Crystal Tears
----------------
"Mia! Tell us a story!" The young boy chirped.
"A story?" Mia asked hesitantly.
"Yeah! A story!" The girl agreed. "If you don't tell us, we won't go to sleep!"
Mia had tucked her two pupils in bed. Though they were her pupils, they were also but children of 10 and 11 years of age, and acted like it when they were not performing their duties.
"Well... okay..." Mia agreed. She searched her mind for a story, but could find nothing suitable for a bedtime story. Then she remembered a story she had longed to tell someone.
"Okay, this is a story about two girls and a boy."
"Is it a love story? I hate love stories!" The boy complained.
"Oh, be quiet and listen!" Mia scolded him gently.
*****
"Isaac!" a voice called out to the young Earth Adept.
Isaac looked up from his work, and saw a young female fire adept running towards him.
"Oh, hey, Jenna." Isaac greeted, finishing what was left of his work. Isaac was wearing a white sleeveless shirt and black long pants. He wiped the sweat from his brow as he stood up.
"What are you doing?" Jenna asked. She was wearing a small, pink tank top and red shorts. Her clothing was particularly revealing, but Isaac took no notice, to Jenna's dismay.
"Oh, finishing the foundation for my new house." Isaac replied. "It's been a while since we constructed New Vale... I think it was about time I started standing on my own two feet. I can't have my mom cook for me all the time, you know."
Isaac smiled jokingly.
"The way you cook, you'll die of malnourishment within a week." Jenna declared.
"Hey, that's not fair! My cooking isn't that bad."
"Yeah it is. Remember when Garet tried your cream potatoes last week?"
"So he lost a few teeth. Big deal." Isaac sighed.
Jenna laughed.
"So, what did you need?" Isaac asked as he started to walk away. Jenna ran to catch up with him.
"Um, there's a carnival coming next fortnight..." Jenna began.
"Yeah... so?"
Jenna became somewhat angry at Isaac. No matter how much someone hinted at Isaac, he would never actually take a hint.
"Well, I was wondering if you'd..."
"Isaac!" a familiar voice called out, interrupting the two from their conversation. Isaac and Jenna turned around, and saw the young water adept run to them.
Mia leaned over, her hands on her knees, gasping for breath.
"Uh, are you all right?" Isaac asked.
"Ye... yeah!" Mia struggled. Mia looked at Isaac and Jenna. "Um... did I come at a bad time?"
"N, no! Of course not!" Jenna tried to hide her disappointment from Mia and Isaac. She decided to change the subject before either of them was able to see what she was thinking.
"Uh, Mia? Why are you still wearing that dress? I'm surprised you haven't died of heat stroke yet."
"Huh? This?" Mia asked, fingering the fabric of her skirt.
"Yeah... it's hotter than Sol out here and you're wearing a thick, one piece dress. This isn't Imil, you know."
"Oh, well..."
"Come on, let's go to my house. I'll lend you some of my clothes there."
Jenna began walking back to her house, and Mia followed her closely. Isaac wandered after them, but was quickly stopped by Jenna.
"What do you think you're doing, Isaac?" Jenna asked.
"Huh?"
"Are you going to watch Mia and I change or something?"
Isaac blushed, shook his head quickly, and gave a random excuse.
"I'm uh, just going to go finish my work now." Then he left.
Mia and Jenna quickly made their way to Jenna's house, and was greeted by Jenna's parents.
"Hello Mia!" Jenna's mother greeted.
"Hi..." Mia returned, and smiled.
"Why are you here today? I would have tidied up if I'd known you were coming."
"She's just here to borrow some of my clothes, mom." Jenna explained.
"Oh, I see. That's good, you'll get heat stroke if you wander around outside too long with that dress on." Jenna's mother smiled.
"That's exactly what I told her." Jenna agreed, and dragged Mia into her room.
"Hey, wait, Jenna!"
Jenna closed the door behind her, and soon came the click of her lock as it slid into place.
*****
"So, how about this?" Jenna asked. She held up a blue tank top.
"Um... isn't it a little small?" Mia asked.
"You won't know until you try it on!" Jenna said. Mia fidgeted a little.
"Oh stop fidgeting!" Jenna exclaimed, and pulled off Mia's undergarment.
"Um, don't I need undergarments?"
