[Standard Copyright Disclaimer] Tenchi Muyo! and its associated characters are copyrighted material that belong to Animation International Company and the Pioneer LDC Corporation. I don't own any of the characters contained within this story; I didn't create the situations in which they live; as a matter of fact, all I did was put words in their mouths.

[A brief note from the Author]
This is my first fanfic ever. I've written fiction before, but never like this. I hope this doesn't offend anyone, especially true Tenchi Muyo fans. I've simply made an attempt to express my love for this series in a creative manner, which reflects my thoughts and feelings on love and life. As for the mechanics of this story, it loosely follows the storyline of the first 13 OAV episodes, and sort of picks up somewhere after they leave off. The material that this story follows is sort of based on a relationship I once had, so to all the people I know who were involved in that, I thank you for giving me material. This story is intended to be multi-part. This is the third of four parts I intend to write. Once again, Thanks.

The Dark Heart

A work of fiction, by hellthorne

Part 3: The Blood of the Martyr

"My Hate will die with you."
~Robert the Bruce, Braveheart

************************************************************************

There it was. Standing in the middle of a flower-filled field, a giant monument to one of the greatest treasures in the universe loomed over the landscape. Ryoko gazed at it, taking in the intimidating sight momentarily. It was nearly the size of a tall building, yet it was carved out of a single piece of stone. Intricate writing covered the tall obelisk, yet Ryoko could not decipher it. She studied it carefully for a while, consulting the various books and devices that she had "borrowed" from Washu. Nothing she had could explain the mysterious writing.

Ryoko had heard of this place many times over the past year and a half since she had returned to the life of a space pirate. Aside from the studies and scholarly books written about it, old pirate's tales described the immense wealth and power that could be obtained here. Legends stated that a mystical sword lay entombed within the shrine. The sword was believed to be a key to a city like no other. The city, legend said, spanned thousands of miles, and was made entirely of gold. The sword was also rumored to grant its bearer dominion over an entire army of perfect warriors. The sword itself bestowed upon its holder the power of lightness and dark. Ryoko had never fully understood the legends, but knew that the sword itself could fetch her quite a sum of money if sold to the highest bidder.

Needless to say, many had attempted to locate this legendary place, but very few had ever located the planet on which it was said to exist. Of those who were astute enough to unravel the puzzle, none who had ever ventured there had ever returned. Ryoko considered herself lucky that Washu had once been so interested in the legend. Although Washu had been able to figure out the location of the temple, she had never harbored any desire to seek it out. Luckily for Ryoko, Washu had documented all of her studies carefully. The journey to this sacred place had been difficult, but thanks to Washu's diligence, Ryoko had succeeded where few else had.

Ryoko stood across the field from the obelisk momentarily before she began to move. The massive stone pillar was surrounded by an entire field of colorful flowers, and seemed docile enough. Ryoko slowly approached the pillar, walking instead of flying, very much aware of the danger that loomed. She was several hundred yards away from the obelisk when she spotted one of the victims. She crept up to the skeletal remains of an adventurer, still clad in heavy armor, hidden amongst the mass of flowers. A double bladed photon sword lay in the dead warrior's hand, still glowing bright green. A red insignia was embedded in the warrior's armor. It was a round emblem marked with the word "Redria." A tiny little robot, shaped like a praying angel, lay nearby. It was smashed, but Ryoko could make out the word "Pian" engraved in the little angel's halo. Ryoko stood from where she was crouching, and continued on her way. She passed the remains of several other knights, thieves and warriors. Closest to the obelisk, Ryoko spied something that alarmed her greatly. Two skeletal knights lay in the flowers, impaled upon each other's weapon. It was not the arrangement of the knights that troubled her so, but rather, it was the armor that they wore. It was familiar to her, although she could not place it right away. She walked up to the unholy pair and looked closer, finally seeing the royal markings on the chest-plates of each knight. The insignia of the Jurai royal guard. It frightened her to see that even planet Jurai, the only victory that had ever eluded her, could fail in obtaining the treasure.

