Tenchi ran down the halls quickly, searching for the cockpit of the giant
ship. ::Ryoko. please be alive. please.:: slowly, his mind began to adapt
to his surroundings. He turned down the next hall, and then he saw the
opening. Running through it, he burst into a large room.
"I've been expecting you, boy."
~~~~~~~~
Ryoko awoke suddenly, jumping up and activating her saber. ::Wait. I can use. my powers? Why?:: then all of a sudden, she felt him.
::Ryoko. please be alive. please.:: She began to sob with joy.
::Tenchi! Tenchi, I'm here!::
::Ryoko! I found him. help me! Oh god.::
::Tenchi!:: there was no response. A small hand alighted on her shoulder.
"Can you feel it, Ryoko? My powers have returned! My devices work!" Ryoko stood and faced her small friend with a pained look in her eyes.
"I can Akan-nemo. And we need to use that power. To save Tenchi."
"He's here? Now?"
"Yes. Come on!"
~~~~~~~~
"Reibun. That's your name, isn't it?" Tenchi grimaced. "To think, my child shares a name with you."
Reibun laughed aloud. "So, you share a link with your little Ryoko too? Just like her mother. Hah. So amusing that Ryoko would pick that name, don't you think? Even after all those years, I still lingered there in her heart. It must gall you terribly, youngling. To share the affection of the woman you love with another?"
"No, Beast. It does not, for as I have a link that shows me her thoughts and memories, so I have a link that reveals her feelings. And for you? She feels only ice in her heart for you. That is not something to envy."
"You will never know." Reibun stated simply. Then he charged. Saber clashed on saber as Tenchi activated the Tenchi-ken and blocked the blow from his larger opponent.
"This time, you haven't got the advantage of surprise. I'll destroy you." Challenged Tenchi. In response, Reibun only pushed harder, forcing the blade closer and closer to Tenchi's neck.
::Tenchi! Tenchi, I'm here!::
Surprise registered on Tenchi's face, and he responded quickly.
::Ryoko! I found him.:: suddenly, Reibun's eyes lit with a fiendish glow, and he pressed forward again.
"That link will be your death, boy!"
::help me! Oh god.:: The Tenchi-ken's blade wavered dangerously close to Tenchi's exposed neck, and he deactivated the link. ::need to concentrate. NOW!:: he sidestepped, deactivating the blade, and Reibun stumbled forward. Tenchi reactivated the blade and slashed downward, only to be met by an equally strong block.
"Parlor tricks? Is that the best you can do?" taunted the beast, then he swung his blade in a series of deadly attacks, almost, but not quite, penetrating Tenchi's defense. He smiled fiendishly. Tenchi's breath was already coming in rapid gasps. "Beaten already. Weakling." And he swung his blade forward in a powerful blow.
"Not in your lifetime." Tenchi easily knocked the blade aside, again sidestepping. His breath suddenly became normal, and he took the advantage with a series of quick attacks directed to his enemy's back. "Baka. All's fair in love and war. And this is both." He had scored a hit to Reibun's shoulder.
"You will pay for that, earthling. No more games, you're done for!" Reibun countered the blow, pressing the attack, not letting up at all. Slash for slash, blow for blow, Tenchi parried every attack, but he knew his defense was weakening. Slowly, he could feel his power slipping away.
::No. I cannot fail. For Ryoko. and the universe. I must destroy him. at all costs:: a small smile played across his face.
"Come, beast." Tenchi stood up, out of his defensive position. "Come, if you dare."
Reibun smiled. ::The idiot. He's beaten:: He charged forward, stabbing the saber with all his might in an all out attack. ::He'll not counter THIS::
But Tenchi did not counter. He stood. Reibun dashed forward, activating his blade. He brought it up, then down, deep into Tenchi's chest.
::Nani? No resistance?::
A second later, Reibun realized how wrong he was. The Tenchi-ken came swinging upwards, connecting with his throat. His body slowly slumped to the ground, the head rolling far to the other side of the room.
"You're. beaten." Tenchi fell to his knees. "By. a simple. earthling." With that, he hit the ground. "Goodbye. Ryoko."
~~~~~~~~~
Ryoko burst into the cabin, giving it a precursory glance. What she saw nearly devastated her. Tenchi was on the ground, surrounded by a pool of his own blood. She ran to him and turned him over looking him in the face. The wound that he had suffered was deep and wide, a direct strike into his chest.
"NO! It cannot be!" She staggered back.
"What?" Akan-nemo looked on aghast "Reibun? Dead? At the hands of one man?"
"But the cost... Tenchi is... he is..." Suddenly, her loved one coughed up a fresh gout of blood.
"Ryoko... You're here." He smiled at her. "I love you. I love you, no one else... Ryoko. My dear, my lovely Ryoko..."
"Hold on Tenchi!"
"Ryoko... I... will always... love you... forever... forever and... a day..." And with a final smile, his head rolled back, and his glazed eyes said all to Ryoko she needed to know.
"Tenchi... Forever and a day." And she rose. Slowly, she formed her blade. She needed only the dagger for this. "I will be with you as well." And she plunged the deadly knife deep within herself. "I'M COMING TENCHI!"
Akan watched in amazement as the phenomena known only as the dance of death occurred before him. The clearly defined spirits of Ryoko and her lover wrapped each other in their arms, rapturous faces turned towards the sun, and they floated slowly upwards, slowly fading as they kissed in the shining glory that would always be theirs.
