Chapter 5: Silver and Gold

Aeon lay on the grass and looked up at the blue sky littered with wispy clouds. Being on Earth was somewhat of a vacation for him, but his heart couldn't fully beat at peace until he knew his father could also enjoy basking in the rays of sun. His encounters with Ryoko had been strange as she had kept avoiding him when he got close. She didn't look angry or annoyed, but scared…or intimidated.

'When did the roles change?' Aeon chuckled at his inner thoughts 'I used to be the one intimidated by her.'

As he continued to think about the women who constantly perplexed him, a greeting broke his train of thought.

"Hey Aeon, good morning." Tenchi had returned from working the fields.

"Hey Tenchi, how're the fields, remember I'd be willing to work if you needed me to."

Tenchi raised his hands in objection "No I couldn't have a guest working, but uh…I was wondering if I could ask you something." Tenchi lowered his gaze, suddenly feeling inferior to the male space pirate.

Aeon quirked his brow "Sure, what's bothering you?"

"Well I wouldn't say it's bothering me, but… do you love Ryoko?" He blurted out the words in a rush of embarrassment.

"Yes." Aeon gave him the simplest answer, unsure if this is something he wanted to share with Tenchi. "I always have."

"I see…" Tenchi took a seat beside Aeon on the grass.

"Do you love her? I know she loves you, but I can't really tell with you." Aeon looked him straight in the eye, looking for the spark of affirmation that should have existed if he did love Ryoko.

Tenchi turned several shades of red before he untied his tongue. "I…I don't know…all the girls are special to me."

"Only she is special to me; she is all the worlds I've ever wanted to know mixed in one woman; she is the mind teeming with brilliance that I wish mine to become one with; she is my other half." Aeon said this with ease and with absolutely no signs of aggression—he wasn't saying this to intimidate Tenchi, but to allow him to understand what love should feel like.

"I've never thought about it like that; I know Ryoko's special and I do feel for her…I love her, too. I like the adventures she brings by; not all the times of course, sometimes she's a real hassle, but I end up enjoying myself. It scares me how aggressive she is…sexually that is."

Aeon's brows furrowed in anger at Tenchi's last comment, but clenched his fist in order to remain under control. He had not had the chance to know Ryoko as she matured, and to hear of her sexuality usurped him. He wasn't sure if Tenchi was telling him these things to aid him or hurt him.

"You say you always end up enjoying yourself, but does she?" Aeon threw back at him.

"Not completely of course; I can't give in to everything she wants." He was starting to get defensive.

"She may not be asking the right way for what she wants, but she deserves everything that has not been granted to her. She may approach you in a sexual way; however that does not mean she just wants sex—it just means she's learned that sex is equivalent to love and she knows no other way to express herself. I heard she's also almost died for you…that may be the other way she expresses her love for you." Aeon stood up and brushed the grass off his clothes. "You should get to know someone before you say you love them." He looked down at the boy who had become his rival. "I will not stand idly by while everyone misunderstands her; do not be surprised if she chooses to be with me."

"She won't." Tenchi also stood up and looked Aeon in the eye. "I won't let that happen." Their eyes linked with intense fury.

"It's not always up to you." Aeon smirked and phased away.

As soon as Aeon left, Ryoko had appeared outside and spotted Tenchi.

"Hey Tenchi, have you seen Aeon?" She asked curiously and then noticed his scowl. "What's got you all riled up?"

"It's nothing; I haven't seen Aeon all day." He muttered and picked up his baskets of carrots. "What do you need Aeon for?" He asked before he walked away.

"I want to learn some more about my past."

Tenchi sighed "I guess that's understandable, make sure to come back for dinner, I'll be waiting." He smiled at her and waved goodbye.

Ryoko blushed at his unprovoked flirtation and was a bit taken aback. That was definitely not within Tenchi's normal attributes—perhaps he hit his head with the plow…or something. Ryoko shrugged and continued to look for Aeon. She remembered his comment on the Cherry Blossoms and figured that would be a good place to find the foreigner.

"Where the hell is this guy?" She muttered as she weaved in and out of the trees.

"Gotcha!" two arms encircled Ryoko from behind and pulled her into a bear hug that was much like a hold.

