Notes

As you might've guessed from the chapter title, we're coming up on the end of this one. I'm a little glad, too - while I'm proud that I can actually write on a schedule now, I'm getting tired of doing it. :) I'll miss this story, though; it took some neat twists and turns I wasn't expecting. ...to be honest, I thought this story was just going to be a series of funny dates between Kensou and different KOF girls. Not a love story between him and Athena that practically wrapped up on the third date.

Today's twist, though, is the biggest one of all. The mystery guest star is kind of a cheat; it's a KOF character, but it's also pretty AU. For one thing, s/he doesn't even live in this country in the games. But the character itself is solid, and s/he stays pretty true to the canon...for a while, at least. Hopefully it'll be long enough and well-done enough to make his/her fans happy. :)

Hope you enjoy!


Chapter 8 - The Last Date

From that point on, it was official.

...almost.

Athena and Sie were definitely an item, now. They spent the next day inseparable, talking and laughing, eating and sightseeing, nudging and hitting the way new couples do. That night, Athena put on the performance of her life, quieting any rumors that the idol was losing her touch. Their flight to Japan (a short stopover for business before they returned to the dojo) felt like the beginning of a whole new life...and for Kensou, it finally felt complete.

Things didn't quite feel perfect yet, though. For one thing, Athena still didn't want the public to know just how serious their relationship had gotten. Kensou had expected that, knowing her and her agency's fear of scandals; it had practically kept her from dating at all before now. It still hurt a bit, though, when the very next morning, she made him wait in her room before he left so she could check that the coast was clear. (And then rushed back in the instant he got out, practically slamming the door.)

For another, Athena, inexplicably, didn't want to stop the game.

"Why not⁇" Kensou asked in exasperation, after she stupidly brought it up on the flight home. "It was a way to see if we would work out, and we are. What's the point of continuing?"

"I just want to keep things open, Sie," Athena answered, thankfully still smiling. "Not for me, but for you. I'm telling you, Sie, you kept yourself off the market for way too long. You need to make sure there's no one else out there for you."

"Why would I want someone else when I've finally got you?" he pointed out.

"Who says you've got me?" she shot back, smirking. When she saw the hurt look on his face, though, she winced. "No, no, I'm kidding!" she said quickly, laughing to cover it up. "I do want to be with you, Sie. I like it, and I want to see where it's headed."

"Then why...?"

"Trust me," she told him, patting his arm. Somehow it wasn't reassuring.

Once they landed, however, he managed to keep it out of his mind whenever he was with her. They didn't have as much time together in Japan (Athena had her own apartment in her true home), but what time they did have felt just as good as their first day as an item. And while they did some training, and even sparred with each other, the contest - or the idea of putting a date on the line early - never came up. ...when Kensou was left to his own devices, though, the idea came up all the time.

For Athena the week passed in the blink of an eye, a whirlwind of meetings, paperwork, and post-tour interviews. But for Kensou it was interminable. When their next "official" match finally came, he still had no idea what would happen. Would she keep it casual, or go full tilt? Which should he do? Should he just throw the match outright, so he could go out with someone else and get this farce closer to an end...?

They squared off at their usual practice space in Osaka, Athena all smiles and Sie a bundle of nerves. They dropped into their stances - but as the match started, she called out to him. "Fireball war, Kensou," she suggested, looking cheeky. "Think you can keep up...?"

Kensou smirked. Casual, then. "I can if you can," he told her - and then immediately shot out a Chokyuudan, hoping to catch her off guard.

Not fooled in the slightest, Athena went smoothly into a Psycho Ball. ...but then she seemed to stumble. Over nothing, as far as he could tell. Stumble she did, though, and she couldn't recover in time. The Chokyuudan hit her full on the chest - and she flew off her feet, spinning dramatically, before landing on the ground in a heap with her eyes closed.

His eyes wide, Kensou raced forward. "Hey, you okay⁇" he asked quickly.

But he needn't have worried. Almost before he started moving, Athena groaned, held her head and sat up. "Oh, wow, Sie...you really got me. I actually blacked out!" she said, smiling sheepishly. Then she looked up, and the smile became warm. "...guess that means we'll have to go on another date, huh?"

It didn't take long for it to click.

