Disclaimer
Tenchi and all associated characters are the property of AIC and Pioneer LDC. I don't own any rights to them. Any other characters are property of their respective copyright holders, not me.
*****
Royal Quest
Chapter 4
Demon
*****
Ayeka lay in the opulently appointed bed and stared blankly at the ceiling. She had to admit, the rooms were comfortable, but comfortable or not, they were still a prison and she was well aware of it. She sighed and rolled over, looking yearningly at the door she knew was locked and guarded. The princess knew that Ryoko had pursued her, after all, that was half of why she was taken in the first place. She wondered exactly where the pirate was though; surely she'd made it here by now. Thinking pleasant thoughts about the rescue she knew was imminent, Ayeka drifted off to sleep.
But the dreams she had were far from pleasant. She dreamt that she and someone else, someone she couldn't quite make out, were being dragged through the corridors of the base. She tried to fight but she couldn't move, she couldn't focus herself enough to summon any power. And through it all was a sense of failure, a sense that her mission here would go unfulfilled. And that she would never see the loves of her life again. Her husband, her other mate and her children…
Her children.
Ayeka's eyes snapped open and she found herself in a tangle of blankets, drenched in sweat. She groaned and sat up, swinging her legs off the bed. She held her head with her hands for a moment, trying to stem the headache she found herself with, then stood up and made her way into the bathroom. She took a long drink of water and it seemed to help a bit, but she wished for something a bit stronger. Perhaps some of that excellent sake that Ryoko thought she kept hidden from everyone else. Ryoko. The Demon of Jurai who really wasn't much of a demon at all.
The princess looked at her reflection in the mirror and thought about home. She thought about Tenchi and their son, Juro; she remembered Ryoko's daughter, Keiko. The knot of ethereal fire inside her burned brighter with each memory. What had been a glowing ember suddenly burst into flame. The Ayeka that looked back at her from the mirror snarled, baring an impressive set of fangs. Markings, almost unnoticeable unless one knew where to look, now showed plainly on her forehead and cheeks. The eyes; the eyes were the worst part. Her normally red pupils now glowed with an inner light and the both eyes burned bright red.
The Ayeka-demon raised her fist and shattered the mirror, then looked at her cut and bloody hands; and she laughed. Blood. Blood and vengeance, that was what she desired. With a tiny bit of her power she healed herself and then moved back into the other room. She sneered at the furnishings. What need had one such as she for these things? A wave of her hand reduced everything to ash and she laughed. She looked down at her dressing robes. These wouldn't do at all for one of her power. With a thought the gown turned to powder and drifted to the floor leaving a little pile of dust around her feet. The Ayeka-demon stood there and thought for a moment. Ah, just the thing. Garments formed out of thin air and covered her nakedness. They seemed to be of a soft, supple leather so black as to appear almost blue, and consisted of a knee-length skirt slit up one side to the hip and a one-shoulder halter style top. On her hands was a set of fingerless gloves. She ran those hands over herself and sighed with pleasure at the limitless feeling of power that surged through her. But she had a job to do before she could indulge herself.
There was a small scratching sound at the door and the demon turned her attention to it. A thought tore the door out of its frame and embedded its twisted remains in the opposite wall. There was no sigh of her guard, but two small creatures stared back at her from the doorway. She summoned power to dispose of them but stopped before she released it. She reached out with her mind to the white one and with a growl, it flew to her right shoulder, it's eyes now glowing as red as hers. Two demons looked down at the remaining animal. It's eyes began to glow as well, but green instead of red. "Miya!" it cried as it jumped to the Ayeka-demon's bare left shoulder. Three demons stepped out into the passageway, intent on vengeance.
The princess' guard had finally managed to corner the small, buff colored animal that had led it on such a merry chase. Holding the struggling beast by its long, fuzzy ears, she made her way back to her post outside the locked door of the princess' prison. Rounding the last corner she was unexpectedly face-to-face with her charge. But there was something different about the princess, and it wasn't just the revealing clothing. She stared for a moment and three sets of glowing eyes stared back. The Ayeka-demon snarled and the two lesser demons on her shoulders echoed her. Something was definitely wrong here; the guard dropped her captive and went for her stunner. She never finished her motion.
