Legal Disclaimer:
All "Tenchi Muyo" references are copyrighted by Pioneer and AIC. This is an amateur non-commercial story, which is not produced, approved of, or sponsored by the holders of the trademarks/copyrights from which this work is derived. The views expressed herein are solely those of the author.
On Wings of Change: Part One
Chapter Eight: Wings of the Dark Light Hawk
Tenchi yawned, blinking the sleep out of his eyes as he realized he had woken up in yet a different bed. Feeling Ryouko's body next to him, he suddenly remembered that they had spent the day before on horseback and then spent the night together in the cabin. Looking over at Ryouko, he smiled. She looked like an angel, the early morning sunlight filtered through the curtains washing soft light down upon her face. Her wild hair was slightly flat from being laid on, her bangs falling in every direction. He listened to her slow, even breaths and felt her heartbeat against his chest.
Tightening his hold around his girlfriend, he thought about how soft and smooth her skin felt. He knit his brow. 'So soft and smooth…' A blush spread across his face as he realized they were naked, the events of the night before came crashing down on him.
Just then, Ryouko began to stir. She slowly opened her eyes and felt Tenchi's warmth. She wrapped her arms around his nude body and hugged him tightly. "Good morning, lover." She purred. "Last night was wonderful."
Tenchi blushed and planted a kiss on her forehead. "It was." He agreed as they lay there in the comfortable silence, just enjoying each other's warmth.
"You know, I should probably go outside and feed the horses." Ryouko said as she stretched her limbs.
"Un. I'll go with you." Tenchi offered.
"I can do it. Why don't you make us something for breakfast? Unless you want me to." She threatened.
"I'll make us something." Tenchi chuckled, slipping out of bed to throw a pair of shorts and jeans on.
Ryouko kissed him briefly before throwing on a pair of shorts and a shirt. The night before had been magical, wonderful, everything Tenchi could have dreamed it would be, and then some. He felt even closer to Ryouko now, and if it was even possible, he felt he loved her even more. "I love you." He said sincerely as she grabbed a pair of shoes.
She grinned back at him. "I love you too." She said as she hopped twice to regain her balance as she slipped her finger between her ankle and the back of her shoe. "I'll be right back."
* * *
Ryouko put her hand to her mouth to cover a yawn as she walked towards the barn. Seeing her approach, Carinna and Cetero trotted over to the fence, nickering softly to her. Ryouko bent down and slid her body through the fence posts. Standing in front of the magnificent horses, she held her palm out to each, giving them treats. She petted each on the bridge of the nose before patting her rear, calling them to her as she walked to the barn.
She went into the tack room and found the grain bucket. Taking two big scoops, she filled them up and went back outside, Carinna and Cetero following behind her like two puppies. She dropped the grain in two buckets before squeezing back through the fence again. She stood there, watching the two horses eat, admiring their beauty for a short while before turning around to walk back to the cabin.
She sighed as she surveyed her surroundings, thinking about how wonderful the vacation had been so far. 'I almost can't believe it. All of my dreams have come true in just five days. He's so wonderful, so perfect. I'm so lucky.' She realized, still in awe that she had found such happiness.
* * *
Masamitsu stood tensely behind a large tree at the edge of the forest, fifteen of his men in hiding around him. All blended smoothly into their surroundings wearing robes of Jurian camouflage. He watched the space pirate Ryouko as she fed the horses the way a hawk would eye its prey. As she began her slow return to the cabin, he sensed her distraction, and using hand signals, placed his warriors into their positions. 'Perfect.' He realized.
* * *
Ryouko froze, torn out of her daydreaming as she realized that something wasn't right. The forest was quiet. She turned to look back at the horses, they had stopped eating and were looking into the trees. A shiver traveled up Ryouko's spine. 'I'm being hunted.' She realized.
* * *
The Prince of Umano realized that their cover had been blown. It was now or never. He raised his hand and gave the signal, his men suddenly bolting from their hiding places and storming the field.
"Get her!" One man yelled as he closed the gap between himself and Ryouko, lunging for her. Ryouko let out a yell as two others leapt to tackle her. She sunk low to the ground and dodged before running backwards to bide herself time.
'What am I going to do? These aren't those androids, I can't hurt them, but I don't want to get Tenchi involved either!'
* * *
Tenchi looked up from the pancakes on the stove, eyeing the one in front of him intently. He positioned the spatula underneath it, poised as he waited for the perfect time to flip it. His tongue sticking slightly out of the corner of his mouth, he quickly shoved the spatula underneath the wet pancake and flipped it, the wet side hitting the griddle with a sizzle. He smiled to himself. 'They don't call me the master of pancakes for nothing!'
Suddenly, Tenchi looked up. He could have sworn he had heard a man's voice outside. His body turned cold. He rushed to the window, and his fears were confirmed.
'Why did I let her go out by herself?' He asked himself frantically as he bolted into the bedroom, frantically searching through the pile of clothes on the floor by the bedside until he finally found the Tenchi-ken. He ran out the front door and sprinted outside, hoping against hope that he wasn't already too late.
* * *
Ryouko was doing her best to block the furious attacks that the men dealt her. She dodged and weaved as they came after her in groups of twos or threes. Back flipping, weaving and running were her only tactics. 'I can't keep this up, there's just too many of them!' She realized. One man scored a hit, slashing her across her left arm with a dagger blade. The wound was shallow, but stung sharply as the blood ran down her arm.
Suddenly, two men clotheslined her, knocking her to the ground. Ryouko hit the earth with a thud, gasping as the air got knocked out of her lungs. The next thing she knew, two more men grabbed her by the shoulders, keeping her down on the ground and holding her in place by knifepoint as some of the others began to huddle around her, holding her still.
Ryouko tried to look around the men that held her in place. She could sense Masamitsu close by, she realized he was waiting for his men to wear her out and capture her before he approached. As if on cue, the men parted before her as he approached.
"Your time has come, Monster. As much as I would like to be the one to take your head and punish you for the crimes you have committed against my kin and my people, I can not. There is another who wants you more than I." He looked down at her with pitiless eyes. "Stand up." He demanded as his men roughly pulled Ryouko to her feet by her arms.
