"With every step you take you're killing her," Kiyone threatened. "Then, we are at an impasse," the man in black replied. Kiyone nodded. "In that case, I challenged you to a battle of wits, for the princess, to the death." "I accept," Kiyone agreed with a smile. She put the knife away. The stranger sat down in front of Kiyone. He produced a small vile from his pocket. "Smell this, but don't touch it," he commanded. Kiyone sniffed the vile. "I don't smell anything," she said. "What you do not smell has the ability to completely alter your consciousness." The man in black reached for the two goblets. He turned his back to Kiyone. In a moment, he turned around again and placed the two goblets back on the rock, one in front of Kiyone and one before himself. "Where is the drug? The battle of wits has begun. It will end when you decide where the drug is and be both drink," the stranger said. "But it's so simple," Kiyone declared. "All I have to do is decide whether you're the type of man who will put the wine in his own goblet. You've beaten Sasami, which means you're very strong, so you may have put the drug in your own goblet counting on your strength to save you. But you've also beaten Tenchi, which means that you must have studied. And in studying, you would have learned that man is mortal and so you would try to put the drug as far from yourself as possible. However-" The stranger cut her off, "Will you shut up and pick one?" he demanded. "I already have," Kiyone said. She gasped, "What in the world is that?" She pointed over the stranger's shoulder. The man in black turned to look. "I don't see anything," the stranger said. "Really? Well, it's doesn't matter. Let's drink, me from my glass, you from yours." The two opponents both drank from their respective glasses. "You guessed wrong," the man in black said. Kiyone burst out laughing, "That's what you think! I switched glasses while your back was turned! You fell for the oldest trick in the book! You should have known…oh my God, what a beautiful tree!" Her face softened, and she smiled as she looked at the tree. "I wonder how that ostrich got in the branches," she continued. Kiyone looked at the stranger, "You have a beautiful, shimmery, rainbow light all around you. You're magic, you're an angel. I'm an angel!" Kiyone threw her arms out, striking Aeka in the jaw. "Ouch!" Aeka cried. "Oh, don't be angry, little princess," Kiyone soothed her, "we are all one and I feel your pain. I'm an angel." "Look," the man in black said pointing, "there are other angels flying over there beyond the cliff. You should go join them." Kiyone turned to look, "Oh, there are angels! I must fly to them!" She stood up and kissed the stranger and then Aeka. "I love you both," she said with tears in her eyes. Kiyone ran, flapping her arms wildly. She dove forward and then fell right off the edge of the cliff. The stranger and Aeka listened as her body struck the ground with a loud thud. The man in black carefully removed Aeka's blindfold. She said, "What did you give her?" "Acid," the stranger replied. "So all the time it was your goblet that was drugged," Aeka said thoughtfully. "Oh, they were both drugged. I've done acid so many times that little bit wouldn't even give me a headache. Come on, princess," he grabbed Aeka's hand and they dashed off. They ran until Aeka began to lose her breath. They stopped beside a steep, grassy hill. The stranger released her hand. "Rest a moment," he told her shortly. Aeka gasped, "If you'll release me, whatever you want you'll get it, I promise." "And what is your promise worth?" the man in black sneered. "I gave you a chance," Aeka replied. "Prince Kagato is the greatest hunter in the galaxy. He will find you." "So, you think your love will save you?" the stranger asked sarcastically. "I never said he was my love, but he will save me," Aeka insisted. "Oh, you admit you don't love your fiancé?" "Yes. He knows it," Aeka answered softly. "You mean you are not capable of love!" the stranger growled. Aeka stood up to face him, "I have loved more deeply than a killer like yourself could ever dream." The man in black raised his hand to strike her. Aeka flinched. "That was a warning," he said. "Where I come from there are penalties when a woman lies." "I know who you are," Aeka asserted. "You're the Dread Space Pirate Roberts. Admit it!" "With pride." The stranger bowed. "What can I do for you?" "You can die a horrible, painful death." The man in black shook his head, "Tsk, tsk, princess, why do you hate me so much?" "You killed the one I love." The stranger considered this, "It's possible. I kill a lot of people. Who was this love of yours? Another prince? Ugly, rich and arrogant?" "No!" Aeka replied, "A farm girl. Poor. Poor and perfect, with eyes like the sunrise. In space your ship attacked, and the Dread Space Pirate Roberts never takes prisoners." "Well, we can't afford to make exceptions." "You mock my pain!" Aeka cried. "Life is pain, princess! Anyone who says differently is selling something," he paused and then continued, "I remember this farm girl of yours. This was when? Five years ago. Does it bother you to hear about it?" "Nothing you can say would upset me," Aeka said dully. "Her name was Ryoko. It meant demon-caller. And let me tell you, she was one beautiful demon! She died well. She simply said, 'Please, please I need to live.' It was the 'please' that caught my memory. I asked her what was so important. And then she spoke of a woman of such surpassing beauty, I can only assume she meant you. You should thank me for destroying her before she found out what you really are!" "And what is that supposed to mean?" Aeka snapped. "She spoke of your faithfulness, princess, your enduring faithfulness. Did you wait a whole hour after she died to sleep with your prince? You little hussy." "I am not a woman of loose morals!" Aeka shouted. "Don't you ever mock me again, I died on that day!" In the distance, they heard the thunder of approaching horses. The stranger turned