Ryoko quickly reacted and aimed to throw her attacker off her back, but found it to be more of a struggle than she thought it should be. Eventually with a few rib jabs and head butts she was able to get the arms off. She entered in a sparring contest soon after that and realized that it was Aeon who had provoked her. She smirked and decided this boy needed to learn his lesson.

"I think you ought to remember how I kicked your butt." Ryoko commented as she took a hold of his arm and forced him to the ground. She had him in a lock and he looked to be defeated.

"Fine, you win this time." Aeon winced as she pulled at his arm. "I thought I could surprise you."

"So much for that." She spoke softly and joined him in his defeated state on the grass sprinkled with Cherry Blossom petals. "Anyways, Washu showed me some home videos she has of us."

Aeon smiled and gave her his full attention; he had hoped her curiosity would be sparked. "Which ones did you see? Washu said I couldn't watch all of them in one sitting." He shrugged and smirked as Ryoko chuckled.

"I imagine that would cause starvation, but it was the first video of course—the one where we're space pirates."

"You mean when you were a space pirate; I was too meek, but I definitely got a few pointers from that lesson…ended up helping me out in my current profession." He winked.

"I was a natural" Ryoko grinned and play punched Aeon on the arm; she had begun to feel more comfortable in his presence. Suddenly she felt like she could breathe again. "So…Washu has a thing for your dad, huh?"

"You caught that, did you? Yeah…she's the only woman he'll ever love." Aeon sighed as he recalled his father. "You also had a deep connection with my father—you should have been his daughter. You two were so alike…got to my nerves sometimes." Aeon looked at Ryoko's curious gaze: her golden eyes were his gravity.

"Really? Mind telling me a bit more?" Ryoko sat up and crossed her legs, preparing herself for the stories of her past.

"Sure, it's what I'm here for. Well where do I start?" Aeon searched back for the words he needed to say. "My father wasn't the most responsible person in the world, he'd forget to pick us up from school and we always got in trouble whenever he was taking care of us. Your mother would get so angry…I was even scared—you should have seen how her pink mane spiked up!" Ryoko chuckled, finding Aeon's gestures strange, seeing as he was always so serious. "I remember this one time you came over and somehow got into my boxer's drawer. You can imagine how embarrassed I was, but you were in no way bashful. You took a pair and placed it on your head. I chased you so I could take it away from you, but you had learned to fly before I did. My father caught you and instead of punishing you he joined you! He took a pair of his own and wore it on his head—Washu came to pick you up with a very strange expression on her face. I think she had gotten used to my father by then." Aeon laughed out loud as he pictured the whole scene. "Washu's probably got it recorded."

"He sounds like my type of guy" Ryoko sat there imagining the life she used to have. "I still can't believe half of the things you tell me."

"I know…it's hard." Aeon picked up a blossom petal. "Hey, Ryoko…do you mind sharing a bit?"

"Depends" She started to put up her walls again.

"I just want to know how your life's passed by."

"You already know I was Kagato's prisoner for a good portion of the time, locked in a cave, freed by Tenchi, captured by Kagato again, saved by Tenchi…and now I'm just here with Tenchi."

Aeon examined her features and noticed how flustered she had become. She had mentioned Tenchi so many times, that it was no wonder Tenchi had such confidence in her not leaving him. However, Aeon also began to wonder if she merely felt indebted to Tenchi rather than in love.

"You're here in love with Tenchi." Aeon corrected her.

Ryoko couldn't formulate a sincere yes and choked on her own words. She looked away from Aeon quickly—she couldn't stand his eyes on her.

"It's ok Ryoko. Just because you love Tenchi doesn't mean I will stop loving you." Aeon smiled at the blush he caused Ryoko to have.

"I'm not worried about your love, I don't care—"Ryoko would have continued but her own words were beginning to cut her. "I'm just confused." She finally admitted.

"I have an idea, how about you let me take you out on a date?"

"A date?" Ryoko narrowed her eyes at the boy.

"Yeah, it'll be payback for all the dates you took me out on." Aeon knew she would have no memory of such things but did know that it would make her blush again.

"What? How could I have ever taken you on a date?" She spat out in defense.

"I'll tell you if you go on a date with me." Aeon bargained with her.

"Fine…only because I want to know." She smiled and felt the same warmth on the inside "so where are we going?"

"Come with me." He stood up and offered her his hand.