The Ayeka-demon stepped over the remains of the remains of the other woman, not paying any attention to the foul smell or the blood now coating the walls. Behind her, Ken-ohki wrinkled his nose at the stench of burned flesh, then scampered after the others. He didn't know what had happened to them, but it was probably best if he kept them in sight while remaining unobtrusive. He sensed no malice in them toward him, but it was better safe than sorry.
*****
Small sounds penetrating her hearing were what alerted Ryoko that she was aware again. Before she opened her eyes, she used her other enhanced senses to explore the room. She heard Nagi breathing not too far away and the evenness of the sound told her that the hunter was still out. She heard the whisper of air gently circulating through the ventilation and the slight musty smell that reached her nose told her that the room was seldom used. Another wafting odor, one of old machine oil and overstressed metal also told her that it was probably some sort of storage area for old equipment. This was good; the room probably wasn't designed as a cell.
Ryoko tried to move but found that she was held helplessly immobile, unable to do anything except turn her head and wiggle her fingers and toes. She risked opening her eyes, a sure sign to her captors that she was awake and alert. She found herself, and Nagi, stuck to a wall, held in some sort of force field. She waited a moment to see if anyone noticed that she was once again among the living and when nothing happened she whispered to the bounty hunter, "Hey Nagi… you awake over there?"
The hunter's eyelids twitched. Ryoko tried again, a bit louder. "Nagi, wake up."
Nagi opened her eyes and groaned. "Did anyone catch the registration number of that shuttle?"
Ryoko snorted. "That line was old before I was even an electron in Washu's design computer. Listen, I'm sorry I got you into this and I'm sorry I got us trapped."
"Not your fault," Nagi said as she used a mental technique she'd learned long ago to bring her headache under control. "Something tells me that this was the goal all along."
The door hissed open. "A very astute observation," said the man who walked into the room. "I don't know who you are, and like Ryoko said, I'm truly sorry you got caught up in all of this, but you're in it too deeply now to just let go. No, I'm afraid you and Ryoko here will share the same fate." He smiled. "Although yours will be quicker, I promise."
Ryoko peered at the newcomer; he seemed vaguely familiar somehow. Then she remembered but didn't let the fact that she'd recognized their captor show. The man saw her looking at him and laughed. "So now you know why I led you here," he sneered.
"Um, nope," said the ex-pirate in her best Mihoshi imitation. "Why don't you enlighten us?"
The man held up his artificial arm. "Remember now?" he asked.
"No. Give me another clue."
The man sighed. "Very well. The planet Yzantra, your honeymoon, the Ayeka kidnap plot…"
Ryoko finally allowed her golden eyes to light up in recognition. "Oh yeah, I remember now. You're the GP turncoat I killed, Kangaroo or something."
"Kintara," the man yelled. "My name's Kintara. And you didn't kill me." He waved his prosthesis around in front of her face.
"I didn't?" Ryoko asked, her eyes crossing and uncrossing as they tried to follow the madly waving appendage. "That's not how I remember it."
The man was getting angry, just the effect Ryoko was hoping for, because angry people make mistakes and without her powers she needed every advantage. "Then you remember wrong," Kintara snarled. "You tried to kill me, but you were distracted and I was able to block your cut. I lost my arm instead of my head."
"Sorry. I promise to do better next time."
"NEXT TIME?" The man was almost purple with rage. "For you, there will be no 'next time'. It's my turn now." He took a step forward and almost touched noses with the ex-pirate, his color returning to almost normal. "It's my turn now," he repeated quietly. Ryoko just blinked and swallowed hard. Perhaps she'd pushed him a bit too far?
