(A/N) SURPRISE!

I have something to confess. I would like to thank G-Force 4 for his approval at my using his two ACCs in this and one of my previous stories. He has my extreme gratitude for his approval because I didn't exactly ask for it. Truth be told; I had thought that they were just characters from the series. It never occured to me that they were ACCs.

Due to my ignorance of this; I dedicate this chapter to him.

SORRY!

Unleashing Valor

By: Tellemicus Sundance

Vindictive Life

Something strange is going on today. Yumi could tell from the secretive whispers that followed her wherever she went. When she'd tried to get someone to tell her what the big secret was, they'd just change the subject or shrink away from her. And it was really starting to try her patience. Even William seemed to know what the secret, but refused point-blank to tell her.

The only thing that was going in her favor was her date with William later. She could hardly wait to get away from school and the rumors. That and the fact that he'd promised something special.

As Yumi wrote the latest happenings in her journal, a knock on her door roused her from her stupor. She hid her journal under her mattress before letting her mother enter her room. A bundle of clothes were in her arms as she glanced at Yumi. A warm smile welcomed her into the room while she placed her daughter's clothes on the dresser.

"Your father and I are going out for the night," Mrs. Ishiyama said as she headed for the door. "I want you in bed at ten if we aren't back by then."

"Yes, Mom," Yumi said as she glanced at her watch. 4:36 p.m. It was almost time for her to meet William in the park.

Picking herself off her bed, Yumi stuffed her phone and a ten-dollar bill into her pocket. Walking with her mother down to the door, Yumi locked it as they left. Her father was already in the car and waiting. As she walked down the driveway and toward the park, her parent's car backed out and drove away.

Ulrich sat quietly high up in a tree in the park. No one could tell how he could've gotten up there for there were no branches that were low enough for him to have reached. The fact that he'd gotten up there while no one was watching him also didn't help to yield any answers. Had anyone really cared to question.

Leaning lazily against the trunk, he surveyed the park. The scent of the tree was wonderfully refreshing after being trapped in the school for eight hours. Feeling the cool October air on his skin as brought about a sense relaxation. Up here, in this tree, he was free.

Below him, Jeremy sat with Aelita as they shared his laptop. Both were working on what appeared to be an incredibly complex computer program. They spoke in low tones to one another as they passed the laptop between them occasionally, somehow ignoring all around them. And Odd was dancing energetically around the tree as he sang to the song in his ears.

This was perhaps the most content moment he'd had for a long time. However, the only one missing was Yumi, and he readily scanned the park for her.

Then Sissi and her cronies approached. Only half watching the iron witch, Ulrich felt the familiar disgust he'd always harbored for the black-haired girl. She was so arrogant about herself, obnoxious about her crush on him, and conceited that he'd found he'd never feel anything else for her but disgust.

She was in the process of interrogating the couple under him about his whereabouts, having as to not have noticed him. Tuning her out, he searched the park clearing yet again.

Then he saw her.

Yumi was dressed in her favorite black jeans and shirt. With her raven hair flapping and waving in the wind, Yumi walked calmly down the path that was nearby them. She was exactly as Ulrich remembered, well almost...she was much more beautiful to him now than ever before.

Without a conscious decision, Ulrich leaned back and slid off the tree limb he'd been sitting on. Flipping in mid-air, he landed lightly on his feet in front of an extremely startled Sissi. Ignoring her, Ulrich walked up to the path that Yumi was walking on and waited patiently. With each step that she took, Ulrich felt his heart start to beat faster and his face turned a very slight shade of red.

Yumi saw him and stopped walking when she reached him. Her eyes were wide with surprise and her jaw was hanging open a touch as she took in his slightly different appearance.

His shoulders were square and he no longer possessed somewhat scrawny arms. His hair appeared as though it hadn't trimmed since he left. It was long enough to hang slightly past his eyes, despite his bandana. Aside from his physical appearance, Yumi could also see that he'd gained a lot more confidence. But she could see he was still his humble old self from the dark, loose-fitting clothes he wore.

A small smile pulled at Ulrich's lips as he took a step forward, closing the distance between them. He could no longer see or hear anyone other than the owner of his heart. For reasons unknown to even himself, Ulrich found his hand reaching up to touch her face, as if to confirm to himself that it was indeed her.

"Hello, Yumi," he said quietly. Ulrich looked as though he were in a dream as his fingers finally made contact with her warm skin. "I've missed you."

