DISCLAIMER: I have never owned any of the characters mentioned in the story about to be told, save for Quicksilver. He's all mine. The Tenchi Muyo! gang is the sole property of.... somebody else. I only wish to write a story and have a good time with it, I have no desire for a lawsuit, so nobody file one against me. I'm penniless and in could no way pay off anything. I couldn't even buy a piece of bubblegum (Mmmmmm... bubblegum). ALL RIGHTS RESERVED FOR QUICKSILVER. And nobody feed off of my story to write your own, please! Make somethin' else up!! I want to give mention of my whole family (save my brother and sister whom neither give a rat's-ass about my writing), for it was their ceaseless encouragement to write another Quicksilver epic that drove me to write this. SO WITHOUT FURTHER ADIEU'... ON TO THE STORY! THE QUICKSILVER AFFAIR DAY ONE Twilight was settling over the Land of the Rising Sun. A red sky in the west stretched and blended into a dark purple in the east. Stars began to shed their otherworldly lights from behind scattered orange hued clouds, and onto the world below. A shimmering lake surrounded by forests, reflected the splash of colors in the sky. A fair sized house stood in a clearing near the shore. Gardens of many vegetables lay a sizable distance from the structure, most of only carrots. A Shinto shrine set atop the hill behind the house. Two figures walked a trail through the forest, a young man and a young woman. "Lord Tenchi?" the young woman asked, "When will you make your choice between Ryoko and myself?" Tenchi halted and scratched the back of his head, "I can't Miss Aeka." The woman took a couple more steps then stopped, turned her head, and raised an eyebrow. Still serious, the boy continued, "How can I choose just one of you without hurting the other? And I don't want to hurt either of you. I guess I'm afraid of what would happen to you if I chose Ryoko, and what would happen to Ryoko if I chose you." Aeka sighed. "If you cared any less, then you would have made your choice already. Tenchi, you're so sweet," she said as she turned to face him. Tenchi blushed furiously and looked towards the ground. "Yeah, real sweet," a voice came from off the path. The two spun in the direction of the speaking. Ryoko phased out of one of the trees. Before Aeka could spin a web of curses the ex-pirate cupped her hand over the princess's mouth to quiet her, then looked to Tenchi. "Sorry about the eavesdropping Tenchi, I came along to ensure your protection," she apologized humbly, hanging her head. "Ryoko, I've told you so many times that I can take care of myself," Tenchi scolded. "Well, can you blame me for wanting to keep safe the one thing in this existence that I care so dearly for?" Ryoko shot back, clutching her heart with both hands and dishing out her most anguished expression. Aeka rolled her eyes. Aeka then began to speak, "Lord Tenchi does not WISH for your protection, Devil-woman! And furthermore..." She never did finish her sentence. For at that moment a brilliant flash of light lit the forest. Tendrils of electricity snapped through the air as a gale-force wind whipped through the spot. Shimmering colors flitted around the three as they struggled to hold their footing in the chaos. Then, as suddenly as the phenomenon came, it left. Followed by a thud as something hit the ground behind one of the bushes. He felt his body screaming under the pressure of 'portation. Wind whipped his body, lightning caressed him, and mind felt the steady pulse of things learned and forgotten. He struggled to remember thoughts which the 'portation tried to wipe away. As soon as this was over, he'd know one more thing about himself. That is what kept him from screaming along with his battered form. His eyes were closed, but he still saw through his eyelids the blinding flashes of white light and colors. The torture ceased and the sensation of falling was the next he felt. He landed on his shoulders, the wind knocked from his lungs, he struggled to regain it. He smelled the scent of trees (growing ever familiar for he ceased to 'port any other place but a forest). He heard numerous curious sounds, the crunching of leaves, the lapping of water on a lake shore, and a steady murmur, of what?. Then he heard the voices, they drew nearer. He then realized that he still had his eyes closed, he struggled to open them, once again feeling glued shut, as they had in the past. he thought, And in one surge of will his eyes flew