Disclaimer: All characters herein (aside from Roric Tak) are not mine; they belong to other people, whose names I don't know. I thought that I should just stick this in here to make sure I don't get sued. This fanfic is for private use only, please E-Mail me if you want permission to post it elsewhere. Episode I: The New Guy Pin-pon! Roric stepped back from the door, holding his suitcases to either side. The cool, crisp mountain air felt good on his tired body, and the gentle wind ruffled his t-shirt and loose jeans. His autumn-gold hair brushed his forehead, and his glasses slid down his nose, making him feel rather awkward for some inane reason. It had been a very long day for Roric Tak. He had taken an overnight flight to Japan in a very shoddy plane, and trying to find a cab in Tokyo took him nearly five hours. But he felt he had finally hit it big when he walked up the steps of the Masaki home. He waited. He waited and waited and waited. Finally, he was greeted to the sound of thumping and crashing behind the door, followed by a curt "Ryoko, stop it!" The door opened soon after that. "Hey, Tenchi," Roric said with a grin. He had been pen pals with this guy for almost two years, so they knew what the other looked like. "We finally meet in person." "Roric from Maine," Tenchi, held out his hand. "Glad to finally see you. I didn't know you wore glasses." "We all have our limits, I guess." "Come on inside. You're staying in my room until the extensions to the house are done. Oh, and pay no attention to the drunk woman passed out on the floor." Roric blinked. "Beg pardon?" "That's Ryoko, the one I wrote you about," Tenchi looked a little crestfallen. "When she gets drunk, she gets violent. Not that she isn't already violent. But anyway, come on." The interior of Tenchi's home was very nice, opening up first into the genkan, with the stairs to the right, the living room to the left, and the back door way at the end. It smelled nostalgic, like noodles and sweat, and that smell brought goosebumps to Roric's arms. He felt that he had smelled it before, but just couldn't place it. "Come on," Tenchi was already halfway up the stairs. "Jii-chan and the girls went shopping with Dad, so they won't be back until late. I guess Sasami will have to make quick ramen again..." "Girls?" Roric asked quizzically as they topped the stairs. "Sasami? You never wrote about those." "I didn't?" "Not that I remember, no." "Not about Washuu, Sasami, Mihoshi, any of 'em?" "That's a big N-O, Tench." "Tench?" "It's just a nickname I came up with." Tenchi grinned. "Well, maybe having another boy my age in the house will relieve some of the pressure," He said as he opened his door. "All these girls just hound me all the time. Mostly Ryoko and Ayeka. Be careful around them, Roric. They can be dangerous when they want something." "I see." "Just set your suitcases on the bed. I hauled up an old dresser out of storage, so we'll put your clothes in there." Roric complied, and began taking out his things, most of which consisted of jeans and t-shirts, his favorite mode of dress. He had a few long-sleeved shirts and a turtleneck as well, but those were just in case it got REALLY cold. In the mountains of Japan, he supposed, it could get a bit nippy. A very strange thing happened then. A small creature, closely resembling a cat mixed with a rabbit, leapt through the solid wood door, hopped across the carpet, and deposited itself directly on Roric's foot. "Neow?" It looked up at him. "JESUS HAROLD CHRIST!" Roric recoiled, dropping his shirt on its head. He backed up against the wall and pointed one slender finger. "What is that thing?!" "Ryo-Ohki," Tenchi picked up the creature. "Don't go scaring the new guy, okay?" "Wait...that is Ryo-Ohki? The family pet?" "Yeah. She's a cabbit. She's also Ryoko's ship." "Ship?" Tenchi blanched, and put the cabbit down. She hopped happily from the room. "I think I need to explain all of this. Slowly." He gestured to the bed. "Sit down. This is going to take awhile." * * * * Several hours later. "You're joking, aren't you?" "No joke, Roric. Watch." Tenchi held out one hand. What seemed like a large, glowing beam appeared on his palm, which further solidified into a sword. He spun it with expert grace, and it vanished into thin air. "Holy Mary Mother of God," Roric pressed a hand to his forehead. "This is just too much to comprehend. Why didn't you tell me sooner, Tenchi?" "I guess..." He laughed, rubbing the back of his head. "I got so used to it that it didn't seem important. You'll still stay here, though, won't you? It didn't hit you too hard, did it?" He took a moment to process all this new information sitting silently on the edge of the bed with his head cradled in his hands. All this new information.and somehow it didn't surprise him that much! He felt like he truly belonged here, as if he was a part of this motley bunch of space misfits and royalty. Tenchi had explained everything in complete detail, and Ryo-Ohki sat on his lap, purring quietly. He reached down with one hand and stroked the cabbit's fuzzy back. With a shaken, yet pleasant laugh, Roric gently placed the small animal to one side, and stood up. He stuck his hand out, "Let's finish unpacking, okay?" Tenchi grinned. "I'm glad you see things my way. * * * * It was almost dark when Katsuhito returned with the girls in tow, carrying bags of groceries and clothes. Roric stayed at the top of the stairs, feeling rather nervous in the presence of so many women. Back home, several of his friends were real players with the ladies, womanizing several at once, but it