Dedication

As Ayeka woke up the next morning, she realized several things. First, she had slept on the beach, which was not too uncomfortable, though she was a bit stuffy from her kimono and slightly waterlogged from the salty waves of the sea. Secondly, she was all alone on the beach. Ryoko was nowhere to be found. Third, and probably most unsettling of them all, the relationship between the girls had gotten a lot more… well… personal.

Yawning powerfully, Ayeka stretched her arms. With several minor exceptions, she was no different today than she had been yesterday. She expected that kissing someone, anyone--be it Tenchi, her family, or Ryoko--would have changed her in some way. But no, she was still Ayeka through and through, though she had to admit her puzzled state.

Had she been in some kind of drunken idiocy when she and Ryoko…? Had she been out of control, or had she simply been caught up in "the moment"? Surely she did not feel like that for real! To be certain, she loved Ryoko very much, and considered her a good friend--perhaps the first real friend she had had in a very, very, very long time. Perhaps, in a sense, Ryoko was Ayeka's first friend ever, and vice-versa.

Living in such close quarters with someone would have eventually led to some kind of friendship, no matter how much animosity there was between the two parties. Especially if the two were opposite genders, the attraction would be incredibly great. Enmity would slowly vanish over the ages, and despite the past of the two parties, a positive relationship would have been inevitable.

True, Ayeka and Ryoko had been enemies once upon a time. In fact, it had really only been recently since their friendship even began. Now, almost a year after they bonded, the two girls were… Ayeka grunted and shook her head. She was completely confused about the matter, and deep down felt that things between her and her former enemy were moving far too fast.

Far too fast?! grumbled Ayeka mentally. Isn't that a term used for… oh, what was that word…? Dates? Ah, right. Isn't the phrase "far too fast" used for dates? Ryoko is not my "date"! Yes, I love her, I care for her, I'd do just about anything for her…

You're forgetting something, said her conscience. You started that, not her.

But… I'm sure she--

No excuses, princess. YOU started it all. "Remove the plank from your own eye before examining the speck of your brother".

Hmph. All right, I admit it, I started the whole thing.

And?

What else do you want from me?

I'm just trying to help.

You're not doing a very good job…

That's not the way I see things.

………………

Are you ready to listen?

……………Yes.

Good. Now. What are you confused about?

……Our relationship.

Why?

Well… we… well, we were… ah…

It's okay, everything you say will be confidential.

…Right. Ah… Ryoko and I were… intimate yesterday. We… uh, thankfully, we did not get… as far as we could have… I… must have passed out or fallen asleep or something, but I do remember… …Oh dear. That heinous monster actually fell asleep in my arms.

How sweet.

YOU ARE NOT HELPING!

Sorry! Just a little influence that rubbed off of you-know-who. Anyway, so you two… did things yesterday, and now you're having post-intimacy doubts. Ayeka, sweetheart, these are completely normal thoughts. Do you think you'd have the same thoughts if you had been intimate with Tenchi?

…I… suppose… But, this is different!

Granted. Therefore, it must be approached differently.

Tell me how. I… ah, would… like to keep this friendship.

Okay, here's the plan, hon. Don't worry, I won't fail you. Go find Ryoko.

Yes…

Talk to her.

Yes…

Say to her what you said to me, about wanting to keep that friendship.

Yes…

Kiss her.

Ye--HEY!!!!

Sorry, sorry! But seriously, Ayeka! You did start that! It'd only make sense for you to end it.

……You have a point. My word, this is awkward. …Of course, maybe I shouldn't be so worrisome. After all, who but ourselves is on this island? We will have nobody to taunt us or point fingers or whisper nasty comments. We're all alone.

And you just now realized this?

Shut up.

Sorry.

Anyway, I suppose it wouldn't hurt if we carried on… "that" kind of relationship. After all, it might make us all the more closer when we see Lord Tenchi again!

It might. So, did I help you?

Of course. Thank you, very much.

