DISCLAIMER:

I do not own Sym-Bionic Titan. If I did, it would not have been cancelled due to lack ofmerchandise.

Hey! I'm not even going to bother apologizing for the delay because: 1) I can't apologize enough, 2) I've pretty much covered it whenever I told you guys it was going to be a while, 3) come on. We've been doing this for, like, four months now. I think you guys have figured out I am the Queen of the Procrasti-Nation, population myself and anyone else who wants to slack off, ignore everyday domestic life, or has so much actual stuff to do that they procrastinate the things dubbed less important by our parents (or our consciences). (Hehe, Queen of Procrasti-Nation, little inside joke there with JD Lance). I could go into the many subdivisions of my fine nation (Anime, food, sleep, more anime, re-runs of Dr. Who and Sherlock, etc.) but none of you actually care and probably just want to get to the good part in Prom, so I'll shut up now. Read, review, and enjoy.

Oh, one last quick little thing: dedicated to my mother, now fifty on this very day, though she knows of this fanfic she hasn't actually read it (thank goodness, I'm a very different person outside of fanfic and she would look at me very strangely for several different reasons). Okay, I'm done, now read.

Chapter 17

After Andre had rushed into Amy's room (and Ilana, Newton, and Kimmy had let go of him when they were fairly sure they wouldn't rush after the young man and throttle him half to death), Lance had retreated to his own. There were a lot of things rushing through his mind right now that he needed to clear, and he wished he had Amy to help him through it, but she was probably going through some tough times of her own right now trying to explain things to Andre in a way that made sense to him but didn't give away any secrets about who (or what) the Galalunians really were. Lance sighed. How was it that even his little sister had found someone to...love (the word was difficult for Lance to even think about in respect to his little sister and another boy)... after being here on Earth for such a shorter time than he had? He sighed, already knowing the answer.

It wasn't exactly correct to say that he hadn't found someone to love here on Earth. But Earth really had nothing to do with it. The girl that he liked wasn't even from the planet.

He sighed again. What cruel circumstances the universe thrust upon him, day after day, every moment of his life. First his mother dying, then Amy disappearing, then his dad vanishing into thin air (really, what are the odds of that) when testing a rift gate device for the King, then Baron soiling the only good thing that would have ever happened at the Royal Academy, and then being called a traitor by a lying lieutenant and having his planet destroyed less than a day after. And now, this. The cruelest circumstance of them all.

Love.

To fall in love with the princess was something completely unimaginable. To have it be something he couldn't back out of was something even more so. Since the news, Lance had often found himself wishing for more time on Earth. Not because he had friends here (he really didn't). Not because he liked this wretched planet (while it had given him many good things, the planet itself and many of the people on it he despised). Because he didn't want to go back to Galaluna...yet.

True, upon arriving on Earth Amy had promised Lance that when they returned to their home planet he would be promoted, moved up through the ranks of the Galalunian Royal Guard to a quite outstanding position. Given what would obviously be considered on Galaluna as his 'excellent performance in the protection of the princess in the face of danger from the enemy' (or some other ridiculous formal garble like that), he would probably even be allowed to continue being Ilana's protection (most likely along with Hobbes, should he still be alive and able to continue his duties upon their return) if he requested it to be so (and he most certainly would), but... things were different on Galaluna. The social hierarchy, customs and overall way of just doing things was a bit more complex than that of Earth. Upon their return, Lance and Ilana's relationship would become something simply diplomatic, if not something even more infuriatingly domestic. Lance groaned and leaned back on his bed. Another thought occured to him, something deeper, something darker.

Did he even want them to be together?

The thought sent a piercing pain through his stomach when he realized what he was asking himself. The question was obviously much deeper than just the words supplied - of course Lance wanted to be together with the princess in a relationship, but did he really want her to see the real him? The things that he had gone through in his lifetime... was enough pain to paralyze anyone if they so much as thought about it. Which was why Lance didn't. The others always saw him as so closed off, so reserved... they thought he was just a sociopath who only liked to get up close and personal on the battlefield. It hardly ever occurred to any of them (besides Amy, of course, but then she knew him better than anyone else in the universe) that there was a reason, a real reason as to why he did that. They all knew his history. They all knew what he had been through, and when the occasion arose that his past was somehow uncovered the others wouldn't quite pity him (they weren't so stupid to do that), but... they would just look at him with those sad eyes, seeming to apologize for nothing that they did wrong. But there was so much more pain than anyone really realized. No one realized...

