***
Jikoken'o Muyo!
Chapter 10
***
"So, these are the new gems?"
"Yup. Did I do all right or what?" Washyuu smirked in apparent smugness as Ryoko stared at the new gems embedded in her wrists. They were a sky-blue color, just a bit darker than her hair, and glowed with a fierce inner light that the old ones never had.
"Well, don't just sit there, try them out!" Washyuu's smirk turned to a grin as Ryoko took off into the air, moving faster, performing better maneuvers than she had before, and reveling in her new power almost like the young girl she had once been. Still, there was one last test to be run. Pulling a pencil out of sub-space, she yelled, "Look out!" and flung the pencil at Ryoko, sharpened point forward.
Ryoko twirled towards the incoming projectile, her eyes locking on almost immediately. Her right hand swung around and, from a single finger, a beam of light shot the pencil, destroying its momentum completely. It dropped to the ground, where Washyuu picked it up and inspected. Just as she had hoped – the pencil had a hole straight through the center, from the very point of it through to the eraser. She looked up at Ryoko and gave her a thumbs-up.
"Now, THIS is power!" shouted Ryoko gleefully.
"Uh-huh. And now you've gotta re-learn how to use it." With that, Washyuu formed a green chi blade. Ryoko formed one herself, a blue version of the same sword she always used. "Shall we dance?"
***
Kyrin was sparring madly. His mind was focused solely on the defeat of the mental opponent he was dueling with. He was in a sub-space room, alone, with only him, Kain, and his sword for company. He moved through forms and through sporadic movements, mimicking a real-fight situation. He dropped his sword, fought with no weapon, rolled, and picked up. He did this again and again and again, only random durations and reactions. He'd been training like this for hours, and he was pretty sure he'd keep on training for hours, when Tsunami appeared out of nowhere.
"Ack!" he shouted in dismay as his sword cut straight through Tsunami. She disappeared and reappeared a split second later, only a little further away.
"Did I catch you at a bad time?" asked Tsunami, her voice betraying slight amusement at his reaction.
"Uh, no, you didn't catch me at a bad time at all."
"Good. Because I've got a problem."
"I'm listening." Kyrin did precisely that, as Tsunami spoke of the strange visitor who appeared, spoke, and disappeared. Kyrin thought for a minute, then asked, "Did he happen to drop his name?"
"He said his name was Gabe."
"Gabe Gabe Gabe is a nickname for Gabriel aha!" He looked at Tsunami. "You, my dear, have just had a run-in with the one angel that gives postmen a good name."
"Explain."
"Well, Gabriel is an angel. He is referred to in the Bible as being a messenger of God. He was the one who told Mary that her Son would save the nations."
"But why would he appear to me?"
"I don't know. I would think that one of the lesser angels would appear myself, unless the message were of great importance."
"He said that a Dark One was giving Tokimi strength and that his Master was willing to do the same for us."
"Hm. It's just as I thought. There's a lot more to this war than there appears to be."
"He also said there was one amongst us who knows the Truth."
"Considering his perception of Truth, I'd guess it to mean a Bible reader."
Tsunami smirked. "You wouldn't mean to imply that the knowledgeable one would be you?"
"Well, not to give myself more credit than I deserve, but who else here reads the Bible? Who else accepts it for Truth amongst us?"
"Intriguing." Tsunami materialized two chairs. "Let us sit, my friend. I think we have a great deal to discuss."
***
Kiyone had found that training with someone empathically bound to her was rather frustrating. Her partner knew all her moves and shot them back, then would counter. Of course, Kiyone already knew the attack and the target and would be moving to counter. The redundancy factor alone was enough to drive her insane. On the plus side, she could sense that Mihoshi had the same reservations.
The two Knights were not idle either, engaged in their own training duel. The power staves whistled through the air, cracked against each other with sparks flying. They moved with grace and speed that was quite unbelievable unless one could have seen it. Azaka, who blocked a rapid succession of jabs made by Kamidake, ducked and brought his staff to his partner's stomach. That is to say that he tried to, and would have succeeded, except that Kamidake hopped back just in time.
"Amazing" Mihoshi looked on as the fight continued. "Look at how they fight. It's like they know each other's moves perfectly."
