A/N: Okay, I've been really inspired as of late, so here comes another chapter. I can't predict what this one will be like, only that it will be good. Enjoy.
YAMI: I demand more screen time in this story. I'm the main character!
TTY7: Not in this story you're not. (Kicks Yami out of the story for good.) And stay out!
Disclaimer: I do not own Yugioh, Sailor Moon, or Code Geass. I only own my original characters.
Chapter 9
Bittersweet Reunion Part 3
A few hours later
Ashford Academy
3:01 p.m.
As more time passed the air grew colder outside, but most everyone was bundled up quite nicely…except for some of the female students of Ashford Academy. In any case, the first day of the festival was going exactly as planned. The many booths for food, games, and entertainment were taking in exponential amounts of cash.
Joey and Mina were laughing and enjoying all the festival had to offer despite some of the snags they had hit earlier, mainly the unexpected kiss that had transpired between them. Neither one of them would ever mention it to each other, but they both thought the short kiss had been nice.
The two teamed up on the whack-a-mole machine and earned enough points for the stuffed animals on display. At the top of the display had been an adorable plush puppy. As soon as Mina saw it she begged Joey for it. He was all but too willing to oblige, even though he had hoped she wouldn't pick the puppy. It had reminded him of when Duke Devlin forced him to wear a dog suit.
With Mina's new stuffed puppy in tow, the two of them decided to go on a carriage ride that was being offered by the school's equestrian club.
"I've never done anything like this before," Joey stated as he climbed into the wooden carriage. He extended his hand out to help Mina in.
"I've never done anything like this either," she stated, taking a firm hold on his hand. With a quick tug he pulled her inside the carriage. "I have to say, this school has a whole lot of perks. Serena and the others should have attended this school ages ago."
Joey nodded, taking his seat. "I agree. This place is awesome. I can't believe it's a school."
"Me either," Mina replied, following Joey's lead. "The festivals at my old school weren't nearly as cool as this one. I'm really enjoying it."
"You two ready," a young boy asked, climbing aboard to take the reins. He wore a typical riding outfit, a long sleeved coat, black trousers, and riding boots. He had sandy brown hair and violet eyes. "My name is Rolo Lamperouge and I'll be your driver."
Mina's eyes immediately lit up upon hearing the surname. "Oh, are you Lelouch's younger brother?"
Rolo glanced back at her. "Yes, I am. Do you know my brother?"
"Actually we just met him today," Joey stated, groaning a bit. "I didn't like him."
"Joey! That's rude!"
"No, that's okay," Rolo stated, tightening the bowl styled helmet that was on his head. "Most guys don't like my brother. Girls however…well I think Joey knows what I mean."
"Yeah," Joey muttered, nodding his head. "He's the type of guy that has a bunch of fan-girls."
Mina simply rolled her eyes. "Don't be silly. No guy can be that popular, no matter how handsome he is."
Rolo raised an eyebrow. "You two must be new here. Where are you guys from?"
Joey was about to answer, but Mina jumped in before he could. "We're both from the homeland."
"Really, the homeland?"
Joey didn't say anything but he gave Mina a look that said, "I'm from America!"
"Yes, we're visiting for Christmas," Mina continued, ignoring Joey's questioning gaze. "Do you know Rei Hino?"
Rolo nodded. "Yeah, she's my brother's best friend these days."
Mina smiled as Rolo snapped the reins and the horse started moving. "I'm not sure if she told you about me, but I'm a friend of hers. I traveled to Area 1 to visit my distant relatives and that's when I met Joey here. He worked under my uncle, a board director of the Kaiba Corporation."
Joey's expression deadpanned. "She honestly doesn't expect this kid to believe that…"
"You mean that gaming corporation?" Rolo questioned, smiling broadly. "Pretty cool."
"Yeah, and Joey actually won second place in the Duelist Kingdom tournament," Mina continued, smiling broadly.
Rolo nodded. "So we have a celebrity then?"
