So I did a search on FanFiction for any Lapis and CUL fanfics and - what do you know? - there wasn't a single one in existence! Being a fan of these two (as friends) I decided to write the first Lapis and CUL fanfic on this site. Sure it's just a one-shot, but I'm sure I made someone's dream come true.
Disclaimer: Do I look as if I own Vocaloid? No? Good, we're on the same page then.
-Ray
Lapis sat under the roof of the bench that waited for the bus. Rain was pouring from the sky so thickly that one could not see where he was going. Just as the rain fell from the sky, Lapis' tears fell from her eyes. Tears streamed from her face and fell onto her lap where she was gripping the bottom of her skirt so tightly that her knuckles were turning chalk white. It was enough that her best friend was so stubborn, but sometimes Lapis could be stupid and take things a little too far as a result. Lapis was a sensitive girl with an insensitive best friend, and sometimes Lapis just exploded.
Lapis was water. She was flexible, passive, and kept her cool. CUL was the opposite; CUL was fire. She was stiff, stubborn, and hot headed. It surprised many people that sweet, adorable, and loving Lapis could be best friend's with someone like CUL. CUL was sour and mean, but Lapis loved her anyway. Lapis knew that deep inside of CUL was a scared little girl who didn't want to appear weak in front of others for fear of being taken advantage of; CUL only acted the way she did in order to appear tough and unbreakable.
Lapis' watch started beeping, signaling Lapis that there was a monster loose not too far from where she was. "Does there have to be one right now?" she thought. She was hurt, upset, and just wanted to go home and cry, but a job's a job and it has to be done. Lapis quickly wiped the tears from her eyes as she ran towards the direction of the monster spotting. Some days Lapis loved being a magical girl, and other days she really loved being a magical girl. She defended the world from evil and saved lives - who wouldn't want to do that? Then, of course, there were days that she dreaded it.
Lapis could never live up to her older sister, Merli, who was their parents' favorite. Lapis couldn't manipulate both water and ice like Merli could, Lapis couldn't turn her body into water like Merli could, and Lapis couldn't even hear an insult without breaking into tears like Merli could. Lapis was pathetic and weak, and not a single day passed in which she felt otherwise. That's why Lapis loved being a magical girl sometimes. To everyone at school she was something to tease and pick on, but little did they know that she has saved everyone's lives more than once. If they knew about her they might praise her, but Lapis didn't want to be treated like a hero. Lapis wanted to be treated like a normal person, and if that meant being bullied then so be it. She wasn't one for pampering, anyway.
Lapis finally made it to the scene of the attack. The monster looked to be a giant reptile with overgrown fangs and spikes running along it's back. It's claws at least had to be the size of Lapis' legs alone, and as thick as her head as well. Why couldn't the monster have been smaller and less scary? Like a snail. Why weren't there ever any snail monsters the size of actual snails? Even a slug would do fine.
Not wasting another second, Lapis transformed from her school uniform to her magical girl one. She wore a aqua skirt that went only mid-thigh, a sky blue sleeveless shirt, a white cape, white gloves, white knee length boots, and a headband to hold back her blue hair. Her weapon, which had manifested during Lapis' transformation, was a white staff as tall as Lapis and had a giant sapphire on the top. Because of the rain, Lapis should have an easy time fighting the monster as rain gave Lapis a sort of power up.
That was not the case.
No matter what attack Lapis threw at the monster it wasn't the least bit bothered. All the reptile monster do was destroy more buildings and bridges. It was as if water didn't damage the creature.
"I will not lose so easily," Lapis said through clentched teeth. Taking her staff, Lapis gathered the rain around her until it was just one giant ball of water, and while letting out a determined scream Lapis threw the massive water ball at the monster. It hit the monster, but the results were not what Lapis was expecting.
Instead of being overwhelmed from being hit by so much water at once, the monster looked only annoyed. It saw Lapis, decided that she was the cause of its annoyance, and used its long tail to hit Lapis and threw her across town.
Lapis hit a wall and fell to the ground. As she lied there feeling helpless, Lapis wished CUL was there with her. She needed CUL, but CUL wasn't there. It was all Lapis' fault.
"I'm so sick of you, CUL!" Lapis yelled, fist clentched.
"What'd I do this time?" CUL asked, looking wide-eyed at Lapis.
"You called me a weakling!" Lapis spat.
"I was saving your butt from those idiot boys," CUL said as she crossed her arms, "and last I checked, you're not as strong in human form as you are in magical girl form. So technically, you are a weakling."
"But did you really have to call me that?!" Lapis said as her eyes began to burn from the building tears.
"All I said was 'It's very cowardly for a bunch of boys to pick on a single weakling girl'!" CUL argued. "I didn't straight out call you a weakling, I only implied it."
"It's the same as if you had said it," Lapis said, the tears falling now.
"Come on, Lapis," CUL said, "just get over it! It's no big deal."
"Easy for you to say," Lapis cried. "You're not the one who was called weak and pathetic."
"I never once called you pathetic!" CUL snapped.
"But you think it!" Lapis snapped back. When CUL didn't respond right away Lapis said "See! You can't even tell me otherwise!"
"I just want to know where you got such a stupid idea," CUL said, her tone darkening.
"You act like I'm pathetic, that's where!" Lapis said, tears streaming down her face as she no longer cared to contain them.
"What the- How do I act like you're pathetic?!" CUL had to keep from yelling.
"You treat me like a little girl, and whenever you defend me you always say that nobody should pick on a small girl," Lapis replied.
"Nobody should!" CUL exclaimed. "News flash, Lapis, you are a little girl. You're short and underweight, and without your powers anyone can snap you as if you were a twig."