Ryoko stood again, and silently vowed to obtain the sword. With it, she would finally take on Jurai, and this time she would win. Ryoko walked up to the massive obelisk, and studied it carefully. There were no indications of any openings on it. Yet the legend said quite clearly that the sword was inside. Ryoko thought for a moment, and then suddenly took a step back. She knew what to do. Ryoko summoned her energy sword, willing it longer than usual. She took the enormous energy blade and thrust it into the stone pillar, running her sword all the way through. Just then, the ground shook violently around her. It felt as though the entire planet was shaking. Still determined, Ryoko took her blade and began to float off the ground, running her sword up through the obelisk. She was determined to cut it in half. When she had reached the top, she looked down and saw that nothing had happened. The pillar was now in two, upright pieces. Ryoko flew back to the base of the obelisk and thought for a moment. She needed to find a way inside. She placed a hand on each of the two halves and with her mighty strength, began to pull the obelisk apart. Ryoko grunted as she focused all of her energy into tipping the two pieces off of their base. Suddenly, the pillars gave way and began to topple. Ryoko jumped back, watching the obelisk split in half. The two pieces slammed down on top of the flowers, shaking the ground. Ryoko looked at where the obelisk once stood and saw a large staircase leading into the ground. Ryoko took one step toward it, when a pillar of black flame erupted from the stariway. Black flame! Ryoko had never seen such a thing. She watched in horror as the once blue sky turned red. An inhuman wailing echoed from the flames, and Ryoko could feel an unholy presence about her. She watched with terror as the flowers around her feet wilted into an ashen gray. Then everything went black. Pitch black. The world was suddenly devoid of light, and Ryoko was terrified. She summoned another energy sword, but saw nothing. The familiar orange glow wasn't there. She could feel the warmth of her energy blade beside her, and knew that she was still alive, but somehow that black flame had drained all light from the sky. Ryoko stumbled toward the staircase, convinced that she could somehow navigate her way through the temple. She numbly tripped down the stairs, neither falling nor controlling her descent. She stopped at the bottom of the stairs, regaining her balance. Ryoko continued down into the darkness, dragging her hand against the wall for guidance. She walked for what seemed like a mile, when she heard a noise from behind her. It was the sound of footsteps.

"I can see you are struggling, young lady," a dry, old voice called out of the darkness. "Let me light your way."

She heard some clanking, and suddenly, an oil lamp was lit. Ryoko turned around to find a wrinkled old man, about 4 feet tall, standing in front of her. He carried a long wooden staff with the lamp latched onto the end. The lamp burned a completely unnatural, bright blue flame. He was dressed completely in black. Ryoko noticed that he had no pupils in his eyes. They were entirely white.

"Do not be disturbed by my appearance, pretty lady. I am but a blind old man, here only to help you," the old man continued. "Welcome to the temple of everlasting darkness, Ryoko. I am DeVargas, caretaker of this sacred place."

"How did you." Ryoko began to ask.

"Hush," the old man replied. "You have no time for such questions. We know all about you, space pirate Ryoko, and have been expecting you for some time. I trust that you are here for the Blade of Gabriel?"

Ryoko nodded her head slowly. DeVargas reached the end of his staff, and removed his lamp.

"Here, take this," he said. "Follow this corridor down to its end. There you will find a room where no light escapes. In it, you will be able to see the Blade of Gabriel. It pierces all darkness. Be careful, though. The guardian is waiting for you."

Ryoko slowly nodded her head. "The Guardian," she asked.

"You will know soon enough," DeVargas replied. "I cannot help you anymore, but let me tell you this: In this place, your eyes can be your worst enemy. Don't trust them. Instead, rely on your instincts. And don't underestimate the guardian. I can see your foolish pride, girl, and it will be your undoing. The Dark Rider is not to be toyed with."

With that, the little old man turned and disappeared into the darkness. Ryoko looked down the hallway, examining the path that lay before her. There were no traps that she could sense or see, but she felt as though the entire affair was somehow designed. To trap her. Ryoko began to walk down the corridor, hoping that something would give her the direction she needed. She thought back on all of the things she had done up to this point, and for some reason felt a sense of remorse. She could not figure out why, but she was sorry about something. The feelings made her nervous, as though she was expecting to die, yet her desire to prove her worth as a space pirate drove her feet forward. She came to a doorway at the end of the long hallway. The next room was sealed by a door, which had a large, grotesque image of a demon and an angel battling carved into its surface. Ryoko took hold of the heavy door and pulled it open, only to find more piercing darkness. Ryoko cautiously stepped into the darkness, holding the lamp in front of her. Its eerie blue glow was suddenly extinguished, and all that was left was pure nothingness. Then she saw it. Enveloped in a column of white light, the blade of Gabriel stood, sheathed, placed atop a pillar of gold.