"I've been expecting you, boy."
~~~~~~~~
Ryoko awoke suddenly, jumping up and activating her saber. ::Wait. I can use. my powers? Why?:: then all of a sudden, she felt him.
::Ryoko. please be alive. please.:: She began to sob with joy.
::Tenchi! Tenchi, I'm here!::
::Ryoko! I found him. help me! Oh god.::
::Tenchi!:: there was no response. A small hand alighted on her shoulder.
"Can you feel it, Ryoko? My powers have returned! My devices work!" Ryoko stood and faced her small friend with a pained look in her eyes.
"I can Akan-nemo. And we need to use that power. To save Tenchi."
"He's here? Now?"
"Yes. Come on!"
~~~~~~~~
"Reibun. That's your name, isn't it?" Tenchi grimaced. "To think, my child shares a name with you."
Reibun laughed aloud. "So, you share a link with your little Ryoko too? Just like her mother. Hah. So amusing that Ryoko would pick that name, don't you think? Even after all those years, I still lingered there in her heart. It must gall you terribly, youngling. To share the affection of the woman you love with another?"
"No, Beast. It does not, for as I have a link that shows me her thoughts and memories, so I have a link that reveals her feelings. And for you? She feels only ice in her heart for you. That is not something to envy."
"You will never know." Reibun stated simply. Then he charged. Saber clashed on saber as Tenchi activated the Tenchi-ken and blocked the blow from his larger opponent.
"This time, you haven't got the advantage of surprise. I'll destroy you." Challenged Tenchi. In response, Reibun only pushed harder, forcing the blade closer and closer to Tenchi's neck.
::Tenchi! Tenchi, I'm here!::
Surprise registered on Tenchi's face, and he responded quickly.
::Ryoko! I found him.:: suddenly, Reibun's eyes lit with a fiendish glow, and he pressed forward again.
"That link will be your death, boy!"
::help me! Oh god.:: The Tenchi-ken's blade wavered dangerously close to Tenchi's exposed neck, and he deactivated the link. ::need to concentrate. NOW!:: he sidestepped, deactivating the blade, and Reibun stumbled forward. Tenchi reactivated the blade and slashed downward, only to be met by an equally strong block.
"Parlor tricks? Is that the best you can do?" taunted the beast, then he swung his blade in a series of deadly attacks, almost, but not quite, penetrating Tenchi's defense. He smiled fiendishly. Tenchi's breath was already coming in rapid gasps. "Beaten already. Weakling." And he swung his blade forward in a powerful blow.
"Not in your lifetime." Tenchi easily knocked the blade aside, again sidestepping. His breath suddenly became normal, and he took the advantage with a series of quick attacks directed to his enemy's back. "Baka. All's fair in love and war. And this is both." He had scored a hit to Reibun's shoulder.
"You will pay for that, earthling. No more games, you're done for!" Reibun countered the blow, pressing the attack, not letting up at all. Slash for slash, blow for blow, Tenchi parried every attack, but he knew his defense was weakening. Slowly, he could feel his power slipping away.
::No. I cannot fail. For Ryoko. and the universe. I must destroy him. at all costs:: a small smile played across his face.
"Come, beast." Tenchi stood up, out of his defensive position. "Come, if you dare."
Reibun smiled. ::The idiot. He's beaten:: He charged forward, stabbing the saber with all his might in an all out attack. ::He'll not counter THIS::
But Tenchi did not counter. He stood. Reibun dashed forward, activating his blade. He brought it up, then down, deep into Tenchi's chest.
::Nani? No resistance?::
A second later, Reibun realized how wrong he was. The Tenchi-ken came swinging upwards, connecting with his throat. His body slowly slumped to the ground, the head rolling far to the other side of the room.
"You're. beaten." Tenchi fell to his knees. "By. a simple. earthling." With that, he hit the ground. "Goodbye. Ryoko."
~~~~~~~~~
Ryoko burst into the cabin, giving it a precursory glance. What she saw nearly devastated her. Tenchi was on the ground, surrounded by a pool of his own blood. She ran to him and turned him over looking him in the face. The wound that he had suffered was deep and wide, a direct strike into his chest.
"NO! It cannot be!" She staggered back.
"What?" Akan-nemo looked on aghast "Reibun? Dead? At the hands of one man?"
"But the cost... Tenchi is... he is..." Suddenly, her loved one coughed up a fresh gout of blood.
"Ryoko... You're here." He smiled at her. "I love you. I love you, no one else... Ryoko. My dear, my lovely Ryoko..."
"Hold on Tenchi!"
"Ryoko... I... will always... love you... forever... forever and... a day..." And with a final smile, his head rolled back, and his glazed eyes said all to Ryoko she needed to know.
"Tenchi... Forever and a day." And she rose. Slowly, she formed her blade. She needed only the dagger for this. "I will be with you as well." And she plunged the deadly knife deep within herself. "I'M COMING TENCHI!"
Akan watched in amazement as the phenomena known only as the dance of death occurred before him. The clearly defined spirits of Ryoko and her lover wrapped each other in their arms, rapturous faces turned towards the sun, and they floated slowly upwards, slowly fading as they kissed in the shining glory that would always be theirs.