Ryouko's eyes widened as she realized that she was being used as a pawn in a bigger plan. 'What's going on here?!' She frantically asked herself.
Masamitsu sneered at his captive. "My lady wants you alive and intact, but she didn't say that you had to be delivered uninjured."
Suddenly, Masamitsu pulled his elbow back and fast as lightening, punched Ryouko in the stomach. She exhaled sharply as the wind got knocked out of her again, and would have doubled over had the two men not held her upright.
Ryouko fought a war with herself. Her mind screamed at her to fight back, to do something, but her heart still told her not to kill. Her brain also realized that without her powers, she had no chance in taking out all sixteen men and escaping with her life. 'Tenchi…' She thought longingly.
* * *
Tenchi hung in a tree above the group of men. When he had seen that they had already surrounded Ryouko, he had wanted to charge them head on and take them all down, but he knew that would have been a foolish move. He chose instead, to strategize and use stealth. He realized he might have a chance with the element of surprise, especially if he could take out the Prince, the men might forfeit the fight.
Seeing Masamitsu sucker punch Ryouko and realizing that he intended to take Ryouko as a ransom to someone else was the last straw. Tenchi realized he couldn't wait anymore. His intense concentration and anger was as focused and sharp as a blade. He ignited Tenchi-ken and said a prayer.
Tenchi suddenly let his body fall from the tree, his sword aimed at Masamitsu.
A whisper resounded in Masamitsu's mind and suddenly he knew something was wrong, the hairs on his neck standing straight up. He spun, grabbing his Key and igniting its blade in mere fractions of a second as he positioned the blade over his head, suddenly connecting with the blade of another Key.
* * *
Washu dropped her fork suddenly, her breath caught in her throat. Something was wrong, very wrong. She summoned her holotop to find the source of her uneasiness. What she saw froze her very soul.
The readouts on Washu's screen showed that a trans-dimensional portal had opened above the coordinates of the cabin where Tenchi and Ryouko were staying. 'But that's impossible…the only beings who can open such a portal are…'
"Little Washu, is something the matter?" Aeka asked as Mihoshi and Kiyone looked on with curious expressions.
Fearing the worst, Washu began furiously typing at her holotop. "Tenchi and Ryouko are being attacked, will you help me?" She begged everyone.
Aeka, Mihoshi and Kiyone could see the fear in Washu's eyes. Despite the sudden surprise, everyone nodded grimly. Washu made her final completions on her holotop and everyone was transported away in a blink of an eye, leaving the space around the table empty.
Sasami and toddler Ryo-ohki came back from the kitchen, each carrying a plate of food. Seeing no one there, Ryo-ohki asked, "Miya?" while looking quizzically at Sasami.
Sasami had a far-off look in her eyes. "It's started, hasn't it, Tsunami?" She asked quietly.
* * *
Tenchi's eyes opened wide in disbelief as he locked swords with Masamitsu in mid air. As gravity pulled Tenchi's body down to the ground, their blades still locked, the two Princes glared at each other in a serious match to attempt to shake the other's will.
"Tenchi." Ryouko said quietly. She hadn't wanted to get him involved in her fight. Even with the two of them, she wasn't sure they could defeat sixteen powers. Masamitsu's men had frozen in place, unsure of what to do in the situation. Her heart cried to her. 'It's one thing for this to happen to me, but I can't let Tenchi get hurt protecting me.'
The Crown Prince of Jurai had to tilt his head upwards to look the Prince of Umano in the eye, as he stood a good two inches taller. "Let her go!" Tenchi growled at the man. He could feel the lesser power of Masamitsu's Key and was confident that it was no match for his own. The Prince of Umano however, refused to back down.
Suddenly, the tense silence that covered the battlefield was broken when a sub-space portal opened, dropping The Princess of Jurai, two Galaxy Police Officers, and one Greatest Scientific Genius in the Universe. The confidence of Masamitsu's men began to waver under the changing circumstances.
"Hold your ground!" Masamitsu barked, still staring Tenchi in the eye.
Seeing the Prince of Umano and Tenchi with crossed swords and Ryouko being held by what appeared to be men under his command, Aeka became enraged. "What is the meaning of this, Prince Aoyama?! As the Princess of Jurai, I command you to lower your blade and release Ryouko!"
Masamitsu smirked, his brow beginning to sweat. He could feel his power beginning to slip, but chose to believe in the words of his lady. Suddenly, his body began to tingle. He wondered with a detached feeling what it could be. Before he could register it as a conscious thought, he heard himself say, "Jurai? The days of Jurai are numbered, Princess."
Aeka's mouth hung open and then shut with an audible click. Never had she heard such words in her entire life. "Very well then, traitor." She said, her force field appearing around her body. "We will fight."
"What are you waiting for? Attack!" Masamitsu yelled to his men.
Ryouko watched as all the men save the two that held her at knifepoint rushed her friends and her mother. 'No…' Her heart cried. 'No…I can't let this happen. I must fight, no matter what the repercussion.'
With a shattering scream, both Ryouko and Tenchi chose to gain the upper hands on their opponents. Tenchi spun Tsunami's ring on his finger, and in a burst of light, his clothes transformed to his primary battle suit of tan, white, and brown. The sudden insurgence of power that was granted to him was used to push Masamitsu away from him.
Meanwhile, Ryouko grabbed the wrist of each of the two men who held their daggers to her throat and twisted sharply, breaking their bones. As the men doubled over in pain, Ryouko tore the daggers out of their hands and turned around quickly, slashing each man across the hamstring, rendering them useless.
Looking around, Ryouko first made sure that Tenchi safe. They looked at each other briefly before realizing that Masamitsu's men were closing in on their friends. Kiyone dropped to one knee and fired a shot from her beam gun at the approaching force.
Ryouko panicked. "Don't kill them!" She shouted to her friends. Kiyone faltered slightly. "Just incapacitate them!" Ryouko clarified. Understanding, both Mihoshi and Kiyone made adjustments to their guns, setting them to a lower strength setting before the partners took down one man each, bolts of solid energy passing through their shoulders.
