Akemi Akibi: *author beams at reviewer's comments* Wow! You liked it that much? I'm flattered! And I don't mind that you like to tease me, everyone else does (although I'm not sure why). Keep it coming! ^_^
Jillian: I'm glad you thought it was cool! ^_^
Chapter 15-- A Fearful Revelation
Dammit! Where in the hell is that path?! Tenchi growled under his breath as he crashed through the thick vegetation that rose up all around him. His heart beat wildly against his chest and his arm throbbed relentlessly as he continued forward, breaking free of the brush a few seconds later. He stopped between two rows of bushes and whipped his head back and forth in confusion. Why the hell can't I concentrate? The crown prince wondered. Sighing in frustration at his sudden loss of memory, Tenchi reluctantly chose the path to the right, swiveling quickly around and moving forward only to stop in self doubt. Maybe it's the other way, he thought veering back around and heading left down the path.
The crown prince traveling briskly along this new path, his eyes straight ahead, focused more on getting Ayeka back to the ship than his surroundings. Because of this, his usually sharp eyes neglected to see an exposed root from a nearby tree, his foot striking it's gnarled mass causing Tenchi to come crashing down toward the ground. Out of reflex, the crown prince stretched out his free arm to stop his fall only to cry out in agony as the weight of not only his body but Ayeka's bore down on his injured right arm.
The crown prince released his hold on the princess and collapsed onto the ground, cradling his wounded arm. Tenchi rested his head against the cool earth, clenching his eyes as a wave of nausea consumed him. He remained like this for several seconds, hoping and waiting for the pain to pass. When he felt well enough to open his eyes again, he found himself staring into Ayeka's flushed face.
"Ayeka." Tenchi whispered softly, his face contorted in worry and sorrow.
The crown prince gritted his teeth, fighting against the throbbing torture that seemed to be spreading throughout his body, and brought his knees forward, rising up off the ground with his good arm. He shuffled next to her, his injured arm cradled against his chest. Leaning back on his calves, Tenchi reached out and gently touched Ayeka's face.
The princess's eyelids fluttered open, her lips moved, trying to form words but none came as her eyes closed once more and her lips grew still.
Tenchi looked at her in concern, slowly and reluctantly pulling his hand away from her face. This is my fault! I failed her once, I won't fail her again! Tenchi vowed. With grim determination, he wrapped his left arm around Ayeka's waist and rested his head under her left shoulder. Slowly and with great pain, Tenchi rose to his feet. Standing still, he closed his eyes, calmed his heart and opened his mind, searching for the familar energy of his grandfather. A few seconds later, he opened his eyes and smiled.
"Hang on Ayeka. Just a little bit farther and we'll be back on the Akuna." Tenchi whispered in a reassuring tone as he turned to the side and started forward, this time in the right direction.
******
Ryan's keen eyes followed the erratic movement of the shadow's rapidly advancing form. A sense of rage flowed through the kenshin's body, his anger over the attacks on his friends fueling his adrenaline as he braced for the shadow's first move.
Come on you bastard, let's see how you do when your opponent knows you're here!
As if to answer Ryan's mental challenge, a flash of yellow light erupted from the shadow's right hand, extending well past his body.
Ryan's eyes widened in surprise. What the hell? His mind cried as he instinctively brought his weapon upward, parrying the shadow's downward swing. Instantly, Sunuka closed the small gap between the two, attacking relentlessly with a constant fury of lunges and calculated swipes meant to limit the kenshin to defensive options with no chance of a counter attack. Ryan was driven backwards by Sunuka's blinding speed and unpredictable pattern of attack.
The strain and pressure of maintaining a constant defensive position began to take it's toll. Ryan could feel his energy slowly decreasing with each block he made. His arms were growing weary, his body drenched in seat and his breath was becoming more labored by the second. What's wrong with me? I've never felt exhausted like this before. Ryan thought in fear and anger as his blade blocked a vicious swipe aimed at his midsection. I don't know how much longer I can keep this up.
The kenshin parried a lunge Sunuka made to his left and was able to sneak in a quick counter strike that threw Sunuka to the side. But no sooner had the shadow's feet touched the ground, did the small man vanish into thin air.
