This series of stories is a chronology of what *might* have happened in the OAV Tenchi Muyo! series after Episode 13. I've added a few new regular characters, some old friends, some complete surprises. I have also given it a new name, and I am starting the series at Episode 1 to distinguish this, and also to make sure I won't get sued. And now for the main event. Tanell is a fire-dragonet from Pern, and belongs to Anne McCaffrey, not me. The Tenchi gang belongs to Pioneer. Karasu belongs to me. Tenchi Muyo: Manifest Destiny! Episode 1: Enter Karasu Tenchi worked in the fields around his grandfather's shrine. The late spring sun was hot, burning his skin. He had taken his shirt off an hour ago because the heat had become unbearable. It was strange, though. He seemed to remember that once he had been in much hotter weather and not had a complaint to speak of. But the memory was hazy, almost like it had only happened in a dream. Brushing it away from his mind, he said, "Ryo'oki is sure going to like these carrots! They're almost ready to be picked." Which was strange, now that he thought of it. It was only late spring and they'd already had two carrot harvests. In his experience, carrots took a lot longer to grow. He sighed. "Probably some scientific experiment of Little Washu's. She created Ryo'oki, after all. She wouldn't want her creation to go hungry." So saying, he went back to work. His grandfather had sent him to work in the fields every day from the day they had planted the first carrot crop. He didn't mind. He loved being around plants, any kind of plant. He'd always had. Once, when he was only four, he'd climbed his grandfather's tree up to the very top. Everyone had been worried, even his grandfather Katsuhito, but he'd surprised everyone by climbing right back down again. He hadn't even had a scrape. Plus there was the added benefit of getting away from Ayeka and Ryoko. It often seemed like the only thing the two of them liked to do was fight. "Excuse me, young man. Could you explain something to me?" The voice was a low contralto and feminine. Tenchi turned slowly and saw a young African-American woman with long, braided hair in an old T-shirt and patched jeans looking at him with a mischievous glint in her eyes, which were, large, circular, and had brilliant amber irises. She was tall and lanky, and was not very well endowed. "Who are you? I didn't even hear you approach me," said Tenchi. "Oh, please, let her not be another alien," he thought. The woman laughed, a sound almost like the chirping of a songbird. "My name is Karasu. I'm a traveler, you see. Well, at least I am for the moment. Almost a year ago I left my home in suburban Connecticut and traveled all the way to this place. On foot, no less." She stopped talking, and cocked her head to the side. "Well? I haven't heard *your* name yet, my boy." "Ah hah, sorry," Tenchi said. "I'm Tenchi Masaki. Nice to make your acquaintance." Karasu smiled and inclined her head. Then she did something that surprised Tenchi. She bowed, closed her eyes, and held her arms out with her left hand clenched and her right covering her left. Tenchi was left bewildered by this act. He wouldn't have thought an American would know about that greeting. "Meow meow!" Ryo'oki dashed up the fields as fast as her rabbit legs could take her. She dashed up to Tenchi and presented him with an envelope. Tenchi took it out and read it. "Wow. Dinnertime already. I'd better be heading back." He turned and looked at Karasu. "Ah . . . you can come too, if you'd like. You must be hungry from all the walking you've done today." "And it would be nice to have a normal person at the table for once," he thought privately. "That would be just marvelous," Karasu said. "Hey! You! What are you doing?" The last part of her speech was to Ryo'oki, who had climbed up her back and was now sitting on her head. "Stop it! That tickles! Well, I guess I'll just have to get my revenge on you, then!" She grabbed Ryo'oki and started tickling her between her hindlegs. Ryo'oki meowed loudly and jumped down to the ground. "Well, Tenchi?" she said, the mischievous glint back in her eyes, "shall we get going?" As Tenchi and Karasu headed back to the house, Tenchi asked Karasu, "What were you going to ask me, anyway?" "Oh," Karasu said offhandedly, "I just wanted to know why you were growing exclusively carrots in your fields. But that little cabbit just provided all the answer I need." Tenchi, out of curiosity, looked back. Ryo'oki was running back to the house, a carrot held firmly in her mouth. "Oh, yeah, Ryo'oki," Tenchi said. "She's like that. Heh!" Tenchi was surprised to see how little attention Karasu paid to all the strangeness in the house, or