"Not when you're wearing this." Jenna shoved the tank top into Mia's arms.
"Try it on now!" Jenna ordered. Mia slowly tried on the blue tank top, paying careful attention not to accidentally stretch it too much.
"No, not like that!" Jenna sighed as Mia became tangled in the small shirt. Jenna quickly pulled down the tank top onto Mia, who strung her arms through the sides.
"There, see?" Jenna said. "It's a perfect match!"
"I don't know... it's a little small. I feel a little... squished." Mia said, her hands resting on her breasts.
"Oh, they're supposed to be like that." Jenna sighed. "How much of a cultural doofus can you be, Mia? Agh, next we have the shorts."
Jenna held out a pair of blue shorts.
"Can't I just wear a skirt?"
"No, these go with the tank top. Put them on!" Jenna was exasperated.
"Okay..."
While Mia tried on the shorts that Jenna gave her, Jenna decided to ask her the question she'd been meaning to ask.
"Mia?"
"Um, yes?" Mia was still struggling with the shorts.
"What do you think of Isaac?"
"Huh?" Came a confused reply. Mia finished buttoning her shorts, then sat down on Jenna's bed.
"I mean, what is Isaac like to you?"
"Well, he's a really nice person. And he's ever so brave."
"No, not his traits!" Jenna said. "Geez... I mean, what do you think of him? Do you like him? Love him? Is he an older brother or something?"
"Well..." Mia hesitated. Jenna sat down next to Mia.
"Come on, tell me!" Jenna insisted.
"Well, I really like him... but not as a big brother..."
"I see..." Jenna whispered.
"I... want to ask him to take me to the carnival that's coming soon... do you think he'll take me?" Mia asked.
Jenna turned suddenly to Mia. Apparently, she looked surprised, because Mia asked her something directly after.
"Um, Jenna, did I say something wrong?"
"Huh? No, no... I mean, I don't know. You should ask Isaac."
*****
Jenna sat on her bed, her back leaning against the pillow on her bed.
*Am I stupid?* Jenna thought to herself, and laughed bitterly.
*Isaac and Mia can be happy together... if they're happy... that's good enough for me.* Jenna tried to convince herself.
*Stop kidding yourself. You know you like Isaac more than anyone else... why aren't you doing anything?*
*I don't know...*
*I really don't know...*
*****
Isaac and Mia walked to New Vale together, after the carnival. Mia took Isaac's arm in hers, and walked close to him. Isaac had remained silent almost the whole time, but Mia had no idea why. When they had reached Isaac's house, Isaac was about to go in, until Mia stopped him.
"Um... Isaac?"
"Yes?"
"I... really had a good time today..."
"I'm glad..."
"Isaac..."
Mia reached up to Isaac, and hugged him. She let her own lips touch his in a kiss, and Isaac wrapped his arms around her waist. The kiss lasted for about a minute, and then Isaac realized what he was doing. He broke the kiss suddenly, and took a step back.
"Isaac...?"
"I...I'm sorry, Mia..." Isaac whispered. "I... don't love you like that..."
"But... but..." Mia tried to say something, but she didn't know what she could say.
"Mia... the whole reason I went on the quest two years ago was to rescue Jenna. There wasn't any other reason. Not for Weyard or Vale, or anything. I just wanted to save Jenna... do you understand?"
"Isaac..."
"I'm sorry, Mia... I... I'm in love with Jenna. I... I'm sorry." Isaac walked slowly into his house, and closed the door behind him.
*Tomorrow...* He thought. *Tomorrow... I'll tell her.*
Mia stood in front of Isaac's house, speechless. She was hurt, but no tears would come. After a long time, she walked away. Away from Vale. Away from Jenna. Away from Isaac. A single tear fell from her face, and scattered into the winds, shining in the moonlight, like a glittering crystal, blinking as bright as the stars in the sky.
*****
"I don't like that story very much, Mia..." The boy said. "It's too sad."
"That's how it's supposed to be." The young girl said. "The boy can only choose one girl. The other girl will be alone. That's what makes it so sad..."
A single tear fell from Mia's eye. She quickly wiped away the tear, before the children could see it.
"I wish it didn't end so sad, Mia." The boy said.
"Yeah, me too."
"I know." Mia whispered.
