Author's note: This is your captain speaking. Welcome aboard Flight Muyo! Please fasten your safety belts, and take note of the barf bags in the compartment above you. In case of extreme mushiness, use them at your own discretion. Thank you for choosing Flight Muyo! as your fan fiction flight destination, and have a pleasant experience.
In this most quiet hour, Burt Li occupied himself with sweeping the stairs of the Masaki Shrine. The broom in his hands was handmade, a rarity in such a modern world--but then again, Shinto shrines were also becoming harder to come by nowadays. Even the beautiful, unadulterated world around him was being stuffed away by the advancement of technology.
Dust and leaves scattered as the straws swept clean the stairs, and Burt Li took a deep sigh as he ceased his actions. The day was warm, and awfully hard on his wool vest and dress shirt. Always a man of impeccable taste, Burt Li was wearing cream-colored khakis that day, with brown leather shoes and a dark sleeveless vest over his pure-white dress shirt. He was hot enough as he was, and the crop of light-brown hair on his head didn't help things at all.
As Burt sighed, he gazed up at the sky, clear as crystal. He smiled, and took in a deep breath of fresh air. His curiosity was sparked as a tiny speck became visible to him, and as he watched, the speck slowly grew larger and larger and larger still. Burt's brown eyes widened as he saw the object draw closer, and with a shiver, he mumbled something out weakly.
"Haha… she's here…" He smiled, too stunned to do anything else, and continued muttering. "Ha… she's here. She's really here…" Suddenly, the dam broke, and Burt yelled out to the silence as loud as he possibly knew how.
"Mihoshi, get over here! She's back!! She's back!! Kiyone, Washu, Mr. Masaki! Everyone! She's here, she's back!! She's come back!! Get over here, now!!!"
Chapter Forty: Homecoming
Gathered around anxiously were a small group of people, only five of them were genuinely native to planet Earth, though nearly everybody present called this place their home. There were three police officers in the group, but one of them was a male visiting from America; a half-crazed scientist, an aged Shinto priest, two young lovers and their child, and an eager-looking designer were also among the crowds. Anxiety bubbled up like lava in a volcano.
Slowly, the vessel descended, sending wind and leaves flying as it touched down. Hearts began beating wildly, as each and every single one of the people standing there waited for the results. Slowly, the hatch opened up, and a familiar face quietly walked from her ship to the ground. The only sound that was made were her boots as they clapped against the metallic ramp.
"Nagi…" whispered the scientist. "Did you…?" A thick pause hung in the air. Nagi gazed at the crowd, trying her very best to keep a straight face. Only a keen eye would be able to detect the hidden glee in her eyes. Slowly, she released her grasp on impassiveness and let a smile grow on her lips.
"I found them," she said, and at once a great and mighty cheer erupted from the crowd. Nagi's smile grew as everyone, even the oldest among them, whooped and hollered in joy. Even she was happy--but it was perfectly acceptable to be so.
As the cheering calmed down, another blanket of silence prepared the way for the next two guests. Slowly, almost shyly, two women emerged from the craft, walking as slowly as possible as they revealed themselves. They squinted just barely as the sun hit their eyes, and a gasp of pure joy erupted out of the crowd. Both women, the princess and the pirate, gazed at the crowd that had been waiting for them, and cried with joy.
"We're… we're home, everyone…" croaked Ayeka. The crowd of people cried too, even the toughest among them.
"…We know," whispered one of the female police officers. Ayeka shivered, and suddenly dashed forward to fling her arms around the closest person. She let out a yelp as she embraced Kiyone, and the two women cried joyfully.
"Kiyone!!!"
"Lady Ayeka!!" Ryoko smiled warmly, placing a single hand on her hip in typical Ryoko fashion. She was suddenly assaulted by a squealing blonde police officer, who was crying more than anyone out there.
"Oh, Ryoko!" wailed Mihoshi. "We missed you so much!!" Ryoko smiled, and to everyone's surprise, she returned the hug with equal (if not greater) fervor.