open. Something was wrong! He couldn't move! This had never happened before. He couldn't breathe! He couldn't feel! The voices drew ever closer as darkness closed in to wrap him. A cloak of blackness drew around him as the ones who sought him found him. Ryoko came upon the unconscious body first. "I fouuund iiiit!" she sang to the other two. Aeka and Tenchi broke through the bushes surrounding the motionless form to join the demoness. "It's not breathing," Aeka said as she knelt beside the unmoving heap. Seeing the shape as humanoid, she felt for a pulse, brushing aside black hair that was in the way. "It... er... his, pulse is fading quickly." "Well we can't just leave him there," Tenchi said as he also bent down next to the form. "Then let's take him to Washu, then she can restrain him and we can figure out what's wrong with him and find out what he's doing here," Ryoko offered, and with that, she teleported all of them directly into her mother's sub-space lab. As they materialized in the foyer of the lab Ryoko made sure that Aeka didn't land on her feet, and the "prisoner" was set gently to the floor. "Really Tenchi," Ryoko said sweetly, placing her hands on her hips and cocking her head to the side, "how could you want someone so clumsy?" Aeka scrambled to her feet, growling. "You.... you.... YOU!" Aeka began, but was once again interrupted in her attempts to insult the cyan-haired woman by Washu, whom chose that particular time to show up. "I heard a ruckus over here, what's going on? Another debate?" the small redheaded woman said. Her eyes quickly drifted down to the cloaked figure lying on the floor. "Who's this?" she asked quizzically to no one in particular. Before either of the other two women could answer, Tenchi replied, "We found him in the forest, he's not breathing and Miss Aeka said that his pulse was fading." Washu nodded. She immediately brought up her laptop and began tapping away at the keys, occasionally glancing at the still form on the floor. A bright yellow beam extended from Washu's toy and swept over the unmoving shape of their guest/prisoner. When it was finished the beam disappeared and the computer whirred for a millisecond or two before revealing results on the screen. Washu looked over it with a concerned expression before speaking. "From the looks of it he has a broken neck and a severed spinal cord, but the readings tell me that the body has already set to work on repairing the damage," the small woman said is a somewhat distant voice. "What?!?" the others exclaimed in unison. "But I thought that no creature in existence could heal a damaged nervous system! At least that's what they tell me in science class," Tenchi said, scratching the back of his head. "Amazingly the idiot scientists on this planet have gotten something right, Tenchi," Washu said with a sigh, "but obviously this isn't your run-of-the-mill lifeform. He seems to be evolved well beyond that state." "So what're we gonna do with him?" Ryoko demanded, crossing her arms. "WE will do nothing, I will take him to the infirmary and see about helping him out with his injuries and examine him. YOU, will get out of here and leave me to take care of him," Washu said, trying to sound as firm as possible. Tenchi flinched, not liking the way she used the word "examine". "Miss Washu, you may take care of him, but please notify us the moment he awakens so we may question him," Aeka said politely. Washu turned toward the Princess with a frown, "Huh? Did you say something?" "Uh.. um... w-what she means, LITTLE Washu, is... ah... c-can you come and get us when he wakes up?" Tenchi clarified, trying to put as much stress on the "Little" as he could, to remind Aeka of her mistake. Washu grinned, her eyes lighting up, "Sure Tenchi, anything for you." A large drop of sweat rolled down Aeka's face. Washu once again began clicking away at her computer. A transparent black sheet formed under the soon-to-be patient, then began levitating, carrying the figure with it. "A sub-space stretcher, quite useful," Washu said with a wink. A door formed in the air behind Washu. The computer phased away and the small woman turned, opened the door, and went through, the stretcher following closely behind. When the door came closed Aeka whipped around and glared at Ryoko. "You did that on purpose you fiendish harlot, you!" Aeka screamed, her face taking on several shades of red. Ryoko turned a pair of uninterested eyes toward her. "Did what, princess?" she asked