It's what I'm here for. Oh, by the way--there are these things called "footprints". I suggest you find some.

I know, I know… I'm not stupid.

I know. Ryoko's a lucky girl.

Up yours.

Smiling in triumph, though she had no reason to, Ayeka stood up and shook the sand off her kimono. She spotted Ryoko's footprints easily, for hers were slightly larger than Ayeka's. The princess, true to her hidden bestial natures, hunted down her friend and found her standing on a cape, her hair dancing in the wind and her eyes mindlessly staring at the open sky. To Ayeka's surprise, she was fully clothed, wearing a sewn-up version of her old blue casual kimono.

Gently, with a slight haste in her step, Ayeka approached her friend. Without saying a word, the princess folded her arms around Ryoko's stomach and hugged her from behind, just like she had seen her do to Tenchi so many times before.

"Morning," said Ayeka cheerfully. Ryoko sighed and smiled emptily.

"Yeah, morning…" Ayeka smiled, and squeezed her friend just slightly. Without any warning at all, the princess jerked Ryoko around and forced a deep kiss on the unsuspecting woman. Ryoko's golden eyes shot open, and even as Ayeka broke the smooch, they did not close.

"Oh, I get it," sniffed the princess as she saw Ryoko's shocked face. "You still think I'm a bad kisser, eh? Well, maybe you can help me on that, since you seem to be the expert on such matters!!" Ryoko half-listened, though her face reddened a little anyway. She eventually snapped out of her paralyzed state, and gave Ayeka a surprisingly innocent and even defenseless look.

"This… ah… I… whoa… Huh…" As usual, speechlessness was the only way that an amazed Ryoko could communicate. Smiling warmly, Ayeka stepped forward and grabbed her friend in a super-tight hug.

"…I admit this is strange," said the princess after a brief pause. "And largely unfamiliar to both of us. Make no mistake, Ryoko, I love Lord Tenchi dearly, and my heart is dedicated to him." She paused, and tapped Ryoko's nose with her finger.

"But, as you know, I have a big heart, and there's more than enough room in there for you as well." Ryoko's face burned bright, and the woman who spat in Death's face and gave the middle finger to authority could barely look at Ayeka, so deep was her embarrassment. The princess nearly squealed because she looked so cute.

Ryoko kept her silence, too stunned to respond, so Ayeka only chuckled playfully. She tried to coax a smile out of her comrade, and succeeded a little bit, but Ryoko was still surprised over what had happened over the past twenty-four hours. Sighing, Ayeka gave her friend a quick kiss, and stared straight into her golden eyes.

"Ryoko, I love you, and…… and screw anyone who says otherwise." Now this statement got a smile from the ex-pirate, and the skin on Ryoko's face grew lighter. She even laughed; in fact, both girls laughed. Though they had no reason two, the ladies laughed out loud, long and hard, and held each other and burped out mighty guffaws so powerful that tears came from their eyes.

Sighing happily, and still trying to catch their breath, the girls slumped down against a rock, holding hands like a couple of squealing schoolgirls. They were still smiling, though neither one of them knew why, and both hearts felt like great weights had been taken off of them. Ryoko let out more air as she finally calmed down, and lowered her head so it was resting in Ayeka's lap. The princess smiled, and began combing and playing with Ryoko's beautiful blue hair. The girl closed her eyes, and looked very angelic as she entered into a nap.

"Hey… Ayeka?"

"Hm?"

"I wanna go do something."

"Like what? What's your fancy?"

"I dunno," shrugged Ryoko. "Play chess? ……Screw?" Ayeka blanched.

"Let's start with chess first!" Ryoko laughed out loud, and gently slapped her friend's leg.

"Oh hoho, you're too much, tigress. Don't worry, we're gonna take things slow." Smiling, Ryoko sat up, and pressed her mouth to her friend's ear. Whispering seductively, she added, "(But not too slow.)" She kissed the ear, receiving a shiver from Ayeka in return.