She looked at his hand—he had taken off his glove in order to receive her hand. She placed her hand in his and felt a tingling sensation gently lay across her palm. Ryoko began to fret as she realized how long she had left her hand in his and quickly drew it away as she coughed away her embarrassment. Aeon grinned and spoke "Let's meet in Washu's Lab."

They both phased away and ended up in the lab where the miniature scientist was surrounded by various screens.

"What are you two up to?" Washu turned around unable to contain her happiness at seeing Aeon with her daughter again.

"We're going on a date…I need some human clothes; I was wondering if you could provide some. Also I may need that vehicle I was enquiring after earlier."

"A date!" Washu yipped in glee as she jumped down from her floating cushion and went straight to Ryoko. "Oh my Little Ryoko is growing up; who would've thought that was possible!"

Ryoko growled as Washu clung to her and quickly wiggled out of the uncomfortable hug. "I'm just going out for a bit, don't get too excited." She muttered, denying any romantic intentions.

"Here you go Aeon, change into these." Washu reached into sub space and handed Aeon his clothes. "These should give you the look Ryoko finds most attractive.

"Washu!" Ryoko bopped her on the head in annoyance.

"Ouch, but it's true my little Ryoko, you like the bad boy complex. Look at Aeon now." Washu grinned as they witnessed her masterpiece.

Aeon squirmed uncomfortably as the two women looked him up and down. He had changed to a plain white tee that clung to his form a bit too much for his comfort. Over his shirt, Washu had graced him with a classic leather jacket, and his jeans were also very relaxed.

"These are strange earthling clothes." Aeon commented hoping to break the silence that had ensued.

"Not bad." Ryoko agreed and phased into the clothes she would wear to match his.

Aeon had to stop himself from gawking at her choice of wear. She had changed into a lustful shade of red halter top, and matched his own leather jacket with her own mid-crop version. Her black leather pants were tight as to define every curve on her body and the accessories only further gave her a rebellious look.

"Uh…same to you." Aeon stumbled on his words, not quite versed in the flirtation department.

Ryoko laughed, finding comfort in the fact that he was just as innocent and naïve as Tenchi if not more so.

"Alright it's ready, here you go." Washu had seemingly left the two and come back with a glorious machine by her side.

"What's that?" Ryoko looked at the device.

"I saw it in a magazine…earthlings call it a Ducati. I asked Washu if I could have one to travel with since it's the only thing I am familiar with when it comes to controls."

Ryoko smirked and took hold of the bike. "I'm driving." She said calmly as she handed Aeon the passenger's helmet.

"What?" Aeon frowned and looked disappointed. "Do you even know how to ride it?"

"Sure I do; no arguing, if you want me to go on this date with you." She winked at him and he gulped—she had returned to the same girl he had always known.

"Alright let's go then." He took his seat behind her, muttering all the while at her bossiness.

Ryoko phased them from their current location and relocated them by a road. She revved the engine and smirked as she felt Aeon clutch at her side with his legs and arms; she was satisfied that she was the one driving rather than the one doing the clutching.

"So where are we going?" She asked before she set off.

"Do you have a favorite restaurant?"

"Your treat?"

"Of course."

"Well then…just hold on and I'll get us there." She took off without notice and grinned ever wider as Aeon held on tighter out of surprise.

She drove to a little bar she had come upon quite by accident one evening when she was sent out to do some grocery shopping. If it hadn't been there, she would have probably made it successfully to the groceries store and back to the Masaki Shrine with food. However that hadn't been the case and she was scolded quite thoroughly, however she didn't regret it one bit. The bar was simple and clean, dimly lit, kind of quiet and relaxing—by far different from any other bar she had ever been resident of. She took off her helmet as she got off the motorcycle and looked at Aeon—what kind of face would he be making?

"Just what I need," Aeon smiled back at the surprised space pirate. "What, you thought I didn't drink" He quirked his eyebrow at her expression.

"You don't seem like the type." Ryoko admitted as they walked in.

"I don't over indulge or go over my limits, but I do enjoy myself." Aeon pulled out her chair for her and invited her to sit. "Anyways, I bet everyone will wonder where you are tonight?"

Just then Tenchi's strange flirtation popped into Ryoko's head—Tenchi had said he would be waiting! An urge to get up and leave filled her nerves: like a slave who knows its master is sure to be disappointed, she felt disobedient. She stopped and looked at Aeon and her fears subsided. No one ever knew she was gone.