Ryan did not move from his stance, taking in several deep breaths as his narrowed eyes scanned the woodland area around him. A flash of warning entered his consciousness. Jesus! He's right behind me! Quick as lightning, Ryan whirled around and tilted his blade to the side, blocking a strike that seemed aimed for his head. But the move left his torso exposed. Ryan realized too late his error as Sunuka took his free hand and raked his claws across the kenshin's chest, tearing the flesh wide open. Blood exploded form the wounds, the pain and ferocity of the attack forcing Ryan backwards.
The kenshin had no time to assess the extent of damage inflicted upon his tissue as Sunuka charged at him, his yellow blade aimed straight for Ryan's heart. In a surge of desperation, Ryan freed his left hand from the hilt of his weapon and fired a quick blast of energy, the green orb striking the smaller man square in the chest. The force of the blast lifted Sunuka off his feet, rocketing him backwards into the heavy brush that littered the area, the sounds of branches breaking in his wake.
*****
"How much longer is this going to take Washu?" Ryoko asked. The space pirate was seated beside Washu, her right arm propped up, her chin resting in her palm and her face a picture of boredom.
Washu didn't answer right away, her brow furrowed in concentration as her slender fingers flew across the keyboard. "If your friend hadn't given us an encrypted disc, I would have had this up ten minutes ago." She replied in irritation a few seconds later.
"How was I supposed to know that's what he gave us?" Ryoko counted defensively, dropping her arm and turning to her right to glare at the short scientist. "He probably did it to cover his ass in case the disc fell into the wrong hands."
"Hn." Was all Washu could muster as she continued to work furiously on decoding the disc.
Ryoko slumped in her chair, resting her head on the cushioned head rest and sighed. Why can't anything simple ever happen to me. Why must everything be so damn difficult?! She wondered as she closed her eyes, disgusted at the whole situation.
A sudden exclamatory cry by Washu caused her to open her eyes.
"I've done it!"
Ryoko lifted her head and righted herself, leaning towards the computer for a closer look.
The screen was ablaze with color. A collection of detailed paragraphs and photos spread across the monitor and both women gasped at what they saw. There before them, lay the complete history of the kenshin. From his birth to his most recent assignment, everything that Ryan had accomplished and suffered was there to see. Both ladies spent several minutes reading the information, too shocked to speak.
Washu was the first to recover. "How in the hell did Kusara get a hold of this?"
Ryoko didn't answer. She couldn't. She was lost in the words pasted before her. Intimate details of Ryan's past. Events too heartbreaking and horrifying to imagine. Oh Ryan! Ryoko thought sadly, why didn't you tell me?
"Ryoko?" Washu repeated, tapping the young woman on the arm.
Ryoko blinked in response, shaking her head slowly, trying to clear her thoughts. "What?" she asked, her voice distant as she turned to face the red haired woman beside her.
"This is Ryan's personnel file from the Jurai Information Ministry."
"And?" Ryoko asked, her eyes brimming with confusion.
Washu let out a growl of irritation. "So this file can only be accessed on Jurai itself. The release of this type of information to the general public is prohibited save for an order from the council of Jurai or the emperor or empress respectively. And judging from what I read, I find it highly unlikely that was allowed. So the question remains. How did Kusara get his hands on this?"
Ryoko gazed down at her hands and bit her lip.
Washu noticed this and asked, "Do you know how he got this?"
The space pirate sighed but did not raise her head. "Kusara belongs to an underground information network. Dealing in stolen goods, it's the best way for him to come into contact with possible buyers. Anything and everything illegal makes it's way through the network. Including information such as this." She replied tilting her head towards the screen.
Washu frowned. "And the police don't know about this?"
"Of course they do but the frequency changes every week and with innumerable possibilities, they can never decipher the code in time. They don't have the time or the manpower to pursue it so they don't."
"Interesting. I never knew that." Washu said, returning her attention to the screen.
Feeling self conscious and slightly ashamed, Ryoko explained. "I'm not proud knowing about it Washu." She said softly, bringing her head up to stare at the screen as well.
