Same song, second dance. Or would it be fifth by now? Also, besides the afore mentioned Dune/Tenchi Muyo ownership debacle, I do not own "Moondance", Van Morrison does. Nonetheless, enjoy the latest addition to the saga of..... Gold and Silver Part 3c: Friday Night Moondance Mihoshi was giddy with anticipation. Tonight was her night. Tonight, she and Trinth would be together. He hadn't told her much about the plan for their date, only that he'd come for her at 8:00. She glanced at the clock upon her nightstand. <7:30?! I'd better start getting ready!> The girl rushed to her closet and started frantically searching for an outfit for the evening. Over at the lake hangar, Trinth, Washu, and Tenchi were all hard at work repairing the Gilded Talon. Trinth had stated that he wanted to restore the ship's functions as a dwelling. The scene had been quite comical. The pattern of Tenchi repairing a part, Trinth questioning how the repair had been done, Washu defending Tenchi's work, and then the old classmates digressing into a debate over whose methods of technology were better suited to the task, was repeated throughout the day. Even with the antics of the repair crew, the Talon actually seemed to have experienced some sort of restoration. The once shredded ship now had its hull completly reformed and was awaiting paint. The battlecruiser's lights were twinking brightly and the interior had been totally rebuilt. All that remained were the engines and weaponry. "Well done!", Trinth shouted to his compatriots. "You both have been a great asset to this task. I belive I can handle the remainder of the repairs alone." Washu appeared crest-fallen. "I was hoping to take a peek in all the files contained in this things database." She said, patting the aft stabilizing fin she was leaning against. "I'm sure that there's plenty of interesting tidbits of info hidden in the computer of the most fabled ship in the Royal Calab Fleet." Tenchi was appreciative, to say the least, of Trinth's offer to take off. It had been a long day for the boy. Between Trinth's demanding work ethic and Washu's hounding him at every corner, the day had exhausted him. Tenchi thought wearily as he bolted out of the hangar, After much prodding and a promise of a full tour of the Gilded Talon's hard drive, the Archduke managed to get Washu to leave the hangar as well. Trinth thought triumphantly. He looked over to his proud ship. Suddenly, a loud beeping began to emanate from his wristwatch. He looked at the boisterous timepiece. "OH NO! It's 7:25?! I almost forgot. Curse my idiocy!" Trinth dashed straight out of the hangar and towards the Masaki home. Mihoshi sat waiting in the living room. She fidgeted nervously as her eyes followed each movement of the clock. Fragmented worries filled her head as the minutes ticked closer to 7:30. Sasami walked into the living room from the kitchen and spotted her friend on the sofa. The young girl was surprised by the blonde's appearance. Her typical pink blouse and khakis had been replaced by a knee-length shimmering blue dress with a small diamond and moonstone brooch. "Mihoshi. You look pretty tonight. Why are you all dressed up?" Mihoshi was startled by the princess's inquiry. She had thought everyone had gone to the onsen to relax. She turned a wary gaze to Sasami. True, Mihoshi didn't want to let the other girls know about her interest in Trinth, but Sasami was different. She was really the only one who would sit and watch cartoons with her or go out with her on walks through the woods, or play with Ryo-Ohki. The blue-haired girl had always been like a sister to her. Mihoshi decided to let Sasami in on her plans for tonight. "Sasami," she said slowly, "could you keep a secret from the others?" Sasami nodded eagerly. Her eyes were wide-open with curiousity. "Well, Sasami, Trinth and I have a date tonight." Mihoshi whispered in her friend's ear. The little princess turned a look of disbelief to Mihoshi to which Mihoshi merely nodded to indicate that she was telling the absolute truth. Both girls broke into excited tittering as they realized the fact facing them. "I'm so happy for you, Mihoshi! I wish it were me. Trinth is such a nice guy. You'll have a great time with him." Sasami said in a awed voice. Mihoshi blushed fiercely. She couldn't help but feel amazed herself that it was happening. The honking of a car horn in front of the house broke the girls revelry. Mihoshi ran out of the house to see what all the noise was about and found Trinth leaning leisurely on the door sill of a sleek, red