forward." Tenchi told Ryoko.
"Ok, ok, one more Disclaimer bites the dust."
"Really Ryoko, I think you should let me have the remote." Aeka said pausing in
the shoveling of popcorn into her mouth.
"You and what army, little princess."
***
Ever After
Chapter 4: Trial and Error
"Well did anything interesting happen last night?" The station
commander asked
taking over the watch from his lieutenant.
"We gained two new aliens, Galaxy Police officers at that.
One appears to be a
new race as well, sir." He paused a smile on his face.
"That's great Xenobiology will be happy for a month. Anything
else?"
"Hmm... Oh yes Mihoshi crashed into the house again. We
recovered a piece of
the ship's haul about a foot long. Right now Command is assembling
a team of metal,
plastic, and ceramic specialist to examine the object." The lieutenant
paused saving the
best for last.
"It seems you had a rather eventful night then." The commander
poured himself
a cup of coffee from the nearby pot and grabbed a sweet bun.
"There was one more thing..." He paused toying with his
superior.
"Yes?"
"Well one of the new G.P. officers came running out of the demolished
house,
waving a gun. She searched the whole area surrounding the Masaki
house and almost
found O.P. 1. The whole time screaming bloody murder. After
a couple of hours she
gave up on finding whatever it was she was looking for and headed back
to the rebuilt
house."
"Maybe they recruit their officers for that?" The commander
pondered.
"Could be." He grabbed his bag ready to go home for some
sleep. "See you
tonight." His commander just waved at him already deep into the
status report from last
night.
***
"Mitsuki, we had agreed that there would be no outbursts from
you when we saw
Officer Kiyone and yet you drew your weapon and chased after her for
the majority of the
night." This was a first for Motashiwa every time before he had
been on the receiving
end of the same speech. But for once he was in charge, and if
he ever found out who the
operator was that had assigned him to this baby sitting job he
would... unconsciously he
extended his claws. His partner suddenly gave him, her complete
attention.
"Yes sir, I'm really sorry about the whole thing. I will
control my emotions when
working with Kiyone, Sir." She said sitting at attention.
"Good, I don't see any need to continue this discussion."
He said just as happy to
change the subject as she was. "Now what should we do today."
"First, I really think we should go eat breakfast." She
said sniffing the air.
"Well I guess it would be easier to make plans after we eat."
He said a predators
grin on his face. They both stood and left the guest room
assigned to then by Noboyuki
running straight into Mihoshi.
"Kiyone, oh, where is Kiyone." Mihoshi cried, wandering
off searching for her
missing partner.
"Officer Mihoshi, can I have a few words with you?" Mitsuki
called out to the
infamous member of the Galaxy Police. Mihoshi just kept wandering
along crying about
her missing partner. Shrugging her shoulders, Mitsuki headed
down the stairs towards
breakfast, Motashiwa behind her.
Sasami was already serving Yosho and Kiyone from the large wooden
rice bucket
when they arrived. She had prepared a traditional breakfast with
some help from
Ryo-Ohki, who was once again in human form, happily munching
on carrots next to
Sasami. At the officers arrival she filled their chawan (rice
bowls) and handed one to
each of them. Mitsuki gave an appreciative sniff and dug
in as Motashiwa stared at the
rice with a look of disgust, then with avid concentration began to
shovel the rice into his
mouth.
"Kiyone!" A voice yelled out from on top of the landing.
As Mihoshi finally
found her missing partner. The blond ran down the stairwell and
tackled her partner
bursting into tears.
"Get off me you bubble head." Kiyone pushed the joyful
Mihoshi away from her.
"But I thought something terrible had happened to you, after
even Mitsuki
couldn't find you." The table became quiet as everyone stopping
eating and looked at
Mihoshi wondering how much she had gotten for her brain at the pawn
shop. Then
deciding it couldn't have been more then a thousand yen and not worth
the effort to think
about, continued eating.
"Um... thank you so much for allowing me to stay at the shrine
last night."
Kiyone said to Yosho over the kitchen table trying to break the ice
that her partner had
caused. Mitsuki started to choke on her rice, giving up all hope
that the Prince of Jurai
would ever sponsor her.
"It was my pleasure." The shrine caretaker said pausing
in his eating of the rice.
If anything Sasami's culinary arts had improved over the last
few years on Earth.
From outstanding chef to world class. Though from Motashiwa's
expression he was
being forced to eat emergency rations. His face scrunched up
in concentration as he tried
not to think about it.
