These characters do not belong to me, they probably belong to AIC and Pioneer. No money is being made from the writing of this story The Search By kenzie kennedy Balar awoke to a dreadful beeping sound. He opened his eyes to find the red numbers blinking at him and the beeping sound screaming at him to wake up. Such a wondrous invention that Washu had introduced him to. Now if only he could remember what button to push to make it shut up! He finally got it turned off and then walked to his closet to decide what to wear. He had studied what Tenchi did and had modeled his behavior after him. Tenchi was the only male in the house close to his age, so it was practical of him to do so. So he and Tenchi did chores together and studied swordplay together. Tenchi found it comfortable to sleep in shorts, so Balar had tried it and had found that it worked much better than sleeping in full dress. Balar had not studied various types of clothing yet, but once again Tenchi's clothes were suitable to wear and to move in. Sliding the door open, Balar glanced out of it. After once bumping into Mihoshi, he did not want to do it again. Something in him said it wasn't polite to bump into a female and knock her down. He just wished the voice would tell him what he was supposed to do with this life he had been given. Balar walked cautiously down the stairs remembering when he had tripped. Sasami had assured him that this was normal, but he still didn't like it. Walking past Washu's door to the table, it opened and he stopped just in time. "Ah, Balar," she said. "I didn't see you there." "Little Washu, I have a question for you." Balar told her. Washu tilted her head and grinned at him. "After breakfast, unless it's so urgent you forgot to eat." Washu gestured toward the table. Balar shook his head in the negative and proceeded to the table where Sasami had just laid down the first dish. *** After breakfast, Washu walked into her lab and Balar followed her. She found her picnic table and invited him to sit down. Curling her hand around a glass of iced tea, she raised it to her lips. Her mouth refreshed, she asked simply, "What seems to be the question?" Balar stared into the ice cubes of his own drink. "I don't know where to begin." "Begin at the beginning. What has caused your problem whatever it is?" Washu asked. "No, that is my problem. Where do I begin? I was a god, now I'm mortal. Tsunami took away the powers of a god and the knowledge, but gave me nothing in return except basic etiquette, basic knowledge, and the chance to know Ayeka." Washu looked at him knowingly. "So what you want is to have some kind of direction in your life and you want me to give it to you?" When Balar nodded eagerly, she sighed. "I can't do that." At his look of surprise, she raised her hand. "No, wait. Hear me out." Washu put her glass down. "You want someone to tell you how to live your life. Gods don't do that to mortals. Humans were given free will, though they may do horrible and wonderful things with it. Balar, you're normal. You feel unsure, not knowing what's going to happen to you. As a god, you knew certain things. Humans all feel unsure, that's part of the free will. If I told you that Ayeka was never going to be yours, you'd feel horrible and ruin your wild card of the fact that it's possible that events may change. The very fact that I told you what would happen would ruin your chances." "But," Washu continued, "I will tell you a few things to get you started on your path to knowing yourself." She stood up and started to pace. "First off, suppose you and Ayeka fall in love, as you seem to be doing." Washu winked at him. "If you two get married, then you're going to need to know something about Jurai. Even if you two don't find happiness with each other, the time wouldn't be ill-spent." The noise of footsteps, although stealthy, came to both the occupants ears. Washu shook her head. "It's only Ryoko. Don't act so jumpy." "Now, I have a huge library full of books, computers, movies, everything you'd want to research a topic like Jurai. If you wanted something like Earth two months ago, you'd have been lost. I didn't have many books on Earth, now I do. That library also has books on a lot of activities like Ryoko's gardening books, certain sports, sword-fighting, and other things." Washu grinned. "I tend to hit the bookstores like a wild thing every now and again. Remind me to take Ryoko along next time. I think it would be a learning experience for her." "So you would advise me to learn about Ayeka's planet?" Balar nodded. "It sounds reasonable." Washu looked at him over the glass she had picked up again. She nodded slowly. "Is it really, though? Do you want to read books until you drop and cover the same material 5 times and not all of it is accurate? Five different historians saying five different things?" Sipping her iced tea, she placed the glass down in the same water ring. "Or would it be better to ask the number one scientific genius in the universe if there's a better way?" Balar immediately said, "Oh, number one scientific genius in the universe- " Washu waved the other aside. "Just wanted to hear someone admit it." Her shadow laptop appeared through her iced tea. She tapped a few keys and the