Slowly, Sie's face lit up in a grin. Then he started laughing, and she was as well as he helped her off the ground. As they came together in a giddy embrace, Kensou's week-long buildup of tension melted away. If this was how she wanted to continue the contest, he'd be fine if it never ended.

"...enough."

The couple blinked. Then they turned toward the source of the voice: a refereeing Master Chin, walking towards them and looking grave.

"Aw, come on, Master. We were just fooling around," Athena told him.

"Yeah, Teach. We'll have a real match in a second," Sie promised.

"That is not what I'm referring to," said Chin, shaking his head. He stopped a yard or so in front of them, looking at each of them intently. Then, in his most authoritative voice, he declared: "The deal is off."

They both looked at him, frowning. "What...?" Athena asked, an eyebrow raised.

"It's time to face it, Athena: you're a couple now," Chin said with a smile. "You know it. I know it. Kensou knows it. Bao and Momoko know it, too, I'd wager...because the tabloids are already starting to notice."

The pop star winced. "...they are...?"

"They are," he repeated. "You'll need to confirm it to the public soon...and you must, right now, confirm it to yourself. It is time to move on, child, and put this foolishness behind you." And start a whole new era of foolishness, Chin thought but did not say.

"But Master, we're not ready!" Athena protested. "I still want Kensou to be able to see other people...!"

Kensou blinked. He turned and stared at her. "Wait, so you are serious about that⁇" he exclaimed. "Then what was - "

"Hush, Kensou," said Master Chin, holding up a hand. Then, to his partner, "I had a feeling you'd have misgivings, Athena. But you need to search inside yourself. You said when you began this charade that you would end it if you started feeling jealous. Think about it, my girl: if Kensou were to fall in love with someone else now, would you not be jealous?"

She blinked. Thought about it.

"...I don't know," she said finally, as Kensou just kept staring.

Chin sighed and shook his head. "Very well. Then we'll settle this another way." He reached into his pocket, pulled out a scrap of paper and handed it to his first pupil.

"What is this...?" Sie asked, frowning.

"At the venues for your concerts," said Chin, turning to his other pupil, "while you two were focusing on your nonsense, I had time to get to know your headliner. It turns out she's quite a bit like you, Athena, and not just because she's an idol. She has more in common with you than Yuri, May Lee, or anyone else I've ever met. If there is anyone Kensou could develop a serious relationship with quickly, she would be the one."

"I see," said Athena, her voice even.

"That is her phone number," Chin went on, back to Kensou now. "She's in Osaka as well, and on holiday for the next few days. I want you to ask her to spend the day with you, preferably today since it's still early. She seemed quite taken with you by the end of the tour, so she's likely to agree.

"Training is suspended until you've done so...and after that, this will be over." He gave both of them a final, withering look. "Do you understand?"

"Yes, Master," Kensou agreed; Athena didn't respond. Kensou looked at her again for a moment, then looked back at his master and nodded. "I think I'll go do that now, actually." With that he headed out of the room for some privacy, leaving his two partners alone.

Once he was gone, Athena looked to her teacher. She didn't look angry or hurt; she didn't look anything, really. But she said to him, "You don't want us to be a couple, do you."

"I did not," Chin admitted. "The world needs you as fighters, not lovers. Of course I wanted you to be friends, but even that was distracting you. Now that you're more, you'll need to work harder than ever to stay focused. And I don't know if Kensou has it in him. Frankly, I don't know if you have it in you."

"You're trying to sabotage us," said Athena, a tremor of disbelief creeping into her voice.

"No, I'm not," Chin denied, shaking his head. "I didn't want this, but I'm not going to stop it. I'm not that heartless, Athena. And even if I was, I know it would push you away from me...and I want that least of all."

"Then why...?"

"Because of you, child," he told her. "I told you to stop this, and you refused. I asked if you thought you should stop it, and you wanted to be sure. All I'm doing is giving you that, albeit a bit faster than you'd intended.

"Remember, Athena: whatever happens now, it is only what you wanted." With that, Chin left as well, leaving his pupil alone with her thoughts.

She didn't even know what they were.


