Helena managed to push her way through the crowd of people, and began to become annoyed at what seemed to be the growing swarm of people. Her eyes darted around frantically, her heart raced, and her mind wouldn't operate clearly. He wouldn't leave her bloody thoughts, and she almost hated it. It'd been almost four months since she'd last seen his face, and he was slipping away from her memory.
She hated that too.

Gathering up all the courage she could muster, she called out his name, practically pleading for a responce.

"Valentine!" She called out. People looked at her for a few seconds, as if she had a few screws loose, and continued walking.

Nothing. Zilch. No response.

Please, please, please...She thought to herself.
She felt the same way she did whenever the hospital had called her dad about her mum. Absolutely nervous, unable to think, and basically in tears.
Helena decided that she officially hated Valentines now. He'd caused her all of this frenzy in her mind for nothing! He didn't even respond to her yet. Useless man! Helena began to almost get angry at herself for thinking that she would finally be able to see him again, to be able to juggle with him at least one more time, and for even letting him enter her thoughts. She had begun to practically storm back into the building.

Well, she was until she heard somebody running towards her. She turned around in an instant, hoping to not get slammed into by a little kid. That never felt good.

Her heart stopped.

The voices of the crowds seemed to slip away, her thoughts were quelled, and her eyes watered up.

He really was here. Physically there. She didn't have to believe in what seemed like fairy tales anymore.

He smiled that fox smile of his at her.
"Helena...it really is you." He said, almost hysterical. He began to laugh out loud while Helena was practically crying of happiness. She wasn't even offended that he was laughing, for she knew it wasn't at her. The tears slid down her face quietly, and she began to laugh along with him. It was hard not to, since he was practically howling.

Suddenly, he swooped her off of the ground and twirled her around, like a groom with his bride. Everything seemed to meld together, like it had whenever she placed the MirrorMask over her face. Helena could barely breathe, and she basically stumbled a bit whenever he finally set her down.
They looked at each other, and Helena exhaled softly. Conversation almost seemed awkward.
"Valentine...I can't believe it's you." Helena finally managed to push out of herself.

Why had she never felt like this before? She had thought of herself as fearless, independant, and courageous. Now she was jumpy, estactic, and more afraid than she had ever been in her entire life.

"Well, of course it is! There's no other man quite as handsome as I."

Helena laughed at his narcissism, but she also found it cute. Something nagged at her mind, though. She had to know everything that had been going on. Maybe it would finally make her stop zoning out.

"I'm so happy to see you again, Valentine. I must ask about the...other world, though. What all has happened?"

He seemed to ponder the question for a moment, and he looked around. He stared at some of the people, who gave him odd looks and seemed to whisper about him. Valentine wasn't exactly...normal. He wore a mask, had a partly purple beard, a purple line running down his face, and a huge coat that practically dragged behind him. The circus show was over, but the rides were open for the night hours. Helena's family was even able to rent a few non-cheesy rides for after the shows, which Helena found to be pretty...well, awesome. Quite a few families stayed behind to ride the rides and have a good time, to Helena's surprise. The smell of carnival food was in the air, and Helena knew Valentine well enough that that's exactly what he wanted. Maybe food really was the pathway to a man's heart. Helena laughed to herself as she thought of this, and shook her head, almost angry at herself for getting all "lovey dovey".

"If you buy me a morsel of some of this amazing smelling food, I think I may be able to share some of my secrets." He flashed his fox smile again.

"Oh, fine Valentine. I don't even have to buy it, since I perform in the circus." She stuck her tongue out at him.

"That's completely fine with me. I want a...funnel cake. That sounds absolutely delightful." He ran off toward the vendor, and Helena chuckled, dashing after him.
...

"This is even better than that weird mask lady's cakes!" Valentine was practically in heaven. He licked his fingers and swiped up some of the leftover sugar from the funnel cake. He licked that off of his fingers, too. Helena had to pry the plate form him so he wouldn't try and eat it.

"Anyway, you were going to share the "secrets" of the other world with me. That's the whole reason I got that funnel cake for you, you know," Helena said to him. He nodded and suggested they find a place to sit. A lonesome metal bench did the job.
Valentine stroked his beard for a second and sighed. A lot really had happened after Helena had left, but it was worth the trouble to tell her. He knew she wasn't a dull girl, and that she'd listen to him.

"Alright. Well, first off, the White Queen woke up, obviously. The whole town practically threw a party, and they wanted to exile the Dark Queen and her wretched daughter. Whitey did not approve of this, and instead, they refined the borders between the Shadowlands and the Lightlands, and hired teachers and other people to help keep the princess under control. After the MirrorMask had shown up again, they placed it in a glass case within Whitey's quarters. It's protected by guards all the time. A real pain to get, if you ask me. Anyway, they erected a statue of you in the Lightlands. It's magnificent, really. They carved it out of our finest metals and scraps from abandoned buildings. They even painted it. It looks exactly like you..." Valentine's voice dwindled away, and he wouldn't say anymore.
That must be how he got here. He got the MirrorMask, somehow. Maybe he worked for the White queen, er well, "Whitey" as Valentine called her.
A statue for me? I have to thank them somehow. Draw new buildings or something. Helena was lost in her thoughts again. Valentine snapped his fingers at her, and she immediately shot up, going a bit wide eyed and embarrassed that she let herself slip in front of Valentine.

