Lord of the Demons
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     Disclaimer: R-R-R-ROLL THE C-R-R-R-AP! I never in my life ever 
thought of stealing an idea such as Tenchi Muyo, and not putting a beautiful 
disclaimer on the top of it! Such audacity should be punished severely! 
Whoops, went crazy for a second there. I never was a part of Pioneer or AIC 
nor did I, in this time zone or not, ever have anything to do with the 
creation of Tenchi Muyo or any of the other parts to the series. And I have 
no money. I am a thirty year old man in my parents basement! (Okay that's a 
little overboard.) But I have no money, you would gain nothing from a 
lawsuit. Trust me.
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                  Chapter 8: Tenchi Redux

     A bright morning sun rose over the giant hills on Ishtar. The town 
stirred a little as it lit every house and field. Tenchi leapt out of his 
bed and got his clothes on. Ayeka rolled over in the bed and watched him.
     "In a rush again I see," she said plainly.
     "Well, I do want to get that wood from the forest a little early," 
Tenchi replied. Ayeka shook her head and chuckled a little. 
     "It's okay, I'm just funning with you."
     "And you are good at that." Tenchi walked over to her and kissed her 
on the cheek. He walked out to the living room and into an adjacent hall. He
slowly opened the door at the end of the hall and peeked inside. Little 
Sasami was still in her bed. She rustled and turned over to her other side.
Tenchi smiled and crept in. He snuck up to her bedside and leaned over. He 
gave her a soft kiss on her cheek and she smiled a little. He walked out of 
her room and grabbed an ax next to the door in the living room that lead 
outside. He then put his shoes on and walked outside into the days new sun. 
     He made his way to the outskirts of the small village. The forest 
surrounding the entire town and hills beyond it. He walked the beaten path 
out to a perfect spot to chop down trees. The birds were chirping and singing
as Tenchi walked along humming a tune. He got to the end of the path and 
came to a tree.
     "This is perfect," he said to himself before taking notice to 
something. "Wait, there's a birds nest in this one." He looked around until 
he spied another tree without a nest. He walked to it and inspected it. 
Smiling, he put on the gloves he had in his pockets and readied his ax. He 
pulled back and began to swing forward until a blast startled him and made 
him spin around. He fell down and a bright blue light filled the forest. He 
covered his eyes until the light quit and three figures stood before him. 
His eyes darted everywhere in hopes that someone else was around and had 
witnessed this. Sadly there wasn't so he stayed where he was and stared 
until he fainted.
     The people shaped figures stood in green, tattered robes and had 
hoods over their heads. The one in the middle started shaking and flew at 
Tenchi before the short one on the left grabbed its hood and made it fall to 
the ground.
     "What the hell was that for?" Ryoko asked and yelled at the same 
time. She removed her hood and Washu did also.
     "You are not to even think of this Tenchi as the one we know. 
Remember, he never saw you before in his life."
     "You have got to be joking!" 
     "No, this is the reality that Atmos instilled within his mind," Washu
explained pointing out the forest and the hills.
     "But I can see it to."
     "That's because of the contact lens' in your eyes. They have been 
designed to filter out reality."
     "What about the fruits and foods?"
     "Perfectly designed to simulate the best taste."
     "So now what?"
     "Mihoshi, I want you to find some way into Lord Tenchi's house and 
stay there until we arrive," Washu explained and looked up at the final 
hooded figure.
     "Alright, I think I can do that," Mihoshi said and nodded. They 
walked past Tenchi without taking notice to the fact that he had fainted.
Mihoshi looked at him however and gasped.
     "Miss Washu, I think he's dead," Mihoshi said worriedly while tugging
on her robe. Washu quickly turned around and ran to his side. She checked his
pulse and found he was very much alive. 
     "Its okay, he's just in shock," she explained and picked him up. 
"Mihoshi, here is your gold ticket. Take Lord Tenchi to his home and get 
inside."
     "Right," Mihoshi responded and took Tenchi from Washu's grasp. She 
walked down a path and soon out of site. Washu looked at Ryoko and smiled.
     "Don't worry, he'll be okay, but for now we have to get to the 
village and find both Lady Ayeka and Sasami." Ryoko looked down at her face 
and nodded. They walked down the path and left Tenchi's ax, which was now 
lodged into a tree trunk.