"Now," she thought, "nothing can keep me from Jurai."

Ryoko realized that the sword was heavily guarded, and that there was more in the room than she could sense. Not knowing how to face her opponents, she decided to run for the blade and try to escape before anything had a chance to stop her.

"You have done quite well, Ryoko," a voice in the distance said. "Truth be told, I didn't expect anyone to come this far. I certainly didn't think you were foolish to ignore DeVargas' warnings. Any other adventurer that has ever made it into the shine has run away in terror, only to be slain by the demons in their own minds. You are either quite brave, or extremely foolish."

"Where are you," she cried out in reply. "Show yourself to me! Fight like a real warrior, not like a coward, hiding in the dark. I DARE you to come fight me."

Ryoko was sick and tired of the mysterious nature of the shrine, and was eager to begin a fair fight for the treasure. She quietly prepared herself for an onslaught, when the room suddenly lit.

It wasn't bright light. Instead, a very faint blue ambience slowly faded into view. Ryoko could see that she was standing in the middle of a very large dome, made entirely of stone. The room was circular, with only the one entrance through which she walked. Several torches began to light themselves, and soon the room was aglow with blue light. Looking down at the floor, Ryoko noticed the stars. there were stars on the floor. A giant star map was on the floor, casting the blue light all over the room. It was being projected from above, or so Ryoko thought. She looked up to find out where it was coming from, when she saw what was on the dome's ceiling. More stars, clouds of space gas, galaxies. Ryoko was looking at the universe, from its very center.

An armored figure stepped into Ryoko's line of sight. He was tall and strong looking, but completely hindered by that clunky armor, she thought. He'd be easy to defeat, thanks to the weight and immobility that his armor provided. She sighed to herself.

The guardian stepped toward Ryoko, clad in a suit of armor that was obviously several centuries old. Most of the armor was a shade of blood red, the rest a shiny mirrored finish, in which Ryoko could see her own reflection. Two heavy triangular plates, both covered with large, sharp spikes guarded the shoulders. His helmet was also blood red, with black metallic spikes protruding from the back, and a mirrored steel face guard in front. Sharpened steel spikes protruded from his shin guards as well, accentuating the fearsome image that the armor conjured.

"A lot of people come here with delusions of grandeur and fame. A lot of people come here with dreams of wealth. I've never seen anyone like you, however. Nobody has ever come here to prove their worth as a warrior, and for that, I respect you, Ryoko," the guardian said. "But just the same, you are foolish, and your pride hinders you."

"You can't scare me with your fast talk," Ryoko replied, her eyes narrowing. "I came here for that sword, and I'm not leaving here without it, as long as I breathe."

"Your concern is misplaced, Ryoko," the guardian replied plainly. "You should be wary; you may escape here with your life, but your soul is in greater peril. I am not just a simple guardian for an ancient sword."

Ryoko tightened her fists into balls, her anger flowing through her. "Enough talk," she shouted. "Come and fight me, you long-winded coward!"

Ryoko summoned her energy blade and drew it into a guarded position. She stood across the arena from the guardian, waiting for him to attack.

"As you wish," came his reply. He reached around and withdrew his sword from its sheath, which was strapped to his shoulder. It shone in the blue light, reflecting the entire room in its mirrored steel surface. The hilt looked like it was made of pure gold. Molded in the side was the image of a human skull adorned with silver detailing. The guardian assumed his defending stance, and drew the sword up in front of him. Ryoko could see her reflection in the steel blade.

They stood there for what seemed like ages, staring into each other's eyes. At long last, Ryoko could stand it no longer, and she charged him. The space pirate thrust her energy blade forward at lightning speed, determined to run the guardian through in one swift move. Ryoko teleported across the area, hoping to take him by surprise, but was stunned herself when she rematerialized, only to find him gone. Ryoko's eyes shot upward, and she saw him, leaping through the air as though his armor was made of straw.

He landed several feet away from her, and began his own charge, using her surprise to his advantage. When he was almost upon her, he suddenly sheathed his sword, and began to swing at her with his arm. Ryoko, seeing an opening, rammed her energy sword into his chest, hoping to see him fall over. Instead, she only managed to knock him back. He slid backward on the stone floor, stunned, but otherwise unharmed. That was when Ryoko struck him again, this time trying once again to impale his head upon her blade. She thrust the sword directly toward his face guard, and was stunned when it did not penetrate his armor. Instead, the steel seemed to dissipate her violent energy. She found that she could not drive the blade through him, no matter how hard she'd thrust. It seemed as though the armor was absorbing all the energy.

