A/N Tenchi Muyo! is owned by AIC and Pioneer and not by me. (ending dry and dull disclaimer)
The ideas in this story are mine though and if you'd like to use or borrow them, contact me first at ring_princess@hotmail.com or ring_princess2001@yahoo.com
Thanks go out to JohnnyG for editting this, it was a large work to do! Thanks!!!
Tenchi Muyo Saga One: Fate of Empires
"Attack and Recovery"
By RingPrincess
At the Rendezvous Point
Nagi shifted in her chair aboard Ken-ohki. "Damn, I want this over with," she hissed to the cabbit. A ghostly apparition of a male humanoid flickered among the floating crystals. He shrugged slightly and didn't say anything for his mistress knew as well as he did that he felt only the same even if it was for differing reasons.
"Mark," a female Parbuteo voice snapped out, the end of her word cut off by the slight clacking of her beak.
Seemingly as one all the ships in orbit around Earth began to descend, the brightness of their engines fighting for prominence against the shields of flame that wrapped around their frames. Nagi began her own descent mere seconds after the others, noting that Duo's ship had remained aloft as planned.
Nagi smirked slightly and adjusted her hood. "Plans have a way of falling apart." She muttered to herself and Ken-ohki snorted. Their own half-sphere of flame kept most of his attention on the descent.
::Ryo-ohki!:: He cried out, trying to reach her mind. ::Ryo-ohki, answer me!::
His and Nagi's plans rested on a few factors. Ryo-ohki answering his call was one of them. He waited a few more moments, as many as he could spare as the surface of Earth came closer and closer.
::RYO-OHKI!::
::I hear you! Who are you?:: Her answer was tinted with a mixture of emotions, fear, curiosity, anger. . .
::Be prepared to fight, raise your mistress!:: He fought to keep the relief at her answer from his mind thought, fought to keep the deep disappointment that she hadn't recognized him although his heart knew that she wouldn't have. He grinned as she screamed out a battle cry. "I think Duo's plans are officially screwed."
Nagi snorted, but smiled at her partner. "Good, I so enjoy ruining other peoples day."
Then they were upon the disembarkation point.
--
Ryoko became ramrod straight as Ryo-ohki's distinctive battle cry rent the air. Her golden eyes narrowing as she set Mayuka down. "Sleep, sweet May," she whispered, and kissed the babe's head. "Mommy will protect you."
Amazingly the little girl squirmed for a few moments, settling herself and then closed her red eyes, dropping off.
Ryoko teleported out of existence, arriving next to Tenchi in a heart beat. "Tenchi, there is a fight coming!" She tugged on his arm, phasing into her battle suit as she did.
Tenchi dropped the hoe and stared at her, "Right!"
They ran together towards the lake.
--
Washu stared at her screens. The images flashing upon them couldn't be possible. Ships of every make and every species in the galaxy were descending upon the house, including another cabbit ship.
Her fingers scrambled over the keys of her holo-top. "Where is it? Where is it!" She muttered to herself and sighed when the appropriate gun dropped out of a portal into her lap. "Right! Not that I need it," she grinned fiercely and picked it up. "I wanna see how it works."
She ran from the lab and kicked the door open. "MIHOSHI!!!" she screamed. "KIYONE!!!"
The blonde was hurtling down the stairs. "I know, I'm not that great of an idiot! So stop treating me like one!" she screamed back. Then she almost choked. Shocked comprehension dawned on her face.
Washu blinked. "Uh-huh. This I got to see." she muttered and she shook her head.
Kiyone came hurtling after her partner a few moments later, gun in hand and yo-yo attached to her belt. "WAIT FOR ME!"
Washu raised an eyebrow and began to head after the two galaxy police officers, then turned to find the princesses.
--
Ryoko and Tenchi arrived at the lake as the bounty hunters began to disembark and their ships roared back into the upper atmospheres. A red headed man, his nose sprinkled with freckles and his arms brawny grinned at the two of them. "So nice of you to come greet us, Ryoko, I assure you this is only business and nothing personal."
Ryoko snorted. "I'm sure."
Mihoshi skittered to a stop next to Ryoko. "Duo!" She gasped and glared at him. "What is the meaning of this, zor!" Her blaster snapped up and was trained onto Duo's head, her finger twitched spasmodically.
Duo blinked and swallowed convulsively. "Ryoko has a price on her head and I've been sent to collect it, that's all Mihoshi, just business." It was the wrong answer.
Mihoshi's big blue eyes grew hard and her lips became a thin line. "That's all, Duo?" she growled. "There are quite a few hunters here for just collection."
"Ryoko has a deserved reputation," Duo tried to explain.
"I don't give a shit about Ryoko's reputation, Duo!" Mihoshi snarled.
Nagi shoved between the assembled hunters and they quickly moved out of her way, making a short path between her current position and the empty deck between the hunters and the hunted. She stopped in the middle and smiled at the family. She turned to Duo. "You might want to amend your words, Duo, before Mihoshi kills you."
Duo's green eyes narrowed and he growled in the back of his throat. "What is this all about, Nagi?"
"Just my job. As you said, business," she shrugged. "Nothing personal against you, Duo Hamika," A slight wind tugged at her cape allowing a short glimpse of a black and red body suit. "Ken-ohki," she whispered. "Take Ryo-ohki . . ."
"At once, my mistress," A pleasant tenor came from the back and a sudden scream startled the hunters and family alike.
"CIIIIIIAAAAAAAAAAOOOOOOOO!!!"
Ryo-ohki's fur began to bristle and she hissed at the assembled hunters, running towards them, and then she jumped into the air.
"MIIIIIIIIIIAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!" The black crystal ship screamed after the white one.
"Traitor to your own kind," a hunter spat onto the deck.
Nagi laughed pleasantly.
Ryoko took the strides forward to come up beside her. "Tell me about this bounty, Duo."