     Mihoshi carried Tenchi through a crowd in the village trying to get 
help from the people she passed by. Tenchi's head hung limply over her arm 
as she desperately asked another person.
     "Do you happen to know where Tenchi lives."
     "I might," the man said and looked at him. "Oh no, not again. Hit on 
the head again."
     "Well, yes, I need to find his home so that I can get him there to 
rest."
     "His house is over that way, it's the only one made of Mythril."
     "Thank you," Mihoshi said and ran toward the house. 
     She came to the green door and knocked on it with the only hand she 
had free. The door opened and Ayeka stood in front of Mihoshi.
     "Yes? Oh dear!" she yelled and quickly waved Mihoshi into the house. 
     "I was out in the woods and I found him like this. I asked around and
found that this was his home," Mihoshi explained.
     "I'm glad you brought him, this is the fourth time he has knocked his
head on something and became unconscious." Mihoshi brought Tenchi in and lay 
him on a couch in the living room. She put a pillow behind his head and Ayeka
went to his side with a wet towel.
     "Well, I suppose I'll just . . . ouch!" Mihoshi yelled in pain and 
grabbed her leg. She rubbed it and Ayeka ran to her.
     "Oh dear, you must have pulled it carrying him," she said and looked 
at her leg. "I suggest you stay off of it, come, I will give you a room to 
stay." Ayeka lifted her up and took her to a back room. 

     That night a knock came to the door. Tenchi, still on the couch, 
opened his eyes and looked around. He grunted as he picked himself up and 
slipped the cool towel off of his forehead. He set it down on the couch and 
walked to the door. He staggered a bit but regained his balance. As he got to
the door he heard a familiar voice behind it. He put his ear to the oak to 
listen.
     "You are not to do anything until we are sure that Lord Tenchi is 
safe, got it?" the first voice said.
     "Alright fine, I won't do anything, there you happy?" the second 
replied.
     "No, you left out one thing."
     "What?"
     "You forgot to call me mom!"
     "You've got to be kidding me, I don't have to call you anything, 
understand?"
     "Now Ryoko dear, is that any way to speak to your poor mother?"
     "Mother my foot!" Tenchi kept behind the door listening until he 
pulled away from it. He stared in disbelief before shaking his head.
     "It can't be," he told himself and he opened the door.
     "Hello, my name is Washu, I am looking for my sister Mihoshi," Washu 
said and Tenchi stood in shock.
     "It is!" he squeaked and fainted again.
     "Oh dear," Washu said and Ayeka ran into the living room.
     "Fainted again, I don't believe this!" she huffed and picked him up. 
She drug him over to the couch and put the rag back over his head.
     "Poor dear, he was knocked in the head by a branch while chopping 
down wood." Ayeka leaned down and gently kissed Tenchi on the cheek. Ryoko 
attempted to fly at Ayeka but was clotheslined by Washu.
     "I know, for you see, my sister Mihoshi brought him in," Washu said 
as Ryoko picked herself up.
     "Oh, you're the sister of that nice young lady?"
     "Yes ma'am, I have come to see about her, if I may."
     "You most certainly can, please do come in."
     "Thank you," Washu said and bowed.
     'Please, this is nauseating!' Ryoko thought as she followed Washu.
     'Sickening or not we need to get through this without detection,' 
Washu replied through the astral connection.
     They came to a door and opened it. Inside was a small guest room with
a dresser, a desk and a bed. They walked to the bed and found Mihoshi asleep 
under the sheets. Washu shook Mihoshi gently.
     "Mihoshi wake up," she whispered. Mihoshi grumbled a bit and nestled 
her head into the pillow. 
     MIhoshi!" Washu whispered loudly into her ear. Mihoshi mumbled 
incoherently and threw Washu's hand off of her shoulder. Ryoko growled and 
walked to the side of Mihoshi's bed. She inhaled a lot of air and Washu 
attempted to stop her.
     "MIHOSHI, GET THE HELL OUT OF THE BED!," Ryoko yelled with enough 
power to wake the dead. In the village lights came on and Mihoshi fell out of
her bed fully awake from the deafening scream. Ayeka flew down the hallway 
and came to the room.
     "Miss Ryoko, I would kindly like to ask you to please keep your voice
down, people are sleeping in this village!" Ayeka snapped. Ryoko almost 
protested to Ayeka's tone of voice but her lip was grabbed just in time by 
Washu.
     "She is sorry Miss Ayeka, aren't you?" Washu scolded. Ryoko nodded 
her head and Washu released her grip. Ayeka walked away and Ryoko fumed while
listening to her leave. Mihoshi got up and rubbed her eyes.
     "It's morning already?" Washu knocked her on the head.
     "It's still night, dunce," Washu said and Mihoshi rubbed her head. 

