NOTE: This is a repost and edited version of the earlier Starfish.
AUTHOR: The idea if this story came from another story I've heard, it was similar to this and I heard it at a graduation, unfortunately I don't know who the original teller of the tale was, or else I would give them credit.
Again, this a a revised copy because I reread it a bit ago and my grammar was terrible as well as hints that I didn't proof read it.
DISCLAIMER: This story is a work of FAN-fiction. By any means, the author of this story is merely a fan, and does not (partially or wholly) own Gundam Seed (Destiny), Kira Yamato (character), and Lacus Clyne (character). I only own the story plotline of THIS fanfiction, including made up characters (all unnamed). Any resemblance of actual events, stories, locales, news, persons (living or dead) are merely coincidental. As well, I would like to give credit to the (wo)man who originally told this story in a different version. Thank you and please read on.
Starfish
By: Hades.Throne.Heiress
Kira, one of the most exquisite authors of all time for teen angst novels, was again in his study where he usually brainstorms his ideas. It was still early in the morning as birds were chirping, flying from place to place. A majority part of the sun was still hiding behind the horizon, hence, the little sunlight shinning through Kira's window.
This was the way Kira usually starts his day, early in the morning. After washing up, he'd make himself a mug of tea and start working on his novels. Occasionally, he would stare out the window at the ocean located near his house until an idea strikes him.
According to Kira, the ocean tends to help him create depressing moods in his stories, as well as heart wrenching scenes and painful events. The ocean, after all, is known to be wonderful and saddening at the same time as human beings cannot live without a source of water, yet it can also be a very dangerous and unpredictable threat to many lives. How wondrous the ocean may be when smiles are bought onto a child's face; the mysterious side of how far the water stretches; the soothing sensation the crash of a wave could be by the coastline; the dread and horror it brings when disasters occur, and how the ocean could be so grand yet lonely at the same time. Just like life, just another thing that resembles people themselves. The happiness people can bring to one another without trying or with a purpose; the unknown limitation of one's strength; the calming aura that no words could explain; the betrayal and lies everyone faces some point in life… and those who can be so popular and surrounded in so many people, yet they're still lost… in the world they grew up in, knowing fully well that there are false tales in every crook and cranny… That is what Kira thought of the world. Since he was a child, now, and he doubt his view would change in the future.
Every morning, Kira would stare and write and think until he gets hungry and is willing to put his pen down to eat breakfast. Living alone means cooking every meal you wish to eat, that is, unless you go out to a restaurant or ordering take-out, which Kira seldom does. Apparently, this author doesn't like social places and would rather stay home than mingle himself with others.
This morning was different, no idea came to Kira at all, but he kept gazing out the window anyways, not feeling hungry. Deciding that he would rather stay near the shoreline of the ocean than the distance from his window, he made his way downstairs.
Hades.Throne.Heiress
Kira sat silently on the golden sand with the lonesome sea as his company, gazing out as far as the water reaches. It was near early afternoon now that the sun was almost shinning directly on top of Kira's head.
The silence preserved was soon broken by the sounds of loud beeping. Looking over to the direction of the sound, Kira realized that it was from the moving trucks backing up. Somebody was moving into the summer house beside his that have been vacant for two months now.
Kira assumes that the owner of the house would spot him and make a beeline for him to introduce themselves as his new neighbour. He wasn't in a socializing mood at the moment, especially since he hasn't accomplished anything for the day yet.
Hades.Throne.Heiress
"Eh?" The sound of confusion came from a long tress lady wearing a light coloured summer dress. "I thought I saw someone sitting by the sea not long ago…" The confusion was still written on the young lady's face as she talked to herself quietly.
"Umm… Ms…Clyne?" One of the men who just stepped out of the moving truck approached her.
"Yes?" The gentle reply was barely audible as the two trucks were backing up with a constant beeping sound.
"We would like to know if you'd like us to help you put things in the right room for later on you can rearrange, or do you want us to just leave them around if someone else would be helping you unpack," The kind gentleman walked up to her incase she needed to scream out her answer.
"If it wouldn't bother you too much I would like them placed in the rooms," Ms. Clyne kindly smiled and the beeping stopped, the drivers of each truck exited the front and opened the back doors to the storage section, letting down a ramp.
"Alright Miss, that wouldn't be a problem, our next job is at 01:30 anyways, we have time," the man looked onto a sheet of paper, a planner would be assumed by most.
"Thank you," the only female amongst the group led the way into the house.
Hades.Throne.Heiress
"Long pink hair, summer dress, and charming smile. She seems lovely…" Kira talked to himself while staring out a window facing the house beside his and realized that he was somewhat describing that lady as he would in his stories.
Ideas suddenly fell on him like tons of bricks, hurrying to sit down into his chair and jotted down his thoughts.
The rest of the day, Kira spent working furiously on his novel while the young lady next door was cleaning, unpacking and rearranging her furniture as it was already well decorated when she bought it.
