. She dropped to the floor and groaned in pain.
"This isn't right," Rayani moaned, pulling herself to her feet and wiping blood from her face. "Her strength is unnatural!" Rayani dusted herself off and patted Sasami on the shoulder as she rushed over with Tenchi. "I'm fine, Sasami." Rayani stood there, her mind racing.
"Rayani, look!" Sasami exclaimed suddenly. "Maggie's right wrist! It's glowing!" Rayani gasped in realization.
"You're right!" said Rayani, smiling and flexing her tail.
"Give Ryoko enough time to get the lock off Kenny," Tenchi muttered quietly, holding Rayani back before she charged back to Magaru. "She could just destroy the lock, but Jakato would hear her and he might have some sort of detonation device." Rayani nodded and gave Tenchi a thumbs up.
"Gotcha!" she laughed, walking back to Magaru as Tenchi held his Light Hawk Sword, giving her an expression that clearly showed he was ready to help if Rayani needed it.
Magaru produced her black sword again, and, in response, Rayani produced hers. Magaru teleported again, this time above her. Rayani's sword streaked upwards, deflecting Magaru's downward blow. Rayani gave shot a fleeting look towards Ryoko, who was nearly finished, and disappeared. Magaru found herself facing nobody. "Where are you?" she roared, her eyes darting about.
Rayani appeared above her, her sword poised for an attack. Magaru, luckily, looked upwards and blocked Rayani just in time, but was forced to the floor. Rayani glanced at Ryoko again; this time, Ryoko caught her eye and nodded. Slashing down at Magaru's wrist, Rayani completely severed Magaru's right hand off, causing blood to cascade to the floor. Magaru shuddered and fell to the ground, going limp as her eyes went back to normal.
"Did you enjoy my experiment, professor?" Kagato asked, his eyes blazing with suppressed excitement. Washu scowled.
"Did you enjoy playing with her that way?" Washu snapped as Rayani allowed Kagato to draw Magaru to himself with the odd power he possesses. As far as they were concerned, Magaru had betrayed them, so nobody, not even Ryoko, objected when Magaru was allowed to float to Kagato.
"She agreed to it. Had she not, I would have selected someone else. I'm afraid I'll have to punish her for failing, so next time, she won't do so badly." Kagato regenerated Magaru's hand with a flick of his wrist and turned to Ryoko. "I know what you're thinking, Ryoko. If you teleport anywhere out of this cargo bay, the self-destruct mechanism on your boy will activate. There is enough condensed explosive in there to destroy you and anybody within a hundred meters."
"Thank you very much for the information, Kagato," Washu said, typing something into her computer. A loud beep was emitted from Kenny. "Ryoko, go, take Tenchi with you. You'll all be fine, thanks to Little Washu!" Ryoko gave Washu a grateful smile and teleported Tenchi, Kenny, and Ryo- ohki away.
"No matter," Kagato said indifferently. "You wait, I'll get my revenge sooner or later. I WILL defeat Prince Tenchi!" Kagato motioned for Jakato to hold on and teleported away, Magaru floating at his side. Washu looked as if enlightened.
"So THIS is what this mess is about. Kagato's intent is to get revenge," Washu thought aloud.
"For what?" Ayeka asked as she, Kiyone, and Sasami began clearing away some of the chunks of wall. Washu tutted and smiled.
"For what Tenchi did to him twenty years ago. Defeat by the Light Hawk Wings, don't you remember? When Mihoshi released me?" Washu said, slightly peeved, chastising Ayeka for her bad memory. Washu looked about. "By the way, where IS Mihoshi?" Kiyone sighed and jerked her head towards the cargo bay door.
"She's sleeping in my room, even though it's still a mess." Washu sighed in despair, but smiled.
"Honestly, that Mihoshi...so, let's go meet up with Ryoko and Ayeka and go home!"