politely. "Made me fall on my backside you ignorant hussy!" Aeka shrieked. "It's not my fault you're so clumsy, geeze, don't try to blame your faults on me," the other glared back. Another door formed near them and the three walked through it, the women arguing all the way. Washu tied the prisoner/patient down on a fairly comfortable surgical table, then went to the computer terminal and began a diagnostic. While the computer ran its checks on the subject, Washu took her first good look at the almost elegant figure on the table. His cloak, she found with a start, had changed from the color of dirt and grass to match with the colors of the table and other surroundings. Making itself nearly invisible. Her sharp green eyes travled from feet to head. A pair of new looking brown boots, a pair of loose-fitting brown pants made of a soft seeming material. A heavy black belt of the same material as the pants covered by a forest green silk sash, a large pouch tied to the right side, and a sword to the left. A closed sleeved shirt, loose and also woven of the same strange cloth as the belt and trousers. A pair of metal bracers covered his forearms, both sported a round gold plate that protruded about a quarter of an inch out. Her visual expedition of the figure ended at the face. Washu was embarrassed to find that she had gasped once her eyes had fallen upon the calm expression of the man. He was HANDSOME! Surely Tenchi had the boyishly cute face that had intrigued her many times in the past. But this stranger possessed the beauty of a man of the world. She judged him to be at least in his early to mid twenties, in Earth years, and found he also had long, thick, ebony black hair. "My, you are pleasing to the eye aren't you?" she asked him in a fruity tone. She then turned back to the consol and began clicking away, deciding to make her own "little" observations. The blackness began to recede as his head cleared. he thought, excitement rising in him. He kept calm though, and carefully opened an eye, just enough to see. His eyes caught the blurred sight of a child standing with her back to some fairly large electronic equipment. Strange, the child seemed to have a very large amount of bright red hair. Looking spiked no less. She was taking a long look at him. She gasped, then stood for a moment, saying something he didn't understand. She turned away from him and went to typing quickly at the equipment behind her. He opened his eyes the rest of the way and took a quick look at the situation. He was tied to a very comfortable table, his wrists, ankles, and waist were bound to the surface. He carefully strained against them, testing them, they were quite solid. His thoughts stirred for a bit, then an idea came to him. He quickly, silently, went to work. Washu finished her program and began to look for errors that could occur. She felt a small rush of wind on her back. Puzzled, she turned to face the table, only to find that her subject was gone, the bindings undone. She stepped away from the consol and looked around for a moment. Alarm took her and she spun back to the computer, intending a security scan of the area. A figure stood there, pointing a silver blade at her throat. He said something to her in a language she didn't know. A strange look came to his face, an expression of worry, almost. He turned his head and stared at the electronic display. His eyes fluttered and his body shook, then he turned back to her. At that moment the monitors, which were still examining the stranger, showed an odd reading, that of psionic activity. "Who are you?" he asked. Washu's eyes grew wide. He could learn a language by simply reading a few words. A grin came to her face as she thought of this. "Washu," she answered in a cheerful tone. His face showed tension, she figured it best not alarm him. "Why am I here?" he demanded. "For a medical examination of sorts to determine your physical condition and possibly your genetic make up," she said, puffing her chest out proudly, "I am a certified medical physician in all aspects you know." His face smoothed to show no emotion. "Do you know what I just said?" the scientist inquired, remembering that she had to occasionally explain what she said to the others. "Yes, you said you were giving me a check up," he replied, "and that you're a doctor." Washu instantly liked him. He could easily comprehend complex phrases, and so she wouldn't have to say the same thing numerous times to him. "What was the true purpose of