"And I might just let you live." Mihoshi hissed, Kiyone placed a restraining hand on her partner's arm, which Mihoshi shook off.
Duo stared at Mihoshi. "Mihoshi . . ." he whispered.
"Oh, don't you dare, Mihoshi me, DUO HAMIKASU!" she screamed, tears beginning to stream down her face.
Duo shivered and tore his eyes away from her. "I cannot tell you, that was part of the deal."
"Oh, in that case." Ryoko shrugged, giving a feral grin. A ball of plasma appeared in her hand and she squeezed it into her favored weapon. "You die."
Tenchi lit the Tenchi-ken, the blue blade lighting up one side of his face. "Who first?" he grinned cockily.
"You may call me a traitor, Qualeon." Nagi shrugged. "I never said I was joining you. I only said I was coming with you."
The Qualeon charged forward.
Duo held up a hand to stop him, but it was too late. "NOOOOOOO!"
--
Washu sighed as she saw the Qualeon charge forward and Nagi gutted him on a golden energy sword. The purple force whip she was famous for using nowhere in sight. "Oh, now this is going to be bloody." She sighed again and lined up her gun, praying Tenchi would forgive her for putting holes in his windows. She squeezed the trigger gently and braced herself against the recoil. A heavily pierced and tattooed bounty hunter melted from the gun's ray. "I am such a genius!" Washu cackled.
Kiyone's yo-yo whipped out and brained another hunter. Washu lifted the gun to her shoulder and touched it off, wincing as the shot took out the sliding glass door and the charging overly bulky Vorgoth on steroids she was aiming at.
Ryoko's blade moved in a blur of orange red, creating patterns one couldn't see, effectively cutting off hands, heads and any other miscellaneous appendage that got in her way. Nagi stood at Ryoko's back, the own golden blade doing the same amount of damage. She fumbled for something under her cloak.
Nagi's hand came up with a small diamond crystal and she lobbed it into the air. It gave an ear piercing off tonal shriek and shattered in all directions, miraculously missing all of the defenders.
"You traitorous scum!" a Herlus screamed.
Nagi rolled her eyes and sighed. "I said I was coming with you . . . not joining you," she repeated. "Perhaps the fine tuning of the words is beyond your comprehension." She sneered and cut him through. :Idiot.: His dropped jaw of shock following him to the afterlife. :Some never learn.: She managed not to roll her eyes and held up her hand.
Shards of crystal flew through the air, shedding droplets of blood and flesh as they did, anointing the ground without discrimination until arriving back to her palm and reassembling themselves back into the diamond formation.
Nagi caught Tenchi's startled look and winked at him. "Keep fighting boy," she shouted.
He grinned and dispatched another bounty hunter. "There's too many of them!" he shouted back. "And there's so little time!"
Washu stepped through the ruined window and sighted again on a hunter who was trying to sneak up behind Tenchi. The hunter melted into a pile of glowing red goo and Washu cackled.
"Thank you, Little Washu. You are both a scholar and a gentleman." Tenchi took a half second to bow to her, as she turned his other opponent into another pile of goo.
"Don't mention it." She whined nasally. "Just help me think of a name for this thing." She patted the gun's handle. "I know it isn't as good as my energy sword, but it is still useful."
Tenchi blinked for a few moments and shrugged.
"You know the code, Nagi!" a member of Mihoshi's race boomed across the small battlefield.
"Code!" Ryoko and Nagi exclaimed at once.
"You know there is no code for freelancers," Ryoko sneered. "Space Pirate and Hunter, even under Kagato I learned that much!"
"Especially freelancers that pay no guild dues," Nagi added and then cocked her head. "Is it my fault your security sucks?"
The hunter about choked and Nagi cut his legs out from under him. "Didn't think so," she muttered as she rammed her blade through his chest.
Washu turned the body into it's own pile of goo and sighed. :It isn't as satisfying when they are already dead for some reason. Oh well, saves on clean up.:
"Very nice weapon, Little Washu," Nagi nodded and paused for a moment.
"Very nice is no name for a weapon," Washu grimaced.
Ryoko was still at it, her back had come up against Tenchi's and they were fighting off far too many hunters than the two of them could handle, though they didn't seem to be in trouble quite yet. For what seemed like random bursts from the Galaxy Police guns were sporadically killing quite a few of their opponents.
"Is it me or are they a tad obsessed?" Washu raised an eyebrow and grinned. She dropped the gun in a convenient space portal and ignited her energy sword. Her first upward thrust divested a nearby hunter of his gun.
Nagi shrugged. "The bounty IS quite large."
::Washu!:: Ryo-ohki barged into her mind. ::Incoming!::
Washu glanced upwards, a black ship was descending, Ryo-ohki and Ken-ohki hot on its tail, smoke trailed from the overworked engines and was partially blinding the two cabbit ships.
Mihoshi screamed and shot the hunter she was fighting with in the face. Only then did anyone see that her 'random' shots had actually been clearing her a path. "NOBODY MOVE!" Mihoshi screamed.
Washu looked over, Mihoshi was standing over an obviously in pain Duo with a gun to his head. Even the ship stopped and hovered above the lake, Ryo-ohki and Ken-ohki above it, guns trained.
A hunter went for his weapon and methodically Mihoshi moved her gun from Duo's head and shot every remaining hunter down.
"I said nobody move," she muttered and stared down at Duo. "And YOU," She holstered her gun and slugged him. "That's for not taking me with you, bastard."
Duo groaned and his eyes rolled upward into his head.
Mihoshi dropped to her knees, catching him before he split his head on the planks. Tears welled up into her eyes and she supported him. "I loved you, you asshole and you left me behind," she whispered and totally lost it.
--
Ryoko's energy sword sputtered out and she looked around. Body parts littered the ground and puddles of what were once humanoids jiggled as the wind rolled across them. She shivered, her eye's widening and nostrils flaring. She could smell the death, her stomach clenched up and her throat hurt.