Suddenly, three men rushed Mihoshi. Aeka saw this and concentrated, channeling her energy through her tiara, and directed fierce bolts of electricity towards one of them. The bolts jumped high, arching in the air before targeting the man like a heat-seeking missile. He screamed in pain as he doubled over and fell to the ground before blacking out, giving Mihoshi the chance to pick off one of the other men as Kiyone blasted the other.
Masamitsu gathered what energy he had left in his Key and launched a volley of tightly executed thrusts at Tenchi, who took the defensive and expertly blocked each swing effortlessly. The two had both received similar Jurian training, but it was clear who the better swordsman was as Tenchi turned the tables, launching an offensive counter attack that Masamitsu had to scramble to defend.
Seven men lay broken and bruised on the battlefield but another eight men still challenged the women who stood in their way of capturing the demon. Washu was kneeling down on one knee with what looked to be a rocket launcher on her shoulder. Three men suddenly came charging at her and she squinted one eye and aimed at the man in the middle. She pulled the trigger to the massive weapon and a large rubber ball came flying out, hitting the first man in the center of the chest and knocking him back into the other two. The ball opened and released a chemical gas, causing them all to fall unconscious immediately.
"Nice shot, Little Washu!" Aeka called out as she focused another energy bolt at a new target, hitting him in the back with perfect aim. The man went down in convulsions, his clothes smoking as he skidded across the dirt.
"Aeka, watch out!" Ryouko yelled, launching her body in the air as she tackled one of Masamitsu's men who had tried to sneak up behind the Princess. Aeka watched in awe as Ryouko tumbled on the ground with him before pulling her fist back and hitting him across the temple with the hilt of one of the two daggers she held.
Meanwhile, Mihoshi and Kiyone had taken down another two combatants that had begun to run towards Aeka and Ryouko, shooting them in the knees, causing them to collapse in a pool of blood.
Finally, only two men were left, and they froze in their tracks, afraid to face the fates of their comrades. Both men suddenly turned tail and began to run towards the forest. Ryouko sprinted the short distance to Kiyone and Mihoshi, grabbed their guns from their hands and took careful aim before firing two shots, dropping both men like flies as they fell unconscious from the pain of the blasts.
Finally safe from immediate danger, the girls stopped to catch their breath. Washu ran towards Ryouko, jumping over a beaten and bloody body. "Ryouko? Are you okay?" She asked, frantically looking over her daughter for injuries. She stopped to examine her bloodied arm
"It's nothing." Ryouko shrugged it off, unconcerned for herself as she scanned the rest of her friends, checking them for injuries. She was relieved that they were all unhurt, but still felt guilty that they had fought for her sake. A loud grunt suddenly brought Ryouko back to reality.
"Tenchi!" Ryouko cried out, spinning around to see Tenchi sweating and gasping for air, but standing above Masamitsu, pointing the blade of the Tenchi-ken down at the Prince's fallen body. Masamitsu lay on his back, his Key held up in defense across his body, it's blade blinking in and out of existence. Masamitsu was bloodied, his robe in shreds from successful hits received by Tenchi's blade.
Masamitsu glanced around him, taking in the sight of his fallen men. He could not tell if they were alive or dead. 'What have I gotten them in to?' he guiltily asked himself as his vision began to waiver. 'All of this for what?'
Suddenly, a voice spoke to him, a whisper inside his head. "Are you ready for the power, Young Prince?" It asked him.
The voice was unmistakable. The mere sound of Tokimi's voice sent shivers up Masamitsu's spine. He again looked at his fallen comrades, he looked at the Princess of the Empire in which he had sworn an allegiance to. He looked at the cyan haired woman who he had been hunting for so long.
"Now is not the time for doubts!" Tokimi's voice echoed in his mind.
The next thing Masamitsu experienced was blackness as his mind shut down completely.
Tenchi's shoulders slumped as he saw Masamitsu fall unconscious. Waiting a few moments, he let his blade flicker out, sighing greatly. He turned to look at the girls. He had been able to steal glances at the battle they had waged during his own fight and saw that they had held up well. Looking over the field of fallen men, he was amazed at their capabilities.
"Tenchi! I'm so glad you're okay!" Tenchi was knocked almost off his feet as Ryouko had glomped on to him, throwing her arms around him and crying into his chest.
"Are you okay Ryouko?" Tenchi asked urgently, running his hands over her body to check for wounds. The others began to approach, giving the couple time to reunite as Tenchi held Ryouko close to him.
Aeka had to fight herself not to look away from the couple. She looked at Washu and saw motherly pride shine in her eyes as she looked at her daughter. She looked at Kiyone and Mihoshi, the former gently supporting the later as she leaned against her partner, exhausted from the battle. She looked at her family, and thanked Tsunami for their safekeeping.
* * *
Sasami sat in a plush chair in her room, the same far away look still in her eyes. Ryo-ohki was curled up in her lap. "Tenchi, be strong." She whispered.
* * *
"Little Washu, what's going on?!" Tenchi barked, holding the Tenchi-ken before him again, shifting to stand in front of the girls.
Suddenly, a dark light began to envelop Masamitsu's body. Washu's holotop popped into existence before her. Her face twisted into a shocked expression. "This isn't possible." She said flatly.
"That light is pure energy pouring through a trans-dimensional portal. The energy readings are off the scale!" Washu said. "I've never seen anything li-"
"Ryouko! Take the others and get away from here!" Tenchi demanded, cutting Washu off.
Ryouko began to argue. "But Tenchi-"
Masamitsu's body began to tremble. His muscles distorted in inhuman ways underneath his skin. The thick black light rippled and oozed, almost as if it was a solid. The light completely enveloped him, lifting him off the ground, his long back hair trailing in the dirt.
Tenchi turned to face Ryouko, his expression deathly serious. "I said go!" He barked.