"Yeah. I don't know if I've ever seen anything like this before. Not even when two other Jurai Knights came to help us train at the GP. They never were able to fight like that. They were never so evenly matched."
"I know. It's such a shame." Azaka turned to them, having caught Kamidake's fist. "Back all those years ago, when we were first made Knights, all had empathic bonds. What happened to those times?"
"I guess ever since Ryoko." Mihoshi trailed off.
"Ah" Kamidake looked down. "No wonder we didn't know any of the Knights when we returned."
After a moment of silent thought, they all continued training. All was well with this until a series of grapples left Kiyone on the mean end of a throw. She flew through the air and landed, in a perfect display of Mihoshi's Law, in between the two Knights. She immediately was put on defensive, blocking and dodging blows. Finally, she got a break when she hooked Kamidake's staff and threw him away – in Mihoshi's general direction. Rather than try and re-establish the couples, however, they continued fighting. Somehow, both parties craved a fight in which the variables were unknown, except for the fact that all would walk out alive.
***
Elsewhere, Katsuhito and his son-in-law were busy training. It wasn't anything too complicated, really. Katsuhito threw rocks and Nobuyuki shot them. His weapon of choice looked like an M-92F Baretta, except that it shot beams of white light. His accuracy had improved to the point that he didn't even need the laser sight option equipped.
Katsuhito couldn't help but smirk at his son. The harsh rigors of training he'd endured were showing their results quite well. Nobuyuki had begun to regain some of the slenderness of youth he had lost. His clothes hung off of him loosely, and he showed actual signs of physical fitness. Achika, he decided, wouldn't be able to tell the difference between this Nobuyuki and the one she fell in love with.
Nobuyuki, meanwhile, was panting, shaking somewhat. His gun, light in Earth gravity, was currently 4 times as heavy as it was supposed to be. The stones flew fast, and he reacted fast, but now he was feeling the strain.
"Don't tell me you're getting tired," said Katsuhito, a quizzical half-grin on his face.
"Don't worry about that," replied Nobuyuki. "I'll just drop dead."
"Come on, you have more strength than that." With that, Katsuhito took three more stones and threw them, one after another, directly at Nobuyuki's head.
2 fell before making it halfway, but the third was still coming when Nobuyuki realized that he was out of ammo. He looked up just in time to see the rock about to hit his face. Without any conscious thought involved, he stepped down into a low dragon stance, all his weight on his right leg, his left hand moving, catching the stone. Then, using the inertia, he spun back up and threw it back at Katsuhito. Katsuhito raised an eyebrow and just slightly shifted himself out of the way, the rock shooting by harmlessly.
Nobuyuki, meanwhile, re-checked his gun. "Shoot. Looks like the training pack gave out."
"Of course it did. It's for training; the ammo pack you've plugged in there is both exceptionally limited in the count and power it can generate."
"Great. Just great." Nobuyuki, sitting down on the ground rather heavily, suddenly noticed that his father-in-law had a distantly thoughtful look in his eye. "Uh, you ok Dad?"
"Just fine. I'm merely feeling my age."
"You mean you weren't before?"
"What do you expect? I haven't been home in over 700 years."
"Ah. So this is like some big homecoming for you, isn't it?"
"Mhm."
"Man, that's gotta suck. I mean you come home just to fight again. It's like you can't get a break."
"Mhm."
"I wouldn't worry, myself. Just have that one mom of yours threaten to hug the enemy. What's her name?"
"Misaki. She's part of the reason I left."
"Couldn't handle more hugs, huh?"
"No, that's not it. With two mothers, the nobles were having trouble figuring out who should inherit the throne. Big political mess over which child gets which inheritance. That's why Aeka and I ended up betrothed, because it was decided that it was simply too complicated to figure out the individual assets."
"Wait a second." Nobuyuki thought for a moment. Then, "Isn't that genetically dangerous?"
"Well, we were altered by the Psi-Trees so that the effects would be nullified. But now, she's after Tenchi instead."
"Okay, I need something cleared up here," said Nobuyuki. "Isn't she technically Tenchi's aunt?"
"Yes, but it doesn't matter. Those two are so far apart from each other genetically that it'd be like marriage between a couple of strangers."
"Well, that settles that, I guess."