Tenchi dropped the Tenchi-ken, halfway to the ground it's blade hissed out of existence.
"What have we done?" he whispered, gorge rising and he fell to his knees, not noticing the blood soaking into his pants. Ryoko followed him, also kneeling upon the ground, her eyes taking in the devastation.
"Sasami, don't look," Ayeka ordered her sister, covering her eyes with her hand. Her own pink eyes were wide as she took in the death around her.
Kiyone let go of the crying Mihoshi's shoulder and gazed over her friends, noticing their reactions with years of police experience.
"They're in shock," Nagi muttered and divested herself of her cloak. "Help me, Kiyone."
Kiyone nodded. "I think there are some blankets in the house. Sasami can help me find them."
"No need, Kiyone." Washu materialized blankets for everyone, including the crying Mihoshi. Kiyone sighed in relief knowing that Washu could take care of everything from there. However, there were still three space ships hovering over the lake.
"It's being taken care of Detective Kiyone." The pleasant tenor voice from the beginning of the confrontation told her. Kiyone's head whipped about, dark teal hair flying.
She stared at this newcomer, not quite sure what to make of him. He seemed to be covered in short white fur, a wide stripe of lavender separated blonde spikes of hair. "Who are you?" She paused for a moment. "What are you?"
The odd man's ruby red eye's danced merrily. "As to who I am, I am Ken-ohki and for what, suffice to say I am a cabbit of many abilities."
Kiyone's jaw dropped. "You're a ship like Ryo-ohki!"
Ken-ohki's blush was difficult to see under the fur, and he picked at his sleeve cuff. "Yeah."
"Meow!" Ryo-ohki agreed as she switched to little girl form. "He's," her brow furrowed, pushing the red gem at the apex of her forehead out and she tried to form the words. "He's," she stopped again.
"Just like you." Ken-ohki finished for her and sighed forlornly. "Mostly," then he grinned again.
Kiyone then noticed something was missing. "The other ship!" She exclaimed looking around.
Nagi materialized in front of her. "Taken care of Detective," she nodded at Ken-ohki and smiled at Ryo-ohki, "A pleasure to see you again, Ryo-ohki."
"Meow!" The little girl replied.
Nagi blinked and glanced at Ken-ohki, who just shrugged.
"Again, Hunter Nagi?" Kiyone glanced at her sharply. "You were after Ryoko a long time ago then. I must admit this was a clever way to get rid of your competition."
Nagi laughed.
Then Kiyone noticed Nagi was wearing a new outfit. A white blouse that stopped under her chest with billowing sleeves and a high collar closed with a small yellow cats eye gem, and underneath it was a keyhole edged in gold; she wore loose black pants with red stripes down the side with black slipper boots that Ryoko was so found of. It was accessorized with a wide belt clasped with another cats eye gem, which was much larger.
"Get rid of my competition," Nagi waved her hands in front of her face, still laughing.
Ken-ohki shook his head. "She's lost it."
Kiyone's eyes widened as she noted that Ken-ohki was wearing the same style of clothes, a partially unbuttoned black shirt with billowing bishop sleeves confined by gold bands half way up the arms. A navy vest laced up the front was over the shirt and he also wore black pants over the boots and a wide belt without the huge clasp.
"I needed that." Nagi wiped away a tear.
--
Washu wrapped her daughter in a hug, debating about moving her into the house and then the diminutive scientist took a good look around and decided it would be for the best to do so.
"Tenchi," she looked over at the young man and groaned. He would be no help, his normally tan face had lost its color and his eyes were glazed over. He took no notice of any other living beings there, his eyes were on the dead ones.
Washu didn't know what to do and so she buried her head into her daughter's shoulder and cried.
"Miss Washu," Ayeka said softly, placing a delicate hand on the distraught child's shoulder.
"She's in shock as well sister," Sasami whispered.
"Sasami, I told you to go back to the house," Ayeka snapped. "I didn't want you to see any of this."
"I can't. I can't," Washu moaned.
Ayeka's gaze sprang back to Washu, her eyes turned trouble. "You can't what, Miss Washu?"
"I can't get through to her, I can't hear her," Washu moaned. "My little Ryoko," she sobbed.
"Sister, we must do something." Sasami sounded desperate; she tugged on her sister's dress.
"I'm not strong enough to lift up Ryoko." Ayeka murmured, her eyes turned away from the scene and glanced over as Nagi began to laugh at something Kiyone had said. "Miss Nagi, now is not the time to be laughing," she said softly and turned back to the more pressing situation. "Lord Tenchi," she spoke up, getting the same result as Washu.
Nothing.
Washu stood up, scrubbing the tears from her eyes. "Ayeka, help me with Ryoko."
"Really, Miss Washu, we are two…" Ayeka trailed to a stop as Washu matured into an adult, older than the first time she had taken that form, Washu was about thirty now, a beautiful thirty well toned and no wrinkles, she wore the regalia of a full Academy professor. "…Different heights," Ayeka felt she had to complete her first sentence. She paused and stared at the scientist. "Miss Washu," Ayeka breathed.
Washu moved over in front of her daughter.
Ryoko's eyes snapped into focus. "Mommy," she mouthed.
Washu started and then visibly forced the shock away from her face. "Yes, Little Ryoko, it's your mommy. I need for you to get up and go into the house."
"All right, mommy." Ryoko struggled to her feet. She closed her eyes for a moment and then looked over at Tenchi. "Tenchi," she gasped. "I won't go in without Tenchi, Mom."
"He'll be right behind you, Ayeka and I will carry him."
"Let me help."
Washu sighed. "Very well, Little Ryoko."
Ryoko shook Tenchi's shoulder. "Tenchi, mom says we need to go in the house."
Tenchi's head moved back and his warm brown eyes blinked. "Ryoko?"