"Is something wrong with the food." Sasami asked cautiously.
Ryoko had told
her many tales of the ferocity of the Tigeran officers that had chased
her while she was a
space pirate for Kagato. Of course in those stories she had been
the poor victim to their
cruelty and not even Sasami was that naive.
"I'm just not use to it." He said forcing himself to eat
another mouthful of rice.
"Um... What would you prefer?" .
"For breakfast, one should eat Sterasne Blood Pie." Motashiwa
told her. Both
Kiyone and Mitsuki's faces changed color and they hurriedly put down
their chopsticks.
"How do you make Sterasne Blood Pie?" Sasami asked, always
ready to add
another recipe to her collection.
"Please Sir, I really don't think that is something that should
be discussed at the
breakfast table." Kiyone said, Mitsuki nodding her head in perfect
agreement with her
rival.
"But I want to know." Put in the worlds leading authority
on helium preservation
in the cranium holding area.
***
"Miss Masaki, could you please solve the problem for us."
"It's plus or minus 3x squared." Sasami said with out even
looking at the board.
"Could you show the class how you got that answer." Sasami
walked up to the
board and began to plug in the numbers.
"It's easy you just use Washu Formula number 3."
"Um... Miss Masaki don't you mean the quadratic formula."
*Washu, when I see
you later, I knew that you were lying to me when you told me all the
number tricks were
named after you, or it could just be an Earth thing.*
"Thank you, Miss Masaki."
"Now Miss Lee if you could do problem number 17." Sakura
stood up and
walked to the board. Sasami could immediately tell that Sakura
was making a number of
simple mistakes especially with her positive and negatives.
"Miss Lee I'm afraid that is incorrect... Oh there's the bell
everyone please do the
homework assignment on the board. Miss Lee if you'll stay a moment
I'll show you
where your mistake was."
"Sasami, Ryo-Ohki, we've got chemistry next period. You
want to walk
together." Asked Autumn as she stuffed books into her bag.
"Miya"
"Shouldn't we wait for Sakura." Sasami said looking at
her friend.
"She'll be a while. Come on." Autumn said grabbing
her book bag and heading
towards the door playing with her little Virtual Pet, followed by Ryo-Ohki.
Sasami gave
one more look at Sakura and followed the two girls down the halls of
the school towards
the chemistry room. Nodding at acquaintances and talking about
nothing. Ryo-Ohki and
Autumn had really seemed to hit it off lately and Sasami was feeling
a little jealous.
"So Sasami what are you going to do this weekend." Asked
Autumn.
"My sister and nephew are coming home from college this weekend
along with
Ryoko."
"Who's Ryoko?" Autumn asked.
"She's a space... she takes up space." Sasami caught her
self in time.
"What do you mean." Inquired Autumn as Ryo-Ohki gave Sasami
a nervous
glance.
"She use to board with my family." Sasami sighed in relief
that she had gotten
out of that one so easy.
"Really, and she's going to the same college now as well.
Isn't that a little odd."
"You've never met Ryoko."
"Miya!" Ryo-Ohki put her two cents in as they entering
the classroom.
***
"Sasami, I still don't quite get that formula could you give me
a little help after
school?" Sakura asked staring at her math book, at the same time
stealing herself some
of Sasami's lunch.
"Why don't you come over to my house tonight." Asked Sasami.
"Can I come along as well." Autumn interjected.
"Sure we can make a trip out of it. We can check out the
shops in the mall before
heading out."
"Ryo-Ohki think it sounds fun." She said casting a mischievous
grin at Sakura.
Suddenly Sasami didn't feel to hot about the idea, she had seen that
look on Ryoko to
many times.
***
Going to the mall with someone her own age was a new experience
for Sasami.
She had seen it on television and knew that it was a required meeting
area for earth
teenagers, but now she knew why. It was fun.
Autumn had shown her the high points of window shopping and trying
on
clothing. A variation of the favorite game of all young girls,
dress up. Afterwards loaded
down by a number of boxes that she had purchased with her Washu Express
Card, a
Christmas present she had promised Washu to never let Noboyuki use.
They had gone to
look at the animals in a pet store, that had even stocked rabbits much
to Ryo-Ohki's
delight. Who seemed to be on her best behavior. Sasami's
fears had obviously been
misplaced about Ryo-Ohki's motivation for wanting to go on this trip.
Finally they had
settled down in the food court eating ice cream or drinking carrot
juice whatever the
preference.
