Disclaimer can be found in Parts 1 and 2.
A/N: I just want to say thanks again to the awesome support of all the people who have taken the time to stop and read my story, and a extra special thanks to these reviewers...YOU GUYS ROCK!
tenchigurl
LitoKyomi
Athina Dark-Angel of Death
Nercia Genisis
Ayeka's Heart
Tuppence
Lil'Mershu-chan
The little joobana
AnimeManiac09
DarthRoden
ni9htdreame12
Memories Past
Part 6:
As Tenchi's eyes came to rest on the beaten and bloodied form of Ryoko he absently took note of his surroundings. It looked like the bridge of the Souja, the ship that he and the others had fought and beaten Kagato on.
It looked exactly as it did on that day so long ago. Except that now there was a new addition to the ship. One that made Tenchi's stomach twist and turn in pain.
For right in the center of the bridge, suspended by two thin, blue, glowing strips of cord, one on each wrist, hung a battered and bloodied Ryoko.
Her once bright blue spiky hair now hung dull and limp around her face. Some of it was matted down on her forehead by what looked like dried blood.
Walking slowly towards Ryoko, Tenchi looked in shock at the damage that had been inflicted on her body. Small gashes, with dried blood caked around them, appeared all along her arms and legs. Blood had also flowed and dried around a tear in the front of Ryoko's outfit.
It looks like a sword wound, Tenchi thought to himself in shock, his chest constricting in pain.
Tenchi walked up to Ryoko, and stopped right in front of where she hung, three feet above his head.
Ryoko hung silently from the two cords, seemingly lifeless.
"Ryoko," Tenchi called out, his voice cracking. "Ryoko, please answer me...open your eyes and tell me that you're alive."
No answer came to him as Ryoko continued to hang quietly from the two cords.
"Please Ryoko...open your eyes...Ryoko…RYOKO!" Tenchi screamed, falling to his knees, and pounding the floor with his fists.
"It's not true! She's not dead!" Tenchi cried out.
Tears of pain and anger came to his eyes, but Tenchi hastily wiped them away, and looked back up at the woman who had come to mean so much to him.
"I'm sorry Ryoko...I didn't make it in time...I got here too late...I failed you...I'm sorry…"
Then the tears that Tenchi had been trying to hold back began to fall. He didn't try to stop them this time. He sat down on the cold, hard floor and just let the tears of anguish and pain flow. He then wrapped his arms around himself in a vain attempt to stop the chill that had entered his body.
"Why Ryoko...why did you have to leave me...especially when I've finally realized and accepted the important role that you play in my life...when I've finally realized that I love you...why did you leave me Ryoko...why…?" Tenchi slowly trailed off, his hands falling to his side, and his head hanging dejectedly.
I can't believe that she's gone...Ryoko...what should I do now? How do I face Washu? How can I tell her that I failed to save her daughter after I gave her my word that I would? How do I go on living knowing that I failed to save you Ryoko...that when you needed me the most I wasn't there for you...I…I just don't know what to do anymore...
"Tenchi…" A feather-soft whisper came to his ears.
Tenchi raised his head, and looked around, wondering if he had really heard something.
"Tenchi…"
There it was again...Tenchi slowly raised his head towards Ryoko and gasped out loud at what he saw.
Ryoko's cat-like eyes were open and staring straight at him. There was a half-amused, half-pained smile on her face. Then he heard the words that caused his heart to beat with new life and his pulse to race with joy.
"What took you so long Tenchi...I've been waiting for you forever."
"Ryoko!" Tenchi shouted in joy as he jumped to his feet. "You're alive…" he breathed out softly, scarcely believing what he was seeing.
The heavy cloud of grief that had hung over him just moments before lifted.
"Of course I am Tenchi...I could never leave you," Ryoko said, a full smile now on her face. "I knew that you would come...I knew that I just had to keep on fighting and not give up...you're always there for me Tenchi...you're always there when I need you the most."
"Ryoko..." Tenchi said as a huge smile appeared on his face. "I'm so happy that you're still alive...I thought that you were dead and that I had lost my chance...I've wasted so much time...so much time… but no more! After I free you we're getting out of here, and I'm going to tell you all of the things that I should have told you so long ago...but this isn't the time or the place for any of that...right now I've got to find a way to get you down from there."
Tenchi began to look around for something...anything to cut Ryoko down with. Suddenly, a very disturbing thought occurred to him, and he turned back to Ryoko, an apprehensive look on his face.
"What exactly happened to you Ryoko? How did you get like this? Miss Washu said that you were infected by some kind of virus...but how can a virus," here Tenchi waved his arms at Ryoko, "do this? How did it do this to you?"
