II: No Need for a Date!

You'll know where to find me.

Those words quietly vibrated in Ryoko's mind as she hugged her knees close to her chest. She had not been able to get them out of her head, even though it really hadn't been that long of a time since she heard them. At first the former space pirate tried to wave the words off, or to ignore them, but like an annoying song that continued to play over and over again, the words would not die.

Ryoko clearly recalled her most recent encounter with Nagi. Nagi was, by all terms, a ruthless bounty hunter who hated Ryoko with a passion, and who in turn was hated by Ryoko with a passion. The two of them made terrible friends, but spectacular enemies; they lived to see the other one dead. In fact, except for a few very special occasions, Nagi had never been friendly to Ryoko, nor Ryoko to Nagi.

And… even during those times… they were still enemies deep down inside… But, circumstances had forced them together, and although they held a brittle alliance during those brief times, it had broken almost the second all problems were over. Their first pseudo-friendship was during the reign of the false Yosho, who had actually been Kagato. The alliance was quick, and Nagi had been in cold pursuit of the pirate ever since. She only caught up with her two more times after that.

Once… well, both of those times might have classified as "friendly visits", because neither one of them ended up being terrible. Sure, the first time through, Ryoko had been horribly tortured, and the second time was no quiet day either, but even these circumstances could not prevent the two opposing forces from burying hatchets and agreeing, however temporary it was.

The last time Ryoko saw Nagi was probably the most they had ever really gotten along. The bounty hunter had not even intended to hunt down Ryoko; it was more of a rescue mission, one of which Nagi had been paid very well by Ayeka. It was during this rescue mission that Ayeka publicly pardoned Ryoko of any and all crimes she had committed in the past (they had become close long before the mission), and needless to say, Nagi was rightfully enraged. To have the object of one's feverish pursuits suddenly excused for all wrongdoings was about as horrible as a universally-renowned singer suddenly going mute.

And if that weren't enough, to demonstrate her power fully, Ayeka even had the cheek to pardon Ryoko of any future crimes, which really got Nagi steamed. This basically made Ryoko a free citizen, exempt from any and all punishment or accountability, on behalf of Jurai law, so one can only imagine Nagi's rage.

Ryoko wept for joy when she heard the news, though.

The rescue mission had been successful, obviously. Nagi collected her fee and prepared to leave, now no longer permitted to chase after Ryoko, and free to live her life as she saw fit. Nobody knew it, but the entire reason that Nagi actually became a bounty hunter was that so she could one day capture or kill Ryoko, and settle an ancient score that the two had. With the space pirate pardoned, Nagi was suddenly out of work, leaving her little option but to retire quietly.

Before she left, however, Nagi had one more duty to perform. Ryoko could easily remember this last meeting--she remembered it to the very detail. The fact that it had only happened a week ago didn't matter; it would remain fresh in the pirate's mind for all eternity…

"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. 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.

At the time, Ryoko didn't have any idea what Nagi had meant when she whispered that, nor even when she said "you'll know where to look for me". At first, Ryoko had dismissed it as just some crazy psychobabble from a retired bounty hunter, but the events of that final meeting kept playing over and over again, gnawing hungrily at Ryoko's mind. Nagi had never been a simple woman, but this had been going a little far.

"That woman…" murmured Ryoko to herself. She didn't find it amusing that her thoughts had wandered to Nagi; this last encounter they had had been stuck in Ryoko's mind the whole week. Not even Ayeka, not even Tenchi, could have distracted her from these thoughts, which was probably what Nagi had wanted all along.

Curiosity killed the cat, thought Ryoko grimly, and never was a proverb more true. Perhaps Nagi had acted out that little scene on purpose, and intended to draw Ryoko into a trap, wherein she could dispose of the reformed lady in the most wicked fashion. Then again, Ryoko's absence would make more than one person concerned, and then Nagi would have all of House Masaki, and maybe even the Jurai Armada after her. No, it probably wasn't a trap… Nagi wasn't stupid.

