LAST CHAPTER!!!! MWUAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHABBQHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!
Hikari: She's finally lost it.
"I wonder how everyone's acting when they realize I'm not there." Kekomei sighed and took another sip from her cup.
She and Mushra had danced to a couple more songs, and then decided to eat some cake from the snack table. Mushra had snuck back in without being noticed and got himself a piece of cake and two cups of punch. When he sat down outside at the table, she still hadn't taken a bite of her cake.
"They probably miss you. I know my friends are probably trying to keep an eye out for me. Is something wrong with your cake?"
"Ahh? No, I'm just thinking." She picked up her fork and took a bite of her cake. "You must have some good friends."
"I thought yours were worried about you?" he looked up at her with a questioning glance.
"The one good friend I have is working as a maid in the kitchen tonight. I don't even get to talk to her."
"Wow, that's tough." He stood up to toss his plate and cup in the bin on the other side of the balcony.
"It is. It's so hard to be find time to spend when both of your schedules conflict. I wish I could have fun with her like we used to. Other than her, she's my only true friend."
Mushra dumped the trash and looked at her. He felt sympathy for this girl, who couldn't even spend time with her best friend. Another idea came to him. He came back to the table, with the rose from his pocket in hand. He bowed and offered it out to her carefully.
"What's this?" She gasped.
"It looks like rose to me."
She raised an eyebrow at the sarcastic remark and replied with her own, "I know that, but what's it for?"
"A token of friendship." His warm smile brought an unexpected blush from the emerald-eyed girl.
With a smile of her own, she took it gently from his hands. She turned the flower over slowly between her fingers, while gently feeling the soft, red petals.
"Th-thank you." She said with a sweet smile of her own.
"Glad you like it."
"It's wonderful."
Mushra grinned widely and sat back down. He watched her observe the flower in the moonlight with a small smile on her lips.
Both of them turned to look when they heard the double doors open. A tall, strong man walked out, followed by to women.
"It's time." He said with a deep, stern voice. He had a kind smile on his lips that didn't match his voice, but he seemed amiable.
"Oh! It's that time already?" Kikomei stood up carefully. Turning to Mushra, she gave an apologetic smile. "Sorry, I have to go. I have something to do" she turned to the three adults "I'll be there." She told them. They went back inside after a nod.
"It's okay." She turned to go but he suddenly remembered something. "Wait!" ,
"What?" she turned and walked back to him.
"I forgot, how come you can't travel, I'm curious."
"I doubt my fiancé would allow it." She leaned in and pecked him on the cheek. "But don't worry about it." She turned around and hurried to catch up with the three.
"Eh?"
Mushra's face had turned as red as his Hyper Form armor and he had a mix of shock and confusion on his face. Before he had time to respond, the door opened again and Binka walked out.
"There you are!" she exclaimed. "Kutall said he thought he saw you at the snack, but he was busy getting another piece of - Mushra? Are you okay?" Her eyes held concern.
"Uh- yeah."
"Good. Now hurry up!" she grabbed his arm and started dragging him back inside. "Something big is about to happen?"
"What is it?" He temporarily forgot about the kiss on the cheek from Kikomei and looked around curiously. The crowd had all gathered near the front of the room, where the DJ had been on the stage.
"They didn't say." She yelled above the noise of the crowd.
They pushed through the crowd to the front where the others were waiting.
"You found him!" Yakumo smiled.
"We looked everywhere for you." Saago complained.
"Hush!" Rei and Sen said simultaneously. "Something's happening on stage!"
Mushra turned his attention toward the stage. The man who had called Kikomei earlier stood there. Behind him, in dimmer light was a group of guys ranging from age 16 to 19. Walking up on the stage was Kikomei. The lights shone brightly on her green dress and she smiled, looking down into her hands, which held Mushra's rose.
"Th-that's-" he was cut off when Kutall hushed him. The man on stage began speaking.
"Today, we celebrate my daughter, Kikomei Ayumu's, sixteenth birthday. Today, she leaves behind her childhood to become a wonderful woman."
"So she's the daughter." Mushra whispered to himself.
"Like all women in our family, she will choose a husband to continue or family that goes back to the time of the first Enterrans." There was a cheer from the crowd that died down when he began to speak again. "Behind me are fifteen young men who have offered their hand. My daughter had had two months to get to know these nice young men, now she must make a decision."
