No Need For The Beat Cop
Ryoko floats in the air a few inches and waves to all her adoring fans. ("What fans?" Ayeka protests.)
"Hello, my name is Ryoko," she says as she bows while levitating, "and I've been asked to be your DJ for this episode. The theme song for this episode is 'The Homework Never Ends' from 'Yu Yu Hakusho.' Yeah, and Dragonwiles doesn't own either."
Kiyone clambered gratefully out of the airlock, the airtight survival suit that she was wearing flexing easily. She and the rescue team from the Galactic Police proceeded to disassemble the emergency survival habitat. The rescue team took the habitat, Kiyone's damaged mecha, and Kiyone back to the rescue ship with them.
The rescue team was relieved to see that Kiyone was safe. It had taken a long time for them to be cleared by the Juraians to perform this rescue mission. They were glad that they'd been able to help a fellow officer in time.
One of the officers who'd been monitoring the situation from the rescue ship informed them all in due course, "I've finished analyzing the debris and residual radiation signatures in the area, and you're not going to believe it. This debris is from the Souja."
Gasps filled the room.
"Kagato's spaceship?" Kiyone asked in astonishment.
"This is definitely its hull materials and its energy signature," the officer confirmed. "Souja was totally destroyed, not much farther out than 70 light-seconds from the third planet." No one knew quite what to make of that.
"We've looked everywhere else in this solar system, and now we've completed our sweep of Venus," the mission's commander returned to business. "If Detective Mihoshi is still alive, she must be on Earth. That presents a particular problem. All of us were chosen because we look fairly similar to Earthlings, but nobody in the galaxy knows much about their culture."
Kiyone stood smoothly and addressed the commander, "Request permission to begin search. I have some knowledge of at least one Earth culture." She and Mihoshi had been grudgingly been given a two-day crash course on some Earthling ways by a Juraian official, who was himself reading from a classified ebook written by Queen Funaho of Jurai. The course had only taken place because Kiyone had insisted on it.
The commander eyed her carefully. She considered a moment and decided, "Under other circumstances, I'd say we only just rescued you, and we don't want to lose you again. As things are, however, I think that we'll need every possible hand assisting. There's a lot of ground to cover. I'm assigning you to the first search party. Let's get prepared."
The commander shook her head slightly. Kiyone sure had devotion to look for her partner, even though Mihoshi had been making difficulties in her life and career for years.
"This is great eating, Sasami!" Washu said happily. It was breakfast as usual in the Masaki household.
"Thank you very much," Sasami bowed from her seated position, and then continued to eat breakfast with everyone else.
Nobuyuki was going to give Washu one of the free rooms, but Washu insisted that she didn't need that much space, and had asked only for a closet. This had confused them until she explained that she'd rig the door to open onto another dimension. Washu hadn't yet perfected the theory and practice. "Just one or two more days to get it right, if all goes well," she had assured them, before retiring to a normal room. They had been worried after that comment- they weren't sure just what her research might end up doing to the house.
"Say, Mr. Masaki, did I ever tell you that I thought of a great business idea for you to get invovled in?" Mihoshi said cheerily. Nobuyuki blinked at her, and she construed this as encouragement to continue. "I think you should start a hot springs resort here!"
"There's already a hot springs up the road," he replied confusedly. Tenchi added, "And it's the only one in the whole area."
Washu countered, "True, but that means we'll just have to make one. I'll bet the hot springs up the road doesn't float in the air, does it?"
"Ms. Washu," Ayeka turned to her, "are you saying that you actually have the capability to construct a floating hot bath unit here?"
"A unit!" Washu shook her head. "It'll practically be a palace in itself. It'll float off the ground, like a gigantic bubble released from ocean foam! Full of exotic plants and animals!" Everyone around her was getting excited by this vision-
- except for Tenchi. "What!" he said in a strangled voice, his chopsticks dropping from his hands as he sat astonished. Then he returned to himself and objected, "Are you crazy? People would see that for miles!"
"So what?" Yosho asked, calmly reaching for another bite.
"So what?" Tenchi repeated, bewildered by his grandfather's cavalier attitude, "who knows what'll happen if people figure out there are five cute aliens living here! Someone might try to kidnap them for experiments are something!"