That's when the guardian struck. She was too busy struggling with her own sword to notice, but he swung his left arm around again, striking her right arm. His spiked gauntlets tore into her flesh, and she quickly dropped her energy blade, stumbling backwards in immense pain. Her arm was bleeding, and she felt as though she could not breathe. The guardian stood in front of her. Clearly, she was no match for his armor. Ryoko was gearing up for a final assault, when he reached up and raised his faceguard. She found a pair of brown eyes staring back at her. They were much like Tenchi's eyes; the look was filled with pain, much the way that Tenchi's eyes welled with tears the last time she spoke to him.

"This is not a fair fight, Ryoko. Your skill is incredible, and I commend you, but I cannot fight you like this," the guardian said. He reached over to his left arm, and began to unfasten his armor. He dropped piece by piece onto the floor. After all the various plates lay around his feet, he removed his gauntlets, and finally removed his helmet from atop his head. What Ryoko found was a boy not much older than Tenchi, clad entirely in black. His hair was dark brown, much like his eyes. He was tall and strong, with a proud, stately look.

"Now, we can battle fairly. I will not have my armor to protect me from the blade of Ryoko," he said, continuing to stare into her eyes. They held the gaze for a long time.

Ryoko lurched forward, preparing to attack again, when he spoke suddenly. "Your strong arm is injured. Shall we call this duel a draw?"

Ryoko grunted and summoned her energy blade with her left hand. She once again held it in front of her, preparing to attack again. This time, she would surely slay him. "I can fight just as well with either hand, you weakling," she retorted.

The guardian smiled and drew his weapon with his right hand. "If you will do battle with your weaker arm, then so shall I, so that none will be able to call this duel unfair." With that, he held up the heavy steel sword with his right arm. The two warriors stood only feet apart from each other, locked in a deadly gaze. Once again, Ryoko charged first.

Ryoko found that her opponent was skilled in swordplay, as he countered every thrust she could manage. They battled for several minutes, when Ryoko remembered her advantage. Raising her injured arm, she shot several bolts of energy. The guardian leapt backwards and in a flash of light, a wide, fiery beam of energy burst forth from his free hand. It consumed Ryoko's energy blasts completely, and continued traveling, until it struck Ryoko. She fell backward, searing pain shooting all throughout her body. It felt like she was on fire.

She lost consciousness for a moment. When she came to, he was standing over her, his blade sheathed once again. "If you would like to cheat, Ryoko you can," he said, "but be advised that I have several tricks up my sleeve, and I am certain that they are more powerful than anything you can dish out."

Ryoko sunk with fear. She knew that she was as good as beaten, and for the first time in over a year, she felt true fear in her heart. She lay there silent, wondering how she would meet her end; how would put her to death?

"You've lost your fighting edge, Ryoko," he said after a long while. "Either that, or mistress Washu was overly confident in you." He paused for a moment. "Although I have yet to witness her misjudge anything of great importance."

"You. you know Washu," Ryoko asked, almost desperately.

"Yes, indeed," the guardian replied, smiling. "I spent many a day in mistress Washu's company. I was. I was what you would call a spiritual advisor to her. She spent a great deal of time studying and learning of our thoughts and emotions, and our view on the spiritual nature of this universe. I was a pupil of hers as well, Ryoko. I learned much of her scientific way. With her infinite knowledge of the sciences, she forged that suit of armor over there. It is lightweight, thanks to her efforts. Its strength, and the ability to withstand your blade, however, comes from my faith."

Ryoko sat up and looked at him. "Faith in what," she asked.

"I believe in many things, Ryoko. Honor, karma, justice, to name a few," he said. "However, my power comes from my pain."

She looked at him with a puzzled look on her face. He noted her confusion, and abruptly stood, unsheathing his sword.

"Long have I stood here in watch over this sacred place. You are not just looking into the center of the universe," he said, pointing up to the slowly spinning stars in the dome. "This is the point where heaven and hell collide. This is a place of equilibrium, yet I am unbalanced. My love was stolen from me many, many centuries ago. I cursed the stars, the moons; the very fabric of existence for taking her from me. As punishment for my lack of prudence and understanding, I have been forced to guard this temple, and I have been grappling with my desire for revenge and my sense of justice. You see, Ryoko, I do not simply dwell here."

