Author's note: Thanks again for the review!
/
Zane wasn't entirely sure just when it was that he'd last felt this nervous. Somehow, knowing that come what may, he was going to die had served to kill of most feeling of anxiety that he could have felt. After all, what did it matter?
As he walked up towards where Aster had agreed to meet up with Alexis, he found himself to be harbouring more than the odd doubt. Nightmare scenarios circulated through his mind. He found himself to be convinced that this would blow up in all of their faces. That he would be unable to masquerade as his friend, not for any amount of time and certainly not in the company of others who knew the two of them. What would happen once they knew the truth? No doubt it would open up old wounds and then they'd start to try to rescue him.
It took all of his will to keep on walking up the hill. If nothing else, he told himself, he couldn't possibly stand up Alexis and cause her to lose face. No, he'd do his duty and what he'd promised, get her to the party, ensure that she was comfortably in the company of her friends and then move on. This was never going to work…
Aster's spirit followed next to him. There was still that cocky and vaguely mocking little glint in his eye. For whatever reason, he was enjoying this. At the very least, he seemed to find it all rather amusing. From time to time, he would shoot the younger teen a warning glare. Right now however, it didn't seem to be particularly effective.
"I never thought you'd be the nervous type."
"I'm not!" He snapped back perhaps a little too quickly. "It's this plan of yours… It's never going to work."
"Only if you make it not work." Aster countered. "Look, just don't insult anyone or try to duel them to the death and things will be just fine. You are capable of having a friendly chat normally with someone, right?"
"I get the feeling Alexis isn't going to be talking to either of us after tonight!"
He could remember his own graduation ball well. It seemed silly now. Even at the time, he hadn't been quite as excited about it as many of his classmates had been. He'd stood by and watched, entertained but perhaps not enjoying it as much as he should have been. He could only guess that Aster must have felt the same way as he didn't appear to be all that bothered about giving up his place to another. Apparently attending as an incorporeal and invisible ghost seemed to be worthwhile to him.
"I don't know much about girls but I don't think walking up to them talking to yourself does much to put their mind at ease. So you might want to stop talking to me now."
In an instant, he saw what Aster meant. Standing only a few yards away was Alexis. She'd noticed him but hopefully hadn't picked up on the fact that he'd been engrossed in a conversation as he was still a little far away at this point. Still he came to a stop, feeling her gaze upon him. It felt like forever since someone had last looked at him, seen him… In practice, it hadn't been all that long. For a moment however, he found himself forgetting that she didn't actually see him so much as the younger man she'd agreed to go to the dance with.
He swallowed, suddenly he found himself to be reminded that she was very beautiful.
A shake of the head brought him back into reality. As he understood things, Aster had been on the more formal side when dealing with Alexis. Friendly but that was about it. Perfect. He reasoned that it would have been difficult to get the young woman to come along to such an event if there hadn't been such an understanding. As he drew closer, he found himself to be greeted by a welcoming smile. One which didn't quite serve to quieten his nerves. Still, he forced himself to continue onwards. He'd accompany her inside, no more.
"Hey." She greeted him.
"Hi." Aster's voice coming from him still felt odd. Best get this over with. "You ready?"
"Yeah."
Aster was absurdly tiny. Never in his life had Zane ever found himself to be shorter than Alexis. Once more however, he was reminded that he was occupying the body of a midget. He ignored the strangeness of it as best as he could, setting forth towards the main event. Aster's spirit was still following but rather more loosely this time, keeping a couple of yards back. There was quite the crowd already present. From inside he could hear loud voices, chatting, laughing and some music.
They were drawing some attention. Most of it was focused on Alexis. Given that, as far as he could gather, she'd spent the past three years repeatedly turning down advances, for her to suddenly agree to attend with Aster, someone whom she'd hardly spent much time with must have come as something of a surprise to the school's student body. There would be a decent amount of gossip for the next few days he would bet. Then the students would go their own ways and it would all be forgotten about. Then again, there were other reasons for people to stare as he found himself once more reminded of just whose company he was in right now.
He risked casting the young woman a brief glance and found her to be blushing somewhat. He hesitated a moment, feeling somewhat uneasy himself. He should say something, shouldn't he? Make this a little bit less awkward for the two of them:
"You uh… You look nice." It was polite to compliment one's date. Right?
"Thanks. So do you."
Up ahead, Mrs. Fontaine and professor Crowler were welcoming those arriving. They wore bright and sincere smiles. Zane of course, knew what to expect. He'd been here and done this all before and whilst he was acutely aware that he should have been playing somewhat dumb insofar as Aster would be a stranger to such events, he equally was reluctant to drag this out more than it needed to be. Best to get this over and done with after all. He was hoping more than expecting to be able to slip on through without getting stopped.