The other girls looked on with confused expressions as Masamitsu's eyes began to flutter open. Ryouko gasped. They were a milky shade of blue, and his pupils held no reflection. She began to back away. Washu began to tug on her sleeve, pulling her to join the other girls near the edge of the forest.
Tenchi looked into Masamitsu's cold eyes and realized that wasn't the only thing that had changed about his rival. He also had two strange prints on either cheek, as if there were two green leaves tattooed to his face. He also had two small, red round dots inset into his brow. The blackness surrounding Masamitsu's body receded, his former torn and bloody robes of Jurian camouflage replaced with that of the final Jurian battle suit in colors of black and crimson. Tenchi began to back up. 'Those robes…they are the ones that only one who can create Light Hawk Wings would wear!'
Tenchi covered his eyes as a sudden blast of dark light erupted from Masamitsu's body. His body stopped hovering and hit the ground with a thud. He convulsed and began to cough. He slowly lifted his body up, and lurched into a standing position. He didn't say a single word.
The Crown Prince of Jurai gripped the Tenchi-ken with sweaty palms as Masamitsu held his Key in front of him. It suddenly came to life, the blade was the same blue it had been, but then it changed, from bottom to top, to a black that was darker than the depths of space.
Without warning, Masamitsu charged Tenchi, swinging his blade. Tenchi caught his blade and the two held them together, pitting their strengths. 'He…he's stronger than before!' Tenchi realized. 'Much stronger!'
Tenchi pushed backwards and backpedaled as Masamitsu launched an offensive, swinging tight but wild thrusts at his opponent. Tenchi parried, but continued to get driven back by Masamitsu's sheer power. One of Masamitsu's wild swings clipped Tenchi's shoulder, slicing through the cloth of his battle suit and drawing a thin line of blood that rushed down his arm.
Tenchi sunk low to the ground, swinging at his opponent's legs. Masamitsu jumped high as the blade of the Tenchi-ken passed underneath him, and swung downwards at Tenchi's head. Tenchi pushed off his feet and did a summersault, rolling away as Masamitsu landed, swinging into the empty space that he had occupied.
Tenchi jumped up and swung to meet Masamitsu's blade. Gathering his strength, he released an offensive attack on his opponent, a series of tight and controlled swings at Masamitsu's midsection that set him on the defensive, backing up against Tenchi's advance. Tenchi scored a hit along Masamitsu's right thigh. His suit ripped, and he began to bleed. He did a back flip and launched himself away from Tenchi, landing shakily as he favored his right leg.
'Did I injure him?' Tenchi asked himself, his heartbeat pounding in his ears, the warm trickle of blood snaked its way down his arm. He began to advance towards Masamitsu, holding his blade in front of him.
Masamitsu smirked and Tenchi's blood ran cold. The prince of Umano slid his arms in front of him and held his blade in the center of his body. His Key began to float and he positioned each hand on either side of it. He shut his eyes and channeled his energy and suddenly his key transformed into solid black matter, a sphere of darkness between his palms. Tenchi realized that he couldn't wait any longer, he launched his body at Masamitsu, jumping high into the air, his sword before him aimed at Masamitsu.
Three black propellers, manifestations of pure energy, appeared before Masamitsu as Tenchi's blade collided with the force field.
"The Wings of the Light Hawk." Ryouko said breathlessly.
"Dark Light Hawk Wings." Washu whispered as the other girls watched, gripped with fear.
"Tenchi! You need to summon your Light Hawk Wings!" Ryouko and Aeka shouted to him in unison.
Tenchi understood what he needed to do. Like Masamitsu before him, he swung his hands before him, his Key hovering between his palms as he closed his eyes to prepare for the transformation into his final battle suit.
Masamitsu didn't wait for him to complete his transformation. He sent a projectile, a dark sphere of energy that came hurtling towards him.
"Tenchi!" The girls yelled as Ryouko pounded her fists on Washu's force field.
Tenchi's body got knocked backwards by the force of Masamitsu's blow. He opened his eyes to see that his own Light Hawk Wings had activated in time and caught the projectile. He looked down to see that he was already wearing the royal pastel colors of his final battle suit, the strips of cloth around the shoulders billowing gently. Tenchi took one of the three Light Hawk Wings and ran his hand across it, turning it into a sword.
Masamitsu released two more spheres of energy at the same time. Tenchi used the two remaining propellers and the Light Hawk Sword to deflect them, sending them back at Masamitsu, who had to jump to dodge them.
The Prince of Umano snarled, enraged. He then did something that shocked Tenchi. He channeled his energy and merged his three Dark Light Hawk Wings into one massive blade. The blackness becoming so dark that it had it's own white outline. Tenchi froze, unsure of what to do, crouched low in a defensive stance.
Suddenly, Masamitsu charged, his one Dark Wing held to his side, Tenchi raised his arm to defend, but Masamitsu plowed through Tenchi, cutting through the force field his Light Hawk Wings provided and slicing him across the chest. Masamitsu stumbled and fell to the ground, exhausted.
The girls looked on in horror. "Tenchi!" They all screamed in unison.
Tenchi blinked and fell to his knees, his hands reaching to his chest wound. His final battle suit faded back to his primary suit and then that last defense faded away also, leaving him in only his jeans. He pulled away his bloody hand and collapsed to the ground on his back.
Ryouko choked on a sob. Aeka turned her head from the grisly scene, her hand placed over her mouth. Washu's mouth hung open, her eyes unblinking. Mihoshi quietly cried into Kiyone's shoulder as her partner hugged her close.
Ryouko was devastated. "Tenchi!" She cried at the top of her lungs as she suddenly walked outside of Washu's force field.
"How…did she get out?" Washu quietly asked.
Ryouko stumbled to her knees before her fallen lover. "Tenchi…Tenchi…Tenchi…" She repeated over and over, tears rolling down her cheeks.
Tenchi breathed heavily, the wound in his chest heaving, bubbling. "Ryouko…I'm sorry." He whispered. He shut his eyes, and then he stopped breathing.
Ryouko looked up to the sky and screamed a scream that echoed through the heavens before her consciousness was torn out of her body and taken away.
