All characters are property of AIC and Pioneer LCD. This story line is based on the Tenchi Muyo OVA. It is not my intentions to rip off other peoples' work so if this story resembles another, it does so inadvertently.
Chapter 3
Tenchi dashed to Washu's side. He knew that Washu was hurt badly. The little scientist was conscious but in pain. Tenchi tried to comfort Washu but he was unsuccessful.
"What's going on?" Mihoshi asked sleepily as she stood next to Ryoko.
"Mihoshi! Get away from her!" Ayeka yelled. Mihoshi was running immediately. She didn't know whom she was running from but judging by the urgency in Ayeka's voice, she knew she needed to move fast. Ryoko was standing still and looking in Tenchi and Washu's direction.
"How could you?!" Sasami screamed incredulously.
"Like this." Ryoko answered as she raised her hand at Tenchi. Tenchi was in a cold sweat instantly as Ryoko cast her emotionless gaze upon him. Ryoko was knocked forcefully to the ground. Ayeka stood with her shield raised.
"I will never let you harm Lord Tenchi. Never in a million years." Ayeka vowed. Ryoko shook her head as she stood. She turned towards Ayeka. Ryoko stepped to within inches of Ayeka's shield. She threw a hard right into Ayeka's barrier. Her strike bounced harmlessly away.
"Ha! You can't get to me in here." Ayeka boasted. Ryoko stood her ground calmly. She looked over the princess's defensive shield for a few seconds before she looked to Ayeka. Ayeka became uneasy as she noticed how Ryoko's once joyful eyes now appeared cold and lifeless. Ryoko's mouth spread into a demonic grin.
"I don't have to smash the carton in order to break the eggs inside." Ryoko stated. Ayeka was worried. Ryoko extended her hand and a red field surrounded Ayeka's shield. Ayeka tried to expand her shield but was unable to match Ryoko's strength. Ryoko laughed softly to herself as she lifted Ayeka off the floor with her unseen hand.
"Let me go!" Ayeka demanded.
"HAHAHA!" Ryoko laughed even harder. Ryoko rammed her shield into a nearby wall. Ayeka couldn't withstand the force of impact and collided with the inside of Ryoko's shield. Ryoko rammed her shield into another wall and then the floor. Ayeka was badly battered. Ryoko's laughter filled the room. Ryoko suddenly became distracted. She turned and caught the full brunt of an energy discharge fired by Washu. Ryoko was blasted through two walls before she slammed into a wall that couldn't be broken. She fell to the base of the wall and remained motionless. Washu was breathing heavily as she leaned on Tenchi.
"We need to get out of here." Washu explained. Mihoshi ran to Tenchi's side and helped carry Washu. Once Ryoko was hit by Washu's attack, her field surrounding Ayeka collapsed. Ayeka was beaten but could still walk on her own. Sasami rushed to her sister and helped her out of the lab as best as she could. As Washu limped through the door, a faint noise could be heard in the quiet of the lab. Ryoko was chuckling as she stood again.
"Close the door!" Washu ordered once everyone was in the living room. Tenchi quickly grabbed the doorknob and pulled the door shut. Washu brought her hands in front of her and her keyboard appeared. She typed for a short while then stopped. Washu lowered her hands and her keyboard disappeared.
"What did you do?" Ayeka asked.
"I removed the subspace portal that connected the door of the broom closet to my lab. She won't be able to come here." Washu finished. Washu looked around. Bruises were starting to appear on Ayeka. Washu examined herself. Her clothes were torn and singed. Her skin was burning from where Ryoko's attack landed. Her back ached terribly from where she hit the table. Washu limped to the couch and let out a whimper when she sat.
"What's wrong with Ryoko?" Mihoshi managed just before she burst into tears. Washu sat quietly. Tenchi helped Ayeka to the couch before he sat next to her. Sasami sat on the other side of Ayeka. All eyes were on Washu. Washu leaned back and looked towards the ceiling. She closed her eyes.
"That wasn't Ryoko." Washu said.
* * *
Ryoko enjoyed destroying most of Washu's equipment and experiments but it wasn't long before she became bored. Most of the lab was either on fire or destroyed all together from Ryoko's onslaught. The lab was in such poor shape that it took Ryoko a few moments to get her bearings. She had already tried to leave the lab by the way she came in but she wasn't able to make the door reappear. Ryoko sighed as she looked over the debris that used to be one of Washu's favorite laboratories.
