Author's note: I do not own the rights to the Tenchi characters, nor certain others who might be recognized in this story.
No Need For Kiyone and Mihoshi
Chapter 1:
Kiyone stormed angrily into the Masaki house. Her face and clothes were covered in soot. Mihoshi was trailing beseechingly behind her.
"I'm sorry, Kiyone! I'm sorry!" She cried miserably.
"You're ALWAYS sorry Mihoshi!" Kiyone yelled, turning on her. You never pay attention, but you're always sorry! It happens too many times and I'm sick of always having more work than when I started because of YOUR screw-ups!
"It'll take me two days to take that generator apart and get it fixed now!
"Now..." She told her partner. "I'm going to get some clothes and take a long soak in the onsen, and then I need to get back to trying to fix that generator. And YOU, Mihoshi are going to STAY OUT OF MY WAY!"
With that she left a forlorn looking Mihoshi standing alone in the entryway.
Kiyone tried to relax in the onsen, but could not quite get her mind off her frustrations. Mihoshi... What did I do to be cursed with you?
When Kiyone finished with her bath, she dried off and put on her change of clothes. She reached for the door handle, dreading the return to the outside world. She turned the handle, but instead of the exit, the door opened up to a strange place, the likes of which she had never seen before. A white fog was all around her and as she turned around, the onsen had vanished. All around her was nothing. Nothing save one solitary figure.
OKaaay... Kiyone thought. This is strange even for this house... I must have fallen asleep in the bath and I'm dreaming now. Alright... I'll play along. She approached the lone figure, who was holding some sort of staff. As she got closer, she could see the other figure was a woman about her age. Her hair was a dark green and she was wearing what looked like some kind of sailor's suit and a dark skirt.
"Hello...?" Kiyone asked. The woman seemed to smile knowingly at her. "Excuse me...? Could you tell me where I am? What this place is?"
"A crossroads of sorts you might say." The woman answered her.
Kiyone frowned. Why does every answer in a dream have to be wrapped in a riddle? She wondered. Why can't I just get a straight answer for once?
"Well... Since this is my dream. Would you mind telling me who you are?"
The other woman smiled as if humoring her. "I am the guardian of this place."
Kiyone sighed in frustration. Great! Another answer leading me nowhere.
"Maybe I'm someone who could grant you a wish." The other suggested. "Your partner, Mihoshi... Would you like me to take you to a world where you wouldn't be partnered with her anymore?"
When do we leave? Kiyone thought. "Sure..." She said, not believing a word of it. "Let's see what paradise looks like."
"Very well detective." The guardian said as she raised her staff. "Be careful what you wish for..." The large red orb on her staff glowed brightly and the world changed in a flash.
Kiyone looked around her. It appeared to be about midday and the wail of sirens could be heard. They were somewhere in a crowded city, but Kiyone couldn't place the scene. "Where on Earth are we?"
"We aren't on Earth." Her companion stated, gesturing Kiyone's attention to the hovercars in streets. Kiyone saw it and then looked up to see a blue sky with two moons overhead. At just that moment, another hovercar; this one with GP markings, screamed past them, missing them both by inches.
"Hey! You idiot!" Kiyone shouted after it. "You nearly ran us over!"
"I'm afraid he can't hear you Kiyone." Her companion said. "Infact, no one can see or hear us." She added. "But let's see where he was in such a hurry to get to..." She followed as the orb glowed once more.
They reappeared amidst a scene of chaos. Kiyone looked to see a hovercar smashed headlong into the front of a bank building.
"Oh great!" Kiyone overheard one of the officers. "Another Mihoshi special! The chief is gonna love this!" The officer muttered.
Kiyone turned to her companion in irritation. "So we've come all this however long way just so you can show me Mihoshi making another disaster?"
"You misunderstand detective. This was no accident." The other woman told her. "This was quite deliberate I assure you."
To emphasize her words, she directed Kiyone's attention to the front door of the bank, where a grim faced Mihoshi Kuramitsu was ushering out a dazed suspect into the arms of the waiting officers.
Mihoshi holstered her weapon and wiped her brow as an unwelcome voice spoke up.
"Well, well... Another fine day's work Mihoshi!" Detective Mitsuki chimed. "Too bad Kiyone isn't around to see this one."
It was a mistake. Kiyone had never thought to see the look she now saw on Mihoshi's face as she turned on Mitsuki and in a swift motion, seized the woman by her uniform tie with one hand and jerked her to within inches of Mihoshi's seething face...
Mihoshi's voice was a lethal whisper that sent a chill into Kiyone as she heard it.
"If you EVER speak Kiyone's name to me like that again, I'll kick your butt so hard you'll clear the gravity well." Mihoshi said and roughly shoved Mitsuki back.
Kiyone watched stunned.
Then it hit her...
"What did Mitsuki mean about me not being around to see this?" She asked, dreading the answer.
Her companion looked at her sadly. "The reason you and Mihoshi aren't partners detective.
"You see... In this world, you're no longer alive...
To Be Continued: