The young man sat cross-legged, feeling the cold of the hardwood floor beneath him despite his tough and faded jeans. His eyes were closed, and his handsome (albeit youthful) face looked peaceful, a sharp contrast to the sporadic crop of spiky black hair that framed it. His lightly muscled arms, mostly concealed by a black denim jacket, rested on his thighs, and his not unimpressive shoulders rose and fell steadily in beat with his slow and deep breathing.
He was meditating.
I am...happy...
The thought drifted through his mind, unprompted, both welcome and indifferent. It was certainly a thought worthy of existence, for it was quite true. The boy...no, the young man...was indeed quite jovial. A life that had once revolved around two family members and an indifferent school career was now rich with friends. Though perhaps family was a better term (though some of the above females in question would tend to disagree).
Mihoshi and Kiyone...quite the pair...
In his mind, he saw a picture of the two detectives, at the helm of the Yagami. Both were smiling, though the ganguro girl was doing so a bit obliviously while the green haired beauty's was more of an exasperated smirk.
Washu and Sasami...they may be small, but they've sure got enough spirit...
And other peaceful scene; the pint-sized scientist was emerging from the closet, various mechanical devices strewn in the impossible distance, only to be greeted by the bubbly younger princess, who was presenting her with a plate of rice balls.
And then there's Ayeka and Ryoko...
He heaved a sigh as a less inviting image ran across his mind. The purple haired princess of Jurai, teeth bared, fighting with a grinning space pirate currently two yards off the ground and flipping of Jurain royalty. The youth could practically hear the ensuing explosions and cries of -
"Filthy mongrel!"
He blinked. That was not his imagination, and neither was the cloud of smoke and dust erupting with a roar from his backyard. Grumbling at the interruption (though to be fair, his mediation time was usually at end once he lighted on these particular females, and his distraction was not always in the form of an explosion), he got to his feet after grasping the sword hilt that had lain before him. As he reached the open door, he quickly slid into his shoes and raced across the yard, picking up speed as he reached the long line of stone steps leading to his house.
Unbeknownst to him, his grandfather stood in the shadows of the Masaki shrine, arms crossed, watching his descendent head towards the scrap with a troubled look on his weathered features. "When will you clear this hurdle, my boy?"
He arrived just in time; an orange energy ball had just gathered in Ryoko's palm while the miniature floating logs of Jurain defense began to hover near the pirate. The spiky headed youth groaned, scratching the back of his head with the sword.
"Enough, you two!" he yelled, garnering the attention of the growling women. They both paused to look over to him, their once-malicious features instantly transforming into that of almost sickly adoration.
"Lord Tenchi!" cried Ayeka, clasping her hands together. "How good it is to see you!"
Ryoko, in turn, took a more direct approach with her greeting. Giggling gleefully to herself, she teleported herself to slightly above Tenchi, whom she quickly embraced from behind. "Heya, Tenchi," she grinned, nuzzling her cheek against hers as she left the rest of her body floating.
"Knock it off," he responded, arching an eyebrow. "Both of you!" he added in response to Ryoko's pout and Ayeka's triumphant grin. Truth be told, he loved it when Ryoko greeted him in such a way. He was so used to being polite and proper, that he was almost envious of her brazen way of showing affection. Not to mention how soft she was...soft and warm...
"Oh, but Tenchi!" pleaded Ryoko. "Mean old Ayeka started it! I'm serious this time!"
"Old?!" cried the princess, her right eye twitching slightly. "Listen, you prehistoric mummy, just because I refuse to let you grab the last pancake every morning does not mean I am a bad person!"
"No, but your arrogance and superiority complex sure do!" shot back the ex-pirate, sticking her tongue out with a smirk. Ayeka continued to fume, wanting to attack but prevented by Tenchi's presence.
"That's enough, Ryoko," he sighed, grabbing one of her biceps and flinging her into the air. She whirled around and came to a halt, cross-legged.
"Hmph!" she replied, crossing her arms.
The row was broken up by Sasami's cheerful face poking out from the back door. "Guys, lunch is just about ready! Can you at least hold off from fighting long enough to try this new recipe for miso soup I found?" She giggled, knowing that none of them would ever willingly turn down an offer of food, especially Ryoko.
Her laughter was cut off, however, by the site of a massive ship entering visibility. The others turned, following her stare, and Tenchi gulped.
"What now?"
A man sat on a giant throne in the middle of the ship's impressive bridge, his face cloaked in shadow. His glove fingers tapped lightly on the arm of his seat, as he waited for his lieutenant to approach.
The young man did so, with dignity in his steps. Below his short brown hair lay eyes that appeared too old for a face that couldn't have seen more than twenty terran years. Whipping off a quick salute, he began his report.
"My lord, we've received confirmation." Touching a particular space on his clip board, the man brought up three viewscreens, each displaying a different member of the Jurai royal family.
"Tenchi Masaki, crown prince of Jurai and apparently the master of the Light Hawk Wings. Defeated the criminal Kagato, who had been impersonating his ancestor Yosho. Chose to forsake a life of royalty to remain on Earth."
The man in the throne nodded, and the lieutenant continued.
"Ayeka Masaki Jurai, crown princess of Jurai. Instrumental in Tenchi's victory, she possesses impressive Jurain powers, though nothing out of the ordinary. She, too, forsake her like of royalty in preference of life on Earth.
Again the man gestured, impatient for this formality to be finished.
"Sasami Masaki Jurai, the younger crown princess of Jurai. In addition, she appears to harbor the spirit of Tsunami, one of the Chousin, and traveled with Tenchi towards Jurai's liberation. She, as did the others, returned to Earth."
The man nodded. "Is that all?" His voice was like the whisper of a snake's passing breath, dripping with malice.
His lieutenant raised an eyebrow. "One final detail...Others currently dwell in the Masaki residence: space-pirate Ryoko Hakubi, genius and Chousin Washu Hakubi, and Yosho 'Katsuhito' Masaki Jurai."
"And...?" drawled the hideous voice.
The youthful lieutenant sighed. "Do you wish to proceed, knowing innocents will be involved?" Personally, he was opposed to such action. He knew and agreed with, albeit reluctantly, his leader's reasons for attacking the three Jurain youths, but he felt uncomfortable at the thought of needless slaughter.
Narrowing his eyes, the man whispered again. "We will burn them to the ground. Once Jurai's future and hope has been crushed, we will attack the home planet while they are filled with grief and angst. So again I say burn..."
After a moment's hesitation, the younger man nodded. "Ready all cannons!" he cried to the bridge. "Commence attack in T minus five!"
A red blaze descended through the atmosphere, approaching the floating warship that had recently made it's presence known on the planet Earth.
"Who do yah think it is?" asked the curly-haired blonde currently sitting in the co-pilot's seat. She glanced at her tense companion as she sipped on a juice box.
"I dunno, Mihoshi..." replied her partner in a tense voice. She was clutching the controls so hard her knuckles had turned white. "But I've got a feeling we're about to find out!"
Finally, the Yagimi reached comfortable airspace, and hovered in front of the much larger craft.
"Unidentified ship," called Kiyone, speaking through the Yagami's microphone. "You have entered restricted airspace without stated reason or identification. As this area is one of special protection, you must either show proof of approval or immediately vacate this star system!"
"Erm...Kiyone?" came the timid voice of her partner.
"Not now, Mihoshi! Can't you see we're kinda in the middle of something, here?" grumbled the teal haired detective, not even bothering to glance at the bubbly blonde.
"B-but Kiyoooooooone!!"
Her eye twitching, Kiyone ripped the mic set from her head and slammed it on the console, turning to face her partner. "WHAT?!"
Slowly, Mihoshi's trembling finger pointed at her view screen. "T-t-their w-weapons system has l-locked onnnnnnnnnn..." She turned to face Kiyone, tears in her eyes.
Kiyone's eyes widened as she stared at the screen.
"...shit."
"Well, that's bad," blinked Tenchi as a beam of light collided with one of Yagami's engine ports. The red ship began to descend, and Tenchi's eyes grew wide as he realized it's destination. "They're headed for the lake!" he cried, and whole crew raced towards the porch.
As predicted, the craft splashed into the surface of the water, displacing most of the liquid into the air. Releasing it's emergency floatation devices, the Yagami drifted to the service. The hatch opened with a hiss, and a frantic pair of detective emerged.
"We've got a big problem!" cried Kiyone as she and Mihoshi reached the others. By this point, Washu had emerged from the house while Katsuhito had descended the steps, and the whole group turned to face the ship, wondering just what the hell was going on.
As if to answer their questioning glances, a body began to materialize in front of them amidst a glowing green light. The man who had sat on the throne (unbeknownst to them) now stood before them, resplendent in royal attire of purples and reds, though from which planet he hailed was uncertain. His long green hair was pulled back in a pony tail, and his beard and temples were flecked with gray. Piercing yellow eyes boar out of a hardened face consisting of more scar tissue than flesh. Worst of all, he was grinning.
"This is a warning, brought about by a nagging subordinate. I only wish to claim the lives of the three inheritors of the Jurai royal family; the rest are advised to vacate the premises, as quickly and distantly as possible."
Ryoko stepped forward with a growl. "How dare you?! None of us would ever abandon the others, least of all Tenchi!" With that, she phased into her scarlet and black battle attire.
"That's right!" cried Ayeka, transforming into her Jurain battle clothes. Mihoshi and Kiyone nodded, bringing out their pistols and leveling them at the intruder.
Tenchi stepped forward as well, placing a hand upon Ryoko's shoulder. "Thank you," he smiled. "But I will be the first to attack, and hopefully the only one. I won't have others fight my battles for me, you know that." And he, too, activated his Jurain powers, and phased into his battle gear. He held up the sword after which he was named, though he did not yet activate it.
"But Tenchi..." pleaded Ryoko. Before she could get another word in, laughter interrupted.
"Such empty nobility...you truly are the heir of Jurai. So be it; you can all die together..." hissed the intruder. He raised his arm, about to return to his ship, when the piercingly calm voice of Katsuhito emerged.
"Why?"
The man paused, eyes widening madly for a moment before he forced himself to keep his cool. "Why, you ask? You were around, then, Yosho...you should remember Sigma III."
Eyes widening, Katsuhito was momentarily speechless. "But...but that was an accident...inevitable!" he choked out.
"You...LIE!" cried the furious invader. Summoning up a massive ball of energy, he released a blast at the shocked Katsuhito, who was too speechless to dodge. The ray of energy collided with his shoulder, tearing through it and knocking him off his feet.
"Grandpa!" cried Tenchi, racing to Katsuhito's side. After making sure his wound was fatal, he returned to his feet, glaring at the invader. "Give me your name," he ordered, his voice full of unreadable emotion.
Smiling wryly, the man considered. "Loquax," he responded after a long pause.
Nodding, Tenchi brought down the hilt of his sword. "Alright, then." He activated the light sword, and was about to charge forward when he noticed something. It was flickering...only slightly, but in a way it had never done before. Well, he'd ask Washu to look at it later...right now, he had to deal with this threat.
Charging with a small roar, Tenchi brought up his weapon, aiming a downward slash at his opponent. Grinning, Loquax dodged to the side, forming a glowing green energy sword himself. Before he had time to attack, however, Tenchi brought his blue blade in a horizontal slash towards his enemy's midsection.
Not even caring about the hit he had inflicted, Tenchi brought down the sword again, though this time it collided with the green energy blade. The swords hissed as their energies collided, and the Tenchi's flickering increased. Blinking in shock and fear, Tenchi watched his blade dissolve, and cried out in pain as Loquax's blade slashed open his right bicep.
"Tenchi!" cried Ryoko, teleported to him and bringing him back to the group. Glaring at Loquax, she formed her orange sword and took a battle position. "You'll pay for what you did to Tenchi!" she hissed, earning a grin from their assailant.
She was pushed back lightly but firmly by Tenchi as he stepped up yet again. "No, Tenchi, you're bleeding!" she blinked.
"Thanks for the save, Ryoko, but I'm doing this for Grandpa." With those words he again activated the Tenchi. And yet again, the blade sputtered and died. "What is wrong with this thing!?" he cried, trying again and not even managing the sputter.
"Well," laughed Loquax. "It seems you're no threat at all. I don't need to personally witness your defeat, so excuse me while I head back to my ship!"
A force blast rocked the area in which he'd been standing less than a second after he'd teleported away. A furious Ayeka stood out in front, palm out. "How dare he insult Lord Tenchi!" she hissed.
"We've got bigger problems than that, Ayeka," chimed in Washu. "That ship is nothing I can recognize, but it's brimming with fire power...and it's currently readying all it's cannons towards us. It'll only take them about thirty seconds to break through the shield I've set around the property."
As she finished speaking, orange rays of energy rained down upon them, splashing off the invisible shield like liquid.
"Lord Tenchi, release the Light Hawk Wings!" cried Ayeka. "They're our only hope right now!"
Standing up straighter, Tenchi nodded. "Er...right!" He closed his brown eyes, attempting to concert on the power that had been bestowed to him. For some reason it felt harder than it had before...like an old wooden both that had been overgrown and changed into something else...
A blast finally broke through the shield, crashing into the Earth and forming a crater. Ryoko, the closest to the explosion, was thrown off her feet. When Tenchi lowered his arms from shielding his face, he saw her lying against a pile of rocks, eyes unseeing, a trickle of blood running down her face.
"Ryoko!" he cried. Through the depth of his emotions, he recalled the Light Hawk Wings, and they formed in front of him as a pale blue light. He willed them across himself, transforming him yet again into the pink battle clothes he'd worn before. Frowning at the warship, he formed two massive wings over the house, absorbing the attacking. Forming the third wing in front of him, Tenchi grasped it. At his touch, it transformed into an ornate javelin.
Pulling back and taking aim, Tenchi hurled the javelin towards the spaceship. It disappeared from view, and for a moment there was nothing but the neutralized barrage. Then, the ship was rocketed by a huge explosion on it's underside, and it began to sink.
"My lord!" cried the lieutenant. "We must retreat to hyperspace! Our drives can no longer resist Earth's gravity!"
Cursing, Loquax slammed his hands on the arms of his chair. "So be it..." he hissed. "Return to the ruins...for now..."
The ship winked out of sight as it entered the psuedo-dimension of hyperspace. The group breathed a universal sigh of relief...all except Tenchi, who had just laid Ryoko's body out next to his grandfather's.
"Are you alright, Ryoko?" he asked, dropping to his knees. Her amber eyes flickered for a moment before consciousness returned to them. She looked at him with worry.
"Tenchi, what-"
"Everything's okay now," he said, forcing a smile into the lie. Something was very, very, wrong, but Ryoko didn't need to get high strung for no reason at the moment.
She smiled back. "Good..." she managed, before passing out again.
Stroking her hair once, an honest smile lingering on his face for just a shadow of a second, Tenchi turned to his grandfather.
"I'm fine, Tenchi," the old man responded, getting himself to a sitting position and anticipating the boy's inquiry. "I'll live."
"...okay, Grandpa," nodded the boy. "But I think you owe us an explanation...you seem to know what this Sigma III thing is all about, and I have a feeling that it's going to be important..."
Not meeting his descendant's eyes, Katsuhito nodded. "Aye. But first, let us retire to the living room; it appears only part of the upstairs was damaged, and a war-torn yard is no place for a story."
Nodding again, Tenchi pulled his grandfather's arm over his back and helped him to his feet. The whole group trudged inside, speechless (something remarkably out of character for the whole lot of them), Washu hovering Ryoko's body along in her wake. Laying the unconscious demoness on the couch, the rest proceeded to take positions inside the living room.
Ayeka and Sasami sat on the loveseat, Ryo-Ohki resting fitfully in the younger sister's lap. Washu sat on the arm of the couch on which her daughter lay, and Mihoshi and Kiyone sat on the floor using said couch as a backrest. Katsuhito wearily took the chair, and Tenchi remained on his feet, leaning against the wall, having returned to his ordinary clothes (as had Ayeka).
With a small cough, Katsuhito began his tale.
"It happened nearly two thousand years ago. Sigma III was a peaceful planet, a united group of nation's that prized both science and neutrality. In fact, the Sigmans were the first to discover hyperspace, and created means of utilizing their finds: a gateway that accelerated ships to a previously inputted destination by means of galactic coordinates. The transported ship could then return to Sigma III (or rather, it's moon, on which the gateway had been crafted) by inputting a code unique to each use. Trips that would've taken years took merely a day, and so forth.
"At the time, Jurai was in the midst of a fierce war with another Empire, instigated through contested colonies and territories. Ambassadors implored the Sigmans to help them, and at first their pleas fell on deaf ears; they wanted to part in another's war. But, eventually the lure of having guinea pigs for their infant system was too great, and the Sigmans agreed.
"It seemed like the perfect guerrilla tactic for Jurai; they would travel at high speeds to their enemy, emerge from hyperspace, do their damage, remerge, and return to Sigma to resupply on a nation that had been annexed into the Jurain Empire. The war seemed to be at an end, till the enemy got wise.
"Investing in stealth technology, they managed to attach numerous high powered explosives to the Jurain ships before they reentered hyperspace. Once they entered Sigma III's atmosphere...they detonated. The planet was destroyed, and only the moon was intact, and the small group of scientists that ran the gateway project. Wracked with guilt, fear, and confusion, Jurai forced the scientists into prisoners of war, and coerced them into refining the hyperspace system so that it could be outfitted onto warships. They...succeeded, and the war was ended.
"The owners of that ship must have been off the planet at the time...perhaps a research vessel or something of the like. I don't know why they've resurfaced now, but evidently they want revenge on Jurai's royal family for bringing them into this mess, and destroying their home..."
He concluded his tale to a speechless audience, his head bowed in shame.
"Brother..." asked Ayeka, horror in her voice. "Why wasn't I aware of this? This was completely ignoring in my history classes!"
Wincing slightly, Katsuhito refused to meet her eyes. "Jurai isn't exactly proud of what it did...it's a fact of history better left untouched...or at least, that's most of the Royal Family's opinion."
Kiyone glanced at the pink-haired scientist. "Did you know about this, Washu?"
"That's LITTLE Washu!" cried the mad doctor, glaring at Kiyone, who muttered a frantic "Sorry!"
"And no, I didn't know this particular annul of history...but I can believe it." She sighed. "Those who are dedicated would go through much in order to procure scientific discovery. No, I have no doubt that the Sigmans were aware of the danger when they agreed to participate in such a war."
As the group began to discuss what they had just learned, Tenchi spoke for the first time since entering the house.
"Okay," he said, impatience for once dominating his voice. "So that explains why he attacked us. Fine. But what I want to know is why my sword and my powers...glitched...the way they did. Why don't I have control?"
Again, the room fell silent. Ryoko had awoken, and was currently propping herself up to listen. Katsuhito sighed.
"Tenchi, there is a reason I taught you to meditate, and it is not simply because I believe it to be healthy. For your sake and for mine, it is essential. You and I are of mixed blood...compare it to a war between your Jurai blood and Earthen blood. While this juxtaposition is the reason for your impressive powers, it can create disorder if you are not of the right peace of mind. I think it's safe to say that a necessary...decision...has been on your mind, and is creating unrest within you."
Tenchi gulped at this, scratching the back of his head with a small chuckle as he received glares of anger from Ayeka and Ryoko.
"Hmm..." Katsuhito sat in thought for a moment, contemplating what he thought the group should do. "Tenchi, I believe it would be best for you and the Princesses to head to Jurai. You'll be safe their, until you return to a peaceful state of mind and renew your powers."
Tenchi blinked. "That's fine, but how? Washu, can you get us there through teleportation?"
The little scientist had just exchanged a glance with Katsuhito, and lighted onto the man's plan. "I would, but if Loquax really is from Sigma III, I'm sure he's regulating hyperspace. You'll hafta fly there, and only one ship is fast enough to get you there within a month." She pointed to Sasami's lap, a bit overdramatically. "Ryo-Ohki, my prize invention!"
"...Myah?"
Ryoko grinned. Ah, so this is my chance to go on a trip with Tenchi...Shame that stupid Ayeka has to be there, but maybe Sasami will keep her busy...heheheheh...
Ayeka smiled as well. Finally, a trip to the stars with Lord Tenchi! Hopefully Ryoko will be too busy playing chauffeur to interfere with our love! Hohohohoho...
"Er...alright..." agreed Tenchi, eyeing the girls' suspicious grins with a bit of unease. Oh man, they're just gonna fight the whole way there...and grandpa seems to think I have to pick one of them to help get my powers back...ho boy...
Washu grinned. "While you lovebirds are headed for vacation, I'll be hear trying to trace any leads I can on Loquax's whereabouts and plans. Mihoshi, Kiyone: I'll need you two to head to GP headquarters and found out what you can."
The pair nodded.
"Alright, people, let's do this!" cried Washu.
Rightio, so this my first return to fanfics in a very long time, and this time it's about Tenchi and the gang. You'll notice some elements that are blended from the OVA and the TV series, but hey, the essentials are there. Hope you enjoy it...don't expect later chapters to be so long, though, nor as dark or series. It'll be easier to write for everyone once they've all split up...managing 8 people a scene is no walk in the park! Anyway, the story will progress to where Tenchi has to choose between Ayeka and Ryoko, and it'll be more humorous as we go along. The Loquax and Sigma III stuff is just there to give an added boost, and make this a bit more adventurey.
Till next time, Leave out!
PS: Disclaimer: I don't own these guyz .>