"I know… I missed you too, Mihoshi." Mihoshi wailed out and soaked Ryoko's clothes with her tears, and soon everybody was crowding around one of the two girls. Mihoshi tackled Ayeka next and blubbered her eyes out, and even Kiyone shed a tear as she embraced a one-time criminal. Nobuyuki hugged both girls in a powerful embrace, and cried as much as Mihoshi; Katsuhito, in all his Shinto stoicism, could not suppress his happiness over seeing the girls alive and well.
"It's so wonderful," sniveled Nobuyuki. "So very wonderful to see both of you come back to us after so long!"
"Yes!" whimpered Ayeka. "It's so wonderfully back to be here!"
"Lady Ayeka! Lady Ayeka!" The princess broke her hug with the senior Masaki and gazed at the man who had called her name out. In one hand he was holding a beautiful young lady with long golden hair and a fair face; in the other, a little girl, who was probably no older than two.
"Whad iz it, daddy?" squeaked the girl. The man smiled and hoisted his daughter up in the air.
"No, silly," he sang. "I meant her. Her name is Ayeka too! Did you know that I named you after her?"
"Nooo!" squeaked the girl. Ayeka's mouth opened in a blissful gasp, and she suddenly knew who these people were.
"Oh, my! Quincy and Farrah Onahan! It can't be, it can't be!"
"HA, she recognized us!" exclaimed Quin. "Isn't that great, hon?! She recognized us!!"
"Wonderful!" smiled his wife. The golden-haired beauty performed a curtsy, and received a powerful hug from Ayeka.
"Dear, dear friends!" wailed the princess. "I'm… I'm so happy for you! I'm so happy that you're both okay! …And doing rather well, I see!!" Ayeka smiled, too happy to do anything else, and gazed at the cute little girl riding on Quin's shoulders. She smiled and reached for the young girl's outstretched hand.
"…You really did name your daughter after me," she whispered.
"Of course!" winked Quin. "She'd never have been born if it weren't for you!" Ayeka smiled proudly, and held the infant's hands in her own. The baby was just too precious!
"So… little Ayeka, eh?"
"Yes, isn't she a gem?" said Farrah. A pause, and her fair face blushed. "We, ah… were thinking of naming our next child Ryoko, if that's okay with you?"
"Huh, what's that?" came the ex-pirate's voice. In a flash, Ryoko had teleported over and poked her head into things. "Oh, hey, I remember you guys! You were the ones who, ah, helped everyone out of that boat! So this is what you've been doing with your time!"
"It's good to see you too, Lady Ryoko," smiled Farrah. "…We were wondering if we could have your permission to name our daughter after you." Ryoko jerked back slightly, her cheeks rosy with honor.
"……Eh, sure," she managed. Too stunned to speak, Ryoko felt like sitting down, so overwhelming were these people's love and respect. Mihoshi tackled her again, still blubbering her eyes out, and Ayeka had to wonder whether the girl was still "smart" or not.
"Oh, Mihoshi?"
"(sniffle) Yes?"
"Can you give me an estimation for pi?"
"Huh? Oh, are we having pie? Get me coconut cream, my favorite!" The golden-haired girl smiled that same ditzy smile, leaving Ayeka's eyes twitching. Kiyone calmly stepped forward, and clarified on the matter.
"That intelligence potion that Washu made wore off right around the time we got back home," she explained. Ayeka sighed and gave the officer a sad look.
"Oh, I'm so sorry. You must not be feeling very happy about that." Kiyone smiled warmly, and put an arm around Mihoshi's waist.
"Actually," she said, "I couldn't be happier. Believe it or not, but I've finally learned to accept Mihoshi for who she was. I wouldn't change a thing about her. Officer Li taught me that."
"Who?" Kiyone smiled awkwardly, and summoned a foreign face into the crowd. The young man, who resembled a yuppie, chuckled weakly and scratched his neck.
"…Burt Li, ma'am," he said, shaking the princess' hand. "I'm here on vacation from America. I, uh, might actually stay a little while longer than expected… if you know what I mean?"
"Oh," squealed Ryoko mischievously, "are you and Kiyone…?"