"I'm sorry! I must've gotten lost in my big head again. So the Lightlands are doing well?"

Valentine nodded and stared up at the sky, and Helena looked up with him. It was a clear night, and every star seemed to be out. The moon seemed enormous and was practically shining down on them. It was...almost romantic.

"You have those twinkly things too, and a moon!" He seemed almost astonished.

"The twinkly things are called stars here." Helena told him, trying not to offend him. He didn't seem to mind the comment. A cold breeze passed by, and Helena shivered. She was still in her leotard, which wasn't the best windbreaker. The wind wouldn't stop nagging at them, and she continued to shiver, holding her shoulders, and her teeth began to chatter. Valentine glanced at her, and noticed how cold she was. He felt awfully rude for not noticing it before.
His heart skipped for a second.
thmp thmp...

He took off his coat and draped it softly over her shoulders. She pulled it close to her, as if it were a baby blanket.

"Thank you..." She said softly, and she closed her eyes, sighing in relief. She hadn't realized how much the performance had tired her out, how much her thoughts tired her out, and how much Valentine had tired her out. Her head dropped suddenly, but she didn't wake up. She had already fallen asleep, and Valentine caught her just before she basically fell off the bench.
His heart skipped again.
thmp thmp...

What exactly was this strange feeling he felt? It was...warm. Welcoming. It made his face turn a little hot and it made his chest get tight. Made the air almost hard to suck in. He'd never really felt anything like it, and he enjoyed it. It also scared him. It was enough to drive him insane, really. He picked her up carefully, but he didn't really know where to go. Suddenly, a woman that looked a bit like Helena ran up to him.

"Oh! Hello! You must be Helena's friend. I'm Joanne, her mum...oh. I see my little girl must've fallen asleep...where did she get that coat...? Thank you for talking to her, you see, she doesn't have very many friends. It makes me happy that she finally found one. I'll take her from you..."

Joanne carefully took Helena, holding her like she would a baby. Helena nuzzled into her mum's neck almost automatically. Joanne looked at Valentine, and back at Helena. She noticed that Helena had a very long coat draped over her. It seemed large enough to fit the young man. Joanne's face lit up, and she smiled at him.

"Thank you for giving her your jacket, erm..."

"Valentine." He said with an awkward smile.

"Well then, thank you, Mr. Valentine."

Joanne winked at Valentine. Before Valentine could say anything, she walked off back toward the building. Valentine scratched his head, and sighed. He almost didn't want to let go of Helena. He wanted to hold her forever. Er, well, at least until he got hungry again. Those cakes really were delicious.

He shook the thoughts of food from his head. He'd waited for this day for what seemed like ages. Something bothered him though.

How could Helena have no friends? She was kind, silly, and she could juggle well. Those were the perfect qualities of a friend in Valentine's book. It bothered him. She deserved to have friends.
Well, he never had a friend before either. It actually felt really good to have somebody close.
He never wanted to leave again. He wasn't going to. He didn't really care if it "upset" things in the other world. Although, he had become successful. Hundreds of people came to see his act, for he had gathered a miniature troupe and had performed for the townspeople. He always held his performances by Helena's statue, and he wouldn't do them anywhere else. He didn't know why, but he just felt...attracted to the place. As if it were made for him.
Well, he was a very important man, after all.

He stood there, and stared up at the sky again. A shooting star wizzed by, and Valentine automatically wished upon it, like his troupe member, Marcon, had told him. Marcon was obsessed with the stars, and he would blabber on about them. Valentine never really listened, for he'd be too distracted by food or by Helena.
Well, he did feel a little bad for taking the MirrorMask without Whitey's permission, but he had to. He couldn't wait any longer. He knew she wouldn't be back since she didn't have the MirrorMask. He sighed, and rubbed his head. He'd been thinking too much and had given himself a headache.
He walked off, but he realized that he didn't have anywhere to stay. He slapped his hand to his forehead, and ran towards the building that Joanne had walked off to.

"Hey! Is anybody in here?" Valentine shouted at the building, expecting it to rise up. Helena's voice rang in his head.

Buildings don't leave you where I come from.

"Oh! Mr. Valentine! Why are you here?" It was Joanne again. She crossed her arms and looked at him. Her hair was down, and she was simply dressed in sleep pants and a long baggy sweatshirt. Valentine wrung his hands together nervously and sighed.

"I...don't really have anywhere to stay. I was wondering if I could stay here...?" His voice dwindled away again, for he feared the answer. He hated asking favors ever since he had been kicked out of his mum's house.

"Why of course, Mr. Valentine. I'll set up a little bed for you. Helena's sleeping in here tonight, anyway. The whole family is. We have a lunch show tomorrow, anyway. If you'll hold on a second?" Joanne ran back into the building, leaving Valentine alone with his thoughts. Before he knew it, Joanne came back and she ushered him into a room. They wished each other a good night, and she shut his door. It really was a huge building. Valentine imagined that it would have wings in the other world. It'd be a magnificent tower. He flopped onto the bed and sighed, pulling his mask off and examining it slightly. Even though he hated taking it off, he couldn't have it cracking, now could he? Valentine placed it on the floor next to him, and immediately fell asleep.