     Some time passed before Ayeka was heard to say "Dinner time!" 
Everyone rushed to the table and grabbed things to eat. Ryoko sat on a chair 
in the living room and watched Tenchi and Ayeka feed and kiss one another.
     'I think I'm going to be sick,' she thought to herself.
     'Steady Ryoko, it's not time yet,' Washu replied through the Astral
Ring.
     'Do they have to do this at the dinner table though?'
     'They are after all a . . .'
     'Don't say it! Please!'
     'Happily married couple.' Ryoko growled. Tenchi and Ayeka looked up 
while Mihoshi and Sasami still ate. Dinner was soon over and Mihoshi helped 
Sasami and Ayeka with the dishes. Washu, Ryoko and Tenchi sat in the living 
room talking. Washu nervously watched the clock that hung on the wall in the 
living room. She tapped her foot as she thought.
     '7:50, best start now while I have ten minutes,' she thought then in 
her head she heard another voice.
     'Alright, show time!' Ryoko thought.
     "Tenchi, I need to inform you of something that might be a little 
hard to swallow," Washu said.
     "Tenchi, this house and this world ain't real," Ryoko said bluntly. 
Tenchi began to laugh and Washu slapped her forehead.
     "Idiot," she muttered.
     "What, I told him," Ryoko said innocently. Tenchi still laughed and 
almost fell out of his seat. Ayeka, Sasami and Mihoshi came out of the 
kitchen and looked at Tenchi.
     "What's so funny darling?" Ayeka asked.
     "They . . . and she . . ." Tenchi got out through all the laughing.
     "I suppose I need to enlighten you then," Washu said and raised her 
hand. The house began to evaporate and Tenchi stopped laughing. 
     Around them was a grey land with dead bodies and dried blood all over
the dust. Tenchi gasped and fell to his knees. Sasami grasped Ayeka's leg in 
fear. Tears ran down her face as Ayeka tightly put her arms around the young 
child's head.
     "Well Tenchi, do you believe Ryoko now?" Washu asked.
     "This . . . this is impossible, it's a trick I -- I'm sure of it!"
     "What kind of twisted beings are you?" Ayeka cried.
     "The truthful kind," Ryoko stated. Tenchi got on all fours and 
gagged. The environment shifted and morphed back to the house. Tenchi threw 
up on the floor and looked up to Washu.
     "You," he said and pointed his finger at her. "You're a demon, get 
out of my home."
     "Tenchi please . . . oh god no," Washu stopped in mid-sentence when 
her eyes met the clock's face. The hands read 7:59 with the second hand 
creeping up the left side of the clock's face. 
     The house began to shake and stir as the weather outside turned 
stormy. The clouds began to swirl around and a small eye appeared in the 
center. The clock soon let out its tone, 1-2-3-4-5-6-7 and finally 8. 
     A blue shape formed outside the door as all of the lights went out 
in the house. The doors and windows blew open and a blue shape appeared 
before everyone. Washu's eyes went wide with fear as Ryoko and Mihoshi dove 
to protect Tenchi and Ayeka. She put both of her hands up as a portal swirled
about behind the creature. It banged into things as it crept in. Hands came 
out of the portal along with screams of the tortured and the damned. Washu 
released all of her energy and a bright light enveloped the planet.
     The monster howled in pain as it was blinded by the holy energy. 
Mihoshi quickly began to fiddle with her control cube until she yelled out 
over the moans and screams.
     "I've got it Miss Washu!" Washu nodded and dropped the light shield. 
A blue portal formed as Tenchi dove in with Ryoko and Mihoshi with Ayeka and 
Sasami. Washu dashed for the portal as the monster regained his senses. He 
grabbed Washu's hair and tried to pull her in. Washu desperately tugged and 
pulled as the monster reeled her in. She then pulled out an energy sword and 
sliced the monsters hand off. It roared and grabbed its arm while Washu 
scrambled up and into the portal. Soon the monster disappeared and the planet
returned to normal. 

     In sub-space Washu popped out of the blue portal and found Ayeka, 
Tenchi and Sasami inside the Remembrance beds invented by Washu in case of 
amnesia. Ryoko and Mihoshi stood at the control panel watching the vital 
signs. Washu walked in between them and typed a few things into the keyboard 
that sat on the control panel. 
     "We'll leave them there for a few hours, then we revive them and 
figure out a way to defeat Atmos and stop the destruction of Jurai," Washu 
explained. Ryoko and Mihoshi both nodded in agreement. Mihoshi and Washu 
walked away and left Ryoko standing by Tenchi's bed. She put her hand on the 
glass casing and smiled.
     "Sleep well, and dream of me, my sweet prince," she dropped her hand 
and walked into a hallway. She took one last look before walking to her 
quarters and slipping into bed. The rest of the night was very peaceful and 
for once, since the very beginning of the journey, everybody got a restful 
nights sleep. 

                   . . . To be continued
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     Next Chapter: Tenchi and the others find a way to stop the energy 
from reaching the energy beam Atmos created. And, for the first time, a plan 
goes well . . . sort of. All of this and the return of Atmos in the next
chapter: Chapter 9: Destroy the Reactors!
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