He broke off for a moment. "I observe the universe from its center. I am very displeased with what I have found, and I wish to leave this place. Perhaps fate has finally smiled upon me; yes, perhaps the hour of my replacement is at hand. Your hate surpasses even my own, Ryoko, and I hope beyond all hope that you have finally come to relieve me, so that I may finally find my peace."

"Hate? Hate," she asked, puzzled. "What do you know of my heart and its contents? What do you know of my hate? You have only just met me, and you presume to know me. I think you are gravely mistaken. Besides, I have no desire to give up my life as a space pirate to spend the rest of my days here in this dark.. cave"

The guardian thrust his sword in Ryoko's face again, glaring angrily. "Remember that it is I who holds your life in my hands. If I should desire so, you would find yourself a battered and bloody mess, living in utter pain for the rest of your days. Yet there is a fate worse than that, and it disgusts me that you yourself are the cause of such suffering. Your heart is full of hate, and in your haste to attain your fortune you have corrupted that which you once held so dear. For what you did to Tenchi, I should not forgive you, but instead, I am going to give you a lesson in pain.."

His once brown eyes were now golden, and the leapt like fire. There was anger in his voice, and he trembled with rage. "I am the once forgotten, the miserable, the suffering. My once tender heart is hardened now, and I take pleasure only in the thought of vengeance. There is power in my rage. My fury shall breed fear in all who stand before me. I am powered by Hell, and blessed with the Kill Rhythm. I am the guardian of hell's mouth. I am the avenger of suffering. I am the Dark Rider."

He stood tall and proud, and as he uttered his true name, the Darkride, the blade which he held burst into brilliant golden flames.

"And now, Ryoko, I shall teach you the first of many lessons. Now you will see the power of the Kill Rhythm." He lifted his sword over his head, clutching it in both hands. A huge beam of white-orange energy erupted from the sword. It stretched across the room, penetrating the domed roof, trailing off into the unknown universe. This column of flame continued to flow from the sword. Ryoko watched in terror as the beam became wider and more intense. Off in the far distance of the universe, a star exploded in a brilliant flash of light, almost blinding Ryoko. She shut her eyes tightly for a long while, and when she opened them, she found only the Darkride standing before her. His eyes were still flaming.

"Behold, the power of the Kill Rhythm. See the might of the hell sabre unleashed," he said proudly. "And now, Ryoko, your real training as a pirate shall begin. You see how my hatred gives me power? So too, Tenchi grows colder every day, as the Kill Rhythm grows within him. It is not an evil force, but rather a manifestation of the life destroying pain he was made to suffer on account of your selfishness. His suffering flows through my veins like blood, and his cries of agony echo in my head every night as he cries for you. The blood you have shed in the past is miniscule compared to the hell you have put him through."

The Darkrider stood silent for a moment, and spoke again. "It is my hope that his suffering shall not be in vain, and it is to that end that I have decided that I shall help you become the greatest space pirate ever to exist, Ryoko. For all his sacrifice, it seems only proper that you achieve that goal that drove you to hurt him." The Darkride held out his hand, trying to help Ryoko up from the ground. "Now, I shall teach you to use your hate to manipulate the wings of the light hawk which you possess. They are designed for the good of humanity, but in my many studies with mistress Washu, I have learned that hate too can be a powerful influence over them."

With his aid, Ryoko stood, for the last time as a mere pirate. She did not realize it at the time, but she was about to become a legend in Jurian myth: The bane of the Golden Avatar.



The leaves of autumn had come and gone, left behind in the wake of spring and summer. As the setting sun peeked over the mountains of the countryside, painting the sky brilliant orange and gold, Tenchi stood at the top of the Masaki shrine, overseeing the countryside he loved so.

Fall was setting in once again. The air was getting colder, especially high in the mountain countryside where the Masaki family lived. Almost a year had passed, and the little boy with the heart of a Juraian warrior stood on top of the Shrine, looking down on what felt like the entire world to him, breathing deeply, taking in the beauty of life, still trying to deal with the pain that stabbed at the back of his mind. Every once in a while, he faltered, and the pain would get the better of him. Those were the days when he'd climb up to the top of the shrine, and look over at the cave where his life was ripped apart. He'd sit up there for hours, crying, always trying to reason out why she left. Tenchi was consumed in thought when his eyes caught a hawk flying in the distance, looking for prey.