"What about you, my son? What do you think of the return?"
"Well, between Tenchi, Aeka, Ryoko, and all these other guys aboard, I think the only thing I've got to worry about would be the in-laws."
"The in-laws?"
"Yeah. If what I've heard is right, they'd be more dangerous than anything moving in Creation."
***
In the Tactical Operations room, Genjo and Shino were planning the attack. Scouts had returned with an update of the situation, and the projector was focused entirely on the planet of Jurai. The surrounding space was literally covered in a swarm of mechanical activity.
"I don't care how formidable the upgrades make us," said Shino. "There's no way we can break through that blockade and live."
"And we can't really sneak by, simply on the virtue that there's so many of them," added Genjo.
"Well, when outnumbered, the virtues of superior technology and tactics have to cancel it out."
Genjo hummed in thought for a moment. "Well, can we see any real weakness?"
"Not a set one, but yeah, there are some weaknesses." Shino touched a few buttons and suddenly all the ships were given a different color to highlight. "For one, those prism ships," he said, pointing at the black ships, "are always on constant patrol. According to what the Knights said, they are the best all-around ships, so they're constantly moving wherever needed, since there are so few of them."
"I see. So what we should do is strike where the opponent isn't guarding, right?"
"Right. Those other ships, the 'blade-ships'," here he pointed at the reds, "are in a constant state of disrepair. They also don't seem to act in any sort of coordinated manner. If we move fast and neutralize a lot of them, they'll be tossed into confusion."
"What about those blue ships?"
"They won't be that big a problem. They're attuned against psychics right now, so their pulse wave will be no good against our equipment. Our fighters can go one-on-one with them."
"Alright then. If we're going to rely on weaknesses to such a degree, I suggest using a shadow-type attack plan."
"I'm listening."
"What if we move the fleet like the wind?" asked Genjo. "We've already seen the weaknesses of the ships, but there's so many of them that it wouldn't matter. So, we move and attack at random areas, inflict lots of damage, and pull out again. If we play it right, they'll be scared out of their shadows."
"But what if they follow us?"
"We have our own super-weapon, don't we?"
"Yes, but it's still in testing."
"Come now, sir. Washyuu invented it, didn't she? Have a little faith in your mother's creation for once!"
"Feh. Faith is overrated." Shino winked to show he was kidding. "All right then. Once we have enough ships cleared out, we can send troops down to Jurai. I guess that's the plan then."
***
Two warriors stood opposite each other. Dressed in white practice gi, they stared at each other from a great distance. One held her hands in front of her, focusing her power into her hands. A blue glowing orb of light appeared in front of her, causing a great wind to blow around her, blowing her purple hair around her. Then, with a shout and a flash of her eyes, Aeka Jurai pushed the orb forward in her mind. It flew towards her opponent at an incredible rate, dust from the floor picked up in the aftermath.
Her opponent stood there, hardly moving except for his breath. A blue-white light shone about him, causing his clothes to ruffle in an unseen wind. As the orb rushed toward him, Tenchi focused his eyes and a Wing appeared in front of him. The blast dissipated in an instant, kicking up dust and debris.
As the dust cleared, Aeka leaped out of it, staff whirling towards his head. Tenchi quickly pulled out his bokken and slashed in one powerful movement, destroying Aeka's momentum. Hopping back for an instant, Aeka brought her staff down towards Tenchi's head again. Supporting the blade with his hand, Tenchi brought the bokken up in a block that deflected the staff off to the left. Then, he brought the blade down and around towards Aeka's legs, when her staff rushed to meet it, causing deadlock.
Capitalizing on the moment, Tenchi came forward in a powerful forward-thrust kick that sent Aeka sprawling. As she sat back up, Tenchi rushed her, the bokken set to stab. Getting back on her feet, she nimbly turned the blade, and then turned the blocking hand into a fist, which slammed into Tenchi's face. He dropped the bokken as he stumbled backwards, but recovered soon enough to block a ridge-handed blow to his throat. What happened next was elementary – he pulled her off balance and flipped her over his back, sending her to the floor. What he didn't count on was that she would pull he.