"This isn't fun anymore." Ryoko thought out loud. Ryoko knew that Washu's lab was on another planet far from earth but she didn't know which one. Ryoko lifted off of the floor of Washu's lab and phased herself as she flew through layers of rock and dirt. It wasn't long before Ryoko emerged from beneath the surface of the planet. It was night and three moons were high in the sky with another on the horizon. Ryoko tried to figure out where she was. Ryoko gave up when she realized it didn't make any difference. She turned to a group of lights that twinkled on the horizon. The warm glow of the night sky confirmed the existence of a fairly large city not too far away. Ryoko smiled when she thought of all the things that she wanted to do.
"Let's have some fun." She thought to herself. Ryoko flew towards the city.
* * *
"Didn't you just hear a word I said?!" Washu yelled through a subspace channel.
"We appreciate the information you have provided but there have been no reports that suggest that anything as terrible as you have described has been let loose." A man on the other side of the subspace channel advised.
"Are you just going to sit there and do nothing?" Washu asked while trying to calm down.
"Miss Hakubi, there is no way we can detain a person unless that person has committed a crime or we have credible evidence that a person is going to commit a crime." The man spoke.
"This person is going to do something much worse than commit a crime. If you don't act now to evacuate the area in the vicinity of Shiss, there is going to be a disaster the likes of which you have never witnessed." Washu urged.
"We appreciate the information you have given us. We'll do our best to keep a look out for the person you have described." The man finished before the channel closed.
"You IDIOT!" Washu yelled as she punched the screen.
"What now, Little Washu?" Tenchi asked.
"We are going to have to stop her." Washu said.
"How are we going to do that?" Ayeka asked.
"I'm not sure yet but we can't waste anymore sitting here. We need to get to Crixus as fast as we can." Washu said as she turned for the door. Everyone else was about to follow except Washu stopped before stepping through the doorway. Washu turned to face the group once more.
"I really don't know what to say about this situation. I don't know what is wrong with Ryoko. Her actions are extremely violent and seemingly random. I hope I can get to her before it's too late. However, I don't have any right to expect any of you to come with me. If I can't stop Ryoko, I may be forced to hurt her...or worse. That is something I wouldn't want anyone here to have a hand in." Washu finished.
"We'll get Ryoko back, Little Washu. Even if it's the last thing I do." Tenchi vowed. Washu smiled.
"I'm coming too." Sasami said with unusual determination.
"I won't have a little girl involved in such a serious matter." Washu said. Sasami was about to object.
"However, Sasami isn't a normal little girl." Washu said with a smile. Sasami smiled back.
"As a Detective First Class of the Galaxy Police, it is my duty to assist and protect all inhabitants of Planet Earth." Mihoshi spouted after drying her eyes.
"Ryoko's on Crixus." Washu pointed out. Mihoshi thought for a few seconds.
"It is my duty to assist and protect all inhabitants of Earth...and Crixus." Mihoshi corrected. Washu sighed. Everyone turned his or her attention to Ayeka. Ayeka smiled mischievously.
"I'm not letting Ryoko get away with what she did to me. I owe her two." Ayeka pointed out.
"I'm sure if there is a way to save Ryoko, we will find it. Now, let's go. We can't waste anymore time." Washu said. Everyone hurried out the front door. Shortly afterwards, Ryo-Ohki blasted into sky and towards Crixus. Noboyuki walked down the steps towards the living room. He sat his briefcase on the floor and continued to adjust his tie. He stopped fidgeting and remained still.
"It sure is quiet this morning." Noboyuki thought out loud.
* * *
Ryoko walked down the streets of the city instead of flying in her usual fashion. She wanted to blend in with the crowds for a short while. She walked up to a storefront window and looked inside. There were many clothes on display. Ryoko looked to her left to see a couple admiring some of the same garments she was looking at. Ryoko walked away. She had taken a few steps when she looked over her shoulder back at the couple. The two were holding hands. Ryoko felt rage burn through her. She planted her feet firmly against the ground in order to compensate for the kick of her blast. She raised her right hand almost parallel to the ground. Ryoko was preparing to draw power from the gems when she had a moment of doubt. Ryoko lowered her hand and stood up straight as the feeling passed. She watched the couple until they walked into the store. Ryoko turned and made her way down the street. She was confused about what just happened. A small ship came to an abrupt halt next to Ryoko. Three teenage boys caught sight of Ryoko from down the block.
"Hey cutie! Do you want to go for a ride?" One of the boys yelled out.
