"What?" Lulu can feel her pink eyes widen in surprise as her brother finishes what he's saying.
"Yuto, is thinking about going to one of the other dimensions for college. Mostly the Pendulum one to be closer to his other counter parts who are going to school there. He says it'll be easy for him in a new place if he's around three people who know him well."
"Oh! As he applied to any schools there yet?" Lulu wonders as she can feel her fingers twitch beneath her hands.
Shay shakes his head. "No. He wants to look at schools here, there, and Syncro before doing anything. He's doing tours tomorrow in Syncro then he'll look at Pendulum before applying to any."
"Will he be here Friday?" Friday night is a big night for Lulu. She and her counterparts, Zuzu, Rin, and Selena are putting on a concert in the park in Heartland with most of their friends attending from all across the dimensions.
"Of course he is." Shay smiles. "He knows how much this means to you, he wouldn't miss it for anything."
Lulu nods before she tells her brother that she needs to meet up with the other three girls for their concert on Friday. Grabbing her backpack Lulu rushes out the door faster than she ever has before. Her heart is pounding in her chest as the news sink in. Yuto is leaving, for college. In another dimension! The dimensions don't really need saving anymore and undoubtedly he's schedule will be busy that they may not talk much.
But why is Yuto leaving? He said that he will always be there for her, that nothing will ever separate them. But he's going to school in another dimension while she stays here. She thought they had something. She isn't imagining all the blushing and tongue-tied he gets when he is around her, the way she'll sometimes lay her head on his shoulder and hear the beat his heart picks up.
Running into the studio that they are using to rehearse, Lulu immediately goes to the piano. "What are you doing Lulu?" Selena wonders as she goes to set up the mic stand.
"Writing a song."
"Why?"
"Shay told me something and I really need to get my feelings out about it."
Lulu takes to the piano keys and starts writing her lyrics and sings them as she can feel her heart and soul going into it. When she's done the other three girls surround her, telling her that the song is amazing. Lulu thanks them, but isn't so sure. They're probably just saying this because they're her counterparts, all fragments of Ray Akaba, in a way her sisters. Then again, Selena isn't really one to try and save someone's feelings in the slightest.
Now the only thing to do is to rehearse their songs and prepare for Friday night.
The whole week goes by as a blur to Lulu. Selena and she attended school the Monday after the news Shay told her about Yuto on Sunday, then Rin and Zuzu came in from their respective dimensions so they could rehearse while Yugo and Yuya showed Yuto around their respective dimensions. Yuri has been. . . . Lulu isn't sure, the only people who know about him are his counterparts and Selena, and that's because Selena has been working hard at reforming Duel Academy and just making it a dueling school and no longer a military dueling school.
"Alright everyone!" Zuzu says into the mic after they finish singing their song that they call Fight Song. "Now, here is a song we've been practicing for months and we hope you like it!"
Lulu: Don't say you miss me when you don't call
Selena: Don't say you're hurtin' without the scars
Zuzu: Don't promise me tonight without tomorrow, too
Rin: Don't say you love me unless you do
Zuzu: We've been close, but inconsistent
You hold my heart at a safer distance, yeah
You think words can ease the tension
But you can't deny that something's missin'
Selena: I need a little bit more
I need a little bit more
You gotta know what it's like
I know you been here before
I've been waiting, I've been patient
But I need a little bit more
Lulu: Don't say you miss me when you don't call
Selena: And don't say you're hurtin' without the scars
Zuzu: Don't promise me tonight without tomorrow, too
Rin: Don't say you love me unless you do, unless you do
Lulu: How am I supposed to take it
When weeks go by and I'm still waitin'
I say I'm OK but I can't fake it, yeah
Even when I try, yeah, something's missing
Rin: I need a little bit more
I need a little bit more (I need a little bit more)
You gotta know what it's like
I know you been here before
I've been waiting, I've been patient
But I need a little bit more
All: So don't say you miss me when you don't call (when you don't call)
Don't say you're hurtin' wihtout the scars
Don't promise me tonight without tomorrow, too
Don't say you love me unless you do, unless you do
Don't say you love me (don't say you love me)
Unless you do (unless you do)
Don't say you love me (oh yeah)
Don't say you love me (oh)
Don't promise me tonight without tomorrow, too
Don't say you love me (oh yeah)
Unless you do, unless you do
RIn and Selena: I need a little bit more
I need a little bit more
You gotta know what it's like
Lulu and Zuzu: I know you've been here before
I've been waiting, I've been patient (yeah)
But I need a little bit more (yeah)
All: Don't say you miss me when you don't call (when you don't call)
Don't say you're hurting without the scars
Don't promise me tonight without tomorrow too
Don't say you love me unless you do
"Thank you! Thank you all!" Rin says as the audience cheers for their performance. "Now, out last song is new one that Lulu has just recently written and we really wanted to sing it!" Rin throws the mic to Lulu as she goes to the drums, Selena to they keyboard, and Zuzu to the drums. The three girls start playing their instruments to set the mood for Lulu to sing her song.
