Advent Of The Goddess:

The Origins Saga

By Shasta Musashi

Episode 5: No Need For A Rescue Mission!

Blue light….. nothing but endless, eternal blue light… varieties of shades merging together to create one shining mass of blue….reflecting back a pair of lifeless amber eyes…

Ryoko lay on her side inside her glass prison, staring blankly at the smooth blue walls that confined her, her mind devoid of thought, her eyes rid of the carefree light within. She had been lying in a foetal position upon her cushion, never moving an inch since the attack. How long had it been? Days?…..Weeks? Months?

….Years?

The demoness did'nt know. All that she saw was the images of the rape.. of the torture. She could still feel the metal shackles binding her wrists to the table… the cold steel upon her back…. His hot breath on her neck.

A single tear of despair fell from her marred eyes, her being trying so hard to forget the living nightmare she was forced to endure.. yet everytime she closed her eyes, she saw him, covering her body with his own and having his wicked way… Ryoko would never be free..her mind was a worse prison that the glass cell she was currently confined to..

In her mind, she could not escape the images of her pride.. her dignity being robbed from her…

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"So tell me again why we're going on a space mission?" Tenchi queried in wonder as he sat in the cockpit of Kiyone's ship, The Galaxy Storm.

(Sorry, don't know it's actually name.. ^_^ ')

He watched as the aqua haired police officer pulled up a holographic monitor over the windsheild, displaying a police profile of Dr.Clay. The evil doctor was wizen-faced and sinester, pearly white hair in ringlets falling around a tanned face that looked as though it was made from worn leather. One of his eyes was replaced by a black orb and he wore robes of an ugly marroon, matching his large hat.

"This is one Shigato Clayton, otherwise known as Dr. Clay. I believe I made have tracked his ship to the Juraian borders. If that's the case, then it is a matter of the highest priorety in the galaxy to retrieve him into custody without incident….but giving that he's a very dangerous criminal, I doubt he'll come quietly, which is why I'm asked all of you for assistence." The police officer said with a sigh, unaware of Zero glaring daggers at the back of her head.

//Master, they are on to us!\\ she told the doctor through their link, but she received no answer, his mind blocked to her. Growling low in her throat, the imposter Ryoko sunk back against her seat and sighed. She wondered what would become of her now that she had failed in her mission to obtain Washu….but on the other hand, a Saiyajin was quite a rarity in this day and age.. perhaps she could buy her way out of trouble using Goku as her pawn..

Smirking inwardly, her devious mind began to conjure up one scheme after the other, her eyes buring with resolve…

In another part of the ship…

Washu felt numb, her head swimming with thoughts…she felt disgusted… sickened… shocked at Goku's revalation. She was appauled to think that she had let him live in her home, eat her food… sleep in her bed…he could've killed her a thousand times by now….

…but he did'nt..

She sighed to herself. She knew deep down she was a fool, placing the blame on Goku when he'd done nothing wrong… it was her father she was mad at…not him. Yet everytime she looked at the raven haired Saiyajin, she saw Bardock. It was inevitable. The two shared such a striking resemblence, yet though they looked the same, they were both very different.

Goku was miles away from the ruthless tyrant his father was, wearing a charming smile rather than a menacing sneer.. he was kinder, friendlier and compassionate. He never held it against her when she'd threatened him the first day they met..

"I'm such a fool.." she thought out loud, rolling onto her stomach and pulling the sheets of her futon over her head. She curled up within the smooth silk sheets in a bid to find comfort from her troubles, but no matter how hard she tried, she could'nt rid herself of the one fact that always pierced her mind..

Mamaro, her only son and first of kin was gone and he was never coming back..

That thought did it for Washu and she could take no more. Pulling a pillow close to her, she hugged it tight and sobbed quietly into the soft, feather-stuffed material, feeling a millenia of tears flow from her emerald eyes, her heart feeling as though it was splitting in two. She wept for hours, untill her eyes were sore and puffy and the river of her tears could flow freely no more.. her hands clenched the baby pink sheets, rumpling the fabric as she tried hard to stop her heart pounding painfully in her chest.. she wanted to forget, to erase the past, but even a universe reknowned genius such as herself could find no way to erase the memory of a loved one from her heart…

The sound of the door creaking open alerted her to her senses.

Raising her head a fraction of an inch off the futon, she could just make out the outline of Goku's hair over the mass of blankets and sheets surrounding her. Instantly, she pulled the sheets over her head and curled up as far as she could go to get away from him.

"G-Go away.." she muttered, a sudden chill running through her. She felt the bed springs groan as Goku sat down beside her on the bed.

"Washu, don't shut me out.."

His voice was barely a whisper, soft and gentle. It was enough to make the pink haired genius peek her head out from under the covers, just enough to expose her eyes. She looked at him with remorse, feeling her eyes well up in spite of the fact that she could no longer shed tears and quickly turned from his gaze.

Goku responded by slowly peeling the fabric back enough to expose her head and shoulders. He stared down at her with a sad smile on his features, brows furrowed in sympathy.