Joey blushed a bit. "I'm not really a celebrity…"
"Don't be so modest," Mina cut in, lowering her head so that it rested on Joey's shoulder. "Being in second place makes you the second greatest duelist in the world as of right now. That's something to be proud of."
There was a slight pause, but after a moment a goofy grin spread over Joey's face. "I guess you're right Mina."
She sighed. "I'll say anything to make sure this guy doesn't blow everything. If everyone is changing their names then there has to be a good reason behind it. In any case, no one can know the truth behind why Joey and I are really here. I have to keep everything on the down low."
Silence hung in the air as Rolo drove the carriage. The only sounds that echoed in the chilled air were the sounds of the horse breathing and the wheels of the carriage bouncing off the path. As time passed, little flurries of snow began to fall from the clouds that hung overhead. Mina closed her eyes, content in her surroundings. For a few fleeting moments she was free of all of her worries.
As for Joey, every few minutes he would glance down at her; savoring how serene she looked when she was asleep. Something tugged at his heart as he stared at her, but he ignored it and looked away, opting to stare at the campus. All over there were crowds of people, laughing, playing, eating, and just enjoying the beautiful winter day. He noted a few students point up at the sky as snow continued to fall; melting the second it touched the warm ground.
"I wonder what life must've been like for Mina before her father got sick," he thought, taking a moment to glance down at her again. "I know she had a lot of responsibility as Sailor Venus and all, but I'm certain that she was happier when she lived here. Even though she didn't go to this school, the entire country reminds me of that day in McDonalds." With slight hesitance he wrapped an arm around Mina's shoulders, pulling her a bit closer to him. "Mina gave me hope then and continues to instill hope inside of me all the time. Even when she's unsure and scared, I feel certain that everything will be alright when she's near."
And then there's that other thing she had said before.
They're going to love you because I do.
Mina had explained it as a "my friend is your friend" sort of thing and Joey was sure that the girl wasn't entirely aware of the conclusions others could draw from the statement. Even so, the feelings that had coursed through him in that moment had been nothing short of ecstasy. To hear her openly state that she loved him. It made his heart soar.
Joey couldn't really put his feelings into words and even if he could, he wouldn't know which words to use. He knew that he liked kissing her, accidental or not, he liked the feeling of her lips on his. He enjoyed her company, even when she was being a bit bratty.
For a moment, the young man let himself forget where he was and simply let himself lean his head on top of hers. Drawing in a breath he inhaled the scent of her hair and smiled. It smelled like caramel filled chocolates.
Closing his eyes, Joey continued to inhale the scent of Mina's hair while envisioning their accidental kiss again in his mind…
And right when Mr. Wheeler got comfortable, everything went crazy.
The sound of two cats screeching loudly suddenly erupted through the air. A couple of shouts sounded, causing Joey to abruptly open his eyes. Immediately he saw two cats scamper across the dirt path in front of the carriage. The horse instantly stopped, screeching loudly and causing Mina to wake up.
"What's going on?" she questioned. Joey wasn't able to answer; his gaze had followed the two cats across the road. He identified one of them as Artemis.
"I'm going to kill that cat," he thought, dangerously close to jumping out of the carriage in order to chase said cat.
"Whoa…whoa!" Rolo exclaimed, his violet eyes wide. "Awww, man I don't know how to control this thing!"
The horse suddenly charged forward, causing the carriage to lift off the dirt path as it raced forward.
"Ahhhhhhh!" Mina screamed, closing her eyes again. "This is definitely not good!"
"Can't you control this thing?" Joey asked.
Rolo answered by jumping off the carriage and into the grass field adjacent to the path.
Joey tightened his grip on Mina as the carriage moved faster. "I don't like either one of those Lamperouge brothers!"
The horse continued on its rampage, abruptly turning off the path to race through the grass field toward the back courtyard. At that very moment, many members of the student council were placing pounds of cookie dough into the giant baking sheet. Unfortunately for them, the carriage was heading straight for it.
"Joey, what do we do!" Mina exclaimed, her eyes widening in horror as the reins finally snapped, causing the carriage to hurdle down a steep hill. All the while, the carriage was still headed toward the cookie dough.