*****
Death stalked the corridors of the hidden base, death with three pairs of glowing eyes. Most residents of the facility that saw or heard her coming managed to survive by staying out of her way. Those that tried to stop her, or those that weren't quite quick enough, well death was quick; they were reduced to ash and less than ash before they knew they were dead. This was not an act of cruelty or revenge, because although the demon sought vengeance, she was not really a vengeful demon. But when she found those that were responsible for bringing her here… that was a different issue. They would die slowly and painfully.
Reaching the door to the boss's office, the Ayeka-demon paused and knocked politely. She wasn't really expecting an answer, but forms must be observed after all. She waited an appropriate amount of time, about two seconds, then touched the portal with her finger. The door fell inward with a hiss and a thud. She marched into the office looking neither left nor right, her entire attention focused on the form quivering in fear behind the oversize desk.
"Stay back," the man called out, leveling a blaster at the advancing demon. "I'll shoot, I swear it." The Ayeka-demon smiled and continued forward. The fat man pressed the firing stud and the yellow beam bounced harmlessly off the hand the demon lifted to deflect it.
"Your weapon is useless," the demon sneered. "I suggest you make your peace with whatever deity you worship, your time here draws to a close."
"Y… you can't kill me. I treated you fairly," he pleaded. "I never hurt you!"
The Ayeka-demon laughed. "Treated me fairly? You brought me here; you helped create me. Now suffer the consequences." A purple energy blade formed in the demon's grip. She held it steady as she contemplated her next move. "Where should I start?" she asked. "Perhaps with a leg. No, a hand." She stepped forward and raised the blade.
The boss wet himself in fear. The demon paused, reveling in the terror she was causing; the blade flickered out. "I have a better idea," she said with a wicked smile. Her hand darted forward and the man screamed in pain and crumpled to the floor, dying eyes looking up at his killer. The demon, blood coating her arm to the elbow, held her prize up for inspection. "So, you do have a heart after all. But one such as you has no need for it." The still beating organ turned to ash in her hand. "Welcome to hell," the Ayeka-demon whispered as the life force left the heap at her feet.
*****
Nagi winced as their captor struck the helpless Ryoko again. Kintara had been beating her for the better part of ten minutes and Ryoko was definitely injured. Bruises were forming on various parts of her body and the bounty hunter thought she'd heard a rib crack once or twice.
"Not such a hot shot without your power, are you Ryoko?" Kintara taunted as he launched a blow into Ryoko's midriff.
Ryoko grunted then ran her tongue along her split lips. She spit a glob of blood at the man and missed. "You can do better than this, can't you?" she gasped in defiance. "Even the princess hits harder than you do."
This enraged Kintara more and he aimed a fist at her face. Unable to dodge, Ryoko felt her nose break as the blow landed. When the room stopped spinning she noticed that her tormenter had injured his hand when he struck her. She forced a laugh through her pain. Kintara kicked her in the crotch then pressed a button on the device hanging from his belt. Ryoko was suddenly free, but injured and without strength she fell to the floor. The last thing she saw was Kintara's heavy boot aiming at the side of her head.
There was a noise in the corridor and Nagi looked up as the door to the storeroom burst open. The glowing-eyed figure standing in the opening snarled something the hunter didn't understand. Kintara stood up from where he was kneeling over Ryoko's motionless form and glanced back at the commotion. The scent of fresh blood and burnt flesh wafted into the small room.
"NO!" the kidnapper howled as he recognized what had once been his captive. "Those fools! They let her remove the charm…" He dove out of the way as the demonic vision released a blast of energy at him. Kintara managed to dodge in time, and the energy hit the wall behind the body of the space pirate, bringing it down on top of the girl in a heap of rubble. The kidnapper ducked out of the ruined doorway and disappeared down the corridor. The Ayeka-demon howled in frustration and gave chase.
Nagi, free of the restraining field with the collapse of the wall, knelt down and started to dig through the debris to help the badly injured Ryoko. Ken-ohki hopped up beside her and gave her what little help he could. Another set of paws soon joined them and Nagi glanced down and found Ryo-ohki, eyes now back to their normal golden color, digging furiously away.
