No Need For Deception

Ayeka hung up the phone and sighed.

Sasami: What was that all about?

Ayeka: It appears Ryoko wants to make peace with me.

Sasami: Wow, great! Now you two will stop fighting all the time, right?

Ayeka: No, we will continue fighting. I did say it APPEARED she wanted peace. I don't trust her!

Sasami: Ayeka. Maybe all your mistrust is partly why Ryoko fights with you, ya know?

Ayeka: That's not it. It's all for Lord Tenchi. She wants him to help her pillage and plunder the galaxy. Whereas i want him only for the noblest of reasons: love! Love always wins, so don't worry, Sasami! We may fight, but i, being on the side of love and good, will prevail!!

Sasami: Heh-heh...o-k. So what are you gonna do?

Ayeka: She wants to bury the hatchet? I'll provide that hatchet!

Her eyes turned to fire as Sasami cowered.

Sasami: She's scary like this, too!

A little while later, Ayeka knocked on Ryoko's door.

Ayeka: Oh, Ry-oooo-kooo? I'm here with a gift for you!

Ryoko: Oh, really!? Come on in Ayeka!

Ayeka slid the door open and...was caught in a net. She found herself hanging from the ceiling.

Ryoko: Hee-hee-hee! I honestly can't believe you fell for that! I'm impressed, you may have dethroned Mihoshi as house-ditz!

Ayeka: RRRRRR!!! Get me out of here this instant!!

Ryoko: Oh, i'll let you out. For me and Tenchi's wedding! 'Till then, just hang tight, princess! AH-hahahahaha!!

Ryoko passed through the floor, leaving Ayeka snagged and cursing. Someone slid open the door quietly.

?: Oh, Ayeka, it's you yelling! Such un-princess-like language, i would've never guessed!

Ayeka: MIHOSHI!! GET ME DOOOWWN!!

Mihoshi: Huh? What're you doing up there?

Ayeka: Nevermind that!! Just get me down!

Mihoshi looked over the net a few times, then a few times too many. She was stumped until finally a light bulb clicked on in her head. She pulled her gun from her holster. Ayeka screamed.

Ayeka: MIHOSHI!! WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU ARE DOING!?!?

Mihoshi: I'm getting you down, what's it look like?

Ayeka: AIIIEEEE!!!

Kiyone happened to be passing by and looked in. She gasped and tackled Mihoshi, who accidentally fired on the way down. Ayeka managed to swing the net slightly just in time; only her hair was singed.

Kiyone: MIHOSHI!!! WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU TRYIN' TO DO, **** HER!?!?

Mihoshi: No, silly. I was trying to get her out of that net up there.

Kiyone: Well, next time AIM HIGHER!

Mihoshi: Heh-heh. Right, sorry. So what do we do about this, Kiyone?

Kiyone drew a knife and climbed up to the rope connecting the net to the ceiling.

Kiyone: This may take longer, but at least you'll be safe. What happened here anyway?

Ayeka: It's that darn Ryoko's fault! She tricked me so she could go be Lord Tenchi's valentine!! Oops!

Kiyone: Valentine?

Mihoshi: Yeah! On Earth they have Valentine's Day where...

Ayeka: ..WHERE space pirates talk to men and have absolutely no kind of romance!

Mihoshi: What? You're so funny, Ayeka! No, Valentine's Day is a day of love and romance, where boys and girl go on dates and give each other candy and kiss and stuff, doesn't that sound like fun, huh?

Ayeka: EEP!

Kiyone, blushing slightly: Dates....kiss? thinking Oh, my. Th-this could be a good time to really get to know Tenchi. I have been thinking about him a lot lately. Could it be that....that i'm starting to feel about him the same way Ayeka and Ryoko do? Do i...LOVE TENCHI!?

Her face flushed even more.

Mihoshi: Kiyone? What's wrong?

Kiyone: N-nothing! Uh...[Kiyone is acting, and shes not good at it] oh, no! Ryoko attached a bomb to this rope!!

Mihoshi: WHAT!?

Ayeka: A BOMB!?!

Kiyone: Yes! It's set to go off in forty minutes....thinking Wait, that's no good. That sounds like a lie, who makes the timers on bombs that long? out loud Er, it'll go off if someone messes with it within forty minutes! After that, it'll be ok, but anything before then and BOOOM!!!

Mihoshi: KYAAAAA!! Oh my gosh, i'm gonna miss you, Ay-Ayekaaaa!!!

Kiyone: Get a grip, Mihoshi! Ayeka isn't going to explode. IF!!! You leave her be and do NOT disturb this trap for forty minutes! Though, just to be safe, make it fifty. Yeah, fifty works! Anyway, i'm going to ask Washu if there's some other way to disarm it. You two stay here and DO!! NOT!! TOUCH!! THE ROPE!! Do you understand, Mihoshi!?

Mihoshi: Uh....uh-huh!

Kiyone: Great. See ya! I mean, take care, Lady Ayeka!

Kiyone tip toed down the hallway to mask her excitement. Finally, she would have her shot at Tenchi!

Kiyone: Wait! Ryoko's still loose. Oh, well. I think i can get Tenchi's attention. I just have to...wait, what SHOULD i do?! I've never really tried to get a man before. Maybe i really should go talk to Wahsu. Of all of us, she's the only one to have ever had a man, as far as i know.