All "Tenchi Muyo" references are copyrighted by Pioneer and AIC. This is an amateur non-commercial story, which is not produced, approved of, or sponsored by the holders of the trademarks/copyrights from which this work is derived. The views expressed herein are solely those of the author.
On Wings of Change: Part One
Chapter Eight: Wings of the Dark Light Hawk
Tenchi yawned, blinking the sleep out of his eyes as he realized he had woken up in yet a different bed. Feeling Ryouko's body next to him, he suddenly remembered that they had spent the day before on horseback and then spent the night together in the cabin. Looking over at Ryouko, he smiled. She looked like an angel, the early morning sunlight filtered through the curtains washing soft light down upon her face. Her wild hair was slightly flat from being laid on, her bangs falling in every direction. He listened to her slow, even breaths and felt her heartbeat against his chest.
Tightening his hold around his girlfriend, he thought about how soft and smooth her skin felt. He knit his brow. 'So soft and smooth…' A blush spread across his face as he realized they were naked, the events of the night before came crashing down on him.
Just then, Ryouko began to stir. She slowly opened her eyes and felt Tenchi's warmth. She wrapped her arms around his nude body and hugged him tightly. "Good morning, lover." She purred. "Last night was wonderful."
Tenchi blushed and planted a kiss on her forehead. "It was." He agreed as they lay there in the comfortable silence, just enjoying each other's warmth.
"You know, I should probably go outside and feed the horses." Ryouko said as she stretched her limbs.
"Un. I'll go with you." Tenchi offered.
"I can do it. Why don't you make us something for breakfast? Unless you want me to." She threatened.
"I'll make us something." Tenchi chuckled, slipping out of bed to throw a pair of shorts and jeans on.
Ryouko kissed him briefly before throwing on a pair of shorts and a shirt. The night before had been magical, wonderful, everything Tenchi could have dreamed it would be, and then some. He felt even closer to Ryouko now, and if it was even possible, he felt he loved her even more. "I love you." He said sincerely as she grabbed a pair of shoes.
She grinned back at him. "I love you too." She said as she hopped twice to regain her balance as she slipped her finger between her ankle and the back of her shoe. "I'll be right back."
* * *
Ryouko put her hand to her mouth to cover a yawn as she walked towards the barn. Seeing her approach, Carinna and Cetero trotted over to the fence, nickering softly to her. Ryouko bent down and slid her body through the fence posts. Standing in front of the magnificent horses, she held her palm out to each, giving them treats. She petted each on the bridge of the nose before patting her rear, calling them to her as she walked to the barn.
She went into the tack room and found the grain bucket. Taking two big scoops, she filled them up and went back outside, Carinna and Cetero following behind her like two puppies. She dropped the grain in two buckets before squeezing back through the fence again. She stood there, watching the two horses eat, admiring their beauty for a short while before turning around to walk back to the cabin.
She sighed as she surveyed her surroundings, thinking about how wonderful the vacation had been so far. 'I almost can't believe it. All of my dreams have come true in just five days. He's so wonderful, so perfect. I'm so lucky.' She realized, still in awe that she had found such happiness.
* * *
Masamitsu stood tensely behind a large tree at the edge of the forest, fifteen of his men in hiding around him. All blended smoothly into their surroundings wearing robes of Jurian camouflage. He watched the space pirate Ryouko as she fed the horses the way a hawk would eye its prey. As she began her slow return to the cabin, he sensed her distraction, and using hand signals, placed his warriors into their positions. 'Perfect.' He realized.
* * *
Ryouko froze, torn out of her daydreaming as she realized that something wasn't right. The forest was quiet. She turned to look back at the horses, they had stopped eating and were looking into the trees. A shiver traveled up Ryouko's spine. 'I'm being hunted.' She realized.
* * *
The Prince of Umano realized that their cover had been blown. It was now or never. He raised his hand and gave the signal, his men suddenly bolting from their hiding places and storming the field.
"Get her!" One man yelled as he closed the gap between himself and Ryouko, lunging for her. Ryouko let out a yell as two others leapt to tackle her. She sunk low to the ground and dodged before running backwards to bide herself time.
'What am I going to do? These aren't those androids, I can't hurt them, but I don't want to get Tenchi involved either!'
* * *
Tenchi looked up from the pancakes on the stove, eyeing the one in front of him intently. He positioned the spatula underneath it, poised as he waited for the perfect time to flip it. His tongue sticking slightly out of the corner of his mouth, he quickly shoved the spatula underneath the wet pancake and flipped it, the wet side hitting the griddle with a sizzle. He smiled to himself. 'They don't call me the master of pancakes for nothing!'
Suddenly, Tenchi looked up. He could have sworn he had heard a man's voice outside. His body turned cold. He rushed to the window, and his fears were confirmed.
'Why did I let her go out by herself?' He asked himself frantically as he bolted into the bedroom, frantically searching through the pile of clothes on the floor by the bedside until he finally found the Tenchi-ken. He ran out the front door and sprinted outside, hoping against hope that he wasn't already too late.
* * *
Ryouko was doing her best to block the furious attacks that the men dealt her. She dodged and weaved as they came after her in groups of twos or threes. Back flipping, weaving and running were her only tactics. 'I can't keep this up, there's just too many of them!' She realized. One man scored a hit, slashing her across her left arm with a dagger blade. The wound was shallow, but stung sharply as the blood ran down her arm.
Suddenly, two men clotheslined her, knocking her to the ground. Ryouko hit the earth with a thud, gasping as the air got knocked out of her lungs. The next thing she knew, two more men grabbed her by the shoulders, keeping her down on the ground and holding her in place by knifepoint as some of the others began to huddle around her, holding her still.
Ryouko tried to look around the men that held her in place. She could sense Masamitsu close by, she realized he was waiting for his men to wear her out and capture her before he approached. As if on cue, the men parted before her as he approached.
"Your time has come, Monster. As much as I would like to be the one to take your head and punish you for the crimes you have committed against my kin and my people, I can not. There is another who wants you more than I." He looked down at her with pitiless eyes. "Stand up." He demanded as his men roughly pulled Ryouko to her feet by her arms.
