(I'm pretty sure, I don't own Pioneers characters. And I'm positive they don't own mine. And I'm also pretty sure that this is the second to last story in "No Need For Japan", but by no means the end of Tenchi and company's adventures with Raven.) "No Need for Japan";Part 8, Mihoshi's Gift (The Christmas Story) by Raven Makibi Aykea stood on the back porch, sipping her hot cider and watching the snow fall. She could hear the party inside the house, the festivites were in full swing. Funny, that a group that seemed so disorganized and un-united, could come so close together at times like this. She giggled a bit at the comedic song comming from the inside of the house, it was something about a "Red Christmas", she didn't fully understand it, but it was still funny. She fondly remembered the Christmas's with the Misaki's. How everyone exchanged gifts and laughed it up. Oddlly enough, this was very close to that. Not as much alcohol being consumed, being that there were no people over 21 in the house to buy it. But the fun that was being had made up for that. The whole day had started with a big breakfast, made by Sasami. Lots of homecooked food that the group actualy sat down and ate together, like lunch at school. Accept that this was better than that food they served in the cafeteria. She remembered Drew jokingly pressing Goats head into the scrambled eggs, then Goat retaliating with pouring syrup in Drew's hair. The whole thing escalated into a foodfight. There were no intentions to harm others, just throwing food and having a good time. She'd even joined in, mashing a stack of pancakes into Ryoko's skull, it felt great just to be an immature little kid for once and really let loose. This lasted for about 20minutes, in that time they'd managed to TRASH the enitre room, as well as become entirey covered in food. Washu fixxed this somehow. They never questioned it, or cared to know. But in a blink of and eye, they and the room became as they were before the fight. After that the day just got more interesting. Now it was around lunch time, not that they we're going to repeat the breakfast. Instread, they'd opted to set up a little "snack bar" with many types of light food so they wouldn't be stuffed for dinner. Thats what brought her to the point she was at now, outside thinking of Christmass past, sipping her cider, and watching the snow. ****************************************************************************** *** Ryoko sat in the main hall on the stage. She'd been sitting here with Mike, talking about some memories they had from their previous years. The hall was decorated for the season, well, atleast they tried to make an effort to do so. There were lights running around the cealing edge, floor edge, and around each poster on the wall. In the corner by the stairs sat an evergreen. The orninmants were all old parts from machines, chicken bones, soda cans, and homemade wodden trinkets. Not real traditional, but it was cool to see something that bizzare at Christmas. She diverted her attention to Mike after a quick glance around. He was talking about the time he gave 8:08 a box of glue for Christmas, and the guy got stuck to it for hours. Ryoko laughed herself stupid and fell into Mike's arms. She looked into his eyes for a second. She didn't know how to put it, but the liked him, almost more than she liked Tenchi. Mike was an improvement, he wasn't scared of physical contact, but he was still a bit weird. But he was a great guy. She hadn't bought him a present, but she was planning something for him that he'd like much better than a "normal" gift.... ****************************************************************************** **** Sasami had finished dinner a while back, she'd left it in the oven to warm. Now, that she had free time, she decided to play with Ryo-Ohki. Something she couldn't do oftern since Washu had told her to keep the cabbit hidden. Who knows what these kids would say or do if they saw the creature. She kept danging the carrot over the little creatures nose. The cabbit trying in vain to catch and eat it. She giggled each time the furball fell down and got up and leaped at it again. She knew Ryo-Ohki didn't think she was mean when she teased her with food, because it was all a game. Ryo-Ohki had finaly gotten near the carrot when Sasami heard a knock at her and Kris's door. She told Ryo-Ohki to hide, then told the visitor to come in. It was Raven. "It's time for dinner. You ready?", he asked. Sasami told him yes, and she'd be down ina second. She was just putting Ryo-Ohki in her hiding place, when Raven walked in