Back in the lobby, Kensou plopped into one of the chairs with a deep, heavy sigh. Half of him just wanted to go home and lay down; he felt totally drained, and it wasn't even nine A.M. The other half of him, however, was too pissed off for that. He knew he could never stay mad at Athena, and he'd never have the nerve to do this normally...but right now he was definitely mad at her, and he did have the nerve.

And apparently, this was what she wanted.

His hand shaking a bit, Sie went into his phone. He dialed the numbers carefully, not sure he'd have the nerve for another attempt. The other end rang six times; just as he felt sure he'd get her voicemail, it answered with what sounded like a greeting message, but in a voice that was unmistakably alive.

"Hi-hi! Mignon Beart here!"


No less than an hour later, Kensou stood waiting at a nearby coffee shop, and now he didn't know his thoughts either. His anger at Athena had already faded; he did not want to do this. He kept reminding himself, though, that Athena did want him to, eventually at least. Besides, a part of him was excited to get to know this girl...something he should've done during the tour, he thought guiltily.

Chin had never suggested a date for him before. Kensou'd had the impression he didn't want him to find love at all. If even he thought they'd be a good match, Kensou had to see what the fuss was about.

Luckily, his date arrived before he'd gotten too worked up over it. She'd come in a cab, the drabbest vehicle possible...but she got out looking as garish as ever. The first thing he saw was her bright pink hair, hanging down to her shoulders but curled into thick, sideways spirals at the bottom of each side. She'd accented it with a hairband, pink wristbands, and a pink princess vest (with long coattails in the back) worn over a sleeveless white button-down (with long tails in front and back). A red bow tie, black corset leggings, long white gloves, and what he could only call moon boots completed the outfit, bringing together a package that could only make him think of a train wreck. He didn't want to look at it...but he could not turn away.

Just imagine how he'd feel if he hadn't already seen it.

"You wore your concert costume, huh?" Kensou asked, laughing nervously. He, meanwhile, had just come in a white t-shirt and jeans; he felt both completely underdressed and like the only sane one of the two.

"Yup-yup!" Mignon giggled, answering his Japanese with English. Her face was easily her best feature, her smile bright and cheery and her eyes the widest Sie had ever seen. "Mignon knows it's silly...but she likes these clothes, yeah?"

"They do look...interesting," Sie tried, rubbing the back of his neck.

If Mignon thought it was a bad acting, though, her reaction didn't show it. "Awww, thank you!" she cheered, running up and hugging him and grinning. "Mignon knew you were a nice guy! Mignon could tell."

Kensou didn't respond, too busy feeling the blood rush to his head. There was a lot more than a button-down under that vest...

"Now come on," she went on, releasing him but clutching his hand. "Mignon needs coffee, tout suite!"

You sure about that...? Kensou thought as she dragged him into the shop.


They started with the basics - where they were born, where they'd grown up, and so on. Mignon had actually been born in Southtown, of all places. (Kensou had known she was foreign, but couldn't place her from the name.) But her family had moved to Tokyo for business reasons, long before she could remember. She'd grown up fluent in Japanese, but like many students she'd also learned English. And Mignon thought her native tongue was much, much cuter.

"English just has so much more bounce to it, yeah?" she explained. "And all the word tricks, and crazy rules, and funny expressions...Mignon loves it! She uses it whenever she can, yup-yup."

She does sound spirited when she speaks it, Kensou couldn't help but notice.

"But the truth is, it's kinda sorta an act," she went on. "Mignon talks this way when she wants to put on a show. When she's comfortable with someone, or when she's gotta be all serious, Mignon's a very different person." Then she smiled weakly. "...watashi wa hazukashigariya desu."

'I'm actually quite shy.'

"Really," said Kensou, his eyebrows raising.


"Holy shit, magic is real⁇"

"Keep it down, would you!?" Mignon scolded, back to English now. "...but yup, magic's real alright. The Beart family's been made of powerful wizards for generations! ...Mignon's still learning, though."

"What can you do so far?" Kensou asked dizzily.

"Well, Mignon's not as strong as you and your partners yet," she admitted. "But she can do some of the same things...!"

With that she closed her eyes, bowed her head and put her hands together. After a moment's concentration, a gust of wind started up around her, strong but surprisingly well-controlled. The gust curled onto the table, crept under her coffee cup, and lifted it into the air. It wobbled for a second, but didn't spill a drop; after that it hovered perfectly, as if she was using telekinesis instead of thin air in constant motion.

