Cowboy Bebop Fan Fiction ❯ Fantaisie Sign ❯ You've Been Hit By, You've Been Struck By, A Smooth Criminal ( Chapter 15 )

DISCLAIMER: Cowboy Bebop and its characters are owned by the anime companies that made them, and not by me.

Author's Note: This fanfic is in the first-person style, with the POV being Edward's for all but a few chapters (and when the POV is different, I won't switch mid-chapter, the whole chapter will be like that). I've never even attempted doing something like this before, so bear with me.

French Note: For the few (non-generic) French language bits in this fic, I'll be using Babelfish. So pardon my French. ^_^

Note: Back to Ed's POV again!

---

I sat in the back seat of the taxi, restlessly waiting to see my friends once more. My right hand drifted up to my nose, and I lightly pressed on it, hoping that it hadn't been broken from Fremont's punch earlier. It hurt to touch it, but upon further inspection I came to the conclusion that it hadn't been broken, thankfully.

"You must have been through a lot today, huh?" asked the driver, kindly checking on my condition. I nodded to him.

"Ed has been through a lot, but Ed will be just fine," I said quietly. "Just a few bumps and bruises is all..."

I looked down to my wrists, where deep, purple bruises had formed from being tied so tightly for so long. They continued to hurt, even though I'd rubbed them for about a minute or two. The circulation had just started to come back to my hands, as they darkened from a very light cream color to their original tanned state. After a few more minutes of driving, the taxi finally pulled into the parking lot of the Fantaisie Sign. I looked inside and could see a very faint light, along with Sylvan's mother's car in the parking lot, so I knew she'd be there when I arrived.

"This is the place," the driver said. "Don't worry about paying me... you've really, really been through a lot tonight, apparently. Are you sure you don't need an ambulance or anything?"

"I said I'll be fine," I replied. "But thank you very, very much... Edward doesn't know what she would have done without you."

I stepped out of the cab and waved to the driver as he pulled out of the parking lot. Then, with rain continuing to soak me, I walked up to the front door of the Fantaisie Sign and knocked loudly. Sylvan's mother, who was sitting at a table near the stage, got up and briskly walked toward the door, using her key to open it up for me. When she saw me, a look of immense joy and relief overwhelmed her face, and a tear slid down her cheek.

"Edward... oh, thank God you're alright!" she said joyfully, wrapping me in a tight embrace. I hugged her back, and after about twenty seconds of hugging we stepped inside to get away from the rain.

"I thought I'd never see you again, Miss Mazarin..." I said, trying to sound as calm as I possibly could.

"Edward, what happened?" she asked me. "Did they let you go, or did you..."

"I got away," I said, showing her the bruises on my arms, legs, and shoulders that had come from falling to the ground repeatedly during the scuffles I'd endured. "It wasn't easy, but...."

"Oh, you poor dear, there's blood all over your face," she said, her eyes growing wide with concern. "It's all over your lips, and your chin, and-"

"Edward got punched in the nose by Cecelle Frémont during a fight we had," I said solemnly. "It's not broken, but-"

"Would you like to wash up in the bathroom?" she asked me, pointing toward the women's restroom. "There's makeup in there too, if you want to cover up some of the bruises on your face..."

"That would be fine," I said, hugging Sylvan's mother again. "Thank you..."

"I'll call Sylvan and the others and tell them you came back," Sylvan's mom said. "After Frémont called Sylvan with the ransom demands, they all went out looking for you! They've been out driving for the past nine hours... Sylvan will be so relieved to hear that you're safe!"

I stopped just short of the bathroom door and turned around.

"Sylvan... and Edward's new friends... went out looking for Ed?" I said, a bit surprised. But why should I be? Of course they'd go out looking for me... thanks, guys... you're all wonderful, wonderful friends... I just hoped that they hadn't gotten hurt...

"Of course they went looking for you," Sylvan's mom replied, starting to get choked up as more tears streamed down her face. "You should have seen Sylvan... he was so distressed about you getting captured... he swore to me and everyone else here that he'd rescue you. Your red-haired friend, Kirsten, I think her name is... she was really vehement about getting you back, too... and so was your friend with the glasses... all five of your friends and Sylvan, they were so determined to save you, Edward..."

I dashed into the bathroom, slumped against the wall, and began to sob, my head in my hands. My friends... all of them had been so determined to save me... Sylvan, and Kirsten, and Asada, and Piripi and Kimberly and Sani... they cared about me so much...