seemed that Roric had always been the odd man out. He leaned his arms on the rail, and waited in silent anticipation. "Hey, everyone," Tenchi walked down, his hand on the banister. "How was the shopping?" "Fine," The purple-haired girl said as she elbowed the blonde in the ribs. "Except that this peon embarrassed us at the diner." "Hey, it wasn't my fault that table had weak legs," The blonde said. A teal-haired little girl looked up at Tenchi with wide pink eyes. "Is your pen-pal here yet, Tenchi?" She asked. "Yeah, he is," Tenchi grinned, and looked back up the stairs. "C'mon, Roric! Come meet everyone!" He stepped down the stairway, feeling an enormous surge of trepidation. His hair bounced as he landed on the bottom on both feet, eyes lowered, hands at his sides. Katsuhito nodded. "He's quite a looker, isn't he, girls?" Roric blushed. "But he's not as cute as my Tenchi," Ryoko materialized on Tenchi's left shoulder, and wrapped her arms around his neck. "Come on, darling give me a kissy-poo, huh?" "Chew off, will 'ya?" Tenchi said with some annoyance. Ayeka stormed from the small group, and slapped Ryoko upside the head. What resulted was a mighty brawl that proceeded into the living room. Roric rubbed the back of his head in wonder. "Healthy, aren't they?" He remarked blandly. He was suddenly approached by Sasami and Mihoshi, who gazed at him with wide-eyed wonder. "Wow," Mihoshi said dreamily. "I've never met anyone from the U.S. before. Where are you from?" "What do you do?" Sasami asked at the tag-end of that question. "How old are you?" "Slow down," Roric waved his hand, smiling faintly. "In reverse order, I'm seventeen, I work as an aide for my Tai Chi instructor, and I live in Bangor, Maine." "Blood type O," A boisterous voice came from behind him. "Height, 5'10'', weight 202.3 lbs, in excellent physical condition...perfect for my next experiment!" Washuu popped up from behind him, gazing up into his eyes. "Hello there. My name is Washuu, but you can call me Little Washuu! Would you like to be a test subject?" "Say no!" Tenchi wailed from the flurry of feet and fists that raged in the living room. "Eh, thanks all the same," Roric took a step back, straight into Mihoshi. "Come on...you know you want to!" "Uh...no. Thanks." He moved rather pointedly away from the tiny woman, and turned to speak with Mihoshi and Sasami. Dinner that night was sashimi and soba noodles. Roric had eaten enough Chinese take-out to use chopsticks with fair proficiency, and didn't make too much of a fool of himself come mealtime. The food was delicious, as Tenchi had promised him. Speaking of, the young Masaki had bruises and bandages all over his body from his involvement in that little brawl. Ryoko and Ayeka glared at each other from across the table. "This is great, Sasami," He complimented. The little girl blushed. "Thank you, Roric," She responded. "I did my best." "So, Mr. Masaki," Roric turned to Katsuhito. "Just call me jii-chan," The old man said with a wave of his bony hand. "All right...jii-chan. What goes on around here? I mean...what are we going to be doing tomorrow?" He picked a load of soba from the dish, and slurped it up. "Well..." Yosho scratched his chin. "Mornings are dedicated to chores. With another person here, everyone's load gets a little lighter. Tenchi works in the carrot fields, then trains with me for a few hours. Ayeka, Mihoshi and Ryoko do the laundry and clean the house. Sasami cooks all the meals, and Washuu...well, she doesn't really do anything. You'll sweep the leaves outside, then replace part of the banister that rings the house." Roric nodded once. "By the way, you said you study in fighting arts?" He nodded, and bowed. "Yes, sir. I'm a practitioner of Tai Chi Chuan, the Ultimate Fist. I worked as an aide for my instructor back home." "You'll have to tell us all about your home when you get settled in," Mihoshi put in. It seemed as if she couldn't take her eyes off the young man for a second. She had her hands clasped under her chin, and she wasn't eating. "Yeah..." He blushed faintly. It made him feel rather uncomfortable. "Well," Nobuyuki sipped his tea, and placed his cup down. "I certainly hope things get a little easier for my son now that another teenage boy has shown up!" He laughed mightily. * * * * The sun shone down on the Masaki household brightly that morning, and the entire household was up early. At the break of dawn, Roric girded himself in a loose white tank-top shirt and long denim shorts, leaving his glasses on the edge of Tenchi's dresser. He walked down the stairs, parted ways with his friend, and stepped out the shoji door into the sunlight. He felt rather nice as he swept the walkway. The sun was warm, the leaves were green and pink, and the faint sound of birds chirping calmed his muscles. He clutched the straw broom in both hands, and swept the leaves into a small pile that burned on the ground. Sasami, on her way to the shed, waved to him. He waved back. He looked up at the sun. It was still early yet. He could probably help the girls with the laundry before he headed off to train with Tenchi and jii- chan. He blew out a contented sigh. The next two years would be great. End of Episode I: The New Guy Episode II of the Eden Chronicles will find the new protagonist Roric in a few tight spots indeed. Mihoshi won't take her eyes off the boy, and Yosho wishes to fight with him! What will the outcome be? Trouble in the baths as well, as Tenchi and his friend are caught "peeping"! And Katsuhito makes a chilling discovery! Next time on The Eden Chronicles Episode II: Finding a Niche!