"I doubt it." Ryoko scoffed as she thought of her strange family.

"Why not?"

"I'm always popping in and out; it's easy to forget I'm not there." Ryoko ordered her bottles of sake and steak.

"It wasn't easy for me." The sorrow in his eyes betrayed the smile he wore as he ordered the exact same thing.

Ryoko could read the sadness in his eyes but part of her was afraid to go into depth on the subject of her and him. She noticed he had ordered just as much sake and chuckled at his endeavor.

"You think you can handle as much sake as I can?" Ryoko teased him.

"Better than you can." He calmly smiled and took his first drink. "I wouldn't worry about me."

Ryoko closed her eyes and smiled, this was almost as relaxing as watching the sun rise with her bottle of sake.

"So deal's a deal, when did I ever take you on a date?" Ryoko cut straight to the point.

"We were about 6, and you had a knack for sneaking out of your house. Washu had even put up quite of few mechanisms to keep you in, but you somehow always got out untraced. You would come to my window and phase through it" Aeon's eyes lit up with excitement. "I had just learned how to phase but I still couldn't fly like you."

Ryoko listened intently to his words when something strangely clicked: how could Aeon do the same things she could. She watched him as he continued to drink sake and knew it wasn't having any effect on him—he was just like her.

"You'd come in and say 'let's go on a date Aeon'; before I was even half awake you would grab my arm and phase me through my walls. You liked going to this bridge that was over the Zen River. It really was a beautiful place—the only place with the fireflies you so admired. We'd catch a few and then rest from exhaustion. We were so small, but…" He stopped and examined her features.

She was beautiful—scratch that she was his very own goddess. He wanted to tell her of the promise they had made, the words they had spoken and the feelings they had embodied, but it didn't seem right. She still didn't know who she loved and telling her this now wouldn't help her.

"Aeon?" Ryoko snapped the boy back to reality.

"But, we were happy." He finished knowing he couldn't say the words he wished he could.

"Sounds like you were my best friend." Ryoko smiled as she took another swig. "Why are you just like me?" Her eyes narrowed with wary and distrust.

Aeon was surprised that she didn't know; surely Washu would have told her by now.

"Ryoko, I was born just like you…except that it was my mother's ovum, if you could really call her my mother." Aeon was pleased to see Ryoko wasn't glaring at him after his explanation.

"So you're not human either; you're a demon just like me." The alcohol was beginning to set in.

"No, we're as human as anyone can be. As far as I know, being human doesn't mean being simple—we're just complex. Plus…you're too beautiful to be a demon." He grinned as her face betrayed her anger and portrayed surprise and satisfaction. "Come on let's go." He gave her his hand which she gracefully accepted. "This time I'm driving." She nodded and was curious as to where he would take her.

He drove to a body of water and parked the bike by the edge.

"Look there's a boat!" Aeon jumped off the bike and ran towards the small sail boat.

"Yeah, it's not yours though."

"Never stopped us before" He quickly got off the locks and set it into the water. He motioned Ryoko to come and join him.

"Usually I'm the one whose getting into trouble."

"I learned from the best." Aeon winked as he began to row to the center of the lake. "Looks like there's fireflies here as well." He wrinkled his nose as a bug landed on him.

Ryoko laughed out loud as Aeon sneezed due to the intruder's tampering. She let her hand skim slightly against the water and let the little golden lights draw near. She hadn't been on a date in such a long time. Aeon watched her as she calmly took in her surroundings.

"Ryoko, I know you love Tenchi" Aeon started which drew Ryoko's gaze on him. "And I understand that he's done so much for you, but I won't leave until you tell me to." He smiled and looked up at the moon. "Until then I'm afraid you'll have to put up with me."

"It might not be so bad…putting up with you. I've never had a drinking partner." Ryoko stayed level with his eyes which were illuminated to another level by the moon's shine. "My heart…"Ryoko sat down in confusion "is beating fast." Her thoughts went back to Tenchi, would it beat for him too? "Aeon…I can't, not yet." He had drawn her face towards his, hoping to kiss her lips. "I want it to mean something…" She blushed.

"I can wait" Aeon let his hand rest on her face and gently pulled her into an embrace. "I want it to mean something too." And so the two space pirates remained in each other's embrace: a mix of silver and gold.