"Actually, he's with me!" said Mihoshi, hugging onto Burt's arm. The handsome foreigner smiled warmly, and patted Mihoshi's back.
"Isn't she the sweetest thing you've ever seen?" he said. "I know she's a little clumsy, but I can't help but love her. She really is a sweet woman." Ryoko and Ayeka stared at the doomed young man in horror, but tried their very hardest to look happy.
Whatever floats your boat, pal, thought Ryoko.
Dead man walking, muttered Ayeka mentally. The group all had a good laugh, when suddenly, a half-crazed scientist latched onto the both of them.
"Ryoko-dear! Ayeka-sweetie! So good to have you back!"
"It's… nice seeing you too, Little Washu," smiled Ayeka, who was actually quite genuine.
"Yeah, it's--" A dead pause.
"Yeeeeees?" sang Washu innocently. Ryoko twitched, and glared at the short woman. She snarled, and suddenly roared out in a rage.
"You!!!!"
"Yeah, it's me," muttered Washu.
"YOU!!" spat Ryoko a second time. "What in the universe have you been up to, Washu?! Why didn't you rescue us, huh?! Were you just too frickin' lazy to get off of your pasty butt and help us out?! HUH?? If you're the so-called 'Greatest Genius in the Universe', then WHY DIDN'T WE GET RESCUED SOONER, HUH? Or did you leave us there to rot on that island for three freaking years just to conduct a frickin' experiment?!?!?! HUH?! TALK, you little witch!!!!!!" A haunting pause.
"(Model citizen,)" mumbled Quin to his wife. Washu put a lot of effort into making her best smile, and waved her hands in the air in a hopeless gesture of defense.
"Calm down now, little Ryoko!" chuckled Washu weakly. "There's a perfectly logical explanation for everything."
"THERE'D BETTER BE, YOU LITTLE FREAK!!!!" screamed the ex-pirate. Ayeka rolled her eyes, and placed a pacifying hand on her friend's shoulder. Not even Tenchi could have calmed the enraged woman.
"Easy now, easy," muttered Washu. "I can explain everything to you if you just calm down." Ryoko roared out barbarically, and lurched at the woman before being restrained by Ayeka. The princess chuckled weakly and shrugged.
"Ahehehe… gotta love her!" Clenching her teeth, Ayeka hissed a warning to her friend under her breath. "(Behave yourself, Ryoko!)"
"(Hmph, sorry…)" The former pirate sneered, and calmed down enough to talk like a civilized woman (the crowd didn't know which was more surprising: the fact that Ayeka could calm Ryoko down, or the fact that she could talk like a civil woman).
"I'm so sorry for my outburst, little Washu," muttered Ryoko in a dead monotone voice. "Won't you please explain to us why you were unable to orchestrate our rescue." A pause.
"Hehhh, right. Anyway, there's actually a very good explanation for it all. You see, it took us awhile to get settled after the storm. Once everybody was found and the excitement died down to a reasonable level, a month had already passed."
"Okay, but we were stuck on that island for three years," insisted Ryoko. Washu grunted in irritation.
"I'm getting to that! Anyway, Quin and Farrah here, being related to the captain of the ship, sent out a whole lot of search parties. They were able to find a few stragglers, dead or alive, but nobody managed to find either of you. They kept on insisting that you two should be found, even while they were getting married, but time flew by and there still weren't any results. The search parties eventually gave up looking for you after about six months."
"So what about you?" asked Ryoko. "You've got a hundred gadgets and gizmos lying around. Surely one of them coulda found us!" Ignoring the wild woman's surprising skills in eloquence, Washu resumed her explanation.
"This is true," she pointed out. "At first, I did send out all my inventions. And believe me, Ryoko, with the princess of Jurai missing, I had little choice other than to send out all my inventions."
"So why didn't you find us?!" roared Ryoko. Ayeka sighed, and gently rubbed her friend's shoulders until she calmed down (this action surprised just about everybody).
"Have you ever heard of a thing called a 'hurricane'?" pointed Washu. "Well, when I say that I sent out all my scouts, I never said they came back home. They were all blown away by a great big storm! What a pity!"