"I don't know!" Joey screamed.
As the carriage descended down the hill, students, faculty, and guests darted out of the way. The members of the student council, Milly, Serena, Rei, Lelouch, Suzaku, Rivalz, and Shirley, were all unaware of the madness.
"We…have to warn them somehow," Mina stated, finally realizing where they were headed. "Ruining the cookie will totally ruin the festival for everyone!"
"AAAAAAAAH!"
The carriage changed course without warning, slamming through three booths that were filled with food. Thankfully no one had been inside. Nonetheless, Joey and Mina ended up being covered in noodles, white sugar, gravy, and mashed potatoes.
"I'M GONNA KILL THAT KID! THIS WAS MY FAVORITE SWEATER!"
"I THINK WE HAVE MORE IMPORTANT THINGS TO WORRY ABOUT THAN THAT, LOOK!"
Mina followed Joey's finger, now the carriage was headed straight for the glass window of the pool building.
Meanwhile, the surrounding screams finally made themselves known to the seven student council members. Almost immediately they saw the carriage passing right by them.
"Oh, no," Milly whimpered. "We just washed those windows."
"I wouldn't be concerned about the windows," Rei growled, already moving away from the giant pan. She removed her apron and jumped off the platform. "Mina and Joey were in that carriage. We got to try and stop it."
"Wait Rei, just how are we going to do that!?" Serena yelled, following after her. She didn't bother to remove the apron.
The others soon followed.
Back to the two blondes, they were still crashing through some of the booths.
"Why on Earth would there be a 'dress like a chicken booth?'" Mina wailed, trying in vain to shake the feathers that had gathered on her arms and chest. "This is ridiculous!"
Joey swallowed the lump in his throat. "Mina, if we plan to survive this we're gonna have to jump off this thing."
"Are you nuts! We're moving too fast! I'll totally break my neck."
"No you won't," Joey argued, wrapping his left arm around Mina's waist. "I've gotcha covered Mina. Just trust me."
For a moment Mina couldn't speak. Though turbulence rocked through the carriage, the strength of Joey's arm around her kept her still. His chocolate brown eyes kept her from looking anywhere else and in those instants her fear melted away. She knew she could trust him.
After taking a deep breath, she wrapped her arms around Joey's neck and closed her eyes. "Okay, I'm ready to jump."
Joey didn't answer, opting instead to pick her up Bridal style as the carriage continued toward the building. He didn't waste any time as he rose firmly to his feet.
"Hang on tight okay."
Mina nodded, shutting her eyes tighter.
Without another second to waste, Joey jumped from the carriage. He spun his torso slightly, causing him to land on his back. Pain immediately sprung into his body, but Mina landed safely on top of him without a scratch.
"Mina! Joey!"
Joey barely heard Serena's exclamation. His gaze was locked on the sky above. As more snow rained down from the heavens, all he could think was that he couldn't be happier.
"Are you alright Joey?" Mina questioned, barely lifting herself off him. "That was a pretty rough fall."
"Fine," he breathed, gaze now locked on her eyes. "Are you okay?"
She laughed. "Thanks to you."
Joey's smile widened as she removed herself from him. "Look at the sky with me for a minute."
"But the others…"
The blonde knucklehead cut her off by gently tugging her back down on the ground. "I'm serious, just look at it for a second."
Mina blinked in confusion, but she rolled over on her back and stared up at the sky. The clouds were grey and dark, but pure white snow was falling gently from the sky, melting as soon as it made contact with the ground. Even so, the flakes had become larger, their dance visible and breathtakingly beautiful.
"Wow, it's gorgeous," Mina breathed as a single snowflake landed on her nose. "This reminds me of when I used to make snow angels with my dad."
"I used to do the same thing with my dad," Joey revealed, his breath causing steam to rise in the air. "Though, it never involved jumping out of carriages at a school festival before. I have to say, the twist was pretty exciting."