this? I sense an ulterior motive," he asked. Washu saw another spike of psychic activity on the monitors. "I was going to revive you so we could question you." "'We?'" "Yes, the others are in the normal-space dwelling," the small scientist answered, "You haven't met them have you? Well, I'll see to that. They're really quite an interesting bunch, once you get to know them." Washu took the chance to step back from the business end of the stranger's sword. She then began to walk towards a door that had materialized to the side. There was a snap of air as the long blade pressed its more dangerous side to her neck. "You will go nowhere without me," he growled. a voice rang in Washu's head. "Oh, so you want the grand tour, eh?" the genius inquired cheerfully. The ungrateful houseguest grunted acknowledgment. "Then follow me," Washu sang as she skipped through the door, "watch your step please!" He followed her through without a word. They emerged into a hallway... and... underneath... a... set of... stairs!?! A rather large household was laid out around him. Bewildered by how such an enormous place such as the medical room he had just come from could be housed under a set of small stairs. A group of strangely garbed people quickly surrounded him. A small girl with blue hair and pink eyes, a strange creature sat atop her head. A woman behind her with purple hair and another set of strange eyes. A tall, well-formed woman, dark skinned and wearing a head of wavy blonde hair, stood chewing on a food item. Yet another woman, her hair radically spiked and cyan colored, she sported a particularly peculiar style of clothes. Lastly his eyes stopped at a young man, his short black hair and plain dress set him apart from the others. he thought. He quickly picked up violent thoughts coming from the woman with spiked hair. He tensed. his mind scolded, His body became rigid as he readied himself to flee. Everyone stared at the figure whom held Washu prisoner. Seeing a chance, Sasami stepped forward and introduced herself. "My name is Sasami," she said with a grin and a giggle, "what's yours?" Ryo-ohki let loose a loud, "Meow!" The stranger looked to her, a somewhat shocked expression on his face. "Quicksilver," he responded in a pleasant tone, a half grin on his face. "Well," grunted Ryoko, "what the hell are you doing here?" "I've no idea," Quicksilver said in a thoughtful voice. "You're lying!!" Ryoko grunted. “Hold on now, I mean no harm, I am simply...” he began. “Then why are you holding my mother hostage?!” Ryoko screamed. Washu’s eyes seemed to bulge from shock, then she grinned. “Calm down Ryoko, we don’t want him to hurt anybody,” Tenchi cautioned. “Get your damned hands off her!” she bellowed as lunged at the stranger, a glittering blade forming in her hand. Before Ryoko could strike him though, he was behind her. Landing a blow at the base of her skull with the pommel of his sword. , thought Washu in amazement, . He then turned to the foyer, and ran. He disappeared and was at the door in an instant. Luckily, Tenchi's grandfather chose that moment to come in from the shrine for dinner. Quicksilver skidded to a halt in front of him. Katsuhito didn't so much as flinch as he looked the other in the eye. "Hello," he said flatly. Quicksilver spun quickly, seeing the others surround him once more. he grunted. The group had cornered him. He spun like a wild animal, confused. he though, His legs then powered him up, through the ceiling and into another room, a large window faced him. His back ached from the recent impact, but the throbbing was already subsiding. he gritted his teeth, sheathed his sword, and charged ahead. The glass shattered around him as his body did a somersault through the air, he landed with a thud and a roll. He was on his feet and dashing ahead into the woods within an instant, cuts quickly sealing. He made a dive into the bushes, drawing his cloak about himself... disappearing. The group stood staring at the bits of wood lying on the floor from their guest's drastic departure. The sound of glass breaking still ringing in their ears. "Oooooooohh, what just happened?" Tenchi groaned, scratching his head yet again. "Seems he ran away," Aeka said, screwing up her face. "Well let's go after him," Ryoko growled, rubbing the back of her head. Katsuhito wisely stepped aside as the demoness barreled out the door. "Guess we have to help find him," Tenchi said wearily, and he trudged out the door. The rest following close