"You guys..." I sobbed, tears streaming down my face, "I don't believe it... there's no way I can ever repay your kindness..."

"Edward, are you okay?" Sylvan's mom asked, creaking the door open slightly. "Oh, Edward, what's the matter?"

I stood up and turned away, looking into the mirror.

"Ed, it's not quite what you think... I mean, they'll be so happy to see you, and-"

"I'm already happy..." I said, turning back toward Sylvan's mother. "But... what if Sylvan and Edward's friends get into trouble looking for Ed?"

"They've called to check in with me every hour," Sylvan's mom replied. "Last time they checked in was twenty minutes ago... I'm sure they're alright."

"You should probably go call them right away," I said, sniffling. Sylvan's mom nodded and closed the bathroom door. I walked over to the sink, took some paper towels, and began to wipe the caked-up blood from my nose and lips. It didn't take me very long to get it done, and after applying a bandage to the cut on my neck and a small amount of make-up to my face to cover up most of the bruises, I really didn't look half bad for someone who'd been kidnapped, shoved into a small room, and who had fought for her life against some vicious thugs. Smiling, I stepped out of the restroom. As I did, I saw the bright glow of three sets of headlights, driving into the parking lot. I gasped, emitting a squeal of joy.

"Edward's friends are back!" I said, smiling. Sylvan's mom, standing over by the front door, beckoned me to join her. I ran to the front window just as Sylvan entered the restaurant, followed by Kirsten, Asada, and the others. When they saw me, they immediately lunged toward me, all vying to be the first to get a hug. They sure are happy to see Edward... and Edward is happy to see them! The first person I decided to hug was Sylvan, wrapping my arms around his chest in a tight embrace. Smiling, he leaned in toward me and planted a quick kiss on my lips, causing my body to tingle excitedly. "I'm happy to see you too, Sylvan!"

After about two or three minutes of hugging and rejoicing, my friends and I all sat down at a table near the stage, the only table in the restaurant big enough so that the eight of us could all sit down comfortably.

"Ed, are you sure you're alright?" Sylvan asked me for what I counted to be the fifth time in the last two minutes. "You sure took an awful lot of bumps and bruises..."

"Edward absolutely, super-duper promises that she's okay, Sylvan!" I said, smiling warmly and doing my best to reassure him.

"Ed, you really are one incredibly strong woman," Sylvan said seriously. "I don't know anyone else who could have escaped from the French syndicate..."

"Okay, okay, Ed, here's the $64,000 question," Kirsten said. "Just... how did you get away, anyway? I mean, from what I could tell on the video phone transmission that Frémont sent us, you were bound, gagged, and kept in captivity with an extremely evil and cruel Syndicate fellow. I've got to know how you escaped."

"Yeah, Ed, tell us!" Piripi said eagerly. "If you feel like it, anyway..."

"No, Ed will tell you guys, don't worry!" I said. "Anyway, there Edward was, locked in a room with this really mean and tough French guy. Well, he was really, really mad, and it looked like he was going to hurt me. So, I kicked him in the face as hard as I could, and knocked him out."

"Wait, wait, wait," Kirsten said, waving her hand. "You were tied up... and you kicked him and knocked him out?"

I nodded.

"Hoooooly hell," Kirsten said, leaning back in her chair. "Ed, you're incredible."

"Not only are you a better dancer than Kirsten is, you're a better fighter. Ed, you rock!" Asada shouted.

"Hey now, I wouldn't say that," Kirsten said, grinning. "I've kicked a lot of butts in my day, and I bet twenty-to-one that I could beat up those Syndicate dudes. Nah, Ed, Asada's right... you are incredible. I tip my hat to you!"

"You're not wearing a hat, Kirsten," Kimberly said, pointing to Kirsten's head.

"Well, that's okay, Ed knows what you mean!" I said. After a harrowing experience like I'd just been through, sitting down and chatting with my friends like we'd always done didn't feel wrong to me... it felt strangely therapeutic. The more casual the environment, the better and safer I'd feel... and I knew that I was already pretty skilled at bouncing back from traumatic experiences. We continued talking as Sylvan's mom got up to go and retrieve drinks for all of us... non-alcoholic drinks, of course.

"Ed, I've really, really got to be frank with you... it's my fault you were captured," Sylvan said, his tone becoming a lot more serious. "If I hadn't shot that guy, then-"

"Your mother might have been hurt, or raped, or worse," I said, taking Sylvan's hand with both of my own. "You did what you did to protect your mother..."