its remote position. She even managed to successfully ignore Ayeka's and Ryoko's daily fight, something Tenchi had not thought was possible for a first-time occupant in this house. He was even more surprised when Karasu announced she was spending the night, but had acquiesced. It was late, after all, and it would be a long way to an inn. "Lord Tenchi, I protest!" Ayeka had cried. "You can't have that woman stay here! I've heard the stories! If she finds out we're aliens . . . oh, I just can't become a study specimen, I just can't!" "Yeah, who needs her here anyway?" Ryoko demanded. Tenchi was astounded. It was the first time he had seen Ayeka and Ryoko agree to anything. "I don't mind having Karasu here at all. Dinner was the first time in millennia I've had an intelligent conversation with someone. I think you two are just jealous Tenchi'll fall for her, y'know?" Washu had contributed. "Yes, I like her too! She reminds me of my sister . . . which is strange, because I don't have a sister. Maybe we're soul-friends! Oh, wouldn't that be wonderfuh--" Washu finally shut Mihoshi up by putting her hand over the Galaxy Police Detective's mouth. "I think Karasu is a very nice person, and I think she deserves to stay if she wants!" Sasami declared. "Okay," said Tenchi. "Majority rules. Karasu stays. Now let's all go to bed." He climbed up to his room, ignoring the cries of "TenCHEE!" and "Lord Tenchi!" from Ayeka and Ryoko. "Why don't they just grow up? They'd be so much more appealing if they weren't always fighting," he thought. While Karasu slept in a nest she had created from her sleeping bag and some blankets and sheets, Ryoko came looked down at her. "All right, Karasu, you're here for now," she said softly. "But if you even so much as flirt with my man . . ." She slammed her fist against her hand. A little later, Ayeka was going through the possessions in Karasu's large backpack. "All right, let's see . . . a change of clothes, gloves, a medical kit, passports--urgh! What's this?" She pulled out a large, thick book. Looking at it somehow made Ayeka's forehead hurt. "Oh . . . only a copy of *The Lord of the Rings,*--wait! What's this!" She reached inside and took out what appeared to be a small winged ball. The ball then uncurled. "Oh!" gasped Ayeka. "Nice dragon . . . don't eat me, dragon . . . ," The miniature dragon silently latched itself onto Ayeka's face, scratching her viciously. Its eyes whirled bright red. Ayeka screamed and backed into the living room table, which she promptly fell over. The miniature dragon hovered over her and cocked its head as if to say, "You have hurt yourself more than I ever could have," and disappeared into thin air. Ayeka screamed again. "Ayeesh. Grow a backbone, why don't you?" Karasu's voice muttered. Frozen with fear, Ayeka slowly turned her head, only to find Karasu tossing and turning in her nest, fast asleep. Ayeka quickly ran up the steps to her room. " Lord Tenchi will hear about this in the morning!" she thought. But in the morning, Ayeka realized she had a different problem. "Ahh! My face!" The body part in question was covered in red scratches from the attack from the miniature dragon. "My skin, my perfect skin . . . this will leave scars for sure! Oh, how will Tenchi look at me now?" She began to cry. Worse, her back was sore from when she had fallen over the living room table. She was wakened from her misery by Sasami's shout. "Ayeka, breakfast is ready! Everyone's already here! You don't want to miss it, do you?" Ayeka sighed and, head bowed, went down the stairs. To her dismay, she was met at the foot of them by Karasu. "Let me see your face," she said in a tone that brooked no contradiction. Ayeka raised her face. Karasu said cheerfully. "Yup, looks like Tannie got you pretty good," she said. "Here, take this ointment." She removed a jar of something from her pocket. Ayeka realized that the clothes Karasu were wearing were not the change of clothes from her backpack. Instead, she was wearing a short gold shirt, a leather jacket, and jeans, topped off by a weird necklace and sandals. "It'll sting horribly, but it'll cause those scratches to heal scarlessly." Ayeka blinked. How had Karasu known about her episode with the miniature dragon? "Hah hah hah!" came Ryoko's voice from up above. "You were looking through Karasu's things, weren't you? Are you so afraid Tenchi doesn't love you that you feel threatened by an ugly skinny thing like Karasu?" "Ryoko, I heard you clearly when you threatened me last night," Karasu said coolly. "I must warn you, I am more formidable than I appear. I warn you now not to pick fights with a person unless you're sure you can win. Watch." She lifted her hand. Ayeka's forehead