Mina busted out laughing on the spot and it wasn't long before Joey joined her. By the time Serena, Rei, and the others arrived, they were rolling in hysterics again and doing nothing to prove that they weren't dating. If anything, it made Serena and the others believe that the two were helplessly and hopelessly in love.
Around the same time
At the underground base of the disbanded terrorist organization known as the Black Knights, a man with blue hair and coal black eyes entered the office of the current head and C.E.O. of operations.
"Lady E.E., Mina has arrived at Ashford Academy just as you said she would," the man stated as the automated doors closed behind him.
E.E. placed her bare feet on top of the desk she was seated at. With slow fingers she raised a wine glass that was filled with grape soda. "Wonderful. The plan is working flawlessly." Her leaf green eyes sparkled with vindictive intent as she seductively drank from the glass. After placing the glass on the table she spoke again. "Mina will serve as the perfect instrument of destruction for the Sailor Scouts…actually she serves better as a method of distraction."
"Distraction?"
"Yes, D.D., a distraction," E.E. replied. "The outer soldiers have been an obstacle for me as of late. They know I have taken over the remnants of the Black Knights. Because of this, there isn't much I can do to shake things up…" she trailed off to place her feet back on the carpeted floor. With a slight twist of her black swivel chair, E.E. rose, patting out the wrinkles in her black pleated skirt. "For chaos to reign supreme I need a distraction of sorts. That's where Mina comes in."
D.D. narrowed his gaze. "Just what are you planning? This is definitely a new strategy."
"I'm not going to spoil the surprise," E.E. answered, once again reaching for the wine glass filled with grape soda. "However, I can tell you that all the obstacles standing in my way will soon be eradicated. I only need to set everything in motion…"
At that moment E.E.'s cell phone vibrated on the desk. Leaf green eyes narrowed.
"Looks like another piece is falling into place," she murmured, picking up the phone to read the caller I.D., "Ryou Bakura is probably wondering what I'm planning as well."
"Are you going to answer him?"
E.E. shook her head, her short blonde hair swaying a bit. "I'll be seeing him in person shortly. There's no reason to exchange words with him through the phone anymore." A twisted smile tugged at the corners of her mouth. "Besides, his curiosity has always been his weakness. I intend to exploit it and take back what he tried to steal from me."
"There's one last thing I don't quite understand," D.D. stated, taking a seat on the couch on the other side of the room.
"And what's that?" E.E. asked, placing the phone back on the desk. It continued to vibrate.
"How are you going to use Cecelia to achieve your goal?"
The evil woman's smile broadened. "That's simple. Thanks to the micro-chip in her brain she's been killing scores of women trying to get to me; however, now that she's under my control again, I can use her against little Mina. And once Mina is broken, the others will soon follow. After all, in the future she is the one set to be the leader."
"But I thought your main objective in all this was to take revenge against Sailor Mars."
"It is," E.E. answered before taking another sip of her grape soda. "Believe me, targeting Mina is a temporary measure to distract everyone. Once that is complete, I will have plenty of time to instigate my revenge against Rei. She will pay for cursing me and for killing my cousin. I will make certain that she suffers for all eternity. As for Mina, I'll make certain that her suffering is short-lived."
D.D. nodded. "I understand. Should we tell that fool Fernando that we captured Cecelia?"
"No, I have a feeling he let her escape on purpose," E.E. stated, laughing a bit. "I should actually thank him. The news of her escape is what put this whole plan of mine in motion." She glanced back at D.D. "Let him believe that she's still out on the rampage. I like seeing him squirm."
With that said, the room fell silent.
A little later in Rei's dorm room
Mina P.O.V.
4:05 p.m.
Today has certainly been memorable.
At the moment, I'm sitting on the bed in Rei's dorm room here at Ashford Academy in nothing but a thick white terrycloth robe and white slippers. Serena took my clothes to get them cleaned and I had to take a shower in order to wash all the food out of my hair.
"Here's a towel for your hair Mina," Rei stated, handing it to me. "I'm sorry that the hairdryer didn't work."
"It's fine," I replied, taking the towel gratefully. "I'm sorry that Joey and I caused you and Lelouch so much trouble."