"But if you had been hurt, Ed... you were hurt, and-"

"Sylvan, it doesn't matter now," I said gently. "No matter what happens, I'll always care about you, Sylvan... I don't blame you for any of this..."

I couldn't blame Sylvan for feeling sad... a few days ago, I'd regretted being too late to stop Sylvan and his mother from being attacked by Frémont's men... I'd been able to save him, but what if I hadn't? Sylvan and I felt the exact same way about each other... but did this mean that I loved him like he said he loved me? I still wasn't quite sure...

"See, Sylvan... Edward doesn't blame you," Sani said, breaking the awkward silence with her light, gentle voice. "You're Ed's friend, and she's not going to stop being your friend just because of a few evil French guys. You've got to put this thing in the past and move on."

"It's just... Ed, we looked everywhere for you," Sylvan said. "Everywhere criminals might hide. Shady clubs, parking garages, storage facilities, book depositories, warehouses..."

"They probably drove right past the warehouse Edward was in..." I thought regretfully. "But... they couldn't have known, and it's good they didn't find Edward... if they had, they might have gotten hurt..."

"If you hadn't gotten away, there's no telling what might have happened," Sylvan said. "We couldn't pay the ransom, and we couldn't find you either... somehow, I feel like I really, really failed..."

"You didn't fail, Sylvan," I said, gently stroking his face with my hand. "Most people wouldn't even have looked... but you guys did... you're all special for that, and you'll always, always have a place in Edward's heart..."

"Thank you, Ed..." Sylvan said. "Thank you... for everything."

As Sylvan began to pull away, I could feel my hand pulling him closer. I leaned in and gave him a kiss on the cheek before I finally let him slide back into his seat.

"I still say we should call the cops now that Ed's back," Kirsten remarked. "They've got to do something, file a report at least."

"Kirsten's right," Asada said. "Edward, maybe Frémont's still at wherever he was holding you. If we call the cops, maybe they'll catch him!"

"The taxi cab driver that drove Ed here already called the police," I said. "That's probably good... but Ed's sure the bad men already left by now..."

"Well, if the cops were notified, that's a start, at least," Sylvan said. "We can't let those Syndicate people get away with something like this. You could have been killed, Edward."

"I called the police right after I called you, Sylvan," Sylvan's mom said, returning to the table and setting down eight glasses of sparking white grape soda. "They said they'll come up to conduct an interview with you at your dorm tomorrow, and if you want to do it sooner you can come down to the police station at any time."

"I'll wait until tomorrow," I said, yawning. I didn't realize how tired I was... "Ed is pretty tired right now..."

"If you all want to stay at my house, you can," Sylvan's mom said. "I live really close by... and we've got plenty of sleeping bags that you can all sleep in from our annual camping trip each year. That is, if you want to..."

"We'd be honored, Miss Mazarin," Asada said. "Thank you very much..."

"A toast," Kirsten said, raising her glass. "To my friend Edward, the richest girl in Paris!"

Kirsten's recital of a classic movie line warmed my heart and caused all of us at the table to giggle and raise our glasses.

"Thank you all for looking so hard for Edward," I said, smiling. "I toast all of you as well!"

---

After drinking the grape juice and carrying on our conversation for at least an hour longer, we finally left the Fantaisie Sign and made the short drive to Sylvan's mom's house, just a few blocks away. The house was large and beautiful, its white exterior neatly conforming to the other houses in the small subdivision it was in, one of the few places in Neo-Paris where people lived in houses and not in apartments. We quickly got settled in the large living room of the house as Sylvan's mom cleared out space for seven sleeping bags. I slept second from the left, inbetween Sylvan and Asada. Further down the right lay Kirsten, Sani, Kimberly, and Piripi, in that order. The sleeping bags were cozy and comfortable, and Sylvan's mom had let each of us (except for Sylvan, of course!) wear one of her nightgowns during the night.

"Now, you've all had a really, really long day," Sylvan's mom said, dimming the light in the room, "so try and get some rest. Edward, I'm so glad that you're back with us..."

"I'm glad too, Ed," Sylvan said, looking into my eyes. "I'm so happy you're safe..."

As I shut my eyes, the trials and tribulations of the day slowly began to dim in my mind. Edward's safe now... and Ed's friends are too... and that's all that matters.