suddenly hurt. Then she watched as Ryoko, struggling, floated up from her bed and stuck to the ceiling. "Hey--you're cheating! Put me down!" "If you wish," said Karasu, and pointed her finger straight down. Ryoko dropped like a dead weight to the floor. "I meant *slowly,*" Ryoko mumbled. "Then you should have specified that," Karasu said cheerily. "Will you take the ointment, Ayeka?" "Yes, I will," Ayeka said. "I accept your apology." "Just to clarify a point, I didn't apologize," Karasu said. "If anything, *you* should be apologizing to *me,* for going through my belongings without my permission. I told Tannie to guard my backpack for a reason, and that reason is, of course, my passports. If something were to happen to them, I'd have a hell of a time getting back to America. I don't think you'd like it if I stayed here forever, would you?" "Chrrk!" Tannie materialized just above Karasu's shoulder. In the daylight Ayeka saw that she was a bright amber in color. She wrapped her tail around Karasu's neck loosely. Her eyes were glowing a bright green now. "Yes, Tanell, I'll introduce you to the others, and you can have all the breakfast you want. You were such a good fire-dragonet, to guard my backpack from thieves!" Karasu said. Then she turned back to Ayeka. "Well, why don't you go in and eat? Tenchi's waiting . . ." "Oh, you're absolutely right!" cried Ayeka. "Thank you for the ointment." She then dashed into the kitchen. Karasu followed her, more sedately. "Oh, how cute! A little dragon!" Sasami shouted with glee when Tanell flew into the room. "What's her name, Karasu? Can I play with her?" "Her name's Tanell," Karasu said, smiling gently. "As to whether she plays with you or not, that's her decision, not mine. But be very nice to her and she might." "Can I touch her?" Sasami asked. "Sure. Scratch her behind the eyeridges. They all love that." Sasami complied, and was rewarded from a happy "Chrrk!" from Tanell. "Oh . . ." Sasami said. "She's all furry. . ." "Meow!" Ryo'oki was standing behind Sasami in her child- form, looking displeased. "Meow, meow!" "Oh, Ryo'oki, I'm sorry! See, here's your breakfast," said Sasami, and gave Ryo'oki a bowlful of carrots. Ryo'oki still didn't look too happy, though. "What does Tanell like to eat?" Sasami asked Karasu. "Raw meat, cut up into cubes. And not lunch meat, either. Real, raw meat." "Okay, let's see if I can find any of that in the freezer . . ." Sasami said, a bit disconcertedly. "YOU!" Ryoko materialized into the room. "You . . . *witch!* How did you do that to me! I want to know!" "Karasu, what did you do to Ryoko?" Tenchi asked. "Oh, nothing much. I levitated her to the ceiling, held her there, and let her down again, albeit a *tad* too quickly for her liking," Karasu said offhandedly. "Well, why did you do that?" Washu asked. "I was making a point." "Never mind why, *how* did you do that?" Tenchi asked. "Not even the people from *Earth* who stay at my house are normal!" he thought. "Oh, didn't I mention it last night?" Karasu said, her eyes wide with innocence--which was hard to do with bright amber eyes, but somehow she accomplished it--"I'm a Priestess of Isis, the Mistress of Magic, and I'm of a special sect, the sect that actually *uses* her magic to get things done. Oh well. My bad." She promptly went back to eating. "Oh, well, you'll be gone in the afternoon, right?" Tenchi asked. "Of course not, Tenchi. I'll be staying here for quite some time." "Yay!" said Mihoshi. "My soul-sister will be staying with me! Now we'll get to spend time together, and become so very close . . ." Karasu sniffed the air, then looked surprised at what she found. "Nah," she said. "Can't be. Not that bubblehead." "What did you say, Karasu?" asked Mihoshi. "Nothing," Karasu replied a bit too quickly. Later, Washu and Karasu were sitting in Washu's lab. "Here, Karasu, have some tea," Washu said. "No, thank you. I don't drink substances with mind- altering propensities in them." "Well, how about some ice water then?" asked Washu. "That'd be fine." They drank for awhile, then Washu asked, "Karasu, why have you come here? When I sent you an invitation you said that this was the *last* place you'd want to be." Karasu smiled ironically. "It's not that I want to be here, Washu, it's that I *have* to be here." "Orders?" "Yup. From the highest authority." "Well, you certainly can't argue with Her!" Washu exclaimed. Karasu got up to leave. "Goodbye, Karasu! Let's do this again." When Karasu emerged from the room Tenchi was looking at her. "What did she do to you?" he demanded. "Nothing. Why?" Karasu asked. Tenchi groaned and walked away. The Masaki house's newest resident shrugged, and went off to read her book. End of Episode 1