Prologue
Kadic Academy, Swimming Complex
Three Days After…
In the Swimming Complex, at sunset, the water was still. Small vibrations made the water swish from left to right. The chlorine filled water sat in wait for a swimmer as the sunlight turned orange. The light peered through the windows, reflecting off of the water, shining brightly. The Complex was empty and quiet, as quiet as the library. The diving boards were still and the ground around and near the pool was still wet from classes that practiced swimming. The semi-wet flooring was a little slippery due to the water. Then, the sound of a double door opening echoed through out the swimming building. The door then closed behind the person entering the complex, with the person carrying a pink towel and dressed in a black swim suit. The young student placed the items on one of the benches placed along the side of the pool. She gently placed the towel, which was folded neatly, along with slippers for her feet. She then took a deep breath and faced the diving boards. Her long black hair was still as the water as she stared at the diving tower. She closed her eyes and looked down onto the floor, remembering the events before this day. She then looked back up at the diving board and decided to climb it. Bar by bar, she climbed until she reached the very top, staring down into the water below. Then, a voice echoed inside her head.
"We will not fail anyone, Yumi." the voice echoed. She then looked up at the lights above. It then echoed again, this time it was a different sentence.
"We will never be apart, I swear." it said again. She then looked through one of the huge windows, watching the birds fly by it. She then backed up from the edge. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes for a short period. Then, she started to slowly run for the edge. She then jumped from the board, swan diving into the cold water below. The splash of the water cannot be felt, since she broke through the water like it was nothing. Under the water, she stared into the other end of the pool. She then closed her eyes and saw visions of what happened before. She saw Ulrich leaning over the side of a warship, bigger than the others in the background. He then looked towards Yumi, smiling. Then, as she stared at him, she started to go black. She couldn't feel anything. She lost consciousness, floating under the water. Then, another splash was heard. It echoed through the Swimming Complex, with droplets of water scattering all over. The dark figure swam to the unconscious Yumi as she started to fall to the ground of the pool. The dark figure pulled her up from the ground, grabbing her with both of his arms. He slowly swam up to the surface, with Yumi in his arms. The figure carried her to the side of the pool, getting her on the ground and out of the water with droplets raining down from their bodies. He then leaned over and placed his lips on her, breathing into her and giving Yumi CPR. He pushed onto her breasts as he performed CPR.
"C'mon." he said to himself, still performing CPR. Then, as he did it another time, Yumi wrapped her arms around the person, kissing him passionately. The two of them continued until the person parted from her, staring her in the eyes. The person's spiked brown hair hung in front of his face as he stared at her, motionless with a smile. Yumi smiled as well. The person looked up at the window, noticing the sun peering through it. He took a deep breath and looked at her again.
"What are you doing here, swimming about?" he asked. She did the same as Ulrich did, taking a deep breath and looking at Ulrich straight in the eyes.
"Just trying to get some things off my mind." she replied.
"It's about what had happened, huh?" Everything then went quiet. All they could hear is the birds chirping.
"Yeah…" she replied. Ulrich then helped her up and both of them sat next to each other on the bench that Yumi had set down her pink towel. She then looked at Ulrich with a frown.
"I wish it didn't." Yumi said to Ulrich, who stared out into the window. Ulrich then cleared his throat after she said what she had to say.
"So do I." Ulrich replied. "But, what has happened has happened."
"So many people had lost their lives, it's... It's unbelievable." Ulrich looked down onto the ground and then licked his lips.
"I know." Ulrich replied. "But, there's a way to make sure this never happens again."
"How?" Yumi replied.
"We just gotta destroy XANA before he strikes again." he explained.
"How do we do that?" Yumi asked with curiosity. "It's nearly impossible to stop him before he starts something."
"I think we'll figure it out before he does." Ulrich replied. Then, Yumi got up, wrapped in her towel. She put on her slippers and looked at the clock. It was almost seven in the afternoon. The sun was almost completely set and out of sight. Ulrich got up as well, stretching and walking beside Yumi. Ulrich wrapped his arm around her as they both walked out of the Swimming Complex. The silence in the Complex grew as the noise died down. All noise died down. All was quiet.
Yumi proceeded home after the swim. She walked outside in the darkness on the sidewalk towards her house. She was all dry and dressed after the swim. She looked up at the moon, which was shining brightly above. When she reached her home, she saw her dad already opening the door after seeing her coming back from the swimming complex at school. He looked at her with a slight smile as he held the door open.
"Where were you?" he asked.
"I was at school." Yumi replied. Her dad nodded and let her in. Hiroki was already in bed, due to groundation, and her mom was in the kitchen cleaning up. Yumi then decided to go directly to bed, with the memories of the events still stuck in her mind. Then, as soon as she was about to reach the top of the stairs, her mom stopped her.
"Hey Yumi?" she asked. Yumi turned to face her. "Are you alright after... you know?"
"Yeah, I'm fine." Yumi replied.
"Good night Yumi." she said. "I love you." Yumi smiled.
"I love you, too." she said, quickly going down the stairs and kissing her mom on the cheek. She then kissed her father and then went up stairs to her room, then dressing into her pajamas and laying down onto her bed. She stared at the ceiling, motionless. She still had the memories stuck in her head and it has been three days. She thought she would've forgot, but she thought wrong. She then closed her eyes and began to remember all that had happened.