Ryouko's eyes widened as she realized that she was being used as a pawn in a bigger plan. 'What's going on here?!' She frantically asked herself.
Masamitsu sneered at his captive. "My lady wants you alive and intact, but she didn't say that you had to be delivered uninjured."
Suddenly, Masamitsu pulled his elbow back and fast as lightening, punched Ryouko in the stomach. She exhaled sharply as the wind got knocked out of her again, and would have doubled over had the two men not held her upright.
Ryouko fought a war with herself. Her mind screamed at her to fight back, to do something, but her heart still told her not to kill. Her brain also realized that without her powers, she had no chance in taking out all sixteen men and escaping with her life. 'Tenchi…' She thought longingly.
* * *
Tenchi hung in a tree above the group of men. When he had seen that they had already surrounded Ryouko, he had wanted to charge them head on and take them all down, but he knew that would have been a foolish move. He chose instead, to strategize and use stealth. He realized he might have a chance with the element of surprise, especially if he could take out the Prince, the men might forfeit the fight.
Seeing Masamitsu sucker punch Ryouko and realizing that he intended to take Ryouko as a ransom to someone else was the last straw. Tenchi realized he couldn't wait anymore. His intense concentration and anger was as focused and sharp as a blade. He ignited Tenchi-ken and said a prayer.
Tenchi suddenly let his body fall from the tree, his sword aimed at Masamitsu.
A whisper resounded in Masamitsu's mind and suddenly he knew something was wrong, the hairs on his neck standing straight up. He spun, grabbing his Key and igniting its blade in mere fractions of a second as he positioned the blade over his head, suddenly connecting with the blade of another Key.
* * *
Washu dropped her fork suddenly, her breath caught in her throat. Something was wrong, very wrong. She summoned her holotop to find the source of her uneasiness. What she saw froze her very soul.
The readouts on Washu's screen showed that a trans-dimensional portal had opened above the coordinates of the cabin where Tenchi and Ryouko were staying. 'But that's impossible…the only beings who can open such a portal are…'
"Little Washu, is something the matter?" Aeka asked as Mihoshi and Kiyone looked on with curious expressions.
Fearing the worst, Washu began furiously typing at her holotop. "Tenchi and Ryouko are being attacked, will you help me?" She begged everyone.
Aeka, Mihoshi and Kiyone could see the fear in Washu's eyes. Despite the sudden surprise, everyone nodded grimly. Washu made her final completions on her holotop and everyone was transported away in a blink of an eye, leaving the space around the table empty.
Sasami and toddler Ryo-ohki came back from the kitchen, each carrying a plate of food. Seeing no one there, Ryo-ohki asked, "Miya?" while looking quizzically at Sasami.
Sasami had a far-off look in her eyes. "It's started, hasn't it, Tsunami?" She asked quietly.
* * *
Tenchi's eyes opened wide in disbelief as he locked swords with Masamitsu in mid air. As gravity pulled Tenchi's body down to the ground, their blades still locked, the two Princes glared at each other in a serious match to attempt to shake the other's will.
"Tenchi." Ryouko said quietly. She hadn't wanted to get him involved in her fight. Even with the two of them, she wasn't sure they could defeat sixteen powers. Masamitsu's men had frozen in place, unsure of what to do in the situation. Her heart cried to her. 'It's one thing for this to happen to me, but I can't let Tenchi get hurt protecting me.'
The Crown Prince of Jurai had to tilt his head upwards to look the Prince of Umano in the eye, as he stood a good two inches taller. "Let her go!" Tenchi growled at the man. He could feel the lesser power of Masamitsu's Key and was confident that it was no match for his own. The Prince of Umano however, refused to back down.
Suddenly, the tense silence that covered the battlefield was broken when a sub-space portal opened, dropping The Princess of Jurai, two Galaxy Police Officers, and one Greatest Scientific Genius in the Universe. The confidence of Masamitsu's men began to waver under the changing circumstances.
"Hold your ground!" Masamitsu barked, still staring Tenchi in the eye.
Seeing the Prince of Umano and Tenchi with crossed swords and Ryouko being held by what appeared to be men under his command, Aeka became enraged. "What is the meaning of this, Prince Aoyama?! As the Princess of Jurai, I command you to lower your blade and release Ryouko!"
Masamitsu smirked, his brow beginning to sweat. He could feel his power beginning to slip, but chose to believe in the words of his lady. Suddenly, his body began to tingle. He wondered with a detached feeling what it could be. Before he could register it as a conscious thought, he heard himself say, "Jurai? The days of Jurai are numbered, Princess."
Aeka's mouth hung open and then shut with an audible click. Never had she heard such words in her entire life. "Very well then, traitor." She said, her force field appearing around her body. "We will fight."
"What are you waiting for? Attack!" Masamitsu yelled to his men.
Ryouko watched as all the men save the two that held her at knifepoint rushed her friends and her mother. 'No…' Her heart cried. 'No…I can't let this happen. I must fight, no matter what the repercussion.'
With a shattering scream, both Ryouko and Tenchi chose to gain the upper hands on their opponents. Tenchi spun Tsunami's ring on his finger, and in a burst of light, his clothes transformed to his primary battle suit of tan, white, and brown. The sudden insurgence of power that was granted to him was used to push Masamitsu away from him.
Meanwhile, Ryouko grabbed the wrist of each of the two men who held their daggers to her throat and twisted sharply, breaking their bones. As the men doubled over in pain, Ryouko tore the daggers out of their hands and turned around quickly, slashing each man across the hamstring, rendering them useless.
Looking around, Ryouko first made sure that Tenchi safe. They looked at each other briefly before realizing that Masamitsu's men were closing in on their friends. Kiyone dropped to one knee and fired a shot from her beam gun at the approaching force.
Ryouko panicked. "Don't kill them!" She shouted to her friends. Kiyone faltered slightly. "Just incapacitate them!" Ryouko clarified. Understanding, both Mihoshi and Kiyone made adjustments to their guns, setting them to a lower strength setting before the partners took down one man each, bolts of solid energy passing through their shoulders.