"Then we can't do it?" Mihoshi asked sadly. Washu reassured her, "Don't worry. Once I get my lab set up, I'll open another dimension in the bathroom where no one can see it. A great hotsprings in there should be easy once I can make a stable connection."
"How many new dimensions do you need?" Tenchi asked in wonderment.
"Oh, we should do just fine with two," Washu reassured him.
"Only two?" Tenchi said disbelievingly as he retrieved his chopsticks and ate the last few bites of his meal. He had done just fine without any extra dimensions all his life.
Ryoko noted Tenchi was done with his food and decided to make her move. "Tenchi," she said, tugging on his sleeve, "wanna go-" Her eyes bulged in frustration as she sensed what Washu was about to say through their telepathic bond. Washu said, "No, sorry, Ryoko, Mommy's got him all booked up for the morning. I need to run some tests on you, Tenchi."
"When were you planning on telling me this?" Tenchi asked, his surprise turning into irritation.
"I was planning on telling you right now. Why?" Washu looked at him inquisitively.
"But you forgot," Tenchi said quickly, "your lab isn't set up. So I'll just be running along-"
"I'll settle for some preliminary tests now. Come on, only a few minutes," Washu said, hauling him to his feet. Tenchi went with her rather unwillingly.
"Be sure and let us know if his energy's growing out of control and he's about to blow up the house!" Nobuyuki called cheerily after them as they went into the living room. Ryoko swore at her mother through their telepathic bond, but Washu simply tut-tutted her back.
"Now just sit on the couch," Washu told him, while she took another seat and reached out her hands. An ethereal laptop formed beneath her fingertips, and she quickly began typing into it.
Tenchi felt very nervous, and not simply because this felt too much like a visit to the doctor's office. He'd only had a few minutes yesterday and today to become acquainted with Washu, but she acted as though she had lived in his home for years. She had known the location and function of every room in the house without being told, and when, to the minute, Sasami would call everyone in to breakfast.
"Look, you don't have to bother scanning me or whatever for all that Light-Hawk Wing business," he said, trying another tack to get out of the situation. "I'm sure it was just Tsunami giving us all a break."
Washu shook her head. "I know those gems, and I know what I saw. The air was practically saturated with the gems' energy. You were the last thing that Tsunami was able to send through. After that, not even she could send anything. Besides, nothing but a Juraian space tree has ever manifested Light-Hawk Wings. Don't you see, Tenchi? You represent an irreplaceable scientific resource. Sorta like a gold-plated guinea pig!"
"What a flattering comparison," Tenchi said sarcastically. "All right," he said resignedly, "let's just get it over with. Tell me when you're done."
"I am done," Washu said, placing her hands in her lap. The laptop disappeared. Tenchi said hopefully, "Really?" Washu held up a finger and amended, "For the moment. There'll be more once I get the lab ready. In the meantime, would you please do me another favor and try to generate the Wings again? Whenever you can. Meanwhile, I need to get started on that dimensional door again." Washu walked out of the room.
Tenchi sighed in relief, then started after her as he realized, "Hey, aren't you going to tell me what you found out?"
"Not yet! Great science takes time!" Washu exclaimed as she raced up the stairs with a childlike grin.
Ryoko teleported in and offered, "It's not much, but she did find out-"
Washu paused at the head of the steps and pouted, "Meanie! Don't tell him! I have a reputation as the universe's greatest scientific genius to uphold!" Ryoko smirked, pleased at finally having found a way to get under Washu's skin. She waited until Washu was gone, then reached forward to embrace Tenchi as she said, "It's not as though I even need that information to know how great you are."
He frowned, not quite sure how to handle the situation, and decided on, "Thanks, Ryoko. Seriously, though, you give me too much credit. I have no idea how I made those Wings." Ryoko nodded and said softly, "But you still came, Tenchi."
Ayeka was out of sight, but by the sound of her voice she was coming closer as she told Tenchi, "Indeed, Lord Tenchi, you accomplished a feat many Juraians would not be capable of."
Ryoko laughed and said, "That's because Juraians are a bunch of wussies."
"Take that back, monster woman!" Ayeka demanded as she appeared at the end of the hall. "And take your unworthy hands off my champion!"
Ryoko took her hands off, not to obey her orders, but to waggle her finger at Ayeka and disagree, "You're the one who's unworthy, brat." Tenchi took this opportunity to escape to his room, muttering a hurried goodbye consisting of, "Still lots of homework to do over break, gotta go!"