Washu threaded an arm underneath Tenchi's, throwing his arm behind her back and her arm behind his. "Up you get Tenchi."
"I'll get the doors." Sasami scampered off towards the glass sliding door, then stopped. "Oh, there aren't any, never mind."
Washu grimaced as she remembered the shot that had taken the doors and a rampaging Vorgoth all at once. "Sorry about that Tenchi."
"What?" He looked over at her. "Oh, Washu, I didn't see you."
Washu sighed. :Clay was right, Tenchi really can be a blockhead.:
"That Vorgoth was too big for a member of its species," she mused aloud for a moment, earning strange looks from Ayeka and Sasami. "Random thought," she explained.
Ryoko looped her arm with Tenchi's, pulling him up the rest of the way, the blanket draped across his shoulders falling off. "I didn't see that hunter." She was ignoring the tic developing over Ayeka's left eye.
"How did you miss a Vorgoth that big?" Washu raised an eyebrow.
"I was busy Mom."
"Miss Ryoko, I must protest." Ayeka sputtered. "Tenchi can walk on his own."
Tenchi set his feet down firmly on the deck and hissed at the pins and needles sensation it caused. He hated it when his feet went to sleep.
"Well, princess I'm not about to let go so we can test your hypothesis. Besides, I need the support as well."
"Girls," Tenchi said.
Ayeka opened her mouth about to say something when a flowerpot dropped onto her head.
"This isn't a time for fighting." Washu reprimanded, she began to guide Ryoko and Tenchi into the house. "Ayeka, go into my lab and hit the blue button."
"Yes, Miss Washu."
--
Mihoshi cradled Duo, tears dropping onto his face. "Duo," she sighed.
He groaned.
"Duo!" She squeezed him tighter.
"Someone get the name of that ship?" he murmured, then his eyes opened wide, he tried to bolt out of Mihoshi's arms but she was holding to tightly.
"You go anywhere right now and I'll kill you," she hissed into his ear.
Duo stopped struggling and grimaced. "I can't, you're squeezing me."
"I didn't mean to hit you that hard."
"You were so mad at me, that it just happened." Duo sighed and pushed her arms away from him. "Mihoshi," he sat up shaking his head, which was still in pain. He reached up and fingered the bump that was forming on his temple.
"Well," she inched closer to him. "Yeah, that's it exactly. You deserved it, bastard."
"My parents are married, just like yours are," he pointed out and wrapped his arms around her.
Mihoshi giggled, her big blue eyes lighting up.
He smiled back. "You're so beautiful Mihoshi, especially when you smile," he whispered and leaned down and caressed her lips with his own.
"This is how our meeting should have went." She murmured, her breath tickling his lips before she aggressively leaned into the kiss. Mihoshi moaned, it had been so long since they had been together.
"Ahem," Nagi coughed. "I hate to break up this tender moment."
Mihoshi and Duo sprang apart, blushing. Nagi snickered looking between them. "By the great goddess, you think I care! Duo just needs to go into custody, knock him up all you want in there, Mihoshi." She gave them a wink.
Duo's fair complexion made his blush doubly worse than Mihoshi's. Nagi chuckled. "I trust you'll cooperate."
Mihoshi groaned, putting her head in her hands.
Kiyone was staring between her partner and Duo, a look of shock pasted to her face. "I don't get it."
Mihoshi's face twisted into a frown, but Nagi shook her head. "Not now, Detective."
"I know now isn't the time, Hunter Nagi." Mihoshi snapped. Duo reached out and squeezed her hand. "Come on, Duo. Let's get you put away, again," she muttered darkly. "This time no escaping without me."
"I promise," Duo smirked. "I can't promise for the others though."
"I doubt they will be a problem." Nagi muttered.
"AHHHH!" Ayeka ran screaming out of the house. "Get them away from me!" A stream of small machines that looked exactly like Washu running after her, little lasers built into their hands firing at the madly running princess, her skirts gathered into her hands and trying to dodge the late bounty hunter parts.
"I said the blue button!"
"There was three blue buttons, do something. I command you. Azaka, Kamidake, HELP!" Her ponytails were flying straight behind her.
"Don't you dare harm them!" Washu shouted, however it was too late.
The two log guardians swooped down and began dispatching the robots, gears and wires flying.
"My mechas!" Washu wailed.
Two bounty hunters and two galaxy police detectives looked at each other and shrugged.
--
Yosho brought a cup of tea up to his mouth and sipped.
"Most interesting," he murmured after setting the cup back down. He rested his hands upon his thighs. "Most interesting indeed."
--
Threads of rainbow light streamed from the leaves of the spaceship tree Funaho, the reflected off the surface of the lake. Thousands of tiny rays of light joined together and beamed upwards towards the sky, there this large ray of light stayed for a few moments before disappearing.
--
Sasami started as she felt Funaho begin her message, she stared fearfully up the mountain towards her brother's shrine. What had Yosho told Funaho to tell the family?
"Will they come again, Tsunami?"
::No.::
Sasami frowned, "Because Ryoko is only a space pirate."
::Ryoko isn't a member of the royal family.::
"They won't make us go home?"
::You weren't in danger. Ryoko was,:: Tsunami soothed.
"What makes you say that, Tsunami?"
::Because I won't let you leave yet.::
Sasami's blood rushed to her face for a moment and she shuttered the door to her mind. She didn't want to hear anymore.
--
Mayuka's eyes opened, she wiggled a few moments before noting no one was in the room to get her. This bothered her and she narrowed her eyes in concentration. She looked around the room harder. No one, not that she could really see that far.
She frowned and opened her mouth and...
"WAH!"
--
END CHAPTER!
Questions and comments should be sent to one of the emails below! Check out my websites... and tell me what you think please.
We are all caught up now with the edits, next week.. Interrogations Part One: Kiyone has some questions, can anybody answer them?