"That's absolutely right!" blurted a high-pitched voice. Ryoko's eye twitched as one of Washu's ever present cheerleading "dolls" suddenly perched on her shoulder.
"It was such a pity!" blurted the other.
"All the inventions gone to waste!" whined A.
"Destroyed so unfairly!" whined B. Ryoko stared at the two golems in amazement.
"Hey, what the…?"
"Oh, these?" giggled Washu. "It seems I accidentally left them behind during our vacation! They helped Azaka and Kamidake look out for the place, though!"
"That's absolutely right, Washu!" sang A.
"We sure did a great job!" sang B.
"But not as great as you, Miss Washu!" they cheered together. She smiled and coughed.
"Anyway," she resumed, "to conclude my story, I was so distraught over the loss of my inventions that I just up and quit looking for you! It really would have been a waste to remake them all, anyway. It sounds unbelievable, but not even I could have found you out there. You must have been hidden pretty well!"
"That's right, Washu!" cheered A.
"They were hiding well!" cheered B.
"Poor Washu couldn't find them!" cried A.
"Not even the universe's greatest genius!" wailed B. Washu shrugged, and gave Ryoko an apologetic look.
"I never said I was a perfect scientific genius," she concluded. A dramatic pause, and then the inevitable, "Just the GREATEST!!!!"
"The greatest!" shouted her dolls, waving Japanese fans. "The greatest!"
"Oh, boy…" sighed Ayeka. "I think I'm starting to miss the island."
"Now don't say that, Lady Ayeka!" smiled Quin. "We're all so very glad to see you back!" She smiled, and admitted to missing even the brownnosing dolls of Washu. Suddenly, a high-pitched squealing sound came from behind the crowd, and a familiar meaowing sound followed. Both Ayeka and Ryoko gasped in awe as Sasami and Ryo-ohki ran towards them.
"AYEKAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!" Sasami wailed out the name of her long lost sister; Ayeka shrieked out for joy.
"SASAMIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII!!!!!" The two sisters leaped into each other's arms, and hugged so tightly that not even light could have passed through.
"Ayeka!" wailed Sasami, tears streaming down her face.
"Oh, Sasami! You… oh, I've missed you so much!" Ayeka smiled in rapture, and kissed her sister on the forehead. "Oh, my dear Sasami… you've grown up without me…"
"And… (sniffle)… you look more mature as well," sniffled Sasami. Ayeka blubbered, and broke down again as she held her sister. Ryoko stood watching them, her hand on her hip and Ryo-ohki cuddling up next to her ankle.
"Yes, I missed you very much, Ryo-ohki," smiled Ryoko. The cute cabbit let out a feline mreaow, and bounced up in the woman's arms. Sasami, sniveling uncontrollably, ran over to hug Ryoko, and the littlest princess got embraced right back.
"Ryoko!"
"Hey, squirt," smiled Ryoko. "I missed you a lot." The entire gang smiled, and scrunched together for a gigantic group hug. Ayeka noticed that one was missing, however, and asked the question that was on both her and Ryoko's minds.
"Oh… where's Lord Tenchi?" There was a brief silence in the air, and a few heads turned to look. Suddenly, a calm peace overcame the happy reunion, and a young man stepped forward into the open. He paused, and gazed at the group in awe. His mouth hung open just slightly as he caught sight of Ryoko and Ayeka.
The girls inhaled sharply, and for the first time in three long years, they saw Tenchi Masaki. For a long while, both Ryoko and Ayeka gazed at the young man, burning his image into their minds once again. He had not changed at all, except that he now looked three years older. He wore a heavy black shirt that might have passed as a coat, and his hair had recently been cut, but other than that, he was still the same.
"Tenchi…" The girls swallowed, staring fondly at the young man who had been in their dreams for almost every single night. Ayeka, wanting to greet him first, took a slow step forward, smiling warmly. Suddenly, in a flash, Ryoko blazed forward, yelling out the name of the young man as she flung her arms around his neck and locked her lips onto his.
Needless to say, poor Tenchi was taken off guard.