Kintara cursed his boss; he cursed Ryoko; but most especially he cursed Ayeka, First Crown Princess and future Empress of Jurai. Although, as scared as he was, he did find some pleasure in the situation; he doubted that she would ever become Empress now, not once the general Juraian public found out just what she was. He paused to catch his breath, leaning against a wall with his head down. Maybe he'd managed to outrun her. Maybe she was still back in the storeroom digging that other bitch out of the ruins of the wall. He heard soft, measured footsteps approaching. Maybe he was wrong and maybe he should keep moving. He began to run deeper into the complex.
The Ayeka-demon knew her prey was still running, but she was beginning to enjoy the hunt. Like all demons, she fed off the fear of others and this was a tasty morsel indeed. She'd catch him; she knew that. But there was no reason let it end too quickly. She followed the fear-scent of the other and reveled in her power.
The trio digging in the ruins of the storeroom had managed to uncover Ryoko. She didn't look too badly damaged but Nagi couldn't find any sign of respiration or pulse. The hunter was very familiar with death and she knew it was too late to save Ryoko, she'd been buried too long before they got to her. With a sad shake of her head she stood up. "C'mon you two," she said to the cabbits. "There's nothing more we can do here. Let's go find the princess and see if we can get her back to something like normal." She scooped up Ken-ohki and went out the door.
Ryo-ohki took one last sniff at her partner's body then scampered after the others. She didn't know what Nagi was so concerned about; everything would be all right. It always was.
The demon smiled as the hunt drew to a close. Hunter and prey were now in a distant part of the complex, surrounded by the machinery that powered the place and controlled all it's systems. A stray thought flashed through the Ayeka-demon's mind, a human thought. It always ends like this in those scary movies, but usually it's the pretty young girl that's doing the hiding. I rather like this turnabout… She moved forward on almost silent feet, the lesser-demon perched on her shoulder hissing quietly as they drew closer to their victim.
Kintara heard his stalker moving closer to his hiding place. Although she was still several yards away and behind a control panel, he jumped out and scurried for a new hiding place. The demon heard the small sound and released an energy blast in his direction. It missed him, but that was all right, she didn't really want to kill him that quickly anyway. But the energy release didn't miss a large metal vessel that was protected by a force field. Bouncing off the force field, the bolt sizzled into a nearby control panel. A horn began sounding. In the distance the Ayeka-demon could hear a computer voice announcing something. She paid no attention to it; the hunt was drawing to a close. She fired another bolt that sizzled into the distance and fried another piece of machinery. This bolt couldn't have been better aimed if she'd done it intentionally; the machine it destroyed was the main unit of the power dampener. The Ayeka-demon felt her power surge to a new level as her Jurai power returned and joined with her demonic energy.
Nagi was startled when the complex's main computer began to speak, *Magnetic containment failure in thirty minutes. Automatic shutdown disabled. Failsafes inoperative. Fusion bottle temperature rising. * The hunter swore under her breath and increased her pace. She didn't know the actual layout of the base, but she had a pretty good idea of where to find Ayeka now.
*Magnetic containment failure in twenty-one minutes. Fusion bottle temperature approaching critical, * the computer said as Nagi paused outside the door to the power room. This was where it was all coming together, either she would fulfill her commission and bring Ayeka home, or they would all die. She entered the room.
The demon had finally cornered her prey. With a grin that showed her fangs, she moved towards him. "Now you die," hissed the being that used to be Ayeka. She grabbed the cowering man by the throat. "I should kill you slowly and painfully," the demon said. "But there is something I must do, something calls to me and I must return to it." She began to slowly squeeze.
*Magnetic containment failure in twenty-one minutes. Fusion bottle temperature now critical. *
Nagi rounded a large chunk of machinery that wouldn't have looked out of place in Washu's lab and came upon the Ayeka-demon and her victim. She stopped dead in her tracks. Ryo-ohki bumped into her leg then peered around the obstacle ate the tableau before her. Ayeka had Kintara by the neck and was holding him several inches off the ground, no mean feat when it was obvious that he out massed her by at least a third and was at least eight inches taller than her. Ryo-ohki sat and watched.