"Don't worry about it Ryoko. I don't hold it against you. It makes sense for you to know about such things. After all you spent a great deal of time among thieves. Therefore you were more knowledgeable of their activities." Washu replied, scrutinizing the screen.
Ryoko threw her a sideways glance but said nothing as Washu continued.
"Well we know the how but not the why." She added as she continued to read the information before her.
"Is there anything else we can look at? Another page perhaps?" Ryoko asked.
"Yes there is." Washu replied with a smile as she tapped on a button beyond her right pinkie finger.
Instantly, another page appeared, this time without pictures but with much more recent information.
"Dear God." Washu murmured as she read down the page.
Ryoko was shocked speechless.
Neither could believe what they were reading.
Gathering her composure, Ryoko stood up. "I've got to find Ryan." She said in a voice of urgency.
Washu rose as well. "Tell him to prepare for departure. We've got to get out of here. The sooner the better."
Ryoko ignored the commanding tone in Washu's voice, acknowledging her request with a nod. She turned and headed for the door only to stop when Sasami's frantic voice blasted through the ship's intercom system. "Somebody come quick! Something's happened to Tenchi and Ayeka!"
****
Ryan disengaged his weapon and leaned against the trunk of a nearby tree, his breath escaping in ragged bursts. His whole body ached and his chest throbbed with an intensity that made the kenshin grit his teeth. Ryan raised his left hand to his chest and ripped open his oxford shirt, the buttons shooting violently off in all directions from the force of the tug. Looking down, he could see four crimson lines oozing with blood. The cuts were deep but not life threatening. Ryan lowered his hand and scrutinized his surroundings.
"I know you're out there shadow. Show yourself." He challenged the still night air.
"I think not, Ryan of the kenshin." A low voice said from above him.
Ryan snapped his head up and pushed off the trunk, whirling around. His widened eyes caught a glimpse of black before it vanished into nothingness. The kenshin kept his eyes about him, his senses on full alert. He could feel a drop in the shadow's energy and smiled. So I managed to hurt him. Good. "Such a lack of manners." Ryan chided in the dark. "You know my name but neglected to mention yours."
The shadow let out a small laugh. "Yes, how uncivilized of me." He replied. "I am Sunuka, master of shadow. A bounty hunter by trade." He added, his tone filled with pride.
Ryan frowned. A bounty hunter? What the hell is a bounty hunter doing attacking Tenchi and Ayeka? "And does that include the attempted murder of innocent citizens?"
There was a pause and Ryan began to wonder if Sunuka had fled the scene when the shadow replied, "Your friends were a little warm up for me. The perfect bait to draw you out into the open. But not much of a challenge I'm afraid. You certainly didn't train the girl very well kenshin."
Ryan's eyes widened in surprise. Just how much does he know about me?
As if reading his thoughts, Sunuka said, "I know many things about you kenshin. Your past, your time on Earth, even your weakling emotion of love for the woman called Ryoko"
At the mention of his beloved, all the pain and fatigue that radiated within his body vanished, replaced by a controlled rage as his eyes grew dark and his voice became hard. "Whatever problems you have, take them up with me. My friends have nothing to do with this."
But Sunuka did not relent. His voice grew condescending as he replied, "Is that what you call her? Your friend? From what I've been told, Ryoko is much more than that to you. Much more indeed."
Ryan scowled at the insinuation, no matter how close to the truth it was.
"Oh well," Sunuka continued. "It doesn't matter I suppose. Soon you'll be too dead to care one way or another."
Ryan smirked. "Bold words Sunuka. Why don't you come out and back that up." He challenged, switching his weapon from his right to his left hand. Engaging the blade, Ryan stood ready to make his stand. But no attack came Instead the sound of Sunuka's laughter erupted all around him. "What's so funny?!" Ryan shouted out, his smirked turning into a frown.
"Fool." The shadow replied in a sneering tone. "I don't have to lift a finger against you. You're already dead."
Ryan narrowed his eyes and clenched his jaw. "What are you talking about?" He growled, his anger growing by the second at Sunuka's mind games.
"My claws do more than tear flesh open kenshin." Sunuka replied in a low voice. "Something your friends know all to well by now."