"That is awesome!" Kensou exclaimed, grinning.

Unfortunately, the compliment broke her concentration. Mignon couldn't help but open her eyes and grin back...and the cup started wobbling again. Her eyes widening, she set the thing down in a rush. It didn't break, but it did slosh out a mouthful of coffee - right onto Mignon's vest.

"Sorry," said Sie, cringing.

"Don't worry! It's easy to clean," Mignon assured him, dabbing at the liquid with a napkin. "...actually, Mignon can control all the elements a little. Earth, fire, wind, water, heart..."

"Heart?"

"Well, more like spirit. The basic energy that flows through all life, yeah? Mignon can heal herself with it, make her hands and feet stronger...she can even create a bomb," she finished, whispering the word as if it was one.

"Unreal," Kensou replied, shaking his head. It was a doorway into a whole new world...vast and mysterious, yet a lot like his own. "And you say you're still learning? What can the older Bearts do⁇"

"...Mignon doesn't think you're ready for that," she answered, her eyes twinkling.


"Really? You go out for fighting tournaments too?"

By this time their brunch had arrived, a simple soup and sandwich for both of them. Kensou might've ordered more if he'd thought about it, but it was just as well; he was barely paying attention to the food.

"Yup-yup!" Mignon replied cheerfully. The coffee stain on her vest had started to bother her; she'd taken it off, dried it with a spell, and hung it over the back of her chair. The move left her with only her button-down, which didn't afford her quite as much modesty. DEFINITELY more than that shirt under there, Sie had thought.

"You any good at it?" he asked with a smirk, having moved on by now.

"Well, Mignon thinks so," she answered, smirking back. "She even qualified for a King of Fighters once! ...she couldn't find enough partners, though, so she had to sit out."

"Ahh, that sucks," said Kensou, grimacing. But then his face lit up. "Say, we might be able to help you with that next time! Bao and Momoko are just itching to give KOF another go. I bet the fans'd love you guys, too."

"Oooh, that sounds super fun‼" Mignon exclaimed, beaming. Then her face changed into a heartfelt smile. "You're such a sweetie, Kensou. You know that, don't you?"

"Well, Kensou thinks so," Sie replied with a grin, and they laughed.

After that, though, Mignon winced. "...Mignon hates to say this, but she has to go powder her nose," she admitted. "You'll have to excuse her."

"Hurry back," he told her as she stood. He meant it, too.

As she walked away from the table, Sie realized she hadn't just taken off her vest. Somehow she had tucked her shirt tails into her leggings without him noticing - and more than that, he couldn't see any wrinkled spots. She'd likely thought the tails looked silly without the vest, and hoped the leggings alone would be more casual...but what they really did was show off the curves of her hips, and in a fantastic way.

Not to mention her behind. Which was swaying a lot.

Good grief, thought Kensou, blushing so hard he actually had to look away. This girl did not have the body of the average Japanese idol...


"You want to bring about world peace, huh...?"

They were on their fourth cups of coffee, now. They'd both switched to decaf two cups ago, wanting to stay but not wanting to bounce off the walls. At some point, Mignon decided she'd caught Kensou staring at her hair too many times, so she'd sheepishly unrolled it and tied it back in a high ponytail. It made her look totally different...and, to Kensou, a whole lot cuter.

"That's right," Mignon replied, sounding more thoughtful than before. "There's so much fighting and suffering in the world. It's so sad; sometimes Mignon can hardly bear it. So she wants to make things right."

"Is that why you got into the idol business?" Kensou asked. (He'd heard this story before.)

"Well, not really," she answered, to Kensou's surprise. "Mignon's just doing this for exposure...and to chip in at home, hehe. What she really wants to do is study mind magic. Wizards can't control the mind like psychics can, but there's a lot of little spells that influence it in little ways. If the right ones were combined and made stronger, they could create a spell that makes people happier, all the time! That's what Mignon wants to do, once she's learned enough."

"Interesting," Sie murmured, rubbing his chin. "You wouldn't force it on people though, would you? Almost nobody wants to be mind-controlled, even for something good."

