"Dad, I'm going to go for a walk, ok?" Tenchi asked his father.
"Sure, sure, but…well, you know the rules. And if you see any girls, bring 'em home!" He said with a suggestive wink. Tenchi shook his head tiredly, groaning.
The old pervert, he thought. Still trying to pick up a new girlfriend, now that Mom is gone. He's trying so hard to set me up with someone, again. Argh. Tenchi walked through the snowy woods. The pine trees are so pretty, he sighed. Snow didn't always remind him of his mother, now. She had died when he was very young, and in the winter, one snowy day. Everyone had been sad.
Now it reminded him more of days several years ago, when he had been about 14. Ryoko, Ayeka, Kiyone, Mihoshi, Washu, Sasami, even little Ryo-Ohki…he had loved each and every one of them for…for something. They had taught him about love, hate, and himself.
But that didn't matter now. They were gone, all of them, to their homes, responsibilities, lives. And he was back to…this. Tenchi kicked a rock into the snow.
He walked farther, thinking deeper. He wished they would come back. Would Ken-Ohki and Ryo-Ohki be married now? Would Ryoko still be a criminal? Mihoshi-would she be partnered with Kiyone, like before? He sighed in annoyance. So many questions, so few answers. He decided to invent some.
No, Ryo-Ohki and Ken-Ohki probably had a hopeless love thing going. Two cabbits, the spaceships of powerful archenemies, ever being allowed to settle down together? Not likely. He hoped that they still remembered carrots…how little Ryo-Ohki used to love them….
He was getting sidetracked. Of course Ryoko would still be a criminal! What else COULD she be? A Bank of Jurai was like money on the street, to her. She was hopeless…still, she WAS beautiful…
Oops, there he went again. Duh, Mihoshi would be with Kiyone-no one would want to suffer the crying Mihoshi would use if she was separated from Kiyone. Poor Kiyone. Mihoshi was such a klutz, and she couldn't keep a secret for her life. She had no clue about anything, and was probably more dangerous than anyone, more than even Ryoko.
Tenchi was so caught up in his thoughts that he almost completely missed the smoking wreck. "Hmmm…Wha…What? What the heck is that?" he stared at the pieces of metal scattered around the area. "Oh my god…the wreckage must be like a mile wide! What happened? Why didn't anyone notice?"
Duh, no one noticed! Tenchi mentally slapped himself. We're in the country! No one lives around here for miles. They must've fried my brains in Tokyo. "HELLLLLOOOOOO?!?!" He called out. "ANYONE HERE? ANYONE ALIVE??"
No answer. Obvious. Who could have survived this? If they had, would they still be awake? Highly unlikely. THINK, TENCHI! He ordered himself. He looked around, digging through the wreckage. Some blood had splattered on the metal, smoking, like the metal itself. So someone was here. But WHERE?
Searching seemed to take forever. This seemed so strange, yet so routine-the number of times he had had to look for the girls…so long ago. He missed them. Then, there had been excitement in his life. Not now.
Finally, when he was on the verge of giving up, he came across something-or someone. What ever it was, it was so covered in blood and mixed with the metal that he almost passed it by. It moved slightly, and he thought that he could see bone though its head, a light spot in the dark blood. This needs help-now.
He almost threw up as he gingerly touched it. Muscle poked through the skin in places. It moved away from him, and he sighed slightly. So, it was still alive. Amazing.
Tenchi decided to take the whole piece of metal. It was a wonder that it's spine hadn't broken. Tenchi began the long walk home.
~
Kirra felt pain flash through her face. She opened her eyes, growling, but even she could hear the pain, fear, surprise, in her voice. He could too.
"Ahh, the big fighter isn't so big anymore, is she? Come on, punch me. You can't can you?" He laughed cruelly. "Well, this is punishment. But its not enough for you is it, tough little bitch?" He leaned his face closer to her. "No, you want more, don't you? 'Tough little girl down with trainees.', they told me. 'Ha!' I said. 'You want tough? I'll show you tough.'" He smiled. "I expected more. But you'll do. Oh yes, you'll do."
Then he kissed her, biting like a snake, and it was as bad as poison.
~
"AHHHHHHHHH!!!!" Kirra screamed.