His skill had become so focused under the care of Katsuhito and Washu that he could pinpoint birds and insects miles away, and with a simple wave of his hand, knock them out of the sky, in a fiery explosion brought on by his will. But the balance that Katsuhito and Washu had also taught allowed for a subdued Tenchi to remain calm and focused almost all the time. Tenchi had become rock-steady. reliable and efficient in everything that he did. He felt more in tune with nature than ever before, was more studious as a home schooled student than ever he was attending classes miles away. He had embraced Katsuhito's spirituality as well as Washu's technology, and was, without a doubt in the two elders' collective thought, coming into his own. It seemed that the Golden Avatar had come to understand the power he was so dangerously blessed with. He had been trained well, and now all that was left was the great test. Katsuhito and Washu silently hoped that the day would never come. They hoped and prayed that the great test they so feared would never come to fruition. In a sad way, they hoped she would never return.

Yet they knew that hoping would never be enough, and so they decided that it was time to tell Tenchi about the prophecy of the golden avatar. It was a cold, Friday night in the fall. Winter was nearly upon rural Japan, and Tenchi was in the shrine office, finishing his chores. Katsuhito was the first to enter the office. He turned to Tenchi and bowed, offering respect to his now grown-up grandson.

"Tenchi, please set your chores aside for the evening," Katsuhito began. "There is something I have been meaning to discuss with you, so if you would kindly take a seat over there, we can talk."

Tenchi leaned the broom he was sweeping with up against the wall and walked over to the corner of the office where Katsuhito was pointing. He was convinced that it was another component to the training, so he did as he was told. "What's on your mind, grandpa," Tenchi asked. Tenchi had begun to appreciate the training he received, even if he didn't know its purpose.

Katsuhito rummaged through a chest of belongings from Jurai as Tenchi sat, until he found what he was looking for. It was a large book, with gilded gold pages and a beautiful leather cover. Katsuhito turned toward Tenchi and walked across the office. He sat in front of Tenchi.

"Tenchi, this is very hard to explain," Katsuhito began, flipping the book open to a bookmarked page. "The story I am about to tell you is a strange, confusing one that you will likely not understand at first. However, I want you to pay attention."

Katsuhito cleared his throat, straightened his glasses, and continued. "This volume was handed down to me as a member of the Jurian royal family. One is given to each male descended from the house of Jurai. This is my copy, and the time has come where I shall pass it on to you."

Tenchi peered at the book, and noticed that he was unable to decipher any of the writing in it. There was a beautiful picture of a male angel, holding up a sword of light. Tenchi looked up at Katsuhito, who continued speaking.

"Although this volume was handed to me many, many years ago, I have no idea as to its real contents. No one from the House of Jurai can read it. I thought it important that you see it, however, as the pictures convey a telling story."

"I can read it," Washu called out. Tenchi and Katsuhito turned and looked toward the door to the office, where the scientist stood, holding a tray with hot tea. "A gift, from Sasami," Washu said, looking down at the tea. She took her place to Tenchi's right, setting the tea down for all to enjoy.

"Why haven't you ever told me that you can read from the sacred book," Katsuhito asked. He was mystified.

"Simple. You never asked," Washu replied. "Truth be told, nobody's ever asked me. And I know the Jurai scholars have been puzzled for years. I left so long ago."

Washu then looked up at Tenchi. "Tenchi," she said, "you have to understand that this legend is older than time. I have studied enough to understand the script itself, but don't completely comprehend the meaning. This is a story that has been around for longer than I have." She sighed, "Here is how it goes:"

Washu flipped the page and began to read and explain. "In the time before time, when the universe was violent and new, there was no order to the chaos we call existence. When the planets and stars had formed from their primordial origins, before the time of Tsunami, there was nothingness. From that meager beginning, however, the idea of good and evil was born. Many millennia passed, and the universe had not spawned life. From the heavens, a lone messenger appeared. No one knows what the messenger looked like, but the scholars of Jurai eventually come to the idea that the messenger from the heavens looked like this," Washu flipped the page back to the angel and pointed.