"I believe that I can answer your questions Lord Tenchi." A voice that Tenchi had thought he would never hear again, spoke up from behind him, sending shivers up and down his spine.
"My, my, my...but it has been a long time since we last met...I so enjoyed the time we spent together the last time...you cut my heart in two when you left so suddenly...quite literally I might add."
Tenchi continued to keep his back to the voice, knowing that if he turned around his suspicions about the speaker would be confirmed.
No…it can't be true...he can't really be here...he can't be real...
Tenchi's eyes sought out Ryoko's, and when he saw the anger and disgust in them directed at the person behind him, he knew that it was true.
The monster who had almost destroyed Ryoko's life, and brought an entire empire down on its knees, now stood directly behind him.
Tenchi gritted his teeth in anger, and clenched his fists tightly at his side. Slowly he began to turn until he came face to face with a man he had thought he would never see again.
"Kagato," Tenchi said, his voice full of barely controlled rage.
"Lord Tenchi," KV replied, a sick little smile on his face. "It's so nice to see you again."
"I thought that I'd killed you, you sick bastard," Tenchi got out between tightly clenched teeth.
"Think of me as a weed...I just keep coming back." KV's smug smile widened at his own joke.
"Well I'll make sure that you don't come back this time!" Tenchi shouted, bringing his fist up and around to connect with KV's face.
"NO TENCHI!" Ryoko screamed, her golden eyes opening wide in horror. "DON'T DO IT!"
However it was too late, for even as Ryoko called out her warning, Tenchi's fist was already making contact with KV's jaw.
An electrifying jolt of energy, like a thousand pinpricks, shot through Tenchi's arm and spread throughout his body. The force of the shock was so great that Tenchi could feel his feet leave the ground and his body fly across the room. He landed with a loud thump against a wall and slowly slid down it until he lay sprawled on the ground. Everywhere hurt. Tenchi opened his eyes and tried to make out the images around him, but they were all blurry. He tried to get to his feet, but a sharp pain shot through his back, and down his legs, and Tenchi slid back down against the wall, his breath coming in short, painful puffs.
"I'm rather disappointed in you Lord Tenchi," KV's mocking voice penetrated the pain-filled haze that filled Tenchi's mind. "Even our dear Ryoko put up a much better fight than you. Alas...it looks as if I have no choice but to kill you."
KV had walked right up to Tenchi as he spoke, and now stood directly in front of Tenchi's prone body.
KV then raised his right arm, palm out, and a long gleaming sword appeared in it. He smiled a sickly sweet smile at Tenchi, before pointing the sword directly at Tenchi's heart.
"It has been fun Lord Tenchi. Unfortunately for you your time is up." KV pulled back the sword and prepared to run Tenchi through with it.
Tenchi could only sit and watch in horror as the Kagato virus prepared to kill him. The shock he had received from punching the virus's face had short-circuited a few things in his body, making it almost impossible to move without feeling excruciating pain.
As KV began the downward thrust of the sword that would surely end his life, everything around Tenchi seemed to go into slow motion.
Tenchi looked up and over the shoulder of the insanely grinning face of the Kagato Virus, to the terror-stricken face of the woman he loved.
As his eyes locked with hers, a gentle, almost peaceful smile came to his face, and he mouthed the words that were in his heart.
I love you Ryoko...
Ryoko had been watching with a growing sense of doom as KV had approached Tenchi. That feeling had intensified when she saw KV raise his hand and call upon his sword. Then when she saw Tenchi look up and mouth the words that she had always wanted to hear she felt her heart break.
This can't be happening...
He can't die like this...
Tenchi…can't…DIE!
Suddenly a stong wind began to pick up and massive amounts of power began to crackle throughout the entire ship.
The sword, which was about to impale Tenchi, was ripped from KV's grasp and flung across the room, to land on the ground several feet away.
"What the…" KV exclaimed, looking around for the source of the freak windstorm. He looked all around, his victim momentarily forgotten, until his eyes came to rest on Ryoko.
For the first time since entering Ryoko's mind, Tenchi saw a look of fear cross the virus's face.
Tenchi craned his neck around KV's legs to get a closer look at what could possibly be frightening the virus so much.
What he saw made his heart sing with joy and relief.
For right in the center of the room, surrounded by a bright blue light, red energy sword in hand, wearing her red and black battle suit, and a huge cat-ate-the-mouse smile, stood Ryoko.
Then in her most sultry voice, Ryoko said to KV, "I think that it's time for you and me to settle our score."
Then the light around her got even brighter and her blade grew even longer.
Ryoko released a loud battle cry, before she rose up off of her feet and charged KV in what was sure to be a world-shattering fight...
That'll be continued in the next chapter :-)
A/N: Thanks for reading everyone...the next chapter will be up soon...ja ne :-)