Hades.Throne.Heiress
The next morning, Kira woke up as early as usual, which is VERY early. When he was sure he wasn't dreaming anymore, he heard a beautiful voice that traveled in from his open window. The voice was soft and very melodious, almost like a lullaby. Looking out, he noticed it was the lady that he saw yesterday moving in. It would be nice to make an introduction, though it is the first time Kira has taken initiative to associate himself with other people, he thought that he would be able to expand on the lady in his story if he talked to her.
Making his way out the front door with after finishing his cup of tea, Kira approached the girl who was throwing something into the ocean. Standing with little distance away from the pink haired lady, he noticed how angelic her small frame seemed. The lady tensed and immediately ceased her singing when she sensed another person behind her. Abruptly turning around, she relaxed seeing that it was the man she thought she saw yesterday.
"Ara! Nice to meet you, I thought I saw you yesterday in front of that house sir," The lady pointed over to the house Kira had just emerged from, "you must live around here to appear so often. Would you, by any chance, be a neighbour of mine?" she sweetly asked. Her appearance and tender voice seemed to have drowned Kira in his amazement.
Kira stared, and finally realized that the lady was speaking to him, "Umm… yeah, I live right beside you… I was out here yesterday, but I didn't think it was a good time to approach you. And… it's nice to meet you too," Kira finished shyly, looking down onto the wetted sand in case he would do something stupid, such at staring too long at the gorgeous girl in front of him.
"Oops, I should introduce myself shouldn't I?" She mused to herself. "I'm Lacus, Lacus Clyne, but please just you called me just Lacus," she held out her hand but withdraws it quickly. "I'm sorry, my hands are a bit wet at the moment, don't think you would like to shake a wet hand," she blushed lightly at that.
"Oh…" Kira was a bit dumbfounded, nonetheless, was able to catch up, "I'm Kira Yamato," that ended Kira's introduction.
"Ara! We should get to know more about each other, it is rare that I meet someone who would wake up as early as me," Lacus turned towards the ocean, bent down and began throwing things again. At first the action didn't make Kira suspicious, but when he saw that they were starfishes that she was gently tossing back into the ocean, he questioned.
"Ms. Cl…er…Lacus, why are you throwing starfishes?" Kira had a very queer look on his face, as if not knowing to stop her or listen to her explanation.
Lacus turned to look at him momentarily and smiled, then back to starfish throwing. "Ever since little I've lived near the ocean, and I loved it. So almost every afternoon, I would go out to play… but I've always found dried starfishes lying on the shore." Lacus' voice seemed to have dropped a bit at the end, like she was telling a sad tale as she continued to drop starfishes deeper into the ocean.
"So one day, I finally asked my father why there were so many of them lined on the shore, far away from the water, their home. He told me that at night, the starfishes get washed up against the shore and each morning, when the sun rises, the tide will fall. When the starfishes don't move away from the seashore quick enough before the sun fully rises, they would stay on shore and dry up," Now the teller of this story sounded hoarse, making Kira wonder about the reason, but he kept quiet, waiting for Lacus to continue.
"From that, my father taught me a lesson, about how beautiful and perfectly similar humans and they are; if we don't keep in pace with the world around us, then it can cost us our lives. That was the last thing my father ever was able to teach me…" Lacus finished, standing to her full height, still three quarter heads shorter than Kira, she used the back of her wrist to wipe her eyes. All Kira did was stand and watch, watch as his companion talk about these creatures he's never paid any attention to, regardless of the length of time he's lived near the ocean; watched as she told him that bit about her family; watched as she tried to look like she wasn't crying, and waited for her to stop.
When the pink haired young lady did stop her tears, she started to toss starfishes into the ocean again, as if nothing happened.
Then Kira thought of something, a question he wasn't able to hold back, "Lacus, if there are so many starfishes along the shoreline, how could you possibly make a different by saving that small fraction of them?"
That question was indeed intelligent, yes. Even if she could save a million of them each day, the difference wouldn't affect nor would it matter to people. Then why would she do such a pointless deed? To those who wouldn't, and couldn't show their appreciation nonetheless? But it wasn't until it left Kira's mouth did he notice how hurtful and upsetting it could've sounded in Lacus' ears. He was never good at socializing, that was for sure.
Lacus stared at him for a short moment, not moving; then resumed her earlier stance and smiled at nothing in particular, she bend down to attain a fiery golden starfish. She gently tossed the starfish in her pale hands into the vast sea and replied in an ethereal whisper while longingly looking at the spot where the starfish had disappeared, "I just made a difference to that starfish..."
Lacus continued to save the lives of those artless starfishes. Kira could only stare in awe at her. She looked like such a naive soul, yet her answer showed so much of her wisdom; it was simple, too simple. Yet, it satisfied him.
AUTHOR: Thank you for reading, please review. :)
Post Date: Mar. 4th '07
Repost Date: Sept. 21st '07