"I know nothing can ever bring Mamaro back…but don't blame me, Washu… please….I'm sorry this had to happen to you. If I could go back and change the past, I would, but I can't…please.. just…just don't take it out on me.." his heart pounded furiously in his chest as he spoke, making it heard to breathe. He wanted so much to wrap her protectively in his arms and kiss away the pain, but he held back, unsure of himself.

Washu sat up slowly and pulled her knees to her chest, not looking at him. After a moment's hesitation, she reached into the top drawer of her nightstand and produced an aged photograph depicting a toddler, no more than two at least with a head of wavy blonde hair and a cute chubby face. E had Washu's eyes, Goku noticed, and he was dressed in her trademark colour combination of green and blue.

"This is my baby…. He was only two when this photo was taken… two when he was killed. He'd just barely started living. I ask you, Goku.. is that fair? Is it fair that an innocent life should be extinguished before the flame has even begun to burn brightly? Where is the justice?" she whispered softly, her face full of sorrow and despair.

Goku sighed and shook his head.

"It's not fair……but what can I do? I have no power to revive those who have fallen.."

Washu whimpered and let the photgraph fall from her hands as she buried her head in them, her tears coming back at full force, shoulders heaving as she wept. Feeling it was the only logical thing to do, Goku wrapped his arms around her and held her close as she cried, rubbing her back gently and whispering soothing words as she wept for her lost kin….

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Washu did'nt know how long she'd been asleep. Blinking away the dusty mementos of the sandman's nightly visits, she squinted in the semi-darkness of her room onboard The Galaxy Storm. It was then she noticed that Goku was no longer with her. A frown crossed her face as she glanced at the empty spot on the futon beside her. She did'nt want to be alone after confiding her secret to him……

A sudden movement in the shadows alerted the scientist to her senses.

"Goku?" she called out softly, looking around wildly before her, the only light coming from the dim flurescant light tubes framing the window that held a view of sparkling jewels against velvet black.

Suddenly, she felt a cold, metallic object wind around her ankle, snaking it's way up her leg…

"AAAAHH!" she screamed in alarm and yanked back the covers. In the dim light, she could see that it was a tenticle, belonging to one of her discarded prototype battle droids, a mass of mechanical tenticles attached to a ball of spikes covered with sinester red lights. Another tenticle pierced through the shadows and wound around her head, covering her mouth and preventing her from screaming for help.

"At last, I have found you…" came a soft, husky voice by the end of the bed. Eyes widdening in alarm, Washu watched helplessly as Ryoko-or at least, someone who LOOKED like Ryoko- appeared before her holding the remote that programned the sentential. A sly smirk crossed the demoness's face and there was an unnaturally sadistic glint in her amber eyes that told Washu she was staring at an imposter..

"Master will be most pleased!"

And with that, the familiar settings of the bedroom faded away into darkness….

"WAAHH!"

Goku jolted awake, eyes wide and beads of sweat trickling down his olive coloured skin. Gasping for breath, he leaned back against the mass of pillows behind his head and groaned, running a hand through his hair. With a sigh, he sat up again and reached for the water jug on his night stand. Pouring himself a glass, he emptied the glass in one gulp and immidiatly felt himself cool from the itchy heat that enveloped his body.

Getting up from the sweat-soaked futon bed, he pulled on a pair of boxer shorts to conceal his modesty-after all, with air conditioning this powerful, sleeping in the nude was mandatory- and slide open the wicker door of his room, leading out onto a dimly-lit hallway, met with the sight of two doors on either side of him and a blue steel guard door straight ahead.

No longer feeling the desire to sleep, Goku walked down the cool plascrete corridor to the sheild door. Pressing his hand flat against the security scanner, he waited a few seconds before the door slid open softly, opening onto the cockpit where Kiyone was busy navigating the ship by herself, her partnet Mihoshi passed out on the seat next to her with an ocean of drool flowing from her open mouth.

"Can't sleep, huh?" Kiyone queried from the driver's seat, looking tired and fatiqued but alert as ever. Nodding, Goku sat down on one of the chucky ledges on either side ogf the control panel, facing the aqua haired woman.

"Have you ever felt…like you were'nt sure if you were awake or still dreaming?" he queried softly, looking quizzicaly at the young woman, who had now set the ship to auto-pilot and was currently leaning against the back of her chair, looking at him curiously.

"Can't say I have…freaky dream, huh-"

Suddenly, the shield door slid open with such force that the two jumped in alarm. Clad in only blue-and-white striped pajama bottoms, Tenchi stood in the doorway, Tenchi-ken in one hand and a look of horror on his face.

"Kiyone! Goku! Washu's been kidnapped!"

A white light greeted the sensitive green eyes of one Washu Hakubi as she slowly opened them, vision blurred and head throbbing dully. She groaned softly, trying to sit up, only to find that her body was devoid of clothing save for several strategicly placed mechanical tenticles binding her to an icy cold steel operating table.

Alarmed, she let out a shriek only to be silenced by a gloved hand clamping over her mouth….

"It has been a long time, my dear Washu……why don't we..get re-aquinted?"

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END EPISODE 5

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