"Of course not, Sie! Mignon is insulted you'd ask such a thing!" she huffed, crossing her arms. "...but that's why the idol business, yeah? The more people know and like Mignon, the more people will trust her. She'll ask for volunteers for the magic, and eventually some people will do it. Then they'll tell their friends, who'll tell their friends, until the world's getting happier every day!"

But Kensou shook his head. He'd come up with this story himself - and he'd heard its counterargument. "That sounds great and all, Mignon, but you're just one woman. You can't help all the people, one at a time; you'll never get to do anything else!"

"Ah, but if Mignon can help the right people, they can help people in turn," she pointed out with a smile. "Happier doctors mean healthier hospitals; happier lawyers mean healthier courts. And happier leaders mean a healthier world. That's the real goal."

"...huh," said Sie simply, unable to manage anything else. Why hasn't SHE thought of that...?


"My mother died during childbirth."

Another meal sat in front of them. An early dinner, or possibly a very late lunch. Neither one of them was touching it; neither was thinking about food. But they'd stayed so long the staff, at a Japanese coffee shop, had insisted they buy something or go...and neither one wanted to leave.

"That's terrible, Sie. I'm sorry to hear that," said Mignon, touching his hand. She had switched to Japanese; they'd been serious for a while now.

"Well you know how it is, pretty much. I mean, with your dad and all. That's why I felt okay telling you."

"Maybe, but I still have memories of my father," she argued; he had died when she was a toddler. "I can't imagine never knowing him, especially with only my mother living with me. Our estate's not always happy, but it's never lonely."

"Ehh, I got lonely sometimes," he agreed. "But dad more than made up for it. He played with me every chance he got. He taught me all the stuff mom would've, and he never got embarrassed. And we went to so many places together; we made a lot of memories."

"He sounds like a great man," Mignon told him, smiling. "What kinds of places did you go?"

"Oh, everywhere. Movies, ball games, amusement parks...all of it. Even cultural stuff, like landmarks and shrines."

"Really?" asked Mignon, her face lighting up. "Does that mean you know a lot of Chinese culture? I've always been fascinated by it."

Kensou's jaw dropped. "Seriously⁇ I could tell you tons about that! The Zhaojue Temple, the Jinsha Museum - wait a sec." He raised an eyebrow. "...what kinds of movies do you like?"

"Action."

...whoa.


"Isn't the twilight beautiful here?"

They'd finally left the restaurant at sunset. They were just walking now, hand in hand. At first they'd meant to go to Chin and Kensou's apartment, and end the date at the steps. It was damn late at this point, after all...and Sie had fulfilled Athena's purpose. She'd wanted to know if he could have something with another girl; he could. He'd never had anything quite like this.

"I've never thought so before tonight, but...yeah, it really is."

But when they'd gotten there, they still hadn't wanted to end it. So they just kept holding hands and walking, down the street and into the night. Osaka was a good place for it, at least - they would never run out of city streets, and they'd always be in reach of JapanTaxi. The only stop they'd made, in fact, was a shoe store just about to close, where Mignon had bought a pair of cheap white tennies more suitable for the trip. They'd gotten a big bag from the cashier to store her moon boots and vest in, which Kensou had happily volunteered to carry.

(She had taken off her gloves as well, and she'd long since put the bow tie in her purse. The transformation from princess to pauper was complete.)

"Well, you know what they say, Sie: scenery gets better with good company." Mignon smiled at him and gave his hand a squeeze. "Everything does."

At that point - after smiling back and nodding - Kensou checked his psyche, again, for any signs of tampering. He'd done it as soon as she'd mentioned mind control, and several times after. But every time he'd found nothing, no changes at all. This was just...her.

Mignon interrupted Kensou's reverie with a slow, giant yawn. "...sorry. Couldn't help it," she said sheepishly.

"Well it is getting late," he allowed. He started checking his watch. "And it's been a pretty - whoa. ...it's been a very long day. Let me get you a cab."

Mignon started to protest, but then thought better of it and nodded. Within minutes, Kensou had summoned both of them rides, and all they had left to do was wait. They did so near-silently, not needing to talk, just holding hands and giggling or glancing at each other sometimes.

Then, slowly, the girl turned her head to look at him.

