Playing Hero

"Hmmm…" Washu rubbed her chin as she began to consider the possible connections between her daughter's disappearance and Ayeka's sudden one. There was only one suspect in the mad scientist's mind: Lily. Of course Tenchi would never believe this unless Washu could find some proof that Lily really did have something to do with it. Washu sighed unhappily; she had no evidence so far.

The information she had retrieved from the ship's blue plans was not sufficient enough for her to determine the creator. Kiyone and Mihoshi had just begun their search in space for any clues; so far they were unsuccessful also. It was all up to Washu to save the day; she would have to search every tidbit of the bleak sky to find what she needed for proof.

"Now if I can only remember what Ryoko had called Lily when Tenchi had first brought her over for dinner," Washu continued to rub her chin. She could remember every known and unknown equation in the entire universe off the top of her head but she could not remember a name that had been spoken almost a month ago. "Was it Erin?" she bit her thumb as she strained her brain to remember the name.

It was futile; Washu would not be able to remember the name on an empty stomach. Stretching as she got out of her chair, Washu casually went out of her room and silently headed towards the kitchen. "Time for me to get some brain food…" she poked her head inside the refrigerator to find something edible.

Just as she pulled out a plump carrot, Ryo-oki came out of nowhere and tried to steal the carrot away from the mad scientist. Using the same strategy she had done with Tenchi, Ryo-oki clawed at Washu's hands until the pink-haired alien released the carrot in pain. With the prize in her mouth, Ryo-oki scrambled away from Washu meowing happily all the way outside.

Sasami came into the kitchen to find Washu glaring darkly at nothing in particular, "Are you alright Washu?" she noticed the mad scientist pocketing her bloody hands.

"Just trying to relax my mind…" she grumbled as she tried to fix her frazzled hair with a crazy invention she had suddenly found in her pocket. Walking out of the kitchen, she heard some yelling outside, coming from the back porch.

"PUCK!" Lily screamed into a small device on her wrist, "ANSWER ME DAMNIT! STOP SLEEPING AND WAKE UP!!"

Washu slipped away from the door to the porch unnoticed and bolted for her room to run a search on the G.P.'s criminal files. Twenty minutes later, she found the evidence that she needed. Two files had pulled up, one was labeled "Puck" and the other was labeled "Eriko." "Ryoko was right about her…" Washu whispered to herself as she printed the files out to show them to Tenchi.

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I don't want to wake up now…Without opening her eyes, Ryoko stretched her arm out to try and feel for Puck. After spending a minute searching with her eyes tightly shut, she did not feel Puck's presence. It never happened…It was all a dream…Ryoko hesitated to open her eyes, What if none of this has happened? Maybe I'll be back home of Earth…Gaining some courage, she finally opened one eye and then the next; she was back in her own room…on the space ship that is. So I never told him then… Just before she was going to pound on her pillow and cry her eyes out, she heard someone in her room.

"You thought I left you?" Puck was leaning back in a wooden chair, the front legs of his chair in the air and his back touching the wall behind him. "Good morning sunshine," he laughed when he saw Ryoko's startled expression. Slyly he left his seat, finding a new one right in front of Ryoko on her bed, "Sleep well?"

Ryoko had never seen anyone give her the look that Puck was giving her; it was a look of affection and love. Sure, Ryo-oki would do the same expression to Ryoko…but this was a person who was giving her this look-not an animal. "Hi…" was all she could stammer out; Ryoko was shocked by his expression still.

Lifting his hand, Puck lightly touched her pale hand; he lovingly rubbed his thumb on her hand. "What do you want to steal today?" he sounded chipper and pleased.

"LET ME OUT OF THIS CELL NOW RYOKO!!" Ayeka began pounding on her cell door as hard as she could, screaming her lungs out.

Puck rolled his eyes, "Why does she always have to ruin the romantic mood?" he grumbled as he let her hand go. While he was getting up, he bent over, kissing Ryoko on the cheek and then left her room humming cheerfully to himself.

Am I awake? Ryoko pulled on her cheek until she cried out in pain, You are Ryoko…Admit it…you are in love with him-more than you loved Tenchi. There was some hesitating before she got up from her bed, Is this all true-or is this just an act?

Before she could think anymore about this, Ryoko heard Ayeka yelling at Puck as he tried to open the cell door for her. In a matter of seconds, Ryoko jumped out of her bed to see Ayeka cornering Puck at the control center with something glistening in the princess' hands. Why did she have to convince me into giving her a dagger?!

"Come on Lady Ayeka-you don't want to do this…" Puck said in a semi-casual voice as he backed up into the main computer's controls.

Ayeka had a look of death in her eyes, "You should have thought of what would happen before you captured me!!"

