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Umi's POV:
I giggled while speeding forward, my beautiful scales reflecting off the orange sunset.
"P-please, wa...it for... me!" Ai panted, unable to keep up with my speed.
"You were the one who told me to hurry up for the ball," I teased.
Ai irritably muttered, "For a princess, you're a bit immature."
I swam around her while playfully replying, "You know... Life's no fun if you're always serious."
Ai giggled and used this as an opportunity to speed forward.
"Oh, now you've done it!" I teasingly replied as I sped forward, catching up to her.
We both reached the ball, Ai swam over to get some food leaving me alone. I didn't really want her to leave me alone as I knew that-
"Hello there Princess!" a loud voice echoed. Armik.
"What do you want this time?" I hissed with disdain.
"Only you, Umi. You know that I, the great Armik, would give up anything for you," Armik arrogantly smirked, his arrogance quite obvious in his tone and eyes.
He was a Milotic, too, but he was such an arrogant brat, he took great pride in his appearance even though he knew he was once a Feebas.
I yelled back, "NEVER! I shall NEVER believe your lies!" And with that, I darted out of the ball.
Armik, however, furiously yelled to no-one in particular, "I have EVERYTHING! Looks, power, wealth... What does it take to win the foolish princess's heart?"
Yeah, I thought, you only put up your "nice-guy" act to my parents. I can't believe they fell for it when you are such a disgrace to me. You have no hope of winning my heart! I know you are just an arrogant jerk!
I darted out to the open ocean. I flitted around for a secluded spot. I found a coral bed and decided to settle down. I lay down at the coral bad and caressed my hair and antennae with my tail. I was busily twirling my antennae when I heard laughter. I swam about and apparently ended up in a secluded spot, in front of me was a... Gyarados?
His eyes had some sort of kindness to it, but as if dazed, he staggered backwards and glared with much more ferocity, only to soften it in the end.
I, however, was terrified and couldn't move.
"W-who a-are you? W-why are y-you h-here?" I managed to ask, it was hard getting the words out as I was terrified.
Upon hearing the question, the Gyarados seemed scared... Odd, how they're supposed to be aggressive.
He slowly replied, "I'm so sorry! I was just playing with my friend-" he looked around and saw no-one. "Kip, h-help!" he cried out upon realizing his friend was not there.
He's... Afraid of me? I thought, That's strange... He's not like the others, I think I'd like to know more about him, he could be a potential friend... Maybe even more than a friend... NO! Not that! I waved my head brushing off the embarrassing thought. He seemed to stare at me funny. Oh, I hope I didn't blush.
I slowly asked him, "Why are you here?"
He shuddered and replied, "Well, my friend and I went over to this secluded coral reef to play. I was looking for a secluded spot to escape my father who wants me to train and rule over the tribe... Even worse, he wants me to get a partner soon, as you can see, my dad's the ruler of the Gyarados tribe. So, he wants me to choose a partner quickly, or he'll pick for me... I don't know why he's rushing love and everything... Wait a minute, this place is not easily found, what are you doing here?"
I spoke with all the courage I had left, "My father, the leader of my tribe, is forcing me to pick a particular guy as a partner... But I hate him! I escaped the ball and swam here to hide from him!"
So apparently, I can see his problems and anguish... Maybe we were not so different after all...
"Oh, I see. Parents screw up sometimes. Especially if you're of royal blood," he said trying to reassure me that this was not only my problem. I blushed finding this act flattering...
"Um... Can I ask you a favour?" he requested uneasily and snapped me out of my thoughts.
"Y-yeah? W-what?" I said, apparently still half-immersed in my thoughts.
"Please don't tell the other Milotic that I was here! I promise I'll leave," he begged.
He looked kinda cute when he was begging.
I mustered up my voice, "U-um, okay."
He turned to leave, taking one last look at me. That was when I realized, that I wanted to meet him again!
"WAIT!" I yelled. Yelling at him scared me out of my wits.
He stopped and turned.
"Um... I-I didn't kn-now your n-name," I stuttered, feeling all scared and uneasy inside, I didn't know why though...
He told me, "Arashi, what's... your name?" He hit himself after he asked the last question as if embarrassed.