"Yeah! It will be a real good time." The driver added. Ryoko smiled seductively and approached the ship from the front. The boys couldn't believe their luck. Ryoko stopped just in front of the ship.
"Come on, sweet thing. There is nothing to be afraid of. We won't bite." The boy in the front passenger seat said. Ryoko laughed. She lifter her left foot and kicked out the front right headlight of the ship.
"MY SHIP!" The driver yelled. He leaped out of the driver's seat and ran around to the front of the ship to survey the damage. The boy quickly faced Ryoko who was still laughing softly to herself. The boy became angry.
"You dirty li'l.." The boy said as he slapped Ryoko as hard as he could. Ryoko looked surprised but unhurt.
"YEOWWW!" The boy howled as he grasped his right wrist. Ryoko's face was apparently much harder than the boy had figured. Ryoko burst into almost uncontrollable laughter. The other two boys jumped from the back seat and charged Ryoko. The boy on the right threw a left hook at Ryoko's head while the boy on the left threw a straight right to Ryoko's gut. Both boys' attacks bounced off Ryoko as though she were made of concrete. The two boys were in shear agony from smashing their hands on Ryoko. Ryoko was laughing so hard that she could barely stand. The boys stumbled for their ship.
"Not..HAHA not so fast." Ryoko called out as she tried to regain composure. The boys didn't listen. Ryoko stopped laughing but an excited smile still lit her face. Ryoko raised her right hand in front of herself and began to draw power from the gems. The energy collected in her hand into a ball of white pulsing light. Ryoko let loose her attack. The ball of light rammed into the ship and exploded with terrible force. The blast was so powerful that the ship was vaporized and the two-story building behind it was reduced to rubble. Ryoko laughed at the fate of her would-be attackers. The more she thought about the irony of them attacking her, the more comical it became. Ryoko laughed long and hard.
* * *
Ryo-Ohki was making her best speed towards Planet Crixus. Washu's gaze panned from video screen to video screen as she looked for any news from Shiss on Crixus. One of the screens turned red with "NEWS ALERT" centered on the screen. Washu hit a few buttons and the red screen enlarged and audio was added. Washu's head sank when she heard of the report of a large explosion in the center of Shiss. Tenchi walked up next to Washu and looked at the screen. He turned his attention to Washu.
"Did Ryoko do that?" Tenchi asked. Washu didn't look up but she shook her head to confirm Tenchi's fears.
"How could she?" Ayeka asked. Another screen popped up in front of Washu. A green-haired lady in Royal Jurain robes stared out from the screen with a sour expression.
"Grand ma?" Sasami asked with disbelief.
"Good Evening Lady Seto. Is there anything I can do for you?" Washu asked.
"It's getting late. Do you know where your daughter is?" Lady Seto replied. Washu's expression matched Lady Seto's.
"Ryoko's power is to blame but not Ryoko herself." Washu stated. Lady Seto remained silent as she awaited an explanation.
"Spectral readouts indicate that the power is indeed Ryoko's but the nature of her attacks are not comparable to anything I've ever seen from her before." Washu explained.
"What does that mean?" Lady Seto asked.
"It means that there is something else involved. Something was able to take control of Ryoko, evade being detected by me and had intimate knowledge of the gems and their potential." Washu summarized. Everyone looked at Washu inquisitively. Lady Seto did not look satisfied.
"Please keep me informed of any changes." Lady Seto said before closing the channel.
"She isn't in a good mood." Ayeka noted. Sasami shook her head in agreement.
"If Ryoko isn't to blame, then who is?" Tenchi asked.
"It's still to early to tell. I will know shortly." Washu said.
"How will you know?" Mihoshi questioned.
"I'm going to have a little talk with Ryoko." Washu said.
"You are going to do WHAT?" The group sounded off in unison. Washu didn't reply.
"Are you crazy?" Ayeka spouted.
"No." Washu replied.
"You were hurt the last time you were that close to Ryoko, Miss Washu." Sasami pointed out. Washu looked at Sasami.
"Yes I was but I won't be caught off guard again." Washu promised. Sasami didn't look any more at ease. Washu turned back to the view screens and watched for changes in the situation.
"Crixus is less than ten minutes away. Everyone had better prepare themselves." Washu said calmly.
* * *
Ryoko sat on some stairs of a government building and watched as emergency vehicles rushed into the havoc that she had just created. At the same time, even more people fled in the opposite direction. Watching the two tides of humanity flow against one another was something Ryoko had not seen in years. No one seemed to notice Ryoko sitting.
