*******************************************************************

Chapter 5- Discoveries are made

*******************************************************************

"It's SNOWING!" Sasami cried joyfully as delicate white flakes drifted to earth.

It had been two months since Tsaraara and Ariac had crash-landed by the Masaki shrine, and they still hadn't left. Ryo-Ohki bounded happily across the lawn, her lanky limbs kicking up fine, dust-like snow.

"Miya!"

Tsaraara had calmed down a lot. Washu kept a close eye on her, and could contain her in a nanosecond if needed. Apparently Ryoko and her still had friction between them. Ariac was completely neutral. Lately Washu had been acting strange. Whenever she saw Ariac, she would look sympathetic, and she spent more time in her lab. Nat'retak was also acting strange. Whenever he saw Washu giving Ariac the sympathetic look, he'd look surprised. Ariac took little notice of this.

Tenchi Masaki smiled gently at Sasami as she ran back into the house to get Ayeka. Ryoko was nowhere to be seen, and Mihoshi was getting her winter clothes on. Ariac was already out, and Tsaraara was just now coming from the woods. She did that, sometimes. Tenchi suspected it was to train. Kiyone was on the couch with Ayeka, watching T.V.

"C'mon, Ayeka! Let's go play in the snow!" Sasami said enthusiastically, tugging on her sister's sleeve.

Ayeka looked out the window, drew in a deep breath, and stood.

"All right, Sasami." It was obvious Ayeka wasn't going to like this.

Mihoshi raced out the door, laughing. She slipped on a frozen step and was sent hurtling face first into a growing snowdrift.

"Are you all right Mihoshi?"

"Y-yes...."

Ariac grinned and thrust a single hand skyward. "First snow o' the season! How d'ya like that, Nat?"

The cabbit nodded absentmindedly, staring at the house. Ariac shrugged and walked over to Tsaraara, who looked down her nose at the white blanket that was covering the ground. Patting her heartily on the back, she cried out cheerfully.

"What d'you think, Tsaraara?

"I think it's pointless to 'play' in snow. First of all, it's cold, you could get sick. Not that that's anything too bad, s'just not too... pleasant. It's also wet, and I don't feel like getting any clothes dried, not that it would be easy in this weather. Snow isn't even lethal. You can't hurt anyone with it! It's just like rain. It comes, it goes. I don't see any of you guys playing in the rain!"

Ariac had long since face-faulted. Ryoko finally appeared, next to Tenchi. (Of course!)

"Hi Tenchi! Wonderful day, huh?" Tenchi, naturally, was suspicious. "What do you want? I though you didn't like cold weather."

"I'd do anything for you, Tenchiiii!"

"How very touching." Ayeka commented, not at all sounding touched as she walked outside with Sasami.

Ryoko shot her a venomous glance, but immediately glomped Tenchi. Much to nobody's surprise. Washu looked out at the happy precession. Today was the day. She had finally pieced together all the information and finally solved the mystery to Ariac's parentage. How was she going to break this to Ariac? The sight of a snowball fight beginning made up her mind. Later. Mihoshi had unwittingly started the fight. After she had fallen into the drift, she clawed the snow off her face and chunked it aside, hitting Ryo-Ohki, who had changed to her human form. The cabbit miawed indignantly, and scooped up a snowball. Taking careful aim, she threw the snowball at Mihoshi's head. But Mihoshi took that exact time to bend down and start a snowman, therefore the ball continued it's course to Ariac's gray hair. She spun around, suspecting Tsaraara, and hurled one at her. And so on and so forth, until Tenchi, Ryoko, Sasami, and even Washu had joined in. Ayeka and Kiyone needed some coaxing. Who would have thought snowball to the face is the perfect negotiator!

*******************************************************************

Tsaraara, for the first time in her life, had had a ball. Now the group was huddled inside, sipping hot cocoa and chatting. Tsaraara allowed herself a furtive glance at Tenchi, who was talking with Mihoshi. The bounty hunter felt frustrated. What was it? What was she feeling? A strange emotion swept through her body whenever she saw this guy, and intensified whenever she met his eyes! Was it anger? No, she was far too familiar with that to not recognize it. Sadness? No. Not in the least. Happiness? In a way, yes. A childish, giddy happiness was present. Love? No... it couldn't be. There was no way... but then again, almost every female in the household loved him... but.. she had lived alone for so long... well, alone save her ship. That was the answer! She would talk to Shiku'eay! Tsaraara stood up, as she was accustomed to, and silently walked away. Who cared if they didn't know why? But the residents of the Masaki household were used to Tsaraara's silence. She walked outside, drawing her dark cloak around her against the darkened sky. There were no stars tonight. Purple-gray clouds blotted out the sky. The snow made barely a sound. Tsaraara walked into the surrounding woods, pulling a small silver-blue orb from inside one of the many folds of her complicated attire. Finding her 'sitting tree', she climbed onto a low branch and set the orb in a fork lever with her shoulders. The orb grew, it was about the size of a basketball when it stopped. Inside, a canine creature was stretched luxuriously out in midair. Its fur was icy-blue, like Tsaraara's energy-sword. It was incredibly shaggy, with piercing green eyes. Tsaraara's spaceship, Shiku'eay.

"Hello Shiku. Sorry about this morning, I was kind of in a rush."

If anyone were listening to Tsaraara, They would have thought she were speaking to herself. To any other eye, Shiku'eay was not heard or seen unless he desired so. Tsaraara just liked the quiet stillness of the forest.

"It's quite all right." Shiku'eay's voice was like a whisper of wind against bare branches. "But apparently you have something important to tell me?"

"Ask would be the right word."

"Ask away."

"I... have this... feeling... about Tenchi. You remember Tenchi?"

"You do talk about him extensively."

"I do?"

"Yes."

"Well... I can't really describe it. It's not anger or sadness. It's kind of like a happiness... and... I.. don't know if it's..."

"Love?"

"Do you think...?" "Tsaraara, do you want my honest opinion?"

"Yes."

"Are you sure?"

"Positive."

Shiku'eay cleared his throat. "I think you are head-over-heels about this boy."

Tsaraara groaned and slumped against the trunk of the tree.

***

"Ariac? Could you come into my lab for a minute?"

Ariac looked over her shoulder at a pensive Washu. "Sure. Why, is something wrong?"

Washu shook her head and held the door open for Ariac. "You might want to sit down. I have found you parents."

Ariac's face lit up and she immediately took a seat. She leaned eagerly forward, curious. "Really? Are you serious? COOL!"

Washu winced inwardly. She spun in her chair, and typed on her holo-console.

A screen popped up beside her, and she turned around. "Your mother was a galaxy police officer named Bernadette Hijuuo. Your father...." she stopped.

"What? What's wrong, Washu?"

"Your... your father is Kagato."

*******************************************************************

Closing Note: Bwah!

Back to Homepage
Back to Xover Fan Fic Page