behind. They were coming after him. Quicksilver thought to himself. He was content with his hiding place, nothing could spot him. The group came into clear view. Sasami and the boy came very close to him. "Tenchi," she asked, "why did Quicksilver run away?" "I don't know, he probably went into a panic and tried to get away to collect himself," the boy said after some thought. thought the former guest. "But all we wanted to do was help him, right?. Besides, he looked hungry and I was getting ready to fix dinner." "Weeeelll, Ryoko got ahead of herself I'd guess, and he got the wrong idea." "Why does she always have to be so mean to everybody?" "Probably just the way she's lived in the past. Attack and take names later." "Well, Quicksilver seemed nice, and I wanted to get to know him." He'd heard enough. Still cloaking himself, he rushed from cover. He had a plan to make them see him as a good guy. After he was far enough ahead he drew his sword and plowed into the woods, every tree in reach fell with one swift stroke. "Oh how I hate to do this," he grunted. After he had come to a stone stairway he stopped, doubled back, and dashed back to the house. Ryoko had kept a firm aerial view of the woods, and quickly caught sight of the trail of falling trees near the shrine. She shot toward the advancing head of it and found that coward Quicksilver chopping down trees like there was no tomorrow. He stopped, looked around, then charged back the way he had come. She followed, went ahead and teleported right into his path. He kicked up dirt as he skidded to a stop, then barreled off to the side. "Huh?" Her eyes followed as he ran for a tree. she thought pleasantly, She was right, he didn't turn, instead he shot up the trunk of the tree, his feet pounding it's surface. He easily dodged branches and came to a stop at the highest twig standing upon it as though he weighed nothing. Ryoko flew up to face him. He showed no emotion as she came to eye level, a scant few feet from him. She grinned at him haughtily, showing she could easily keep pace with him. A flash of reflected light and the sword tip met her throat, scraping the skin. Her grin stayed. "Go ahead, Quicksilver," she said tauntingly, putting extra icing on the title. He seemed to be weighing his options. A sudden strange sensation came about him. The air around him snapped. "What goes up, must come down, R-y-o-k-o," he growled back, taunting just the same. Ryoko's smug expression melted away. The sword was no longer at her throat, instead it came down on her head, crackling. She screamed as the flat of the blade thunked her skull and thrust painful electricity into her head. She fell to the ground in a smoking heap. Quicksilver hopped down from the treetop and strode to Ryoko. He picked her up and carried her back to the house. After checking the trail their guest had made within a minute and the area around the shrine, the group headed back to the house. Nothing had turned up and they had searched for almost an hour. It was past dinnertime and they all felt a gnawing hunger, night had fallen as well. They reached the Masaki home, but something was strange. The scent of spices and frying food came from the household. "Sasami, were you fixing supper before we left?" Mihoshi questioned. Everyone went rigid, then nearly broke down the door as they rushed into the foyer then the living room. Ryoko lay on the couch. "Ryoko! How could you be here slothing around during a crisis?" Aeka shrieked. Ryoko didn't respond. A wet washcloth lay across her forehead. "Ryoko?" Sasami crept up to the couch. Ryo-ohki mewed softly. Sasami lifted the former pirate's hand from her chest, where they were crossed. She let go and the hand dropped limply back into place. "Oh," Sasami's hand went to her mouth. She ran to Tenchi and buried her face in his stomach, whimpering. Washu then took her turn, she felt for Ryoko's pulse then held her hand over the mouth. "Well, she's breathing and her pulse is normal. I'd say she's out like a light," Washu muttered. Once again the scent of food filled everyone's nostrils, and they looked toward the kitchen. They crowded around the open doorway to glimpse a busy Quicksilver. He was shooting about, chopping vegetables with his enormous blade and stirring the contents of several pots. His cloak was gone, in its stead was Sasami's frilly carrot apron, his hair was drawn back in a ponytail. Mihoshi giggled as he rushed to the cupboard and snatched out plates and bowls setting