That was when Lapis lost it. She reached out and slapped CUL right across her face. Her palm immediately began to sting, but Lapis didn't care. "I am not a weak, pathetic, little girl. I'm a person with thoughts and feelings, and right now I feel hurt that you think of me as such."
"Lapis, listen," CUL started but didn't get to finish.
"LISTEN TO WHAT?!" Lapis yelled. "HOW MUCH YOU PITY ME BECAUSE I'M NOT AS STRONG AS YOU?!"
"Shut. Up. Lapis," CUL warned. "You'rs stepping into dangerous territory."
"What are you going to do?" Lapis spat. "Punch me? Kick me? Snap me like a twig? Do it. I dare you."
CUL crossed her arms. "I'm not going to fight you."
"See?" Lapis laughed without humor. "I'm too weak in your eyes to even be deemed a worthy opponent."
"No," CUL glared at Lapis. "I'm not fighting you because I don't think you're worth fighting; I'm not fighting you because you're my best friend."
"Well you're a lousy best friend," Lapis said before she knew the words had left her mouth.
CUL looked as if murder was beginning to become an option for her. "Lousy? I've saved your butt more times than either of us care to remember, I was there for you when you cried, and I'm standing here trying to remain calm through all this crud you're giving me. Do you really think I'm a lousy best friend?" Lapis didn't answer but instead sharpened her glare. "Fine," CUL huffed, "if all this fighting is all that we're going to get out of this friendship then I guess there's no point continuing it. Don't talk to me ever again." With that the red head became to walk away from Lapis.
In an instant, all of Lapis' pain and anger had vanished and were replaced with hurt and regret. "CUL . . ." she whispered. Of course CUL was right, Lapis was weak, but what CUL had meant was weak in body, not in mind or spirit. CUL had once told Lapis that Lapis was the strongest and most determined girl CUL knew. Lapis turned around to see if the red head was behind her, but there was no sign of CUL. "CUL," she silently cried, "I'm sorry."
"I'm sorry."
"I'm sorry."
"I'm sorry."
Tears streamed down Lapis' face as she continued to cry in the rain. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry." The monster carried on with it's destructive pattern while Lapis continued her unheard apologies. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry."
"Yeah, yeah. I forgive ya."
Lapis lifted her face off the wet concrete in order to see the owner of the voice.
Before Lapis was a tall girl dressed in a red dress with a short front and long back, thigh high black boots with two inch heels, black fingerless gloves, and a silver staff with a flame immune to the rain burning on the top. Her red hair was tied into a high ponytail and her mathing eyes stared at Lapis.
"CUL . . ." Lapis said quietly.
Said girl gave her signature smirk. "Well duh. Who were you expecting? The tooth fairy?"
"CUL!" Lapis shouted as she pushed herself up and tackled CUL with a hug. "I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry."
"Hey, just forget about it," CUL said. "We got a frog to fry."
"Frog?" Lapis broke the hug and gave CUL a strange look. "I think the phrase is 'fish to fry.'"
"No," CUL shook her head. "I mean we literally have a frog to fry. That ugly monster over there is a amphibian."
Lapis nearly slapped herself. So that's why her water attacks didn't work. "How the heck are we supposed to-" Lapis started but immediately got an idea. "That's it!"
"What's it?" CUL asked.
Lapis smirked. "I use my water powers to keep the rain from falling on the monster while you burn it."
"SLAP," CUL said, her quick way of saying "Sounds like a plan."
No words were needed to be exchanged in order for the girls to know how the plan would work. They had been working together long enough to know how to handle monsters without having to discuss a plan through. It was almost as if they could read the other's mind.
After Lapis had climbed the highest building she could find, she began to use her magical abilities in order to create a shield to stop the rain from landing on the monster. It took much effort, but Lapis eventually succeeded.
"Now!" Lapis shouted to the red head below her.
"You got it!" CUL responded. To the monster she said, "How do you want to be prepared? Rare, medium, or well done?" CUL set the whole creature ablaze, burning it alive. "Burn, baby, burn!" she said while the flame surrounded the creature. As it was an amphibian, it didn't take long for the monster to dry out and die, but CUL burned it to ashes for good measure.
When the job was done Lapis ran from the top of the building and ran until she stopped in front of CUL. CUL tilted her head to the side as she closed her eyes and smiled her usual smirk. "I bet now you're glad I came to save your butt, huh?" Tears burned Lapis' eyes, and the small girl attacked CUL with a tight hug. "Not a hugger," CUL said, annoyed, but pat Lapis on the head anyway.
"I'm so sorry, CUL," Lapis quietly sobbed. "I shouldn't have said all those mean and awful things. I'm sorry."
"It's okay," CUL said as she peeled off Lapis and looked the girl in her blue eyes. "You were hurt and angry, so of course you said stupid things you didn't mean. You obviously regret it, so why worry about it even after I said I forgive you?"
"I just felt so bad for saying the things I said," Lapis said as she tried to not look down at her feet as she usually did. "You didn't deserve it, but I acted the way I did anyway."
"That's all water under the bridge now," CUL said as she placed a hand on Lapis' shoulder and gave her a reasurring squeeze.
"You didn't even yell at me," Lapis observed, "or slap me back."
CUL dramatically rolled her eyes. "Just because I have red hair and control fire does NOT mean that I have a bad temper." That was true enough. CUL and Lapis' friend Rin was a blonde with the ability to control electricity, and Rin's temper was so bad that she nearly electrocuted Miku, her earth controlling best friend, on a daily basis. "Besides, I also said things I shouldn't have. Let's just agree to forget this whole thing even happened, okay?
Lapis smiled through her tears. "Okay," she answered with a smile. It was good to have her best friend back.