Here Mr. Ayumu stepped back. Kikomei took his spot and looked up at the crowd, a confident, happy smile spread across her face. Mushra smiled at her self-confidence.
"Tonight, I am turning into an adult, as is the tradition in my family. I'm the only daughter of the main branch, so a lot rests on my shoulders. I'll admit, it was overwhelming to think about, but I wanted to make my family proud."
"I spent two long months trying to figure out which of these guys I could actually stand to be around." There were a couple of hushed giggles in the crowd. They quieted down and she continued.
"I finally chose which would be the best for me, but I still didn't like my decision. I knew I would probably be some trophy wife for the man I did choose, but I needed to do what I needed to do." She glanced back at the shocked group of men behind her. She turned back to the crowd with a sad smile.
"But something special happened tonight." A determined look burned in her eyes. "I believe out family's guardian is looking out for me. They've sent me a chance to be happy and I'm going to go for it. The man I will accept as my fiancé is none of the men here." There was a startled gasp behind her and hushed whispers from the crowd.
"Mushra, would you marry me?"
"WHAT?!" Mushra's friends had all managed to yell at the top of their lungs. Everyone turned to the source of the outburst.
"Uh. . ." Before he could respond, the women from before had grabbed him by the arm and led him to the stage where Kekomei greeted him.
"If you don't want to, you don't have to accept." She began hurriedly with a blush on her face. "I would understand if you already had a girlfriend or something like that." Mr. Ayumo stepped up.
"Well this is unexpected, but if you're the one she likes, I'm okay with it. What's your answer.
"Okaaay?" Mushra thought. "This is . . . unexpected."
He looked at Kikomei again. She had beautiful black hair and sparkling emerald eyes. Her cheeks were tinted pink with a blush. She waited anxiously for his answer.
"She is beautiful, and she has a really good personality. She has a cute smile and great personality, even with the mood swings."
Nervously, she spoke quickly. "Just so you know, I'm not doing this just for the chance to travel. I really like you, even though I only met you a little bit ago, and even if you don't like me like that. If you give me a chance, with time, I mi-" she stopped when Mushra looked her in the eye. Her face flushed a deeper shade of pink.
"So?" her father asked. Mushra smiled at the girl before him.
"I guess everyone gets a second chance. It's just some pass them up."
"Yes." Kikomei's eyes grew as large as saucers.
"Really?!" There were tears that threatened to spill from her eyes.
"Would I lie about something like this?" She smiled even wider that before.
"Thank you!" She jumped toward him and wrapped her arms around his neck. A round of applause and cheers broke out from the crowd. "Thank you, for giving me a chance.
"In a way, we both gave each other a chance." With a quick movement, he pecked her on the cheek, blushing as he did so. Another round of cheers erupted from the mass of Enterrans.
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
"Well, Dad, I'm off." After all the commotion had settled down and they had spent a night at Kikomei's house, the group was ready to set off toward Shinzo, with one new member. She turned to the brown-haired girl who stood next to her father.
"I'm sorry to leave, Rebekah, but you can have my room and all my clothes I left in my closet. You'll even get what I would be getting as allowance.
"I still don't want to see you go." She said, a tear in her eye.
"I promise I'll come back to see you, but you have to finish school."
"Kay."
The two girls hugged.
"Be good okay?"
"You too."
They broke apart. With a wave, Kikomei turned to catch up with the others who were a few yard ahead of her. She jumped-tackled Mushra, who almost fell over. She laughed and helped him catch his balance.
Mr. Ayumu and Rebekah watched them walk off toward the horizon, hopefully toward Shinzo, and definitely toward another great adventure.
DONE!!! Even though I finished the day after, I'm proud of myself for working so hard on it. I know I probably have some mistakes, but all my writings do. One day I'll go back and correct everything I've ever written. That'll be the day I am so bored that I'm about to rip my hair out.
For some reason I'm putting this.
The songs I listened to while writing this and actually inspired me.
First chapter (mushra's memory and thoughts): Welcome to my Life – simple plan (I'm actually planning to make a Shinzo video to this when I get the proper tools. It fits Mushra.)
Scene on Balcony: Your Guardian Angel – Red Jumpsuit Apparatus (I've been listening to this all week, and I'm planning a Shinzo vid to this.)
I hope you enjoyed it!