to see Prince Kagato riding toward them. "You can die too!" Aeka shoved the unsuspecting stranger so that he fell face first down the hill. As she watched him roll downwards, she heard his voice call out, "As you wish!" At that moment, Aeka realized that the man in black was not a stranger, or a man, but Ryoko. "Oh, my darling Ryoko! What have I done?!" Aeka hurled herself onto the hill. As she rolled down the hill, Ryoko's mask was torn off revealing her beautiful mane of spiky, cyan hair. Her shirt also came unbuttoned revealing her ample cleavage, which had been tied down. At last the two came to a stop. Aeka had landed face down in the grass. "Whatcha doing, Aeka, having a dirt sandwich?" Ryoko taunted. But Aeka could not be angry; she was so happy Ryoko was alive. Aeka rolled over and embraced her love. "Oh," she breathed, "for so long I've wanted to touch you again." "Well now you can touch me any time you want," Ryoko said smiling. "My darling, don't ever leave me again!" Aeka pleaded. Ryoko smoothed Aeka's hair away from her face and kissed her. * "Oh no, please!" the grandson protested. "What's the matter?" the grandfather asked. "It's two woman kissing again!" "You know, someday you might not mind so much," the grandfather told the boy slyly. "Skip on to something good," the boy said. "You're sick. I'll humor you. I wouldn't want you to wet the bed again." The grandfather began reading once more. * Ryoko and Aeka raced along a narrow path. Above them, the thunder of Prince Kagato's horses grew louder. Ryoko looked up. "Your freak fiancé is too late," she said, "A few more steps and we'll be safe in the Fire Swamp!" She pulled Aeka into the forest, beneath the dark canopy of dead trees and vines. Aeka looked around fearfully. "It could be worse," Ryoko said. The two slowly began to walk forward. They had not gone very far when the heard a mysterious, popping sound. The two girls looked around in confusion. Suddenly, a flame shot up from the ground, catching the end of one of Aeka's long pigtails on fire. Aeka screamed. Ryoko quickly stomped on the end of the pigtail, nearly pulling Aeka's hair out of her head. Aeka screamed again. "What do you think you're doing?!" she hollered. Ryoko extinguished the flames. "Would you rather have had your entire head burst into flames?" she asked. Aeka shook her head. The two girls continued on. Ryoko began to tell Aeka how she had come to be the Dread Space Pirate Roberts. "As you know, I am now the Dread Space Pirate Roberts," Ryoko said. "But how can that be? You only left me five years ago and Roberts has been marauding for twenty years." "You know, I'm often surprised by how things work out. What I told you before about saying please was true. It intrigued Roberts, as did the fact that we're both women. I don't know why men are so fascinated by that kind of thing. But anyway, Roberts told me, "All right, Ryoko, I've never had a valet before, so I'll let you live, but I'll probably kill you in the morning." Aeka looked at Ryoko in amazement. Ryoko continued, "Of course, I also had to sleep with him." "You did what?!" Aeka screamed. "I'm just kidding, calm down," Ryoko told her, the she continued, "It was a fine time for me. I was learning to fence, fight, hold my liquor, anything anyone would teach me. Then it happened. Roberts took me aside and explained that he was not the real Dread Space Pirate Roberts. He had inherited the title from the previous Dread Space Pirate Roberts, who had been retired for many years. Roberts told me that he had decided to retire and hand the title over to me. So I became Roberts and have been him ever since. You see, it's the name that's most important. No one would surrender to the Dread Space Pirate Ryoko. Do you understand?" "I think so," Aeka replied. She considered all this new information carefully and then for some reason, decided to walk a few steps. Suddenly, the ground inhaled her and she was sucked down into a pit of sand. Ryoko knelt beside the pit. She reached into the depths of the sand. As she did so, a large, dorky, yellow creature appeared. It mumbled something unintelligible and then vanished into the trees. Ryoko seized a handful of Aeka's hair and slowly pulled her out of the sand. Aeka coughed, "We'll never survive," she said. Then she looked at Ryoko indignantly, "Why did you pull me out by my hair? Would it have been so difficult to dive in and save me?" "You're here aren't you?" Ryoko asked her. Then she continued, "We will survive. What are the three dangers of the Fire Swamp? The flame spurt, you found that one, so in the future we can avoid it. The lightening sand, you found that one too, so now we can avoid it, as well." "But what about the POUS's?" Aeka questioned. Ryoko stood up. "Pikachu of Unusual Size? I don't think the exist." At that moment, the dorky, yellow creature reappeared and hurled itself at Ryoko. "Pika!" it cried fiercely as it pinned her to the ground. Ryoko fought with the creature, struggling to free herself from its grasp. Aeka glanced around, quickly, looking for something that might help her save her love. She seized a fallen tree branch and struck at the creature again and again. Unfortunately, her aim was very poor and more often than not, she missed the fat, dumpy creature and hit Ryoko instead. "What the fuck are you doing?!" Ryoko demanded. "I'm helping you," Aeka cried. "Well stop!" Ryoko insisted. Aeka dropped her tree branch. "Pika!" the creature snarled, biting Ryoko's shoulder. Ryoko cried out in pain. Then, she heard a faint popping noise. She saw a flame spurt about the burst from the ground and rolled the Pikachu in its direction. The flame shot up scorching the creature's garish, yellow fur. "Pika!" it cried out in pain. Ryoko got to her feet. She brought forth her light sword and stabbed the Pikachu again and again. "Pika! Pika…" it whimpered. Then, with its last breath, it whispered, "…chu…" and died. Grateful to be alive, the two girls embraced each other over the body of the dead Pikachu.