Lulu: Your unfeeling heart imprisons me
Careless eyes, too blind to see
Empty words, an iron cage
Broken heart, bleeding rage
Can't wait for you and me
It's time I break free
Trap of love
Snared by desire
"What do you think of the new song?" Shay asks his best friend, who is standing by his side as they listen to the song from backstage.
"It's great!" Yuto replies, a smile on his face that is genuine, sad, and forced. Deep down he knows this song is about him. He knows Shay probably told her about him leaving Xyz to go to one of the other dimensions for school. He does want to stay, for Lulu, but she is a part of Ray and he is a part of Zarc or they were, rather. They were always meant to meet and he just wants to give her the chance to meet new people, make new friends maybe even a new special someone in her life. He doesn't want their relationship to feel forced later or end up crashing and burning because of who they were a part of.
Yes, they have grown on their own, yet Yuto can't help but feel that if he weren't friends with Shay and Lulu wasn't Shay's sister they would never have met and maybe Yuto would have been absorbed into Yuri and not Yuya and they may have become Zarc sooner before Leo even started to try and regenerate his daughter. As he continues to listen to the song, Yuto knows what he has to do.
Lulu: Trap of love
Burned by your fire
Trap of love
Snared by desire
Trap of love
Beware the trap of love
Let me be, it's time we part
Set me free, un-cage my heart
Can't wait for you and me
It's time for you to see
Trap of love
Snared by desire
Trap of love
Burned by your fire
Trap of love
Snared by desire
Trap of love
Beware the trap of love...
When the girls are done with the song they stop playing their instruments and thank the crowd as they walk off stage. Yuya wraps his arms around Zuzu and compliments her on her performance, Sora asking if he's just saying that because Yuya is Zuzu's boyfriend which both deny while blushing and Yuya still keeping an arm around her waist. Yugo is just praising Rin to the point that she has to clamp her hand over his mouth to get him to stop. Declan and Yuri compliment Selena on hers, well Declan does. Yuri is pretending that he wasn't that impressed by it.
As Lulu watches her counterparts with their respective significant others and friends and depending what Selena thinks of Yuri and Declan, she can't help but long to see that. "Hey, Lulu." Hearing the familiar voice that makes her heart beat faster. She sees Yuto in his black shirt and black and cream jacket, black pants and shoes, a belt around his waist, a necklace, a watch on his right hand and a bracelet on the other. He's holding a boutique of roses in his hand. "Here, these are for you." He hands her the roses as blush comes across his face and Lulu can't help but smile at that. She loves it when Yuto blushes. Too bad this may be one of the last few times she will get to see it.
The roses are a mix of white, blue, yellow, orange, green and in the very center a single red rose. "Thank you, Yuto, these are beautiful!" Lulu examines the roses. Roses are her favorite flower and not many people know that. Only her close friends and family know. Which is good when Sylvio tried to whoo her and ended up getting her lilies, which she is allergic to.
"Shay says that you're leaving Xyz." It's not a question or a statement, for some reason Lulu can tell that it is more of a goodbye.
"Yeah," Yuto scratches the back of his head. "I love Heartland to death, but I never really did get a chance to really explore Paradise City or Neo Domino."
"Weren't you in Yuya's head the first time in Syncro?"
"Yes. Even then, we didn't travel to many places. But seeing it now, especially with the Commons and Tops coming together to make a better life for everyone, it is something. But I think Paradise City is in more my favor."
"Do you know what school you want to go to? When you leave?"
Yuto opens his mouth to answer, but doesn't get to say anything as Yuya shouts over: "Yuto, we're leaving. You might want to hurry so we don't forget ya!" They look over and see Crow take Yugo and Rin back with him to Syncro, Yuri and Selena leaving to fix Duel Academy and the Fusion Dimension in general. Declan is near a white portal with Gong, Sylvio, Sora, Yuya, and Zuzu. In his arms is baby Riley; they may not be related but Lulu has seen Declan care for Riley as if she is his sister and is already refusing the idea of Riley bringing a significant other home when Riley gets older.
"Now, apparently." Lulu looks down at this, the boutique slumping against her arm. Lulu looks up when she feels Yuto place his hands on her shoulders. "This isn't goodbye, not forever. I'll call every chance I get and I will try to visit as often as my time will allow. Trust me, I will call later tonight when everything I get settled."
Lulu nods. "Where will you live? In a dorm or. . . ."
"With Yuya and his parents. They think it might be a good idea of Yuya having an older brother around to try and get him to study and keep out of trouble, although I think Zuzu already has that covered."
Lulu gives a small laugh as she watches Yuto walk away and to the portal, he waves goodbye to her and she waves to him, her heart breaking. Then, in a flash, he's gone. Yuto's in the Pendulum Dimension now.
"That was a great performance Lulu." Shay says from behind her.
"Thanks Shay. Wait, Yuto just left without even-"
"He and I already gave our goodbyes as you ladies were calming down from the last song. Come on, we should go home." With that Shay and Lulu make their way from the park and back towards their home. The walk back to their home is quiet as Lulu lets the night sink in. Lulu has been in choir and has done many performances and has given solos, but tonight she wasn't singing to a crowd she was just singing to Yuto knowing that it may be one of the last few times she would see him before he left. Instead, it turns out to be the last time she does get to see him until he has school breaks and his calls.