them in an orderly fashion along with spoons and chop-sticks. Glasses were also brought to the table. His lithe form shot to the counter, he dumped the chopped up veggies into a large wooden bowl, ground some pepper, added some spices, and used two large spoons to mix it up. "He's making dinner," Tenchi said in a flat tone. Sasami walked over to help him but he simply went around her, hardly even acknowledging her presence. He shot to and fro from the table and stove as he dished out rice, fried cabbage and carrots, and numerous other foods the group didn't know they had the ingredients to make. He then did something strange. Their prisoner/guest slowly walked to the head of the table, reached into the pouch at his side and pulled out seven small leaves. They were of a fairly basic shape, looking somewhat like tea leaves, only smaller and a darker green. He then strode around the table, laying a leaf on each plate as he passed them, then back to the head of the table. His head was bowed as he waved the lengthy blade of his sword over the food gently, saying something in a strange low language. He sheathed his sword and brought his hands together in front of him. Quicksilver looked up, his face showing that he had just now noticed them. His sharp green eyes regarded them for a moment he then stepped away and gestured for all to have a seat. As they took their places he slipped out to the living room and brought Ryoko in to sit to the left of Tenchi. He gently took off the cloth that was stuck to her head then drew his index finger across her forehead, her eyes snapped open. She looked around, seeming confused, she then clutched her temples and groaned. Quicksilver made his way to the doorway, taking off his scabbard and laying it on his cloak that had been laying in a pile just inside the kitchen. "I'm sorry about all the trees I fell, it was meant as a distraction to you all so I could come back here and prepare a meal. But I was cut off by her," he turned and gestured to Ryoko, who sat there in a daze, "and I had to subdue her." The group poked at the food uneasily, as though it might jump up and eat them instead. "Go ahead and eat," he said quietly, "I'll be in the next room." He gathered his cloak and sword then headed out to sit on the couch, laying his property on the table in front of it. Mihoshi spared no time and immediately began to shovel food into her mouth. "Mihoshi!" Aeka exclaimed. The other looked up. "But Aeka, ith goooood," she whined around a mouthful. "We don't know what he may have done to it," she scolded. They heard a loud thump and a crack from the next room. Katsuhito, whom had taken a seat at the foot of the table, leaned and craned his neck. Their guest was gritting his teeth, his eyes clenched shut, and his fist buried in the tabletop, past the surface. "I don't think he appreciates us criticizing his cooking," Tenchi's grandfather said as he took a lump of rice, dipped it in the soup, and ate it. "Mmmmmmnnnn, try some Tenchi," he commanded. "Uuuuhhh, Grandpa, I-I don't think..." Tenchi stopped as his elder glared at him. The rustling of cloth and the clinking of metal sounded from the other room, as well as heavy footsteps, then a slamming door. No other sound was heard. "Hmmmm, I seem to remember an old tale from the archives of Jurian history," Katsuhito said thoughtfully, tapping his utensils on his chin "I was young and being tutored. I had to write an essay on a particular event. As I did my research, I stumbled upon a file bearing a strange name." The group was all ears... except Mihoshi, who was busy devouring the delicious meal. "It was titled, 'The Deed of Quicksilver,'" he let this hang over their heads for a moment. When no one spoke he continued. "I chose to write my essay on this subject," he cleared his throat. "During the Times of the Ancients, a rouge Jurain Knight came forward to oppose the King. He was a ruthless and ambitious man whom believed that he alone should rule the kingdom of Jurai. His name was Sekiyube, and the order of the Dark Jurain Knights was his progeny. You see, the King of Jurai had near absolute control over the power of the Jurain space trees. The Dark Knights needed something to fight this with, and they developed the Dark Arts of Jurai. With this newfound ability they were able to cloak themselves in shadow and hide from the King’s watchful eye. “In these shadows they practiced their arts, and eventually came to be of great power. They had found ways to