Yep. Another one shot. Keep in mind, I have all the manga, not any anime, so I am going only by manga details. Also, as to the castle position, who says that it is not by the ocean? I want it to be by the ocean, and I have Supreme Authoring Power! *waves keyboard about.* Umi is a bit angsty at first, but I can't stand writing sad stories (I can read them relentlessly... as long as there is humor/a happy ending), but I prefer humor and 'romance.' This fic took an odd direction when I was first writing it... Very odd, but I managed to pull it back to it's planned course *cracks whip.* You know, writing longer stories would be so easy if people were more open to original characters (as in, becoming a main character...). I have a very odd Batman Beyond/CCS crossover partly written, but I doubt many people would understand Sachiko's inner thoughts (she is based almost entirely off of myself. Scary). Enough rambling and on to the fic!
The Time Is Right
A Rayearth one shot by: Silly*Niecy
Umi stared out towards the ocean from her balcony. Her deep blue eyes took in the moonlight reflecting from the crests of the waves. Smiling, she looked along the row where grass meadows met the sand. What seemed like all the fireflies in the world were glittering all along the coast, giving her a private light show. She jumped slightly when a small, furry head butted against her leg. Looking down, she realized it was only Asoure, one of Ascots friends.
Asoure was an odd cross between a dog, a cat, and a bird of prey. She had fierce osprey's eyes, a beak, wings, a dog's body, and a cats small ears and sharp, retractable claws. Umi knelt down to pet her. Asoure had become a wonderful companion in the time Umi had been at the castle. Sometimes seeing the little creature made her sad, because she reminded her of what she did not, probably could not, have.
"C'mere you," she said softly, and picked Asoure. Asoure was tiny, hardly larger then a terrier dog. It was easy to hold the animal in her lap, as long as she was careful not to disturb her wings. Umi climbed up onto the foot and a half thick railing of her balcony rail and leaned her back against the wall.
"So, why did you search me out? You usually only come find me when I am thinking troubling thoughts. Was I tonight? I was looking at the fireflies, aren't they pretty..." Umi fell silent watching the fireflies blinking in the darkness.
Umi smiled softly at the night. Night was her favorite time. She especially loved walking along the beach at night, but today she had felt like sitting out on her high balcony and simply watching the ocean. Her eyes traveled upwards to the third quarter moon, which would be full in a few nights. She sighed and started petting Asoure again. Asoure started purring, an odd mixture of a keening osprey's cry, a cat purr, and a dog's low growl.
"Well, it is all your fault I'm starting to get all dejected," Umi scolded the creature gently. "If you hadn't have come, I might not have started thinking about... him..." Her voice faded out again. Asoure purred louder and started kneading Umi's arm, thankfully with her claws sheathed. "I was not really upset with you," Umi admitted. "Just, some things would be easier if I didn't have those feelings."
Umi reflected on 'those feelings.' They were towards Ascot. She didn't understand them at all. She supposed she must be in love with him, but she had never been in love before, so how would she be able to tell? Whenever she was near him, she wanted to make him smile and laugh. She wanted to reach out and touch his hand, his shoulder, his neck. Half the time she felt as if she wouldn't be able to resist, and the other half she was terribly afraid of what might happen.
Umi had seen people in love before. Her parents, for example. They were so in love they looked like they were sharing their own fairy tale. It was gratifying, to know she had been born of such great love, and was therefore very loved herself, and very capable of love. She wanted to love someone, very badly, but she didn't really know how. She certainly couldn't act like her mom; she was a little more serious and reserved.
She saw Fuu and Ferio in love, every day. She saw Hikaru and Lantis in love, Caldina and Lafarga in love.
She saw people in love whose love was not returned the way it was wanted. Eagle loved Hikaru, but to save her trouble, had not gone after her so she could have an untroubled love with Lantis. She saw little Sang Yung in love with Lady Aska, but she was the princess, and he was a servant and a trusted advisor, nothing more. Both knew he could be nothing more. Umi hadn't quite been able to figure out what Lady Aska had felt for the chibi-faced boy yet. She thought she saw Presea in love, but she didn't know who she was in love with. She had all the symptoms of it, but not around anyone in particular. Maybe the person wasn't at the palace. She couldn't tell anything about Guru Clef. She also had trouble with the Princesses Tatra and Tarta. She thought Tatra, the eldest, might have a thing for Eagle, but, once again, wasn't sure.
"So..." she murmured, setting Asoure beside her on the rail and drawing her knees to her chest so she could hug them. "Am I really in love with him? Is there any chance he might love me? Do you know, Asoure?" She asked despondently. "I suppose not. But perhaps he confides in his friends as I do. I sometimes find it easier to talk to you then to Hikaru and Fuu. Maybe I'm trying to spare myself the bit of pain that comes when I see them that way." Umi rested her head against her knees. Her long hair fell down over her shoulders and made a light blue, silky curtain around her face.
"Would my loving him ruin our relationship? We still have so much fun together. He seems to like it when I bake things for him and his friends. I should say 'our friends,' but they were his first, ne? Ah, love is an odd thing. You know, Asoure, I think I do love him," Umi declared suddenly. "I will have to tell him. Tomorrow. As soon as I see him." Doubts started to creep upon her conviction, "but what if... what if he doesn't love me. Ah, Ascot, do you realize the inner turmoil you are causing? Why do I love you? When I first met you, you seemed to be but a child. Now I see you, and... And. And I love you. I wish you loved me too..."
