I want to write a chapter for another one of my stories, so I'm going to write something simple tonight. I haven't updated in a little bit and I want to keep up an average of updating once or twice a week.

Ooh, I finished one of my other stories, so now I only have 9. It ended up being 17 chapters in all. Happy for myself, yay.

Disclaimer: I don't own this, Len is just my teddy.


Masquerade 9


For once Rin was on her bed, she had no plans to sleep on it of course, like usual, but she didn't feel like stealing her brother's at the moment. He was having a shower so she was trying to find her way to pass the time. She'd tried to use TV, but nothing good was on so now she was watching an old video which had been taped on her mother's old video camera over two years ago. Her mother had never used the camera, so even though she said it was her's it basically belonged to Rin herself. Though she hadn't used it in two years.

The recording in particular was a video of what to her was the last time everything was all right. It'd been near the end of the school year, just a little before graduation. Miku had forced, yes forced, everyone to go on a trip to the beach with her. It was back when their group was full, now it was only Rin and Miku left.

Gumi had moved and currently lived in a town heaps north, and though both had seen Luka around they didn't really know what was going on with her. She rarely came to school, and she was hanging out with a bad group. It was odd seeing her, because she didn't appear different at all.

Rin stifled a chuckle, when they were at the beach, no one really went swimming. Most of the time was spent playing games on the sand. Though most weren't any different then from now, Len was a completely different person. And it made her want to cry, seeing him the way he once was. Enjoying life, having fun, his light was so bright. she sometimes wondered if her feelings for him existed back then too, because the way she missed the old him felt odd to her.

She failed keeping back a laugh when she got to the part where Miku and Len had gotten bored enough that they had a dance competition. Rin had been in the water when it happened, only in the shallows. She could remember pausing and watching them, how funny it was that they both decided to sing the songs they were doing a dance from. She couldn't remember at all what Miku had done, because she had found it so much funnier seeing her brother attempt to do a part of the dance from 'Ponponpon'. He didn't fail as she had expected, he actually did quite well, but that was what made it so funny.

"Oi, what you're doing?" Len's voice popped up from the side of her.

Rin jumped slightly and almost dropped the camera. She laughed nervously, "Just watching the video Gumi recorded of that trip to the beach Miku took us on before graduation." She explained, and didn't realise a tear fall down her cheek.

Len moved to her side, drops of water from his wet hair fell onto her face. "Hey are you alright?" He asked, concerned.

Rin blinked, confused at his current concern, but then he wiped away the tear she hadn't noticed was there.

"You miss how I used to be don't you?" He muttered, a sudden dejected feeling consuming him.

Rin's head lifted up to his the moment she words left his mouth, shocked.

"Len, how can you say that? It sounds so horrible!" She yelled.

He lowered his head and turned away from her.

"But it's true isn't it?"

Rin went to speak but the words got caught in her throat, She made a gurgling sound then bit her tongue in annoyance. She stood up and was at his back in less than a second. She wrapped her arms around him, and rested her head on his shoulder blade.

"I love you Len." She sobbed.

He was silent for a minute, then pulled away, saying only, "You love the 'old' me." He spat before walking out the open door. She followed after him, to find he was already heading out the door.

"Len don't!" Rin screamed and ran after him, but when she got there the door shut in her face. She rested her forehead against it,and cried silent tears. He'd come back, but only after doing something horrible to himself; like getting in a fight on purpose so he could bleed.

He didn't have to be so paranoid.


I had something completely different planned for this chapter, but then this happened.

Ooh I'll say this before I forget.

'Ponponpon' by Kyary pamyu pamyu pretty much represents innocence. As Rin's group used to constantly play that song.

'Abracadabra' by the Brown Eyed Girls represents pain and certain, well..dark things. That was because as I think I mentioned in an earlier chapter, Len was listening to it when Hayabusa-Sensei said that really harsh thing to him.

Review and I'll steal my sister's new Serah Farron cosplay and give it to you. If you like Serah that is. Otherwise I'll steal her Luka cosplay for you. Onee-baka is being such a bitch, she won't let me wear it, I like Serah, and it's the XIII one to, that's my favourite!

Note to self, write something horrible about Serah. And Minako-sama for that reason. Just to show my love for them.

Ba Bai