RingPrincess
ring_princess@hotmail.com
ring_princess2001@yahoo.com
http://www.angelfire.com/ny5/ringprincess/index.html
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/tenchimuyofanfiction/
http://www.thetenchireviewer.net
The ideas in this story are mine though and if you'd like to use or borrow them, contact me first at ring_princess@hotmail.com or ring_princess2001@yahoo.com
Thanks go out to JohnnyG for editting this, it was a large work to do! Thanks!!!
Tenchi Muyo Saga One: Fate of Empires
"Attack and Recovery"
By RingPrincess
At the Rendezvous Point
Nagi shifted in her chair aboard Ken-ohki. "Damn, I want this over with," she hissed to the cabbit. A ghostly apparition of a male humanoid flickered among the floating crystals. He shrugged slightly and didn't say anything for his mistress knew as well as he did that he felt only the same even if it was for differing reasons.
"Mark," a female Parbuteo voice snapped out, the end of her word cut off by the slight clacking of her beak.
Seemingly as one all the ships in orbit around Earth began to descend, the brightness of their engines fighting for prominence against the shields of flame that wrapped around their frames. Nagi began her own descent mere seconds after the others, noting that Duo's ship had remained aloft as planned.
Nagi smirked slightly and adjusted her hood. "Plans have a way of falling apart." She muttered to herself and Ken-ohki snorted. Their own half-sphere of flame kept most of his attention on the descent.
::Ryo-ohki!:: He cried out, trying to reach her mind. ::Ryo-ohki, answer me!::
His and Nagi's plans rested on a few factors. Ryo-ohki answering his call was one of them. He waited a few more moments, as many as he could spare as the surface of Earth came closer and closer.
::RYO-OHKI!::
::I hear you! Who are you?:: Her answer was tinted with a mixture of emotions, fear, curiosity, anger. . .
::Be prepared to fight, raise your mistress!:: He fought to keep the relief at her answer from his mind thought, fought to keep the deep disappointment that she hadn't recognized him although his heart knew that she wouldn't have. He grinned as she screamed out a battle cry. "I think Duo's plans are officially screwed."
Nagi snorted, but smiled at her partner. "Good, I so enjoy ruining other peoples day."
Then they were upon the disembarkation point.
--
Ryoko became ramrod straight as Ryo-ohki's distinctive battle cry rent the air. Her golden eyes narrowing as she set Mayuka down. "Sleep, sweet May," she whispered, and kissed the babe's head. "Mommy will protect you."
Amazingly the little girl squirmed for a few moments, settling herself and then closed her red eyes, dropping off.
Ryoko teleported out of existence, arriving next to Tenchi in a heart beat. "Tenchi, there is a fight coming!" She tugged on his arm, phasing into her battle suit as she did.
Tenchi dropped the hoe and stared at her, "Right!"
They ran together towards the lake.
--
Washu stared at her screens. The images flashing upon them couldn't be possible. Ships of every make and every species in the galaxy were descending upon the house, including another cabbit ship.
Her fingers scrambled over the keys of her holo-top. "Where is it? Where is it!" She muttered to herself and sighed when the appropriate gun dropped out of a portal into her lap. "Right! Not that I need it," she grinned fiercely and picked it up. "I wanna see how it works."
She ran from the lab and kicked the door open. "MIHOSHI!!!" she screamed. "KIYONE!!!"
The blonde was hurtling down the stairs. "I know, I'm not that great of an idiot! So stop treating me like one!" she screamed back. Then she almost choked. Shocked comprehension dawned on her face.
Washu blinked. "Uh-huh. This I got to see." she muttered and she shook her head.
Kiyone came hurtling after her partner a few moments later, gun in hand and yo-yo attached to her belt. "WAIT FOR ME!"
Washu raised an eyebrow and began to head after the two galaxy police officers, then turned to find the princesses.
--
Ryoko and Tenchi arrived at the lake as the bounty hunters began to disembark and their ships roared back into the upper atmospheres. A red headed man, his nose sprinkled with freckles and his arms brawny grinned at the two of them. "So nice of you to come greet us, Ryoko, I assure you this is only business and nothing personal."
Ryoko snorted. "I'm sure."
Mihoshi skittered to a stop next to Ryoko. "Duo!" She gasped and glared at him. "What is the meaning of this, zor!" Her blaster snapped up and was trained onto Duo's head, her finger twitched spasmodically.
Duo blinked and swallowed convulsively. "Ryoko has a price on her head and I've been sent to collect it, that's all Mihoshi, just business." It was the wrong answer.
Mihoshi's big blue eyes grew hard and her lips became a thin line. "That's all, Duo?" she growled. "There are quite a few hunters here for just collection."
"Ryoko has a deserved reputation," Duo tried to explain.
"I don't give a shit about Ryoko's reputation, Duo!" Mihoshi snarled.
Nagi shoved between the assembled hunters and they quickly moved out of her way, making a short path between her current position and the empty deck between the hunters and the hunted. She stopped in the middle and smiled at the family. She turned to Duo. "You might want to amend your words, Duo, before Mihoshi kills you."
Duo's green eyes narrowed and he growled in the back of his throat. "What is this all about, Nagi?"
"Just my job. As you said, business," she shrugged. "Nothing personal against you, Duo Hamika," A slight wind tugged at her cape allowing a short glimpse of a black and red body suit. "Ken-ohki," she whispered. "Take Ryo-ohki . . ."
"At once, my mistress," A pleasant tenor came from the back and a sudden scream startled the hunters and family alike.
"CIIIIIIAAAAAAAAAAOOOOOOOO!!!"
Ryo-ohki's fur began to bristle and she hissed at the assembled hunters, running towards them, and then she jumped into the air.
"MIIIIIIIIIIAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!" The black crystal ship screamed after the white one.
"Traitor to your own kind," a hunter spat onto the deck.
Nagi laughed pleasantly.