"Ride back with me?" she almost whispered.

At that the boy cringed. He had finally, finally found his limit. "Ahh...gee, Mignon, I...I dunno - "

But then she closed the distance and kissed him, her lips like buttered honey against his own. Then her arms were around him, and then his were around her, squeezing tight and never wanting to let go. Instantly, feelings pushed to the back of his mind came screaming to the forefront. For hours, he'd been delighted just being with her...but now he wanted to be with her.

"...okay," he agreed, the instant she broke it off.

He managed to cancel his cab just before hers got to them. They clambered in, Sie changed it to a two-person order, and Mignon told the driver where to go. For a minute or two, the pair sat in silence...and then they were back on each other, kissing and squeezing. Another minute or two later, they were doing a lot more than that; everything that had tantalized Kensou earlier was in reach now, and Mignon seemed happy to let him reach it.

Then they stopped with a start, as their driver angrily knocked on the window. He let loose a string of curses so wild they weren't sure it was in Japanese - but the message was clear: settle down or get out.

They settled down, but kept looking at each other, breathing hard. After a moment, Mignon swallowed and said, "I don't want to do this at home. It's too stuffy, there's too many people there. Let's go someplace else."

"Where?" Kensou breathed.

She silently pointed to an establishment just down the street - a kind of establishment Kensou recognized at once.

"...a love hotel?" he asked in disbelief.

"The closest hotel of any kind," she said eagerly. "...and it has a nightly rate, too."

Now Kensou swallowed.

The next ten minutes passed in a daze. At some point they left the cab, gave the driver a huge tip; at some point they checked into the hotel, paid the clerk the nightly rate. Still not completely on board, Sie could feel his resolve wavering several times...but every time, Mignon had kissed him, as if she could feel it too, and all his doubts were erased like - well, magic, really. (Once again he scanned his mind; once again he found nothing.)

She teased him like that all the way to their room, leaving him so shell-shocked she had to unlock the door. Not shy or silly anymore, she led Sie to the bed and laid him on it, clearly the one in charge here. From there she sat beside him, leaned over, and kissed him like he'd never been kissed before; it drove him crazy at first, but soon overwhelmed him into a stupor. Finally she broke off, and as he gasped for air, she moved to the foot of the bed, picked up her purse and smiled.

"I'm going to powder my nose," Mignon told him, holding up her bag as if she meant it. And then she was off, taking her purse and leaving Kensou to his stupor.


As soon as she closed the bathroom door, Mignon looked at herself in the mirror and smiled...a bit more evilly, this time.

Perfect. It was going perfect.

She had Sie Kensou wrapped around her little finger. Changing clothes was probably a waste of time, in fact; she could've had her way with him already if the cab driver had let her. And it wasn't just about sex - they had built a connection, over hours and hours. She really might have liked him, actually, if she hadn't hated him in a blind rage.

The connection wasn't from magic, either, no matter how much he suspected it. She hadn't needed to resort to that; she'd just needed to observe. To watch him at R2L while hiding at another table. To listen to him on the carriage ride while "stuck behind it in traffic", using the eavesdropping spell she'd planted on it when it arrived. With her intel she'd planned out all the right things to say, all the right moves to make. Then she'd told his teacher she was interested and trusted to luck. A few days later, luck had happened...and it was about to pay off.

..."go on a tour with Athena," they had said. "It'll be fun!" they had said. "You'll be a star in no time," they. Had. Said. ...but it wasn't really their fault, she supposed. How could they have known the girl would have a breakdown right in the middle of the tour? Until then, Mignon had gotten rave reviews, but after that she'd gotten none. All the press was about Asamiya-sama, and how she was losing her touch. Mignon thought things would get better when Athena bounced back at Philadelphia - but then she was the press's darling again, and things got even worse.

She wasn't a terrible person, Mignon insisted to those on her bad side. She'd been telling Kensou the truth about her long-term plans: she did want to bring world peace through magic, and she didn't want to force it on anyone. But the thing about Mignon's plans was that they had a tendency to fall apart. Whenever she caused the problem, she was furious with herself...but when someone else was to blame, she wanted revenge.

So Athena was screwing with her career, was she?
Well now she was screwing with Athena's boyfriend.

