A/N: Barely made it on time to be time-stamped Feb22 (in my time zone at least ^^;;;;;) Happy (belated?) birthday to the sister extraordinaire, Hirasawa Ui! She's one of my favorite characters X)
So, this short oneshot. It's another weird story. Very weird. It's difficult to write because the outlines consisted of only seven bullet points and a few sketches (on my homepage^^;). And I have no idea how to categorize this story. Orz
Anyways, hope you will enjoy it!
Special thanks to ghikiJ-san X3 I made her rush-beta just so I can meet the deadline XD;;;
Disclaimer: I don't own K-on...but I own the sketches :3
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Pisces
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Carelessness.
It changed everything.
She tried so hard to make sure her arrow would travel far enough to reach its destination that she grew careless with her aim. All she wanted was to do was send a letter to her sister, the sister she had not seen for so long that she could barely remember what she looked like.
It was either her or her sister, yet the latter sacrificed herself just so the former could live a good life. She frowned and tightened the string.
This arrow must reach her sister.
She let go of the string and shaft, gazing at the arrow happily as it whistled through the air like a bird. It flew and flew with a mind of its own. It was as if it was trying its best to convey its masters' feelings to the recipient.
Yet, the sender missed her mark by far.
In fact, the arrow never even left the Palace.
Taurus the Ox was struck on its horn. It only shrugged and laughed it off, saying it was a mere scratch. Yet Aries the Ram would have none of it. Aries, the oldest and the most powerful of them all, decreed that the archer had violated the Law.
Sagittarius the Centaur must be punished.
Libra the Judge was fair and thus spoke up quietly like impartial spectator it is. It suggested that the Centaur should just give up a priceless possession before being exiled from the palace, instead of claiming her life for such a careless mistake. Yet the Ram was stubborn and merciless, it argued that they must set an example for the rest of the Zodiac.
Aquarius the Water Carrier watched all of the exchanges calmly, patting the Centaur's head to comfort the frightened youth.
"Go find your sister and come back here soon alright? I'll do something about this."
Confused, the Centaur could only stare at the bespectacled woman who stood up and glided across the hallway gracefully. As one of the more powerful Zodiac, Aquarius's involvement gained Aries' attention immediately. Before the Ram could stop her, the Water Carrier took down her glasses and narrowed her eyes. With a mighty heave, she dumped an endless torrent of water out of the porcelain vase and flooded the Palace.
The Centaur yelped helplessly as she was carried out of the Palace by those mighty waves. As she bypassed the barrier, she felt something cutting a string in her consciousness.
In order to ensure the exiled former members of the Zodiac would not leak the location of their sacred Palace, a barrier would rob them of their knowledge.
Along with something that was of equal importance of their lives.
No longer the Centaur, she felt a void in her chest when that something was taken away.
Then everything went dark.
"Wake up! Please, you have to wake up!"
She blinked groggily, flinching as the sun's bright rays penetrated through her vision. Her head felt so heavy but other than sore muscles, she felt okay. How did she end up here though? Her eyes shot open in panic. Oh no! Did she lose her memories?
She still remembered her own name though.
Yui.
Right. Her name was Yui.
She was looking for someone or something very important, wasn't she? That was where the memories got blurry though. Why did she feel like she lost a part of herself?
Arms, check. Legs, check. And of course, head, check. She was still a whole human.
Then what was she missing? She pressed her palm on her chest, wishing to confirm the steady beats of her heart. She could feel it, yet why did it feel like there was a draining chasm between her ribs?
"Are you okay?"
Yui finally took notice of her surroundings. She was half-submerged in the ocean and half-lying on fine grains of sand. Someone was gazing at her worriedly, someone who looked exactly like her.
"Yea! I'm okay, hehe," Yui laughed to show the stranger she was indeed alright, "Did you save me from the ocean?"
Perhaps it was her imagination but her look-alike appeared to be crestfallen for a few moments.
"Y-yes, I saw you drifting along the currents but you don't look like you can stay underwater for too long so I just brought you here."
"Thanks for saving me! I'm Yui! What's your name?"
"My name is Ui," the girl whispered sadly. Yui was confused because Ui's pained expression made her want to hug her. Yui decided to go ahead and follow her feelings anyways when she noticed something different about Ui.
"Wow, are you a mermaid?"
"E-eh? I-I guess so," Ui swam backwards a bit to show Yui her smooth tail, which was covered with beautiful, aquamarine scales. "Do you…not remember anything?"
"Oh, well-" for the next few minutes, Yui tried her best to explain her circumstances. It seemed like she was on a quest, that she was banned from where she lived because she did something impulsive. She could not recall the details too well but she knew for sure that she must get back to the citadel-like building. Otherwise, this ache in her heart would not go away.