"You naughty, naughty pervert…" muttered the princess. "I am not that kind of woman!" Heavily resisting the urge to make a juicy comeback, Ryoko smiled and simply apologized.

"Seriously, though," she sniffed, "you are a great person to hang around with and one of the best friends I could ever ask for. I love you to death and I'd even allow myself to be tortured for your sake."

"Now there's something I don't doubt," muttered Ayeka. Ryoko blushed just slightly. "Admit it, harlot! You like being tortured sometimes!"

"(I wouldn't mind being tortured by you, my princess,)" she purred in reply. Ayeka's face grew incredibly red, and Ryoko let out a wild laughter. She gave her friend a quick kiss and a wink.

"Ohhh, I love you… Don't ask me why, though. I guess when two pains in the neck get together, something's bound to happen."

"True," agreed Ayeka. Ryoko smiled in return.

"Hey, speaking of which, I've just got the sudden urge to go explore the island. You know, fly around, check stuff out, see the place? You wanna come?"

"No, thank you," replied Ayeka. "I think I'll take a rest here." Ryoko shrugged.

"Suit yourself." Planting a brief kiss on her friend's forehead, Ryoko whispered, "(See you later, lover,)" and flew away into the sky, leaving Ayeka frozen with a scarlet face. Ryoko lived for those priceless facial expressions.

Whooping like an insane howler monkey, Ryoko soared high above the island. She squealed louder than a child at Christmas, and sang for joy as the entire island spread out below her. From her vantage point, she could see the shores surrounding the speck, and even the top of Mt. Tenchi was below her.

Ryoko easily recognized the beaches fro her height. These lands were where the girls spent the brunt of their time, either in the cave, the treehouse, or somewhere in-between looking for food or else relaxing. The jungles that populated half the island were spread out pretty far and wide, and a colorful display of greens and browns and purples exploded beneath her.

Aside from those two areas, there was also the plains and the mountainous area. The girls had spent many days wandering around the deserted grasslands, mostly to either have privacy or else gather something for use back home. Grass skirts and shirts were made by Ayeka, purely for fun, but of course Ryoko wore them (and sometimes nothing else) almost all the time.

The mountain was but one peak, yet it dominated much of the eastern island. Ryoko and Ayeka had explored that mountain many times, and found little except boulders and a few berries and roots. A flag of sorts was on the very top, and aside from the treehouse and the SOS signals, it would probably be the only clue that anyone had even been there.

Ryoko spent two whole hours flying around the island. She swooped into the grasslands and rolled around in the open plains with nothing more than a smile on her face, and then traveled to the very top of the mountain to check up on the flag. From her height, she performed the granddaddy of all Cannonballs, and even flew up so far that the island shrunk to the size of an orange before she tired.

Slowly, Ryoko caught her breath and descended. She would do that sometimes--fly up in the sky and investigate the island, that is. She would do that every three months or so, and would always hope to spy some kind of ship. Lately, though, her hopes were fading, but certainly not her desire to climb to such heights. One day, she swore to get Ayeka up there with her.

Speaking of which, Ryoko decided to fly on down and check up on her comrade. Only 120 minutes had passed, so it would be unlikely for the princess to find trouble in such a short amount of time (that was Ryoko's job). Lowering herself to the ground, Ryoko began to search where she had last left Ayeka, but found no trace.

Tracking the smallish footprints in the sand, Ryoko came to the house that the two girls shared. She smiled just faintly, and reasoned that Ayeka had made it inside. As Ryoko flew up, though, she became somewhat disturbed as the sound of gentle sobbing became audible.

"Ayeka?" she called. "Something wrong?" A weak sniffling sound became her reply.

"R-Ryoko… P-please, my (sniff) dearest of friends, p-please… C-come in… I… (sniff) I would like the company of a friend…" Sadly, Ryoko stepped into their house, and sat down next to Ayeka. Sure enough, she had been crying.