~END~
----------------
"Mia! Tell us a story!" The young boy chirped.
"A story?" Mia asked hesitantly.
"Yeah! A story!" The girl agreed. "If you don't tell us, we won't go to sleep!"
Mia had tucked her two pupils in bed. Though they were her pupils, they were also but children of 10 and 11 years of age, and acted like it when they were not performing their duties.
"Well... okay..." Mia agreed. She searched her mind for a story, but could find nothing suitable for a bedtime story. Then she remembered a story she had longed to tell someone.
"Okay, this is a story about two girls and a boy."
"Is it a love story? I hate love stories!" The boy complained.
"Oh, be quiet and listen!" Mia scolded him gently.
*****
"Isaac!" a voice called out to the young Earth Adept.
Isaac looked up from his work, and saw a young female fire adept running towards him.
"Oh, hey, Jenna." Isaac greeted, finishing what was left of his work. Isaac was wearing a white sleeveless shirt and black long pants. He wiped the sweat from his brow as he stood up.
"What are you doing?" Jenna asked. She was wearing a small, pink tank top and red shorts. Her clothing was particularly revealing, but Isaac took no notice, to Jenna's dismay.
"Oh, finishing the foundation for my new house." Isaac replied. "It's been a while since we constructed New Vale... I think it was about time I started standing on my own two feet. I can't have my mom cook for me all the time, you know."
Isaac smiled jokingly.
"The way you cook, you'll die of malnourishment within a week." Jenna declared.
"Hey, that's not fair! My cooking isn't that bad."
"Yeah it is. Remember when Garet tried your cream potatoes last week?"
"So he lost a few teeth. Big deal." Isaac sighed.
Jenna laughed.
"So, what did you need?" Isaac asked as he started to walk away. Jenna ran to catch up with him.
"Um, there's a carnival coming next fortnight..." Jenna began.
"Yeah... so?"
Jenna became somewhat angry at Isaac. No matter how much someone hinted at Isaac, he would never actually take a hint.
"Well, I was wondering if you'd..."
"Isaac!" a familiar voice called out, interrupting the two from their conversation. Isaac and Jenna turned around, and saw the young water adept run to them.
Mia leaned over, her hands on her knees, gasping for breath.
"Uh, are you all right?" Isaac asked.
"Ye... yeah!" Mia struggled. Mia looked at Isaac and Jenna. "Um... did I come at a bad time?"
"N, no! Of course not!" Jenna tried to hide her disappointment from Mia and Isaac. She decided to change the subject before either of them was able to see what she was thinking.
"Uh, Mia? Why are you still wearing that dress? I'm surprised you haven't died of heat stroke yet."
"Huh? This?" Mia asked, fingering the fabric of her skirt.
"Yeah... it's hotter than Sol out here and you're wearing a thick, one piece dress. This isn't Imil, you know."
"Oh, well..."
"Come on, let's go to my house. I'll lend you some of my clothes there."
Jenna began walking back to her house, and Mia followed her closely. Isaac wandered after them, but was quickly stopped by Jenna.
"What do you think you're doing, Isaac?" Jenna asked.
"Huh?"
"Are you going to watch Mia and I change or something?"
Isaac blushed, shook his head quickly, and gave a random excuse.
"I'm uh, just going to go finish my work now." Then he left.
Mia and Jenna quickly made their way to Jenna's house, and was greeted by Jenna's parents.
"Hello Mia!" Jenna's mother greeted.
"Hi..." Mia returned, and smiled.
"Why are you here today? I would have tidied up if I'd known you were coming."
"She's just here to borrow some of my clothes, mom." Jenna explained.
"Oh, I see. That's good, you'll get heat stroke if you wander around outside too long with that dress on." Jenna's mother smiled.
"That's exactly what I told her." Jenna agreed, and dragged Mia into her room.
"Hey, wait, Jenna!"
Jenna closed the door behind her, and soon came the click of her lock as it slid into place.
*****
"So, how about this?" Jenna asked. She held up a blue tank top.
"Um... isn't it a little small?" Mia asked.
"You won't know until you try it on!" Jenna said. Mia fidgeted a little.
"Oh stop fidgeting!" Jenna exclaimed, and pulled off Mia's undergarment.
"Um, don't I need undergarments?"