roadster. She drank in the sight of the Archduke. His Calab finery had been replaced with tan slacks, a white tunic and a dark blue, deep- vee wool sweater. It was a relaxed look that she felt suited him even better than the traditional uniform of a Calaban noble that he usually wore. "You look great tonight, Trinth." she said demurely. "I must say quite the same thing about you, m'lady." He said gently as he bowed to kiss her hand. The girl's cheeks turned a bright red that matched the color of the fiery sports car that sat idling next to them. Trinth motioned to the car. "I believe we should be off, m'lady." he said as he opened the passenger-side door for her. She slid into one of the tan leather bucket seats in the roadster cockpit. "Where are we going tonight, exactly?" she inquired. "A jazz club." The knight answered calmly. "This is nice." she cooed as she settled into the upholstery. "Where did you get this car?" "It's one of the collection I accumulated while I was on Earth. This particular car is my personal favorite, a 1972 Ferrari 365 GTS/4 Daytona. One of only 127 built. I thought a rare and beautiful auto such as this would make an appropriate chariot for a rare and beautiful lady." Trinth walked back over to the driver's side and climbed into his seat. Mihoshi instinctively buckled herself in. The knight flashed her a mischeivous grin. "That was a good idea, m'lady." He said playfully. Suddenly, he slammed in the clutch and started to bring up the engine's revs. He rowed through the gearbox until he found first gear. "Here we go!" he shouted over the cacophony of the engine. In one swift, orchestrated movement, Trinth let out the clutch and stood on the throttle. The engine screamed as the rear tires lit up in a smoky haze as they spun from the heady dose of power they had just received courtesy of the twelve thundering cylinders under the Ferrari's hood. Mihoshi screamed, half from terror, half from delight as the Daytona rocketed towards the driveway and off down the road. Meanwhile in the onsen, the elder girls were relaxing themselves after what they had felt was a exhausting day. "Isn't it grand having Archduke Milodon here with us?" Ayeka asked mildly. The others nodded in agreement. Each mentally admitted that Trinth was a fine addition to the family. "I always knew that Ol'Grayhair would come back and see me." Ryoko said, reminscing over the good times the two of them had shared. "He and I, there's a missed chance." the pirate lifted her ever present sake bottle in a mock toast. "But that's all ancient history. I belong to Tenchi now." "Ryoko! You know perfectly well that Lord Tenchi bears no interest in you or your most unladylike traits. As for Lord Trinth, I tend to believe that he merely took pity on you. How could a noble of his standing could see you as a possible mate puzzles me. After all you've done, how anyone could see you as more than a vicious monster is total mystery." Ayeka's bitter words dug deep into Ryoko's soul. The speech on Tenchi she had expected, but not the part about Trinth's kindness towards her. Against all of her willpower, the former space pirate began crying. "You think I liked what I was doing when I was under Kagato's control? To kill and destroy and never know anything but that!" Ryoko questioned Ayeka "I know what my actions did to Sasami all those years ago. Every nightmare she has is because of me. You think it's easy to live with that? To wake up every morning to see the person making you breakfast and know that she didn't sleep a wink because of something horrible you did to her seven hundred years ago? Trinth may not have ever loved me, but he cared about me and that's more than I can say about a lot of people. He made sure that I could live so that I would find someone I loved and could live a happy life. I owe everything to that man. My life, my meeting Tenchi, my new family which includes you, Ayeka, everything I ever cared about I got because he stepped in front of your brother and made him imprison me instead of killing me." Ayeka was stunned. She had never thought Ryoko had any regrets about anything. Now she was seeing just how filled with self-reproach the cyan-haired girl was. Ayeka moved across the onsen to the trembling Ryoko and put a hand on her shoulder. Ryoko flinched and turned a teary face to the princess. "Is it so much to ask that you at least allow me my fantasies?" Ayeka paused, she hadn't any idea what to say to the sobbing Ryoko. She certainly never had thought that Ryoko was that vulnernable. That injured inside. "Ryoko, I