Rei shook her head. "It's absolutely no trouble at all." With a sigh she sat down next to me. "I'll tell you what does bother me though. You totally didn't stay in touch. What was that about?"
I shrugged. "That actually couldn't be helped. My communicator whacked out on me and then when I got a cell phone…I forgot all of your numbers."
"That sounds like something you'd do."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"Only that you're a bit of a spazz," Rei answered bluntly, smirking a bit. "Don't worry though, you aren't nearly as bad as Serena."
My expression deadpanned. "Thanks, I guess."
Rei sat down on the bed next to me as I started rubbing the towel through my hair. "So, what's the story on Joey? Did you meet him in America…I mean uh, Area 1?"
Okay that was a bit odd. "Yeah, I met him on my first day there actually. We went to the same school together and then we both ended up participating in the Duelist Kingdom tournament."
"Why'd you play in a tournament where all you do is play children's card games?" Rei asked, genuinely perplexed. I almost sighed in exasperation.
"Because…" I drawled out, emphasizing each syllable, "there was a three million dollar prize and I needed the money to pay for my father's operation. You guys know I left because he was sick."
Rei nodded her gaze faraway. "Yeah, I remember that day. Did you win the money?"
"Not exactly," I told her, smiling as I remembered the moment Joey cornered me outside in the rain. "Joey won the prize money. He needed it to save his sister from going blind, but he split it up with me and helped me pay for Dad's operation…the only problem now is that it can't legally be paid for unless my mom signs the contract and…" I wasn't sure how to explain the next part.
"And what?" Rei questioned. "What happened?"
I sighed. "Let's just say she couldn't sign the papers. She disappeared unexpectedly." That wasn't really a good answer to give her, but I didn't feel comfortable talking about what I had been through, at least not here at the academy. Ever since Joey and I arrived, I've had this terrible feeling that we're being watched, plus with everyone changing their names…I just had a good hunch that this place wasn't ideal for disclosing information.
"You mean she just randomly took off?" Rei asked, her eyebrows knitting together in confusion. "That makes no sense. Why would she do that?"
"Was she always this persistent?" I wondered, my eyes darting around the small room. "This place doesn't even looked lived in."
Rei crossed her arms over her chest. "That's because I don't live in here anymore. I still own the dorm, but I actually live in a house with Serena and the others near the downtown area of the settlement."
"Seriously?" I asked. Now it was my turn to be persistent. "How did you work that out?"
"Well, it's a bit difficult to explain," Rei stated, rising from off the bed. In the next second she was reaching into the nightstand drawer.
"What are you doing?" I asked, watching as she withdrew a small piece of paper and a pen. She didn't answer, deciding instead to write on the paper. After a moment she gave it to me.
Rei's expression revealed nothing as she spoke. "This is the address. You probably have plans with Joey tonight, but tomorrow you should spend the night with us so we can really catch up."
I nodded, blinking before looking down at the paper. My eyes widened. There was more written on the paper than just Rei's address.
Meet me at Tokyo Tower tonight at 8 o'clock.
"Anyway, there are some clothes in this drawer here," Rei proclaimed, pointing at the drawer directly across from the bed. "When you're finished we can meet Joey and Lelouch downstairs."
"Speaking of," I began, smirking vindictively, "tell me Rei is Lelouch your boyfriend?"
Immediately a blush rose on Rei's face. "Don't even think something so stupid. Lelouch already has a girlfriend."
"Well, that isn't a shocker."
Her gaze narrowed into slits. "Can it. You met her earlier today. Her name is Shirley Fennette, remember?"
A vague image of the strawberry blonde haired girl registered in my mind. "Yeah, I remember. Still…I think you and Lelouch look better together."
"Not. The. Point." Rei muttered, enunciating each word like a separate sentence as her face turned scarlet. "I may like him, but there's no way I could date him because…" she trailed off.
"Because of what Rei?"
She shook her head vigorously. "It's not important." She turned away, walking toward the automated doors. "I'll meet you downstairs okay?"