Unfortunately, Aster Phoenix and Alexis Rhodes happened to be two of the professor's favourite and highest performing students. There was little to no chance of either of them being able to slip on through without being given at least some form of greetings. He endured them to the best of his ability. He didn't even attempt to react to things the way that he thought that the actual owner of his body might have. He wasn't that much of an actor. The most he could manage was to try and avoid embarrassing his date by being civil, even managing something which resembled a smile for a few seconds. Somehow, as he listened to Crowler recounting yet another of his life experiences, he found himself confident that there would be many more Duel Academy students who would get to hear them in the years to come.
"Wait a minute..." The professor frowned, his attention passing between the two of them quickly. "Are you two attending this together?"
"Um… Yes. Yes we are." Thank goodness Alexis managed to sound convincing.
"Oh that's marvellous!" The man exclaimed. "I didn't realize you two were dating."
Even under the skin of another, Zane felt the heat rise to his cheeks. Some part of him, the logical part, reasoned that it didn't matter all that much. This would be Aster and Alexis' mess to sort out at a later date given that using their combined brain power had decided for some reason that this would be a good idea… He felt Alexis take his arm, she did so gently but the sudden feel of her skin against his own came as enough of a surprise to cause him to tense up. He glanced down at her for a split second as if it was the first time that he'd ever seen her before, only to dominate it a few seconds later. This was all an act, right?
He tried to act as naturally as possible as Alexis made some excuses for them and they walked on through.
Breathe.
It wasn't as if he was duelling for his life right now. He was taking an old friend to a party and that was it. Ironically, as they entered into the hall, he found himself thinking that he wouldn't have been so nervous as Zane. He'd actually considered inviting Alexis along when it had been his graduation ball. He'd decided against it. Dates weren't exactly essential and it wasn't as if there was any real romantic history between the two of them. Inside was packed. He couldn't fault the efforts that the academy went to each year to bid farewell to their students. Well… Those that had survived.
There were quite a few gazes fixed in their direction. Some he recognized, many he didn't. Once more, he found himself fighting back nerves. He was almost there, in a few minutes he would be able to leg it to the other end of the island. Behind him, he could sense Aster giving him a somewhat critical look. He wasn't too sure what the younger pro-duellist had thought he was going to do with such an opportunity but apparently this wasn't quite it.
They made it down the stairs and were able to mingle into the crowd easily enough. That allowed him to breathe a little easier. Almost instantly, he set about searching for her group of friends – be it Jaden and the others or those girls she tended to hang around with - in the hope that he would be able to leave her with them and call it a day.
"Thanks for this." Alexis spoke quietly before adding. "I told Mrs. Truesdale about what you did."
"How's she doing?" He couldn't help but ask, his mouth dry suddenly.
"She lost her son…" Alexis let out in a sigh. "I think she spent so much time worrying about Syrus and if he was okay… Zane was always the strong independent type. I don't think it ever crossed her mind that- It was a shock. Sy's going to hold off signing up to the pro-leagues for a bit though, spend some time with her. Having him around should make things easier for her. Oh-" Her eyes widened suddenly. "I forgot, she's invited you round for dinner sometime with me and Atticus."
"Dinner?" Zane couldn't help but huff at the prospect. "Well, pick your poison I guess-"
He caught sight of the odd look that Alexis was giving him and realized that having said only a handful of sentences to her since meeting up, he'd already managed to endanger his secret. He held of facepalming as he realized that Aster really shouldn't have known about Mrs. Truesdale's cooking ability (or lack thereof). He was Aster right now. The key was trying not to react. At least not with fear or alarm. Instead, his mind worked quickly, looking for some manner of a plausible excuse.
"I tried some of Zane's cooking in the Dark World… He said he learned from his mother."
"Oh… Yeah..." Alexis' voice trailed off.
"Uh-" Quickly, he did his best to see if he could find something to change the subject. "Do you know if all your friends are going to be here."
"They should be."
For the time being, he was going to assume that he'd gotten away with that one. He supposed the explanation that he'd provided her with was pretty easy to believe at least he thought. Where were the others?! He found Aster a few feet away. The younger man merely shook his head, apparently having resigned himself to the fact that tonight was going to be an odd night for all parties involved. He risked giving Alexis another glance, she was still considering him, scouring his features for something. He preferred not to look her way, fearful that she might be able to see past his disguise and see the man who lay just under the skin.
He found his salvation a moment later: Syrus, Chazz, T-Rex guy and a couple of the girls he knew to be Alexis' friends. Good. He could drop her off with them and run for the hills before she had time to ask any more questions.
"So it's true! You two are dating!"
"Um we..." Alexis glanced in Aster's direction. "For this evening."
He just nodded, perhaps lacking some conviction but then if he understood the arrangement correctly that didn't really matter. This was only for appearances' sake so that Alexis could have a rest before the ball and not have to worry about that perpetual legion of suitors she had chasing her around.