"Umi," a gentle voice called.
"YEEK!" Umi screeched, jumping to stand on floor of her balcony to land in a street fighters crouch, one hand clutching a drawn boot knife. "Who is there?" She asked, her voice deadly.
"Umi, it's me." Ascot stepped into her vision towering over her while she crouched on the ground. Umi's beautiful blue eyes widened, and her face paled several shades. She threw herself backwards into the rail, dropping her knife in her efforts to back away from him. She appeared to be speechless, as her mouth was opening and closing, but only soft, distressed sound issued forth. "Umi, I, uh, heard you."
Umi's eyes widened even more and she managed to gasp out "how much?"
Ascot started blushing, "I got to your door shortly after Asoure arrived. I heard you talking to her, and didn't want to disturb you. I was starting to leave when you mentioned 'him.' I couldn't leave."
"Oh," was the only sound that escaped Umi's lips. Ascot walked forward slightly so he stood in front of the Water Knight, and knelt down in front of her. She pressed herself against the wall, as far away from him as she could get. He pushed his long, red-brown bangs out of his face and looked at her with gentle eyes.
"Umi," was all he said. Umi tried to scoot away. "Umi," he said, with more force. She jumped, frightened for some reason. Ascot shook his head at her and grabbed her wrists. "Listen to me! Stop trying to leave when listening to you talk to Asoure gave me the courage to tell you what I've wanted to tell you for years." Umi stopped trying to move away. "Umi, I love you."
Umi gasped, covering her mouth with her hand. Ascot still had his grip on her wrists. Tears started leaking from her eyes, and she tried to move her hands to cover her whole face, but Ascot gently pulled her towards him. Loosing control, Umi threw herself at him, letting the torrent of confused emotions pour out of her. Ascot was finally able to do one of the things he had wanted to do for so long: he wrapped his arms around her in a tight embrace. Smiling, he ran his fingers through her silky hair and made comforting noises.
"I'm so sorry, Ascot," she mumbled into his wet tunic, drying her eyes with the back of her hand.
"Sorry for what?"
"For getting your shirt all messy. For never being able to decide how I felt. For not noticing," her voice dropped to a whisper.
He laughed softly into her hair, "that's all right. I'm sorry I never had the courage to tell you."
"Well then," Umi started, pushing strands of hair behind her ears, "how would you like to go on a walk with me?"
"Where to?" Ascot asked.
"The ocean, of course! I'll race you!" With that, Umi leapt up, and ran for the door, a laughing Ascot right behind her. The beach was not very far from the castle, and Umi had gotten a room as close to it as possible. Shortly, they were sitting breathless in the sand, pulling off shoes, socks, and, in Ascot's case, rolling up pant legs. They splashed each other in the shallows, flinging water about and laughing loudly. When they finished their water fight, they waded, drenched, back to the shore and their socks and shoes.
"That was fun," Umi panted, pushing back her sopping hair.
"Yes it was, very good exercise as well," Ascot commented with a smile.
"So, are we dating now?" Umi asked, lying back to look up at the stars. She was surprised she wasn't blushing.
"I suppose so. Won't everyone be surprised?"
Thinking back on the way everyone behaved when the two of them were together, she scowled slightly, "no doubt they have been expecting it for a while. It seems that no matter what, the only ones that don't see that the one they love loves them back are the ones in love... Did that make sense?"
"I think so," Ascot smiled. "Umi, I love you."
"I love you too, Ascot." They left words at that, and held hands as they looked into the bright stars above them.
I'm glad that worked! Asoure said in mind speech to her friend Barach. He nodded his lupine head emphatically.
Ascot's friends were even better at seeing human emotion than humans. Despite their appearances, they were a very civilized lot, but not many people could get past their looks. Tired of seeing their two best friends struggle with their newfound feelings, they had decided to try to get the two in a situation where everything would come together.
Tonight had been the night; everyone had felt in their innermost hearts that everything was perfect for Ascot and Umi to come together.
Barach's lips pulled back in an odd imitation of a smile. His feline tail swished in content. Who shall we put together next? He asked.
Asoure clicked her beak thoughtfully. Well... I was thinking maybe Eagle and Tatra? If there is not love, there is definitely the potential for a wonderful and everlasting friendship. Maybe we can cheer him up. He was happy to give way to Lantis for Hikaru, but he deserves happiness as well.
Sounds excellent, Barach murmured in her mind. She had the impressing of him rubbing his paws together, much like a human would, in anticipation.
I swear, you are a more eager matchmaker than most women! Asoure laughed.
Barach yawned and gave her a mental shrug. I think it is time for bed, don't you? He asked. She nodded in ascent, and the two alighted from the rail of Umi's balcony and soared to the garden they shared with the smaller of their friends, and told the good news. The creatures were all happy, they felt the rightness in Ascot and Umi through strings attached to their hearts. They would always be there to look out for their human friends.
*Owari*
I like the idea of the creatures being highly intelligent. I don't se a reason why they can't be, do you? Thought not. I kinda randomly thought up this ending, I was a bit stuck, and it started flowing out. Maybe if I write more one shots... they will have to be in them too. Heh heh. Ah well, I hope you enjoyed it!
Sayonara for now,
Silly*Niecy
--May the Shovels of Insanity go with you...