Kristin "Raine" Nelson (stripedogmara@yahoo.com)
Regular
Heart in the Snow - One Chapter Story
It's a snowy day at the Masaki residence, and Ryoko
decideds to start a snowball fight with fate.

The Boring Disclaimer:  I don’t own Tenchi Muyo.  If I
did this wouldn’t be a fan fic.  In fact, if I did own
Tenchi Muyo, I’d be sitting in Japan right now,
drawing the show for something like this, and getting
paid for it, not sitting here in Minnesota, late at
night, typing out a short story.  About snow.  I’m
getting sick of snow.
Authors Note:  Sorry if the animals in here are
Minnesotan.  I don’t know any animals that live in
Japan.  If anyone cares to correct me, go ahead.

        One snowy day, on a day just like the day Tenchi’s
mother died, was walking outside, thinking of
something she could do to make Tenchi love her.  It
was freezing out, even for a person wrapped up in a
warm winter coat, but at least there was no Ryoko.
Actually, Ayeka thought, it was quite pretty out here.
 On Jurai, there was no such thing as snow, but there
were plenty of beautiful trees.  The snow tended to
sparkle as it settled on the trees, reminding her of
the light that Jurai trees produced when
communicating.
        Ayeka laughed happily and flung herself back into a
snow bank.  It was so peaceful out here, on earth.  On
Jurai, she had been constantly attended, and had
almost never been completely alone.  On Earth, she
could take a walk, go shopping, and no one would care.
        A chickadee fly over the sky, twittering happily.  It
seemed to be the only animal around, everything else
hiding from the snow.  Ayeka stood up and brushed the
snow off her clothes, watching it fall to the ground.
Looking around, she decided that she was far enough
from home, and turned around.  She ran forward,
giggling like a little girl, as she fell face first
into the snow.  She stood up and brushed herself off
again, pausing to look at some deer tracks before
starting again.
        Ayeka slowed down as she noticed the Masaki home
through the trees.  Her thoughts of nature turned to
thoughts of Tenchi, and she started worrying about him
again.
        Tenchi was such a kind boy, and he even had Jurai
blood-her finding him couldn’t be coincidence, surely!
 But she was afraid that it might be, that maybe she
had accidentally come here, that Tenchi was meant for
some one else like Ryoko.  Ryoko – she was trouble.
She’s so much more beautiful that me!  Ayeka thought.
How could Tenchi ever pick me over her?
        She sat there for several minutes, worrying.  As she
thought, her finger absentmindedly drew a heart in the
snow, then A+T inside of it.  Finally, she sighed, and
stood up.
        She was just walking into the backyard, when a
snowball flew at her from nowhere, smacking her in the
side of the head.  There was a laugh, and Ryoko
appeared behind her.  Ayeka whirled around.
        “You!”  She accused.
        “Got you, Princess.”  She smirked and diffused to
farther away.  Ayeka leaned down and scooped up some
snow, backing it inexpertly into a loose ball.  She
threw it, but it fell short, and fell apart before
hitting the ground.  She quickly made another one,
tighter packed.  This time it went farther, but Ryoko
diffused before it could hit her.  It flew through the
space she had left, and --- hit Tenchi in the chest as
he walked towards the house.
        Tenchi blinked and looked down in surprise as he felt
something smack against him.  Snow stuck to his
clothing as the snowball rolled off his shirt.  He
smiled and bent down to grab some snow.
        “Where’s Ryoko?  She started this, right?”  Ayeka
nodded.
        “Yes, but I don’t know where she went.”
        “Well, then.  Were you just headed inside?”
        “Yes.  I was just going to take a nice hot bath.”
        “Yeah, that bath Washu build is really something,
isn’t it?”
        “It’s amazing.  It’s really too bad that she didn’t
build you one, Tenchi.”
        “Maybe she’ll get to it some day.  Ayeka, should we
go in now?”  Tenchi asked, glancing around, still
holding his snowball.
        “If you want to, Tenchi.”
        “Well, then lets go!”  Tenchi smiled again started
walking.  Ayeka walked alongside him.  They were in
the middle of the yard when Ryoko appeared.
        “Tenchiiiii.”  She said, almost like a cat circling
its prey.  She draped her arms around Tenchi’s neck as
Ayeka bristled.  “Wouldn’t you rather walk with me?
Let’s get rid of Ayeka and walk together.”
        Tenchi pulled her arms off of his neck and stepped
back.
        “Hey Ryoko.”  Tenchi said.  She looked at him
expectantly.
        “Yes, Tenchi?”
        “Catch.”  He through her the snowball, and it landed
right in her surprised face.  Ayeka giggled.  Ryoko
opened her mouth and spit out water.
        “Hey, that’s not funny!”  Ryoko disappeared again.
Ayeka stopped laughing and looked around for her.
They were about to start walking again when Tenchi
yelled “Duck!”  and pushed Ayeka to the ground,
landing on top of her.  A snowball flew over their
heads, and Ryoko cursed, then disappeared.
        Ayeka felt wet snow on her face, and something
pushing her down.  When she realized it was Tenchi,
she tried to get up, embarrassed.
        “Wait, Ayeka.”  He said quietly.  She stopped
pushing.  “This is kind of comfortable, isn’t it?”
        She held her breath.  What was he saying?
        “I say your drawing out there, in the snow.”  She
blushed, and turned around in the snow, so she was
facing him.  It wasn’t easy, but he helped by lifting
his weight up from her for a second.
        “Tenchi, I’m so embarrassed, I didn’t mean-“ She said
hurriedly, but he stopped her.
        “It’s alright, Ayeka.  It was a very nice picture.”
        “Tenchi?”  Ayeka asked softly.  She was suddenly very
aware of Tenchi, how he was so very close to here, how
beautiful his eyes were, how lovely he was-with a
start, she even noticed that there was a slight
pressure between her legs.
        “Ayeka.”  He paused for breath, and Ayeka later swore
that her heart skipped a beat.  “Let’s make that
picture a reality.”  He leaned towards her and she
closed her eyes in bliss as he kissed her.
        “Tenchi.”  She said as they paused for breath.  “The
bath-Washu’s bath is open.  Why don’t we go up there?”
        He nibbled on her ear, before kissing her again.
They looked at each other, and neither noticed that
snow was almost melting around them as Tenchi picked
up Ayeka and carried her away.