This is probably my 2nd favorite chapter out of this story, of course my 1st one I haven't published yet on here...I'm so evil sometimes. But no worries, my favorite chapter is the next one-it is good...promise. So that will be 10 chapters made so far, most likely I will only write two or three more chapters to end this story. No I'm not going to tell you how it ends!
I wanted to thank all off the reviewers who have continued to send me reviews on this story, I really appreciate it and I am trying to do the same
for all of your stories...but there are so many of you! But I just wanted to let you all know that I enjoy reading your reviews about this story. Thanks so much!
Hunter0309

The Mistake

Puck came out of the cell with a bloody nose and a bruised cheek; Ryoko desperately tried not to laugh out loud at him as he passed by her with a grouchy attitude. The silence lasted only for a few seconds, Ryoko was howling with laughter pissing Puck off even more. "Get beaten up by a princess lately?" she smirked at him; she had forgotten about trying to kill him the night before.

It was obvious that Puck had not forgotten about the fight, he narrowed his steel hued eyes at the ex pirate and snorted at her. After a moment of staring her down, he gave her a weak smile, "Does she always slap that hard?" He couldn't blame Ryoko for what she had done yesterday; his sister was not sticking to the plan anymore, he wondered if she had other intentions of getting revenge that she never mentioned to him.

Walking over to the locked cell door, Ryoko leaned closer to hear Ayeka screaming her lungs out to try and get help from someone. "Believe it or not, I've actually seen her when she is really pissed."

"You mean it gets worse?" Puck nearly coked when Ryoko had told him the truth about Ayeka's terrible temper tantrums.

"LET ME OUT!!" Ayeka's voice was muffled, but Ryoko and Puck could still hear it without any trouble.

Ryoko smirked to Puck, "Well you heard her...you better let her out before she gets really into her tantrum." Pulling away from the cell door, Ryoko gave Puck enough room for him to open the cell door-if he dared to open it that is.

Glaring at her, Puck dragged his feet over to the cell door, slowly unlocking it with great care, "Does she bite?" he asked Ryoko just before he pulled the door open.

Goodbye silence...Ryoko could already tell that Ayeka was planning to scream at her...only after she was done with screaming at Puck.

A red-faced Juria Princess came storming out of the cell, "When Lord Tenchi comes to rescue me-I'll make sure that you get locked away in the darkest cell in the galaxy...That's a promise..."

Puck couldn't help but laugh at Ayeka's peeved expression, "A pleasure to meet you too..." As Ayeka threatened him more, Puck secretly rolled his eyes at her and nodded every time the princess paused to take another breath.

When Ayeka was through with threatening him, she turned her bloodshot eyes on Ryoko. "You stole all of my FATHER'S TREASURE!!" she screeched, nearly trying to strangle the blue-haired alien with her bare hands.

This ranting and screaming at Ryoko went on for hours on that small ship; driving Puck mad enough to hide in his room for the rest of the afternoon. Once Puck had locked himself inside his room, Ayeka's angry eyes softened into a look of determination. "We have to get back to Earth, Ryoko..." she whispered to her as if they were suddenly friends.

"Next time you plan on screaming at me to drive someone else away, do it one pitch lower please..." Ryoko's ears were still pounding and ringing. "So what did you want to talk about?...before I go deaf that is..."

Ayeka shifted her eyes around to make sure that no one was listening in, "You were right about that Lily girl..." she whispered in a low voice.

Ryoko snorted, "No...really? I was?"

"I think she's planning to kill Lord Tenchi..." Ayeka ignored Ryoko's cynical remark.

A confused look fell on Ryoko's brow, "No...I just have to steal from one more planet and then she'll leave Tenchi alone-that was the deal..."

"Not anymore it sounds like..." the Juria Princess whispered still. "We have to get back to Earth, Ryoko...and save Lord Tenchi," she lifted her head up and glanced around the ship again to make sure that Puck was not listening in on their conversation. "You have to kill him Ryoko..." she hissed, "Gain control of the ship so we can get back before that Lily can kill him..."

If Ayeka had come only a few weeks earlier and described this plan to Ryoko, the ex space pirate would have most likely gone through with it without any second thoughts. Now though, Ryoko was beginning to wonder if she really did despise Puck or not...she had grown so close to him. Something else in Ryoko felt different, her love for Tenchi was rapidly disappearing. It wasn't because she was back in space, but she was slowly realizing the truth about her relationship with Tenchi. But there was still a small flame in her heart for him, "I'll do it..." Ryoko hissed to Ayeka.

The door to Puck's room opened without any warning, frightening Ayeka somewhat, "We're here Ryoko," he grumbled as he rubbed his ears tenderly. Walking over to the control area, Puck plugged in some numbers and directions for the ship to understand. After the computer had recognized and understood the directions, Puck left the control area and held out his hand to Ryoko, "Coming?"