"He was tall and stately, a great samurai with long black hair and piercing brown eyes. He had great wings with beautiful white feathers, and a crown of stars upon his head. He carried with him a great samurai sword, and a satchel, from which he planted seeds, or life, if you will, in the universe. The Jurian scholars have no name for him other than 'The One'. Many other religions have a tale similar to this. I believe that the Christians have a slightly different take on the story. They call him 'Gabriel,' although this story doesn't seem to properly fit with their beliefs. In any event, The One had been sent to bring life to the cold universe. He took golden seeds from his satchel and dropped them on the various planets. He loved the universe, and enjoyed his work, and longed for the day when the seeds would grow into the trees that would eventually spawn all life in the universe. He was very busy and very happy spreading life to the universe, going from planet to planet, dropping the seeds of life. What he didn't notice, however, is that a daemon, a true daemon had arisen from the black pits of hell." Washu had flipped many pages by now, and Tenchi was engrossed in the story.

"The One turned to see how his work was progressing, and he saw the daemon devouring the seeds which he had so carefully planted. The greedy blackness desired to consume all of the life that the One had created, and this sparked a great anger within him. He drew his sword, and in the stillness of the universe, he lunged after the daemon. They battled endlessly, evenly matched, it seemed. However skilled the messenger was, the daemon was crafty, he and tricked The One with offers of kindness, peace and goodness. When the messenger had let his guard down, the daemon struck, piercing the heart of the messenger. As the One lay injured, his great heart heaving, mourning and filled with sorrow, the daemon gloated. And the one looked about and saw that all life had been extinguished. This was the first time that the messenger had ever experienced hate, and it filled him with a great energy. The One lifted up his samurai sword and leapt toward the daemon. The daemon was filled with fear, for he had never seen such force. It was then that the messenger lunged with his sword, ripping the daemon in half. However, the power behind the attack was so great that the messenger destroyed not only the daemon, but most of the universe, as well. This unexpected surge of power had come from within The One, and when he had seen the result of his action, he was filled with sadness. He marked the spot of the battle with a shrine, a great towering testament to the power of good and evil. In it, he placed his sword. Feeling the dishonor and shame of the destruction he had caused, the messenger thrust himself upon the blade of his own sword. But he could not die, for his divine punishment was to remain in the shrine, until one of a darker heart would come to relieve him. You see, the messenger's punishment was to watch over the universe. The very same universe that he loved so was that which he had destroyed, and he was forced to guard its center."

Tenchi looked up at Washu, who had come to the end of the book. He stared at her blankly, half understanding that which he had been told. "Tenchi," Washu started, "The One was punished because he had destroyed all which he loved. Yet one planet remained in particular: the very last planet that the One had defended. And on that planet, one seed remained. That one planet was the planet Jurai, and the one seed came to be Tsunami, the origin tree. This is the secret to our existence."

"What does this mean, Washu," Tenchi asked, confused.

Washu looked at him gravely, thinking long about the time that she and Tenchi had spent together training. "The scholars of Jurai have never understood this, but this great volume that I have been reading from was an account of the disaster as told by the messenger himself. In his solitude, he penned the story that I have just read to you, explaining many things. He called his great surge of energy 'The Kill Rhythm,' and he supposes that it was the manifestation of his pain and suffering. "

She stopped, looking over at Katsuhito, who was listening intently. "What Washu is hinting at, and from what I understand of the prophecy, is this: The messenger acted on something universal to all. There is a small amount of evil in almost all things good, and there is a small amount of goodness in all thing evil. Though the messenger was good and pure, he was corrupted by his grief, pain and anger. Though he was good, some evil grew within him, and in the end, it proved to be his downfall. This is the great compromise, and it is what keeps the power of Tsunami balanced," Katsuhito said. "We have been training you since the accident you had over a year ago with Ayeka. We have felt the power of Tsunami becoming unbalanced, and we feared that the prophecy of the messenger was coming to pass."

"What prophecy," Tenchi asked. "What did the Messenger have to say about any prophecy? All I hear is a tale of how the universe came to be."

"Well," Washu answered, "as The One came to understand his punishment in the shrine of the great battle, He realized that the Universe was doomed to suffer the same fate again. When conditions were right, an innocent man, born of the house of Jurai would again wield the great power. He prophesized that a great man, strong in will and character, would arise, an avatar to the heavens, and would be confronted by a black daemon again, called the 'Bane of the Golden Avatar.' And thus, the universe would be doomed to the same fate. In essence, it would be the end of life as we know it for all except the planet of Jurai."

"Tenchi," Washu started, bowing her head. "That 'accident' you had a year ago was no accident. You control the very essence of anger and pain manifested. You have the Kill Rhythm. We have trained you for the past year, hoping that you would learn to control your powers, and learn not to react with emotion, but rather to control your power through reason." Washu sighed. "Your grandfather and I believe that you are the Golden Avatar: the boy fated to wield the great power."

