Rivers of magma and fire burning in puddles here and there provided enough light to see by.
Ryoko was nude and lost inside this labyrinth of hot stinking caverns.
Here, she had flesh, because flesh lended itself so well to torment. This was her reward for all the evil she had perpetrated in her time on Earth.
This was the first day of her eternity.
She continued to aimlessly wander through this depressing landscape, generally heading in the direction of the distant sounds of screams crying out in agony. At least there she could find some company.
Her journey came to an abrupt stop, when someone stepped out from the shadows of a craggy wall ahead to block her path.
It looked like a nude Ayeka, except her skin was entirely red, and she had horns on her head and a long pointed tail. She held a formidable looking pitchfork in her hands. And she had the most evil grin on her face.
"You?" exclaimed Ryoko. "You're the devil?"
"Oh, come on," snarled Ayeka. "You really can't tell me that you didn't suspect that all along."
With that, Ayeka skewered Ryoko through the abdomen, lifting her high off her feet.
Laughing (as only Ayeka can laugh), she carried the squirming Ryoko over to the nearest pit of high flames, and began to barbecue her.
That's when the alarm clock went off in Ayeka's and Nobuyuki's bedroom.
Ayeka slapped it back into silence, yawning and sitting up.
"Damn," she grumbled. "I never get to finish the good ones."
Tenchi Muyo!: Witch World
Episode 5: The Master
Downstairs, after the Jurai family finished breakfast, they relaxed in the living room, with the men reading different sections of the Sunday paper, and Ayeka worked on a jigsaw puzzle.
Presently, there came a knock on the door. Ayeka got up to answer it.
"Kiyone," said Ayeka. "How are you, today?"
Kiyone stepped past her into the living room. "This is no time for small talk. There's an emergency going on at my place. I need your help."
"What kind of emergency, Kiyone?" asked Ayeka.
"First of all, I'm Ryoko. I'm just borrowing Kiyone's body, so that I could leave the premisis."
"Well," grinned Ayeka, "if that's the case, you won't find any sympathetic ears around here. So you might as well turn around and go home."
"Grrr, listen to me! I'm not asking for myself! I'm asking you to help the Masakis. If you don't, they're all going to die in the most horrible way you can imagine. Is that what you want?"
Nobuyuki and Katsuhito dropped what they were reading.
Ayeka got serious. "What the devil are you talking about?"
"That demon I conjured up, you ninny! It talks. And it told me it intends to devour them as soon as it gets big and powerful enough to do it. And to tell you the truth, I'm not exactly sure what that means. It could be nibbling on Sasami right now, for all we know. That's why we can't waste any time."
"We?" demanded Ayeka. "You summoned that creature! If it bothers you as much as you pretend, why don't you just send it back to wherever it came from?"
"Would I be over here begging you if I could? This is going to take the work of somebody who can banish demons, and that's more your line," said Kiyone, pointing to Katsuhito.
"If what you say is true," said Katsuhito, "there's probably little that I can do to stop it. You are more powerful than I am. And this demon seems even more powerful than you."
"Then you must know somebody in the business who can do it, don't you?" asked Kiyone.
"As a matter of fact, he does," said a newcomer with lots of red hair, standing in the open doorway.
vvv
Back at the Masaki house, Tenchi was watching TV, while Sasami was playing with the demon on the floor.
"Is it my imagination, Sasami, or does she look bigger today than she was yesterday?" asked Tenchi.
"I think so, too," answered Sasami. "Well, if she's growing, I wonder how big she'll get?"
You'll find out soon enough, my tasty little Sasami, thought Ryo-Ohki, licking her chops. Right now, just keep on playing with me and working up my appetite.
"Good morning, everyone!" greeted Mihoshi, coming down the stairs dressed in a bathrobe, while drying her hair with a towel.
Sasami and Tenchi greeted her in kind. The demon simply made her usual noise.
"Where's Kiyone?" asked Mihoshi, once she joined the group.
"She went next door to visit Ayeka," answered Tenchi. "Ready for breakfast?"
"That would be great," smiled Mihoshi. "I can't thank you enough for letting me stay here. I imagine Kiyone was probably less than thrilled by the idea, though."
"Why would you say that?" asked Tenchi.
"We may be sisters, but we're as different as can be. I always knew Kiyone was prettier than me, and smarter than me, and nowhere near the klutz that I am. And that's why I always looked up to her when we were growing up. I'm afraid that from her point of view, though, I've always embarrassed her. Little sisters can be annoying at the best of times, and I've managed to outdo them all. I guess I just wasn't cut out to be a success, like she is."
"Sure you are!" encouraged Tenchi. "Everyone has their own gifts. All you have to do is discover what they are and sharpen them. You just need a little time to kick back, relax, and take a fresh look at yourself. You'll find what your special talent is in no time, just like I did. Now, what can I fix for you to eat?"
"You are so sweet," said Mihoshi. "Got any pancakes?"
"Comin' right up."
"Great! I'll just go back upstairs and get into some clothes. Um, say, is it just me, or has your pet grown a bit since last night?"
vvv
"Master Washu!" cried Katsuhito, leaping to his feet and bowing very deeply and very respectfully to the newcomer. "Everyone, may I present the world's best exorcist and demon fighter extraordinaire, and my master -- Washu Hakubi!"
Nobuyuki cut through the crowd to grasp Washu's hand. "It's a pleasure to meet you. My Dad told me so many stories about you. You know, frankly, I'd've never thought that you'd still be around. Or if you were, you'd be ancient. But you're so cute I'm tempted to make a move on you!"
Ayeka rolled her eyes heavenward. "You should be so lucky."
Washu pushed his hand away. "Down, boy. I can see you're a married man."
Kiyone was shooting daggers with her eyes at Washu. Something Washu couldn't help but notice.