corrupt a space tree so as to fuel their dark ambitions. “Then one day, Sekiyube came before the King and demanded that he relinquish the whole of Jurai to the Dark Knights. Of course, when the King refused, the Emperor of Darkness laid siege to the Capital city of Jurai. With the power of the corrupted space trees backing them, they conquered Jurai within a matter of days. The King died by Sekiybe’s own hand and all his blood relations were destroyed. “In those dark years the emperor ruled all of Jurai with an iron fist, and from his great ship the Gatsumoto, he watched over his empire. Little escaped his notice, particularly any sort of resistance, which was quickly wiped away. “Then, a group that called themselves Mei-Hikaru, began to make many precise strikes to power points of the Empire. They used a sophisticated version of guerrilla warfare that could create absolute havoc with any Dark Trees within the area. Sekiyube, however, was able to quickly seek them out and had begun to slowly decimate their ranks. The resistance was nearly obliterated, that is, until the day HE came." Everyone leaned in, even Mihoshi, intent on getting an accurate account of the story. "He possessed a speed and strength unknown to any of that day. He was able to form strikes and battleplans that would decimate the Dark Jurian Knights' forces in open battle, with himself at the head of the charge. His brilliance and extraordinary abilities turned the tide of the war, and it was him alone that ended it. He was able to infiltrate the Gatsumoto, and face Sekiyube. The Emperor of the Knights, whom Kagato shaped himself after, was confident that he could defeat the menace of silver, that swept through his ranks like a wildfire, in honorable personal combat. It was speculated that the battle was anything BUT honorable, but Quicksilver came through, apparently, for the ship was destroyed, along with the last remnants of the Dark Jurian Knights and their trees. “And Quicksilver. "It was rumored that the savior of Jurai was spotted throughout the galaxy, saving other civilizations. The restored royalty sought him for many years, and each trail that was laid before them ended with the declaration of his apparent death. They wished to thank him for his selfless service of their people, but each time they heard of him he was gone when they arrived at the planet. Then he disappeared for millennia, and was forgotten in all but carefully kept record.” "That's the end of the story," Katsuhito sighed. Everyone, tense from the account, relaxed. "I believe I received an F on it though," he grunted. The group, still leaning forward, face-faulted in their meal. "Yes, I was supposed to do the essay on something factual," he said gruffly. "Say," Washu cut in, "I have detailed files on all beings of power in my computer, but I don't believe I have a file on this Quicksilver character, hmmmmmm. I think an examination is in order." Tenchi flinched again, eyeing her warily as he wiped noodles from his face. "Well, I don't like 'im!" Ryoko grumped, pulling a piece of carrot out of her ear and flinging it behind her. Ryo-ohki scurried after it, jumped on it, and glared at Ryoko for treating such a precious thing so badly. Sasami giggled. They finished a safe meal in silence with no further interruptions. As the night wore on, Quicksilver sat upon the roof of the Masaki home. Staring at the clear waters of the lake as they lapped at the shore. He still wore the frilled carrot apron. His hair fell around his face in long ebony strands. His knees drawn to his chest and his arms around them. He was frozen in time, his eyes glazed over. he thought, His eyes snapped to attention, now focused, searching. His sharp ears twitched as a deep humming churned in the air about him. He was on his feet in an instant, gazing into the distance. A pair of bright lights were coming down the road towards the house. A large, squat creature was charging towards the house, its eyes lighting the road ahead of it. It was emitting a low growl as it approached. It came in past the gates at a rapid pace then coming to a skidding halt near the house. Its eyes stopped shining as it sat there. Its body shone under the moonlight, almost metallic. Something was wrong with it, it had ceased growling and then began to slowly shake and rock side to side. There was a loud thud come from inside it, as well as a few mild curses. Its mouth, which was strangely set above its eyes, popped and flew open. More