Well, this is my first RAAC submission, though I've been writing for some time with Colliding SYmphonies, FFML, and of course FFIRC.

I hope you like sugar coated.

By: TJ
C&C welcome.
I'd be happy to hear what you think.
MST's not welcome
RYOUGAECHO@ABRAXIS.COM

A Colliding SYmphonies production. . .

PART ONE Version 1.3

Ryo oh ki looked up at the world around her.

Well, actually, it was just the living room. The house was very still as she softly padded her way through it, going from room to room with a curious look on her face. She eventually stopped in the living room again.

"We won't be gone long, Ryo oh ki, so you just hang out for a little while," Ryoko had said. Ryo oh ki loved her big sister, but sometimes she had a twisted concept of what does or doesn't bug others. Mommy didn't help much either.

"If you need something, just get into the lab. You'll find whatever you need," Washuu had said, her voice reaching a pitch similar to Sasami's.

"We'll be back soon, Ryo oh ki!" Sasami had said as she held Tenchi's and Aeka's arms.

So here she was. Home.

Alone.

"Miya. . ."

Her great ears dragged along the carpet as she walked in front of the sofa, sitting down at the arm-rest. They had only been gone for 14.7 minutes and she was already bored. Usually, she would be in the kitchen, cheering on Sasami as she cooked and trying to beg off some handouts, but now. . .

Her ears perked up suddenly. For certain, there would be something to do in the kitchen!

"Miya!"

She hopped into the kitchen and stopped immediately, looking around as she did. Sasami's apron was hung up and the stool was all the way against the wall, nowhere near the counter.

"Miya. . ."

How to get up? She doubted she could jump it without use of her powers. She looked around the counter for a few minutes, somewhat perplexed on this situation.

Her ears shot up again, and idea forming. She ran up to the counter and used her mouth to open one of the lower drawers slowly, until it almost came out. She carefully pushed it back in a bit, and then hopped onto it, reaching for the next drawer up to do the same. After about another ten minutes of struggling, and five drawers later, she placed her front paws on the counter top.

At that particular instance, the drawer she was on decided to shoot outward as she tried to push up to reach the counter. The entire drawer of makeshift silverware and utensils went flying to the ground with a spectacular crash, "Miya!!!" while Ryo oh ki was left trying to climb up using only her front legs. After a few tense moments of scurrying she managed to haul her little body up.

"Miya. . ." She looked down at the mess now scattered about the floor. What would Tenchi say? She chewed on her lip for a few moments nervously. She decided to just pick it up later.

Having crossed that thought, she looked around. Now that she was up here, what would she do? The refrigerator was all the way across the room, and the pantry was even higher above her. The only things in real view were the sink and the stove.

The stove?

She padded over the sink and reached the stove, sniffing at the grills over the flame port. She smelled. . .magnesium? What good is that for? She tried to think about breakfast this morning. She remembered Sasami turning a knob on the front, she heard a click, and a flame ignited.

"Miya. . ," she thought. Click, then fire. Well, she clicked a few times before she fired a tetra bombardment. . .fired? Oh that's right, she has to ignite the blast wave after she seeded the stream.

She reached over the edge of the counter at the knob. Maybe that is what the magnesium's for. It burns pretty hotly when it reacts. She turned the knob slowly with an outstretched paw. A slow hissing noise followed. Her muzzle crinkled. It didn't make that noise when Sasami did it. Then she smelled methane composite. She played with the knob some more until the hissing stopped.

"Ack. . hack!" The methane was messing with her senses. She hopped back over to the sink and propped her hind legs on the window frame, intent on pushing it open. After a bit of grunting, the window clacked and flipped open outside.

It looked pretty calm outside, a typical early autumn, abit of an overcast. She sniffed the outside air smelling thick tree sap and chlorophyll being carried on the lightly blowing wind.

Satisfied that the smell was taken care of she turned back to the kitchen. Now what? She looked around the counter top for something else to play with. Not much in sight. A spice rack, a knife rack, boring. She hadn't bothered learning much of the local visual language, she always just asked big sister what it was. That was when she spied a jar. It looked like a poly material instead of glass, like the other jars. She hopped off of the sink towards the jar, intent on seeing its contents.

She realised as she got to it, she didn't have thumbs, and she didn't have a tool to open it. "Miya. . ." Luckily it was loose already, she found. She smelled a little salt, and something sweet out of the jar. How to get the top off? After a bit of fumbling, she held it with her legs and used her head and nose to loosen the top further. One great turn knocked the lid off completely. She let go of the jar and moved the lid carefully so it wouldn't fall off the counter.