~~~~~
Chapter Five: Kagato's Intent
I must get the Soja back, Kagato thought feverishly. Then I can finally take my revenge on Prince Tenchi. His cursed Light Hawk Wings!
"Father, are you all right?" Jakato asked suddenly, watching his father tremble in suppressed anger. Kagato jumped and answered, his voice oddly strained and high.
"Of course! Yes, of course, son!" Kagato squeaked, not turning form his computer unit. Magaru shivered in apprehension as Kagato laughed maliciously, his mirthless laughs echoing about the lab eerily. Jakato gave her hand a squeeze, but to no avail, as Magaru remained tense and nervous. Suddenly, Kagato wheeled around, grinning in a twisted way. Jakato looked at him curiously; his father rarely showed any signs of extreme emotion.
"You, Magaru, can I run an experiment on you?" Kagato asked quickly, his face still twisted in a grin. Jakato's jaw dropped in disbelief. He stepped in front of Magaru defensively.
"Father! You can't do that!" he said sharply. Kagato gave an eerie laugh.
"You'll love the feeling and POWER you will have!" Kagato rumbled vehemently. Magaru nudged Jakato out of the way and nodded slowly.
"It's okay. I'll be fine," Magaru added, as to slightly comfort Jakato. She squared her shoulders and sighed readily. "Okay, Ka--Kagato, what are you going to do?" Kagato laughed again and pulled out what looked like a pistol. Jakato gasped and put protective arm around Magaru's shoulders.
"No! You can't shoot Maggie!" Jakato yelled, hugging Magaru tightly and pulling her away. Kagato shook his head in despair.
"Dear boy, I'm not going to blast her." He held up the gun and smiled. "I'm going to inject a micromachine into your wrist. You should have power like Ryoko; teleportation, flight, and sword," Kagato explained, walking forward and taking her right wrist and setting the end of the gun near the wrist joint. Magaru suddenly felt a jolting feeling surge through her body, causing her to stagger sideways as Kagato released her hand.
"I feel strange," Magaru murmured as she balanced herself. Kagato laughed maliciously.
"Oh, I think she likes it," he laughed, watching Magaru clench and unclench her fists before her own eyes. Magaru looked up and smiled.
"Okay, everything seems to be working," Magaru concluded, lowering her arms and giving Jakato a loving glance.
"Very well, good," Kagato said absentmindedly, his eyes still on her wrist. "Now, show me your new powers!" Magaru backed away from Kagato's maniacal enthusiasm and glanced at Jake, who gave her a small nod. She smiled and held her hand out with her palm facing upward. She willed something to happen, anything, and suddenly, a black ball of energy grew and began to glow above her palm. "Yes! Yes!" Kagato roared in malevolent joy. Magaru clenched her fist in the way she often saw Ryoko doing. The ball of energy obediently elongated into an energy sword.
Jakato pulled a bemused face as Kagato nearly lost control of himself and began to hop up and down impatiently. Kagato plunged his hand into his robe and pulled a sword hilt out, tossing to his son.
"Here, son. We will begin both of your training, so when Ryoko and her fool prince come, we three will be ready!" Kagato said, grinning evilly and leading the two young ones away as they exchanged ominous looks behind his back.
~~~~~
"I--I sense bad energy," Ryoko said grimly, putting her playing cards down and gazing about the cargo bay of Yagami. They had come down to the cargo bay because it was too crowded in Kiyone's quarters and one of Mihoshi's recent accidents had called for the need to clear away for a while.
WHAP.
Ryoko rubbed her head gingerly as Washu removed a fan from her daughter's head. "No false senses to get out of the game!" Washu laughed, putting her fan away. Ayeka laughed airily.
"The loser washes tonight's dishes, and that will be you, Ryoko," Ayeka said, putting one card into the pile. Ryoko threw a look of indifference at Ayeka and rested her head on Tenchi's shoulder.
"I wouldn't speak so soon, princess." Ryoko tossed a card in the pile. "Three aces."