No one realized that it was all his fault. Or, at least, that he had to live with the feeling that it was.

He couldn't care enough at the time to inquire further into the death of his mother. He couldn't protect his sister, and he couldn't make his father love him enough to stay. There had been many times (G3, that weird amphibian thing, and of course that gloopy stuff that had invaded the school) when Lance had even failed (or nearly had) to protect the princess of a planet. To protect the woman that he loved. All of that was on him, along with all the facts of the inabilities he possesed (or, rather, didn't possess) to protect the things and people that he truly cared about.

So was it even safe for him and Ilana to be together?

Lance rubbed his temples. His head hurt. He heard a light clang outside from downstairs, but he ignored it. The door to the backyard had been rusty for a while now, and Newton (being the perfectionist that he was) was probably trying to fix it up before they left. He stayed like that for a long time, not thinking, not doing anything. He might have been trying to sleep, but Lance was concentrating too much on his 'nothingness' state to be able to sleep, anyway.

What do I do? He wished once again that he could go to Amy for help, but she was probably in a state of her own still, and either way he was almost a full-grown man that had to stop going to his little sister for love advice. He could imagine her scolding him in his head and he chuckled. Before he knew it, he was talking to that little image of her inside his brain (which would have been disturbing to him if he wasn't already so tired).

Lance, dude, she said. What do you want me to do about it?

Imaginary Lance shrugged. I dunno. Motherly advice, or sisterly advice, or whatever kind of advice your're capable of giving, because it's
better than what I have right now.

What do you have right now?

Nothing.

Imaginary Amy sighed. I'm not here to run your life- I'm not really even here at all, just an image created by your brain to help you cope with your problems- but I suppose I can try. You see, love is a...great thing, really. It's the most powerful motivator in the world. Sadness paralyzes, anger irrationalizes, and any other emotion is either too dull or irrelevant to actually make anyone do anything. But love... love has moved mountains, created them, and shaped them in the form of a heart. Love isthe most powerful force in the universe, because it's so amazing, so uncharted, and so different for every person who experiences it. But, no matter how you may look at it, it is the best thing that will ever happen to you. It changes you. It already has. We kind of went over all this last time, so there's not really much to say, but if you want advice, I'll give it to you: go get her. I mean, come on. You guys are about to go away to a different planet where you'll have virtually no chance with her whatsoever if it's not already arranged by the time you get there. You're an orphan soldier, and no matter how high her ranking there will always be suitors lined up for her, waiting to capture her heart, with more money and power and social status than you will ever have- unless you marry her, of course", imaginary Amy said off to the side, to soft for Lance to hear.

Imaginary Lance gulped. He knew she was right. He had to tell her now, to tell her that he loved her.

Right! Imaginary Amy applauded, hearing his thoughts. Besides, at this point, what have you got to lose?

Lance thought about this and shrugged. Imaginary Amy smiled.

Good. Now, if you're not already disturbed by the fact that you're having a conversation with me in your head- which doesn't make sense anyway, as I'm really you and therefore can't tell you anything that you already know- then you should probably snap out of it. Go to Prom, tell Ilana you love her. I'm already halfway there. Even you've realized that the noise you heard from downstairs wasn't Newton fixing the door.

What do you mean by that? Imaginary Lance demanded, but she just winked at him and Lance found himself being shaken awake by an amused and slightly irritated Ilana.

"Huh? What? What happened?" He asked, automatically wide awake and ready for whatever danger came their way.

Ilana smirked. "Your sister happened."

"What do you mean?"

"Her bedroom window is open, and she's vanished along with Andre...and her Prom dress."

Lance stared straight ahead, and then started laughing. Ilana looked at him with concern, probably thinking he'd gone crazy (and slightly worried for Andre's health once Lance tracked him down), and Lance just walked to his closet and grabbed his tux.

"Go ahead and get changed, Ilana. We're going to Prom."

Okay, so don't worry, I'm writing more shortly (like, right now), but I figured I'd stop here and update in case of Mom suddenly barging in and demanding a birthday carwash 'straightaway!' or some other birthday request such as that. Review, por favor. Gracias.

Until next time. (A few hours, maybe less).