Kintara beat at her arms with his flesh and blood hand. When that had no effect, he switched to his prosthetic one. This too had little effect on the slowly tightening hands at his throat. His eyes looked around for something, anything to help, and found… Nagi. The hunter locked her gaze with his and smiled evilly.
Kintara's vision started to go and everything took on a reddish tinge. "Princess," he managed to croak. "You're not a killer, stop."
The demon laughed. "The Ayeka you knew is no more. I am her rage, all her pent up anger and frustration given form. Little man, you made me, now suffer for your arrogance." She increased the pressure and smiled as her slender, delicate fingers felt bones start to give way under her supernatural strength. The kidnapper's vision faded to black and a moment later he stopped struggling altogether. The Ayeka-demon kept up the pressure until there was an audible and satisfying 'SNAP', then she released her grip. Kintara's body fell to the ground with a thud, his head at an unnatural angle, his eyes wide open and staring at the oblivion that had finally claimed him.
The demon turned away and moved towards the door and spotted her audience. She snarled and started to move past them.
"Ayeka!" Nagi called out, reaching for the other's arm, but afraid to make physical contact. "Ayeka! Stop!"
The being that was Ayeka turned and looked at the hunter. "I know you, you are not my enemy. But don't try to stop me, I must return to what calls for me."
"I won't stop you, I know what calls to you. It's Tenchi and your son. They miss you and want you back. You and Ryoko."
"Ryoko…" the demon said. "Yes. She was here, she came after me." The Ayeka-demon took a threatening step towards the hunter. "You, you were her enemy once. But not her enemy as well. A friend. Where is she? Where is my Ryoko?"
Nagi turned away to hide her expression. "Dead; when you shot at Kintara back in the storeroom and missed, the wall fell on her."
"Yes…" the glow from the demon's eyes began to fade. "Yes, I remember. Ryoko was on the ground, my prey was standing over her…" The glow in her eyes flickered and was gone. "RYOKO!" Ayeka cried. "Oh Ryoko, what have I done?" she sobbed. She remembered everything that had happened, everything she'd done. The First Crown Princess of Jurai looked down at her bloody hands in horror.
*Magnetic containment failure in twelve minutes. Fusion bottle temperature critical. *
"We have to get out of here," Nagi said, finally grabbing Ayeka and leading her towards the exit.
"But Ryoko..." cried Ayeka.
"It's too late for her," Nagi yelled, trying to break through the other's grief. "But it's not too late for us. Ryoko's gone, do you want Tenchi to lose you too?"
"What does it matter?" sobbed the princess. "I killed her. Me. It's my fault." But she allowed herself to be led away.
They reached a large open area among the equipment. Nagi pulled Ken-ohki from her shoulder. "What do you think?" she asked the cabbit.
*Magnetic containment failure in four minutes. Fusion bottle meltdown imminent. *
The buff-colored animal reached deep inside himself and felt the power returning. "Chow!" he answered. Nagi tossed him into the center of the room and the transformation started. While he was changing, Ken-ohki transported the others to his command deck. Nagi quickly punched a series of commands into the main console.
"Blast us out of here!" she commanded. The cabbit happily complied, releasing all his energy weapons at the roof of the complex.
The surface of the moon heaved as a crystalline form fled to the stars. Behind them there was a sun-bright plume of plasma as the base's powerplant self-destructed.
The bounty hunter watched as the plasma stream faded. Most of the base seemed to be intact, a tribute to the shielding its builders had used. But the bases environment was now open to the ultra thin atmosphere of the moon, it's breathable air leaking away. She didn't know why, but she hoped that most of the facility's occupants had managed to escape. With a sigh the hunter turned away from the screen and removed a blanket from a storage compartment. She handed it to the shivering Ayeka. "Why is it that most places we go end up like this?" Nagi asked with a half smile. The princess looked up and hesitantly took the offered cover, throwing it about her shoulders and covering the skimpy leather outfit she was still wearing. Nagi briefly rested a sympathetic hand on Ayeka's shoulder before turning back to Ken-ohki's controls.
