"After the Dance"
Chapter Ten
Elias and Mina walked slowly through the dark night. Mina was still feeling embarrassed about her blowing up at everybody for no reason. Elias, however, found it to be very amusing. He thought the fact that she got mad so easily was cute. He snickered a little bit, teeing her off a bit again.
"What's so funny Prince Elias?" Mina asked.
"Well, it's just that, and don't get mad at me for this, I think that it's amusing whenever you get irritated," Elias said.
Mina looked at Elias funny. For a minute, he thought that she was going to yell again, but instead, much to his surprise, she laughed.
"Yeah, I guess that it's funny when I get mad for no real good reason," she admitted. "I can see how you'd think it was funny."
After that, they stayed silent for a while, just walking along. Suddenly, Mina made a small sound, catching Elias's attention.
"What is it? What's wrong?" he asked.
Mina looked at him for a second before answering. Then she pointed and said, "That bench, right there, that's the place where we first met each other."
Elias looked up. She was right. They were right near the fountain in the park and there was the bench that they'd been sitting on the night that Mina got mad at Sonic.
"Wow, weird," he said. "Come on, let's get going."
They kept moving. Mina looked up at the crescent moon and said, "I love the moon. It's so beautiful."
"It sure is," Elias agreed. They stopped and stared up at it for a while. "Back on the Floating Island you could see it a lot clearer. I used to like to stare at it for hours when I was young."
"Did you really?" Mina asked. "I did the same thing."
Elias and Mina chuckled a bit and moved on. They suddenly heard a sound from behind them. They turned around and saw Geoffrey St. John standing there, though only Elias knew whom he was.
"Yes Geoffrey?" he asked.
"Your majesty, your parents have sent me to come get you and the princess," he said. "It's almost midnight. You should have been back at the palace."
"I'm okay," Elias said, frowning a tad. "I'm quite capable of taking care of myself."
"But Sire, the king and queen are worried," Geoffrey tried. "Please, if I don't bring you home . . ."
"Tell them I refused to come," Elias said. "I'll be home as soon as I see Mina home."
With that, they walked away from Geoffrey St. John, leaving him dumbfounded. Mina was confused too.
"What was that all about?" she asked.
Elias laughed. "It was a big nothing really," he said. "Geoffrey probably wasn't acting on orders from my parents. He's the former advisor I had. Remember, the one who was giving me biased advice? He's been really bitter ever since I fired him from that job. It wouldn't be the first time he's tried to ruin my casual time."
"Oh, I get it," Mina giggled. "He wants to get back at you by ruining your date, the same way you ruined his chance at getting a date with Princess Sally."
"Basically," Elias agreed.
They had a good laugh and kept on walking. After a while, Mina asked, "Do you think we should tell the others that their lame plan was totally obvious?"
"Nah," Elias said. "They were obviously giving it their all at trying to hook us up, so let's not ruin it for them."
Mina laughed outright. "I keep on thinking of Sonic's face," she explained when Elias gave her a weird look, "when Princess Sally kept on stomping his foot."
Elias had a laugh for that particular thought too. They continued to talk about the funny things that the Freedom Fighters had done while trying to make their plan work. They were chatting so fluidly that they didn't realize right away that they'd reached Mina's house.
"Wow," Mina said. "How'd we get here do quick?"
"You tell me," Elias remarked. "You're the speedster."
Mina pinched his arm and they walked up the stairs. Mina opened the door and was about to go inside when, out of the blue, she turned around, came back to where Elias was standing, and kissed him full on the lips. Elias, shocked, froze.
Mina giggled. "I'm sorry, I know that came out of nowhere, but I just couldn't resist anymore." She looked him in the eye. "I've been fighting down that kiss ever since you picked me up to go to the dance."
Elias came out of his stupor and said, "You have? But . . . but I thought you liked Sonic."
"I liked him," Mina admitted, "but for some reason, I just feel, oh, I don't know, special whenever you're around. There's something that you've got that Sonic doesn't."
"What's that?"
"You're you," Mina answered simply. "You are you, and that's all there is to it. Sonic's cool, but he's not for me and I know it. He's meant to be with your sister."
"What're you saying Mina?" Elias asked, hoping that the answer would be what he thought it was.
"I . . . I really care about you Elias," Mina blurted out. "I'm not one to keep secrets, so I won't try to. I really like you. In fact," she paused, "I think I'm in love with you."
Elias blinked. He absolutely could not believe what he was hearing. Mina Mongoose was in love with him? He felt elated. It was his dream come true.
Mina incorrectly interpreted his stare. "I didn't think you'd feel the same way," she whispered sadly. "I'm sorry Elias. Good night."
She turned to go inside, but Elias grabbed her by the arm and pulled her into a passionate kiss. Mina, surprised, didn't react right away, but then pulled Elias deeper into the kiss. It was a full two minutes before they separated.
Elias smiled at her. "Mina, I've been in love with you ever since we met."
"You have?" she asked, stunned.
"Yes. Why do you think I always wanted to hang out with you?"
Mina smiled and blushed. "I . . . I thought it was because you were always lonely up at the palace. I mean, you said it yourself Elias, there's only Sally up at the palace that you can talk to."
Elias's smile widened. "You're calling me 'Elias.' What happened to 'Prince Elias?'"
Mina grinned at him. "I can keep calling you that if you want."
"I prefer casual Elias," he answered.
The new couple kissed again under the moonlight. Nearby, there was a small clicking sound.
"These are going to be worth gold to Sally!" Tails thought as he took more pictures.