light lit her eyes. "Ah-ha! I knew it was still in here somewhere!" Balar waited. Washu did not disappoint him. "I have a tutorial set up to research through the documents judged as absolutely true for any known planet. Jurai's a popular enough one that I still have it catalogued. It'll just take a few hours to upload the newer information." Washu looked up. "In other words, you can sit down in my classroom or in the library and study Jurai." Balar thanked her and ran to the fields to help Tenchi with the chores. *** "Ah, Balar! Did you enjoy your trip inside the lab?" Tenchi called to him. Balar trotted up to him with his hoe in hand. "Yes, I did." The talk out of the way, Tenchi and Balar got down the heavy task of weeding the fields. *** After the fields were done, the two walked up the shrine steps. "The chores have been easier since you arrived." Tenchi admitted. "Is it dividing the work or having the company?" Balar asked. "I think it's both." Tenchi looked at Balar. "I do enjoy your company and having the chores done quicker means I can finish training with grandpa earlier too." Bonk! "So you don't like spending time with your old grandpa?" Tenchi's grandpa lounged on the side of the steps. Tenchi sighed and started to walk up the steps. Balar followed him and grandfather walked with the two young men. "So what are you going to do with the rest of the day, Balar?" Tenchi's grandfather asked. Balar swallowed. "I am going to the lab to study." "Studying is good for the soul and the mind. May I ask what it is you're going to study?" he asked. "I am going to study Jurai's history and customs. Washu thinks it would be a good idea and I think so as well." Balar said. Grandfather nodded sagely. "It is a good idea and one I think you should follow Tenchi." "It is?" Tenchi answered. Grandfather grinned. "But after practice. Enriching your brain will not do much good if you are killed in battle." *** Washu was busy typing on her computer when the two men walked into her lab. "Balar, the tutorial's set up." "Uh, Little Washu?" Tenchi paused. Washu's cushion swiveled around. "Oh. Tenchi. Did you want to learn too?" Tenchi nodded. "Have you two decided on the library or one of the classrooms?" "I thought the library would be better." Balar said politely. "The classroom may spark resignment to the task." Washu nodded. "Okay, let me show you where the library is. Tenchi, I don't think you've ever been there." Washu led the way to the library and quickly explained that the screen would embellish anything they wanted. She left soon to work on her experiments. Tenchi and Balar started to watch the tutorial. *** Washu was working hard at her computer when Ryoko and Ayeka's voices began to reach her. "Washu?" Ryoko called. "Over here!" she called back. Ryoko and Ayeka walked up to her. "Where's Tenchi?" Ryoko asked. Washu stuck her thumb in the direction of the library. "He and Balar are in the library studying the customs and history of Jurai. It's an interesting topic." The two girls started off in that direction. *** The two men were watching the screen avidly. Jurai's history really was interesting. Diplomats, battles, it was like watching a movie. The ladies opened the door and sat down to watch as well. Ayeka knew most of it, but Ryoko only knew the defense systems of Jurai. *** When the first part of the tutorial was over, Washu came back in. "So, how is it?" she asked. Tenchi and Balar both nodded and said that it was interesting. Ayeka commented on some of the new data contrasting what she had been taught. Ryoko looked at her mother and quoted about half the data back to her and said it was fascinating. Washu blinked at her. Sasami called, "Dinner!" into the lab and the five people ran off toward the entrance. *** That evening, Tenchi and Ryoko went up to the roof. Tenchi went to fetch a ladder, but Ryoko looked him in the eyes and said to him, "Do you really believe that I'd let you fall?" When confronted by those gold eyes, Tenchi just shook his head. Ryoko smiled. She stepped cautiously toward him and tilted her head just a little. Their lips met in a soft and tender kiss. When she pulled away, they were on the roof. Tenchi smiled at her. "Is the dark too much for you?" he asked. Ryoko shook her head. "Not with the stars and you here." The two sat on the roof for a long while, admiring the stars and taking and giving warmth to each other in their embrace. *** Ayeka and Balar were back in Washu's library. Now that she didn't study them quite as much, Ayeka felt more comfortable being in her lab. Ayeka had seen a book in there that she thought she might like to read. She was now curled up in an armchair, holding the book against her leg to read it. Balar was browsing around and every now and again he'd ask Ayeka what this or that word meant. When he got to a book about various types of technology, he picked it up and started to read at one of the desks. Technology was something he found to be simple to him. The Jurai customs and history was also interesting. After Balar was through with the book on technology, he looked over at Ayeka. She had only gotten a quarter of the way through hers while he had finished a text twice that size. "Ayeka, what are you reading?" He asked. Ayeka