Suddenly, three men rushed Mihoshi. Aeka saw this and concentrated, channeling her energy through her tiara, and directed fierce bolts of electricity towards one of them. The bolts jumped high, arching in the air before targeting the man like a heat-seeking missile. He screamed in pain as he doubled over and fell to the ground before blacking out, giving Mihoshi the chance to pick off one of the other men as Kiyone blasted the other.
Masamitsu gathered what energy he had left in his Key and launched a volley of tightly executed thrusts at Tenchi, who took the defensive and expertly blocked each swing effortlessly. The two had both received similar Jurian training, but it was clear who the better swordsman was as Tenchi turned the tables, launching an offensive counter attack that Masamitsu had to scramble to defend.
Seven men lay broken and bruised on the battlefield but another eight men still challenged the women who stood in their way of capturing the demon. Washu was kneeling down on one knee with what looked to be a rocket launcher on her shoulder. Three men suddenly came charging at her and she squinted one eye and aimed at the man in the middle. She pulled the trigger to the massive weapon and a large rubber ball came flying out, hitting the first man in the center of the chest and knocking him back into the other two. The ball opened and released a chemical gas, causing them all to fall unconscious immediately.
"Nice shot, Little Washu!" Aeka called out as she focused another energy bolt at a new target, hitting him in the back with perfect aim. The man went down in convulsions, his clothes smoking as he skidded across the dirt.
"Aeka, watch out!" Ryouko yelled, launching her body in the air as she tackled one of Masamitsu's men who had tried to sneak up behind the Princess. Aeka watched in awe as Ryouko tumbled on the ground with him before pulling her fist back and hitting him across the temple with the hilt of one of the two daggers she held.
Meanwhile, Mihoshi and Kiyone had taken down another two combatants that had begun to run towards Aeka and Ryouko, shooting them in the knees, causing them to collapse in a pool of blood.
Finally, only two men were left, and they froze in their tracks, afraid to face the fates of their comrades. Both men suddenly turned tail and began to run towards the forest. Ryouko sprinted the short distance to Kiyone and Mihoshi, grabbed their guns from their hands and took careful aim before firing two shots, dropping both men like flies as they fell unconscious from the pain of the blasts.
Finally safe from immediate danger, the girls stopped to catch their breath. Washu ran towards Ryouko, jumping over a beaten and bloody body. "Ryouko? Are you okay?" She asked, frantically looking over her daughter for injuries. She stopped to examine her bloodied arm
"It's nothing." Ryouko shrugged it off, unconcerned for herself as she scanned the rest of her friends, checking them for injuries. She was relieved that they were all unhurt, but still felt guilty that they had fought for her sake. A loud grunt suddenly brought Ryouko back to reality.
"Tenchi!" Ryouko cried out, spinning around to see Tenchi sweating and gasping for air, but standing above Masamitsu, pointing the blade of the Tenchi-ken down at the Prince's fallen body. Masamitsu lay on his back, his Key held up in defense across his body, it's blade blinking in and out of existence. Masamitsu was bloodied, his robe in shreds from successful hits received by Tenchi's blade.
Masamitsu glanced around him, taking in the sight of his fallen men. He could not tell if they were alive or dead. 'What have I gotten them in to?' he guiltily asked himself as his vision began to waiver. 'All of this for what?'
Suddenly, a voice spoke to him, a whisper inside his head. "Are you ready for the power, Young Prince?" It asked him.
The voice was unmistakable. The mere sound of Tokimi's voice sent shivers up Masamitsu's spine. He again looked at his fallen comrades, he looked at the Princess of the Empire in which he had sworn an allegiance to. He looked at the cyan haired woman who he had been hunting for so long.
"Now is not the time for doubts!" Tokimi's voice echoed in his mind.
The next thing Masamitsu experienced was blackness as his mind shut down completely.
Tenchi's shoulders slumped as he saw Masamitsu fall unconscious. Waiting a few moments, he let his blade flicker out, sighing greatly. He turned to look at the girls. He had been able to steal glances at the battle they had waged during his own fight and saw that they had held up well. Looking over the field of fallen men, he was amazed at their capabilities.
"Tenchi! I'm so glad you're okay!" Tenchi was knocked almost off his feet as Ryouko had glomped on to him, throwing her arms around him and crying into his chest.
"Are you okay Ryouko?" Tenchi asked urgently, running his hands over her body to check for wounds. The others began to approach, giving the couple time to reunite as Tenchi held Ryouko close to him.
Aeka had to fight herself not to look away from the couple. She looked at Washu and saw motherly pride shine in her eyes as she looked at her daughter. She looked at Kiyone and Mihoshi, the former gently supporting the later as she leaned against her partner, exhausted from the battle. She looked at her family, and thanked Tsunami for their safekeeping.
* * *
Sasami sat in a plush chair in her room, the same far away look still in her eyes. Ryo-ohki was curled up in her lap. "Tenchi, be strong." She whispered.
* * *
"Little Washu, what's going on?!" Tenchi barked, holding the Tenchi-ken before him again, shifting to stand in front of the girls.
Suddenly, a dark light began to envelop Masamitsu's body. Washu's holotop popped into existence before her. Her face twisted into a shocked expression. "This isn't possible." She said flatly.
"That light is pure energy pouring through a trans-dimensional portal. The energy readings are off the scale!" Washu said. "I've never seen anything li-"
"Ryouko! Take the others and get away from here!" Tenchi demanded, cutting Washu off.
Ryouko began to argue. "But Tenchi-"
Masamitsu's body began to tremble. His muscles distorted in inhuman ways underneath his skin. The thick black light rippled and oozed, almost as if it was a solid. The light completely enveloped him, lifting him off the ground, his long back hair trailing in the dirt.
Tenchi turned to face Ryouko, his expression deathly serious. "I said go!" He barked.