---

I had a dream that night... I was under water, desperately struggling to reach the surface. I looked up and saw someone above the blue water, reaching down for me and shouting something I couldn't discern. It was Sylvan! As I struggled to reach him, two strong arms were entrapping my legs, pulling me down further under the water. I began to panic as water rushed into my throat.

"I'm going to drown!" I thought, horrified. "Sylvan!"

I continued to struggle against the grip of whatever was pulling me down. Finally, I managed to dislodge one of my legs from the person's grip and kick whoever it was hard in the face, causing him to shout a gurgled cry and release my other leg. I swam to the surface and leapt out of the water, grabbing the side of Sylvan's boat and taking a loud gasp of air.

"Edward!" Sylvan said, pulling me back into the yacht. "Ed, I thought I'd lost you... I thought you were going to drown!"

"Sylvan..." I breathed, looking up into his eyes. "Edward's going to be alright..."

"Oh, Ed... I couldn't save you... I tried, and tried, but-"

"You helped Ed into the boat, didn't you?" I said, trying to reassure him. "If it wasn't for you, Ed never would have had the strength to pull away... you gave me that strength, Sylvan..."

"Oh, Edward..."

I leaned in toward Sylvan and embraced him. Then, he leaned down and kissed me, his lips enveloping mine. At that moment, I felt so wonderful... I felt... I felt...

---

"Ed? Ed?"

I looked up to see Asada and Kirsten, dressed in the same clothes they'd worn yesterday, leaning over me. Rubbing my eyes, I sat up and yawned.

"You must have been pretty tired, Ed... it's almost one in the afternoon!" Kirsten said.

"I don't blame you for sleeping in, though," Asada said. "Especially after everything you've been through..."

"Unnh... where's Sylvan?" I asked, looking back and forth. After my dream last night, I'd felt like I'd just been completely left hanging... like I needed to hear Sylvan's voice... is Ed really feeling okay?

"He's at one of his noon classes," Asada replied. "He really didn't want to wake you, but he said that he loves you and that he's really, really glad you're okay."

"Sani, Kimberly, and Piripi went back to the dorm. Mr. Depardieu's supposed to reveal who gets to go to New-Parisian Liberty later on today," Kirsten said. "Sylvan's mom is in the kitchen. She said that if you want her to make something for you, just ask. Oh yeah, and the cop dude's in there too, waiting to interview you."

"Really?" I yawned. "Guess Edward had better go in there, huh?"

"Well, you should probably get dressed, first," Asada said. "Your clothes are lying neatly on the couch, where Sylvan's mom put them after you went to sleep. She said that you can keep the nightgown, too..."

"Oh, Ed probably shouldn't... it's probably really expensive, and-"

"She insists," Kirsten said. "Asada and I already tried giving ours back. Well, anyway, I'm gonna head back to the college. Asada's staying here so that she can take you back. Bye bye, Ed! Remember, you totally rock!"

Kirsten waved goodbye and walked out the front door, carrying a red nightgown with her. I stood up, picked up my shirt and miniskirt from yesterday, and walked into the bathroom to put them on.

---

After getting dressed, I walked into the kitchen, where Sylvan's mom was sitting at the table with a uniformed police officer. He smiled at me as I entered the room.

"Miss Appledelhi, it's a pleasure to meet you," he said, extending his hand to me. I shook it and sat down at the table across from him. Sylvan's mom got up from the table.

"Ed, would you like me to make you anything? Pancakes or bacon, maybe? It's a bit late, but-"

"Ed would like some pancakes, please," I said, as politely as I could. Sylvan's mom smiled at me and walked over to the oven to begin preparing them.

"Now, Francoise... or... Ed, as Miss Mazarin says that you like to be called-"

"Francoise, please," I told the officer, knowing that this was a formal police interview and I wanted to use my real name.

"Francoise, tell us exactly what happened the afternoon of the kidnapping," the officer said.

"Well, I was just about to enter my dorm room when two men approached me from behind," I said. "I turned around to face them, and one of them began talking to me, like he was about to ask me for something. As soon as I replied to him, the two men grabbed me, tied me up, put a bag over my head, and carried me off. They locked me in a car trunk and drove off."

"So, you were placed in a car trunk," the man said, jotting something down on a piece of paper. "You know this, even though you had a bag placed over your head?"