Zane allowed his attention to drift over the group before him. Why was it only now that he saw how much they'd all grown? Somewhere along the line, he still thought of them as being… Well, perhaps not children but certainly younger. What they had been forced to endure on this island could account for that just as much, if not more than the passage of three years. His gaze came to fall upon Syrus. He hadn't grown a lot, insofar as even in Aster's body he found himself to be taller than him but there was a certain confidence there which couldn't be mistaken. It wasn't anger or pride but there was something there that just seemed to know who he was and what he was capable of.
He recalled Aster's words when they'd agreed to do this. He could have a chance to talk to them but just what could he possibly say? Anything that he did have on his heart would come across at best as weird coming from the mouth of another. Given how in their eyes Aster had been acting these past few days, it was likely that they'd think he was off his meds, not that he had any to begin with. So he remained silent, watching and listening.
He fancied that it couldn't have been all that different to how Aster would usually have behaved around them as nobody seemed to pick him up on it. That was reassuring. It wasn't as if he was all that talkative anyhow. The spirit of the body he currently occupied approached only briefly:
"Look, I'm going to give you some space now. Try not to stare too much, it frightens people."
He agreed silently. He wasn't too sure exactly where Aster was heading off to but a few minutes later when he looked for him, he was unable to locate him. He allowed himself to relax a little, reasoning that if the rest of the evening was like this, then he might just conceivably be able to spend it here and escape disaster.
An arm clamped itself suddenly round his shoulders, pulling him away from the little group without any warning. He tensed up, some part of him assuming it was trouble. A quick glance confirmed that he wasn't entirely wrong. It was Atticus, sporting that same old goofy smile of his. He probably meant no harm but then whether or not he actually intended to create it or not Zane knew from his own experience that it tended to either follow him around or be generated regardless of the initial innocence of his intentions. In short, he was worried and already fearing the absolute worst.
"Lexi, mind if I borrow your date for a minute?" Atticus called over to her.
"You should ask him, not me." His sister replied.
"Aw, he's fine with it. Aren't you?"
Zane tensed up but managed to hold back on just some of what he wished to say. He had it in his mind to flat out refuse. As far as he knew, Aster and Atticus had had little to no interaction prior to today and likely never would again. So there was no reason for him to pull his punches. He doubted that the young man's sister would have cared so long as he wasn't downright offensive. In his previous life, he'd certainly had opportunity to lose his patience on a couple of occasions. He must have been too small as he found himself being dragged off. As he was lead away, he caught sight of Alexis' apologetic look.
They didn't go far and perhaps, he was willing to concede, he allowed himself to be lead along like this because in some way, it reminded him of the life that he'd once had. He would have been lying to himself as much as anything else. So, in the end, he didn't actually fight. Instead, they ended up near the buffet table. Whilst Atticus was quick to indulge, Zane held back reasoning that his old friend wouldn't have brought them both over here just to eat.
"So..." He spoke with food still in his mouth. "You and Lexi, when did that happen?"
"Recently."
"Didn't think you were each others' types."
"You would know of course."
"Relax bro. I'm just prying." There was his familiar teasing smile. "Just want to make sure my little sis is okay, you get me?"
That honestly surprised Zane a little bit. All those attempts to hook up Alexis with someone that he'd witnessed, this was the first time that he'd ever heard him expressing any reservations. His best guess was that this was so out of the blue that her brother didn't quite know what to make of it. Surely the fact that his sister was going about this cheerfully should have been a clue that all was well. Then again, Aster himself had been acting rather strangely of late. So that was yet another reason to be concerned. Still, he found himself to be smiling feeling somewhat more content in the knowledge that his friends were still looking out for one another:
"Don't worry about it Atticus. I'm sure you're both going to be fine." He began to take a few steps away. "She's lucky to have a brother like you, who looks after her."
That was enough to puzzle Atticus. He stared at him for a moment. Zane took the opportunity to step away, to put some distance between the two of them. He would find some comfort in seclusion.
He watched things from afar. Ironically enough, it very much mirrored his first graduation ball. With the exception that he wasn't allowed to have a drink, not anything with any alcohol in it at least. That was strictly prohibited it would seem given that he was yet to turn 18. He didn't complain, just standing back and contenting himself with some water. It was enough to see them smile and laugh, to convince him that everything would be alright. At the end of the day, they would have each other's backs, come what may.
Drifting round the room, he found himself face to face with his own picture once more. It seemed as if the dead were decidedly hard to get rid off around the school. It was a nice little shrine type thing he supposed. All four of the faces of those who had been lost looked back at the crowd surrounded by flowers. Fewer people seemed to be paying attention to them now but they remained there, a silent and constant reminder of just what had been lost. Granted, at this point, Zane was still rather inclined to toss all of the photos save for Echo's off of the table and remind everyone of just why it was that they were no longer here.