"Kay," I replied, watching as the doors closed behind her. Man, nothing is happening like I expected it to. In fact, it's the exact opposite of what I expected. My friends, the girls who had been the equivalent of family were barely hanging around me. Some of that probably had to do with Milly and the festival, but the other part…something else is wrong, I can feel it deep in my heart.
Plus, with the visions I saw…it's clear that everything has changed on a major scale and I just didn't realize how major until now.
Deep down I have a terrible foreboding feeling that it's only going to get worse from here. I know thinking that now isn't the best thing to do, but I can't help it. My friends, my closest friends, are all acting like strangers. I can't begin to guess what's going on with them.
My eyes locked on the slip of paper that now lay in my lap. Rei's address was on the paper…and so was the address for the site of Tokyo Tower.
For a moment I wracked my memory of the place. The last time I saw Tokyo Tower, (and really saw it), was when Kaori Knight tried to steal Serena's pure heart crystal. During that fiasco, Serena's identity as Sailor Moon was almost revealed.
However, thanks to Luna's quick thinking, I was able to protect Serena's identity from discovery. Looking back on it now, I actually find the memory to be pretty funny.
But Rei's small note was not a matter of hilarity or anything close to it. Of course, I didn't really need the note to know that things weren't normal around here. After all, Ashford Academy was not the high school I remembered going to. My high school was in the Juban district of Tokyo…the district that was just a block away from the tower itself.
Images of what I saw when Haruka and Michiru attacked me earlier flood my mind. Their eyes had witnessed the destruction of my home, but I couldn't bring myself to believe it, at least not yet. No, in order for me to understand what's really going on I need to see the district for myself. I need to walk the streets and allow my Geass to have its way with my brain. I need to see the Black Rebellion from start to finish using its power.
This strange power I have isn't something I know how to control yet, but I know that it's still trying to reveal the answers I seek. Nevertheless, those answers won't come as long as I stay here at Ashford where the real world is completely obliterated by the fantasies of naivety. The only way to find what I'm looking for is to face reality head on without hesitation. If I don't, I'll never know the truth and I'll be left with no clues of my mother's whereabouts.
With those thoughts in mind I roughly rubbed the towel through my long blonde hair, careful not to create split ends in it. As much as I want to stick around the campus and the festivity of the festival, it's clear that the best course of action lies in seeing the Juban district. I must know the truth about everything, down to every last detail. I'm sure my Geass will show me that, but only if Joey and I go there now.
My fingers paused as thoughts of Joey swam through my head. "Is that really the best idea?"
The answer to that question was obvious, but I simply couldn't bear to walk through that district alone, especially when I have already received a glimpse of what is to come. No, I need someone who doesn't know the full extent of my worries, someone who could shoulder my pain without hesitation.
In my heart there is no doubt that Joey is the only person who can witness this with me. I wouldn't want to place these burdens on anyone else…actually, I'm fairly certain that I don't want Joey to bear these burdens either, but there's no one else for me to lean on. Don't get me wrong, I know how to stand firmly on my own. I can survive through trials and tribulations just fine. The problem lies in the desire to stand alone. At one time I wanted nothing more than to be completely independent and free. Now that my wish has been granted, I think independence and freedom have brought on more trouble than I care to have and loneliness fills my soul with each passing day…
Or at least it had until Joey practically begged me to give him my burdens that rainy day at Duelist Kingdom. That was the day my carefully built walls began to crumble.
Somewhere between his soulful brown eyes and his warm embrace, I found myself falling into a pit of vulnerability. The feeling unsettles me.
And quite frankly, his effect on me annoys me to no end.
Meanwhile in the Lamperouge house
Joey P.O.V.
I still don't like the Lamperouge brothers, but if I had to choose between them, Lelouch would be my pick. Sure, he tried making a move on Mina, but I can't really blame him for it. Mina has the effect on guys that Lelouch has on girls. Besides, it seems to me that he has eyes for another girl anyway. Plus, he didn't abandon me in an out of control horse drawn carriage.