"And who have we here?" asked Washu. "If looks could kill, dearie, I'd be pushing up daisies, right now."
"Calling yourself 'Hakubi' now, are you?" grumbled Kiyone. "You ought to be ashamed of yourself!"
Washu's eyebrow went up. She inspected Kiyone's eyes a little closer.
"Ryoko? Are you in there?"
"Yes, mother! It's me! And if I didn't need you so badly, I'd beat the living daylights out of you for everything you put me through!"
"All right, all right. Pipe down. We'll have lots of time to rehash this later. Katsuhito, why don't you fill me in on what been goin' on?"
"Master? Is it true? You are Ryoko's mother?"
Washu shrugged and nodded. "Somebody had to be, I'm afraid."
"But then, that would make you..."
"A witch, too? Naturally. Can you think of anyone more suited to this business? You mortals will never know how many of us are among you, and lemme tell ya, it's a good thing, too. You people are too afraid of things that you just don't understand."
"I was going to say 'much older than even I originally suspected'. But in any case, here's the lowdown..."
vvv
When Kiyone returned to the Masaki house, she announced that she had brought presents for everyone from Mrs. Jurai.
The demon looked like it was taking a little snooze on the couch.
Kiyone, who already wore a necklace with a strange pendant dangling from it -- which no one in the house ever remembered seeing her wear before -- went over to Sasami and hung a similar one around her neck.
"Mrs. Jurai will soon be here. Please don't offend her by taking it off."
"I won't," promised Sasami, looking over this odd bit of jewelry.
Next, Kiyone went over to Tenchi and placed one around his neck.
"Oh, for Pete's sake!" he protested. "I'm a guy! Certainly she doesn't expect me to --"
Kiyone gave him a very serious look, while trodding on his toe.
"Just don't take it off, whatever you do," she whispered into his ear. Then she kissed him on the cheek.
Tenchi got the message and hushed up. But one of the demon's ears perked up.
When Ryo-Ohki saw Kiyone hanging another one around the pancake-munching Mihoshi's neck,and giving her the same advice, she knew that something was afoot.
That was confirmed when Washu stepped into the living room from outside and announced, "Okay, I see that everyone here is all set. And I've finished securing the house, too."
"Washu!" hissed Ryo-Ohki, her fur standing on end.
"How flattering that you've heard of me in the underworld," said Washu. "Of course, that's really no surprise, given how many times I've inconvenienced you guys in the past. You must be Ryo-Ohki, I presume."
"You're reputation does indeed precede you," replied Ryo-Ohki, much more calmly now. "That's why I am surprised that this is the best you could do to thwart me. Those talismans you gave everyone may protect them from me for a little while, but sooner or later, one will come off and I will know about it. That's when I'll be back here to strike."
"Cancel your plans, shortie. You won't be going anywhere. I've placed a barrier around the house. No one's going in OR out. You're stuck in here along with the rest of us."
Ryo-Ohki laughed. "A spirit ward? All around the house? You're a poor liar, Washu. I know the one place that isn't barricaded at all -- because you just stepped through it, yourself!"
Ryo-Ohki suddenly shot past Washu, and out through the open front door. Everyone gasped.
"Well," said Washu, "I gotta admit, you've got me there."
"Mother!" snapped Kiyone. "How the heck can you be so calm?"
"Take it easy," smiled Washu. "The reason why I didn't barricade the front door is so I could put an evil filter there, instead."
Kiyone's expression suddenly became dumbfounded. "Okay...so what's an 'evil filter'?"
"Exactly what it says. It screens all of the evil from anything that passes through it. Leaves one pure and spiritually clean. I'll bet it came as an intense shock to Ryo-Ohki the moment she smashed into it."
Outside, everyone found Ryo-Ohki flat on her back, mouth agape, with her eyes spiraling round and round.
"Of course," continued Washu, "that doesn't mean that evil won't be able to reclaim her again. Luckily, I came prepared for that, too!"
She produced a small red jewel, which she pressed onto Ryo-Ohki's forehead. A bit of light erupted from it as it sealed itself there.
"There now!" cried Washu. "That's a permanent part of you, now. Evil will never be able to touch it, hence, evil will never be able to touch you, either."
"Ohhh, where am I?" said Ryo-Ohki, groggily. "For that matter, who am I?"
"You're name's Ryo-Ohki," answered Washu. "It's just a touch of amnesia, nothing to worry about. All the important things will come back to you in time."
"Amnesia," repeated Ryo-Ohki. "I think I've forgotten what that means."
"So it must not be important," said Washu. "See how it works?"
Sasami ran over to Ryo-Ohki and scooped her up. "Ryo-Ohki! I didn't even know you could talk!"
Washu left the two of them to speak to Kiyone. "It's safe to come out now, you know. The demon you made your deal with no longer exists."
Ryoko floated out of Kiyone's body.
"Woah!" said Kiyone, putting a hand to her head. "Now I know how Ayeka felt."
"That may be so, mother dear, but you still have a lot of explaining to do. I'm sure I'm still destined for the pit, and I can safely say that's due to the way you raised me." Ryoko folded her ghostly arms and looked at Washu with scorn.
Washu turned her attention to Mihoshi, who was standing over by the door, holding her plate of pancakes. "Say, those look good! You got any more? I'm starved!"
As she walked past her ghostly daughter, she winked and said, "Oh, I don't know about that. You passed through the evil filter without any ill effects, didn't you?"
"Huh?" said Ryoko, wide-eyed, as everyone filed past Mihoshi, back inside the house.
Mihoshi watched Ryoko fade away to nothingness.
I don't know what the heck is going on here, she thought, with a piece of pancake hanging from her mouth, But I smell a story big enough to get me my job back!
TO BE CONTINUED