again. "Oh, and....What the hell is that?", he said pointing at the still visible Ryo-Ohki. Sasami looked at him sheepishly, "Its a cabbit. Her name is Ryo-Ohki. But you're not suposed to know about her.", "Cabbit? Ahh, yea. She's you're pet?" Raven asked pointing at the furry creature. Sasami nodded, not knowing what else to say. Raven laughed, "I have a pet that I bet Ryo-Ohki would like to play with, want to meet him?", Sasami nervously nodded. Raven whistled, within seconds a furry black creature dashed into the room and leaped up on Ravens shoulder. Sasami looked at the creature, and it looked back at her, she laugher with delight when she saw it was a cabbit. She reached up to Raven's shoulder and scooped the little creature up in her arms, cradleing him like a baby. He looked a little like Ryo-Ohki, accept for a few things. For one, he was a little bigger, probobly typical for a male cabbit. Secondly, his eyes were silver, like his owners. She guessed all cabbits eyes matched that of their owners. Finaly as opposed to Ryo-Ohki's circular ruby on her forehead, Raven cabbit had a emerald triangle pointing down. The little critter nuzzled her than leaped down and began trying to make friends with Ryo-Ohki. It was funny, watching the cabbits follow eachother around, then seeing Ryo-Ohki pounce Raven's cabbit and him kick her off and chase her... Sasami laughed and looked at Raven. "What's his name?", she asked, staring at the creature. "Bizkit. Like the band 'Limp Bizkit'.", was his reply. "Now, why did you hide her? You afraid one of us is going to hurt her?", Sasami nodded. "Well, don't fear. We're not violent tword animals. Unless you count Goat...", Sasami laughed, she knew how they treated the kid and she always thought it was funny. "Lets go,", Raven said, "I think we have some carrots in the fridge for the little guys.". He walked out of the room, Bizkit riding on his shoulder. Sasami thought for a second, then ran after him, Ryo-Ohki bounding after her. ****************************************************************************** **** Kiyone sat at the dinner table, sipping her soda and watching the rest of the group interact. This meal before her was HUGE. Sasami had actualy fixxed up a nearly traditional meal for tonite, and suprisingly, Raven and friends had worn clothes that were nicer than ususal. No one was wearing a suit or anything, but some of the guys had worn button down shirts as opposed to t-shirts. And the girls hadn't worn anything fancy, but most had chosen something "slightly" nicer for the occasion. But clothes don't nesecarily make the man, Kiyone found. For the most part, everyone acted the same. Drew and Goat still screwed around, Mike looked as though he was getting ideas(quite a dangerous thing indeed), and the like. Also, as she looked around the table, she could see that her friends had changed from how they were when they came here. When Tenchi had come here he was nervous around new people and even he girls he was around constantly, but since he met Patrik he'd lightened up, Kiyone didn't know this for a fact but she thought she'd seen Tenchi kissing Melissa earlier that night. Ayeka, when she'd come here she was all proper and dignified and wouldn't let onto who she really was, now she was alot more open to people and didn't try to hide herself under a mask of "royalty". Sasami had been affected little aside from the music she listened to, as opposed to the latest "teen-pop" craze, she opted for more techno like music nowadays. Kiyone could remember when Ryoko had come here. How she'd never leave poor Tenchi alone. Now she barely noticed him, instead opting for that Wolf kid. Kiyone didn't know what she saw in him, but Washu wasn't so pleased. Kiyone could sense that Washu was after Mike too, she just didn't show it as much. Infact, as she thought about it none of the girls, aside from Sasami, still seemed to want Tenchi as they had before. Ryoko and Washu were after Mike, Ayeka and Patrik were all but inseperable, and she'd fallen for the hidden tenderness within 8:08. And then there was Mihoshi. Mihoshi'd become alot less of a scatterbrain than she had before. She'd also become VERY attached to Raven. Kiyone would see them walking around together. Sitting together at meals. Hell, she even moved into his room with him. (That move had gotten Cass to room with Washu and given Kiyone Cass's old room, so this was a plus) And along with that, her personality had changed slightly. She'd gotten heavily into Raven's music, she was always listening to "coal chamber" and "KoRn", and this had made her slightly more agrssive