The other girls looked on with confused expressions as Masamitsu's eyes began to flutter open. Ryouko gasped. They were a milky shade of blue, and his pupils held no reflection. She began to back away. Washu began to tug on her sleeve, pulling her to join the other girls near the edge of the forest.
Tenchi looked into Masamitsu's cold eyes and realized that wasn't the only thing that had changed about his rival. He also had two strange prints on either cheek, as if there were two green leaves tattooed to his face. He also had two small, red round dots inset into his brow. The blackness surrounding Masamitsu's body receded, his former torn and bloody robes of Jurian camouflage replaced with that of the final Jurian battle suit in colors of black and crimson. Tenchi began to back up. 'Those robes…they are the ones that only one who can create Light Hawk Wings would wear!'
Tenchi covered his eyes as a sudden blast of dark light erupted from Masamitsu's body. His body stopped hovering and hit the ground with a thud. He convulsed and began to cough. He slowly lifted his body up, and lurched into a standing position. He didn't say a single word.
The Crown Prince of Jurai gripped the Tenchi-ken with sweaty palms as Masamitsu held his Key in front of him. It suddenly came to life, the blade was the same blue it had been, but then it changed, from bottom to top, to a black that was darker than the depths of space.
Without warning, Masamitsu charged Tenchi, swinging his blade. Tenchi caught his blade and the two held them together, pitting their strengths. 'He…he's stronger than before!' Tenchi realized. 'Much stronger!'
Tenchi pushed backwards and backpedaled as Masamitsu launched an offensive, swinging tight but wild thrusts at his opponent. Tenchi parried, but continued to get driven back by Masamitsu's sheer power. One of Masamitsu's wild swings clipped Tenchi's shoulder, slicing through the cloth of his battle suit and drawing a thin line of blood that rushed down his arm.
Tenchi sunk low to the ground, swinging at his opponent's legs. Masamitsu jumped high as the blade of the Tenchi-ken passed underneath him, and swung downwards at Tenchi's head. Tenchi pushed off his feet and did a summersault, rolling away as Masamitsu landed, swinging into the empty space that he had occupied.
Tenchi jumped up and swung to meet Masamitsu's blade. Gathering his strength, he released an offensive attack on his opponent, a series of tight and controlled swings at Masamitsu's midsection that set him on the defensive, backing up against Tenchi's advance. Tenchi scored a hit along Masamitsu's right thigh. His suit ripped, and he began to bleed. He did a back flip and launched himself away from Tenchi, landing shakily as he favored his right leg.
'Did I injure him?' Tenchi asked himself, his heartbeat pounding in his ears, the warm trickle of blood snaked its way down his arm. He began to advance towards Masamitsu, holding his blade in front of him.
Masamitsu smirked and Tenchi's blood ran cold. The prince of Umano slid his arms in front of him and held his blade in the center of his body. His Key began to float and he positioned each hand on either side of it. He shut his eyes and channeled his energy and suddenly his key transformed into solid black matter, a sphere of darkness between his palms. Tenchi realized that he couldn't wait any longer, he launched his body at Masamitsu, jumping high into the air, his sword before him aimed at Masamitsu.
Three black propellers, manifestations of pure energy, appeared before Masamitsu as Tenchi's blade collided with the force field.
"The Wings of the Light Hawk." Ryouko said breathlessly.
"Dark Light Hawk Wings." Washu whispered as the other girls watched, gripped with fear.
"Tenchi! You need to summon your Light Hawk Wings!" Ryouko and Aeka shouted to him in unison.
Tenchi understood what he needed to do. Like Masamitsu before him, he swung his hands before him, his Key hovering between his palms as he closed his eyes to prepare for the transformation into his final battle suit.
Masamitsu didn't wait for him to complete his transformation. He sent a projectile, a dark sphere of energy that came hurtling towards him.
"Tenchi!" The girls yelled as Ryouko pounded her fists on Washu's force field.
Tenchi's body got knocked backwards by the force of Masamitsu's blow. He opened his eyes to see that his own Light Hawk Wings had activated in time and caught the projectile. He looked down to see that he was already wearing the royal pastel colors of his final battle suit, the strips of cloth around the shoulders billowing gently. Tenchi took one of the three Light Hawk Wings and ran his hand across it, turning it into a sword.
Masamitsu released two more spheres of energy at the same time. Tenchi used the two remaining propellers and the Light Hawk Sword to deflect them, sending them back at Masamitsu, who had to jump to dodge them.
The Prince of Umano snarled, enraged. He then did something that shocked Tenchi. He channeled his energy and merged his three Dark Light Hawk Wings into one massive blade. The blackness becoming so dark that it had it's own white outline. Tenchi froze, unsure of what to do, crouched low in a defensive stance.
Suddenly, Masamitsu charged, his one Dark Wing held to his side, Tenchi raised his arm to defend, but Masamitsu plowed through Tenchi, cutting through the force field his Light Hawk Wings provided and slicing him across the chest. Masamitsu stumbled and fell to the ground, exhausted.
The girls looked on in horror. "Tenchi!" They all screamed in unison.
Tenchi blinked and fell to his knees, his hands reaching to his chest wound. His final battle suit faded back to his primary suit and then that last defense faded away also, leaving him in only his jeans. He pulled away his bloody hand and collapsed to the ground on his back.
Ryouko choked on a sob. Aeka turned her head from the grisly scene, her hand placed over her mouth. Washu's mouth hung open, her eyes unblinking. Mihoshi quietly cried into Kiyone's shoulder as her partner hugged her close.
Ryouko was devastated. "Tenchi!" She cried at the top of her lungs as she suddenly walked outside of Washu's force field.
"How…did she get out?" Washu quietly asked.
Ryouko stumbled to her knees before her fallen lover. "Tenchi…Tenchi…Tenchi…" She repeated over and over, tears rolling down her cheeks.
Tenchi breathed heavily, the wound in his chest heaving, bubbling. "Ryouko…I'm sorry." He whispered. He shut his eyes, and then he stopped breathing.
Ryouko looked up to the sky and screamed a scream that echoed through the heavens before her consciousness was torn out of her body and taken away.