Legend of the Cerulean Lapis
by Mariye

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Disclaimer: I don't own the fable. I don't own the characters. I don't own Valkyrie Profile. Many of the lines of this first tale are taken from the actual game, and from the story of the Einherjar Yumei. The next couple tales I will make up as I go along though.
Now that we've cleared all that up, lets start the story! o^-^o
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When a Cerulean Lapis is in a young man's hand
When two people have bared their souls
And when two hearts become as one
The Legend of the Cerulean Lapis begins again...


Tale 1: Yumei

Many years ago, the land of Hai-Lan was in turmoil. There was a terrible war between the humans and the merfolk that inhabited the waters around the city. Shogun Koh, the powerful human leader, fought hard against the invaders. Alas, one day the Shogun was at sea, when he fell off of his warship, and plunged into the depths.

The people of Hai-Lan despaired for many years, mourning the death of their leader and war hero.

Then, six years later, he appeared on the Hai-Lan shores. His family called him a changed man. The legendary war hero became a legendary peacemaker. He worked hard to form a lasting peace with merfolk that still endures today.

Ten years have passed, and now our story begins...

~~~

"I hope this isn't a mistake..." whispered a young girl. She sat alone, out on a log in the middle of the ocean. She appeared perfectly normal, until she started flapping her tail fins. She turned her head again and looked at the ship sailing towards her.

"HEEELP!"

She paused and waited a while, looking still at the looming ship in front of her.

"I hope that isn't a ghost ship only phantoms ride..." She whispered again.

"HEEEEEEEEEEEEELP!" She screamed once more.

On the ship a young man paused, while his father continued talking.

"Fuyuki, it seems like the bollitos aren't around now..."

"Father? Did you just hear that?"

"Hear what?"

"I thought I heard someone shouting..."

"Someone way out here?"

"HEEEEEEEEEELP!!!"

Fuyuki's father dropped his net and ran toward the helm of the boat.

"Fuyuki, you're right! There's a girl out there! Quickly, we have to try and steer towards her."

Within a few moments the father and son had helped the young woman onto their ship. Fuyuki just stood on the side and watched as she started to come to life.

"My dear, what are you doing all the way out here? Are you alright?" Fuyuki's father knelt down beside the girl.

"I... I'm fine... My ship hit something and... and it sunk."

"Were there any other survivors?"

"No, I... I don't know what happened to the others."

By this time the father had noticed Fuyuki's silence.

"Are you alright son?"

"Oh? Yes. I'm fine. What is your name miss?" Fuyuki extended his hand to the girl.

"Yumei... it means dream." Yumei seemed to brighten a little and gain strength as she said her name.

"Well Yumei, it is nice to meet you."

"Thank you... and thank you for helping me..."

The two stood. The father went towards the back of the ship.

"I can tell we won't pull anything in today. Fuyuki, take up the nets. We'll head back. Yumei, is there anywhere we could possibly drop you off?"

Yumei walked to the edge of the boat and stared off at the mainland, so far in the distance.

"Is there any chance you could maybe leave me at Hai-Lan?"

"You're in luck. Thats the port we're from. You have family there? Or someone waiting for you?"

"Yes... in a way I do." Yumei smiled and turned back towards the father. "Can I ask you a question?"

The father nodded and finished changing the ship's course. "Sure. Course I can't guarantee I can answer it for you."

"Thats alright." Yumei sat on the edge of the ship's rail. "Have you ever heard of the lapis?"

"You mean a lapis lazuli? Sure. I've seen some in caves around Hai-Lan." He absent-mindedly started picking through some spare nets.

"No, I mean, the Cerulean Lapis. The one that can grant your fondest wish..." She said, bending over to help him gather up the nets and move them.

"That? Oh thats just an old wives tale." He pointed to a corner of the ship and they dropped the nets over there. "Why, you on some kind of quest or something?"

"No..." She slightly hung her head. "I was just curious..." She looked around them. "We seem to be moving quickly today."

"Yeah, we have the wind on our side luckily." The father said, just as the ship suddenly jolted and shifted position.

"What was that?" She asked, startled and slightly distressed.

Fuyuki appeared from behind her. "That was just alerting us of a nearby oozuzo. Don't worry, the ship was just changing its course."

"An oozuzo?" She looked at him puzzled.

"Its a kind of giant whirpool. Don't worry, we're safe from it."

The boat shifted again and she fell into Fuyuki's arms.

"I'm sorry." She blushed and tried to resteady herself.

"Its alright..." He said, smiling slightly. "You just haven't got your sea legs yet."

"You can say that again." She gave a mysterious smile and stood again.

The rest of the ride back was uneventful, and soon the found themselves at the docks.

"You two head to two. Find a place at the inn for the night. I'll finish up here." Shouted the father as the young couple walked onto the wooden dock.

"Thanks!" Fuyuki yelled back to them. He then turned to Yumei. "I heard what you asked earlier... about the lapis."

"You did? You must think me foolish..." She said, slightly hanging her head.

"No, I think my father foolish." He took her hand. "He has long since given up on hope and on believing in tales. I think, that as long as you believe in it, the Cerulean Lapis is real. If you believe, you can find it Yumei."

"Thank you." She smiled. "I'll try and believe."

"So what would you wish for? If you found it?"

"Oh, I don't know." Yumei pulled away from him and walked a little ahead, then spun around. "What would you wish for Fuyuki?"