"Okay, I will do everything I can to help you," Ui spoke up after awhile. Yui could not believe her luck, that she was fortunate enough to meet such a kind girl! That incessant whisper in her heart was trying to tell her something yet its feeble voice was drowned by the roars of the ocean waves.
"Who are you, Ui?"
The mermaid tore a piece of kelp from the shore and tied her brown tresses into a ponytail. "I'm just your guardian angel…Yui-san."
"Just call me Yui! Or actually, call me however you like!" Yui smiled encouragingly and held the mermaid's hand. Ui seemed so conflicted about calling her 'Yui-san', which also made her very uncomfortable for some reason.
It sounded wrong.
"O-oh…can I…call you Onee-chan?" Ui murmured hopefully.
A brief flash of pain thudded in Yui's chest but it vanished before she could catch it.
"Sure! Hehe, so I'm a big sister now!" Yui stood up dramatically, pumping her fist into the air. "As the big sister, I shall lead us!" Proud of herself, she began to run away from the shore only to come back seconds later.
"Ah gomen gomen, we're travelling by sea aren't we?" She rubbed her hair sheepishly. Ui giggled and held out her hand, "yes we are, Onee-chan. Don't worry, I'll be by your side."
Touched by the way Ui worded her sentence, Yui couldn't bear it anymore and hugged her newfound little sister.
Ui seemed happy in her embrace which, in return, made Yui happy as well.
Their journey back home finally began.
"Ne ne, where are we going, Ui?"
"We're almost there, Onee-chan. We need to go underwater for awhile. Are you ready?"
After swimming in the ocean for many days, Yui was tired and she missed land sorely. But she persisted, wishing to find answers as soon as possible. If she could survive so long out here, she was probably not a normal human. So what was she, then? But, she shouldn't complain, not when Ui did everything she could to help her!
"Yup! Let's go~"
Yui took a deep breath and dove beneath the waves. She trusted Ui to guide her to safety, so she simply closed her eyes and let the current carry her to their destination. The moment she felt the ocean's pressure vanish, she gulped for air exaggeratedly and scrunched up her face. She heard Ui laughing, a sound that felt so nostalgic and soothing to her ears.
"Ara, who's this, Ui-chan?"
"I'm Yui, Ui's sister!" Yui piped up excitedly, looking around the stranger's abode in awe. Despite the fact they were in an underwater cave, flowers still bloomed magnificently under the sunlight refracted through the transparent ceiling. The whole place was still filled with ocean water, yet Yui could breathe easily as if she was on land.
The gardener giggled at her energy, brushing her glimmering blond strands with a pincer-like hand. "I was formerly known as Cancer the Crab, but you may call me Tsumugi or Mugi, Yui-chan. Nice to meet you."
"Hello, Mugi-chan! What do you mean by formerly…?" Yui felt like she should know what the title meant but once again, fleeting murmurs simply brushed past her ears.
Mugi glanced at Ui's troubled expression and appeared to understand their situation right away. "Have you heard of the Zodiacs, Yui-chan?"
"I think so…"
"The Zodiacs are a group of lucky individuals selected by the Star Palace, which is made of the light from stars itself. The Palace contained unimaginable luxuries, such as endless supplies of food, hot spring-like pools and so on. Beams of light engraved with a special symbol were refracted everywhere through the ocean. If the beam landed upon you, it meant you were chosen and you may go live at the Palace. However, I chose to leave it out of my own free will."
"Ehhh? Why?" Enraptured by the tale, Yui leaned against Ui, who also listened with a calm expression.
"The Palace is too restricting. It may be eternal paradise to mankind but it isn't to me. Life may be harsh out here in the ocean but I can swim and go wherever I please. There is a price, however."
"A price?"
"Yes, I believe this is what happened to you, Yui-chan. The Palace's barrier took something that was precious to you, something as precious as your own life. I lost my eyesight because being able to observe all kinds of wonders in the world was the most important thing for me."
"Eyesight?" Yui tilted her head, staring at Mugi's baby-blue eyes in wonder.
"I was blind, but not anymore," the Crab smiled mysteriously, "There is a way to regain what you lost. I believe this is why you brought her here to see me, Ui-chan?"
"Yes, Tsumugi-san. Could you help Onee-chan?"
The gardener shook her head apologetically, "I'm afraid not. Only the person herself will know how to retrieve the thing she lost. I suggest that you should go along the ocean currents once more, Ui-chan, Yui-chan. See where they guide you."
