Disclaimer: I do not own these characters and I do not wish to make profit from writing this story.

Author's Note: This is my first fanfic for the anime "The Gargoyle of the Yoshinagas" which is also called "Yoshinaga-san'chi no Gargoyle." I wrote this fanfic for the 31Days community on livejournal. Also, I wanted to write a fanfic for this series for a long time because I don't think this great series gets enough love and attention as it should.

"Sunrise"

Futaba yawned as she climbed the stairs, clutching the camera in her hands. Every fibre of her being was telling her it was too early to be up and she should go back to her warm bed and sleep. As much as she wished to comply to her body's wishes, the weight of her school grade kept her feet moving. Futaba yawned again as she reached the top platform of her house.

The sun was just starting to rise over the far hills. Shades of pink and yellow began to stretch across the sky. She leaned her elbows against the railing and got her camera ready. "I'm going to take the photo and go back to bed."

"What are you doing, Futaba?"

With a loud yelp, Futaba nearly dropped the camera. She spun around and found Gargoyle sitting behind her. "Dammit! You stupid piece of rock, don't scare me like that!"

Futaba could never understand why the stone guardian couldn't just warn people before he appeared out of nowhere like that. Didn't it ever cross his mind that might be hard on people's nerves? Then again, Futaba was certain that common sense was the one trait Gargoyle was lacking.

"I apologize," Gargoyle replied. "But I find it odd for you to be on the roof this early. Normally, you sleep in until the last minute and then Kazumi has to force you out of bed."

Futaba grumbled. "Some of us happen to like sleeping." She turned around and got her camera ready again. "I'm just taking a picture of the sunrise."

"What for?"

"School." Futaba checked the lens. "It's for art class. The teacher wanted us to take a photo of a natural setting and then try painting a picture of it. So, I thought I take a photo of the sunrise."

"I see," Gargoyle replied. "However, would it not have been easier to take a photo of trees or flowers."

Futaba rolled her eyes. "Everybody's going to be doing that. I wanted to do something different."

"Hmm...I see." Futaba thought Gargoyle sounded a bit impressed. "I did not realize that you could be creative."

"For your information, art is one of my better classes."

"Unlike math, which I believe you are failing?"

"Shut up." The tip of the sun began to appear. Futaba took the first shot. She figured it was better to take a few photos and then pick which one would be the best to use. The sun rose higher into the sky. The land was covered in pinks, purples and yellows as if someone had taken a giant brush and repainted them. "Sunrises sure make things colourful," Futaba muttered.

"Indeed," Garoyle replied, who was now sitting beside Futaba. "I must admit, watching the sunrise is one of my favorite times of the day."

A question suddenly popped into Futaba's mind. "Hey Gargoyle, don't you ever sleep?"

"Of course not," Gargoyle instantly answered. "As a gatekeeper, it is my duty to always be on guard and attack any approaching intruders. Sleep is not required for me to function properly like for you humans."

The girl figured that would be his answer, though it did make Futaba wonder. What was it like to never need sleep? If Gargoyle never sleeps does that mean he never feels tired? Also, if he doesn't sleep does that mean he never gets the chance to dream? Futaba found it hard to imagine living without dreams. They were her favorite part about sleeping.

"Something wrong, Futaba?"

"Nothing, just thinking." Futaba took a few more shots. Both of them watched the sky in silence. It really was an odd time of day. The only sounds they could hear were a few birds chirping. Futaba found that it gave her a very peaceful feeling. Eventually, the colours slowly began to fade away and the sky returned to its regular shade of blue. Once her camera was full, Futaba stretched and yawned. "Well, glad I got that done. I'm going back to bed until it's time for me to get up for school."

"Very well. I hope your photos turn out well."

Futaba went down the first step, then she stopped. "You know." A part of her couldn't believe she was saying this. "If you want, maybe every now and again, you and I could watch the sunrise together."

"I would advise against that," Gargoyle replied. "If you get up at this hour too often, it will only cause you to fall asleep in class. I doubt Mama-dono would be happy about that."

Futaba shook her head. "Well, if you're..."

"However...it should not be a problem if you only did once it a while. I would not mind having company to watch with."

Futaba grinned. "I may take you up on that offer." She climbed back down the stairs as Gargoyle returned to his post. He may now have another reason to enjoy watching the sun rise.