Kiyone stepped carefully towards the house. They had set down near here on her recommendation. The others in the search party were going to be discreet, but the commander had agreed to let Kiyone approach openly. Although Kiyone didn't have much hope, this was as good a place as any to start looking for Mihoshi. After all, they had met the Masakis, Ryoko, and the princesses from the time when Nagi had kidnapped Tenchi and brought him to Venus. She and Mihoshi therefore knew them all, if only in passing.
Tenchi had gotten through a good deal of his homework, but there was still a lot left. At the moment he was taking care of the front lawn. He looked up to see someone in a uniform that he remembered seeing somewhere. He recalled it was a Galactic Police uniform, like the ones Mihoshi and Kiyone wore. As he straightened up, he finally recognized the woman walking towards them. "Officer Kiyone!" he hailed her.
"Mr. Masaki!" she greeted him cordially as she walked closer.
"We haven't seen you since you took us back from Venus!" Tenchi reminisced, and Kiyone winced at the mention of the name of her four-month prison. Tenchi paused, then continued, "You must be looking for Mihoshi."
Kiyone stopped short, asking, "She's here?"
"Mm-hm," Tenchi smiled. "Right now she's probably taking her nap on the lakeside porch, but I know she'll want to see you. Actually, we've all been worried about you, what with Mihoshi not being able to contact you." He walked to meet Kiyone and guided her around the house.
Kiyone sighed and explained, "My mecha crashed during a pursuit, and I was marooned on Venus for the past four months." Tenchi exclaimed, "That's awful!" Kiyone shrugged, the memories not nearly far enough behind yet, and put a brave face on it with the words, "At least it's over now. How have you and the princesses been?" She dreaded the answer. What with the bad blood between Ryoko and Ayeka, one or the other was probably dead by this point.
"Fine, thank you," Tenchi said quietly, for they had now reached the lakeside porch. Kiyone was surprised that there wasn't some dire news, but put that aside and looked where he was looking. Mihoshi was indeed laid out, asleep. She stirred at their approach, and slowly opened her eyes. "Kiyone?" she said blearily. "Is that really you, or is this still my dream?"
"It's really me," Kiyone said, her mouth quirking. Part of her was happy that Mihoshi was safe, but another part of her was imagining Mihoshi living in comfort and plenty to eat day after day, while Kiyone had been confined to a survival shelter and had to carefully count out her rations.
"Kiyone, I'm so glad to see you!" Mihoshi began to cry as she hugged her friend tightly. "I was so worried about you."
Tenchi smiled. That was so wonderful that they had both found each other alive. He watched, happy for them, as Kiyone began returning the embrace.
Kiyone tried desperately to shove Mihoshi away from her as she croaked, "Mihoshi," but couldn't get the rest of the words out: Mihoshi's grip was too strong. "I thought those robbers might've killed you, or made you slave on some pirate world," Mihoshi sobbed heedlessly, "and then they'd make you their battle queen and we'd meet in battle, and then you being a battle queen and me being a Galactic Police Officer I'd have to shoot you, but I'd be so sad because you're my friend! Oh, Kiyone!" Kiyone tried to loosen Mihoshi's death hug without success.
Sasami opened the sliding door and stepped out from the house onto the porch. "Officer Kiyone, you're here!" Sasami said with chipper surprise.
Fortunately for Kiyone's respiratory system, Mihoshi shifted her grip as she turned to face Sasami, now holding Kiyone by the shoulders in a vise-like embrace as she showed her to Sasami. Mihoshi exclaimed, "She's back, my partner's back! Look, Sasami! Isn't this great! She's alive!"
"We're so happy you're all right!" Sasami told Kiyone. "How wonderful! Please, won't you join us for lunch? There's plenty to go around."
Kiyone had practice at sounding fine when she'd nearly been suffocated by Mihoshi, and answered politely, "Thank you very much for the offer, Princess Sasami, but unfortunately Mihoshi and I have to get back to the rescue ship. They'll get worried about us if we're gone too long, and I'm supposed to report back in person soon."
"Please, have as much as you like, everyone!" Sasami invited everyone. They all thanked her for the food and dug in with relish.
"The food is wonderful, Sasami!" Nobuyuki complimented her.
"Oh, it always is around here!" Mihoshi enthused. "Wouldn't you agree, Kiyone?"