"Okay! Thanks for telling me a wonderful story!" Yui smiled at her brightly. She then turned around and grabbed her sister's hand, "Ready for our next round of adventure, Ui?"
"Of course, Onee-chan!" The mermaid's frown melted away into a bright smile as well. Just by looking at them, Mugi's own lips curved too.
"You can visit me any time you wish, both of you," the blonde waved her pincer-hands. They may appear terrifying but to Yui, they were the gardeners' pride. After all, how else did Mugi tend to her gardens?
"We will!" The two sisters chimed at the same time, causing them to look at each other and laugh.
As Yui left the Crab's abode, she wondered why Mugi's eyes never blinked once even though she said she wasn't blind anymore. Perhaps she did regain her sight in some other way?
When Yui was finally allowed to breathe again, they were in a forest of corals enveloped within the hood of a jellyfish. It was a breathtaking sight - the mixture of vibrant colors on the reef and the rainbows created by the refracted light from the surface of the ocean created this mesmerizing, magical land. She couldn't wait to meet its inhabitant!
"Do you know who live here, Ui?"
The mermaid shook her head, also entranced by the glowing scenery. "I've never traveled this far before but wow…"
Then an amazing voice echoed around them, resonating within the crevices and making the coral reef sing as well. Captivated, the two sisters swam towards the source of such a melodious song. There, lying against an armchair-like coral was a beautiful black-haired girl with twin horns on her head. Like Ui, this girl also had a fish tail, yet its scales were in different shades of grey that still reflected the surrounding light like glittering jewels.
"You're a really good singer!"
The singing stopped, replaced by a deep voice that seemed to come from the depth of the ocean itself. "Thank you. I'm happy to hear that-" The voice was cut off abruptly as the girl jolted up from her seat, looking around wildly.
"Y-you were listening to me?" The girl did not move her lips at all, yet they heard her words perfectly well.
"Gomenasai, we didn't mean to startle you," Ui bowed her head apologetically while Yui smiled sheepishly.
The girl gradually calmed down, seeing that they meant no harm. "It's alright. Hmm, it's interesting to see a human here. Who are you?"
"I'm Yui! And this is my sister Ui! We're on a journey to find the Star Palace!"
"S-Star Palace! Why do you want to do that? It took me so long to break away from that prison," there was a brief look of annoyance in the girl's grey eyes before fear replaced it.
"Prison?"
"Yes. Contrary to the tales of paradise I heard when I was still a human, that place was practically prison to me. It truly did have many things that mankind could only dream of, yet I was not allowed to do the one thing that meant everything to me – singing. Thanks to another Zodiac's distraction, I was able to escape the palace without Aries noticing. Oh, pardon me. I was formerly Capricorn the Seagoat, but please call me Mio."
"Ne, Mio-chan, who is Aries?"
Mio sighed and rubbed her temple, "It is the oldest and most powerful of all the Zodiacs. It's rumored that it is able to communicate with the Palace itself. Either way, if I can't do the thing I love, how is that place a paradise? I was scared to return the outside world but one day I had enough and just left. I only felt the thrill of overcoming my fear that I forgot I had to pay the price. After I left the barrier, I lost my voice. "
"But just now, weren't you singing? No wait, how are you talking to us?" Yui blinked curiously, her childish expression making Mio smile.
"I found my voice back," the Seagoat spread her arms wide, "the ocean is my voice. It can convey my thoughts for me. All I needed to do was to learn to communicate with it first. I can't help you though, as I do not remember where the Palace is. Although, perhaps…"
Suddenly, a strong yet careful wave pulled them away from the coral reef. Mio waved at them, "perhaps the Zodiac who created the diversion for me can help you. I just asked the currents to take you to her whereabouts."
"Thanks, Mio-chan! We'll come back and listen to you again!" Yui held her sister's hand tight, afraid to be broken apart by the wave. Her worry was unnecessary since Mio made sure the two sisters would arrive at their destination safely.
Yui was surprise that they reached the tip of an isle next. She climbed up the rocky shore cautiously, unnerved by the silence of the plains that greeted her sight. No one was here. All she saw was endless stretch of green-
"Onee-chan, look out!" Unable to go up the land, all Ui could do was shout a warning.
But it was too late.
A massive shape had already pounced on Yui, keeping her down with a heavy paw. She eyed the sharp claws nervously yet her instinct told her that she did not need to be afraid.
"Are you Mio-chan's friend?"
"Hmm? You know Mio?"
The shadow moved off her slowly. Amber eyes glanced back and forth between the two sisters, as if deciding whether they were trustworthy or not.
"Oh whatever. You look too puny to be eaten anyways."