never really understood you. For what it's worth, I apologize. I truly do. As Trinth himself said, now is not the time for dwelling in the sorrows of the past. I have been doing that for far too long. Perhaps, now is the time for making amends." The space pirate's tears shifted fom originating in grief from being born of joy. She embraced the Juraiin princess enthusiastically. Ayeka returned the gesture with equal aplomb. "I can't begin to thank you Ayeka. I always wanted to bury the hatchet with you." Ayeka smiled warmly. "Truth be told, Ryoko, I was beginning to find our constant bickering rather tiresome myself." The two girls laughed together and for the first time, it was sincere. The Ferrari screeched to a halt in the parking lot of the jazz club Conundrum. The soft neon lights reflecting brilliantly in the red finish of the roadster's hood. "We're here, m'lady" Trinth said gently as he swung open the driver's door of the car. He stepped out quickly and rushed to the passenger side door. He opened Mihoshi's door with a flourish and a grandiose bow. Mihoshi couldn't help but giggle at his over-the-top showmansip. Trinth extended an arm to her, "Shall we go to our table?" The girl nodded eagerly and entwined her arm around his. The opening of the club door greetedthem wish a sonic blast. The music of trumpets and basses mixed with the clatter of dishes and the chatter of the patrons. "Sir Milodon? Is that you?" a smooth, Italianesque voice asked. "Atore! Good to see you old friend!" Trinth said happily. "Mihoshi," he spoke turning to his companion, "I'd like to introduce you to an old friend." Trinth clapped a hand on the club owner's shoulder. "This is Atore Teylono. A fellow Empire knight of the first order and Baron of Lucidia." "I am pleased to meet you Baron Teylono." Mihoshi said in as formal a voice as she could muster. She reached out to shake the Baron's hand only to find him clasping it gently to bow and kiss it. "I assure you, bellisima, the pleasure is all mine. You need only call me Atore. If Milodon can get away with that, then you may call me whatever you like, whenever you like." The baron spoke charmingly. He then stood up very straight and snapped his fingers. A waiter came running to the club front where the couple stood. "This is Kanet. He'll take excellent care of you. Enjoy the show. I must get back to the breakneck dangers of small enterprise." With a bow and a wave, he disappeared into the crowd. "Follow me please, sir." the waiter said to Trinth as he led them to a booth near the stage at the back of the club. "Who's performing tonight?" Trinth asked. His voice was surprisingly casual. "Open Stage, sir. All who care to brave the audience may perform." Kanet said as he placed a pair of menus upon the table. "May I get either of you a drink?" "I would." Trinth answered quickly, he then turned to Mihoshi. "What is your experience with serious drinks?" "I've only tried some of Ryoko's sake. It didn't affect me at all, but the taste was bad." Trinth thought this over for a moment. "Mihoshi, would you allow me to order drinks for the both of us?" Mihoshi nodded her agreement after a second of apprehension. "Good then. Kanet, two martinis and take the time to do them right." The waiter bowed and strode off towards the bar. Trinth and Mihoshi took their seats in the booth so that they were facing the stage. Both seemed to sense animosity from the other. They each thought it was related to the previous day's events. Mihoshi was the first to attempt conversation. "So, who was that Atore guy?" "Atore? He was a first order Empire knight, just as I was. He retired to Earth around the same time I took up residence here. He decided that Italy would be a nice place to live. I lived in and about Europe for the time. I must have moved to a different city every decade. He always said I should settle down and start a business, like he's done here. But, I never did. "Why not? Don't you want a home?" "Home for me in those days was wherever there was wine, women and song. I had to travel to expeirience the universe. I most loved the time I spent on Earth, but I had to keep wandering." "What's different now?" "My life is getting to the point where I can't just wander the universe alone anymore. In the early days, I had Yosho. While I was on Earth, I had Atore. When I went back to space, though, I was alone and I just didn't like it." "So you were lonely?" "Yes. For a time, I was very lonely." Mihoshi cupped Trinth's face lovingly in her palm. "You shouldn't be lonely. No one should." she