"Yes, the food is delicious, Princess Sasami," Kiyone agreed, savoring a bite.
"It's great!" Tenchi agreed.
Sasami looked down with a blush as she modestly thanked them all.
Kiyone started and looked at her chronometer. "What! What just happened! I have no memory of the last five minutes! What on earth happened after the lakeside porch scene! How did I get here, eating with all of you!"
"Maybe the Men in Black finally found us?" Nobuyuki suggested with a trace of excitement.
"And how on earth can you two be peaceably eating together?" Kiyone asked of Ayeka and Ryoko. "I thought for sure one of you would've killed the other by now."
Ryoko pointed accusingly at Ayeka as she explained, "I keep trying, but she hangs all over Tenchi and I can't get a clean shot!"
Ayeka braced her open palms against the table, shocked and angered by this lie. "You're the one who is always draped over Lord Tenchi!" she repudiated. Ryoko laughed, "I know, I was just kidding. But thank you for saying publicly that you don't touch him."
"Never mind," Kiyone said fiercely, "I've got ten minutes to make it back to the rendezvous point." She stood up.
"Hey, why not invite all the rescue team?" Sasami suggested, loath to see Kiyone go. "We've got some leftovers!"
"Thank you, but I need to go now," Kiyone waved at them and set off at a run. She didn't even bother attempting to bring Mihoshi. Mihoshi had just started on seconds and would've held her up.
"It's too bad she had to leave so soon," Sasami sighed.
"Cheer up," Washu told Sasami, "after lunch I'll get my Galactic TV out of subspace and we can watch Tenchi's battle like I promised!"
"Hooray!" Sasami cheered.
"Galactic TV?" Tenchi inquired.
"Oh, how I've missed it," Ayeka said longingly. "Do you think it'll get a good signal in this part of the galaxy?"
"If not, I'll just up the gain a bit. I'd always meant to tinker with it," Washu rubbed her hands together in anticipation.
"Ooh, ooh," Mihoshi put in, "don't forget that my showis on Thursdays at 8!"
"Do they have any programs on alien architecture?" Nobuyuki asked. Washu told him, "A whole channel is devoted to it. And I've got a big-screen Galactic TV, too, so there's enough room for the blueprints they show at the bottom."
Tenchi said nothing. He wasn't quite sure how he felt about this Galactic TV entering his home, but if it kept everyone occupied this afternoon so he could finish his homework without distractions, he'd accept it for at least one day.
"Wow, Tenchi, this is some exciting stuff!" Nobuyuki called to Tenchi from the foot of the stairs. "You've gotta come see this!"
"Dad, I was there!" Tenchi called back. Nobuyuki protested, "But you didn't get to see it from this camera angle!" Tenchi insisted, "You guys go ahead and watch. I'm fine!"
Nobuyuki returned to the living room, where they were watching the recording of the battle against Kagato. Tenchi refocused on his work.
There was a ring at the doorbell. After a moment, when Tenchi realized no one was going to get it, he reluctantly got up and ran to the door, making it just after the second ring.
Kiyone was at the door, alone. She greeted him, "Mr. Masaki, hello." He replied, "Officer Kiyone, welcome back. Please, come in. Did you make your rendezvous in time?"
As she entered, Kiyone told him, "Yes, I did, thank you. Now I need to take Mihoshi back with me." She wondered why she felt like a mother collecting her daughter from a sleepover.
"Just follow me, I think she's watching videos with the others in the living room." Tenchi led Kiyone into the living room. Projected on a large screen onto the wall was Ryoko and Ayeka's battle with Kagato, before Tenchi had arrived. Kiyone realized the existence of the video meant that Kagato had been defeated. Sasami noticed her enter and leapt up, bearing a tray of light refreshments, and offered them wordlessly to Kiyone. The others already had some as they watched.
"No, thank you, Princess," Kiyone said politely. "Mihoshi," she addressed her partner, "we should be leaving now."
Mihoshi turned around with a shocked expression. "What?" she asked, "Leaving?" Her lower lip trembled as this began to sink in, and then she wailed, "But I don't wanna go!"
Kiyone felt even more like a mother picking up her daughter from a sleepover, and not in a good way.
"You both have to go?" Sasami asked sadly.