"Miya. . ." She turned back and looked at the jar. She recognised some of the lettering. It was the same as what most of this world used in its communication network. It had only three characters though.

J

I

F

"Miya," she said. Sitting back on her hind legs, she nosed the content a bit more, and then slid her tongue in, sneaking a taste. Her first attempt failed. The stuff sure was thick. Two, three times she didn't get any.

"Miya," she complained. Setting a good firm stance for herself, she used her paw on the substance. She stepped in with a fore-paw, but only succeeded in making a small impression. Losing her patience, she stuck her head down the jar slightly and tried a more firm lick. This time, she actually scooped up some. Satisfied that she worked hard, she pulled her tongue back into her mouth and began to chew the substance.

Much to her surprise, it couldn't be chewed. It became more manageable in her mouth, acting a bit pasty in the warmth of her little maw. It tasted kind of salty, but it was pretty good. She managed to get some of it on the back of her tongue and swallowed.

As she began to try to put back the lid, she realised there was some of it still in her mouth under her tongue. She licked carefully, trying to reach the offending food substance. She failed, almost gagging herself with her tongue in the process. "Ny ny nya!!!" she wailed, walking in little circles by this point. She had to do something, and do it quickly!

That's it! Perhaps she could wash it away.

(Drink, drink, drink,) she thought fervently, as she hopped over to the faucet. Examining it only for a moment, she knocked the faucet in its place and water rushed into the sink. Without hesitation, she began to lap, swishing the water into her mouth vigorously.

After several repetitions and walking in little circles next to the faucet, she was satisfied the substance was now gone from her mouth. "Miya," she sighed in relief.

Deciding in fact that she did not like the kitchen, she looked for an easy way down. She noticed the apron Sasami wore hanging on a peg near the counter. Still not keen on exerting any power, and idea formed in her head. She bared her claws, hopped directly at the apron, latched onto it. And slid down the fabric, shredding it in her journey to the floor.

With an unceremonious ker-thump, she landed on the floor, en route to the living room and not looking back. She paid no heed to the continued flow of water the faucet produced.

Knowing that there wasn't much else downstairs other than Washuu's door, Ryo oh ki made her way to the stairs. Maybe there was something to do up there, she thought, hopping up the steps gingerly. After reaching the top, she wandered down the hall a bit.

Ryo oh ki displaced herself and walked through the sliding door to the room. -That's right, Aeka's and Sasami's room, though Sasami only went here to sleep and seldom else.- A futon laid on the floor, very neatly made, and another was rolled up in the corner, flanked by several logs.

Logs?

Oh, yeah. Jurian stuff is all logs. Ryo oh ki approached one of the smaller, three foot logs, sniffing it.

It suddenly released a rush of air, startling her and raising her ears. She returned to it and smelled. . .sugar. Sugar? Why would they have food in their room? She continued to sniff until the log suddenly shot out in different direction. Ryo oh ki retreated two meters, growling as she did.

"Mrrrrarr!"

After a moment she calmed down. It just opened up. . .She hopped up to it again, examining the interior of the hollow log. It opened like a double-door, revealing shelves inside and in the door-parts. There sure seemed like a lot of stuff here. . .She looked, and then stopped at one particular object.

Sasami's cookies? Why would she. . .?

Then, Ryo oh ki smelled Aeka. It's Aeka's log? She looked deeper inside and found a Monjyu package, carefully wrapped. She likes candy too? She looked upward inside the log. Donuts?

"Miyaaa. . ." Ryo oh ki found several other sweet smelling items that she couldn't identify, dismissing them. She returned her attention to Sasami's cookies. They were very good, almost as good as carrots, and it looked like Aeka saved some.

She climbed up to the bag on her hind legs. (If . . .can just reach. . .it. . .)

After some neck stretching, she snagged the plastic baggie with her teeth, sitting down as she did.

Suddenly, the entire contents of the shelf began to shift as she tugged. (Uh oh. .)

(crunch)

After silence set in, Ryo oh ki's little head emerged from the pile of goodies that had fallen on top of her, cookie bag still in mouth.

"Miyaa?"

Oh great. What would Aeka say? She decided to pick it up later.

After a bit of struggle she freed herself from the pile and carried the cookies away a few feet. The next few moments became frustrating quickly as she tried to 'open' the zip-lock-type baggie.

"Miyaar!"

She grew tired of that real fast, and simply bit it open with her sharp teeth, spilling half a dozen cookies onto the bedding, and of course, the crumbs in the bag as well. Looking left to right, she began to gather the cookies off of the floor, stacking them as she went. Once satisfied that she had gathered them, she snatched one from the pile and began munching happily.