said ever so softly. The words fell upon the Archduke's ear as tender aural caresses. He longed to return this feeling of pleasure to her, but his mind raced back to Thursday and the mishap in the clearing. He took her hand from his cheek and placed it on the table. Removing the tender contact he was enjoying so much. Mihoshi thought worriedly. The thoughts of both occupants of the booth were interrupted by Kanet's sharp voice. "Sir. Madame. Your martinis are ready. I took the liberty of preparing them with a variety of Mr. Teylono's personal favorite liqours. I hope that they are satisfactory." "I'm sure they will be unless Atore's tastebuds have dulled in his old age." Trinth said slyly. Mihoshi gave the knight a sharp rap on his collar. "Trinth! I'm shocked that you would say something like that about your comrade." Trinth threw up his hands in mock surrender. "M'lady, do not take this the wrong way but you take my comments on Atore far too seriously. Kanet, report to Teylono and tell him that I said just that." Kanet gave the Calab a puzzled look and carried out the request. "Now, m'lady, you shall see the humor of Baron Teylono." Mihoshi waited for a minute, and then heard booming laughter bellowing from the club office. Kanet soon reappeared at the table. "Sir Milodon," Kanet said nervously, "Mr. Teylono says that if his tongue has ceased to function in his old age, how can he tell that your woman tastes of ripe, juicy, strawberries?" Trinth burst into laughter at this witty remark and leaned over to kiss Mihoshi on her cheek. "Tell Atore I concur with his assesment. I doubt we'll need your services any further tonight, Kanet." The young waiter bowed at this and wandered off to manage one of the other tables within the establishment. "That Atore, he'll die laughing, I swear it." Trinth said as he lifted his glass. Mihoshi picked up hers and inspected it. The liquid contained in the triangular vessel was clear except for a solitary olive floating along the side of the glass. She took a small sip. "Yeow!" she exclaimed as the liquid hit her tongue. The drink was an assault on her sense of taste, an odd mixture of flavors both bitter and sweet. She tried another sip, it was different this time, smoother and sweeter. Pleasurable to the taste and soothing to the mind. She smiled at Trinth. "How did you know I'd like this?" "What do you suppose my first drink was when I arrived on Earth? The martini is a drink that, to me, always has represented beginnings. I thought it would be fitting for tonight." Trinth gazed down into his glass, swirling the drink gently. Then chuckled softly. "I almost forgot the toast." He raised his martini to hers "To what, m'lady, shall we drink tonight?" Mihoshi paused, then, in a soft voice announced the toast. "To love." She spoke it as they clinked their glasses together. Trinth drank deeply and turned to his lady companion. "Why love?" He asked. Mihoshi thought. "Because I love you, Trinth Milodon." She blurted out before her mind stopped her. A look of alarm flashed across the knight's countenance. "I think I, um, left something in the.........car, yeah, the car." He stammered as he rose out of his seat. "I'll just go get it now." Trinth dashed out of the club, leaving a bewildered, and despairing, Mihoshi alone in the booth. She wondered angrily, The blonde began to sob at her foolishness. Out in the parking lot, Trinth sat with his head in his hands upon the front fender of his Ferrari. Trinth hopped down off the fender, reached into the interior and pulled the trunk release. He walked back to the trunk and withdrew a small envelope. He ruffled through the enclosed papers. Trinth slammed the trunk closed and ran to the stage entrance. Mihoshi sat alone in the booth that she had so recently shared with Trinth. She was devastated at the fact that she believed the Archdike did not want her at all. She was preparing to leave when the club PA system came on. "Attention everyone." Atore's voice boomed over the din of the audience. "We have a last minute addition to Open Mike Night here at Conundrum. Here he is, ladies and gentlemen, Trinth Milodon!" The club went wild with applause as Trinth walked out into the stage spotlight. He sat down at the club's white baby-grand piano a hit a few random notes with incredible ferocity. The audience quieted as the knight attacked the keys in an intense rendition of Beethoven's 5th. Then, as soon as it began, it ended. Trinth turned to the crowd. "Ladies and gentlemen. I hope that I have got your attention by now. My intent for