"I wonder what she meant?" said Ryoko again. Her only audience member was the moon. Normally, she would have somebody else there to talk with, preferably Tenchi or Ayeka, but tonight she was alone. She didn't mind in the least--after all, the two people closest to her were on their very first date together. A loving, caring, and cunning Ryoko had convinced her two loved ones to go out and have fun, leaving her alone to think.

She no longer had a problem with Ayeka and Tenchi dating. She trusted both of them very much, and if Tenchi decided to choose Ayeka and only Ayeka…… Ryoko wouldn't have a problem. She was especially close to the princess, after all, and although a slight stab of jealousy would cut at her, she would love and support her two friends with all her heart. She had learned that love, no matter what form it took, was always better than jealousy. Always.

Besides, she planned on dating Tenchi too, as soon as this business with Nagi was settled…

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It was a soft late-summer evening when Tenchi and Ayeka went on their date, and there were more clichés out than stars. The moon was full and beautiful, the wind was soft and gentle, the air was cool and full of love, frogs sang, crickets played chirping melodies, the stars above were glowing… It would have been funny if it weren't so romantic.

Tenchi and Ayeka took Ryoko's goading with a few grains of salt. By this time, Tenchi had figured out that the two were best friends for life, and while he was glad they would no longer argue so violently, or have the occasional rivalry, he still had lots to get used to. Having Ryoko, a prime candidate for his affections, insist that he go out and have a good time with Ayeka, was a strange concept to grasp. Tenchi went along with the idea, and Ayeka accepted without hesitation, and here they were.

Tenchi Masaki was, surprisingly, a stranger to the dating scene. Despite the number of women that were hounding him, he was actually a very shy and awkward person when it came to romance. He had a lot of love in his heart, but when it came down to actually being with a girl, he preferred taking things nice and slow… which probably explained his attitude towards Ryoko's advances. It was true that he liked her, but her zealousness didn't match up to what he was looking for at the moment.

Under any other circumstance, Ayeka would have been gloating for eternity, but instead she was just happy and thankful for Ryoko's generosity. She truly did love the rambunctious space pirate, just as Ryoko loved her, and would have done almost anything to see the woman happy. Ryoko had already done so much for her that it was impossible to not want to repay the debt. Of course, since she wanted to have the date, both women easily saw eye-to-eye.

"You'll have to excuse her," said Ayeka out of the blue, and despite the suddenness of the words, Tenchi knew exactly who the princess was referring to. "She means well, you know."

"Yeah…" Tenchi let out a smile and placed his hands behind his head. "I'm still a little surprised to hear Ryoko asking me to go out on a date with you. I guess I'm just used to the old Ryoko." Ayeka smiled, and even though she was the pirate's best (and sometimes only) friend, she couldn't disagree.

"We all are," she said. "But… give her time. She really has changed, and so have I." The two of them smiled at each other, and silence took over as they continued to walk. Since Tenchi was inexperienced in the dating arena, he had first asked Ayeka if there was anything special she wanted to do while on their date. Being a princess whose tastes were rich and exclusive, Ayeka instead opted to just have a nice long walk through the woods.

As they walked, and talked on occasion, it struck Ayeka that, aside from lineage, she and Tenchi were very much alike. They were both very thoughtful people, and very reliable, and usually honest and sincere (though even Tenchi slipped from time to time). They both had amazingly huge hearts, and held a kindness towards all individuals (Ayeka had previously lacked a few of these qualities, but time had drawn them all out), and were both exceptionally attractive to the other gender. Neither spoke much during the date, not that they needed to, and in the time they spent, they slowly grew to like each other very much.

Tenchi and Ayeka took a brief rest on a bench, halfway through their date already. It was a school night, so Tenchi was expected to be back by 11:30 at the latest. They still had an hour to go, and they had been walking and talking for fifty minutes, so they could make it back if they hurried. For now, though, they rested, and gazed up at the bright stars scattered above them.

They smiled.

"Beautiful," whispered Ayeka. Tenchi nodded his head.

"Yeah… they're really gorgeous." Ayeka's smile inched a little more as she heard this. I was referring to you, she said mentally. The princess suddenly suppressed a yawn, then argued that she was not tired, just slightly restless.

"Well, what would you like to do now?" asked Tenchi. "We still have plenty of time left. You wanna get something to eat?"

