Kyla: Yay! First Oban Star-Racers fic!
Hiei: Least it's not Yu Yu Hakusho again...
Klya: Oh, hush up, you! -bonks Hiei on the head-
Hiei: Itai... -growls and rubs head-
Kyla: Hmph! I do not own Oban Star-Racers, but it's a realy awesome show! Now... onto the story!

Alien Experiences
Chapter One
by
Kyla

"Rick is... unable to race ever again," Don Wei explained to Stan, Koji, Jordan, and Eva. "Therefore," the older man looked to Eva, "Molly, you are now our pilot."

Eva nodded. She couldn't say she was happy she was piloting again, but she wasn't sad about it. She just felt bad that Rick couldn't race anymore... It was his life, and now his racing career was over because of Groor.

"Now, the next race is the day after tomorrow. The Star Racer needs to be reformatted for Molly, and I have something I must do, if you would all go now. There is lots to be done," Don Wei sighed, and everyone began to file out of the room.

"This is aweful," Jordan murmured as he, Koji, Stan, and Eva walked down the hall, "Rick was such an awesome pilot... Stupid Groor."

Eva split from the other three after a couple minutes and headed to her room to get her music player she wore on her hip. Now, to get to her room, one had to go right by Rick's room, and she winced when she heard the noise of something crashing and Rick's voice mumbling things. She forced herself by the room though and grabbed her player, then hurried outside to relax some and think.

Just a few feet from the Earth team's hanger, she perched herself down at the base of a tree. "Poor Rick," Eva muttered, eyes downcast as she sat in the silence with her thoughts.

The sound of soft footsteps caught her attention, and when she saw a pair of feet stop in front of her, she looked up and immediately blushed. "Hey, Prince Aikka," she greeted smiling, her cheeks remaining stained in a blush. She hated blushing; it annoyed her, and she flushed even more since she was blushing in front of someone, especially Prince Aikka.

"Hello," Prince Aikka bowed, "I'm sorry, but I never got your name," he added after a moment's silence.

"O-oh! My name is Mo-," she began but was caught off when someone else walked up to them.

"Hey, little mouse, I thought I'd find you out here," Rick grinned down at the 15-year-old girl on the ground.

"Hey, Rick," Molly returned the greeting, already used to him calling her 'little mouse'.

Aikka eyed the dark-haired man curiously, and Rick noticed and asked, "So, who's your friend, little mouse? You going to introduce us?" He smirked as Molly began to stutter.

"O-oh, yeah, s-sure! Rick, this is Prince Aikka! Prince Aikka, meet Rick!" Molly introduced the two. Then, she blinked, "Oh, and my name's Molly, by the way," she added, her face flushing a darker shade of red.

"A prince, well, I'm impressed," Rick grinned and stuck his hand out to the alien prince, who had a confused look on his face. "Oh, right right... People from Earth shake hands when they meet someone," the tall, black-haired guy explained.

"Interesting," Prince Aikka said, amusement clear in his tone, and brought up his hand to shake with Rick. "On my planet, we bow to one another," he stated smiling.

"More respectful that way, I suppose," Rick shrugged.

Aikka nodded, "Yes... You are Rick, the... Earth team's pilot?" he inquired conversationally.

"Ah, not any more," Rick mumbled, smile vanishing from his face as he turned his gaze away. "I can't race ever again..."

"Why?" Aikka frowned thoughtfully.

"My body just wasn't able to be fixed after my race with Groor," Rick shrugged, trying to make it out to be nothing. "But, enough of that... Oh, I'm sorry, little mouse, we're ignoring you," he added and ruffled the girl's hair as she stood up.

"Huh? No, it's okay," Eva muttered. She had been deep in thought and hadn't even noticed that Aikka and Rick had wandered into their own little conversation.

"My apologies," Aikka gave her a small bow, "I didn't mean to ignore you."

"Uh," color automatically rose on her cheeks, "it's... fine. Don't worry about it..." she mumbled and looked away from the prince, a somewhat nervous look on her face.

Aikka quirked his head to the side a bit, noticing the red on her cheeks. "Excuse me, but might you be ill? You're face always seems to turn red when I'm around you... Do you have allergies of some kind?" he asked, partly worried and partly curious.

Eva's blush deepened, "I, uhm..." she stammered, getting tongue-tied.