"Not when you're wearing this." Jenna shoved the tank top into Mia's arms.
"Try it on now!" Jenna ordered. Mia slowly tried on the blue tank top, paying careful attention not to accidentally stretch it too much.
"No, not like that!" Jenna sighed as Mia became tangled in the small shirt. Jenna quickly pulled down the tank top onto Mia, who strung her arms through the sides.
"There, see?" Jenna said. "It's a perfect match!"
"I don't know... it's a little small. I feel a little... squished." Mia said, her hands resting on her breasts.
"Oh, they're supposed to be like that." Jenna sighed. "How much of a cultural doofus can you be, Mia? Agh, next we have the shorts."
Jenna held out a pair of blue shorts.
"Can't I just wear a skirt?"
"No, these go with the tank top. Put them on!" Jenna was exasperated.
"Okay..."
While Mia tried on the shorts that Jenna gave her, Jenna decided to ask her the question she'd been meaning to ask.
"Mia?"
"Um, yes?" Mia was still struggling with the shorts.
"What do you think of Isaac?"
"Huh?" Came a confused reply. Mia finished buttoning her shorts, then sat down on Jenna's bed.
"I mean, what is Isaac like to you?"
"Well, he's a really nice person. And he's ever so brave."
"No, not his traits!" Jenna said. "Geez... I mean, what do you think of him? Do you like him? Love him? Is he an older brother or something?"
"Well..." Mia hesitated. Jenna sat down next to Mia.
"Come on, tell me!" Jenna insisted.
"Well, I really like him... but not as a big brother..."
"I see..." Jenna whispered.
"I... want to ask him to take me to the carnival that's coming soon... do you think he'll take me?" Mia asked.
Jenna turned suddenly to Mia. Apparently, she looked surprised, because Mia asked her something directly after.
"Um, Jenna, did I say something wrong?"
"Huh? No, no... I mean, I don't know. You should ask Isaac."
*****
Jenna sat on her bed, her back leaning against the pillow on her bed.
*Am I stupid?* Jenna thought to herself, and laughed bitterly.
*Isaac and Mia can be happy together... if they're happy... that's good enough for me.* Jenna tried to convince herself.
*Stop kidding yourself. You know you like Isaac more than anyone else... why aren't you doing anything?*
*I don't know...*
*I really don't know...*
*****
Isaac and Mia walked to New Vale together, after the carnival. Mia took Isaac's arm in hers, and walked close to him. Isaac had remained silent almost the whole time, but Mia had no idea why. When they had reached Isaac's house, Isaac was about to go in, until Mia stopped him.
"Um... Isaac?"
"Yes?"
"I... really had a good time today..."
"I'm glad..."
"Isaac..."
Mia reached up to Isaac, and hugged him. She let her own lips touch his in a kiss, and Isaac wrapped his arms around her waist. The kiss lasted for about a minute, and then Isaac realized what he was doing. He broke the kiss suddenly, and took a step back.
"Isaac...?"
"I...I'm sorry, Mia..." Isaac whispered. "I... don't love you like that..."
"But... but..." Mia tried to say something, but she didn't know what she could say.
"Mia... the whole reason I went on the quest two years ago was to rescue Jenna. There wasn't any other reason. Not for Weyard or Vale, or anything. I just wanted to save Jenna... do you understand?"
"Isaac..."
"I'm sorry, Mia... I... I'm in love with Jenna. I... I'm sorry." Isaac walked slowly into his house, and closed the door behind him.
*Tomorrow...* He thought. *Tomorrow... I'll tell her.*
Mia stood in front of Isaac's house, speechless. She was hurt, but no tears would come. After a long time, she walked away. Away from Vale. Away from Jenna. Away from Isaac. A single tear fell from her face, and scattered into the winds, shining in the moonlight, like a glittering crystal, blinking as bright as the stars in the sky.
*****
"I don't like that story very much, Mia..." The boy said. "It's too sad."
"That's how it's supposed to be." The young girl said. "The boy can only choose one girl. The other girl will be alone. That's what makes it so sad..."
A single tear fell from Mia's eye. She quickly wiped away the tear, before the children could see it.
"I wish it didn't end so sad, Mia." The boy said.
"Yeah, me too."
"I know." Mia whispered.
~END~