Never Let Me Go
By Slothy Astronaut
Chapter I: It's Time
It was a strange thing, their first official meeting. Rather awkward, in fact, to meet someone so fascinating in such a place as this. Kanaya had never been to the beach before, and it was both exhilarating and terrifying. The salty air was refreshing, and the sun's warmth was a welcome feeling, but watching the waves crash against the shore gave her chills. She turned, walking up a sandy hill, her sandals allowing the sand to brush past her feet. Reaching the top of the hill, she turned in every direction, trying to spot the person she was looking to meet. Kanaya scanned the beach for a few minutes, and then sighed, sitting down on top of the dune. Well, she was a bit early, she thought. She adjusted her wide-brimmed hat so that it covered her face, and brushed a little sand off the front of her skirt. She slowly began to doze off, the warmth of the sand and sun working its magic.
The sound of large amounts of sand shifting awoke her with a start, and she looked around quickly. She saw nobody on the dune, and looking up at the sun noticed it had only moved a short way across the sky. She must've just moved in her sleep, she thought. Kanaya got to her feet slowly, brushing the sand off of her skirt where she had sat in the sand. She turned around, and then saw the real source of the noise.
She saw a long furrow through the sand, as if someone had climbed the hill, then slipped and slid back down to the bottom. Looking at the bottom of the hill confirmed this theory. Rose Lalonde was sprawled out in the sand at the bottom of the dune. Kanaya hurried down the dune, careful not to fall herself. When she reached the bottom, she kneeled by Rose.
"Rose? Are you alright?" she asked, even as Rose opened her eyes and sat up.
Rose looked over at Kanaya with a face that Kanaya could only interpret as embarrassment.
"Yes, I'm fine, thanks. Just slipped is all," she said as she started to get up, shaking the sand off of herself as she did so.
Kanaya stood up too, with an amused look on her face.
"Well then, it's uh, a pleasure finally meeting you in person," she said slowly.
Rose nodded, with a little smile.
"Likewise. Are we still taking that cruise?" Rose asked.
Kanaya smiled, reaching into her bag and pulling out two tickets. Before their meeting, Rose had suggested Kanaya find some trip for them to go on, something to help them bond. Neither of them had ever taken a cruise before, so Kanaya figured it would be an interesting idea, and Rose agreed readily.
"Our bags are already aboard, but I decided to wait here for you instead of at the harbor. I'd never been to the beach before."
Rose was surprised. "Really? Well, we'll have to come back after the cruise."
Kanaya checked her wristwatch. Half past four, she observed. They had only an hour to get to the harbor and the ship.
"Rose, the ship leaves in an hour. Shall we go?" she asked.
Rose nodded. "Sure, I'm ready if you are."
And with that, they headed for the harbor.