Ryoko took the strides forward to come up beside her. "Tell me about this bounty, Duo."
"And I might just let you live." Mihoshi hissed, Kiyone placed a restraining hand on her partner's arm, which Mihoshi shook off.
Duo stared at Mihoshi. "Mihoshi . . ." he whispered.
"Oh, don't you dare, Mihoshi me, DUO HAMIKASU!" she screamed, tears beginning to stream down her face.
Duo shivered and tore his eyes away from her. "I cannot tell you, that was part of the deal."
"Oh, in that case." Ryoko shrugged, giving a feral grin. A ball of plasma appeared in her hand and she squeezed it into her favored weapon. "You die."
Tenchi lit the Tenchi-ken, the blue blade lighting up one side of his face. "Who first?" he grinned cockily.
"You may call me a traitor, Qualeon." Nagi shrugged. "I never said I was joining you. I only said I was coming with you."
The Qualeon charged forward.
Duo held up a hand to stop him, but it was too late. "NOOOOOOO!"
--
Washu sighed as she saw the Qualeon charge forward and Nagi gutted him on a golden energy sword. The purple force whip she was famous for using nowhere in sight. "Oh, now this is going to be bloody." She sighed again and lined up her gun, praying Tenchi would forgive her for putting holes in his windows. She squeezed the trigger gently and braced herself against the recoil. A heavily pierced and tattooed bounty hunter melted from the gun's ray. "I am such a genius!" Washu cackled.
Kiyone's yo-yo whipped out and brained another hunter. Washu lifted the gun to her shoulder and touched it off, wincing as the shot took out the sliding glass door and the charging overly bulky Vorgoth on steroids she was aiming at.
Ryoko's blade moved in a blur of orange red, creating patterns one couldn't see, effectively cutting off hands, heads and any other miscellaneous appendage that got in her way. Nagi stood at Ryoko's back, the own golden blade doing the same amount of damage. She fumbled for something under her cloak.
Nagi's hand came up with a small diamond crystal and she lobbed it into the air. It gave an ear piercing off tonal shriek and shattered in all directions, miraculously missing all of the defenders.
"You traitorous scum!" a Herlus screamed.
Nagi rolled her eyes and sighed. "I said I was coming with you . . . not joining you," she repeated. "Perhaps the fine tuning of the words is beyond your comprehension." She sneered and cut him through. :Idiot.: His dropped jaw of shock following him to the afterlife. :Some never learn.: She managed not to roll her eyes and held up her hand.
Shards of crystal flew through the air, shedding droplets of blood and flesh as they did, anointing the ground without discrimination until arriving back to her palm and reassembling themselves back into the diamond formation.
Nagi caught Tenchi's startled look and winked at him. "Keep fighting boy," she shouted.
He grinned and dispatched another bounty hunter. "There's too many of them!" he shouted back. "And there's so little time!"
Washu stepped through the ruined window and sighted again on a hunter who was trying to sneak up behind Tenchi. The hunter melted into a pile of glowing red goo and Washu cackled.
"Thank you, Little Washu. You are both a scholar and a gentleman." Tenchi took a half second to bow to her, as she turned his other opponent into another pile of goo.
"Don't mention it." She whined nasally. "Just help me think of a name for this thing." She patted the gun's handle. "I know it isn't as good as my energy sword, but it is still useful."
Tenchi blinked for a few moments and shrugged.
"You know the code, Nagi!" a member of Mihoshi's race boomed across the small battlefield.
"Code!" Ryoko and Nagi exclaimed at once.
"You know there is no code for freelancers," Ryoko sneered. "Space Pirate and Hunter, even under Kagato I learned that much!"
"Especially freelancers that pay no guild dues," Nagi added and then cocked her head. "Is it my fault your security sucks?"
The hunter about choked and Nagi cut his legs out from under him. "Didn't think so," she muttered as she rammed her blade through his chest.
Washu turned the body into it's own pile of goo and sighed. :It isn't as satisfying when they are already dead for some reason. Oh well, saves on clean up.:
"Very nice weapon, Little Washu," Nagi nodded and paused for a moment.
"Very nice is no name for a weapon," Washu grimaced.
Ryoko was still at it, her back had come up against Tenchi's and they were fighting off far too many hunters than the two of them could handle, though they didn't seem to be in trouble quite yet. For what seemed like random bursts from the Galaxy Police guns were sporadically killing quite a few of their opponents.
"Is it me or are they a tad obsessed?" Washu raised an eyebrow and grinned. She dropped the gun in a convenient space portal and ignited her energy sword. Her first upward thrust divested a nearby hunter of his gun.
Nagi shrugged. "The bounty IS quite large."
::Washu!:: Ryo-ohki barged into her mind. ::Incoming!::
Washu glanced upwards, a black ship was descending, Ryo-ohki and Ken-ohki hot on its tail, smoke trailed from the overworked engines and was partially blinding the two cabbit ships.
Mihoshi screamed and shot the hunter she was fighting with in the face. Only then did anyone see that her 'random' shots had actually been clearing her a path. "NOBODY MOVE!" Mihoshi screamed.
Washu looked over, Mihoshi was standing over an obviously in pain Duo with a gun to his head. Even the ship stopped and hovered above the lake, Ryo-ohki and Ken-ohki above it, guns trained.
A hunter went for his weapon and methodically Mihoshi moved her gun from Duo's head and shot every remaining hunter down.
"I said nobody move," she muttered and stared down at Duo. "And YOU," She holstered her gun and slugged him. "That's for not taking me with you, bastard."
Duo groaned and his eyes rolled upward into his head.
Mihoshi dropped to her knees, catching him before he split his head on the planks. Tears welled up into her eyes and she supported him. "I loved you, you asshole and you left me behind," she whispered and totally lost it.