Ryan blanched, looking down at his torso in sudden dread, his heart pounding against his chest as he realized his mistake. Oh God! Tenchi and Ayeka! His mind cried as Ryan disengaged his weapon and took off heading back for the ship only to suddenly find Sunuka blocking his path, his sword at the ready.
"Going somewhere?" Sunuka asked.
Ryan engaged his blade in response, his face twisted in rage as he lunged forward attacking Sunuka with a ferocity the shadow have never seen before. And for the first time in his life, the bounty hunter was afraid.
*****
Ryoko turned around, startled by the fear in Sasami's voice. Running over to the intercom, the space pirate tapped her index finger against the small green tab. "Sasami where are you?" She asked, hoping the evenness of her tone would calm the young lady.
But the princess replied in the same distressed tone. "In the entryway! Hurry!"
"We'll be right there." Ryoko replied removing her finger from the tab as her eyes tracked the movement of Washu. The scientist had grabbed a small machine off her desk and quickly made her way to Ryoko. The space pirate rested her hand on Washu's shoulder and the two vanished, reappearing seconds later inside the entry corridor of the Akuna. Their eyes met those of a frightened Sasami who was kneeling between Tenchi and Ayeka. The crown prince was face down on the ground, his breath coming out in shaky bursts and his face was flushed. Ayeka was upon her back, suffering from the same problem. Both appeared to be unconscious.
"What happened here?" Ryoko asked, crouching down in front of Sasami, her eyes full of concern. There life energy is so weak, as if they're dying. She thought, but kept it to herself as she waited for the princess to answer.
Sasami shook her head. "I don't know Ryoko. I was in my room getting ready for bed when I heard a voice inside my head. It was Ayeka calling out for help. So I ran as fast as I could and I.. found them like that." She answered in a flurry of emotion, tears brimming in her eyes as she looked down at her sister and her friend.
Ryoko reached out and placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "It's all right Sasami. They will be okay. I know they will."
Sasami brought her face up, her features brightening. "Are you sure?"
Ryoko smiled at her. "Of course kid. Would I lie to you?"
Sasami gave her a weak smile then turned her head suddenly as she noticed Yosho, Kamedaki and Azaka rushing towards them.
Ryoko followed Sasami's gaze and stood up to give Washu room.
"What's going on?! What's happened to them?" The trio asked in unison, their concerned eyes focused on the prince and princess. Azaka kneeled down beside Tenchi as Kamedaki did beside Ayeka. Both men studying the state of their friends bodies.
Washu, who had kneeled between the prince and princess, ran the machine over Tenchi twice before turning to Ayeka and repeating the procedure. "Kamedaki," She began addressing the red haired knight who brought his gaze up to meet hers. "Would you be so kind as to gently turn Ayeka onto her side for just a moment." She instructed, her voice clinical, but her eyes lined with worry.
Kamedaki complied with her request, gently lifting Ayeka off the ground and to the side. Her back now exposed, everyone gasped.
"What happened to her?"
"She's been stabbed." Washu replied softly, signaling the knight to place her back to her original spot.
"And Tenchi?" Sasami asked, her eyes fixed on the crown prince's bloodied arm.
"He appears to have been attacked by someone or something with claws." She replied distantly, her eyes focused on her machine, waiting with baited breath for the results. When the information flashed on the micro screen, the scientist's face grew pale and her eyes widened in shock.
Ryoko noticed this. "What is it? What's wrong?" She asked, her voice tinged in fear.
Washu bolted up. "Azaka, Kamedaki pick up Tenchi and Ayeka. We've got to get them to my lab right now before it's completely in their system!" She said urgently.
Ryoko didn't like the fear emanating in Washu's voice. "Tell me Washu, What's wrong with them?"
The scientist turned to her, her voice hollow and distraught. "They've been poisoned."
Well I know this is a short chapter and kind of crappy but for me it's the best I can do right now. The creative juices just weren't flowing to well for this installment. Next chapter: Will Tenchi and Ayeka make it to the lab in time? Will Ryan survive his confrontation with Sunuka and just what was in that informational disc that has Ryoko and Washu so upset? Check back in a week or two to find out!