"They look like bugs." Ryoko observed. Ryoko remembered a situation a long time ago where she kicked a nest of dirt beetles. The beetles automatically started work on rebuilding the nest. Ryoko thought how odd it was that the insects didn't panic or show any hostile intent upon noticing the damage to their home. Ryoko kicked the nest again to see if she could get a rise out of them. However, the beetles just redirected their work to include the more recently destroyed portion of their home. Ryoko lost interest in such boring creatures. Ryoko snapped out of her daydream and watched as the tide of people running away from her handiwork slowed and the tide running towards it became more rapid.
"These people aren't near as efficient as those bugs. Let's see how well they handle this." Ryoko thought out loud. Ryoko cupped her hands. This time she drew twice as much energy from her gems than she did on her previous assault. The blast she unleashed laid waste two city blocks. A giant burning scar was etched into the ground in the middle of downtown. The liquid flow of people moving on the street in front of Ryoko became dammed as terror gripped the city. People ran in every direction. Ryoko saw one of the emergency workers stand in the street. Everyone was running and screaming around him but he just stood and looked at the carnage that unfolded before him. Ryoko was interested in this man and wondered what he was doing. She transported herself to just behind him. The man took his helmet off of his head and lowered it to his side. The helmet slipped from his hand and clacked against the pavement. The man suddenly looked weary and sat in the middle of the street. He drew his knees to his chest and wrapped his arms tightly around them.
"I wasn't expecting that." Ryoko said with surprise.
* * *
Ryo-Ohki set down on the outskirts of town. People were streaming out of the city. The streets and skies were filled with evacuees and emergency craft.
"This place looks like a war zone." Mihoshi noted.
"I remember the legends grand pa told me about Ryoko but I never thought she was capable of this." Tenchi said with astonishment.
"She's capable of a lot more than what you see now." Washu said. Everyone felt the hair rise on their neck.
"Ryoko isn't actually bent on destruction. She's just playing around." Washu stated.
"How could any one person call this 'play?!" Ayeka yelled.
"Children are prone to break things while trying to figure out the world around them. Can you imagine a four-year-old with almost divine powers?" Washu asked rhetorically. Everyone understood what Washu was getting at.
"Ryoko is similar to that right now. She has little perception of right or...." Washu stopped suddenly. She looked towards the city. A dazzling flash of light illuminated the sky followed by smoke and debris flying in all directions. Finally, a thunderous blast ripped through everyone's ears and shook the ground. Everyone ducked for cover except for Washu. She stood and continued to look towards the middle of the city.
"What have you done?" Washu whispered.
* * *
A group of armed men ran down the street. They took up positions around Ryoko.
"Put your hands in the air!" One of the men yelled through a bullhorn.
Ryoko was still reclining on the steps of the government building. Ryoko looked up at the men surrounding her. She could see from the expressions on the men's faces that they were determined but they were scared as well. She grinned and stood. Ryoko's red and black battle suit replaced her yellow and blue dress.
"I said put your hands in the air." The man said again. The man's bullhorn split in two and flew out of his hand. Ryoko didn't look like she had changed her stance. She stood on the steps with her arms folded.
"I heard you the first time." Ryoko stated. The armed men instinctively opened fire. Their shots bounced off of a field that appeared only when a round deflected off of it. Ryoko remained unchanged. When it became obvious that their attacks weren't having any effect, one of the men made a call over a radio. A group of five men that were lined up in the street repositioned to the far side of the street. A few seconds later. A tank-like ship came to an abrupt halt in front of the government building. Its turret whipped around and pointed at Ryoko.
"Hey. That's big." Ryoko commented. The tank fired but Ryoko stood her ground. Ryoko's arm extended in front of her and she gripped the tank's projectile in her hand. The armed men were dumbstruck.
"Back at ya!" Ryoko quipped as she pitched the shell back at the tank with the same force the tank fired it at her. The round pierced the tank's armor effortlessly. The tank leaned away from Ryoko for a second then exploded. The armed men were terrified. The area between the buildings became engulfed in smoke from the fallen buildings and the burning tank. Nothing could be seen. The commander of the armed men was about to order his men to fall back when Ryoko's laughter boomed from inside the smoke. Ryoko flew into the sky and stopped at a point to where she could look down on all the armed men. She singled one man out from the group. He was standing near the burning tank. Ryoko sped down towards the street. She then blazed towards her target. She produced her orange blade and sliced the man neatly in two. The man fell dead in street. Ryoko laughed happily at her accomplishment. Her orange blade vanished from her hand. Ryoko looked at her right hand with surprise. She jumped as though she was trying to become airborne but she remained on the ground. Ryoko looked shocked. The commander noticed Ryoko's expression and rallied his men to his position. Ryoko turned and ran down the street.