People were dancing now. Again, he watched keeping his distance, keen to ensure that he wasn't so much on the sidelines that he risked being dragged in. It suited him just fine.
Jaden was absent. That was perhaps the only thing that really troubled him right now. He really should have been here, making light about the situation and rubbing up Chazz the wrong way. He had half a mind to go searching for him. None of his friends seemed to be questioning his absence however, which was, in itself, troubling. Perhaps he had decided to call it a night early in order to prepare for a duel… For a moment, he considered going looking for the Slifer, just to make sure that he was okay…
"You managed to freak out my brother."
"That's not easily done."
The presence of another caused him to glance round to see Alexis. He still found himself subconsciously looking down somewhat only to be reminded that only a small child could possibly be there and that he now had to look up if he wanted to see her face. Standing here together, just watching, it almost felt right. Almost… Truth be told, he would have been more comfortable if she wasn't peering at him like that, practically squinting. He did his best not to take any note of her, to turn away and focus on the party as it unfolded.
She seemed content enough to stand silently next to him, just as she had done so often with Zane down by the lighthouse. It was difficult not to think back to those days and those that had come before it with a certain amount of fond nostalgia. He was able to spot a few of her friends here or there, some dancing, others chatting and a few watching. She really should have been with them. Enjoying this celebration as opposed to hanging back with him. He hoped that it wasn't because she felt that Aster needed company…
"You should be dancing." He couldn't help but note.
"Oh? And why's that?" Her tone was amused more than it was irritated.
"I don't know… It's the graduation ball, I'd have thought that you'd want to."
It was pleasantly easy to speak with Alexis. Maybe it was because he was so used to it. That and she didn't give off the impression that she was concealing some ulterior motive like so many others did and had done over the course of years. No, she always came across as sincere and had a way of making those around her feel as if she actually cared. As a result, Zane allowed himself to relax. The tension in his shoulders easing somewhat as he stood next to his old friend. She left a few moments' pause, watching the others quietly:
"I can't dance."
"What?" He asked, amused by the admission. All the more so because he knew it to be false. "Since when?"
"Since forever!" This time, his insistence seemed to be grating on her nerves.
"You must have learned..." He responded, taking care to soften his voice somewhat.
"Well…" The woman looked around as if to ensure that she was out of earshot before confessing quietly. "My parents made me take some ballet lessons when I was a kid but I hated it."
"No..." He corrected her with a shake of the head. "You said that you didn't like it because your heart was really in duelling and you were afraid they'd try and talk you out of it but you actually didn't mind it."
She stared at him with eyes wide, the colour draining from her face. In the space of a few seconds, he realized that he'd made a mistake
He opened his mouth, ready to offer something which resembled an apology or an excuse, keen to distract her once more. As soon as he did so however, she took a step back away from him. She didn't blink as she looked at him. He didn't know what could be said, what he should have done. All he could do was stare back at the young woman, unable to take his eyes off her. Very slowly, Alexis backed away from him. He let her do so, unable to bring himself to do anything right now other than merely stare. When she'd put a yard or so between the two of them, she spun on her heels, making her way quickly out of one of the doors and onto a nearby balcony.
Zane let her go. He only cast a brief glance around to see if anyone else had noticed her quick retreat and if they had, if he was going to be held accountable for it as a result. As luck would have it, it seemed that nobody had noticed Alexis' sudden departure or at the very least that none of them had thought it to be suspicious or worthy of their concern.
He found himself to be hesitant. Logic told him that he'd better cut his losses and run. He'd already taken far too many chances and risked exposing himself. He should head down to the docks and wait for Aster to return. He almost did so. He made it half way towards the door before he found himself to be casting a brief glance around the room. Alexis hadn't rematerialized yet. He came to a stop. Through the thin curtains, he could only just make out her form. Torn, he lingered still undecided. Two seconds, a single glance just to ensure that he was alright. That's what he told himself.
Carefully, he made his way outside. The evening air was pleasantly warm. Alexis was leaning against the balustrade. Her attention was focused elsewhere, down at the lighthouse they had spent so long next to. She didn't even appear to be aware of his presence as he stood only a few feet away. He watched her for a moment. Again, wanting to speak but unable to think of just what he could possibly have to say to her right now. He lowered his head, preparing to leave. With any luck, she would dismiss what had been said as figments of her imagination and get back to the party in her own time.
"I-I wasn't so sure before but that's the second thing that you said…" Whilst she spoke softly, her words were enough to halt him in his tracks. "I-I didn't even tell my brother that… I never told anybody that. Except one person."
He stopped and abandoned all pretences. Doing so generated a strange reaction, one which he himself couldn't explain or account for. Without him willing it; a gentle smile crept onto his face. It was as warm as it was sincere:
"Hello Lexi..."