"No, I already had a sufficient dinner," replied the princess. "But thank you anyway." The young man silently nodded his head, then placed it back to a position where he could see the stars best. There must have been a million out there…

"Lord Tenchi…?"

"Yes, Lady Ayeka?" She smiled. They were already starting to sound like a royal couple.

"Why do you think Ryoko went to so much trouble to see us go out together?" Tenchi coughed out a single, short laugh as the question was thrown at him, and took a few seconds to really think about it. He had wondered about that himself--why Ryoko, who was head-over-heels in love with Tenchi, would conspire to hook up a former nemesis up with the man who had her heart. It didn't make sense, even if he factored in the notion that they were both close friends. Something was amiss.

"I honestly don't know," he said after giving it some thought. "I think it's strange, don't you? I mean, no offense on her part, but I thought she'd try and prevent this."

"Indeed," said Ayeka with a restrained smile. "It really doesn't make sense. I guess we could question her about it when we get back." Tenchi nodded his head, and out of bad habit, checked his watch. He knew that subtle actions like that made a woman peeved, but years of sitting through boring classes had hammered the habit into his mind. Ayeka thought nothing of it, though.

"…Well, it's getting late," said Tenchi as he noticed the time. "If we hurry, I guess we can make it back home in time for curfew. Are you ready to go back?" Ayeka silently nodded her head, and like a true gentleman, Tenchi helped her up. He smiled weakly as he realized that their hands were touching, as did the princess, and both of them shared a laugh.

"I guess we're permitted to hold hands," said a slightly-nervous Tenchi (he knew that approaching this sort of thing was extremely delicate). Ayeka, who secretly thought Tenchi's apprehension was sweet, blushed just barely and "permitted him" to hold her hand as they made their way through the forest again and back to the house.

They made it, just barely. Tenchi and Ayeka had to run a little, and they were slightly out of breath and sweating, but they had made it with three minutes to spare. They still held hands, and had done so ever since their time spent on the bench. It would have been a funny sight to see them run through the woods with their hands still clasped, and most residents of House Masaki would have paid to see such humor, but thankfully (or regrettably), there had been no witnesses to the event.

Ryoko was still deep in thought by the time her two loved ones came back. With a cool smile and a cooler demeanor, she levitated down from the roof and greeted both people with a smile.

"Hi!" she squealed. "So, did you two lovebirds have a good time?"

"Ryoko…"

"No, I'm serious!" said a truthful Ryoko. "I wanna know how it went! So Tenchi, did you have a good time?"

"…Actually, yes," he said. Ryoko grinned as her cheeks began to glow. The poor dear sweet space pirate would have been happy even if Ayeka was still an enemy, but now she was positively giddy. She had changed that much.

"Ahhhh," she sang. "So what'd you do?"

"We just went through a walk in the forest, and we talked some," answered Tenchi. Ryoko's smiling face faded significantly.

"Hmph, sounds boring. Well, I guess I don't have much of a precedent to beat, then. C'mon, really! What'd you do? Did you hold hands?"

"Yes, Ryoko," sighed Ayeka. The princess, though she loved Ryoko quite a bit, was growing quite irritated at the onslaught of questions. She didn't mind Ryoko's playfulness, but sometimes even soulmates must say when enough is enough.

"Oooooh!" squealed Ryoko. "Maybe I do have something to compete against!" Tenchi, who only had a faint idea about what the girls were talking about, had already opened his mouth to ask, but was interrupted as always.

"Uh…"

"There's nothing wrong with a little friendly competition," said Ayeka to nobody in general. Ryoko nodded her head in agreement, and even Tenchi couldn't argue.

"Right, right. So, didja kiss him?"

"Ryoko!!"

"Just asking!" chuckled the feisty woman. "Jeez! I just wanna know how far you two went so I have something to go for. If I wanna show Tenchi a good time, then I'm gonna outdo you, highness!!" Ryoko had her hands on her hips in her usual classy-sassy form, and her face was glowing like a lamp. Ayeka could not hide her smile either, though she had considerably more class than sass.

