El Disclaimero: This stuff is owned by other people, except for the stuff that doesn't. If you own the stuff I've used, please do not sue me. Firstly, if you do own any of it chances are you already have one hell of a lot more money than I do. Secondly, I will begin to whimper. The Legacy of Kain - Chapter One It was, as they say, a beautiful morning. The frantic growth of spring was beginning to wind down into the lush warmth of summer, the heat of the winds that blew off the lake towards the Masaki house heralding the hot season to come. As the sun peeked over the mountains, the birds were singing and the trees sighed in the breeze. A sound, soft, barely audible - at first - broke the stillness. It sounded like this: -whummm- "Morning, Tenchi..." "Aaaaagh!" "Tenchiiii-" "Ryoko! What do you think you're doing to Lord Tenchi?!" "Back off, Princess!" -BOOM!- Another beautiful day. Tenchi yawned expansively and scratched the back of his head. ust once, he thought to himself. Just once I'd like to wake up to a little peace and quiet. He stomped down the hallway of his high school, nodding and waving to a few of his friends. Ryoko and Ayeka hated the fact that he had to go, he knew, but he'd actually come to enjoy the few hours of relative normalcy he got here each day. Time to be spent worrying about math homework and all the little crises of teenaged life rather than dodging energy bolts and summoning up the power that lay dormant within him, the legacy of his alien blood. There are times, he mused ruefully, that I think my life is starting to resemble bad anime. He walked outside, steeling himself for the coming trial. Tenchi was worried. He'd agreed to play host to a student in the exchange program last year, before his life got turned upside-down. With everything that had happened over the summer, he'd completely forgotten about it. And now the hour was upon him. When he was told the student was on his way, he'd panicked, unable to think of a good reason that he couldn't stay - he'd grown used to having a space pirate, two princesses, a galactic cop and the greatest scientific mind in the universe staying with him, but Tenchi somehow doubted that most people would understand. He'd extracted from everyone serious promises to be on their best behavior while Kevin was there, but - two months... Tenchi hadn't liked the way Ryoko had said "Of course I'll behave, Tenchi," in that wide-eyed, innocent way. He liked the way Washu had simply chortled even less. He was doomed. It wasn't hard to spot Kevin - he was tall, painfully thin, and had long red hair pulled back in a loose ponytail. As Tenchi approached, he turned, his long, black trench coat whipping about his ankles. He smiled, his blue-green eyes peeking over the frames of the round glasses he wore, softening somewhat the angular features of his face. "Hi...Tenchi?" he said hesitantly. "I'm Kevin. Kevin Walker. It's nice to meet you." Tenchi returned the smile, scratching the back of his head. "Uh...hi." Kevin reached into his pocket, pulling out a battered pack of cigarettes. "I'm glad that I'm finally getting a chance to thank you in person...for putting me up these two months. I hope I'm not an inconvenience." He lit one. "You, uh...don't smoke, do you?" "Oh, no, I don't." "Yeah. Good thing, too. Don't start. Filthy habit." He grinned lopsidedly. Tenchi smiled back, finding himself liking Kevin immediately. They started to walk towards the bus stop. "So, Kevin...what made you decide to come to Japan? I understand the language is hard to learn..." Tenchi said as they walked. Kevin's Japanese was flawless, actually, though it had an odd accent to it. It sounded familiar, but he couldn't place it. Kevin stared up into the sky for a few moments before answering. "Long story. I've got some family here from way back that I'm hoping to look up. That's where I learned the language, actually." He grinned. "Besides, if half the anime I've seen is accurate, I'm hoping to see the Tokyo Tower get blown up at least once." Tenchi was still laughing as they got on the bus, five minutes later. The ice broken, Tenchi and Kevin chatted easily on the walk to the house, Tenchi talking of his life - school, parents, his grandfather - and Kevin telling him about life in the west, although he perpetually referred to his homeland as "the north", or, alternately, "that backwater hellhole of a Northern Ontario mining town". He was halfway through telling Tenchi about slag - molten rock left over from nickel mining that they occasionally poured out on the edge of town, glowing bright enough to look like a second sunset and was, in Kevin's opinion, one of the few decent sights to be seen at home - when he suddenly stopped, looking around him with sudden suspicion. "Did you hear that?" "Hear what?" said Tenchi. Oh, no, please don't let it be - "Sounded kind of like a soft ‘whummmmm' sort of sound," responded Kevin. Bad feeling confirmed. "Um, that was - " "Hi, Tenchi!" Their heads snapped up. Crouched on a branch of the tree directly above them was a woman with a shock of spiky cyan hair. "Hello, Ryoko," sighed Tenchi. His tone seemed to indicate that he had given up all hope for a pleasant, normal life and would like nothing better than to crawl under a rock somewhere and end it all. "This is Kevin...remember, I told you about him?" "Oh. Right." Well, at least she had the decency to look sheepish, thought Tenchi. He winced a little as she vaulted to the ground. It was a little further than most humans could have managed as easily as she did, but...oh, well. She managed to avoid flying or teleporting. It was a start. "Uhhh...Kevin, this is Ryoko. She's a houseguest too. She's been staying since...um..." "Since I got out of prison," said Ryoko brightly. "Didn't have anywhere to go, and Tenchi said I could stay...isn't he a dear?" She took Tenchi's arm. Rather forcefully. Tenchi turned about fourteen shades of crimson. Kevin smiled, leaning against a tree. "That was certainly kind of him," he said, his smile widening as he noticed Tenchi's discomfort and Ryoko's triumphant expression. "What were you in prison for? If it's not rude of me to ask," he added hastily. "Well -" said Tenchi. "Oh, just a little piracy. Nothing important, really." Kevin blinked. Tenchi laughed, a little too loudly. "Ah, she means video piracy. She was selling illegal copies of Escaflowne. Right, Ryoko?" "Esca-what? I-yeowch!" Ryoko favored Tenchi with a grim look, shifting her weight off of the foot Tenchi had casually stomped on. "Uh, yes. Right. Precisely. I'll, uh, see you back at the house, then." She walked off into the forest, casting one look back at Tenchi that seemed comprised of equal parts hurt, longing and mischief. They continued the walk in silence. After a few long minutes Kevin cleared his throat. "Interesting girl." "Mmm." muttered Tenchi. You don't know the half of it, he added silently. "Are the two of you...uh..." "No." Said Tenchi abruptly. "Ah." One down, three to go. I'm doomed, Tenchi thought. AUTHOR'S NOTE: Yes, yes, I know, short and nothing's happened yet. I like to start slow, okay? Since I hate it when people give sneak previews of future fics, I won't, but...well, anyway. This is my first fic, so be gentle. Comments, criticisms, and money should be sent to kakapo101@hotmail.com. Thankee.