Reaching their home Lulu goes to her room and quickly changes out her clothes-the ones she wore during the invasion-and changes into a long sleeve off-the-shoulder pajama top that falls to her mid-thighs and yellow pajama shorts. Putting on her white worn flip flops that she wears only around the house, Lulu takes the roses down to the kitchen and finds an empty vase to put them in.
"Lulu, are you alright?" The concerned voice of her older brother startles the young purple-hair woman. "Is this about Yuto?"
"How did you know?"
"You were silent all the way home, normally after something like this you're excited and can't stop talking about it. Not to mention you've been out of character lately. Did Yuto do something to upset you?"
Lulu lets out a sigh. "Why did he leave, Shay? Wasn't he happy here? Happy with us? Kite? Saya? Allen?"
"Lu," Lulu hasn't heard her brother use that nickname in years. "It's complicated. Yuto thinks that you two wouldn't have been friends or even gotten along had you two not been in the same dimension, much less gotten to know each other. He thinks that if you two were to get together in some way that it may come back and haunt you two later and he doesn't want to hurt you."
"He's hurting me now."
"And you don't think he is? Lu, I love you and Yuto is like a brother to me. I have seen you two get to know each other to the point that you know one another's decks like your own. Leaving Xyz, leaving you is one of the hardest things he has ever had to do. He was still torn about staying here or going to one of the other dimensions, well that is until he heard that last song tonight. He knows it's about him."
"What? How did-I never-"
"Lu, Yuto may be many things, but stupid isn't one of them. He has been thinking about leaving for a while now, after the inter-dimensional war." Shay says quickly, trying to reassure his sister that she is in no way to blame for Yuto leaving. "After finding out you were a part of Ray and he was a part of Zarc he doesn't think he should be thinking of you in any sort of way, romantic or platonic. He just wants you to meet new people without worrying about him."
"He left so I could move on?"
Shay nods. "Trust me, it's hard for him. Yugo, Yuri, and Yuya all told me that when he was asleep he kept muttering your name in his sleep."
Lulu blushes at the revelation. "I'm surprised you didn't kill Yuto when I first started having a crush on him."
"I know I may not be the best with other guys who have crushes on you, but I know Yuto. I know he would rather rip his heart from his chest than to hurt you, literally. If he could go back to the day you were taken during the invasion he would make sure you weren't and that you were by our side. Trust me Lu, he loves you as much as you love him and he just needs time to realize this."
"Are you sure?" Shay nods. "Alright. Thanks Shay!" Lulu hugs her brother.
"No problem Lu." Soon the siblings go back to their rooms but not before Shay tells her that if she still needs any reassurance to look at the roses and look at what the colors mean.
Back in her room, Lulu lets her hair down and starts brushing it before putting half of it into a bun and letting the other half hang down. When she is about to go brush her teeth her phone rings. Yuto. She answers and Yuto's face pops up on the screen.
"Hey," He says.
"Hi. How is Pendulum?"
"Not too bad. So far the only bad thing that has happened was Yuya's dogs and cats chasing Zuzu before she jumped on to the couch where Yuya was sleeping and yelled 'Animal Pile!' then we laughed as Yuya woke up and fell on the ground. His parents weren't exactly happy but his mom said as long as it wasn't Green Pepper or who the young cooking duelist is."
Talking to Yuto now, Lulu feels as if he is with her and not with Yuya in his dimension.
"Did anything exciting happen after I left?"
"Not really. Selena and Yuri are back trying to fix Fusion, Crow looked annoyed yet fond of Yugo and Rin as she drug Yugo by the ear back to Syncro and Yugo saying that her grip was breaking his ear."
Yuto lets out a full wholehearted laugh. In the back Lulu can hear and older woman's voice saying that it's time for them to go to sleep and Yuto's eyes widen.
"Is something wrong?"
"That was Yuya's mom."
"Then why do you look scared?"
"She was in a gang when she younger, the leader actually. I really don't want to get on her bad side." Lulu gives a few more giggles before she and Yuto just stare at each other in silence before saying goodbye.
Maybe Yuto being away won't be too bad at all. He is just trying to find himself and figure out his feelings. He wants her to do the same, doesn't mean they still can't be friends. Who knows, maybe Yuto is right and they don't belong together. Maybe he's wrong and they do. (She really hopes they do. After all, this is how a fairy tale would play out when she would read them when she was younger.) Maybe. . . . maybe they will lose contact and will forget about each other and move on with their lives, Shay being the only connection between them.
Putting her phone on her bedside table, Lulu crawls under her covers, closing her eyes and dreaming of Yuto, wondering what life will throw at them next.
AN: Yuto is about a year older than Yuya and his other counterparts in my opinion. Lulu is only the older Ray counterpart by a few months. Also, I do not own Trap of Love, Scooby-Doo does, 5H owns Don't Tell Me, and Rachel Platten own Fight Song.
Shay is the biggest Yuto x Lulu shipper ever, even more than the counterparts.