"Well, I hope you try your best," said the more sophisticated woman, and even Tenchi could detect the subtle indications stuffed into the sentence. Ryoko pretended to not get the gist of what Ayeka secretly conveyed, and nodded her head.

"Yeah… but hey, you never answered my question! Did you two kiss or not?"

"No," stated Ayeka firmly, "we did not." Ryoko instantly pouted, and her eyes grew angry.

"No? Well then, stealing Tenchi's heart is gonna be too easy!"

"Ahem!" spat Ayeka, holding up her hand. "…I'm not finished!" The confused looks on both Tenchi's and Ryoko's faces were enough to convince her to elaborate. "…That is to say, we have not kissed as of yet." Ryoko raised her eyebrow in genuine puzzlement, but Tenchi knew what she meant. He pursed his lips anxiously, and before he knew it, Ayeka's silky-soft hands were holding his face and the princess' lips were planted firmly on his own.

Ryoko, surprisingly, grinned.

"…Oh!" whispered Ayeka as she broke the kiss. Both young ones had faces flushed with giddiness, and not even Tenchi could hold his smile (Ryoko was grinning like she had just drank all the sake in Japan). The single sentiment expressed by the princess assured Ryoko that she now had a steady, yet friendly rivalry with the princess.

"…That was amazing!" whispered Ayeka. Tenchi silently nodded his head.

"…Uh… yeah…" He smiled faintly, his chocolate-brown eyes gazing right into Ayeka's ruby orbs, and the two shared a smile that would have lasted for hours had Nobuyuki not called Tenchi inside. The young man hastily wished his date and Ryoko good night, and made a quick guarantee to "do it again sometime" before running into the house.

Ayeka smiled dreamily, and even let out a lovesick sigh.

"Yeah, I know," said Ryoko, placing her hands behind her head. "He's a magnificent kisser, not like you."

"Do shut up," said a still-enraptured Ayeka. Ryoko smiled warmly and gave her closest friend a gentle shove.

"It's true," she said. "I dunno if Tenchi enjoyed it or not, but--" Ayeka suddenly turned around, the dreamy look in her eyes long gone as she glared at her friend. Her hands slowly went to Ryoko's face, and the princess' ruby eyes bored into Ryoko's golden ones. For all the ex-pirate knew, it was going to be deja vous, except she would be the hapless victim this time.

Thankfully, she only got kissed by silence.

"You are a wicked woman, Ryoko," said Ayeka gently, and the pirate couldn't help but smile. (Translation: Even though you act so wild, I still love you.) Ayeka grinned too, and suddenly pulled the ex-pirate close for a pretend smooch.

"Ack, hey!!" Ryoko sputtered and pushed Ayeka away, glaring dangerously. "Ayeka, jeez!! Don't even joke about that!"

"And I suppose you're the only one who is allowed to tease other people?" replied the princess coolly. Ryoko opened her mouth to retort, but froze as she found her supply of snappy comebacks dry. She sighed in exasperation, shook her head, and took Ayeka into her arms.

"Here, gimme a hug," she sighed in defeat. The princess happily obliged, and squeezed her closest friend tight. A friendly kiss was placed on the other woman's cheek, and in return, Ryoko gently pounded her fist on her friend's head.

"Hey, what'd I say before?" she said gently. Ayeka chuckled in a pseudo-wicked laugh, and rubbed her closest friend's back.

"Sorry," she said in a very unapologetic tone. "I guess some of your nastier habits rubbed off on me." Ryoko shrugged, flattered that her friend was taking after herself, and withdrew from the hug.

"Hey, listen," she said suddenly. Ryoko was ready to change the subject into something a little more serious, and the mere look on her face suggested that all the playfulness the girls had should be cast aside. Ayeka quietly sobered up, and gave her friend the attention she needed.

"Yes, I'm listening." Ryoko smiled.

"Hey, you remember the last time Nagi was here? You remember what she said?"

"Yes," replied Ayeka softly. "She whispered something to you, then said something about 'you'll know where to look for me', right?"