Almost a whole minute passed before Ryoko finally released Tenchi from her kiss, and when she did, her face was more glowing and flushed than it had ever been.
"Whoo! Holy shitake!! Oh, WOW!! It's like kissing a thunderbolt!! Yeowza!!!" Ryoko cackled wildly, and hugged Tenchi close to her; he merely stuttered, too stunned to speak. Calmly, Ayeka stepped forward, two shrewd eyes taking in the "happy" scenario.
"Hello, Ryoko," she said, her voice stinging slightly. "Are we enjoying ourselves?" Ryoko grinned maliciously and stuck out her tongue.
"Ha! Not this time, Ayeka! Tenchi is mine!"
"Is that so?" Smiling wickedly, Ayeka pushed Ryoko away with all her strength, sending her friend tumbling (no harm came of it; Ryoko actually enjoyed every minute). With an animalistic look in her eyes, Ayeka grabbed Tenchi, tipped him over, and pressed her mouth to his own in a passionate kiss.
Needless to say, Tenchi was flabbergasted.
"Umm, excuse me…" Ayeka's eyes snapped oven, and with her mouth still pressed to Tenchi's, she wondered who this new voice belonged to. "Why are you kissing my fiancé?" Slowly, Ayeka's eyes widened to the size of plates, and she slowly drew away from Tenchi. Standing where Tenchi had just emerged, a young woman gazed at them, a quizzical look on her face. She was a very plain-looking Japanese girl, with a white traditional kimono and a braid of black hair tied back in a simple ponytail. The girl tilted her head, mentally asking the question again. A look of pure horror was on Ayeka's face.
"Fi… an… cé?" she muttered. Tenchi smiled weakly, and scratched his neck as the situation grew awkward.
"Tenchi-dear, who's this?" asked Ryoko--and the girl with the ponytail asked the exact same thing. He merely chuckled, smiling that same smile he used whenever he was embarrassed.
"I… guess I have some explaining to do," he muttered.
----------
Quietly, the girl with the ponytail served everyone a cup of steaming hot tea, and sat down in between Tenchi and his grandfather. He smiled at her, and gently took her hand into his.
"Her name is Suzikara Jaye Tsukata," he said slowly, indicating towards the girl, "but we all just call her Kara. Kara and I… well… we met at the, uh… funerals. For the, uh, people who died when the J.S.S. Shangri-La sank. I was attending the, uh, 'death' of you two, and she was paying her respects to her own family. Kara… lost her father and a sister in the storm, and we, uh, met at the funeral." She smiled softly, and gazed at her future husband's would-be brides.
"Tenchi and I grew close after that day," she said, her voice very soft and gentle. "It is said that disasters bring people together, and now I know that this is true. We spent many days together after the funeral, talking about our loved ones, and our families which we lost. We comforted each other, and quickly became friends. Loss, though tragic, is also necessary--maybe to achieve something… greater." They both smiled, and their hands clasped a little more.
"I am glad to see that the two of you are not as dead as we thought you were," she continued, smiling lightly. "You know, ladies, Tenchi and his friends never stopped believing that you were alive. Never, not even once. None of them did."
"That's… very kind of you, Lord Tenchi," replied Ayeka. She sounded like she was taking this development very well. Quietly, she sipped at her tea, and Ryoko mirrored her actions. Kara smiled gently and asked if anybody needed more. Only Ayeka accepted--everyone else either politely declined or else ignored her (such as Ryoko and Nagi, who had remained strangely quiet the entire time).
"Ever since I met Tenchi," resumed Kara, "he has told me much about his strange assortment of friends. I will admit, it took a lot of time and patience on my behalf to become accustomed to such strange surroundings. Mr. and Mrs. Onahan helped me cope, and of course there were Tenchi's father and grandfather, who helped explain so many things to me so well. Eventually, I got used to seeing Lady Washu and her strange and wonderful contraptions, and Officers Mihoshi and Kiyone in all their quirks."