"After her!" The commander ordered. Ryoko ducked around a corner to another street. The soldiers gave chase. They didn't see Ryoko as they came around the corner but the continued to run down the street. They eventually came to a large intersection and Ryoko still was nowhere to be seen. The men all stopped and looked around.
"Above!" One of the men called out upon seeing Ryoko floating high above the intersection.
"Now that I have all of you rounded up into a nice tight group, I think I'll wipe you off the face of this planet. Then again, maybe I'll just shove you deep inside it." Ryoko stated matter-of-factly. The commander tried to get his men to spread out but it was too late. Ryoko unleashed a barrage of high-energy attacks into the group of soldiers below then finished them off with an attack similar to one she used earlier. Ryoko paused after her attack to admire her work. The buildings lining the street leaned towards the massive crater left by Ryoko's assault. Ryoko didn't have to see the street to know that no one survived. The grin disappeared from Ryoko's face. She drifted back down to the street. She changed back into her blue and yellow dress before walking away from the large crater that she just made.
* * *
Tenchi, Washu and the others ran around the corner of the street that Ryoko had just attacked. The crater that was blasted into the middle of the street still smoldered. One of the buildings started to lean towards the street. The group took a collective gasp and they all were about to run in the opposite direction when the building stopped moving.
"Did they try to bomb Ryoko?" Mihoshi asked.
"I'm afraid not, Mihoshi. Look at the rim of the crater. This was caused by hundreds of focused blasts, not one big one. Ryoko unleashed a merciless salvo." Washu explained. The group tried to see into the crater but smoke obscured whatever was at the bottom.
"Let's keep moving. I'm fairly sure I don't want to see what's in there." Washu instructed. The group moved quickly passed the crater. The smoke was suffocating. Tenchi tried to breathe through his sleeve with minimal success. Sasami was coughing loudly. Ayeka extended her shield around the group in order to push away the smoke. Suddenly, soft laughter could be heard through haze. Washu hurried through with everyone else close behind. The group emerged from the cloud to see Ryoko floating a foot off the ground only a little way down the street. She had her arms crossed and was facing away from the group. Ryoko's sinister laughter confirmed that she knew they were there. Washu started to walk towards Ryoko. Sasami ran up behind Washu and tried to prevent Washu from going any further. Washu looked behind herself to see Sasami looking up at her pleadingly. Washu smiled and patted Sasami's hand to let her know that she was going to be all right.
"Don't worry little girl. I'm not going to hurt her…yet." Ryoko spoke sharply.
"Little girl?" Washu thought to herself. She didn't understand why Ryoko said that but she continued on for a few more steps before she stopped only about two meters behind Ryoko.
"You've been busy." Washu noted bitterly.
"Not really. Time is but one of many things I've been killing today." Ryoko pointed out.
"Are you afraid of me?" Washu asked. Ryoko's arms unfolded and came down to her sides. Her fists were balled.
"Not anymore." Ryoko answered. Washu tried to make since of the strange things Ryoko was saying.
"Then why don't you face me?" Washu asked again.
"You are not worth my direct attention." Ryoko responded. Ryoko launched herself backwards until she split the original distance between herself and Washu. Washu took a step back then paused. Ryoko chuckled to herself.
"Are you afraid of me?" Ryoko asked. Washu didn't answer. Silence passed for a few moments.
"ARE YOU AFRAID OF ME?" Ryoko yelled.
"I have no reason to fear Ryoko." Washu answered. Ryoko chuckled to herself again.
"Cryptic answers are what I expect from you. You speak half truths because you think I'm not entirely myself right now." Ryoko explained.
"Excellent deduction. Now I know you are not Ryoko." Washu stated.
"Well maybe I am and maybe I'm not. However, who I am is of little consequence right now. What is of significance is how you plan to stop me." Ryoko challenged. Washu remained silent. Ryoko turned to face Washu. Ryoko didn't look like her normal playful self any longer. Her squinted white eyes, her wicked smile and her heavy breathing made Ryoko look like evil incarnate. Washu was almost taken aback by her daughter's appearance but she remained calm.
"I'm worth you attention now?" Washu asked mockingly.
"No, but she is." Ryoko said as she pointed directly at Ayeka.
More to come…