Copyrights, etc: Tenchi Muyo! and all related characters are the property of AIC, Pioneer, and other owners. Loknar, Joseph, and Koros are mine. Ask before you use them. I'm looking for people to do some drawings of them, so if you're interested, drop me an email at the_guardian20@hotmail.com.

Notes: Compared to most of my others, this will be a chibi-fic. It'll be less than two pages (I hope), and is a little holiday thingie. It takes place sometime around winter. For the year of it to take place; let's just say it's around six months after the vacation to Orion. This is right after the next chapters that I will write, and it will have hints as to what might happen, but very subtly. Also, I'm just bored and decided to make a small little interlude before I get to the newer chapters.

This chibi-fic is sort of one of those sappy-feed good stories, but hopefully it won't be crappy. BTW, this little thing is pretty much pointless.

Current Music (Thank you, Livejournal): Claude Debussy - Clair de Lune (Harp Single)....That's probably why I got the motivation to write this one.

-Loknar, 12/24/01

ChibiFic Began and Finished 12/24/01.

God Bless America.

Here goes some candy canes that which will probably make me hyper later...

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Tenchi Muyo! OVA Interlude

(Orion Chronicles, Interlude Chapter)

Joseph looked out the window, at the snow falling. He sat on a chair in the living room, drinking some light sake. Each individual flake was like a little ghost, working its' way down from the heavens, to see someone, or something. Snow made him depressed. It always had. When he was a child, when he was a teenager, and up to now. He hated snow.

He looked at his digital watch, the old AGN Standard Issue. The date on the face read "12/18." December 18.

He pulled out an old photograph of himself, his squadron, and Miranda - His lovely Miri. His fiancé, who now no longer was of the living. He had seen her die - Koros and his cronies had hung Joseph onto a wall while they brutalized, ravaged, and murdered the warrioress before his eyes.

Joseph gulped down a fair amount of sake, although he knew that alcohol had little effect on him.

Five years to the date, the Melkarian Empire had stormed Beta Pictoris IV in Joseph's universe, in a surprise attack larger in scope than the attack on Pearl Harbor or the destruction of September 11th. It sparked the Galaxian civil war, a brutal war which cost the lives of billions. Joseph, Miri, and his squadron were right at the front lines when the attack had began.

The Melkars had used snow as a weapon during that attack, right in the middle of summer - It was not normal snow, made of frozen water. This snow was the frozen form of a corrosive acid, known as Crimson Snowflakes to murder entire cities while they awoke, the acid being able to eat through steel as it melted.

"Joseph, what's wrong?" Sasami asked, tugging at Joseph's pant leg.

"Nothing, Sasami." He replied, his voice a little shaky.

"Something's wrong. You were staring out into the snow, and looking at that picture again."

"Just memories, Sasami. Memories of things that should not happen to any man."

She sighed, and hugged him, who hugged back, knowing only a little bit of what had happened to him.

"Tenchi and Nobuyuki are about to go out and find a Christmas tree in a bit. Wanna come?"

"I guess." He said, sighing.

Sasami could see the sadness in his eyes, the ghosts of the past eating at his soul.

"Are you sure you're all right, Joseph?"

"I...I just need some time alone." He replied, smiling at her.

He went into the front entrance, seeing Tenchi and Nobuyuki trying to find their coats. It rarely snowed in this prefecture, so they had to get the coats from a dusty old box in the closet. It was on the top shelf, right next to some scraps of the old Ryu-Oh. They pulled it down, a small amount of dust flying into the air, Tenchi coughing a bit.

"Can I help cut the tree?" Ryoko asked, floating by.

"If you want...Just don't glomp me while I have a saw in my hand." Tenchi replied.

"May I help, Lord Tenchi?" Ayeka asked.

"Sure. Joseph, you wanna come too?"

"I need something to get my mind off of my thoughts, so sure."

They went outside, Ryoko flying up and spotting an old pine, covered in snow.

"How 'bout this?" She asked.

"Too big for the house." Joseph replied.

"Damn." She muttered.

Ayeka found another, though quite smaller.

"Will this be sufficient?"

"A little bit small." Nobuyuki said.

"How about that one?" Joseph asked, pointing to a medium sized pine, on the top of a small hill. His ability to scan large areas and pinpoint a specific object had increased greatly during the incident in the Locked Sector a few months before. Mihoshi, Kiyone, and Tenchi had seen exactly what he had during that time, and knew how things had changed.

Tenchi fiddled with the saw, trying to get it to cut the tree.

"Stupid thing - It's rusted over!" He cried, angrily, and throwing it over a nearby hill.

"Could I...?" Ryoko and Ayeka asked at the same time, indicating that they could use their powers to knock it off the stump.

"Nah. It would burn the thing up." Tenchi said in response.

"Could we give it a try, then?" Mihoshi asked, Kiyone behind her.

"Blasters shouldn't burn it up, so I guess you can." Joseph told them, smiling.

They blasted at a small section in the tree, with extreme precision, the tree soon separating from the stump, and hitting the ground.

Joseph blinked as he saw a piece of paper on the stump, signed in golden ink. It was beautifully decorated, and the handwriting itself seemed to be a work of art. He picked it up, slowly. On it were these words:

"Joseph, please do not be depressed. I know your wounds, and the pain they cause, but never let the past interfere with the present. Miri will be back, in one form or another. She knows your pain, and she regrets the effect it has on you. She still loves you, Joseph. But do not forget the others that you live with; they love you just as much. - Tsunami"

He smiled warmly, folding up the paper, and putting it in his pocket. He knew Sasami had contacted Tsunami about this, the kind little angel she was.

Joseph helped the others bring the tree in, a warm feeling of happiness flowing through him. The thoughts of that day five years ago dissipated, at least for awhile.

As soon as the tree was set down in the main room, Joseph went to Sasami, hugging her tightly.

"Thank you." He said quietly.

"It's no problem, Joseph." She responded, the rune on her forehead glowing with light.

He thanked the rest of them, and felt warmer inside.

He sat back down on the couch, and opened a comedic magna.