"What's wrong, sweetie? You wanna talk about it?" Sighing sadly, Ayeka wiped the tears from her eyes and sniveled slightly.

"It's…… not fair… It's… just… not… fair…"

"What's not?" A pause.

"………We'll never get back home. Never, ever, ever!!" Ayeka suddenly burst out in a mournful wail, and grabbed hold of her friend. Ryoko eagerly returned the hug, combing Ayeka's hair gently as she allowed her friend to vent. "We'll be stuck here forever, Ryoko!! Forever!! I'll… I'll never see my dear sister ever again! I'll never see her grow up, or get married, or have children… Never…!"

"It'll be okay," whispered Ryoko. "It'll be okay."

"No… it won't…" Ayeka choked, and rested her face on Ryoko's shoulder. "I… miss home so much. I'm so sick of this accursed place! Oh! I might die soon if I don't return home! I want to see Sasami! I want to hear Mihoshi break something! I want to hear Kiyone yell at her again! I want…" She paused, sniffled again, and sobbed sadly before continuing.

"…I want to hear Miss Washu's insane laughter again! I want to see those wonderful inventions of hers! I want to see Azaka, and Kamidake! I miss Yosho, and… Noboyuki, and… Ryo-ohki, and… and… and… I…" She wailed again, and Ryoko didn't need her to continue speaking. She knew what was on her friend's mind.

"Sshh…" whispered the former pirate. "It'll be okay, Ayeka. Trust me, it'll be okay…"

"How do you know?!" squeaked the princess. "How long have we been on this godforsaken island, Ryoko? A year! A whole year! Who knows how much longer we have to stay here, away from the ones we love? Tell me! Will we ever see home again?" Ryoko shuddered, and held Ayeka close. Herself near the verge of tears, the noble woman held her friend in her arms and gazed into her eyes with an admirable fire.

"Ayeka, get a hold of yourself!" she demanded. "You're stronger than that! Ayeka, sweetheart, you have no idea how strong you really are! You are…… so… much stronger than this, Ayeka. You hear me? You're… you're the strongest person I know of! That's why… I love you! You've always been so strong, and brave, and organized! You've kept your head through so much worse, dear friend, and I know you have the power to go through this! Come on!" Sniffling quietly, Ayeka gazed back at the noble woman before her, and finally began to realize what her guardian had said so long ago.

A thousand knights could never match your spirit.

Gently, Ayeka sighed, and held her friend close. She kissed her cheek, and continued weeping on her shoulder.

"Thank you, dear-heart. Thank you… I… was just… scared…"

"It's okay," whispered Ryoko. "I'm here for you. I'll always be here for you, hon. Always. No matter what. Not because I have to now, but because I want to. I… I love you so much, I'd die for you." Ryoko smiled warmly, so much love radiating from her face that Ayeka had to wonder if this was the same woman that had once been her enemy so long ago.

"You… would?"

"Definitely," replied the pirate with a hint of pride. "I'd die for you and more. I'd dedicate my entire life to you, Ayeka, and you know why?"

"I… do not," admitted the princess sadly. Ryoko smiled, and pressed her nose to her friend's.

"Because you're the first friend I've ever really had in my life, and I love you, and I owe you so much that I'll never be able to repay you. But, most importantly…" She paused, and gave a malicious smile that told Ayeka to prepare herself for something wicked.

"But most of all," she continued, "if I don't dedicate myself to you, then… who will?" She smiled, pecked her friend on the lips, and ruffled her hair. Ayeka, who had indeed expected something vulgar to come forth, could only sit there and sniffle as Ryoko swore an oath of loyalty and love to a one-time mortal enemy. She took a deep breath, and mirrored Ryoko's smile brilliantly.

"……Now I'm speechless," she blurted suddenly. She snickered, and the tears slowly faded as Ayeka began to laugh. Ryoko smiled with her, and the girls held each other and laughed until they cried.

Or did they cry until they laughed? It was almost impossible to tell.