Tenchi looked at the both of them, the hurt growing silently. He spoke plainly though, without a hint of emotion in his voice. "I can only guess who the Bane of the Avatar is."



There were days when the guilt was overwhelming. She had not meant to destroy him, to unravel his emotions and toy with his mind. But it had happened. She often liked to think that it was because he was so unwilling to accept her for who she was. She always reminded herself that he drove her away. He couldn't deal with who she was. He pushed her away.

Tenchi was always very nervous about her ventures into space. As proficient as Ryoko was with her blade, Tenchi worried that she might run into someone who was not forgiving of her days with Kagato. She remembered the fight they had which set the whole thing off. The night she came home late. The night he saw the blood.

Tenchi never believed her. She hadn't killed anyone that night, and the blood on her hands and face was the result of an accident, not a vicious attack. She had planned a rather textbook shakedown of the cruise ship, but when she demanded to be taken to the ship's vault, the captain did not plan on being cooperative.

The captain took her to the vault, but when she went to work trying to empty it, the captain bolted. Ryoko tried to chase after him, and when she came out into the hallway, he was leveling a pistol, aiming squarely at her head.

"You can go to hell," the captain yelled as he pulled the trigger. Ryoko didn't realize that the ship was running illicit drugs and laundered money, or that the captain was deeply involved. In fact, the captain thought that Ryoko was a special operative from the Galaxy Police. All Ryoko knew was that a pistol blast was coming at her, and by instinct, she flashed her energy blade in an arc, deflecting the shot. It ricocheted off one of the titanium enforced wall panels, and struck the captain, punching a hole through his thigh. There was blood everywhere; she figured the shot must have hit a major vein or something. The captain was howling in pain. He looked up at Ryoko, who was slowly approaching him, and raised the pistol to fire again. Ryoko quickly phased out of sight, rematerializing behind the injured man. She clocked him upside the head, and dragged his limp body to the ship's sick bay. She had a hard time explaining what had happened, but managed to construct a decent excuse. Ryoko had to play it cool for a while, but after a couple of hours of answering questions, she was able to return to Ryo-Ohki and make it back to Earth.

That was almost two years ago, and as Ryoko stood at the entrance to the shrine, she sighed. He had pushed her away. They argued for the remainder of the evening when she got back. He just wouldn't believe her. The blood frightened him too much.

After that night, Ryoko began to pull away. She'd stay out later, and wouldn't come home some nights. She couldn't deal with Tenchi's doubting gaze. While the space flight was escapism for her, it made him even more nervous. Ryoko had learned to take many a beating, but she could not deal with the mistrust that had developed between her and Tenchi. Not after she had earned his love and his trust. Not after she had worked so hard. It was too painful. When they would see each other, they would argue more. He was clinging tighter, and she needed her space. She could not deal with the doubt and the mistrust. He wanted her to stay and talk with him all the time, but she wanted to be free. She began to think that she was not cut out for simple, country life. It was such a long time ago.

She remembered her parting words. "Stop acting like such a child. I'll talk to you when I have the time, alright?" She had not spoken to him since. As the newly reborn space pirate Ryoko stood at the entrance to the great shrine, she paused for a moment. The sky was still pitch black, but she would now see with clarity. She had trained for months with the Dark Rider, and had now mastered three of her lighthawk wings. She was ready to take on Jurai. She was ready to take back what was hers. Ryoko was ready to take back her pride.

"Go," the Darkride commanded. A few months of training had turned Ryoko into a fighting machine. "Go and fulfill your destiny. Take back your honour and pride. Honour the destruction of Tenchi," he grinned.

Ryoko looked back with him with anger, but the Dark Rider simply gazed back. "Yes. Tenchi's love was destroyed because you wanted to become great again, Ryoko. His undying love was his greatest gift, and the source of his great Jurian power. See to it that he was not destroyed in vain." "Fuck you," she said through gritted teeth, under her breath. She turned and left.

After Ryoko set out on her way, he sat down again at his throne of anguish. "Destroy them all," he whispered. While the keeper of the sacred shrine had trained Ryoko to fight well, he had done more than just teach her to fight. He had bent her mind to his will, and the dark lessons that he had embedded so deeply were about to surface. "I will escape this hell once and for all," he said to himself. He had set her up. She would fulfill the prophecy. The blood of the martyr would set him free, and condemn her to replace him in the hell which he had been living for so long.