The girl stretched her arms and flexed her paws, making the blade-like claws glint dangerously under the sun. She yawned lazily, revealing equally sharp fangs. Then she flopped down onto the ground and turned away from them.
"Well, what do you want? I was just taking a nap when I smelled you two. Why did Mio send you here? Cheh, I thought she was giving me cold treatment…bah, whatever," the girl scratched her mane-like hair, round ears flicking irritably. "So, who are you two?"
"Yui!" "Ui."
"Woah that synched and rhymed. Alright, call me Ritsu. Well, as you can see, I was once Leo the Lion but meh, I don't really care."
Seeing the Lion was really quite harmless, Yui sat down and reached over to rub the girl's ear.
"Wow they're so soft~"
"Gah, stop it! Aren't you gonna tell me why you're here?" Growling, Ritsu nudged the offending hand away but she underestimated her strength and knocked Yui over.
Yui only laughed. "Oh right. Mio-chan told us you might know where the Palace is."
"That stupid Palace? Yea, I know the way, only because I can still smell it not because I actually remember the damn place," Ritsu shrugged, blowing her long bangs away from her face, "you see that huge whirlpool over there? Yup, it's right in the middle of that vortex."
The sisters followed Ritsu's gaze and noticed a dark spot in the horizon. Yui gulped, unable to believe that she was blown all the way from that whirlpool to where she met Ui.
"I'm not even gonna ask why you want to go there. Now shoo, I want to nap," Ritsu yawned again, folding her arms behind her head and lied down onto the short grass.
"Eeehh? That's it? Aren't you going to tell us your story?" Yui tugged at the Lion's tail.
"Why? There's nothing to tell," the tail twitched, "One day I got annoyed with Aries, tried to pick a fight with it and almost got clobbered. I thought I'd get killed but Sawa-chan – I mean, Aquarius saved me by blasting me out of that damn Palace."
A familiar image flashed in Yui's mind, an image of a long-haired woman pouring out tremendous amount of water from her vase and saved her from the Ram's wrath. Yes, she remembered now! She was trying to do shoot an arrow message to someone important to her. No, she couldn't remember any further. Something was preventing the memory fragment's return. A barrier-?
"Oh, Ricchan Ricchan, what did the barrier take away from you?"
"Hmm? Can't you tell? I can't swim anymore. I used to love going on adventures but goddamit, I'm trapped on this stupid island with nothing! I can't even go find Mio."
"You don't know how to get your ability back?"
"Nah, couldn't be bothered."
"You know, maybe that's why Mio-chan is giving you the cold treatment," Yui nodded wisely.
"Ya think so? Ugh, fine. Yea, I guess I should just try. Who knows, maybe I can relearn how to swim."
"Yea yea, you'll never know if you don't try, Ricchan!"
The Lion grinned toothily, "you weird human. Well, go on. You better go when there's still light out."
The two sisters waved at the lazy Lion before returning to the ocean once more
"Ne, Ui?"
"What is it, Onee-chan?"
"I was just thinking…why don't you talk as much to Mio-chan or Ricchan? Even with Mugi-chan you just… stayed on the side," Yui frowned at the mermaid worriedly. "You can tell me anything! I'm your big sister."
"Oh. It's just that…I don't see the need to talk," Ui had that nostalgic, reminiscing smile on her face again, "I'd rather listen to you talk, Onee-chan. I also like looking at your expression whenever you are focused on something."
"Oh, I see. But isn't that boring though? I want Ui to have fun too!" Yui gave the mermaid a spontaneous hug. She loved hugging Ui because it made her feel she was needed. With Ui by her side, Yui felt she could accomplish anything.
Ui was very special to her, wasn't she?
"Onee-chan…" The mermaid buried her face in Yui's shoulder but she did not return the hug. "It's not boring at all. Just being by your side is good enough for me. It's like a dream come true, even. I've always wanted…we never had a chance to…"
"Ui?" Alarmed, Yui pulled away to look at the girl, whose eyes were clenched to stop tears from escaping.
"I d-don't want to l-leave you again! I w-want to stay with you!"
"I-I want to stay with you too," Yui may not know the reason but she knew that if she wasn't with Ui, it would feel like being ripped in half, "I want our journey to continue forever. I…I don't want to go back to the palace anymore."
"What are you saying, Onee-chan?" Ui looked startled at her decision.
"Yea! From what I heard from Mio-chan and Mugi-chan, I don't think I like the Palace at all. I want to go visit them again! And this time, I'm dragging Ricchan to the shore so you can talk to her too! And, and, and-"
"But how about the thing you lost? Aren't you going to reclaim it?" The mermaid asked softly.