"Doesn't that guy look like your uncle, Sasami." Sakura
pointed at a middle aged
salary man with a passing resemblance to Noboyuki being led around
by his wife from
store to store with an expression of abject horror on his face every
time he looked at his
wife's fist clenching a credit card.
"Sort of," she replied smiling to herself.
"What is your family like?" Autumn asked, she had already
told them today
about her two older brothers. And how much fun it was to be away from
their teasing
while she was in Japan.
"Normal, I guess."
"Then where your parents, you live with your uncle. Yes,
no." She asked playing
with her virtual pet for a second before sticking it back into her
pocket in disgust.
"My parents are abroad." It worked in every animation she
had ever seen to
explain why a high school student was living alone it had to work in
an easy situation like
this.
"Where?" Sakura said interested.
"America." Sasami had taken the time a couple of days ago
to find out where
that was on Earth after meeting Autumn.
"Where in America." Trapped Sasami looked at Ryo-Ohki.
The Cabbit's hand
conveniently slipped spilling the carrot drink into Sakura's lap.
An apology on her lips
and a smile in her eyes Ryo-Ohki helped to clean up the mess that she
had created.
***
Sasami was finding that she actually enjoyed the time she spent
commuting on
the bus. Being able to see the changing scenery rather then the
boring vastness of space.
Something was always different if you paid attention. A sign
had moved, someone was
out in front of a store, or a passenger in another car starring back
at you. The whole
experience was just more personal then space. So much more alive.
Sasami felt
someone touch Sasami's shoulder and she turned away from the window.
"You were staring off into space there for a second." Sakura
said pulling her
even further back to reality.
"Not space." She replied softly. "You ever been out
this way before?"
"No, never. Its beautiful so many trees." She said
looking past Sasami out into
the forests that had been rural farms just a minute ago.
"It looks so much like home." A trace of home sickness
in her voice. But she
waved it off, she wasn't going home, ever, Tsunami was there.
And lately she could feel
what the goddess was feeling more and more, all she had to do was close
her eyes and
Tsunami was there waiting for Sasami.
"Your not from around here?" Sakura asked breaking into
her thoughts once
again.
"No." Sasami said without thinking.
"Where are you from then?" She nonchalantly asked.
"Um..." Sasami paused catching her self from replying.
For some reason she
didn't think that telling her new friend that she was an alien princess
would make for a
long and healthy friendship.
"Ryo-Ohki, stop!" Autumn yelled from the seat in front
of Sasami and Sakura.
Breathing a sigh of relief Sasami leaned forward to see what the commotion
was about.
Ryo-Ohki had somehow gotten a hold of Autumn's virtual pet rabbit,
Kawaii.
Sasami smiled at the name, it had been the one she and Mihoshi had
used when she had
played as a kid.
Ryo-Ohki was feeding the Virtual Pet carrots over and over.
Causing the image
of the rabbit on the screen to swell. Autumn was way too overprotective
of her pet and
who knows how Ryo-Ohki had convinced her to give it up but her patience
was about to
give out as poor Kawai started to balloon on the digital screen.
"Miya." Ryo-Ohki happily continued to feed Kawai-Chan.
Autumn couldn't
stand it anymore and snatched the toy out of Ryo-Ohki's hands cradling
the VR pet to her
chest, giving her a hurt look. Sasami began to laugh at
her friend the former space
pirate, who joining in with Sasami's and Sakura's laughter. Autumn
glared at them with
a hurt look on her face.
"Miya!"
***
Darkness had fallen upon the Masaki residence when they finally
arrived at the
house. For once, nobody was home and the place felt like it was
full of ghosts to Sasami.
This was one of the reasons she had been so happy when Tenchi had suggested
that she
go to school, *loneliness is not a companion you can cook for.*
Sasami thought as she
turned on the light switch to the downstairs family room.
"Sasami, this house is huge." Autumn said a little in awe.
"Compared to the rest
of the houses I've seen in Japan this place looks like a mansion."
She said removing her
shoes. Sakura nodded her head in agreement.
"That's because my uncle is an architect. He just loves
to keep on adding stuff to
the house. Like the balcony outside of my room." And thank
goodness Washu finally
came up with a way to hide the baths or I would have a real problem.
How do you
explain an island floating in the air with a waterfall coming from
it?
"Why don't you guys sit down and pull out the books, I'll get
us some tea."
Sasami said happy to have someone to cook dinner for besides Ryo-Ohki.