"U-umi!" I told him.
"Nice name!" he complimented, but then he hit himself and blushed after he realized what he said.
I found his sign of embarrassment cute and giggled but I couldn't help blushing to the compliment he made. I wanted to meet him again, I wanted to know more about him!
"Wait! May I... Meet you somewhere else?" I asked hopefully. He seemed relieved, I guess he was hoping for the same thing too.
"I'd l-love to! B-but where? We are forbidden from meeting cause our tribes... Don't seem to be in good terms, even worse is that we are prince and princess of our respective tribes. If our parents found out about our meeting, our tribes could be at war," he warned me.
I was gonna risk everything to know more about Arashi, he was kind and compassionate, the total opposite of Armik.
"How about Sunset Reef? It's a few miles away from both our tribes... But we'll be safe," I hopefully suggested.
"So we'll meet there tomorrow night?" he flushed as he asked.
I replied with a smile, "You can say that."
He bid me goodbye and swam off.
I swam back home still thinking about Arashi. I sort of found him appealing and interesting. I didn't notice Ai sneaking up behind me.
"UMI!" Ai frantically called.
"Huh! Oh, it's just you," I sighed dreamily.
"Umi! Where were you? You're dad was wondering where you swam off to!" Ai chirped.
"Oh, I was just around the coral beds," I replied cheerfully with a grin.
Ai seemed to smell something fishy with my attitude, but she quickly dismissed it. "Well let's just get home," she muttered sleepily as we swam home.
I sighed in content as we swam home, I was eager for tomorrow night.
Arashi's POV:
Kip swam in and out of the holes in the coral bed hiding from me, but he didn't notice that I was watching his every move from afar. I darted forward and touched him.
Chuckling, I said, "I found you again! Kip!"
Kip pouted, "Aww... Arashi, you're just too good at this!"
We both shared some laughs, then, I decided to change the topic to a more serious one.
"Hey Kip," I started, "Do you still remember my dilemma?"
Kip replied half-asleep, "Well, yeah. The training one?"
I blushed, "No, the... other one."
Kip then chuckled mischievously, "Oh! But you DO like someone, right?"
I shook my head, "I want to wait until the time is right. But if I don't choose, dad's gonna force me to someone I... don't really like, remember?"
Kip then tried to change the topic, "I'm sure that your dad can't be THAT mean... Hey, why not one last round of hide-and-seek or something?"
I chuckled, knowing my friend didn't want to see me troubled.
"You're on!" I challenged.
Kip swam off when I closed my eyes. When I opened them, he was gone. I started to look for him but just as I swam forward, a beautiful Milotic darted out from my right, she appeared to have noticed me and stopped.
I was stunned. But when she turned around, I saw her eyes, there was terror in them... No, but there was something else deep down in them... Could she... Be the one?
I staggered back at the thought. She was a Milotic, and I was not welcome to her tribe. I tried to protect myself by putting up a ferocious glare, but... Seeing the terror, no maybe the kindness in her eyes, made me soften up a bit.
She seemed to be terrified of me, but she tried to ask me a question.
"W-who a-are you? W-why are you here?" she nervously questioned me.
But as soon as I heard her question, I was horrified! Soon she would be calling the guards! Maybe she'll understand...
"I'm so sorry! I was just playing with my friend-" I cut myself off, I remembered Kip was still hiding.
"Kip, h-help!" I called out to no avail.
The Milotic seemed to be thinking about something... Maybe my capture? But she blushed and tried to brush it off. She noticed me staring at her, and she seemed quite embarrassed. She looked stunningly attractive like that. She broke me out of my thoughts with a question though.
"Why are you here?" she slowly repeated.
I shuddered as I was brought back to reality.
"Well, my friend and I went over to this secluded coral reef to play. I was looking for a secluded spot to escape my father who wants me to train and rule over the tribe... Even worse, he wants me to get a partner soon, as you can see, my dad's the ruler of the Gyarados tribe. So, he wants me to choose a partner quickly, or he'll pick for me... I don't know why he's rushing love and everything... Wait a minute, this place is not easily found, what are you doing here?" I retorted.
