The Return Home

Chapter One

Tenchi and The Gang belong to Pioneer and other assorted people on the other side of the big lake to my west, and not to me. Hope you like this one, there will be more to come, whether you like it or not.

Walking down the path, he looked around, looking for any changes to his surroundings. It had been a year since he had been home for a visit, and six years since he had left for college in the United States. In that time, many things had changed in his life, but something's he hoped had not.

Looking around again, he saw that very little had changed. The early summer greens and browns of the evergreens and the bushes abounded everywhere, the reds and whites of the cherry blooms lined the path, and the forest was alive. The trees were bigger, what looked like the weather or flying things had even pruned some in a haphazard way. The path was relatively clear of any rubbish; someone had been keeping it clean. He always liked taking this path, it was closer this way to town, and he always felt at peace here.

Coming out of the forest, he stopped, looking upon a grassy field, bordering on a large lake. He stood there admiring the scene before him, dressed in jeans, a sweatshirt with his college name on it and a large duffle bag across his shoulder holding what stuff he needed immediately. The rest of his stuff would arrive by carrier later. He appeared to be a young man in his mid twenties, standing 152 centimeters, he bulked 100 kilos, full chest, with very little of it being fat. He had full black hair, with a small ponytail at the middle of his back and brown eyes, which at most times exuded kindness, but that could also be hard when the time required.

As his eyes gazed upon the sight before him, they became dreamy and wistful as he looked at the home of his birth, the home his father had designed for his mother shortly after their marriage. Thinking of his mother always made him sad, she died when he was very young, leaving a hole and a deep hurt in his heart.

That hole partially filled over the preceding years by the arrival of many women from some strange places, into his home. He loved them all, and did not want to hurt or loose anyone of them. However, due to his hurt, he still did not fully trust that they would not leave him also, as his mother had done.

The past few years had been hard on him. The training and school was pure hell, and the field experience was even worse. He had many scars on his body and psychosomatic, hidden under his cloths. He had been to many strange places around the world and off it. Meet some of the strangest peoples he could have ever imagined, both good and bad. However, now he had returned home, home to heal and settle his feelings for the women of his life, (as if he could). Before him a road came along the shore to end before a gate bordered by two large tree trunks about eight feet tall. As he walked up to the gate, voices came from the two tree trunks.

"Lord, you have returned," said the one on the left in a deep voice.

"Welcome home Lord, it is good to have you back. The Ladies will be very happy to hear that you have returned. Shall I inform the hose that you have arrived?" A voice from the right tree trunk spoke.

"No, that will be quite all right. I would like to surprise them as they open the door," the young man stated.

Saying this, he pushed through the gate heading up to the house. As he came closer, he noted some small changes. Off the left side of the house, more rooms had been added, the deck extended out around the new rooms. His father's old van parked in the front, a newer Mazda van beside it. A Mercedes sedan, a Honda Accord, and another sedan he did not recognize parked under a new open carport to the left of the house.

Coming up to the door, he could hear many voices coming from the house. Voices of happiness, voices of anger, most he recognized, and some he did not. A feeling of warmth filled him and with a big grin, he raised his hand to knock on the door.

Bang, bang, bang, the sound carried off into the evening and into the house.

A light musical voice came to him. "I will be right there."

As the door swung open, a vision of beauty stood before him. His smile grew bigger as a look of incredibility covered her face. A young woman of twenty years appearance stood before him, the two marks on her forehead, (which could not make up their mind if they were triangles or dots), glowed a bright green.

Dropping the bag from his shoulder, he grabbed her in a big hug. "Hello Sasami," he said as he placed a light warm kiss to her cheek.

She raised her hand to her cheek feeling the warmth of his kiss. Then a look of pure happiness filled here face as she threw herself into his arms. She yelled into the evening and incidentally into the house also, "TENCHI IS BACK!"