"No, there's nothing wrong with her. It's something we humans do when we like someone. We blush like little Molly is doing right now," Rick laughed and gave the girl a small noogie.

"Rick! Shut up!" Eva glared at him, her face burning by now. Rick was basically telling Aikka that Eva liked liked him, and it was embarassing!

"I never see her... blush like this when she's around you or the rest of the Earth team," Aikka pointed out observantly.

"Th-tha's because I don't like them... not in that way anyway," Eva replied stubbornly and tried to push away the redness in her cheeks.

"In what way?" the prince inquired curiously.

"Uh.. I like them all, but not," Eva was having real problems saying what she meant, and she glared at the chuckling Rick out of the corner of her eye.

The conversation was interupted when Jordan walked out of the hanger, calling out, "Rick, Molly! You guys out here?" When he spotted them, he made his way over. "What're you guys doing.. out... here?" his voice trailed off as the smile on his face fell to a frown. "Uh, come on, you two. We need to get back inside. This guy's probably only here to uncover our secrets so he can beat us later in the race," the gun-man said glaring at the prince, who scowled back, not liking Jordan.

"That's not-," Eva was about to retort, but Rick cut her off and set a hand on her shoulder.

"What secrets, Jordan?" Rick smirked. "We don't really have any secrets unless... you guys are hiding something from me..."

"What? No that's not it at all, Rick!" Jordan rebuked. "But.. you.. you and Molly are.. are... fraternizing with the enemy!"

Aikka spoke next but in a calm, cold voice, "Do you really think I would sink so low as to cheat?"

"Well, you're allies with the Crogs! You must be just like them!" Jordan exclaimed, getting in the prince's face.

"Jordan!" Eva shouted angrily, trying to get the guy to shut up, and without a word, Aikka spun gracefully on his heel and headed off. "Prince Aikka!" she called after him, wanting to get to know him more, then she sighed in frustration.

"Hey, wait," Rick called over to Aikka, and out of respect, the prince stopped and looked over his shoulder at the retired pilot. "Would you mind showing the little mouse here," Rick indicated to Eva, "around some? This is a once-in-a-lifetime thing for us humans! She should experience as much as she can," he grinned and patted the girl on the shoulder.

Aikka smiled and turned fully around. He gave a swift bow and said, "It would be my pleasure."

Rick nodded and looked down at Eva. "Well? What're you waiting for? Go on," he gently nudged her forward with his hand on her back.

A smile grew on Eva's lips. "Thanks, Rick! See you guys later!" she called over her shoulder and waved as she jogged to catch up with Aikka, who patiently stood waiting.

"Are you serious! What are you thinking, Rick?" Jordan ranted, "He might kidnap or hurt her! Then we're out of pilots!"

"Relax, Jordan," Rick chortled and clapped the shorter guy on the shoulder before heading inside. Then he invited himself into Don Wei's small office. "I'd like to know who that little mouse's parents are and how they raised her to be so strong," Rick spoke quietly and came to a stop beside Don Wei, who stood in front of the window, watching Eva and Aikka walk off.

"Hm," Don Wei commented shortly, his mind deep in thought. Without realizing it, his mind wandered to his daughter he'd left at boarding school all those years ago. He pondered over how she had grown and what she was like to this day. The memory of seeing her face before he drove off flew into the forefront of his mind, then... something clicked.

His eyes widened as his breath hitched. Molly had the same hair, the same eyes as... Eva. He shook his head vigorously. No, couldn't be... could it?

"Something wrong?" Rick asked, noticing the look on the manager's face.

"No, nothing at all," Don Wei replied and exited the room. He decided he'd have to talk to the girl when she got back. "You should rest," he added to Rick over his shoulder.

"I wonder what's up between Don Wei and the little mouse," Rick uttered uder his breath and left the room as well to go to his own room.

((...To Be Continued...))

Kyla: Okay, review if you liked it guys! I'm thinking this up as I go along, but I already have some ideas for the next chapter! AikkaEva goodness! XP
Hiei: Hn, always begging for reviews, aren't you?
Kyla: That's ri—Wait, what! No! -bonks Hiei on the head- You'd better start being nicer to me or else you can't be my coperson for the author notes!
Hiei: What's with you and bonking me on the head! -scowls-
Kyla: -shrugs- You deserve it.
Hiei: -growls- Hn.
Kyla: See you guys next chapter!