By a stroke of bad luck, the main computer screen came on with Lily giving Puck hell for not answering her messages. Lily stopped halfway when she suddenly noticed the Princess of Jurai holding a dagger in her hands and Puck cornered at the front of the screen. "WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON HERE?!"

"This isn't my day…" Puck sighed unhappily to himself.

A moment later Ryoko appeared behind Ayeka without her even knowing, ripping the dagger away from Ayeka's delicate hands. There was a struggle, including Puck who was trying to stop the two girls from fighting each other. When Ayeka would not give up the dagger, Ryoko kicked Ayeka into the ship's computer, cutting off Lily's angry voice and knocking some sense back into Ayeka.

Ryoko glanced over to Puck, "Are you alright?" she whispered to him as she pocketed the dagger.

He had a frightened look in his eyes and his hair was frazzled, "Yes-and no…" Puck glanced over to Ayeka who was trying to get up from where she had fallen, "My sister will be here in a minute… We have to get you two out of here," he started to turn around but stopped halfway.

"What have you been up to my dear brother?" hissed Eriko as she appeared right in front of him. Her emerald eyes glowed menacingly as she pointed her sword at his throat, "I have the strangest feeling that you haven't been sticking to our plans…"

Neither have you…Ryoko grinded her teeth as she watched Eriko taunt her brother. "You bastard…" she snarled at Eriko.

"Your precious Tenchi is coming soon to rescue you two…but he won't be making the trip home," Eriko laughed brightly. Turning her attention back to her brother, Eriko flicked her energy sword at him, leaving a slash mark in his shoulder. "So tell me…What part of getting all of the gold don't you understand?"

Energy was building up in Ryoko; she barely had any left from her attempt to steal the gold and silver from those dreadful creatures a few days ago. "Leave him alone!" Ryoko snarled as her energy sword quickly appeared in her hands. Without thinking twice, she went at Eriko-but Ryoko was weaker than she thought she was.

In two swift movements, Eriko managed to knock Ryoko to the floor of the ship and then shoot a bolt of electricity at her. "Tsk tsk…" she laughed evilly at the ex space pirate as she stood over her, "You're all out of energy…how can you expect to beat me if you're all out of energy?"

Puck took a step towards Ryoko but Eriko pointed her sword back at her brother, "I would not recommend you doing that dear brother…" she sneered at him in a dark voice.

Behind Eriko and Puck, Ayeka was watching all of this happen with her knees shaking. So Ryoko and Puck…Shaking her head, Ayeka jumped up and tried to tackle Eriko with all of her strength. The two flailed around, but Eriko finally got the upper hand on Ayeka and she chucked the princess into the nearest wall. "Now…" she grumbled with her sword back at Puck's throat, "I suggest that you take us to that planet, before I change my mind and kill her right now…"

Glaring at his sister, Puck lowered his head as he went over to the control area; I suggest that you don't even try to lay a hand on her…

"As for you…" Eriko lowered her head to examine Ryoko; who was still on the floor barely conscious. "You are going to get me that treasure, or I'll kill your Tenchi-and him…" she whispered in a low voice so Puck could not hear her.

Please don't…With the remaining strength she had, Ryoko slowly got up off the floor. Her knees buckled as she tried to stay standing; she wouldn't be able to get the treasure like this-she would die in the process. "If you change your deal…I'll make sure you don't survive long enough to see all of your treasure," the ex space pirate threatened.

Puck was watching from behind his sister as the control area, She's too weak…she won't make it on her own down there…He felt a throbbing pain in his shoulder where his sister had slashed at him; blood was trickling down, turning his blue shirt into a dark shade of purple. The computer beeped at Puck, signaling that they were nearing the dry desert-like planet; I'll have to go with her…

Eriko beamed, "So there is still some fire left in you, good-" she glanced behind her shoulder to see if Puck was doing what he was suppose to be doing, "How close are we?"

There was a pause, Puck dreaded what he was going to say in response, but he didn't want his sister to hurt Ryoko again. "We're here…"he grumbled unhappily as he got up from his seat.

His sister stared blankly at him, "Where do you think you are going?" she snapped at him in a pissed tone of voice.

"She doesn't know where the treasure is down there, I have to show her where it is…" he muttered as he took another step closer to Ryoko.

In a flash, Eriko's energy sword forced him back three steps, "She can find it on her own…you don't need to help. Understand?"

Puck didn't know what to do; he glanced over to Ryoko to see her nodding silently at him to stay on the ship; sighing he turned back and went to the control area, "I understand…"

"Good boy," Eriko said in a sarcastic voice, "Now teleport her down there before the Galaxy Police find us."