curses as its side then came open and a rather large, thick man crawled out. His arms were loaded with rolls of paper, a briefcase hung from his mouth. He waddled to the front of the beast, his swearing muffled by the handle. Slowly, he reached out, placed his hand atop the beast's mouth, and slammed it shut. Then everything dropped from his grasp, and a long string of curses fell from his mouth. The creature just stared dumbly ahead, not moving at all. Quicksilver thought, Nobyuki stooped to gather all the rolls of paper and slowly arrange them in his arms. Then carefully turned and waddled towards the front door of the house. When he reached the halfway mark, one roll slipped from his grasp. Nobyuki’s foot shot out and the roll landed vertically on his toe. “Haha, gotha!” he crowed past his briefcase handle. Then he began to twist and bend, trying to keep balance, and fell to the ground. As he landed his papers rained down around him and the briefcase, which had been thrown into the air, came down on his head. He leapt to his feet and threw a fit, stomping his feet, throwing his fists around in the air. “Dammit! What a horrible day! First the boss jumps all over me for being late because my damn clock was broken! Then the secretary keeps bothering me with memos and papers, and I don’t get any work done! Damn manager breathes down my neck about the status quo and I’m stuck working all damn night! And now this!!” Nobyuki screams as he gave a roll a mighty kick. It sailed over to the docks, and began a lazy descent to the waters. “Well, shit and shit again,” he grumbled as he went limp staring at the ground, “now I’m gonna have to redraw the whole damn bank all over again!” He then felt a rush of wind and looked up. A stranger stood in front of him, wearing a dark cloak. He was backlit by the moon, and so was an ominous sight. Nobyuki screamed as he fell over backward, his fall cushioned by his briefcase. The dark figure bent down and reached for him. Nobyuki screamed again and curled up into a ball, covering his face with his arms. “Just my luck, how could this get any worse?” he whimpered. He felt someone tap him on his shoulder. He peeked out from under his elbow and found the roll he had kicked lying next to him. He jerked upright, and, seeing the dark figure once more, and turned white as a sheet. “Do you need some help with these?” it said as it bent and began gathering up rolls. Nobyuki, not knowing what to say, slowly sat up and assisted the apparition in gathering the papers. After a bit the two strode into the house, a bundle of paper tubes under their arms. The one in the cloak stepped up and opened the door to Nobyuki, he bowed his head in thanks and stepped through. The others were finishing up their meal. “So I guess I missed dinner again, huh?” Nobyuki groaned. “Another bad day at the office Dad?” Tenchi inquired. “Eh, the boss rode my ass all day long and the secretary wouldn’t leave me the hell alone with all the memos and such. So I get to spend the rest of my evening up in my study drawing up the rest of these blueprints.” He gestured to the rolls of paper he and his assistant were carrying. “By the way, who’s our new guest? He nearly caused me to wet myself out in the driveway,” he nodded in the stranger’s direction. But he was no longer there, in his stead was a pile of blueprints. “That would be Quicksilver,” Katsuhito said flatly, “He gave us a few surprises as well.” “Oh really? Well I’d love to hear all about it but I’ve got to get to work on these, so, Sasami?” Nobyuki looked over at the little blue-haired girl, “Would you be a dear and bring me up some of that delicious smelling chow when you’re finished?” “Okay,” she agreed, giving an exaggerated nod. “And Tenchi,” he rolled his head back and forth, “would you be so kind as to help me with these?” “Sure,” Tenchi set down his things, stood up, and started shoveling the paper rolls into his arms. “By the way, Sasami? Was that fellow wearing your apron?” Nobyuki quizzed. Sasami merely nodded. “Thought so,” he said, wrinkling his nose. Then father and son stomped up the stairs. The night drew on and Quicksilver was nowhere to be found. The rest of the evening went on quietly. Even Aeka and Ryoko stopped their rivalry. And so everyone went sluggishly to bed. And so ends Day One. But don’t touch that dial. Day Two is coming with a few more surprises and a lot more action. Please send praises and curses to animeayers@hotmail.com. I’d love to hear from ya’!