"Nagi," Ayeka said quietly. "We have to go back. Ryoko's back there, we have to get her."
"It's too late Ayeka, I already told you that," Nagi replied without turning around.
Ayeka looked at the hunter's slender back through tear-filled eyes. "Too late? How can that be? Ryoko is indestructible. She can regenerate from any wound."
Nagi shook her head while watching the stars move past on the main screen. "Not this time. The power dampener was still on, she was as human as I am at the moment." The hunter finally turned and watched as Ayeka sagged in anguish.
"I'm so sorry Ryoko. I didn't mean to hurt you, I didn't mean for it to end like this." Ayeka sobbed into her hands. "Oh Ryoko. Please, don't let it end like this. You're my best and only friend."
Nagi tried to soothe the distraught princess. "Ayeka," she said quietly, still watching the stars flow by. "Kintara beat Ryoko badly, very, very badly. She was probably gone before you even came into the room. He killed her, not you. But you took her revenge for her."
Ayeka sniffed and looked up, tear tracks streaking the dried blood that still speckled her face. "No. I killed her. I did; me. Now Tenchi will hate me and force me away, and I've nowhere left to go. Look at me; who would want me now?"
Nagi turned her head and examined Ayeka's face. Her demon markings and fangs were still plainly visible although she was obviously back to her old self. The hunter knew at least one person who still wanted her, and probably more. She turned away, unable to watch as Ayeka broke down in tears once more. Nagi sighed in despair. It was going to be a long three-week trip back to Earth, and she didn't envy Ayeka telling Tenchi what had happened. Once they were in comm. range, she'd call Washu and tell her first, maybe together they could ease the grief. She looked over at the princess, huddled on the floor, still shivering, with the blanket wrapped about herself. The two cabbits, Ay-ohki and Ryo-ohki tried to comfort her by rubbing their furry heads against her legs like the cats they so much resembled. How odd, Nagi thought. Ryo-ohki doesn't seem terribly upset at Ryoko's death… She shrugged and turned back to the task of setting a course for home.
*****
To be continued…
*****
Author's Notes.
Arrrgh! This was a hard one to write. I know I'll probably be lynched but I didn't originally plan to kill off a major character, however, as I developed the outline for this chapter it just seemed to fit. You may all start throwing rotten fruit now, or flaming me (You bastard Bobr! You killed Ryoko!), whichever makes you feel better. Of course, I'm pretty much fireproof in this case (heh!) so maybe the fruit is the better option. Hmmm… seems to me I've got two or three (if you count Minagi) other Ryoko's to play around with yet in this little multiverse of mine.
*****
Review Responses
Alighthawk – Done? Who says it's done? It's got at least one and probably two more chapters to go.
Nutzoide – So Naga's 'friend' intrigues you. Well, there's only one person it could be and I thought I could use her in this chapter but it didn't work out. She will be putting in a brief appearance later, along with another special guest star or two.
Blackbird – Sorry I didn't answer you earlier. Perhaps now you remember them? Oh… I read your story. Maybe I'll write up a review of it for RingPrincess' review site. You'll get an email from her if I do.
Wharpt – Yeah, I thought about putting it in but it's been over done. Maybe later…
Vsdefender – Why, who else but Ayeka would the cabbits be looking for? But I don't think they planned for what actually happened.
Dennisud – I haven't stopped but I have slowed down a bit. As you can see, it wasn't Tenchi that released his powers…
Diane Long – Thank you for the praise, you have no idea how much it means to me. Ryoko and Nagi were as prepared as they could be, but they were relying on Ryoko's powers and when she lost them… I'm sure neither will make the same mistake again.
Priest – Well, Ryoko couldn't step on it, she was floating and the trigger had to be passive otherwise one of them would have detected it. Sorry to hear you're having problems with your story line(s), I know exactly how that feels – look how long it took me to get this next chapter out.
*****
BobR
6/25/2003