The next half hour, roughly, was spent in a flurry of eye gouges, knees, grapples, and painful ground combat moves that could have easily shamed the WWF. Each fought wildly to gain leverage – and subsequent power – over the other. But in the end, it was all for naught, as they completely cancelled each other out.
They lay there, sweating and panting. For a moment or so, all was quiet. Then, Aeka took it upon herself to break the quiet.
"I finally get to go home."
"You mean you wanted to go home this whole time?"
"Oh, no it's just that so much time has passed since the old days. I haven't been home in so long."
"Yeah."
They were silent for a time. Then, "Tenchi?"
"Yes?"
" I'm scared."
"There's nothing wrong with that."
"It's easy for you to say. Is Earth in danger? Do you stand to lose everything?"
"Yes I do." Aeka looked up at him as he continued, "I've brought with me the only family that really matters. We're all going to the same battle. And if we fall, who's left to stand up for Earth? I stand to lose just as much as you do."
"How can you bear such a burden?"
"Well," he paused, trying to figure out how to say it. "I guess it's because I'm not the only one. We all stand to lose much if we fall here. I take strength from the fact that I am not the only one with the pressure on."
Awkwardly, Aeka wrapped her arms around Tenchi. "I wish I was strong."
Tenchi looked down at Aeka. As was occurring more frequently, he was struck by her; struck by her alien beauty, by the kind and intelligent person she was, by the love that she constantly tried to show. He held her close and whispered, "You are."
***
He could feel Kain surging within him again. The presence of the megami was no longer enough to keep Kain in check. This time, he could sense it: when Kain broke loose this time, it would be the final time. What did that mean for Kyrin, though? He sighed. All he could do was pray.
"It's beautiful, isn't it?" he said to no one in particular. He was in the ship garden again, looking off toward the planet Jurai. It was within seeing distance, though the enemy ships obscured a lot of the view.
"Yeah, it is," came a response. "It looks much better than it did when I was done with it." Kyrin turned to see Ryoko materializing out of one of the huge bonsai. She seemed different, Kyrin sensed. Something out of the past had returned in her, he felt.
"You do realize that this battle will be the final opportunity to live up to your programming, don't you?"
"So, it's finally time, huh?"
"Yep."
"You ok with that?"
"Ok? How could I not be? I'm finally gonna be rid of the voices!" He laughed with great jollity.
"You're lying."
"Say what?"
"You're scared out of your mind. You pray that God will acknowledge your plea that your soul will be saved. You also know that nothing happens against His will, and that His will has seemingly been set against you."
"You have your old gems again, don't you?" he asked. "Your perception has increased higher than with Washyuu's."
"Kyrin, please don't change the subject."
Ryoko stepped forward, but that was as far as she got when Kyrin raised his hand. "No. Please, don't come closer."
"Why not?"
"It hurts me to be with you." Ryoko's eyes shimmered as he kept speaking. "I'm about to die. I stand to lose my soul. You will be the one who kills me. But I'm about as scared as you say I am. I don't want to die. I don't want you to kill me. I want to spend my life with you now and forever and ever. Knowing that it can't be is killing me inside. If you come any closer I I I don't" Ryoko's heart ached as he finally forced out the words: "I don't know if I can go through with it."
As he walked away with his head down, Ryoko looked down at her wrist. "Oh Kyrin," she whispered softly. The gem in her wrist winked and shimmered up at her. "If only you knew" she whispered, as the starlight reflected in the tears she kept in her eyes.
***
Knight: To answer your confusion, Rel, I was merely trying to bring home the gravity of the situation. On the minus side, I have a tendency to ramble. Sorry for the confusion I caused. Hopefully it will lift soon. To the rest of you, I'd say more, but I don't know if I can without spoiling the plot a little. That and I fear something bad happening. So I'm leaving before
::suddenly, a short teacher-looking lady appears with a sheaf of papers::
Knight: Oh Lordy the only thing that can make me cut a ramble short SHIKEN!!!
::the Author runs away from the teacher, who pulls a lance-like pencil from nowhere and charges after him on an animated desk::
Tenchi Muyo and all related paraphernalia are copyrighted to AIC and Pioneer.
The only things that are mine are those things that I perceive as original, and thusly are mine. If you recognize an idea that you came up with first, all credit goes to you.
You can contact me at: KnightOfCyril@aol.com