"That's a bluff," Washu said cheerfully. Sasami giggled as Ryoko furiously took the enormous pile of cards.
"Damn you, Washu, that's no fair! You're linked to my mind!" Ryoko growled. Rayani fell down, laughing uncontrollably, scaring Ryo-ohki away. Suddenly, she leapt up and pointed out the window at an all-too-familiar ship.
"Kagato! Kagato's coming!" Rayani yelled urgently. Before anything else could happen, a transport tube crashed into the wall of the cargo bay, eradicating their table and card game. Everybody was thrown back by the force of the impact and was showered upon by a barrage of debris. As the tube opened, it issued a loud hiss and released some putrid-smelling mist.
Kagato floated out, a white handkerchief covering his nose and mouth. "Wretched tube! So smelly!" he muttered, trying to escape the dizziness threatening to overcome him. Kagato turned to Kiyone. "Do you have an air filter?" Kiyone was already on it, and in a few minutes that seemed like days, the horrible smell vanished.
"Now, down to business," Kagato continued, smiling ever so slightly. "Ryoko, your boy is with my son and his friend. They await for your consent to battle."
"If you--" Tenchi started, but Kagato waved an arm impatiently.
"Your son is unharmed for the moment, although he did put up a brave fight." Kagato gave them a smug glance and stepped away from the transport tube. Tenchi pulled the Tenchiken out and Ryoko produced her sword as Magaru and Jakato entered the cargo bay through the transport tube, dragging a bound and gagged Kenny.
Ryoko was about to roar in rage, but Washu put a silencing hand on Ryoko's mouth and turned to Magaru, smiling sweetly. "Magaru, why do you do this?" Washu asked. Magaru didn't answer. Kagato, who stepped behind them, laughed in cruel mirth.
"Yes. We have you outnumbered." Washu laughed in mock indifference.
"Do you now? Well, sorry to tell you, but we've got YOU outnumbered, Kagato," Washu said, still smiling.
"My dear professor, please watch closely. This is an experiment of mine. Magaru," Kagato said quietly, "select one of them to destroy." Magaru's eyes glowed red; not at all like her normally brown eyes. Ryoko gave Tenchi a worried look.
"She's under mind control, Tenchi," Ryoko muttered. Tenchi looked slightly surprised, but nodded in understanding, watching Magaru's actions.
"Rayani," Magaru said, her voice dull and flat. Kagato smirked.
"If it pleases you, Magaru, then do it."
Magaru produced a black sword, her face expressionless. "Whoa!" Rayani exclaimed in amazement, twitching her tail. "She definitely couldn't do that before!"
"Poor, helpless Rayani," Kagato said, still smiling. Rayani produced her own green sword and took a step towards Magaru, her eyes glinting excitedly.
"Not as helpless as you think. You're not catching me off guard this time," Rayani replied, grinning.
Magaru leapt into the air, then threw her energy sword at Rayani. Rayani threw up her arms in a cross-arm block. There was a great explosion, scattering fragments of the floor everywhere. Ryoko took this opportunity and teleported over to Kenny. As the dust cleared, Kagato laughed cruelly. "That's one dow--" He stopped abruptly as the dust dispersed. Rayani was standing there, smiling and undaunted.
"You haven't trained her very well, Kagato. Her aim is off to the left a bit!" Kagato took this insult very well, or so it seemed.
"I see." He turned to Magaru with a twisted grin. "Magaru, use your full power. Eradicate her."
Magaru teleported behind Rayani and tried punching her back. Rayani disappeared, causing Magaru to overbalance and stagger forward. Magaru felt a gust of air as Rayani reappeared behind her. "Maggie, wake up! Wake up!" Rayani yelled as she blocked Magaru's sword with her own. Magaru answered in an icy, harsh voice she had never used before.
"I am serving under Lord Kagato! If he wishes for me to destroy you, it will be done!" Magaru spat. There was a sudden rumble as Rayani was thrown into the air, only stopping when she crashed into the far wall of Yagami's cargo bay. She dropped to the floor and groaned in pain.