in life. She'd also changed her style of clothes, ordinarily she would have worn a long skirt and a blouse to a nice, but not formal, dinner. But tonight, she'd chosen an outfit that made her look like a school girl. Red plaid skirt, white shirt, red "sweater-vest" with a "coal chamber" patch on it, she looked every bit the part. Aside from one thing, that silver choker with the saphire inset Raven had given her. Kiyone also made note of how her brother had changed. He looked alot older since he took those braids out, and let the rest of his hair grow. She'd seen it go from black, to dark blue as he grew it out. It was naturaly like that, black roots and blue as it grew longer. The way he had it styled now made him look like this musican, she thought the guy's name was like Meegs Rason, but she wasn't sure. He'd also become alot more protective, he always watched out for Mihoshi, and the other girls at school. She remembered when this kid was offering herself and Mihoshi money for sex and wouldn't leave them alone. Raven had come by and seen this, he was not impressed. He grabbed the kid by the arm, twisting it behind his back, and pinned him to the floor. He warned the boy that if he saw this happen again, he'd do worse, then he shoved the kids arm up violently. There'd been a loud SNAP and the kid had layed there groaning in pain. It took Kiyone a while to determine what Raven had done, but she figured out that he'd actualy broken the kids arm. Talk about protective. She thought about all this and laughed, until she caught a glimpse of her reflection in the window. Then she remembered that she'd changed too. On the inside, she'd become more layed back, not always rushing about and worrying. Not intent on her job every second, and trying harder to have fun once in a while. But on the outside, well she probobly never be able to look at her uniform again. She'd come to pride herself on being different. So if she'd probobly either quit the GP or go undercover. She'd also cut her hair, that long cascade of teal was gone. In its place, was a shoulder-length hairstyle, usualy kept tyed back. It was offical, she was no longer the old Kiyone..... She was dragged out of these thoughts when she heard Raven screaming in pain from oxygen deprevation. She looked over, and saw her brother practicaly being CRUSHED by one of Mihoshi's hugs. He was turning blue, and gasping for air. Drew, Pat, 8:08, Mike, and Goat all had to strain together to free him from her grip. And the whole time she was shouting "yes, of course, yes" and giggling. Once the guys had freed Raven Mihoshi had stood up and started doing her little "excited dance" that Kiyone knew too well. Kiyone got up and walked over to Mihoshi and tapped her on the shoulder. "Mihoshi, you mind explaing to me why you tried to crush my brothers ribs?", she aksed. Mihoshi stopped dancing and turned to Kiyone and made this spaztic little "I'm such a dummy" face and blushed a deep crimson. When she finaly stopped turning red, she looked at Kiyone and said "Well, he asked me to......marry him.", proudly displaying an ornate silver band with a pentagonal saphire inset. Kiyone's jaw DROPPED. She knew Raven and Mihoshi had falled head over heals for eachother, but this is something she never expected. She thought of how hard it would be, living with the fact that she was related to that bubblehead. She tried to speak, but was interupted by Mihoshi saying "Of couse, this means I won't be going back with you guys.", this lifted Kiyone's spirits. She'd, for a time, be rid of her partner. But it also hurt her, she didn't want to lose Mihoshi, no matter how annoying she could be. Kiyone found it hard to say it, but she managed to squeek out "Congratulations..", even though she knew her in her heart that she didn't fully mean it.... ****************************************************************************** ***** Well, now ends part 8. If you're asking why the characters have changed so much, it's because it was evident that they would someday. I can see it in the series, that these characters might one day change into something that you would never think. Blame Raven and his friends, blame American youth culture, blame me.... But they needed the change anyway. I might be leaving alot out in this storyline lately, but thats because I'm over excited about the next storyline hinted at in part 6. Yes, "NNFJ" will end. After "Part 9; Excess Baggage" I'm ending this story. But by no means will Raven and his friends go quietly into the night. They're gonna be back with a vengance in the continuation, "Old Foe, New Foe".