looked up. "The Tale of the Ice Princess. It's a romance of a princess who was cold to her suitors until one melted her cape of ice and crown of frost to replace it with a cape of gentle fire to warm her." She looked at him demurely. "Am I an ice princess?" Balar walked purposefully over to the armchair, his eyes never wavering from hers. He lowered his face to hers. "No, you are not an ice princess. You are one of the warmest females I have ever met." A stray thought ran through Ayeka's mind. But he's only met five females.... She banished it quickly. Her eyes looked at him warmly and shyly as not knowing what to do with this man who was so close to her. She could smell his scent and it was welcome to her nose. She tilted her face up so it was only inches away from his. Dare I? Ayeka dared. She tilted her face slightly and brushed his soft lips with hers. He reared back, considered this new discovery, and tried again. The kiss went on for scant seconds longer, but he liked it just the same. Once the kiss was over, they stood there frozen, gazing into each other's eyes. Ryoko walked into the room and they broke apart to look at her. She raised her hands and said, "If I'm interrupting something..." Ayeka, blushing, said, "Oh, n-no, Ryoko. We were just, um," she held up the book, "reading." Ryoko nodded knowingly. "I just bet you were, Princess. I wanted to know if you wanted one of those pansy plants for your room." Ayeka nodded and Ryoko left with a wink. Balar had backed off a few feet and Ayeka tipped her nose into her book once again. Balar went back to looking at the titles. *** After all the day's chores were done and lunch had been eaten, the four retired to the library again. Around two in the afternoon, Washu silently walked in with two trays of various munchies. They were gone by three. Around four o'clock the history lesson had proceeded to 700 years past. The history told how the Space Pirate Ryoko had demolished the planet, ravaging everything, destroying part of the military. It went on to say how Ryoko had been the mere puppet of Kagato who was very well known. The lesson showed pictures of the victims, the footage of the battle, the space pirate herself, the survivors, what everyone had said about the attack... Tenchi noticed a strangled sound from his right. He turned in that direction to see Ryoko curled up into a ball and her eyes were wide open with tears running down her face. "Ryoko?" he reached out to touch her hand. She jerked it away from him. *** Washu's head came out of the busy research she was doing and focused on her daughter. The pain screaming through the link was unbearable. Washu hopped off her cushion and ran to the library. *** "Ryoko!" Ayeka screamed at her. "Wake up!" Ryoko just sat there in the chair, curled into a ball, while tears ran down her face. She did not want anyone to touch her. She would contaminate them. Washu burst into the room. Spotting her daughter, she ran toward her. The child form melted away to reveal the adult goddess. Gathering Ryoko up in her arms, she sat down in the chair. "Shhh, shhh," Washu gently rocked her child. "It's okay. That's in the past, not the present. Shhhh. You're with people who love you, Ryoko." Ryoko started to shiver as her tears stopped flowing. Her eyes stared vacantly through the people around her. Washu clutched her head with one hand. So much pain! But what was the cause of it? Bringing Ryoko's head up to hers, Washu touched foreheads with her daughter. Images floated by of victims of Jurai and all the other planets she had been made to pillage, of ships destroyed most of them Juraian, of angry people, and the images went on and on and on.... Washu pulled her head away from Ryoko's. Ryoko's eyes still were vacant. Washu cradled her daughter against her. Her hands smoothed Ryoko's hair and she smiled at her lovely daughter. "Washu? What's wrong with her?" Tenchi asked. Washu sighed. "What were you watching?" "How Jurai was plundered by her." Ayeka said. "But it wasn't her fault and the TV was showing it as what was done by Kagato, not her." "It doesn't matter. She was still the one who did the actual deed. She's not at fault, but she still remembers." Washu told her. "Ryoko's locked into those memories." She sighed. "How do we fix it?" Balar asked. Washu glanced at him, then looked back at her daughter. "I'm thinking about it. If I- No, that won't work." Washu thought for a moment. She snapped her fingers and grinned. Ryoko and Washu's foreheads joined again. "Daughter?" Washu's astral form whispered. "Mom?" Ryoko whispered back. "I'm scared." "You don't need to be, my little Ryoko. It wasn't your fault." "Yes it was! I should-I should have fought!" Ryoko sobbed. "No, it wasn't your fault. If anyone's at fault it is me because I didn't complete my research on your gems." "The Juraian's hate me." "They hate Kagato. Of course some uninformed people may still blame you, but we'll solve it." "How?" Ryoko grasped at the hope her mother gave out. "We'll find a way. Come back now. Tenchi's worried about you." Washu reminded her. The thought of Tenchi sparked Ryoko out of her memories and into the present. Ryoko's eyes came open and focused on Tenchi. "Hi," she said weakly. Then she noticed