"Yeah… Anyway, I've been thinking about what she whispered to me, and I wanna see what she wants. I know it doesn't sound like me, but that maniac messed with my mind, y'know? I've been wondering what she meant ever since she left, and although I'm not exactly bouncing outta my seat to see to her again, I can't let something like this go away without knowing what it is first. You know me."

"Yes, very well," said Ayeka, sneaking in some very subtle thoughts into her words. This time Ryoko caught the hidden references, though didn't dwell on them. "So, where do you think she could be?"

"I dunno!" shouted Ryoko angrily. "That woman just left me hangin'! I guess she thought there'd be a place where I knew she'd be, though I wouldn't know where that'd be!" Ayeka, the kind princess, placed a hand of support on her friend's arm.

"Maybe it's where you met her for the first time," she suggested. The brilliant theory caused Ryoko to smile grimly, and the former pirate nodded her head several times in thought.

"You know, princess, I do believe you're right," she said.

"So do you know where to look?" asked Ayeka. Ryoko snarled and gave a very dark smile.

"Oh, yeah. I could get there blindfolded. I'd never forget that place. Yeah, I think she meant for me to go there."

"And where is it?" asked Ayeka, sensing that Ryoko was ready to leave at any time. The ex-pirate paused just briefly before answering.

"Some bar," she answered. "You wouldn't know where it is, believe me." Ryoko took in a deep breath, and suddenly, her arms went around Ayeka's body again, and the ex-pirate pulled her closest friend in for an intimate embrace.

"…I…"

"Ssh," whispered Ryoko. "Just hold me. Don't ask me why, but I felt like I needed a hug before I went away."

"So you're leaving so soon?" asked Ayeka. Ryoko hummed and nodded her head.

"Yeah. If I wait around anymore, I'm gonna go crazy. I gotta know what the heck she was talking about, psychobabble or not. I can't just brush it off, y'know?"

"Yes," whispered a powerfully-empathetic Ayeka. "I know exactly how you feel." Ryoko smiled, and drew back just enough to place a kiss on her forehead.

"Then you know I gotta leave soon," she said softly. Ayeka took in a deep breath, realizing that there was no point in keeping her friend back, and nodded her head.

"Yes, I know," she sighed. "But please, Ryoko, do be careful." Ryoko smiled warmly, and gave Ayeka a confident wink.

"Hey, I didn't get this far out of recklessness and good luck," she assured. "And besides, I've dealt with Nagi before. Don't worry, I'll be okay!" She winked again, ruffled Ayeka's hair, and broke the hug as she floated up in the air. She called out to Ryo-ohki, and within moments the cabbit had transformed into a giant intergalactic spaceship. Ayeka, like most people seeing their friends leave, rushed out for one final goodbye.

"Ryoko!!" she shouted, waving her arm. "Be careful!! And come back safely!!"

"Don't worry!!" shouted the pirate. "I'll be back before you know it! Keep Tenchi company for me while I'm gone!!"

"If you insist!!" sang Ayeka loudly. Ryoko blew a kiss, and Ayeka angrily dodged it. She mutely glared up at her friend, who was currently laughing out loud at the princess' antics.

"You're too much, Yeka!" shouted Ryoko. Ayeka couldn't help the growl that came from her mouth, and muttered out her feelings to herself.

"Ooohh, that woman!" she spat. Then, in a louder voice intended for Ryoko, she yelled, "It's a good thing I love you so much, because otherwise I wouldn't like you at all!!"

"I love you too!!!" shouted Ryoko as she materialized into Ryo-ohki, and the vessel was gone before Ayeka could blink. Secretly, the princess smiled warmly, and clasped her hands together in prayer. Despite their differences, the two would remain close friends forever more, and despite their actions sometimes, they truly did love and care for each other very much. Ayeka had to admit, she was fortunate to have a friend like Ryoko, and had even admitted that she was a little more wild and free herself.

"Farewell, dear friend," whispered the princess once Ryo-ohki was long gone. "Come back safely. You'll know where to find me once you return."

Next chapter: Ryoko finally confronts Nagi and inquires about their last encounter, but how will the bounty hunter express herself? Just what is her secret, anyway? For everybody that knows, please don't spoil it! Next chapter, "No Need for Secrets!" It's unquestionably mysterious!