Kiyone tried to reason with Mihoshi, "Mihoshi, you want Yukinojo to get fixed, don't you? We can't just leave it to rust at the crash site. And your grandfather's worried about you."
"Yeah," Ryoko agreed with a cunning grin, "you should go on and do your duty."
"I guess so," Mihoshi sniffled. "But, Kiyone, I can come back, can't I? Would it be all right?"
Kiyone said carefully, "Well, after Yukinojo gets fixed, we are expected to return to our post here in the zone."
"Yeah, but, but," Mihoshi turned her moist eyes on Tenchi, "may I please stay here when I come back?"
Tenchi shrugged, "I wouldn't want to separate good friends like you and Kiyone. When you come back, maybe Kiyone could stay here too. There's probably room for Kiyone, too, if she'd like to stay." Kiyone was stunned, and could only look at Tenchi as he concluded, "I don't see any problem with it. Is that fine with you, Dad?"
"Sure!" Nobuyuki enthused. "We've got a big house, we can be generous!"
Kiyone thought it over quickly. This planet was supposed to be verboten to her and Mihoshi, but circumstances had already blown that out of the water, and this was an isolated spot. Mihoshi obviously enjoyed it, so it had its points, but Kiyone felt she'd be happier in the bustle and energy of a big city. She decided she could talk it over with Mihoshi later, and seize on the opportunity now to get Mihoshi helping the rescue team with moving Yukinojo.
"Thank you very much," Kiyone told them. "Is it all right if we don't answer right now?"
"I accept, oh thank you Tenchi!" Mihoshi hugged him, and Kiyone growled, "Mihoshi! We'll talk about it later!" Mihoshi reluctantly disengaged and said, "OK. Goodbye for now, Tenchi." He was taken aback, and said, "Uh, goodbye, Mihoshi. Have a safe trip, both of you."
Washu was mentally leaning heavily upon Ryoko to prevent some choice words from escaping Ryoko's mouth.
"We'll miss you, Mihoshi. Come back soon," Sasami sniffled. "Please," she said to Kiyone, "at least drop in for meals sometimes."
Kiyone looked oddly at her. "I was under the impression that you and Princess Ayeka would be going with us."
"I beg your pardon?" Ayeka asked, looking alarmed.
"Only until we are able to rendezvous with Juraian battleships, who can return you to Jurai," Kiyone said neutrally, though she hadn't anticipated this reaction.
Ryoko's grin became almost maniacal. "Yes, you should start getting packed, Ayeka. You should return home like a good little girl."
Ayeka was now calmer. She ignored Ryoko and told Kiyone, "Why, thank you, but there's no need to be too hasty. We'll be fine here for quite some time."
Ryoko fumed, but there was nothing she could do about it. Everyone followed Mihoshi and Kiyone out to the door and bid them farewell. Once it was shut Ryoko accused Ayeka, "I've never seen anything so selfish in all my life! Aren't you supposed to have some sort of duties as a princess or something?"
"I'm simply thinking of my sister and the lives of the Galactic Police officers!" Ayeka said defensively. "We will wait for a larger escort for everyone's safety. Don't you know there are pirates who kidnap royalty for ransom?"
"I never dirtied my hands with that," Ryoko crossed her arms, "and I'm glad, since I would've had to deal with snotty brats like you."
As he hurried up the stairs, Tenchi wondered if his homework would ever get done.
The sun hung low in the sky as Ayeka paused by the lakeshore. At some time, unnoticed by them, Tsunami had recovered Ryu-Oh's trunk and planted her in the middle of the lake again. As yet there was no sign, but eventually she would tower up out of the water.
"I'm glad that you've returned safely from the fight with Kagato, Ayeka," Ryu-Oh told Ayeka through her key.
"And you, Ryu-0h." Ayeka returned the sentiment.
Earth birds and some of Sasami's pets called amiably at each other across the water.
Late that evening, while Washu went about normal tasks and Ryoko lounged on the beam she'd staked out as her territory, they simultaneously held a mental conversation.
"For the first time since you were a child," Washu stated telepathically, "our minds are linked again. And now you're old enough to understand what I am. What do you think of it?"
Ryoko's grumble carried through the bond, "You already know what I think, because of the link."
"Please, humor your poor mother," Washu cajoled.
Ryoko told her frankly, "I actually don't think knowing your nature changes much for me. You're just as strange as I thought you. I'm just as strange as I ever was, even before I knew I was your daughter."