Ayeka was already planning to take over the ship once the two were gone; but she didn't know that Puck had locked down the ship so only he could operate it now. Remaining silent to stay unnoticed, Ayeka played with her thumbs as the two began preparing to transport down to the planet.

"By the way Princess Ayeka," Puck smirked over to the corner where she was standing, "The controls are locked, so the only way you can get out of here is by my doing...so don't mess up my ship while I'm gone." He beamed at Ayeka's darkened expression; she would never get to back to Tenchi in time now.

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While Ayeka pouted and threw another tantrum on the space ship, Puck and Ryoko were already trying to steal the strange planet's over abundance of silver and gold. So far the two had gone undetected by the inhabitants of the planet; they resembled dog-like creatures that could walk on their hind legs. The planet was dry; Ryoko kept spitting sand out of her mouth as she tried to help locate the planet's main treasure vault. Everything was going according to plan, which relieved Ryoko as she helped Puck blast through a titanium door that would lead them to the treasure.

"Just three more doors, then we'll be out of here..." Puck coughed up some sand as he examined the map in his hands once again. "Then you can get your beloved Tenchi back..." his voice did not sound as cheerful as it had been earlier, but Ryoko did not really notice.

Ryoko glanced behind her shoulder, "It's been really easy for us to get all of this treasure..." she did not like that fact. "I have a feeling this one is not going to be as easy..." she whispered to Puck in a worried tone.

Pocketing the map, Puck gave Ryoko a playful wink, "I have you to protect me," he joked. I hope...

As Ryoko followed Puck down a long hallway with no inhabitants in site, she became very worried. "Puck...I don't have a very good feeling about this-" she made her energy sword appear in her hands. "This isn't right..." she hissed to him.

Suddenly Puck stopped in his tracks, "Did you hear that?" he whispered as his energy sword appeared in his hands also. He turned his head in the direction where he had heard the sound, "Take the first door on your left behind you-then blast through the wall and go down the second hallway until you reach a circular door...use the explosives on that door-take as much as you can and get out...understand?"

Ryoko quickly glanced behind her to see the door he was talking about, "Aren't you coming with me?" she could sense that he was nervous about something. When he did not answer, she went up to touch his shoulder, "Puck-aren't you-"

Something appeared at the end of the hallway just before them, something with sharp claws and blood red eyes. "Run..." Puck hissed to Ryoko as the creature let out a bloodcurdling cry to alert others of its kind.

Ryoko took a few steps back but could not bring herself to leave her enemy all alone to deal with the creatures. "RUN RYOKO!" Puck turned his head back just enough to see her still standing behind him.

Another hair-raising cry came from behind Ryoko; they were surrounded now; she turned back to see two more dog-like creatures snarling a few feet away. These creatures were frightening in the light, they had long, sharp, hallow spikes protruding from their backs and razor-sharp teeth and claws. Their eyes were just narrow slits in their skulls, glowing the color of blood.

Ryoko felt a surge of energy rise in her; she would not leave Puck there to fight these wretched creatures. In a flash, Ryoko was charging at the two creatures with her energy sword raised high. Slipping between the two creatures, Ryoko quickly sliced at their throats with her sword...both fell to the ground dead.

The creature that had alerted its companions was now lying on the floor dead by Puck's feet, Puck was panting heavily from his fear of these creatures. "I told you to go!" Puck snarled at Ryoko as he turned back to see if she was not hurt.

"Excuse me for trying to help you! You would have been killed!" Ryoko growled back in a nasty voice.

Puck let out a long sigh, "Now they'll know that we are coming for the treasure... It will be harder to acquire that treasure," he almost sounded disappointed in Ryoko.

"Makes it more challenging," Ryoko had a determined look in her eyes; she desperately needed a challenge. "I'm sorta rusty on these kinds of things..." she added as she opened the door to the left of her. "After you..."

He smiled, "I hope you know the one in the back is always killed first," Puck walked into the empty room first-or so he thought.

The two pirates were greeted by four pairs of glowing red eyes in the dark room, "Oh-shit..." Puck whispered as Ryoko followed him inside the room.

Within a matter of minutes, the four dog-like creatures were lying on the floor deader that a door-mat. Even though Puck was only able to kill one of them, he was pretty pleased with his work. Ryoko just rubbed it in that she had killed a total of five while he only had beheaded two.

"Numbers do not count! Only style does!" Puck grumbled as turned his head away when Ryoko was blasting the wall down.

Thankfully Puck was right with his directions; they had found the second hallway behind the wall Ryoko had destroyed. "How far is it down this hallway?" she asked her enemy as he quickly examined the empty hallway.

Puck grabbed Ryoko's arm as he led her down the hallway; he kept one eye in front of him and the other to his right side; "It should be the twelfth door down this hallway...I think..."

"I just hope we don't run into anymore of those things..." Ryoko shuddered when she remembered how horrifying they were close-up.

Like a stroke of bad luck, the two heard more cries of the dog-like creatures from all around them. "You had to open your mouth, didn't you?" Puck grumbled as he released her arm and turned his back on her to face the creatures.