"Well, yes," I said. "I could feel the bottom of the trunk and I could hear the lid closing over me and the car driving off. It had to have been a trunk."

"We got an eyewitness report that confirms something being placed in a trunk at about the time and place you said you were abducted," the officer replied. "That can probably be confirmed. Anyway, what happened next?"

"Well..."

I told the officer everything about my captivity, from what Frémont said to me to all the details about my two fights with him, and how I eventually got free and escaped. When I finally finished, he set his pencil and his notepad on the table and stood up to shake my hand again.

"Francoise, you are an incredibly brave and strong young woman," the officer said to me. "What you did was incredible, and your actions most likely saved your life. You're a shining example to people everywhere."

"Well, thank you!" I exclaimed, slightly taken aback. I stood up and shook the man's hand.

"When we sent a unit over to the warehouse where you were allegedly kept, there was no one there," the officer said. "We stayed for several hours, but no one came back. Evidently, they moved somewhere else. Cecelle Frémont is an extremely dangerous man, and we've been dealing with the French Syndicate for many, many years, as they've corrupted many of the members of our police force, including a close, personal friend of mine. While we didn't make any arrests, I know that what you did today will help us get closer to capturing the remaining Syndicate leaders."

"Thank you," I told him again.

"Ed, are you finished with your pancakes?" Sylvan's mom asked, pointing to the plate from which I'd eaten my pancakes while I'd been talking to the police officer. I nodded and handed her the empty plate.

"Well, you should be very, very proud of yourself, Miss Appledelhi," the officer said. "And you too, Miss Konishi. While it's usually not wise to try and take the law into your own hands, going out and looking for your friend like that was very brave. You're a good friend."

"Thank you," Asada said.

"I'd best be headed back to the station now," the officer said. "Thank you all for your time."

The officer left the house, and I walked over to Sylvan's mom and gave her a hug.

"Thank you so much," I said. "Ed will always remember what you and Sylvan did for her..."

"You're a wonderful girl, Ed," Sylvan's mom replied. "Thank goodness you're safe."

Taking our nightgown gifts with us, Asada and I left Sylvan's mom's house and got into Asada's car. Then, we headed back toward the college, our dealings with the French syndicate hopefully over.

---

"Daddy!" I said happily, sitting on the bed back in my dorm room and talking to my dad on the videophone. "How are you?"

"Just great, Francoise!" he said. "You didn't call me yesterday, so I got kinda worried... were you just busy?"

"Well, yeah, sorry," I said, a bit reluctant to tell my dad about the whole kidnapping ordeal just yet. "Ed did her interview yesterday!"

"Really? How'd it turn out?" my dad asked excitedly.

"Good, Ed thinks! Ed won't know if she got in until later today, though!" I said.

"Well, that's good," my dad replied. "I'm just glad the interview went well... I know you'll get in, sweetie!"

"Yeah," I said.

"So, how's the whole Sylvan thing going?" my dad asked.

"Well, we went on a date, and.... we kissed!" I said.

"Wha?" he stammered, stepping back from the screen, his face an expression of shock. "Uh... a lip-to-lip kiss?"

"Uh-huh," I nodded. "It was great!"

"Um... an open-mouth kiss?" he asked nervously.

"No, we didn't quite go that far!" I said. "But you know what they say... when in France, kiss like the French do! Maybe the next time Ed sees him-"

"Francoise, now you know that those kind of kisses are strictly forbidden," my dad said sternly.

"Whyyyyyyyyy?" I said, a big grin on my face.

"Uh... because I said so, ya hear me?" he said. "So you tell that French kisser to keep his tongue out of your mouth, you hear?"

"Well, I dunno... our connection's starting to break up, it's getting harder and harder for Ed to hear yoooooou!"

"Now, you just listen hear, little missy! French men's tongues carry all sorts of diseases, and-"

"Oop, outta time gotta go sorry bye-bye!" I said, ending the connection. I knew my dad was mostly joking around with me, at least a little bit, or I wouldn't have hung up on him like I did. We did those kinda things sometimes... but I still felt a bit guilty not telling him about the kidnapping... best not to worry him too much. At least not until I'd gotten back. But... what if he'd heard about it on the news? Would it make the news? He hardly ever watched TV anyway. I could only hope he wouldn't hear about it from someone.

---

After the phonecall, I put on some new clothes and headed down to the admissions office to see if there was any news. To my surprise, Mr. Depardieu waved me into his office as soon as I arrived, and I eagerly walked into his room to hear what he had to say.