"Yeah, it's a strange family," shrugged Ryoko--the first time she had talked in quite some time. "But, you get used to things after awhile, like it's been that way forever." Kara nodded her head in agreement and smiled gently. She exuded a very simple and quiet aura, one full of thought, eloquence, nobility, and grace. She had the heart of a servant, and the mind of a simple young lady. To be honest, both girls had to admit that she and Tenchi were perfect for each other.
"So, how did you… well, decide to get married?" asked Ayeka. Kara blushed slightly.
"I'll answer that," replied Tenchi. "I guess it was about four months ago. Kara and I were really growing close--more than just in a friendly way. I was beginning to understand what kind of a person she was, and the kind of heart she had. We'd often take trips over to each other's houses, and help around with the daily chores. You'd be surprised how close you can become to someone who works alongside you every day."
"Not really," muttered Ayeka wryly. She glanced at Ryoko, who gave a fleeting smile and wink. Neither Tenchi nor Kara saw the action.
"Anyway, I asked her to marry me about four months ago," continued Tenchi. "She accepted, and with grandfather's blessings, we'll probably make everything official in about another month or so." The future couple smiled and squeezed their hands. Ayeka and Ryoko, who were both taking these developments very well, smiled lightly.
"So… you two are in love."
"Yes, very much," replied Kara with a kind smile. "From what I've heard, Tenchi was quite the ladies' man. I suppose I should count myself fortunate." Ryoko sniffed, and chuckled roughly.
"Yeah… I guess you're the luckiest girl in the world." Kara blushed slightly.
"Oh, thank you, uh… Ryoko, was it?" Ryoko nodded her head and swallowed her tea in one gulp. For awhile, there was silence in the whole room. Kara asked if Ryoko needed any more tea, and got a polite negative in return.
"Well, you two seem to be a lot closer," noted Tenchi. Both women let out warm smiles at the mention of their own relationship.
"Well, miss Ryoko and I bonded very well while we were away," replied the princess. "We cast aside our differences and worked together as a team. You really should have seen us, Lord Tenchi. You would have been so proud…"
"Wow, really? It's great that you two have become friends at last!" he exclaimed. "I was afraid that Nagi would be bringing you back in pieces!" The girls smiled lightly at the friendly joke; the aforementioned bounty hunter merely snorted.
"I'll admit it's strange," she said. "But… well, I guess it's okay. I still don't see why the princess of Jurai would ever wanna be buddies with the galaxy's worst criminal…" Ayeka snorted and glared at the bounty hunter icily. "Oh, sorry," apologized Nagi upon seeing her face. "Former worst criminal. Huh, I guess she's just a normal citizen now that you pardoned her…"
"Oh, did you pardon Ryoko for her crimes, Lady Ayeka?" smiled Tenchi. Ayeka's face beamed and she nodded in reply.
"Yes, I did. She's proved herself unworthy of such a terrible title. In fact, she's more of a princess than I'll ever be!"
"And you'd make one great space pirate!" grinned Ryoko. Not even Nagi could hold back a smile as the ladies swapped titles.
"So…" sighed Tenchi, "the two of you really are friends, eh? That's good. I suppose everything worked out well in the end. Now, you're not gonna fight over me with Kara, are you?!" Ryoko and Ayeka laughed politely, and shook their heads.
"Nahhh."
"Of course not!"
"Oh, what a relief!!" The four of them had a good laugh, and even Nagi chuckled a little bit. It looked like everything would be back to abnormal in no time.
"Going somewhere?" Nagi grunted, and didn't even bat an eye as she passed her one-time nemesis.
"Ryoko…" The bounty hunter sighed, and stopped walking to have an impersonal chat. "From this day forward, we're both going to have to adapt to life-altering changes. Tenchi's marrying another woman in a month, and I have no reason to hunt you down anymore."
"Eh, I'll live," shrugged the former pirate. "Sides', I don't think I was really the woman Tenchi needed, anyway. I'm more the wild and free type. If he married me, he'd go on one wild and crazy adventure every day, and I don't think he's suited for that. I think he likes the quiet life better." A pause.
"Is that so?"
"Look, I'm no expert," shrugged Ryoko, "and don't try telling me that that's an understatement. I just…… well, matured a lot on that island. Just enough, that is, to realize when the man I love is going through something good--something I could never give him." Another pause. A faint smile grew on Nagi's face.
