Phase 5 – Just a While

Ri was wearing her black toga and a graduation cap. Sarah Sareniv fixed her hair – her blue hair was tucked in beautiful buns of hair and others were left dangling to add a little more style. Ri wore no make-up because Adeline suggested it. After all, she was already beautiful even without make-up, but still, Ri just placed a red lipstick on.

Ri took her seat, but no smile seemed to appear on her face.

"Hey, are you alright?" her classmate who was by her side asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine." She replied, placing a slight smile.

"Don't ruin your beautiful face." Her classmate commented, "It's our graduation day and you're the valedictorian. And else, your friends are here to watch your big day!"

"Well, except one important man in my life…" Ri whispered, "When he was here, I was feeling eased because… I thought he was going to watch our graduation today and… then, he told me last night that he has to leave today. But I can't do anything about it…"

"Let me guess," her classmate said, "your brother?"

Sadly, Ri nodded and held back her tears, "I just want to show him that the work he has done to raise me up really paid off. But it turns out to be that I'm the one who's at disadvantage because I worked so hard just to make sure that he will be able to see what the result would be…"

Her classmate hugged Ri and said, "Hey, don't cry now! We'll cry later. Save it."

Sarah, Philip, Adeline and, amazingly, Christopher Wayne were seated on the front in the visitors' seats. Not many people wanted to be near them, noticing the officials' presences.

"Where's Mu?" Sarah asked her husband.

"He probably has no choice but to leave. The Archangel is on a rush, so we can't avoid it." Philip replied.

Flashback

Philip and Mu were having a chat at the La Flagas' residence. They were sitting in Mu's balcony where there were four chairs around a circular glass table. They were having coffee at that time. Ri was fast asleep in her room, because of the hectic graduation practice today.

"Really, can't you ask Miss Ramius to delay your departure from this colony? Tomorrow is, after all, Ri's graduation and she has to deliver her valedictorian speech." Philip tried to convince Mu who was staring at his cup of black coffee.

"I can't." Mu said dejectedly, "We have to leave when we have to. I also want to attend Ri's graduation as much as possible but we have something else to do."

"I foresee a crying Ri La Flaga even before her graduation ceremony starts." Philip told him, sipping from his cup of cream coffee.

"You know that I love Ri." Mu answered firmly and looked at the lightened city just a few kilometers away, "I am devoted to her because I have a responsibility to her as a parent and as a brother. But as a soldier and a lieutenant, I have to sacrifice the things and the people that I love, just to fight until it ends the war. And take it from me, it does hurt to think that I can't attend her graduation tomorrow."

"Just tell your captain if you could delay to attend her graduation." Philip said, "Otherwise she might be jumping off her room's balcony after her graduation."

Mu chuckled at the thought and said, "She can't be that emotional."

Philip raised an eyebrow and stared at him, "I'm not joking, Mr. La Flaga."

Mu looked at him and stood up, putting his hands in his pockets, "I'll try to convince Lieutenant Ramius to delay the departure."

"Invite them, too, if possible." Philip told Mu, finishing his cup of creamed coffee.

"I hope Ri will understand if I don't show up tomorrow."

"Did you even tell her?"

"Yes." Mu said and he rubbed his temples, "And apparently, that's what made her cry to sleep."

"That's terrible." Philip replied.

"Yeah, it's scaring me, too." Mu told him, "I hate making her cry."

"Funny how a woman's teardrop kills a man." Philip said and they stared at each other, "Sarah made me feel that, too."

"When she cries, she reminds me of Mother's face, actually." Mu stated, "That's why I always want to keep her happy, because I don't want to see what she inherited from our mother."

"What a mess…" Philip spoke, "Anyway, I have to leave now. Sarah might scold me if I get home by 10:00."

"Alright," Mu said goodbye, "have a safe trip, Mr. Sareniv."

Philip smiled back and left.

Mu was allowed to stay with Ri in their house after the legendary Gundams' incident. Murrue says it's actually doing Ri a favor before they leave.

End of Flashback

In the Archangel…

"Lieutenant La Flaga?" Natarle asked through his door. Mu was just staring at the ceiling on the bed.

Natarle knocked on the door and said, "Lieutenant La Flaga, are you there?"

"Yeah?" Mu lazily replied. He was thinking if Ri would do okay without him in her graduation.

"Are you ready to go?" Natarle asked, smirking on the other side of the door.

"Think I'm not?" Mu said, slightly chuckling.

"Then, better get out of your room or Chief Master Sergeant La Flaga will be disappointed not seeing her dearly beloved brother on her graduation." Natarle teased.

Mu's eyes widened and got up from his bed, "We're going to Ri's graduation?!"

"We'll be leaving tomorrow." Natarle replied, leaving his room door, "The Captain said your presence for Ri the whole day is important. The Captain wants you to stay with Ri for today before we leave tomorrow. Hurry up, please! Everyone else is excited to go to her graduation."

Mu got out of his room quickly and tailed Natarle.

When they reached the door of the Archangel, Murrue said, "Mr. Murdock, are you sure you'll do fine with your crew alone in the Archangel?"

"Yes, ma'am." Kojiro Murdock replied, "And I saw these cabs automatically waiting for all of you, ma'am!"

When Murrue looked outside, there were three cabs waiting.

One of them was the same cab Ri was on, the day she surrendered her silver card.

"C'mon, don't keep a fine young Ri La Flaga waiting!" the cab driver said, beeping his cab.