"Grandpa! Grandpa, come quick! She's waking up!" Tenchi yelled. An old man in samurai clothing walked swiftly into the room, looking at their patient on the floor mat.
She was cleaner that when she had first arrived, Tenchi carrying her on a sheet of metal. Then, they couldn't even tell if she was human or not. Now, scars crisscrossed her body, but she was alive. Her hair had grown back, and her backbone was miraculously intact. Her hair was a light, golden blonde, and her skin was very pink from the healing skin. She looked maybe about 16, but if she were from Jurai, she could be several hundred years old. No one could tell what color her eyes were yet, but they would find out soon enough, if this was not a false alarm.
It wasn't. She stirred for several minutes, then opened her eyes. They were blue. She had the dazed look of someone trying to recall where she was.
Her memory must have caught up to her with a sudden rush, because she had started screaming, "Calm down, please calm down, quiet, were not going to hurt you." Tenchi said hurriedly.
"Where…where am I? Who are you? What happened? Am I dead?" She asked shakily, wary. She had the look of someone who knows danger.
"You are in the Misaki house, Japan. My name is Tenchi Misaki. This is my Grandfather Yosho Misaki. My father is around here some where. Welcome."
"What planet??"
"Umm…Earth."
"What? Earth? Earth…I was trying to…to leave…run, run…NOOOOOO!!" She screamed, shaking. "JUST LEAVE ME ALONE, DAMN YOU!!"
"Calm down, calm down, you're safe!! Please, calm down." She looked at him startled, terrified, but then she began to settle.
"I'm sorry…I just…well…I am Galaxy Police Officer Kirra of…of…I forget…" She looked at him pleadingly. "I forgot!! How could I forget? No, this is a nightmare, has to be…wait, I'm dead, I hurt to much to be in a nightmare."
"This is real. I'm sorry. We…I …found you in a mess of metal. You were hurt very badly. Perhaps you should rest…" Tenchi suggested. "Grandpa…" He looked around. Grandpa had left. Argh…he's as bad as Dad. Tenchi thought. Trying to set me up with everyone…
"No. I am FINE. There is NOTHING wrong with me. I can take care of myself. Thank you." She struggled to rise, ignoring the pain. Tenchi reached out his hand to Kirra. She took one, scared, startled look at it, like he meant to hit her with it, then ignored it.
"Well, okay." Tenchi said, not convinced. "Would you like some breakfast?"
Kirra considered this doubtfully. It could be poisoned, but it was unlikely. No one used poison anymore. Out of date. Anyway, she was hungry. Tenchi let her think, and received only a surly nod for his patience.
They walked into the kitchen and ate.
Tenchi thought about the weird girl they had found. She hadn't told them much-he had been afraid to ask her about how she had come here, worried about how she might react again. She was so cold and, well, strange. It was frustrating.
The other girls had been quick to warm up to him. Kirra was different, somehow. She was about the age Sasami would be now. Tenchi realized. I guess Kirra has seem more battle, more horrors, than any Princess of Jurai would have. No girl that age deserves that kind of pain.
She had been exposed to something terrible, Tenchi decided. Not a normal life.
On the positive side, she brought news with her. Mihoshi and Kiyone were still partners, traveling in this area of space. Ryoko still ran wild, and Kirra herself had seen Ryo-Ohki and Ryoko make their getaway. Ayeka and Sasami were still Princesses, and Washu had been elected The Genius of the Year twice before she was caught making a Planetary Exploding Bomb and confined to a small space shuttle, which she had later been escaped from. Her whereabouts were currently unknown.
She had told him news only when she realized that he knew these people. Nothing about herself, sizing him up, calculating. Hiding something.
Tenchi was so wrapped up in his thoughts that he almost walked right into Kirra. She glared at him.
"Umm…excuse me, Kirra."
"Sorry." She said. No smile. Never was.
"Well…umm…I guess I'll see you later then. Dinner should be ready soon, okay?" She nodded, then walked on.
Now she seemed more sad than angry. Difficult, that's what she was. Careful, doing only that which could help her achieve her goal. But this wasn't her original disposition…something…someone…had made her change.
He sighed. His life was getting more complicated than he liked. And it would probably get worse.