"And Ayeka?" Ryoko shrugged.
"Like I said, I think he likes the quiet life. If he hitched the princess, he'd have to shoulder the weight of the universe on his back. I mean, he'd be bucking for Emperor of Jurai, right? I don't think he was meant for that, or the life I'd give him." With a sigh, Ryoko smiled sadly, and with a light heart, cast away her past with the youngest Masaki. "It's… just that simple. Sure I still love him, but I'm not jealous, either. I mean, how could I be jealous when he's going through something great? That's just something I could never give him."
"Hm…" Nagi hummed to herself, and frowned in thought. Ryoko's speech melted her heart a little, and she hung her head in contemplation. "……You've changed, Ryoko. More so than I thought you would. You…… really have changed." The former pirate merely shrugged.
"So what are you going to do, not that I care," she said. Nagi smiled dryly and turned to face her former foe.
"I dunno… I've been thinking about retiring. Who knows, I might stop on by a backwater planet, find some slack-jawed local yokel to marry, raise several screaming little brats, and waste away in obscurity."
"Yeah, sure," snorted Ryoko. Nagi's smile increased and her shiny teeth were shown in a broad grin.
"I'm serious," she said huskily. "Let's just say that, during my travels, I ran into someone. I think that, with you outta the way, I can finally return to him after all this time. I…" She paused, and suddenly, the tough-as-nails bounty hunter that Ryoko had hated (and feared) for so many years faded away briefly, and the façade of a young girl replaced her. The new image disturbed Ryoko somewhat.
"…I wonder if he'll even remember me," chuckled Nagi. "Hahh, I hope he does. You know, Ryoko, he was my first love."
"Who was it?" The concern in Ryoko's voice was ghastly.
"Just some guy," replied Nagi coolly. "I'll tell you what, though. He was a keeper. He…… well, he reached my heart in a way I never thought possible. I really… really loved him. …Well, enough sentimentality. I'd better leave before somebody gets the wrong idea and has me over for dinner."
"Are you leaving so soon?" came another voice. Ryoko smiled warmly as her soulmate walked into the clearing. Ayeka gazed at Nagi and almost smiled. "There's still the matter of the two million Jurai I owe you," she indicated. A pause.
"…Keep it," sniffed Nagi, and Ryoko nearly did a double-take. "I won't need money where I'm going. I have enough as it is. Consider this one a freebie, milady." Nagi smiled--warmly--and saluted Ayeka. She took one step towards Ken-ohki, paused, and turned around again.
"Oh, almost forgot…" Silently, the bounty hunter approached Ryoko. The ex-pirate blinked in confusion as her rival stared straight into her golden eyes, and grew even more nervous as Nagi inched her face closer to Ryoko's. Her mouth found the ex-pirate's ear, and Nagi silently began whispering something that only the pirate could hear.
After a minute or two of silent whispering, Nagi smiled emptily, patted Ryoko's shoulder, and resumed her exit.
"…And what's that supposed to mean?!" blurted Ryoko (Ayeka obviously had no idea what they were talking about). Nagi continued walking, until she had climbed up Ken-ohki's hatch. As the doorway closed on her, Nagi grinned back at Ryoko.
"If you want to find out," she said, "you'll know where to look for me. Until then, my friend." And with those final two enigmatic words, Nagi disappeared into the bowels of Ken-ohki, and within minutes her vessel was beyond sight.
"Huh," snorted Ryoko, "what a strange woman!"
"…Ryoko, what did she say to you?" asked a painfully curious Ayeka. Ryoko shook herself and focused her gaze on her dearest friend she had ever known.
"…It's nothing," she smiled. "Just some psychobabble from a crazy former bounty hunter. Nothing to worry about."
"Oh." Ryoko chuckled, and shyly took Ayeka's elbow in hers.
"Haaa… It's good to be back, isn't it?"
"Yes," sighed Ayeka. "It's so good to finally be home again."
Closing comments: No, that's not the last chapter. I won't say how many more there are to go, though!