She mustered up all her courage to answer me, but as she did, I couldn't help but stare at her eyes, I don't know why, but looking at her eyes made me feel shy and warm inside.
"My father, the leader of my tribe, is forcing me to pick a particular guy as a partner... But I hate him! I escaped the ball and swam here to hide from him!" she replied.
Oh, at least someone knows how I feel, I thought.
I wanted to reassure her that she wasn't the only one who had that problem though...
"Oh, I see. Parents screw up sometimes. Especially if you're of royal blood," I added.
I knew how it felt to be prince. Not many know this but, sometimes, I think life would be much better if I wasn't a prince.
She blushed at my comment. I could swear I was blushing too but thankfully, she didn't notice.
She seemed to be thinking again, maybe whether or not was I a threat. I tried to ask her a favour, and that seemed to bring her out of her thoughts.
"Y-yeah? W-what?" she asked, apparently still in a daze.
"Please don't tell the other Milotic that I was here. I promise I'll leave," I begged. I felt all uneasy and shy while asking her though, and I don't think that's helping me at all.
"U-um, okay," she uneasily agreed.
I turned around to leave taking one last look at her. Just then I realized, that I didn't want to leave yet. I wanted to be with her, she had a pleasant presence and all... But I can't tell her that, right? She might suspect something else... I proceeded to leave with a numb feeling in my heart but she suddenly called out.
"WAIT!" she yelled, she was obviously scared of having yelled that as evidenced by her cheeks which were now crimson red and her constant shaking.
"Um... I-I didn't kn-now your n-name," she stuttered.
I don't know why but hearing her say that made my heart jump.
I answered, "Arashi, what's... your name?"
Realizing what I just asked her, I hit myself. It made me feel embarrassed and all, just speaking with her made me feel all shy and careless.
"U-umi," she replied.
"Nice name!" I absentmindedly complimented. But when I realized what I said, it stung me so I hit myself and couldn't stop myself from blushing.
I could tell she was amused though, as she giggled and blushed harder than me.
I wanted to meet her again, I wanted to know more about her. I wanted to be with her, I feel... different.
"Wait! May I... Meet you somewhere else?" she questioned to my relief.
I'd love to! Umi seemed pretty amazing and kind, I'd do anything to meet her again. I wanted to know more about her.
I mean she's pretty and who wouldn't want to know more about a cute... Woah-woah-woah, did I just think her pretty? Cute? Ugh... What's wrong with me, I thought.
I didn't want to but I had to warn her of the risks.
"I'd l-love to! B-but where? We are forbidden from meeting cause our tribes... Don't seem to be in good terms, even worse is that we are prince and princess of our respective tribes. If our parents found out about our meeting, our tribes could be at war," I warned her.
Umi replied, "How about Sunset Reef? It's a few miles away from both our tribes... But we'll be safe."
"So, we'll meet there tomorrow night?" I flushed as I asked her.
She replied with a beautiful smile on her face, "You can say that."
I bid her goodbye and started to swim home. I couldn't get my mind of her, Umi... I was in the middle of my thoughts when suddenly I heard a voice yell, "ARASHI!"
I turned around and saw Kip panting.
"Arashi! Where were you?" Kip asked frantically.
"Oh, nowhere..." I answered still thinking of Umi.
Kip seemed to notice and said, "Arashi? What's with that look on your face?"
"Oh, I just met someone," I absentmindedly answered.
Kip swam around with a mischievous smile.
"Ooh, is it a she?" he questioned grinning ear to ear.
I snapped back and realized where this was going.
"W-why? You ask?" I quipped back trying to hide the blush.
"Oh, just because you had a look on your face," Kip answered still grinning.
"Knock it off!" I nervously snapped and Kip broke out in a fit of laughter.
"Whatever, see you tomorrow," he chuckled.
I realized I would have some explaining to do when I got home. Dad would be questioning my whereabouts.
I swam home still thinking about tomorrow, and what glorious event shall unfold tomorrow night.
Note: Thanks for reading, please don't forget to review if there's something on your mind... I promise I'll post as soon as I get a review assuring school doesn't get in my way. If there's any suggestions, please feel free to tell me, as long as it's after chapter 5.