"Score one for Mignon," she giggled to herself in English. "And just you wait, you big glory hound - this's only the beginning. From now on, Athena Asamiya and Mignon Beart are enemies...and Mignon's gonna come out on top."

She then stripped down, pulled a thin, flimsy negligee out of her purse and slipped it on. It was nothing like what she'd wear normally...but tonight, it suited her purposes just fine. As a final touch, she let down her ponytail, spreading out her wonderful pink hair in a wild mane.

"Perfect," she said quietly, her smile completely evil now.

She had failed to notice, however, the sound of the hotel room door opening...


Back at her apartment, Athena was a complete wreck. She hadn't gotten anything done all day; she'd just shambled around like a zombie, barely speaking or thinking of her work. She'd flat-out cancelled her last two appointments, knowing she'd get nothing accomplished there either. Then she'd gone home to act like a zombie, sitting on her bed watching TV - sometimes even changing channels - but having no idea what any of it was about.

Where. The hell. Was he.

Athena hadn't heard from Kensou all day long. It might be the longest they'd gone without speaking since they met. She knew Master Chin had told him to spend the day with Mignon - but she never dreamed he'd spend the whole day with her! A thousand thoughts raced through her mind. Was he home yet? Had they hit it off? Were they still out there? Would he call her when he did get home?

...or was he spending the night?

Always, a part of her remembered Chin's sad-but-true words. She had indeed brought this on herself...because this was what she'd wanted. And a small part of her even still believed that - that she wanted Sie to have choices, even if she was one of them. Yet as the hours dragged on, that part became smaller and smaller.

But she had made this decision, sort of. Now she had to stand by it. She could be curious, anxious, even afraid. But whatever happened now, she would not be jealous.

She was telling herself that for the seventeenth time when his ringtone finally went off.

She jumped in her seat, her heart skipping a beat. She scrambled for the phone - then, just before she answered it, remembered she should sound calm. She closed her eyes, took a deep, cleansing breath...and then answered.

"Kensou?"

"Athena?"

"Yeah."

"...I have a question."

"Yeah?"

"You said...you still wanted me to see other people." A pause. "...how much of them did you want me to see?"

"Huh...?"

"Nevermind, sorry. Lemme try again. ...you said I should go out with other people, right? But, how far can I go...?"

"I still don't - "

"I mean is it okay," and he swallowed so hard she actually heard it, "...if we go all the way."

Athena's heart broke into a million pieces.

"I don't know how it happened," he went on, passing frantic. "It all happened so fast. This girl - there's no one like her...actually you're a whole lot like her...and now she's all over me, and I - "

"Are you asking me, Sie," said Athena numbly, "if you can have sex with Mignon Beart?"

"...yeah."

Silence.

A thousand thoughts raced through her mind...a million, even. How could she possibly pick one out as a response? How could she possibly answer that question⁇ How could she even decide what she wanted

And then she realized...she had already made that decision.

"Athena...?"

"...you're crazy."

"Huh?"

"I can't tell you not to do that!" she told him, putting the life back into her voice. "We're not even going steady!"

"I know, but - "

"I sent you out on a date, Kensou," she broke in. "I know what can happen on a good date. And I was prepared for it."

"...and are you still?" he asked carefully.

"Yes," she answered, falsely. "If it's what you want, it's what I want."

"So you're sure."

"I'm sure, Sie. Now go get 'em."

"Okay. ...thanks."

And the line went dead.

Athena pulled the screen from her ear and stared at it; she stayed that way for several minutes. Then she let out kind of a high-pitched mewl, and curled up into a ball on her bed. She stayed that way for several hours.

Damnit.

She was jealous.


End Notes

Apologies to any Mignon fans who think this isn't who she is. You may be right, but hey - it's who she wants to be, isn't it? She wanted to be a serious rival to Athena; now she is one. :)

And just like that, things have turned around completely. Kensou has possibly the best day of his life, while Athena has probably her worst. It can happen just that easily, too - especially if you let it. (Not speaking from personal experience, here, but I've seen it before.) I wouldn't possibly give this story a bad ending, though, would I? Luckily, you won't have to wait long to find out: the next chapter will be the last!

See you for the finale!


- Kensou's Score: -50