where she was. "Mom?! How did you pick me up?" Ryoko sputtered. Washu grinned. "I'm stronger than I look. Now you know who you inherited it from." Ryoko struggled to get up, so Washu set her on her feet. Ryoko spoke to her mother telepathically, "Did I get caught up in my memories again?" "Yup. We'll do something about the Juraians, okay? I'll figure something out." Washu told her. Ryoko nodded. Washu addressed the rest of the crew. "I think that's enough studying for today. Now unless someone would like to help me with an experiment...?" Ryoko said, "Ayeka, you want to work on the garden?" Ayeka nodded eagerly. Tenchi and Balar soon exited the lab. *** Sasami came out of the kitchen. "Tenchi, could you get me some vegetables for dinner?" "Sure, Sasami." Tenchi shrugged to Balar and went off to the shed. *** Balar wandered outside for a bit. He found himself walking up the shrine steps and was tripped by a stick laid across his path. "Ah, and where are you going in such a hurry?" Katsuhito said. Balar sat on the ground. "I don't know. For a walk?" Katsuhito nodded wisely. "When one's thoughts are running away, it is best for your feet to stay stationary. Less chance of falling." "And they are running." Balar sighed. "When your own insight is clouded, the problem seen from another angle may prove to the wise." Katsuhito sat down. "So tell grandpa what's wrong." Balar stared at the ground. "I do not know what to occupy my time with. No, that is not true. I have chores with Tenchi, sword-fighting with you, and I am spending time learning about the planet of Jurai." He looked at the older man with puzzlement on his face. "You do not have a specific want. You have things to occupy your time and energy, but not a specific longing for any one thing. Chores are done to feel worthy of the meals you eat, sword-fighting because you do not wish to be defenseless, and studying Jurai because of your love for my half-sister." Katsuhito nodded slowly. "You need a ... hobby." Balar looked at him, confused. "A hobby?" "It is something you do that you like to do. It gives you great pleasure to do this thing. I make up sayings that portray wisdom. Ryoko gardens. Washu invents. Sasami cooks. Mihoshi watches TV. Ayeka and Tenchi seem to think a lot and look after all the others." "How do I find a hobby?" Balar asked eagerly. Katsuhito stared at the sky. "You do not know much yet. I would suggest finding a book of Earthling hobbies and paging through it. You may find something in there that attracts your attention." Katsuhito got up and walked slowly off toward the shrine. Balar stared after him for a few moments, then got up and ran down the steps. *** Balar entered Washu's lab and made his way to the library. Washu didn't interrupt him, meaning that she probably knew he was in the lab and was in the middle of something. He already had looked over most of the library and had marked where Washu had started to put all of her Earth books. Pulling out the one book she had on hobbies, Balar took it to a chair. He paged over collecting stamps, round pieces of a material called glass that were marbles, writing letters to other people, and basket-weaving. Balar wrinkled his nose at the section on sports. Then he came to something that intrigued him. So intricate! Such possibilities! The book snapped shut and he checked the bookshelf. Finding nothing there, he went out into the lab to find Washu. *** "A book? You want to purchase a book?" Washu asked him. She had flipped up her welding guard and had put the arc wielder down. Balar nodded. "I'm curious. What kind of book?" Washu asked. Balar told her and she nodded. "Good hobby. I've done it myself a few times. I don't really have the patience for it though. You are in luck, though. I don't have books, but I do have both still pictures and video of people doing it. You're going to need some toys, though." Washu put away her guard and the arc wielder. "I'll have to come with you. You haven't been to the shopping center yet and I need to pick up a few things anyway." *** When they came back, it was just in time for dinner. The dinner was excellent, as always. Sasami and Ryo-ohki went out to the garden to play after dinner. Mihoshi and Ayeka did the dishes, while Ryoko went to clean up the mess they had made in the garden. Tenchi walked to the onsen to take an early bath. Balar and Washu went back to the lab. "Now, if you need me to explain anything, call." Washu said and then left him in the library to learn. A woman in her mid-thirties showed him how to grasp the hook and wind the yarn around his fingers. Next she showed him to tie a small loop in the end of the string and how to chain stitch. *** At the end of the hour, Balar had successfully learned to chain stitch and how to start an afghan. He was learning quickly and planned to make a covering for Ayeka's bed. Washu had come in during the lesson, paused it, and given him a small machine that would automatically count stitches for him if he kept it nearby. This way he would not miss any stitches and end up with the ends looking like waves of the seashore. Balar smiled. He had a hobby. He looked at his small work. So small, yet he yearned to work on it night and day until he saw it grace his love's bed.