"Me? I would wish for a great boat... The finest fishing boat in all of Hai-Lan!"

"Really?" She looked a little disappointed and continued walking a little further.

"Is something wrong?" He walked a little faster to match her pace.

"No, its nothing. Can you show me where the inn is where we'll be staying?"

"Sure. Its over this way."

The two walked into a fairly large building, and as Fuyuki made the reservations, She stood looking out the window facing a beach.

"I got our rooms."

She jumped as he tapped her shoulder.

"Sorry..."

"Its okay... its just sometimes I get mesmerized when I watch the sea..." She smiled faintly then looked back out.

The father walked in, and seemed a bit surprised to still see Yumei there.

"Fuyuki, why don't you go and get some food for all of us..." He handed him a small portion of money, then went to stand by the girl.

"Alright." Fuyuki took the money and ran out.

"You asked us to bring us here, and said you had someone waiting..."

It was then Fuyuki realised he hadn't asked what they would want, and he started to enter back into the room, but when he started to hear their conversation, he stopped.

"Well, technically I do..." Yumei turned to the father. "I'm actually here looking for my father. His name is Koh..."

The father was shocked and took a step back. "Surely... surely you don't mean Shogun Koh... Are you one of the children of his mistresses?"

She looked at him in a mix of surprise and horror.

"No, yes... I... why would you say such a thing."

"It is just that Shogun Koh is dead. After making peace with the merfolk, he returned to a normal life, healthy and sound. But two years ago he contracted an illness and died. I just assumed any immediate family would have known..." The father moved forward to comfort the girl, but she only pulled back, and put on a stone face.

"I see..."

Fuyuki stepped back, feeling foolish.

"She wanted the lapis so she could see her father..." He whispered slowly...

The night passed in silence. Yumei stayed the entire time by the window, watching the seas lap at the shore. In the morning, after Fuyuki had wandered around town, he returned to still see her there.

"I searched the whole town for any information about the lapis Yumei... if you'd like to know what I learned..."

"What does it matter?" She turned to him with tears in her eyes. "He's dead now!"

She pulled herself up and out the window, and took off running. He ran to the window after her.

"YUMEI!"

He dove out, trying to follow her. She had seemingly disappeared, but instantly he knew to run for the shore. When he arrived he saw a beautiful young mermaid, swimming in the shallow water, with small crystal-like tears running down her face.

"Y... Yumei?" He stammered as he took in the situation.

The hair was strikingly similar, although now it had a green metallic hue. Scales covered her arms and most of her body. But she still wore the same jeweled tiara.

"Are you surprised? I'm not human..."

"So you wanted the lapis so you could see your father... I'm sorry, I overheard it all last night..."

"No... no that isn't it at all. I wanted the lapis, so I could make my father cry..."

She turned her head, seemingly thinking of how to tell how, and why, she felt this way.

"My... my mother died a short while ago. She did the unthinkable. She paired with a human. And so... when she died... I couldn't cry. If I did I'd receive the looks and glares from all of them."

She looked up, and her strength seemed to fade.

"But it wasn't just that. I couldn't smile when I was happy. I couldn't do anything. I was a halfling. Not one and not the other. When my mother died, my world died with her. So I wanted to come here, and use the lapis, so that maybe my father and I could cry together..."

He started to wade into the water, to be close and comfort her, but she swam backwards away from him.

"But now..." She started. "Now it isn't fair. They get to be together without me..." She shook her hair, now sobbing. A single tear hit the water which surrounded her.

"But Yumei, you can still stay here. You can stay with me. You can cry and smile here..." He reached out his hand to her.

She looked away in the distance, seemingly hearing something he could not.

"Do you hear that? Its the oozuzo. You had better get inland, before it reached the shore." She said softly, as she dove into the water.

"YUMEI!" Fuyuki moved deeper in after her, his hand still extended towards her.

"Goodbye Fuyuki... thank you...."

She swam off further, until he could no longer see her. He saw her head right for the whirpool ahead.

"Yumei..." He whispered and looked down.

Something small sparkled in the sand below.

He reached his hand down, and pulled up the small jewel.

"Its... its the Cerulean Lapis..." He whispered as he tightened his hand around it.

"What will I wish for? That new boat?" He thought. "No..." He shook his head violently. "Then for Yumei's safety?"

He stopped and paused.

"But what would Yumei have wished for?" He thought as he opened his hand. He shut his eyes, forcing back tears.

"LAPIS! GRANT MY HEART'S DESIRE!" He yelled into the air.

"I.... I wish for Yumei to be with her family again..."

A huge column of light surrounded him. And from above, the death goddess Valkyrie heard his call. She flew down, and headed into the ocean, towards the lifeless body of a mermaid many miles away, that was floating to the surface.

"He loved her, so he wished for her death?" Valkyrie wondered as she took the girl's spirit into herself.

"No matter. I do not know if this girl will prove worthy of Valhalla, but his request shall be granted."

~~~

The sea did not calm that day. And Fuyuki did not leave the shore. His desire had been granted, but there was no sign of this.

So once again he decided to believe. He decided to believe that Yumei was happy.

The end.

The next tale... Shiho.