"This isn't right," Rayani moaned, pulling herself to her feet and wiping blood from her face. "Her strength is unnatural!" Rayani dusted herself off and patted Sasami on the shoulder as she rushed over with Tenchi. "I'm fine, Sasami." Rayani stood there, her mind racing.
"Rayani, look!" Sasami exclaimed suddenly. "Maggie's right wrist! It's glowing!" Rayani gasped in realization.
"You're right!" said Rayani, smiling and flexing her tail.
"Give Ryoko enough time to get the lock off Kenny," Tenchi muttered quietly, holding Rayani back before she charged back to Magaru. "She could just destroy the lock, but Jakato would hear her and he might have some sort of detonation device." Rayani nodded and gave Tenchi a thumbs up.
"Gotcha!" she laughed, walking back to Magaru as Tenchi held his Light Hawk Sword, giving her an expression that clearly showed he was ready to help if Rayani needed it.
Magaru produced her black sword again, and, in response, Rayani produced hers. Magaru teleported again, this time above her. Rayani's sword streaked upwards, deflecting Magaru's downward blow. Rayani gave shot a fleeting look towards Ryoko, who was nearly finished, and disappeared. Magaru found herself facing nobody. "Where are you?" she roared, her eyes darting about.
Rayani appeared above her, her sword poised for an attack. Magaru, luckily, looked upwards and blocked Rayani just in time, but was forced to the floor. Rayani glanced at Ryoko again; this time, Ryoko caught her eye and nodded. Slashing down at Magaru's wrist, Rayani completely severed Magaru's right hand off, causing blood to cascade to the floor. Magaru shuddered and fell to the ground, going limp as her eyes went back to normal.
"Did you enjoy my experiment, professor?" Kagato asked, his eyes blazing with suppressed excitement. Washu scowled.
"Did you enjoy playing with her that way?" Washu snapped as Rayani allowed Kagato to draw Magaru to himself with the odd power he possesses. As far as they were concerned, Magaru had betrayed them, so nobody, not even Ryoko, objected when Magaru was allowed to float to Kagato.
"She agreed to it. Had she not, I would have selected someone else. I'm afraid I'll have to punish her for failing, so next time, she won't do so badly." Kagato regenerated Magaru's hand with a flick of his wrist and turned to Ryoko. "I know what you're thinking, Ryoko. If you teleport anywhere out of this cargo bay, the self-destruct mechanism on your boy will activate. There is enough condensed explosive in there to destroy you and anybody within a hundred meters."
"Thank you very much for the information, Kagato," Washu said, typing something into her computer. A loud beep was emitted from Kenny. "Ryoko, go, take Tenchi with you. You'll all be fine, thanks to Little Washu!" Ryoko gave Washu a grateful smile and teleported Tenchi, Kenny, and Ryo- ohki away.
"No matter," Kagato said indifferently. "You wait, I'll get my revenge sooner or later. I WILL defeat Prince Tenchi!" Kagato motioned for Jakato to hold on and teleported away, Magaru floating at his side. Washu looked as if enlightened.
"So THIS is what this mess is about. Kagato's intent is to get revenge," Washu thought aloud.
"For what?" Ayeka asked as she, Kiyone, and Sasami began clearing away some of the chunks of wall. Washu tutted and smiled.
"For what Tenchi did to him twenty years ago. Defeat by the Light Hawk Wings, don't you remember? When Mihoshi released me?" Washu said, slightly peeved, chastising Ayeka for her bad memory. Washu looked about. "By the way, where IS Mihoshi?" Kiyone sighed and jerked her head towards the cargo bay door.
"She's sleeping in my room, even though it's still a mess." Washu sighed in despair, but smiled.
"Honestly, that Mihoshi...so, let's go meet up with Ryoko and Ayeka and go home!"