There was nothing behind him, nor was there anything in front of them in the long hallway. "I swore it sounded like they were right on top of us..." Puck whispered to Ryoko as their backs touched.

"Because they are..." Ryoko said it in such a small voice that Puck did not hear her. Lifting her head up to stare at the ceiling, the creature let out a glass-shattering cry as it landed on the floor two inches away from Ryoko.

Puck glanced up to see two more dog-like creatures above him, "We're dead..." he whispered.

The creature snarled at Ryoko as it tried to take a swipe at her head; luckily she jumped to the side to only have her shoulder slashed open instead of her skull. Quickly, Ryoko created a ball of energy, throwing it at the creature and sending him sliding back down the hallway wailing.

"Go and get the treasure Ryoko! I can only hold them back for a little while..." Mimicking Ryoko's attack pattern, he charged at the two dog-like creatures and sent them both to the floor dead.

More cries came from down the hallway; all Puck could see was a sea of those creatures heading right at them. "Run now!!" Instead of standing his ground to fight them to the death, Puck grabbed Ryoko's arm and they both bolted down the hallway.

By the time the two were at the sixth door, the dog-like creatures were so close that Ryoko could see every detail on their terrifying faces. "GO-GO GO!!" Puck yelled at Ryoko as he pushed her forward and planted his feet in one spot.

Ryoko did not notice that Puck had stopped to face the creatures until she heard one of the creatures cry out in pain. Puck...Glancing back, she watched as Puck killed two more creatures at the same time. Just do as he says Ryoko-the quicker you get the treasure the quicker you can get out of here...alive.

Just as Ryoko turned back to the front, she was sent to the floor by a powerful blow from the creature she had sent down the hallway crying for its mother. Howling loudly, the creature loomed over Ryoko with drool dripping down the side of its mouth.

Shaking her head to regain her senses, Ryoko's eyes began to glow the same color as the creature's, "Bad mistake..." she snarled as she disappeared from its sight. The creature was too confused to notice that Ryoko had reappeared right behind it with her energy sword raised.

Once the creature was dead, Ryoko bolted for the treasure; which was only three more doors away from where she was at the moment. At the circular door, Ryoko quickly pulled out the explosives and threw them around the door. After creating a protective shield, she blew the circular door off and into minuscule pieces. Lowering her shield, Ryoko's eyes went wide when she saw the stacks of gold and silver in the vault. "There is more here than there was in Juria," she was amazed by how much these creatures had collected over the years.

Reaching down to pick up a golden cup decorated with colorful gems, Ryoko heard Puck cry out in pain. This is your chance Ryoko! Take the gold and leave him there to die...do it! He told you too...so you can't blame yourself for it. He's your enemy remember that Ryoko... She glanced down at the golden cup in her hand and threw it back into the treasure vault, No more...Ryoko thought as she disappeared from the vault.

The creatures were closing in on Puck; he was weak, unable to fight them all off now. As one creature lunged at his throat for the final death blow, it screeched in pain and fell at Puck's feet dead. "Anyone else care to try that again?" Ryoko snarled at the dog-like creatures as she stood in front of Puck with her energy sword twitching in her hands.

Puck was stunned, she was saving him from these things...when he was the one who had captured her and brought her here in the first place. Killing six more creatures, the rest began to back away from her in fear. "You better retreat," she hissed at them as she attacked one that was in her reach.

When only five remained in the group, they cried out in fear and retreated back down the hallway with their tails between their legs. Ryoko fell to her knees exhausted from overusing her strength to drive the creatures away. "We-better-go..." she panted to Puck as she watched him slowly get off of the ground.

"But what about the treasure-if you don't get it my sister will-" he watched her carefully as he chose the right words to say, "-cut the deal short..."

Ryoko bit her lip as she pulled herself up to her feet, "Live today...fight tomorrow..." she whispered.

Another set of cries echoed through the hallway, "We can't take them all Puck..." she whispered as she tried to move her wounded arm around to get some feeling back into it.

Nodding silently, Puck helped Ryoko down the hallway before the creatures could find them. The two barely made it out of the hallway alive, with the dog-like creatures following their trail of blood, the pirates were lucky enough to make it outside in one bruised piece.

"You should have grabbed the treasure, Ryoko," Puck whispered as he set up the transportation coordinates as quickly as he could. "It was a mistake..."

Ryoko glanced behind to see the dog-like creatures chasing after them, "I know..." she sighed as they were transported back to the ship with the creatures only a few feet away from them.

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Back on the ship, Puck barely had enough strength to lock Ayeka in her cell when she threatened to start screeching again unless he took her back to Earth. Crashing into his comfy seat, Puck was just as exhausted as Ryoko was. He glanced over to Ryoko who was watching her shoes as if they were the most interesting things she had ever seen.

"Thanks..." he gave Ryoko a weak smile when she glanced over to him. "I owe you one..."