"Thanks for the change of clothes," I stated, sitting on the couch in the living room. For a moment I let my eyes roam, taking in the apricot colored walls and the decorative and expensive looking furniture…mainly the chestnut coffee table in front of me, or is it mahogany…I can't really be sure of the color. In any case, this house connected to the actual student council clubhouse is fancy.
Lelouch glanced back at me as he walked into the kitchen. "Would you like some tea or something?"
"Yeah, that's fine," I answered, still looking around a bit. Directly across the room was a plasma screen T.V. mounted on the wall. To the left of the room was an open area that led to a dining room and adjacent to it was what I assume to be a music room given that there's a grand piano sitting in it. I wonder if anyone actually plays that thing. More than likely it just sits around collecting dust.
"Do you play?"
His sudden appearance before me almost made me jump. "No, I don't play piano or any instrument for that matter."
"Would you like to hear something then?" Lelouch questioned, setting the cup of tea before me on the coffee table.
My mind blanked for a moment. "You can't tell me that this guy actually plays the piano. Man, girls dig that sort of thing."
Lelouch was still waiting for an answer, almost looking impatient as I continued to stare up at him in silence.
"Um…sure," I said finally, the uttered word sounding more like a question than an answer. Lelouch acknowledged the request without a word or any outward show of emotion. He simply strode into the nearby room and sat down on the piano bench.
I took a quick sip of the tea, watching carefully as Lelouch's hands hovered over the keys for a moment.
"What would you like to hear?" he asked, his gaze never leaving the keys.
"Surprise me."
Lelouch gave a nod and lowered his fingers onto the keys. Seconds later he was playing "The First Noel" with effortless strokes.
But…something about the music was dark. The song as he played it sounded light and cheerful enough, but underneath it there was a sound that reminded me of the emotions I usually feel when Christmas rolls around: sad, lonely, and even a little heartbroken. What made it worse was the intense look in his eyes. He was too focused and the notes of the melody too perfect to sound real even though it was.
Thankfully the sound of automated doors clicking open interrupted the music. Seconds later Rei walked in, her violet gaze mirroring the intensity that Lelouch still had in his. He was still playing, regardless of Rei's noisy entrance.
She smiled at me, the intensity lessening a bit. "Mina should be down in a few minutes. I see that you've made yourself comfortable though."
"Yeah, I guess so," I replied, attempting to smile back. "I'm not used to this sort of treatment. Enjoying Christmas is a bit new for me."
Rei raised an eyebrow. "Why is that Joey?"
I shook my head. "No reason in particular. I just didn't have anyone to spend it with is all. Christmas can be a lonely time of year."
"I can imagine," Rei whispered, her gaze softening as she turned it towards Lelouch. Almost immediately I could see that look in her eyes…the look my mother always used to give to my dad before…
Another shake of my head gets rid of the bad memories, but Rei is still looking at Lelouch with that lovelorn expression. In seconds she was walking across the room toward him, a smile lifting at the corners of her mouth. Lelouch was still deep in concentration, playing the final notes with ease just as Rei sat down next to him.
"That was beautiful," she stated, her smile widening. "Say Lelouch, would you be willing to play that tonight for the concert?"
He blinked, obviously trying to clear his head of something as he looked at her. "The concert…I don't know. Milly usually has this place swarming with cameras and such during these festivals. I'd rather not be involved in something public like that."
"But it's so pretty Lula."
"Gah, will you desist in calling me that? You know how much I hate it."
Rei leaned against him a bit. "Yeah, right. Deep down I know you love it."
Lelouch smirked, exchanging a quick glance with her. "There are a wide array of things that I love more than that childish nickname you call me Rei."
"Really?" she asked, shrugging. "I wonder what all of those things are."
I took a hefty gulp of the tea Lelouch gave me. If this is going where I think it's going, Mina better get her slow butt down here. This is already awkward enough as it is.
My wish was granted almost instantly as the sound of the automated doors echoed in the room once again. As soon as I saw Mina in the doorway I rose from my seat on the couch. She looked great as always, wearing a simple red cardigan over a thick black t-shirt, black skinny jeans and red ankle boots. As always, that red ribbon was fastened tightly in her long blonde hair and she held my black coat over her arm.