tonight is simple. I need to tell a wonderful young lady exactly how I feel about her. She's in this audience right now. My dear lady, my first response was misleading. This is how I truly feel." His voice rang with simple elegance. He took out a small envelope and removed some sheets of paper. He started to hand them out to the other club musicians. They nodded as they skimmed their parts. Trinth returned to the piano. As soon as he had sat down, the bass picked up. A snare drum soon joined in, accompanied by a soft acoustic guitar. Then came a flute. The music they were playing was raw and mystical. It almost seemed sensous with its throbbing rhythm and flowing melody. It climaxed when the piano started in with Trinth sweetly singing alongside it. "Well it's a marvelous night for a moondance with the stars up above in your eyes. A fantabulous night to make romance 'neath the cover of October skies. All the leaves on the trees are falling to the sound of the breezes that flow and I'm trying to please to the calling of your hot strings that play soft and low. You know the night's magic seems to whisper and hush and the soft moonlight seems to shine in your blush. Can I just have one more moondance with you, my love? Can I just make some more romance with you, my love? Well I want to make love to you tonight I can't wait till the morning has come and I know now the time is just right and straight into my arms you wil run. When you come my heart'll be waiting to make sure that you're never alone. There and then all my dreams will come true, dear. There and then I will make you my own. And everytime I touch you, you just tremble inside. That's how I know you want me there, you can't hide. Can I just have one more moondance with you, my love? Can I just make some more romance with you, my love?" Mihoshi could barely contain her joy as the song ended. She ran up onto the stage to where Trinth was seated and wrapped her arms around. him. Tears streamed down her face as he returned her loving embrace. "I'm so glad." she chanted in his ear. The audience applauded madly as the couple held each other. Atore's voice came on over the PA. "Trinth? You sure you don't want to go back to your booth for that?" Trinth looked towards the club office to see Atore wearing a mile wide grin. The Calab gave his comrade a menacing look and accepted his proposal. The two returned to their booth and sat down. "Trinth, why didn't you tell me?" Mihoshi asked quietly. "I was unsure of what your response would be. I didn't believe you were interested in me." "How could I not be?" Mihoshi said, incredulous with disbelief. "I've loved you since I first laid eyes on Grandfather's picture of you." She leaned over to him, placing her head over his heart, nuzzling his chest. "You're the most wonderful man I've ever met. All I want now is to for you to stay right here and love me back." Trinth held the blonde close, gently stroking her back, "I shall love you more than anything else in this universe and the next." he whispered to her. The knight looked down at his love, her eyes were shut tight and it seemed that she was snoring ever so softly, almost like a kitten purring. "Poor dear's exhausted." he surmised. Slowly he lifted her into his arms and carried her back to the car. Trinth set her down in the bucket seat of the Ferrari and laid the seat back a few degrees. He then buckled her in, just tight enough to safeguard her in case he crashed on the way home. The Calab looked to the angelic creature that now slept in his car, then to the brilliant night sky. He smiled warmly. "Mihoshi. If I recall my Japanese, that translates to "beautiful star"." He leaned over the doorsill of the roadster and lightly kissed her forehead, "It suits you, m'lady." He strode quickly back to his seat in the car and started the car's engine. Silently, he drove off to return to his house in the hills of Okayama. Taking with him the girl of his dreams and the promise of a new happiness. Author's Notes: Longest part yet!If you've read this far I hope you won't be upset with the latest news regarding "Gold & Silver." Due to the length of part 3, I've decided to take a short break from my Tenchi writing to concentrate on my neglected Gundam Wing fic which hasn't been worked on for several months. Rest assured this is not the end of this epic. In fact, thera are still three more parts to go that have all been laid out, they just need to be detailed. Keep reading and keep reviewing, I've appreciated all the mail I've received thus far. Signed Craeyst Raygal