--
Ryoko's energy sword sputtered out and she looked around. Body parts littered the ground and puddles of what were once humanoids jiggled as the wind rolled across them. She shivered, her eye's widening and nostrils flaring. She could smell the death, her stomach clenched up and her throat hurt.
Tenchi dropped the Tenchi-ken, halfway to the ground it's blade hissed out of existence.
"What have we done?" he whispered, gorge rising and he fell to his knees, not noticing the blood soaking into his pants. Ryoko followed him, also kneeling upon the ground, her eyes taking in the devastation.
"Sasami, don't look," Ayeka ordered her sister, covering her eyes with her hand. Her own pink eyes were wide as she took in the death around her.
Kiyone let go of the crying Mihoshi's shoulder and gazed over her friends, noticing their reactions with years of police experience.
"They're in shock," Nagi muttered and divested herself of her cloak. "Help me, Kiyone."
Kiyone nodded. "I think there are some blankets in the house. Sasami can help me find them."
"No need, Kiyone." Washu materialized blankets for everyone, including the crying Mihoshi. Kiyone sighed in relief knowing that Washu could take care of everything from there. However, there were still three space ships hovering over the lake.
"It's being taken care of Detective Kiyone." The pleasant tenor voice from the beginning of the confrontation told her. Kiyone's head whipped about, dark teal hair flying.
She stared at this newcomer, not quite sure what to make of him. He seemed to be covered in short white fur, a wide stripe of lavender separated blonde spikes of hair. "Who are you?" She paused for a moment. "What are you?"
The odd man's ruby red eye's danced merrily. "As to who I am, I am Ken-ohki and for what, suffice to say I am a cabbit of many abilities."
Kiyone's jaw dropped. "You're a ship like Ryo-ohki!"
Ken-ohki's blush was difficult to see under the fur, and he picked at his sleeve cuff. "Yeah."
"Meow!" Ryo-ohki agreed as she switched to little girl form. "He's," her brow furrowed, pushing the red gem at the apex of her forehead out and she tried to form the words. "He's," she stopped again.
"Just like you." Ken-ohki finished for her and sighed forlornly. "Mostly," then he grinned again.
Kiyone then noticed something was missing. "The other ship!" She exclaimed looking around.
Nagi materialized in front of her. "Taken care of Detective," she nodded at Ken-ohki and smiled at Ryo-ohki, "A pleasure to see you again, Ryo-ohki."
"Meow!" The little girl replied.
Nagi blinked and glanced at Ken-ohki, who just shrugged.
"Again, Hunter Nagi?" Kiyone glanced at her sharply. "You were after Ryoko a long time ago then. I must admit this was a clever way to get rid of your competition."
Nagi laughed.
Then Kiyone noticed Nagi was wearing a new outfit. A white blouse that stopped under her chest with billowing sleeves and a high collar closed with a small yellow cats eye gem, and underneath it was a keyhole edged in gold; she wore loose black pants with red stripes down the side with black slipper boots that Ryoko was so found of. It was accessorized with a wide belt clasped with another cats eye gem, which was much larger.
"Get rid of my competition," Nagi waved her hands in front of her face, still laughing.
Ken-ohki shook his head. "She's lost it."
Kiyone's eyes widened as she noted that Ken-ohki was wearing the same style of clothes, a partially unbuttoned black shirt with billowing bishop sleeves confined by gold bands half way up the arms. A navy vest laced up the front was over the shirt and he also wore black pants over the boots and a wide belt without the huge clasp.
"I needed that." Nagi wiped away a tear.
--
Washu wrapped her daughter in a hug, debating about moving her into the house and then the diminutive scientist took a good look around and decided it would be for the best to do so.
"Tenchi," she looked over at the young man and groaned. He would be no help, his normally tan face had lost its color and his eyes were glazed over. He took no notice of any other living beings there, his eyes were on the dead ones.
Washu didn't know what to do and so she buried her head into her daughter's shoulder and cried.
"Miss Washu," Ayeka said softly, placing a delicate hand on the distraught child's shoulder.
"She's in shock as well sister," Sasami whispered.
"Sasami, I told you to go back to the house," Ayeka snapped. "I didn't want you to see any of this."
"I can't. I can't," Washu moaned.
Ayeka's gaze sprang back to Washu, her eyes turned trouble. "You can't what, Miss Washu?"
"I can't get through to her, I can't hear her," Washu moaned. "My little Ryoko," she sobbed.
"Sister, we must do something." Sasami sounded desperate; she tugged on her sister's dress.
"I'm not strong enough to lift up Ryoko." Ayeka murmured, her eyes turned away from the scene and glanced over as Nagi began to laugh at something Kiyone had said. "Miss Nagi, now is not the time to be laughing," she said softly and turned back to the more pressing situation. "Lord Tenchi," she spoke up, getting the same result as Washu.
Nothing.
Washu stood up, scrubbing the tears from her eyes. "Ayeka, help me with Ryoko."
"Really, Miss Washu, we are two…" Ayeka trailed to a stop as Washu matured into an adult, older than the first time she had taken that form, Washu was about thirty now, a beautiful thirty well toned and no wrinkles, she wore the regalia of a full Academy professor. "…Different heights," Ayeka felt she had to complete her first sentence. She paused and stared at the scientist. "Miss Washu," Ayeka breathed.
Washu moved over in front of her daughter.
Ryoko's eyes snapped into focus. "Mommy," she mouthed.
Washu started and then visibly forced the shock away from her face. "Yes, Little Ryoko, it's your mommy. I need for you to get up and go into the house."
"All right, mommy." Ryoko struggled to her feet. She closed her eyes for a moment and then looked over at Tenchi. "Tenchi," she gasped. "I won't go in without Tenchi, Mom."
"He'll be right behind you, Ayeka and I will carry him."
"Let me help."
Washu sighed. "Very well, Little Ryoko."
Ryoko shook Tenchi's shoulder. "Tenchi, mom says we need to go in the house."