"Sorry to keep you waiting Joey," Mina bellowed loudly, having noted the obvious love scene going on in the piano room. I barely glanced at them. There was a slight blush on both of their faces.
"You ready to go?"
"Go where?" I asked, a bit confused.
Rei left the piano room with Lelouch close behind her. "Mina, you can't leave yet. The first Christmas concert of the week starts in an hour."
Mina nodded. "And I know that you'll be great, but Joey and I have some important errands to run. I have deadlines to meet. You understand right, Rei?"
"Of course," Rei answered, her frown lifting only a bit. "You'll be back tomorrow though right. I know we didn't get to catch up with you because of all this madness, but it shouldn't be as busy tomorrow."
"We'll definitely be here," Mina replied, glancing up at me. "Right Joey?"
I smiled, nodding my consent. "I wouldn't miss it for anything." That much was true, but I didn't understand why we were leaving so suddenly. Granted I definitely wanted out of the room because of Lelouch and Rei's obvious display of romantic tension, but that didn't mean that I wanted to leave Ashford yet. Oh well, Mina is in control here and I'm sure she'll explain what's going on soon anyway.
Mina stepped forward, hugging Rei tightly. "Tell Serena and the others I'm sorry for not saying goodbye."
Rei smiled, but her gaze narrowed toward the floor. "You'll see them soon so don't worry about it." She gave a slight wink to me. "Besides, you have Joey to take care of you now, so we're not worried."
I couldn't help the blush that crept onto my face.
Mina chuckled and pulled away. "I guess you're right." She turned toward Lelouch and bowed her head slightly. "It was very nice to meet you and your friends Lelouch."
"It was a pleasure to meet the two of you as well," Lelouch stated another smirk on his face.
Mina gave another quick nod before turning towards me. "Let's go."
"Alright," I answered, waving at them as we started out. "See you both later."
"Later."
As soon as the two of us were outside of the clubhouse, I asked for an explanation.
"I really am sorry about this," Mina stated, walking ahead of me. She pulled my jacket closer around her body. "It's just…I need to go to the Juban district now Joey. I need to see what happened to my home. I need to understand what forced my friends to seek refuge in this school."
Letting out a sigh I placed my hand on her shoulder. "Mina, there's no need to apologize. You asked me if I'd go with you and I agreed. I didn't think we'd be leaving the festival early, but if that's what you need to do then I'm with you all the way."
"Yes, I know," she answered. Without warning she turned around to face me, forcing me to release my hold on her shoulder. She wrapped her arms around me next and pulled me into a tight embrace. "I'm glad that you're with me Joey."
I let out another sigh and pulled her closer to me. "I'm glad to be here with you…" I trailed off, a nagging question popping into my head without warning."
Mina tensed in my arms. "What's wrong?"
My own grip tightened on her. "It's nothing…just a question I wanted to ask you, but now isn't a good time to ask."
She pulled herself away just enough to stare into my eyes. "Ask me anything. You can be honest with me."
It wasn't about being honest. The question that was nagging at me was a question about the state of our relationship. The dynamics of how we related to one another had changed drastically since the day we met and even more so after we kissed for the first time.
Are we just friends? Are we more than that? If so, then what exactly?
My mind begged me to ask those questions now, but my gut was telling me to keep them hidden for a little bit longer. They told me to hold them in for when the time was right.
Finally I allowed myself to let go of her. Mina was still staring up at me, gauging me for the question that desperately needed to be asked.
"I promise that I'll ask you later," I told her, looking away. "Do you think you can wait?"
She nodded. "You've never been one to break a promise. I'll trust that you'll keep your word."
"Yes, I will."
"Good," Mina whispered, turning away. "Come on. I don't want to waste any more time."
With that said, we strode toward the awaiting gates of Ashford Academy.
A/N: This chapter was fun to write, especially the beginning portion that's in third person. I hope you guys enjoyed it! Thanks again to all my reviewers and readers out there. You guys rock!