Who were going? Well, there's Natarle, Murrue, Kira, Mu, Flay, Miriallia, Sai, Tolle, Kuzzey, Arnold and the other crew on the bridge.

Mu, Murrue, Natarle and Kira took the first cab – and it was that guy whom Ri talked to and seemed to have interest in his anecdote.

Murrue was seated near the driver and Mu, Kira and Natarle were seated at the back.

"Paleonris Military Academy, here we go!" the driver said, on their way to the academy.

Meanwhile, they were already starting the graduation ceremony and Ri looked back to see if Mu was there – but all who were seated in the front seat were Philip, Sarah, Christopher and Adeline. The other seats beside them were completely blank. Christopher just shrugged his shoulders at her and Adeline sadly shook her head. Ri looked down and remained calm at her seat, expecting her brother to come.

Anyway…

The cab driver turned his radio on.

"And to all you listeners out there! Don't you miss the Paleonris Military Academy's graduation today! Hear that, TODAY?! Anyway, the said valedictorian is the beautiful, Chief Master Sergeant Ri La Flaga and the salutatorian is Michael Pierce, a school heartthrob and also, the school's quarterback." The DJ on the radio said, "But good thing is he's not boastful! Anyway, watch the new soldiers be on their way. And I just heard the news that the graduation ceremony has already started! Anyway, let's just keep playing our songs, shall we? Here's now Black Coffee by All Saints."

Night Swimming
Beach walking
Always silent
Never talking
Then you call my name
And I know inside I love you

Sail away
I miss you more
Until you see the shore
There I will be waiting
Anticipating

Mu knew the song, too – its title is his favorite caffeine drink, why wouldn't he know the song? And besides, he can hear Ri sing that song just a few days ago, so, she also knew the song.

The driver looked at his side mirrors that the other two cabs are just behind him – he hopes he gets to the young lady's graduation on time. Then, the driver looked at the suspended mirror from the ceiling (sorry, dunno what's it called) and saw Mu's white uniform, blue eyes and flaxen hair.

"You must be Lieutenant Mu La Flaga!" the cab driver said.

Mu snapped back to reality and paid attention to the driver, "Yeah, I am."

"I met your sister, the now, Chief Master Sergeant Ri La Flaga. I drove her home actually." The cab driver said, "And she seemed to be very unhappy that time. She also mentioned something about you."

Each moment is new
Freeze the moment
Each moment is cool
Freeze the moment

I wouldn't wanna be
Anywhere else but here
I wouldn't wanna change
Anything at all
(Anything at all…)

I wouldn't wanna take
Everything out on you
Though I know I do
(Although I know I do)
Everytime I fall

"Really?" Mu replied, seeming to be interested, "What did she say?"

"That you were just here to hear about some incident." The driver answered back, "But she did say you were very kind to her and that she loves you so much."

"Looks like there's only one woman who can like Lieutenant La Flaga." Kira teased, "And your looks seem to work on only the same person."

Mu was flattered and blushed a little from the driver's comment and messed up Kira's hair, "Shut up, kid."

"Please refrain from calling him 'kid', Lieutenant La Flaga." Murrue interrupted.

Mu sighed, "Sure."

Day dreaming
Chain smoking
Always laughin
Always jokin
I remain the same
Did I tell you that I love you

Brush your teeth
And pour a cup of black coffee out
I love to watch you do that every day
The little things that you do

"Nice song, eh?" the driver said, being caught in a traffic jam, "Lyrics of the song are really nice. Also the singers."

"One of them actually sounds like Ri when she's singing." Mu said, remembering Ri singing the same song.

"Couldn't we find a way out of this traffic jam, sir?" Natarle asked, seeing the traffic jam.

"Well, we can, actually." The driver said, "Just a little bit of progress from this traffic jam and I'll turn to that corner over there."

"That's not illegal, right?" Kira asked.

"Of course not!" the driver replied, "I know my limitations, young man!"

Each moment is new
Freeze the moment
Each moment is cool
Freeze the moment

I wouldn't wanna be
Anywhere else but here
I wouldn't wanna change
Anything at all
(Anything at all…)

I wouldn't wanna take
Everything out on you
Though I know I do
(Although I know I do)
Everytime I fall

The cab tapped his fingers on the steering wheel and looked at his side mirror if the other two cabs can be seen. Thankfully, they were still behind him. Then, the traffic moved a little and this exacted his maneuver to the corner he was talking about and then, the other two cabs followed his sudden turn to the corner.

Hmmmmmm
Hmmmmmm
Each moment is cool
Freeze the moment

I wouldn't wanna be
Anywhere else but here
I wouldn't wanna change
Anything at all
(Anything at all…)

I wouldn't wanna take
Everything out on you
Though I know I do
(Although I know I do)
Everytime I fall
(Everytime I fall)
(Everytime I fall)

"Don't worry," the driver said, "We're almost there. Just a few kilometers away."

"Good to hear." Natarle replied.

I wouldn't wanna be
Anywhere else but here
(Anywhere but here)
I wouldn't wanna change
(I wouldn't wanna change)
Anything at all
(Anything at all…)

I wouldn't wanna take
Everything out on you
Though I know I do
(Although I know I do)
Everytime I fall

Then, the Paleonris Military Academy came into view. Its massive structure and the lights surrounding it brought excitement to everyone from the Archangel – they're really near.

Night swimming
Beach walking
Always silent
Never talking
Then you call my name
And I know inside I love you

Sail away
I miss you more
Until you see the shore
There I will be waiting
Anticipating…