Tenchi's head moved back and his warm brown eyes blinked. "Ryoko?"
Washu threaded an arm underneath Tenchi's, throwing his arm behind her back and her arm behind his. "Up you get Tenchi."
"I'll get the doors." Sasami scampered off towards the glass sliding door, then stopped. "Oh, there aren't any, never mind."
Washu grimaced as she remembered the shot that had taken the doors and a rampaging Vorgoth all at once. "Sorry about that Tenchi."
"What?" He looked over at her. "Oh, Washu, I didn't see you."
Washu sighed. :Clay was right, Tenchi really can be a blockhead.:
"That Vorgoth was too big for a member of its species," she mused aloud for a moment, earning strange looks from Ayeka and Sasami. "Random thought," she explained.
Ryoko looped her arm with Tenchi's, pulling him up the rest of the way, the blanket draped across his shoulders falling off. "I didn't see that hunter." She was ignoring the tic developing over Ayeka's left eye.
"How did you miss a Vorgoth that big?" Washu raised an eyebrow.
"I was busy Mom."
"Miss Ryoko, I must protest." Ayeka sputtered. "Tenchi can walk on his own."
Tenchi set his feet down firmly on the deck and hissed at the pins and needles sensation it caused. He hated it when his feet went to sleep.
"Well, princess I'm not about to let go so we can test your hypothesis. Besides, I need the support as well."
"Girls," Tenchi said.
Ayeka opened her mouth about to say something when a flowerpot dropped onto her head.
"This isn't a time for fighting." Washu reprimanded, she began to guide Ryoko and Tenchi into the house. "Ayeka, go into my lab and hit the blue button."
"Yes, Miss Washu."
--
Mihoshi cradled Duo, tears dropping onto his face. "Duo," she sighed.
He groaned.
"Duo!" She squeezed him tighter.
"Someone get the name of that ship?" he murmured, then his eyes opened wide, he tried to bolt out of Mihoshi's arms but she was holding to tightly.
"You go anywhere right now and I'll kill you," she hissed into his ear.
Duo stopped struggling and grimaced. "I can't, you're squeezing me."
"I didn't mean to hit you that hard."
"You were so mad at me, that it just happened." Duo sighed and pushed her arms away from him. "Mihoshi," he sat up shaking his head, which was still in pain. He reached up and fingered the bump that was forming on his temple.
"Well," she inched closer to him. "Yeah, that's it exactly. You deserved it, bastard."
"My parents are married, just like yours are," he pointed out and wrapped his arms around her.
Mihoshi giggled, her big blue eyes lighting up.
He smiled back. "You're so beautiful Mihoshi, especially when you smile," he whispered and leaned down and caressed her lips with his own.
"This is how our meeting should have went." She murmured, her breath tickling his lips before she aggressively leaned into the kiss. Mihoshi moaned, it had been so long since they had been together.
"Ahem," Nagi coughed. "I hate to break up this tender moment."
Mihoshi and Duo sprang apart, blushing. Nagi snickered looking between them. "By the great goddess, you think I care! Duo just needs to go into custody, knock him up all you want in there, Mihoshi." She gave them a wink.
Duo's fair complexion made his blush doubly worse than Mihoshi's. Nagi chuckled. "I trust you'll cooperate."
Mihoshi groaned, putting her head in her hands.
Kiyone was staring between her partner and Duo, a look of shock pasted to her face. "I don't get it."
Mihoshi's face twisted into a frown, but Nagi shook her head. "Not now, Detective."
"I know now isn't the time, Hunter Nagi." Mihoshi snapped. Duo reached out and squeezed her hand. "Come on, Duo. Let's get you put away, again," she muttered darkly. "This time no escaping without me."
"I promise," Duo smirked. "I can't promise for the others though."
"I doubt they will be a problem." Nagi muttered.
"AHHHH!" Ayeka ran screaming out of the house. "Get them away from me!" A stream of small machines that looked exactly like Washu running after her, little lasers built into their hands firing at the madly running princess, her skirts gathered into her hands and trying to dodge the late bounty hunter parts.
"I said the blue button!"
"There was three blue buttons, do something. I command you. Azaka, Kamidake, HELP!" Her ponytails were flying straight behind her.
"Don't you dare harm them!" Washu shouted, however it was too late.
The two log guardians swooped down and began dispatching the robots, gears and wires flying.
"My mechas!" Washu wailed.
Two bounty hunters and two galaxy police detectives looked at each other and shrugged.
--
Yosho brought a cup of tea up to his mouth and sipped.
"Most interesting," he murmured after setting the cup back down. He rested his hands upon his thighs. "Most interesting indeed."
--
Threads of rainbow light streamed from the leaves of the spaceship tree Funaho, the reflected off the surface of the lake. Thousands of tiny rays of light joined together and beamed upwards towards the sky, there this large ray of light stayed for a few moments before disappearing.
--
Sasami started as she felt Funaho begin her message, she stared fearfully up the mountain towards her brother's shrine. What had Yosho told Funaho to tell the family?
"Will they come again, Tsunami?"
::No.::
Sasami frowned, "Because Ryoko is only a space pirate."
::Ryoko isn't a member of the royal family.::
"They won't make us go home?"
::You weren't in danger. Ryoko was,:: Tsunami soothed.
"What makes you say that, Tsunami?"
::Because I won't let you leave yet.::
Sasami's blood rushed to her face for a moment and she shuttered the door to her mind. She didn't want to hear anymore.
--
Mayuka's eyes opened, she wiggled a few moments before noting no one was in the room to get her. This bothered her and she narrowed her eyes in concentration. She looked around the room harder. No one, not that she could really see that far.
She frowned and opened her mouth and...
"WAH!"
--
END CHAPTER!
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We are all caught up now with the edits, next week.. Interrogations Part One: Kiyone has some questions, can anybody answer them?
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