The End
Chapter Ten
Elias and Mina walked slowly through the dark night. Mina was still feeling embarrassed about her blowing up at everybody for no reason. Elias, however, found it to be very amusing. He thought the fact that she got mad so easily was cute. He snickered a little bit, teeing her off a bit again.
"What's so funny Prince Elias?" Mina asked.
"Well, it's just that, and don't get mad at me for this, I think that it's amusing whenever you get irritated," Elias said.
Mina looked at Elias funny. For a minute, he thought that she was going to yell again, but instead, much to his surprise, she laughed.
"Yeah, I guess that it's funny when I get mad for no real good reason," she admitted. "I can see how you'd think it was funny."
After that, they stayed silent for a while, just walking along. Suddenly, Mina made a small sound, catching Elias's attention.
"What is it? What's wrong?" he asked.
Mina looked at him for a second before answering. Then she pointed and said, "That bench, right there, that's the place where we first met each other."
Elias looked up. She was right. They were right near the fountain in the park and there was the bench that they'd been sitting on the night that Mina got mad at Sonic.
"Wow, weird," he said. "Come on, let's get going."
They kept moving. Mina looked up at the crescent moon and said, "I love the moon. It's so beautiful."
"It sure is," Elias agreed. They stopped and stared up at it for a while. "Back on the Floating Island you could see it a lot clearer. I used to like to stare at it for hours when I was young."
"Did you really?" Mina asked. "I did the same thing."
Elias and Mina chuckled a bit and moved on. They suddenly heard a sound from behind them. They turned around and saw Geoffrey St. John standing there, though only Elias knew whom he was.
"Yes Geoffrey?" he asked.
"Your majesty, your parents have sent me to come get you and the princess," he said. "It's almost midnight. You should have been back at the palace."
"I'm okay," Elias said, frowning a tad. "I'm quite capable of taking care of myself."
"But Sire, the king and queen are worried," Geoffrey tried. "Please, if I don't bring you home . . ."
"Tell them I refused to come," Elias said. "I'll be home as soon as I see Mina home."
With that, they walked away from Geoffrey St. John, leaving him dumbfounded. Mina was confused too.
"What was that all about?" she asked.
Elias laughed. "It was a big nothing really," he said. "Geoffrey probably wasn't acting on orders from my parents. He's the former advisor I had. Remember, the one who was giving me biased advice? He's been really bitter ever since I fired him from that job. It wouldn't be the first time he's tried to ruin my casual time."
"Oh, I get it," Mina giggled. "He wants to get back at you by ruining your date, the same way you ruined his chance at getting a date with Princess Sally."
"Basically," Elias agreed.
They had a good laugh and kept on walking. After a while, Mina asked, "Do you think we should tell the others that their lame plan was totally obvious?"
"Nah," Elias said. "They were obviously giving it their all at trying to hook us up, so let's not ruin it for them."
Mina laughed outright. "I keep on thinking of Sonic's face," she explained when Elias gave her a weird look, "when Princess Sally kept on stomping his foot."
Elias had a laugh for that particular thought too. They continued to talk about the funny things that the Freedom Fighters had done while trying to make their plan work. They were chatting so fluidly that they didn't realize right away that they'd reached Mina's house.
"Wow," Mina said. "How'd we get here do quick?"
"You tell me," Elias remarked. "You're the speedster."
Mina pinched his arm and they walked up the stairs. Mina opened the door and was about to go inside when, out of the blue, she turned around, came back to where Elias was standing, and kissed him full on the lips. Elias, shocked, froze.
Mina giggled. "I'm sorry, I know that came out of nowhere, but I just couldn't resist anymore." She looked him in the eye. "I've been fighting down that kiss ever since you picked me up to go to the dance."
Elias came out of his stupor and said, "You have? But . . . but I thought you liked Sonic."
"I liked him," Mina admitted, "but for some reason, I just feel, oh, I don't know, special whenever you're around. There's something that you've got that Sonic doesn't."
"What's that?"
"You're you," Mina answered simply. "You are you, and that's all there is to it. Sonic's cool, but he's not for me and I know it. He's meant to be with your sister."
"What're you saying Mina?" Elias asked, hoping that the answer would be what he thought it was.
"I . . . I really care about you Elias," Mina blurted out. "I'm not one to keep secrets, so I won't try to. I really like you. In fact," she paused, "I think I'm in love with you."
Elias blinked. He absolutely could not believe what he was hearing. Mina Mongoose was in love with him? He felt elated. It was his dream come true.
Mina incorrectly interpreted his stare. "I didn't think you'd feel the same way," she whispered sadly. "I'm sorry Elias. Good night."
She turned to go inside, but Elias grabbed her by the arm and pulled her into a passionate kiss. Mina, surprised, didn't react right away, but then pulled Elias deeper into the kiss. It was a full two minutes before they separated.
Elias smiled at her. "Mina, I've been in love with you ever since we met."
"You have?" she asked, stunned.
"Yes. Why do you think I always wanted to hang out with you?"
Mina smiled and blushed. "I . . . I thought it was because you were always lonely up at the palace. I mean, you said it yourself Elias, there's only Sally up at the palace that you can talk to."
Elias's smile widened. "You're calling me 'Elias.' What happened to 'Prince Elias?'"
Mina grinned at him. "I can keep calling you that if you want."
"I prefer casual Elias," he answered.
The new couple kissed again under the moonlight. Nearby, there was a small clicking sound.
"These are going to be worth gold to Sally!" Tails thought as he took more pictures.
The End