After a moment, Washu allowed, "I suppose you're right. For the moment. But it might make a difference if you ever have a child."
"Washu!" Ryoko screamed mentally. "What you are, as you so cutely put it, I don't mind. What I find annoying is you knowing what Ryo-ohki and I think, when we think it, and being able to paw through our memories at will!"
"It's no fun having the two of you running amok in my head either," Washu shot back. "I thought I'd raised you two better," she added sardonically, but she couldn't block out the sadness at what was lost, or the disturbance caused by the person responsible.
"Let's try and think about Kagato as little as possible," Ryoko thought firmly. "My Tenchi killed him, and good riddance."
"Sounds like a plan," Washu affirmed. She added sincerely, "I am glad you found him. Tenchi, I mean."
Ryoko tried as hard as she could to interpret that the wrong way, but there was no mistaking the sincerity in her mother's thoughts, so she finally allowed herself to telepathically reply, "Thanks, Mom."
Next Chapter
"Wasn't that worth waiting for?" Dragonwiles asks Kiyone, clearly hoping for a yes.
"Kiyone was in this chapter?" Ryoko says with surprise.
Dragonwiles curves his serpentine neck and envelops her in foul black smoke. "Lay off, or you'll never get paired with Tenchi once in this whole fanfic, not so much as a cute scene with him, I mean it!" Dragonwiles roars.
Ryoko laughs and hovers a few feet in the air, unaffected by the smoke, and asks, "Is that the best you can do?" Dragonwiles blinks, astonished, certain that his threat of cutting her off from Tenchi would make her cower in terror.
"There are plenty of other fanfiction authors," Ryoko explains. "I'll get chance after chance after chance."
Kiyone says loudly, in response to Dragonwiles' earlier question to her, "Yes, it was indeed worth waiting for."
Dragonwiles coils his neck about to face her and utters, "Excellent. I'm very glad. Especially liked your delivery on the 'Kagato's spaceship?' line."
"Thank you," Kiyone nods. "I wanted your opinion on how I should do the chapter preview. 'The next chapter is 'No Need For Yosho v. Ryoko' is straightforward. But then there's the line, 'In this historical interlude, Yosho and Ryoko have their showdown on Earth. Learn the full story of what happened twenty years ago!'"
Kiyone continues her question, "Now, when I read that line, should I convey simple excitement or melodrama?"
"I like the way you did it just now," Dragonwiles decides after thinking a few moments, "sorta straddling the two. That's a wrap."
"That's it?" Kiyone asks in surprise.
Dragonwiles nods and gestures with his tail towards a nearby door, "Yeah, I was thinking we could clear the preview out of the way so we could start blocking out your action sequences."
They proceed through the door together while Ryoko skims the ground behind them, murmuring, "Well, I guess I can be nice to the new girl for a day. But if she lays one finger on Tenchi, the gloves come off."
Continuity with Dragonwiles
Dragonwiles reposes in state in the library of his lair. Looking up from his book, he greets, "Welcome to this special segment, in which I give a few brief continuity notes."
"This chapter contains things I made up to hold together things from the actual shows. Kiyone's rescue is part of my story. Washu's floating bath idea is a merciless mockery of one of the most inexplicable parts of the Tenchi Muyo OVA- somehow the stranded Ayeka, Sasami, and Ryoko manage to fashion a mammoth floating hot bath unit which nobody notices. Okay, they're out in the country, but come on! So I countered that with the Tenchi Universe's idea of a hot bath in another dimension. I don't know whether I'll have Washu actually make it in my story or not, we'll see.
"Pirate battle queens? I just made that up on the spur of the moment- it's not in any canon Tenchi I know of. I figure it's something that exists only in this universe's stories about pirates, not this universe's actual pirates.
"Then we go to the joke about Kiyone refusing the lunch invitation, and minutes later finding herself eating with the motley crew- that came from the Tenchi Universe series. Nobuyuki then hopes that the Men In Black have started erasing their memories. The idea of the Men in Black erasing people's memories about aliens come from popular culture and the movie franchise of the same name, neither of which I own the rights to. Then we go back to what's mostly my backstory, except that in the OVA, Ryu-Oh was somehow planted in the lake and eventually grows tall enough to be a large tree coming out of the water.
"And that's pretty much the chapter!"