Yui did not know how it happened. But right now, only meters away from the whirlpool, she realized her answer had been right beside her all along. The thing she lost was her bond with her one and only sister, wasn't it?
Throughout the journey, Yui was able to regain that bond slowly but surely. She remembered everything now, how she wanted to send the arrow message to her sister to tell her she was fine. Long ago, when the beam of light was casted upon the two of them, they both thought they would be able to enter heaven together. Yet only one entry was allowed. The two sisters were very young back then, unable to comprehend the meaning of separation. They only ever had each other after all.
However, Ui was a mermaid. She had the ability to survive in the vast ocean alone whereas Yui didn't. Therefore, before her sister realized it, Ui backed away and allowed the light to envelope Yui completely. Shocked and unable to move, Yui was summoned to the Palace and became one of the Zodiac while Ui was sent to a sea far, far away from the whirlpool at the edge of the world.
The sisters never met again.
Until now.
"I don't need to reclaim anything, Ui. I finally found my sister," Yui smiled gratefully, "I am sorry to leave you alone all these years, Ui. But it's okay. We can be together now. I will not let you go ever again."
The ponytailed girl covered her mouth but it was tears of joy that leaked out of her eyes this time. She was about to reply when she saw a small shadow being pulled into the ocean currents. Yui noticed her sister's horrified gaze and spotted the small figure vanishing within the dark whirlpool.
"Oh no! She's going to drown!" Yui wasn't thinking ahead. She forgot that even though she was not a normal human, she still couldn't breathe underwater for long. But she could not just stand here and watch someone drown before her eyes! She must do something!
Unlike that time so many years ago, it was Ui who was frozen in place when her sister backed away from her. Yui dove into the whirlpool headfirst and disappeared under the relentless currents too.
Seconds ticked by and turned into minutes. Ui swam back and forth, helpless. She wanted to go after sister but she could not either. What if Yui returned and saw her gone? She must be patient. She had always been patient so a few minutes shouldn't be a problem. She won't be apart from her sister anymore, not again.
Yet only a stranger emerged from the depth, trembling with fatigue. The pigtailed girl swam up to her with all her might, paddling with her long tail that had a hooked sting at the end. Her face was ashen in guilt, "That girl just now…are you her sister? S-she s-saved me but s-she…"
"No! No, it can't be, not when we finally reunited!" It couldn't be. Her sister couldn't be dead. It was all too sudden. Yui promised she would not let go of her anymore. Yui did not lie.
Surely, she would come back right?
Devastated and numb all over, Ui could only stare blankly at the merciless whirlpool. Before she fainted from the overwhelming pain, she thought she saw light coming towards her.
Cancer the Crab, Capricorn the Seagoat and Leo the Lion stood in the center of the room of Judgement. There, in front of them, was the prone body of a young girl they only met once. The girl had thanked them for their help, yet they knew they were the ones who were helped instead.
Whether it was just a smile, willingness to listen, or even a word of encouragement, this girl still helped them when she had no obligation to do so.
Gemini, Virgo, Taurus and Aquarius sat on the side and watched the proceeding silently.
Libra the Judge gazed at Scorpio the Scorpion, the tiny girl who the human girl had selflessly sacrificed her life to save. The Scorpion pleaded them to save the girl's life, a notion supported by the Crab, the Seagoat and the Lion.
The human girl once belonged to the Zodiac but she was exiled. Words from the youngest member and three former members did not weight much against Aries' adamant opinion at all.
But everything was up to the will of the Palace.
The Palace had chosen and summoned a mermaid, the girl's sister. Yet unlike any of the previous Zodiac, this mermaid was given the permission to enter and leave as she pleased. There was only one condition.
Her shadow must stay with her at all times.
The shadow was, of course her sister.
At this point, Aries the Ram could only nod its head. The Palace had spoken.
When the mermaid woke up from her fitful slumber, she was met by the sight of her sister smiling at her lovingly. Filled with endless joy, they hugged and linked their hands together. Then the two sisters leaned against each other with their foreheads touching.
And that was how the tale of Pisces came to be.
A/N: ^_^;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;; strange? I hope the intended 'fable-like' tone is conveyed. Lessons everywhere, yes? :3
Again, happy birthday to Ui!
Notes:
Each character was given their Zodiac according to their b-days. Of course, with the exception of Yui.
The rest of the Zodiac is referred to as it because they don't have a 'character', but in my head, it's: Taurus - Jun; Virgo - Himeko; Gemini -Eri and Akane; Libra - Nodoka (even though she's really Capricorn); Aries - Ichigo