"Sit down, Miss Appledelhi," he said. I sat down at his desk, and he continued. "As I've said, your records are extremely impressive, and you expressed in your interview a great desire to learn."

As Depardieu spoke, my heart began to lift, and I knew he had only good things to say.

"That is why I've decided to accept your application to Neo-Parisian Liberty College for next semester," Depardieu said, smiling. "Welcome to our university."

He extended his hand to me, and I stood up, almost falling back into my chair because of my excitement. I kept my balance, though, and shook his hand.

"Thank you, thank you, sir!" I said happily. "Did Ed's friends get in as well?"

"Well, I can't reveal any information on other applicants, I'm sorry," Depardieu said. "But I'm sure they'll tell you the next time you see them."

"Alright then!" I said. "Thank you again, sir!"

Smiling, I strode out of the room and headed out of the building, walking toward the campus recreational building.

"They'll probably be at the food court," I deduced. "I hope they all got in!"

When I arrived at the food court, it didn't take me long to find my friends. Kirsten, Asada, her new (boy)friend Curtis, Piripi, Kimberly, and Sani were all sitting down at a table, eating pepperoni pizza. I ran over and sat down at the table with them.

"Hey, Ed!" Kirsten greeted me. "Want some pizza?"

"Sure!" I said, reaching down and picking up a slice of pepperoni pizza from the large tray on the table. "So... how did it go? Did all of you get in?"

"Of course!" Kirsten said. "Well, I know I did, anyway..."

"Asada got in, too," Curtis said, smiling toward her. "I saw her as she was coming out of the administration building... I'm so happy for her!"

"Sani and I got in as well!" Kimberly said.

"And I did too!" Piripi said proudly. "So that's why we're all here... we're going to have a celebration party!"

"But somewhere other than here, since we come here everyday," Asada said. "It's going to be somewhere special. It can be an 'Ed Is Safe and We're All In College Party'!"

I giggled at the funny defacto title for our celebration.

"Well, how about the Eiffel Tower?" came a voice from behind me, a voice that I immediately recognized as Sylvan's. "That's always a special place..."

"Sylvan!" I squealed, standing up and half-tackling, half-hugging him. "Did you hear the good news?"

"Yes, I did... I'm so glad you all made it!" Sylvan said, hugging me tightly. "So, do you know what dorm you're all going to be in?"

"Well, no," Kirsten said. "We won't find out our living arrangements until this spring, when we get our college packets in the mail. But that old guy said that he'd try our best to put us all together, and he's like the head of admissions and stuff, so what he says really carries a lot of weight around here, hopefully."

I stopped hugging Sylvan and sat back down at the table. Sylvan pulled up a chair and sat down next to me.

"So, you want to have the party at the Neo-Eiffel Tower?" Asada asked.

"That would be wonderful!" Kimberly said. "I've only seen it, but I've never actually been there..."

"It's a really wonderful place," Sylvan said.

"Well, you'd know... you guys went there on your date!" Piripi said, pointing at Sylvan and I.

"And that's where you shared your first, romantic kiss!" Sani said. "Let's go there! Let's have the party there!"

"Alright then, it's settled!" Kirsten said. "We'll meet at the Neo-Eiffel Tower tomorrow at... hmmm... eleven o'clock in the morning, is that okay?"

"I'll make the reservations," Sylvan said. "If you guys want to invite anyone, go ahead..."

"My friends and family are all the way back on Earth," Sani said. "That's okay, though, you guys are enough!"

I thought for a second. Should I invite Faye-Faye, Jet, and father-person all the way out to Mars? I guess if Faye-Faye and Jet were passing by, they'd be able to come... nah, that's okay. I'm sure we could all have our own separate party some other time!

"This is gonna be awesome!" Kirsten said.

"I'm really glad all of us got in," I said, a smile on my face. "I don't think I could bear to go through big ol' college without you!"

"Agreed," Sylvan said. "Ed, it's going to be a wonderful few years..."

And maybe the rest of our lives...

---

Yay! Ed and her friends are reunited, and they're all going to be in college together! And now they're going to party at the Neo-Eiffel Tower! Nothing can go wrong! It's all uphill from here! It's a sunshine day! It's not like Ed and her friends are on a collision course with one of the worst, most evil villains and his thousands and thousands of evil thugs, right? Right! So then, all that's left is to, um... review. Please? ^_^