She found
herself wondering one day if the little fur ball would taste like carrots
or maybe chicken,
after that she gave up on creative carrot dishes and just stuck to
the basics for Ryo-Ohki
and cooked whatever she felt like eating.
Sasami wondered whether or not Washu was still in Tokyo or had
come back for
the evening. In that case she should have to warn the premier
scientist in the galaxy, that
they had guests and to be on her best behavior. She tapped lightly
on the supply closet
door and then peeked inside only to see a mop.
Autumn, Sakura, and Ryo-Ohki had settled down in the family room
around the
chabudai (low table) and were pulling out books and other odd items
necessary for home
work. Sasami reappeared a few minutes later with tea and baby
carrots which worked as
a good snack dish for everyone.
"Why, you love carrots so much?" Autumn asked taking a
cup of tea from
Sasami. She been wondering about it for the past few days of
watching Ryo-Ohki eat
nothing but carrots in one form or another.
"Taste good." Was her only reply as the brown haired girl
dived in. Autumn
rolled her eyes.
"Any ways... can someone show me where I made this mistake."
Sakura asked
checking her answer with the one in the back of the book and seeing
that it still didn't
match the answer she needed.
"Here let me see." Sasami turned the paper around.
"Your still getting your positive and negative signs mixed up.
Remember one
negatives make a positive" She pointed at one part of the paper.
"See."
{"Does that work in relationships to."} Mumbled Autumn
in English.
"Okay, then I made the same mistake here too." She said
pointing towards a
lower part of the same equation.
"See, it's easy once you get the hang of it." Sakura began
redoing the formula
changing her answer and with a little help from Sasami and Autumn it
matched the one
in the back of the book.
Sasami went back to the kitchen to create dinner now that she
saw sure that
Sakura was on the right track. If worse came to worse Ryo-Ohki
would help and Washu
had programmed her with the best navigation computer in the galaxy,
to that Washu
Formula Number Three was a piece of carrot cake.
***
Tsunami centered herself gathering calm from the other Jurian
trees and then
projecting it back to them. The whole net by now was aware of
the invasion fleet. Jurian
fleets were forming and being called back from their patrols.
Slowly... assembly of the
main fleet would take another day. The G.P. fleet another would
meet up with them half
way to Farreach. She knew that the King of Jurai was calling
in all his old favors from
the rest of the Galactic powers to try to receive more ships.
The enemy, was just staying in the Farreach system neither advancing
nor
retreating. Besides sending a few scout ships out they seemed
perfectly content to stay
put. She wouldn't have been half as worried if they had advanced.
But instead they were
just holding steady, blocking all communications or probes into the
Farreach system.
She sighed a rustling of leaves. Pushing more tranquility
out to the other trees.
Too many enemy ships. She could already see that the deciding
factor in the battle
would be the Light Hawk Wings. All the tree ship had felt the
Soyokaze die without
shields or protection, removed from her power. She couldn't blame
them for being
worried. She was too. Too many new emotions were being
learned by her and the trees
lately, ones that she had wanted to shelter them from. That she
had also wanted to be
sheltered from. That was why she had joined with the trees after
her combat with
Tokemi so many centuries ago. Peace, order and tranquility
isn't that what anyone asks
for, even a goddess.
Sasami was happy, Tsunami could draw upon that and send it out,
but she no
longer trusted Sasami's happiness.
***
"Hey Sasami, what is this." Autumn said holding up a brightly
colored baton
with a pink heart on top of it.
"That's my magical baton. Mihoshi and I used to play that
I was the Magical Girl
Pretty Sasami and that with my magical baton I fought for love and
justice. We had
watched to many magical girl shows at the time, I guess." Sasami
gave a nervous laugh.
"That is so cuuute!" Sakura laughed at her.
Autumn took the baton and in front of the mirror and struck a
pose. "I fight for
love and justice and in the name of the moon I will punish you."
She twirled the baton.
"Or maybe," She took the traditional "V" pose. "We have
vanquished the evil foe, now
where are we going." Sasami and Sakura both gave her a mystified
stare. "Sorry wrong
culture."
***
Hey does anyone know the name of the large wooden bucket that holds
the rice that one
of the members of the family, usually female, fills everyone's cup
from? yea more run
on sentences.
Comments/suggestions...Uh... is this thing on... 1... 2... 3... anyone
out there?
STRIKESTWICE@HOTMAIL.COM
This is Ver2!