Her belly satisfied between the peanut butter earlier and the cookies, she found herself wandering down the upstairs hall again, aiming in the direction of Tenchi's room.

<Thud>

After crashing into the door again, she entered Tenchi's room. She seldom came in here, for Tenchi was seldom to be found in here anymore. Apparently he used to be in here a lot when he was still going to school, but now he just practised and farmed and played with everyone. She remembered how he liked to see her come crashing through his door as he sat at the desk.

She poked around the room a few minutes. Tenchi didn't really play with things. He played with people, though. . .Nothing fun in his room. She sniffed. Lots of cotton. After a bit of work, she forced his closet open, releasing more clothing smell. Some pulpen smell permeated as well. Similar to paper. There was a poly material too. . .

And. . .sniff. . .foil?

She entered the small, dark closet, carefully scanning as she moved. As she suspected she found a small stack of books in the left corner. (. . .still . . .studies. moved recently.)

Her eyes lit up like flashlights, shedding illumination into the closet.

"Miya. . ."

She looked at the cover of the book, not entirely comprehending its writing. (Need learn. . .should get . . .language )

As an intelligent life form with limited psionic capability, she could communicate with almost anything that had intelligence and a language without really knowing its language, and if she did need to know, big sister could tell her. And now that Mom is back, maybe she could too. . .

<"Remember, the lab is open.">

"Miya!"

She sat down, and after a bit of thought, she accessed one of Washuu's databases by remote and compared what she saw. Computer said it was mix of Juraian Runic, Japanese and English. It then gave a long winded explanation of the roots of Japanese in Juraian Runic. Ryo oh ki shook her head, telling the computer to shut up and upload the Japanese and English.

Two minutes later she read the cover.

Trigonometry and Physics. Tenchi needed to study math? She nosed it off the top to look at the one beneath. English Studies. Tenchi studies language too?

Her interest in Tenchi's text books rapidly diminished. She turned around and her lighted eyes glared off of something else in the closet. The poly material? And now she smelled. . .Aluminum?

Cubical. Cardboard with foil overlay, and flax lace.

She gazed at the object. Oh, now she remembered. It was a 'present.' They gave funny boxes with things inside them to Tenchi a little while ago, and then to baby Mayuka. (Didn't he open them all? Did he save one?) The box smelled almost entirely of Tenchi, and barely Washuu. That wouldn't make sense since it smells so much like him. She paced around the box that was almost as big as her, then noticed an extra paper dangling from it. Oh goodie! It had writing on it. She read it.

To: Ryo oh ki
love: Tenchi
Happy birthday

Happy birthday? Birthday? Date of birth. What was the big deal? she asked Washuu's computer.

Most humanoids remember certain days periodically as they occur in a cycle corresponding to the revolution of their world. One day each revolution? Oh, the same day they were born the revolution before. Makes sense.

Happy birthday? She had a birthday? And Tenchi was giving her a present?

". . Mi . .mi . . mi. . .miya!!!" she wailed, tears flowing from her eyes as she hugged the box with her front legs, imagining it was Tenchi rather than a box.

The day was showing strong signs of Autumn. The forest's rich colour change in its foliage and the gentle wind created almost a visual symphony. The shrine in particular was showing a great deal of order. Not a leaf on the walk, or piece of pine needles in the paths. Katsuhito stood in front of the shrine looking out at the forest below as it danced in the light breeze. His arms behind his back, and glasses resting on the tip of his nose, he seemed perfectly at peace.

Truth be told, he was very nervous, sweat slowing dripping from his brow. The entire ‘family' had departed somewhere, and as much trouble as they were in the house, he could only hope they managed to make it back without getting in too much hot water.

"Never does the wild dog drift far from its meal. . ," he said calmly. "That was nice," he spoke again, appraising himself as he reached for his scroll and calligraphy brush.

His head suddenly whipped up. Something greatly metallic had sounded in the area about 200 yards away. Roughly the same distance as the house. "Hm. . .trouble -without- them here?" he commented quietly. The wind responded by blowing sharply in the direction of the house. Nodding to himself, he calmly set aside his literary tools and grabbed his wooden bokken from its resting place by the door.

To be continued!

Ryo oh ki's new clothing and fashion style!

A revelation about toilet paper!

Azaka finds out what happens to other Earth trees!

Curiosity killed the Cabbit!? Find out in part two!

I'd be happy to hear your thoughts. Pleases feel free to email me.

This has been a Colliding SYmphonies fanfic.

Thanx to the rest of CSY, Dave Eddy, and everyone else who read the teaser. I'd love to hear what you tink of the more complete version.

Ryougaecho@abraxis.com

TJ