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"Tenchi!!" Sasami cried out inside the Massaki household, she ran out of the dinning area and bolted upstairs to find Tenchi in his room with Washu. "Tenchi! You have to come see this…" the young Jurai Princess panted at the doorway of his room.

"What is it Sasami?" Washu asked as she and Tenchi had worried expressions on their faces.

Sasami was about ready to burst into tears, "She's going to kill Ayeka and Ryoko!" she sobbed in the doorway. "She left us a message in the dinning area…if we don't get there in time-she'll kill them!!"

Without another word, Tenchi sprinted past Sasami and jumped down the stairs; nearly tripping on the last few steps; slipping over to the dinning area to find a holograph image of Lily above the dinning table. Anger clouded Tenchi's mind as he yelled at the holograph, "What do you want with Ryoko and Ayeka?!"

The holograph gave him a fake smile, "What everyone person wants…revenge and wealth beyond your imagination. But the question is what do you want with Ryoko and Ayeka? I'm giving you a choice here; you can either save your space pirate or your princess."

This was the real Lily in front of Tenchi; she was nothing but a mirage this entire time he had known her. "What if I don't come?" he was hoping to ruin Lily's plan by pretending not to really care about them.

"Then I'll turn Ryoko's dead body into the Galaxy Police for the reward money and I'll hold the princess as ransom until her daddy pays for her safe return…But I'm still deciding on whether to kill her anyways or not…" The holograph began walking back and forth as she continued to speak, "So, if you don't come…I'll kill them anyways-and you're too warm-hearted to let that happen."

Tenchi went pallid, "Why are you doing this?" he asked in a frightened voice.

"Does a villain really need a reason for killing someone?" Lily's holographic form changed into her true form-Eriko. "I don't think so…" she laughed loudly just as Washu and Sasami came into the dinning area. Eriko flicked her black hair back behind her ears, "I'll be waiting for you Tenchi-you have five hours…" The holograph flickered off, leaving Tenchi with his heart pounding in his chest.

"Go get Ryo-oki, Sasami…" Tenchi whispered as he thought about what he should do.

"Do you have a plan, Tenchi?" Sasami asked in a frightened voice, "Will Ayeka and Ryoko be alright?"

Lowering his head, Tenchi didn't know what to say to poor Sasami but the truth, "One of them will be alright…"

Washu glanced over to the mechanical device that had produced the holograph of Eriko, "I'll contact Mihoshi and Kiyone about this…" the mad scientist offered in a small voice.

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Spitting up sand, Ryoko slowly made her way back into the treasure vault; she was surprised to see that the titanium door that she and Puck had blasted down was still melted to the floor. Wouldn't they fix that? Hasn't it been a few days since we've been here? Again, Ryoko had a terrible feeling that something was not right here.

With some caution, the ex space pirate crept her way into the main silver hallway and managed not to draw any attention to herself. Where are those things? Peering down the hallway, she could see nothing around her…the creatures weren't even hiding above her this time. This isn't right…

It was easy for Ryoko to follow the path to the main treasure vault; the wall they had gone through was still missing in one of the rooms. Following the charcoaled walls and floors, she found her way to the hallway that was only a few feet away from the vault. There was still nothing in sight, forcing Ryoko to stop in her tracks. I know that we didn't kill them all the last time were we here…

Taking a step forward, she tried to convince herself that if she didn't get the treasure-her two loves in her life would be killed. Ryoko wouldn't be able to defend herself if she was ambushed, she could barely walk without falling down. Counting the doors, Ryoko was drawing nearer to the twelfth door down the hallway. Remember the trap Ryoko…remember that there is a trap in the vault…

Swallowing her fears, Ryoko went into the treasure vault to find herself in a horrible trap. The creatures had somehow known that she was coming back for the treasure; instead of attacking her in the hallway where she could have easily escaped, they were patiently waiting for her in the treasure room. "I guess there is no way that we can talk this fight out?" she whispered.

The leader of the group of dog-like creatures howled at Ryoko, extending the claws that it had to attack her. Just before the creatures assaulted her, she remembered that she had the dagger she had taken away from Ayeka. Pulling out the dagger, Ryoko was ready to fight the twenty creatures to the death, "I'm dead…" she whispered.

Note To Readers: I'm sorry I haven't updated for a while. It has been Thanksgiving Break and I've had finals all month long. Chapter 12 will be coming soon, I'm in the process of finishing it up. I just wanted to thank everyone again for reading this fanfiction and sending me possitive feedback. Please let me know if I have made any terrible mistakes in this story. Thank you so much, I really appreciate this!
Btw, I am on Deviantart now. My username is Hunter0309, I have artwork from this fanfiction posted there. Merry X-Mas to everyone!
xoxoxo Hunter0309