Yumi's face was flushed for a moment while his fingers traced her cheek and jaw. Then, at hearing his voice, Yumi smiled brightly. "Ulrich, you're back! You've been gone for quite awhile." She brought her hand up and lowered his. "I've waited a long time to do this."

Fast as lightning, Yumi's other hand flew up and slapped Ulrich's cheek. The force of the slap snapped his head to the side. He didn't cry out, despite the numbing sting and resounding snap. Slowly he looked back at Yumi with a hurt and saddened look in his eyes. In Yumi's face he no longer saw the happiness he'd always imagined she'd show when he came back. Instead, her eyes were narrowed in anger.

"That was for leaving," Yumi hissed.

A slap to his other cheek tossed Ulrich's head to the other side. Again no sound came from Ulrich except for a quiet sigh.

"That was for coming back," she hissed.

The third slap seemed to ring throughout the park clearing. With his cheeks reddening and becoming steadily numb, Ulrich looked back at Yumi for an explanation of the latest attack.

"And that was for me," Yumi said as she crossed her arms. "Now leave me alone. I don't ever what to see you again."

She started to move away but Ulrich caught her shoulder. She glared at him as she wrenched his hand off of her like he was disease. "I wish you were dead!" she growled.

Shoving him away from her, Yumi continued walking down the path. Before she'd gone too far, Ulrich said in a voice that implied indifference. "Be careful what you wish for...you might get it, Yumi."

Walking back to the tree, Ulrich pulled himself back up to the branch he'd been sitting on previously. If the weather would react to human emotions, the worst thunderstorm of the millennium wouldn't have been able to compare to the tsunami of sadness that washed over Ulrich. However, Sissi's weather pattern would've been an eon of indescribable happiness.

"Ulrich dear," Sissi began again. "Will you come down here so we can talk?"

"Persistent, aren't we?" Jeremy asked with aggravation. Sissi's whining voice was really starting to distract him from his and Aelita's work. He could only imagine how Ulrich could it endure it with a relatively level head.

Then Sissi did something quite odd. Instead of an arrogant reply or quick-witted comeback that promised revenge, Sissi flashed Jeremy a genuine smile of appreciation. "Yes, Einstein," she said happily. "And loyal, like my dear Ulrich."

Returning her attention to Ulrich, she continued, "Two things that I love about my Ulrich are his persistence and loyalty. He stayed loyal to Yumi while she backstabbed him by dating William as soon as he left."

The truth in her words bore into Ulrich like a hot knife through butter. Sissi continued her ongoing speech of how Yumi didn't deserve him as a friend and how Ulrich and herself were meant for each other.

Her half-truths and twisted fantasies quickly began to erode Ulrich's newfound patience and resilience, and deepen his despair. He turned his face in an attempt to try to focus on something other than Sissi's depressing facts. Ulrich felt emotionally drained. He really just wanted to curl into a ball and die. In fact it seemed like a really good idea at the moment.

He glanced down the path at Yumi's retreating back. So proud, so stubborn, so strong…so wrong… He wouldn't cry, he'd vowed a long time ago to never cry again. Ulrich couldn't remember how long he'd remained in that tree. Or how he even had the strength to have returned to it for that matter.

Sissi's voice was like an annoying fly in his ear, always there. He sighed heavily as he felt a lonely pit of black depression settling in around him. He'd worked so hard, he'd to sweat blood, put his life on the line several times, nearly dying of starvation and dehydration. And he finally comes home to this?

Life was cruel!

Then a gift from heaven was given unto Ulrich: the song in Odd's CD player ended. Listening to Sissi's speech between the pauses for the next song, Odd saw what effect she seemed to be having on Ulrich despite his best efforts to remain indifferent externally. The next song started and Odd smiled mischievously as an idea came to his mind.

Dancing over to Sissi, Odd grasped her hands and started twirling and dancing with her to the rhythm of the song. Struggling to free herself from Odd, Sissi yelled at him and for help.

Nicholas and Herb were on the scene in an instant and fought to free Sissi from Odd's dancing clutches, and failing miserably. The whole scene was ridiculously hilarious. Aelita and Jeremy were quick to laugh at the antics of their blonde-purple haired friend. He even saved Ulrich from the depression he was falling into.

Temporarily.

(A/N)Wow. I can almost feel a power rising from the description of Ulrich's reaction to Yumi's newfound attitude toward him. I can feel the strength of a character development here and it seems to be going good.

Or maybe I'm imagining things. What do you think?